The house was empty. Laura was not here.

She had been around when I had left, her car was still in the driveway. She refused to walk anywhere. She hadn't even asked me to help with her makeup. I called her, and tried again.

She picked up. 'Hey!' She was cheerful.

'Hey, where are you?'

'I'm at a bar! Wanna join? You could meet some new friends that I've made!' She was starting to slur. She had always had a light tolerance for alcohol and had avoided it wherever possible.

'How many have you had?'

'Only a couple red wines! And a couple,' her voice was muffled with the sound of dance music in the background, 'one of my friends offered them to me! I even saw Marvin behind me when I looked in the mirror! We had a conversation, he's just moved towns see. He didn't really leave!' She was hiccupping with happiness. Drugs and Alcohol. Why did she have to get into something like that?

It made me remember our days when we were younger, she'd keep me away from that crowd, gave me the talks about the dangers of substances. And yet, here she was - my darling caring older sister, doing the very things she said that she'd never do.

With a sigh, I hung up after telling her to be safe.

An hour later, as I was burning my mouth on some curried mac and cheese, the doorbell rang. I placed the fork in my bowl with a clatter.

I walked towards the door reluctantly, feet dragging. It was after midnight, who would ring the doorbell?

It was Laura and about eight other people. She was clearly drunker than most of the other people she was with. I glanced nervously at each one, they looked like they could have been gang members, some goth, some littered with facial piercings and all of them with matching fashion sense. Laura looked so fragile and out of place.

'Can I help you?' I asked timidly.

'Maybe. Give us two hundred, and we'll give you your sister. It was a fun night, but she didn't shout nothin', no drinks or whatnot.' The most intimidating one spat.

I sputtered. I didn't want anything to happen to Laura, but I didn't have two hundred dollars anywhere. Not on me or in the house.

There were more loud footsteps on the path outside. Behind the gang, there were two men. They looked oddly familiar in the dim lighting, and some of the weight from my chest lifted.

'Are you going to give us an answer? Because we need the two hundred. Or we'll up it to three.' The leader spat, bringing me out of my observations.

'Hello, ladies, gentlemen and all other configurations of being! He'll be doing no such thing!' One of the men called out. His voice was slurred, like he himself was drunk.

The gang turned around as he walked forward into the light. I knew where I had seen him before, he was the man in the bookshop, with the pink moustache. The other man was smiling. It was the Host. Why was he here?

'And why shouldn't we?' The leader puffed his chest out, pulling up the sleeves of his leather jacket.

'Well, why not have a bit of fun? A good question indeed sir.' He looked up at the Host momentarily before looking at me, making direct eye contact. 'And all I wanted was a sip of my drink. You wouldn't happen to have one would you?' His voice echoed in my head. I looked around at the others, but they seemed to still be waiting for a valid answer. It was almost as if time had slowed down.

'Who the hell are you? Why are you in my head?' I asked, frowning.

'Wilford Warfstache,' He stroked his moustache, 'Did I forget to introduce myself again? Hmm.' He took a couple steps forward, pushing some of the gang members aside, while the Host babbled incoherently.

'What would you say, if I pulled out, this!' The man - Wilford - pulled a golden gun out of his pocket. I covered my mouth in horror as he shot the gang leader in the head. 'Oh, don't worry, it's just an accident. He'll be fine.'

How could he be so flippant about murdering someone!? My sister fell to the floor with the dead man and groaned before falling silent.

I sank down beside her, trying to ignore all of the taunts that the man was offering. He was still waving his gun about.

Laura seemed to be fine, she was still breathing and didn't have anything in her throat. As I looked up, I saw Wilford shoot one other gang member in the arm before they decided to try and run off. His expression changed and he ran after them, leaving me with the Host and my unconscious sister.

'The Host asks if he may help lift Laura into the couch in the living room?' He muttered, loud enough to be heard.

'I suppose. Yeah, thanks.' As much as I didn't want him inside my house, it was still better than dragging my poor sister on the floor. With a heave I pulled Laura up off the floor. She was still unconscious even as I tucked her into some of the spare blankets on the couch.

Watching her for a moment, with the cold breeze on my back from the open door felt almost peaceful. Until I could feel the Host's eyes on me again.

'...The Host looks out into the night, feeling the cold air. He feels he is being stared at. The host sadly realises he cannot get home, unless he is guided by Wilford who has already returned. The host hangs his head...' He narrated, almost mournfully.

'Uh, Host?' His bandaged eyes look towards me as he continues mumbling, 'If Laura wakes up, I can take you home?' I blurted out. Why would I be so stupid? I had no idea where he lived and if he had someone like Wilford living with him, why would I even have volunteered? Why did I offer?

Before I could take it back, he narrated an agreement. In perfect timing, my sister rolled over and groaned.

'Are you all good?'

'Yeah. I just need sleep.' She groaned again and rolled over.

I turned to the Host with a sigh and held my arm out. He joined arms with me and it was odd. We were uncomfortably close.

'...the Host realises that Evan feels uncomfortable and reassures him that the Host is still able to find his way home alone...' He observed. How did he know how I was feeling? My sister didn't know half the time.

I shook my head and began walking down the street after closing the door behind me. It would be selfish to leave a blind man in the lurch, I helped him before. It was pitch dark.