New Orleans
3rd POV
"Come on, Leon, get up! We're gonna miss the show!"
A blonde girl stood beside the bed, pushing at the shoulder of a boy buried under his blankets. The room was dark except for the pale glow of the streetlights slipping through the curtains.
"Alright, alright, Grace. I'm getting up," the boy muttered in a sleepy voice.
Leon Kennedy rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. His hair stuck out in every direction, and he looked like he had been pulled from the deepest sleep imaginable. Grace crossed her arms impatiently, her bright blue eyes staring at him like he had personally ruined her entire night.
"Come on!" she said again, grabbing his wrist and pulling.
Leon groaned but let himself be dragged out of bed.
Grace had just turned ten yesterday—three years younger than him—and every single night she woke him up for this one show that only aired late. Their parents were still out, which meant Grace had no one else to bother.
Leon shuffled into the small living room, yawning as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table. The old television flickered to life with a soft hum.
Grace instantly plopped down on the couch, sitting cross-legged and leaning forward with excitement.
"Hurry! It's about to start!"
Leon dropped beside her, still half asleep.
"You know you could just watch it yourself," he mumbled.
Grace gasped dramatically.
"No, I can't! It's tradition. You always watch it with me."
Leon rolled his eyes but didn't argue. She had been saying that since she was little.
The theme music for the show began playing through the speakers, and Grace clapped happily.
"There it is!"
Leon leaned back into the couch cushions while Grace watched the screen like it was the most important thing in the world.
The show was about monsters and hunters—vampires, werewolves, witches—things that Leon knew weren't real. Still, Grace loved it. She watched every episode like it was brand new.
Every few minutes she would excitedly point at the screen.
"Look, Leon! That hunter is gonna get the vampire!"
Leon chuckled softly.
"Yeah, yeah. I see it."
The clock on the wall ticked quietly as the episode went on.
Outside, the streets of New Orleans were unusually quiet.
Grace yawned halfway through the episode but refused to admit she was tired. She leaned against Leon's shoulder, still staring at the television.
"Are Mom and Dad gonna be home soon?" she asked quietly.
"Probably," Leon said. "They said they just had some work stuff."
Grace nodded but kept watching.
The episode finally ended with the hero saving the day. The credits rolled, and Grace stretched her arms.
"That was the best episode yet," she declared.
Leon smirked.
"You say that every time."
Before Grace could respond, a loud sound came from outside.
A car door slammed.
Both kids turned their heads toward the front door.
"Mom and Dad?" Grace said.
Leon stood up and walked toward the window. Through the curtains he could see headlights outside and the dark shape of their parents' car parked in the driveway.
"Yeah," he said. "They're back."
A moment later the front door opened.
Their father stepped inside first, followed quickly by their mother.
Something was wrong.
Leon immediately noticed the look on their faces.
They looked… scared.
Their father quickly locked the door behind him, turning the deadbolt with a sharp click.
"Dad?" Leon asked.
Grace slid off the couch.
"Mom?"
Their parents looked at each other for a second before their mother rushed over to them and knelt down.
"Leon, Grace," she said, her voice tense. "We need you two to listen very carefully."
Leon frowned.
"What's going on?"
Their father walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside slightly, glancing out into the dark street like he was expecting someone to be there.
Then he turned back toward them.
"We have to leave," he said.
"Leave?" Grace asked, confused. "But… it's late."
Their mother gently grabbed Grace's shoulders.
"I know, sweetheart. But we have to go right now."
Leon felt a strange knot form in his stomach.
"Why?"
His parents exchanged another look.
Their father spoke again, his voice serious.
"There isn't time to explain."
He walked toward the hallway.
"Go pack a bag. Only what you can carry."
Grace looked completely lost.
"But… where are we going?"
Their father stopped for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"Somewhere safe."
Leon could hear the worry in his voice.
And that was the moment he knew something was very, very wrong.
Their mother stood up quickly.
"Leon, Grace… hurry."
Leon looked at his sister, then back at his parents.
"Okay," he said.
POV: Leon Kennedy
I stared out the car window as we finally crossed into Florida. It was night, and rain poured down so hard it blurred the highway lights into long streaks of yellow and white.
The steady sound of rain hitting the roof filled the car.
I looked over beside me. Grace was fast asleep, curled up against the door with a blanket wrapped around her. In the passenger seat, my mom had also fallen asleep, her head leaning against the window.
"Dad," I said quietly, leaning forward a little. "What's going on? Tell me."
My dad looked at me through the rearview mirror. For a moment he didn't say anything.
"Leon," he said finally, his voice calm but firm, "you're too young to understand this. I'll tell you when the time is right."
I knew that tone.
It was the voice he used when he didn't want any arguments.
"Alright," I muttered, leaning back into my seat and turning my attention to the window again.
The rain kept falling as the miles passed.
Eventually the highway turned into smaller roads, and then even smaller ones. Trees surrounded us on both sides until it felt like we were driving through the middle of nowhere.
Finally, the car slowed as we pulled up to a house.
It stood alone in the darkness, surrounded by trees and a long dirt driveway.
At this point, I knew something was seriously wrong.
We got out of the car, the rain soaking the ground around us.
I wasn't exactly what most people would call a normal kid. My mom used to say I barely cried when I was a baby. I didn't act like other kids my age, either. Sometimes I just… felt different. Like there was something about me that didn't quite fit.
"Leon, can you help me with this?" my mom called.
I walked over to the car and grabbed the bag she handed me.
"Yeah."
We carried everything inside the house. It looked like someone had lived there before, but it still felt empty. Dust covered some of the furniture, and the air smelled a little stale.
After we finally got settled in, my parents called Grace and me into the living room.
They both looked serious.
"Alright," my dad said, sitting down across from us. "We need to ask you two something."
Grace rubbed her eyes, still half asleep.
"What?"
My mom leaned forward slightly.
"Have either of you seen anything strange back at the house in New Orleans?"
I glanced at Grace.
She looked back at me.
Then we both shook our heads.
"No," we said at the same time.
We had lived in a pretty normal neighborhood. Nothing weird ever really happened there.
My dad took a deep breath before speaking again.
"Well… I'm going to need both of you to listen very closely."
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.
"If your mother and I are not here," he continued, "do not open the door for anyone. And do not invite anyone inside. Do you understand?"
Grace looked confused.
"Why?"
My dad didn't answer right away.
He looked at me first.
I could tell he was trying to see if I understood more than I was letting on.
"Do you understand, Leon?" he asked again.
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah… I understand."
My mom forced a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Good."
Grace crossed her arms.
"But what if it's someone we know?"
My dad's expression hardened slightly.
"It doesn't matter who it is," he said firmly. "If we're not here, the door stays closed."
The room fell silent after that.
The rain outside continued tapping against the windows.
After a moment, my mom stood up.
"Alright," she said gently. "It's late. You two should get some sleep."
Grace yawned.
"Okay…"
She slowly walked down the hallway toward the bedroom.
I followed her, but before I stepped into the room, I glanced back toward the living room.
My parents thought we were gone.
They started whispering to each other.
I couldn't hear everything, but I caught a few words.
"…they found us…"
"…Umbrella…"
"…not safe anymore…"
My chest tightened.
I quietly stepped into the room and closed the door.
Grace was already climbing into bed.
"Leon?" she mumbled. "Are we in trouble?"
I shook my head and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"No," I said quietly. "Everything's gonna be fine."
But as I stared at the dark window, listening to the rain outside…
I wasn't so sure anymore.