So my worst fear was happening. Liz had finally driven them out of the neighborhood. I had assumed if anyone ever moved away, it would be because of a job change or wanting a bigger house. No one could have looked into a crystal ball and predicted they’d leave due to demonic activity.

My first instinct was to respond immediately. I wanted to ask them how they could just up and leave, turn their backs on our neighborhood and our friend and me. Instead, I asked them where they were planning to move. I assumed across town or somewhere close.

Melissa: For now, I might see if Tony would want to decamp to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. I can work remote for some time while we figure things out. I think getting as far away from Winchester as we can is the right decision.

My chest constricted. Not only was she going to leave the neighborhood, she was crossing state lines. All the good times, the bonds we had, were part of a dying season, the wisps and whispers of autumn on a brisk September morning. The warnings that seem to say, “I hope you had a good summer, because winter is coming.”

They weren’t doing it to hurt me. They were trying to protect their families. I understood that, but part of me wondered if there was something wrong with me that my first instinct wasn’t to grab my young and run from the predator. Why didn’t I think to flee immediately? Was my instinct to fight wrong? After all, we had no idea how to fight what was happening or who would get hurt next.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply before I responded. Are you sure? I know how hard it will be for you guys to go so far away.

Melissa’s response: It’s harder to stay here.

I sent another text: Can we all talk? And waited for their answer. I wanted to sit down, face-to-face, and talk through all of it. Enough with the bullshit texting. We were closer than that, we were better than that.

I waited all day, periodically checking my phone even though my Apple Watch would have buzzed at a text. But none ever came. They were moving away, and our friendship would begin its slow decline. Sure, we would stay in touch with texts and phone calls. After a while, those would morph into just birthdays and first days of school. It would then move to social media, until finally it ended with the yearly, obligatory Facebook birthday wishes, delivered only because of the site notifications.