Where Shadows Lurk

Chapter 1

The sound of familiar laughter woke him from his dreamless sleep. It sounded like bells in the wind on a clear day, like flowers and the crinkle of paper filled with promises.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Not opening his eyes and holding in a growl.

His body was stiff from his nap on the old couch, but the holes and stains were more comfortable. What time was it? He opened his eyes to look at the boarded-up window. Small streaks of moonlight filtered in from the gaps.

Something stank. It burned his nose and made his fangs itch.

There was also a frantic knocking at his door. Who the hell was coming to him at this hour?

"We're closed!" He called out to whoever was attempting to get his attention. "Can't you read the sign?"

"The other sign says you're open!"

Other sign? Oh. The other kind of business.

He yawned and opened the door. 

There, bundled in a red scarf that nearly covered her entire face and a sweater about two sizes two big for her was a girl short enough he had to actively look down at her. She wasn't the source of the acid smell. She smelled like any other human. 

"I need your help."

He blocked the doorway by leaning against the frame and crossing his arms. He wanted an explanation first.

"Who are you and what are you dealing with?" He asked.

"My name is Olivia, and there's a demon trying to kidnap me!"

He blinked. Kidnap. Not kill. And how did she know it was a demon? To sound so certain was interesting. Not often he got people who knew what they were dealing with and believed it. "And you want me to do what, exactly?"

"Kill it, banish it, I don't care. Just get rid of it!"

"And what makes you so sure you need my help?"

She clenched her fists. Trembling there in clear anger. He stayed put. "Because you're my last hope."

Last hope? What had she tried already?

The smell that was burning his nose got stronger. Then just about every hair on his body stood on end. Behind the girl, a black line in the air began to form. A rift? What the hell was strong enough to just open a gateway between worlds like that?

"Get inside," he ordered. There would be time to sort out her mess later. He had to deal with this right now. 

She followed instructions easily enough. Even saved him the breath and hid behind his couch away from the door and opening rift. 

He grabbed the pistol he kept hidden in the fake mailbox by the door. And waited for the rift to open fully. 

Whatever it was, it was definitely demonic and smelled worse than a burning battery. Multiple ash grey hands with sharp claws reached out. It screeched in a language he's hoped to never hear. Greater Abyssal. Only spoken in the outermost circle of hell.

He fired three rounds into the rift, forcing it closed and severing one of the hands.

It hit the ground with a gross splat before melting in the moonlight. Leaving a bloody puddle where the rift had been. 

"It's going to come back. It always does." Olivia spoke as he knelt down to inspect the blood.

Red enough to pass for human, if it wasn't freezing on the sidewalk into a glass-like solid. He held up a chunk in his hand. It still smelled terrible. 

"That's the thing after you?" He asked.

"You see why I need help."

"You want to tell me what a demon wants from you?" He brought the shard of blood inside. Maybe he could ID exactly which one this was.

"If only I knew."

"Sit down, take off the scarf."

"Excuse you?"

"I want to know who exactly you are. I have a lot of questions so you might want to get comfortable."

She sat down on his couch while he sat in the chair behind his desk. She fidgeted for a moment before taking off the scarf and settling in on her lap. "Olivia, Olivia King." He was a little disappointed. He'd almost expect an otherworldly beauty or something. Maybe a clue about her not being as human she seemed. She looked...kind of boring. Black hair and light brown eyes. No make-up. Some freckles. 

But despite that, something in her face reminded him of...something. Something he couldn't quite put a name to. But he needed more answers. 

"Call me Silver."