DEMON SENSE (Completed)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

And spill I did. It took me a while to open up completely, but with her encouragement, I eventually managed to get out all the details. I told her about my ability to sense demonkind, and how I’d been able to do it since I could remember. I told her how they had stalked and tormented me, and that their harassment only intensified, as I grew older.

At first, they had watched from a distance, their muddled forms lurking in the shadows. Of course, my parents thought my fear of the dark was typical, so they’d given me Kat’s old Disney princess night-lights. When I complained of the monsters in my closet and under my bed, they’d gotten me Monster Repellent.  Unfortunately, the cheap, sweet, bubble gum scented spray did not keep my demons away.

It wasn’t until sixth grade that I had my first experience with the possessed. Before then, they’d only appeared to me as dark shadowy forms. In other words, nothing that posed a serious threat. That changed the night of my first sleepover. I hadn’t even been able to make it through the night without incident.

My first, and only friend at the time hadn’t even realized she’d been possessed. All she knew was that one moment we were dancing and singing to the Spice Girls with water balloons in our training bras, and the next I was in the fetal position screaming. My parents had to call her mom to pick her up and take her home. Needless to say, we weren’t friends after that. She thought I was crazy, and she let the whole school know it. And I had let them believe it. I kept to myself after that.

The next time I’d been met with demon hosts, was the night of the accident. I told Kelsey about that, too. And about Kat’s suicide via possession. I held nothing back. By the time I was done speaking, she knew it all, including how I’d met Nathan and Larson, and my undead self-defense training. And, of course, the biggest catch of all: how one could only slay a demon by killing its innocent human host.

Kelsey gaped. “Woah, Vik. That’s, like, über intense.”

“Yeah, well, you asked.”

“Well, I can tell you one thing for def—I’m sure glad I’m not you.”

I snorted, “Yeah, thanks.”

“Really though,” she continued, “You’ve got this whole dark, mysterious aura about you. Two very hot, very unavailable men living under the same roof as you, and you’re forced to entertain me. You’ve got it pretty rough.”

A small laugh escaped me. “Yeah. Entertaining you is by far the worst part of it all,” I replied teasingly, and then we both broke out in laughter.

An unusual sound caught my attention. Kelsey stopped laughing as soon as she saw the change in my demeanor. I knew my body had gone rigid, and my face serious.

“Did you hear that?” I whispered.

Kelsey’s eyes had widened slightly. She responded equally as quiet. “No. What was it?”

I put my finger to my lips in the universal sign for silence. We both sat as quietly as possible, straining our ears to pick up any sound. That’s when I heard it again, barely noticeable above the store music. Somewhere nearby a child was crying.

Our drinks and cake forgotten, Kelsey followed me around the building. Just under a lamppost on the sidewalk, I saw a figure huddled on the ground.

A little girl sat with her knees to her chest, sobbing into her hands. Her mousy brown hair hung around her face so I could only base her age on her stature and outerwear. By my guess, she was only nine or so. Slowly and very cautiously, I approached the girl, trying not to startle her. What was with me and finding young, stray girls in need of help.