𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 {𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞}

hello kitty and the scooby doo gang

"I'd like to start by saying sorry." A raise of my brows and she was ready with an explanation, "You've been alone, all this time, and I haven't been there. No one's been there, so yeah," she twisted some of the rings she wore, "I'm sorry."

I stared at her. For about a minute, there was nothing. Nothing but silence - save for the slow ticking of that old clock on the wall.

My life has just been one crazy thing after another. From my parents disappearing, like every main character in every movie or show ever made, to discovering I'm a witch and I'm a part of this weird prophecy and that vampires (of all freaking things) aren't just things of stories.

Then this. Some woman who I've never met apologizing for not being around. It doesn't make sense, and it's confusing. So I do what I do best - using up my nine lives until I find out the truth.

"Who are you?"

The woman shrugged, "Me? I'm no one. But you, you're special, and before you ask, no, I'm not talking about your parents being gone."

"Look, I don't even know your name, so stop with all of the apologizing and talking about how "special" I am." I was tired. I was so freaking tired of everyone beating around the bush.

She chuckled and leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, "You're right. I should probably have led with that. You can call me Sera."

Sera. That name seemed oddly familiar, but it was like it was trapped in the recesses of my mind because I couldn't remember where I'd heard it.

"I knew your parents. I knew you, too, when you were a kid."

She knew my parents. I should've found some comfort in that, but for some reason, I didn't. Now I see why she'd apologized. If she knew them, she knew they were gone and that I virtually had no one.

I sighed, looking everywhere but at her. "Okay, sure. You knew my parents. We might have met when I was a kid. But, in case you didn't notice, I was a kid. I'm older now, and you weren't around, so I don't know you. And, if I'm being brutally honest, which I usually am, I don't want to know you."

That seemed to hit her pretty hard. She swallowed harshly and bit the inside of her cheek, nodding. "Yeah, you're right. I wasn't around, but hey," she looked me in the eyes, "I'm here now, and if I can do anything to help you, to protect you, I want to."

"You wanna protect me?" She nodded once again. "Then how about not scaring the hell out of me by bringing me to a place I've never been. Or maybe, I don't know, kidnapping me?"

Sera scoffed at that. "C'mon. Don't you think 'kidnapped' is a little strong?" I rolled my eyes, pushing away that ebbing need to whip out some sarcasm.

"Forget all of that." I was so ready to go home and spend the next day in bed, alone, in my room, snuggled under my blankets. "We got who you are, or who you claim to be, out of the way. Now, why am I here?"

"This might sound a little crazy." Yeah, like nothing crazy is going on right now. I waved my hand for her to get to the point. What's up with everyone and their need to be all equivocal. Just say what you have to say - and voila! - you're done.

"Impatient, aren't you?" Maybe I was impatient, but I just wanted to sleep, maybe eat some food, but mostly sleep.

She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table, which I noticed had symbols from that book I found at home. I was trying to decipher what they were when she started speaking again.

"Anyway," she cleared her throat, "as I said, this is going to sound crazy, and you might believe me, might not. But I have to let you know. At least give you a choice."