Mimi's Demons

Chapter 68: The Forgotten Fear

Falsely so, as her Papa was unmoved from popcorn maker to the start up of Labrynth.

"I was against them even playing with you," he said. "And that was back before I knew they could talk over whatever Craft it is. Nintendo's supposed to be kid friendly, so you're already on thin glass. Don't push it, kid."

That just made Mimi even more curious. "Why can't I know who they are? You said they're a kid, why can't I know them? Papaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

It was amazing how he could give her the side glare that would make stronger men faint all while holding a handful of popcorn to his chin.

"One more word," he said.

Mimi buried herself into her seat with a full body pout, arms crossed tightly and glare to the screen. Stupid main character was a whiney little poopstain anyway. So what if she had to watch her little brother instead of playing around in the rain? At least she had a nice room and parents who loved her, though the whiney baby did remind Mimi of her own little half-brother.

...Wait...

"You haven't done anything with my brother and mom's identities, right?" she asked.

Duke swallowed his popcorn. "Since they aren't your family anymore, I don't see why you are concerned."

Something about that answer made Mimi's insides all sticky, sour, and uncomfortable.

"I told you not to hurt them," she said.

The slow way he turned his head to her and the cool expression on his face suddenly reminded her that this man who gave her Teddygrahams and let her put her hands on his while he played piano also made money selling drugs and killing people. She'd never really forgotten. But months of head pats, treats, camping trips, and sassy arguing had watered down that fact.

"You have no power to tell me what to do," he said.

And that scary fact was pulled out of the water. Especially then, sitting in the dark, with his black eyes on her and a girl wailing on the screen for 'Hoggle!' The dim lighting of the cinema seemed to have vanished around him, like a dark cloud had spread from him. Mimi realized it was that outline of his, that black line like a comic-artists marker that she'd grown used to.

Mimi's hands got sweaty. Her mouth dried.

He wouldn't hurt her. She knew that, at least. But this wasn't about her.

And bad guys lied.

Terror, unwelcome and surprising, splashed over her.

And she was gone, fled from her seat, popcorn and snacks forgotten. She didn't stop running until she reached her room and hidden herself in the pile of pillows on her bed.

She'd made a mistake. She'd made a terrible, horrible mistake. There was no way a man like that could be someone safe, someone free of demons. There was no way that blackness meant nothing. There was only one reason that, despite all his wickedness, demons seemed to avoid him.

Demons were afraid of him because he was worse than them. And now her mother and brother would pay the price. And the day he grew tired of her, like he did in that moment in the dark when he slowly turned his head and his outline turned to a storm--

Mimi wailed and redug herself out of her bed just as the door propped open to reveal the demon himself. He'd followed her.

"Mimi?"

She leapt off the side of the bed farthest from him. She had to get away, but there was only one place her terror-stricken mind could think of that could possibly be safe from the man who ruled the world.