Devils and Demons

Chapter 17

Shove it down is all I can think of. Shove it down and down until you can't feel. Pull the feeling and then when you wake up it's gone. Except this time I'm not being beaten by foster monsters.

Eyes and Ears were asleep. We left the fort because the sun came up. Eyes was asleep in his bed, Ears had the couch and I slept in the hanging chair.

That was actually false. I didn't sleep. I was trying to shove the feelings down. They kept bubbling up into my chest and threatening to come out.

I couldn't let them out. If I let them out then I was in trouble. Realistically, I know I won't be in trouble but how can I not get in trouble? I was drawing, I was drawing and someone that I lived with found out.

This is how it got bad last time. This is when I stopped caring about school because it didn't matter. The foster monsters always won. They always beat me.

My breath hitches at that demonic word because I don't care and it makes my life so much more complicated than it has to be; school.

I haven't been in forever. Oh my God. What would the teachers do? Hit me? No wait they were teachers they couldn't hit me. At least not during class. I've had a few teachers who had me stay after school and then they would hit me.

I didn't have to worry about friends thank the God that watches over everyone but me, although Scott's group would be a pain to suffice. They knew about the drawings as well. They knew about the fort. Why couldn't I catch a break? Everyone had it out for me.

Then there was the guy I was supposed to be torturing that was still in Eyes' base. He was going to wait. But then my hair would stay exposed and I'd be at risk even longer.

Eyes is sitting in front of me snapping his fingers telling me I need to breathe and I want to laugh at him and say breathing sucks and that's the last thing I think before I pass out.

When I wake up and the feelings threaten to come. I shove them down past my stomach and try to swallow the lump in my throat as I sit up to take in my surroundings.

We were at Eyes' place and I was alone. I can hear people talking so I know they're outside the door but I tell myself I shouldn't feel. Someone found out I drew, that's all that happened.

But it was the Vinci's. It was their cousins. It was someone I live with. When A1 found out he was scared, people had found my graffiti before I knew what to expect. Last time someone found my drawings and I lived with them it was bad. Really, really bad.

Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if someone else had found the sketchbook, but it has been the worst of them. A2, B1, and Nile. Nile was the most unpredictable. I didn't know him the most. A2 just flat out reminded me of my foster brothers and B1 was a demon child. He looked it and acted like it and I just couldn't with him. He was like everyone who wanted to beat me.

The door opens and Eyes walks in with Enzo and Keegan in tow. I wonder where Ears was. Eyes tries to shoo them out of the room but they run in and Keegan jump onto his bed. I can see him getting mad but can't help but he amused that the Mafia Prince can't handle his brothers.

Enzo takes shelter behind me while Keegan gets off the bed and begins to run around the room singing some obnoxious song and wreaking havoc while Eyes stands in the doorway massaging his forehead. I wait for it and countdown in my head.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

"KEEGAN ASTRIAL HERNANDEZ GET OUT OF MY ROOM RIGHT NOW"

"But why does Enzo not have to leave?" Keegan wines as he lays on the bed again.

Enzo was playing with vials behind me but I wasn't going to rat him out. Keegan had a death wish laying in reach but Enzo but now Enzo had two funny looking vials that he was opening. I stare at him warily and debate if I run for cover.

Eyes finally looks in our direction and that's then he pours the liquids onto the floor into a puddle together.

I don't wait for the reaction and hightail it out of there because before I'm even out of the door an explosion consumes the room. I vaguely wonder what happened because there're only a few things they could do with their restrictions - Because they have restrictions to supplies.

They could make a foam bomb, a smoke bomb, or they could just make a fire. What else could you do with pouring chemicals together? Acid? I don't pay attention in school.

That word made me panicky still and I start to struggle to breathe but when Enzo and Keegan sprint past me  I duck into the kitchen and Ears is sitting on a bar stool. I force myself to calm down. He glances at a drink he has and narrows his eyes while setting it down.

"What happened?"

Keegan and Enzo came into Eyes room and Keegan was being, well, Keegan and Enzo was hiding behind me and messing with jars and then he pours two chemicals together and it made some kind of explosion. I think. I left when I saw he had liquids.

I sign to Ears as I sit on a bar stool. We can hear Eyes rage around the house looking for Keegan or Enzo but realistically neither would be found until one of us defused the bomb of Iver Hernandez.

"You didn't make it out in time" Ears says at last.

I look at him dreading what I look like. Was my hat burned off? No. What if - Was my sweater pink! I look at the sweater expecting the worse but it's still black. However when I look down I notice a green blob on my shin.

I lift my leg up like it's going to explode. Oh, yes. The power.

Before Ears can run, or even protest, I wipe it onto my hand and by turn onto his arm. He screams and leaps off the bar stool probably expecting it to burn his arm since the twins made it.

His arms are straight out his legs are slightly bent and he's leaning away from the arm that has the toxic goup. His mouth is open in silent protest and his face is a mix of horror and disgust.

I smile even though my hand felt disgusting and run before his shock wears out.

"You BITCH" Ears screeches at last and I know I have to run for my life.