My Friend

Part 1

I looked up at it, my heart thudding in my chest, and realized the flames were blue. Not yellow or orange. I blinked over and over again, wondering if I'd been roofed or something when I wasn't looking, but I felt fine and could see everything clearly. Those flames were definitely blue.

A thought struck me, and I turned to scan the dumbstruck group of kids. My breath caught in my throat and my heart rate increased as I searched. "Where's Ryan?" I shouted in panic.

A couple kids shuffled awkwardly or mumbled, "I don't know," under their breath.

"Where is he?" I shouted again, my voice cracking.

"I think he's still in there!" a girl cried. "Him and Lance and Natalie!"

Ryan was still in the burning house. I stared as the flames kept on rising higher, and I felt something spark - pun not intended - inside me. I broke into a run, toward the house, even though I could hear sirens coming toward us. They might not make it in time.

"What are you doing?!" someone yelled. I ignored them and burst through the burning door.

I was met by beautiful, memorizing blue flames, licking at everything in the house. But it wasn't just blue fire. It was bright, light blue fire, a completely unnatural blue. I could feel the heat consume me, but though it was searing hot, it wasn't uncomfortable. I kind of liked it. I walked slowly through the house, into the kitchen, completely at ease, and then heard a massive thump and an inhuman screech. It was coming from the basement.

"Whatever you do, don't go in the basement."

"Why not?"

"Just ... don't."

Well, sorry Ryan. I was going down to the basement.

I opened the door and it seemed like the flames were tighter, thicker down here than they were upstairs. I tried to call down, because I was nervous, but I was choked with weird tasting smoke. There was another shriek, and then a very human scream.

Without thinking, I ran down the stairs and came face to face with a demon from another world, its light-sucking eyes the portals to hell. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The creature opened its massive jaws, flashing shadowy teeth that looked sharp enough to cut just by looking at them. It moved toward me as if in slow motion, saliva flying from its teeth as it screeched. Looking down its throat was like looking into a vortex, a black hole. As it came closer to devouring me, I didn't actually see my life flash before my eyes, which was kind of disappointing, but I did see a flash of shimmering black metal above me.

The demonic thing screamed again as its head was completely severed. It fell to the ground, thrashing, and then vanished in a cloud of black dust.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Ryan screamed at me.

I jumped in fear and looked up at him, and then I found my voice and screamed. I remember seeing him and thinking, THERE IS NO WAY THIS THING IS HUMAN.

He had wings. Big, black, beautiful and terrifying wings. They seemed to fill the entire basement, but didn't cover or dampen the flames.

He also had a sword, gripped tightly in his left hand. Its blade was as black as his wings, long and razor sharp, and the hilt had a single ruby encrusted in the metal.

He was wearing a crown, too, but not like those king and princess or medieval crowns. His was also black, with the points sharp and jagged like a dark and ominous mountain. The band had silver weaved in between the black metal, and there was another ruby in the middle. It was huge and probably worth a fortune.