Haunted

Prologue

Never walk through the street at night.

Lucy Christie learned that lesson the hard way. The destroy-your-life-forever hard way.

Lucy was coming home from a meeting at her art club, but for some odd reason her parents hadn't come to pick her up. She checked her phone, it was 9:30 pm. "Great," she muttered. "If Mom gives me a lecture about coming home late I'm going to..."

She stopped walking, Lucy had the feeling someone was watching her. She slowly turned in a circle, but nobody was there. It's only your imagination. She told herself. There's nobody there. Then her phone beeped, Lucy's hands were shaking as she picked up the phone and clicked the messages icon.

???: Mom and Dad are gone.

You're next.

A searing pain shot through Lucy's body as something cold pierced her arm. She fell to her knees, clutching her arm. She dared to take a peek at the wound... It was just a slight scratch, but there was a black liquid in her blood, and it burned like fire. She turned to look behind her, a man with brown hair loomed over her. In his hand was a knife coated in the black liquid. "Wh... What... Did... You....?" Lucy gasped.

"Cobra venom." The man growled. "In about two minutes you'll be nothing but a corpse." The man started to walk in slow circles around Lucy.

"Why... Why would...you... Do... Th... This?" Lucy gasped, growing weaker by the second.

The man kneeled down beside her and brushed Lucy's blazing red bangs out of her face so she could see him clearly. "Your father stole my girl." He growled. "Your Mother. And I made him pay, and your mom did too, for not choosing me." He grinned. "And you, Lucy, for being their child." The man got up and walked away into the night, leaving Lucy to suffer.

Lucy collapsed to the sidewalk, shaking involuntarily. "Please..." She whispered as her vision went black. "... Someone... Help...."

I could help you. Someone said. For a price.

Lucy's heart began to slow down. "I'll do anything," she breathed. "Save me..."

As you wish. Whoever it was said.

In the darkness that clouded Lucy's vision, she could make out a furry black creature with huge rust colored leathery wings, glowing red eyes, and sharp horns that curved upwards. The creature grinned, showing thousands of sharp white teeth.

"Thank you," It said. "For allowing me to do this."

Then the creature disappeared, and Lucy's vision returned. She got up and looked around wildly for any trace of the man with the knife. "I'm going to find him." She snarled. "And then I'm going to make him pay." She shot a garbage can with a fireball in rage.

Wait, FIRE!?

Lucy looked down at her hands, they looked completely normal. She looked up and aimed at the garbage can again, letting her rage flow to her hands. A ball of fire shot the garbage can again, knocking it over. Lucy's wings flew open with surprise.

Wings too?!

She glanced over her shoulder to inspect her wings. They were a rusty red color and were smooth to the touch. I'm a dragon! Lucy thought, amazed yet horrified at her transformation.

Actually, we're a demon. A voice in her head told her, it sounded exactly like the creature that she had seen.

"What do you mean we?" Lucy asked uncertainly.

I've possessed your body. The creature said. You're not Lucy Christie anymore, I'm afraid.

I am Vocivus, and you're Shady Fire.