Haunted

Chapter 8

Shady crouched in a dark corner of the room, her ears pricked for the sound of a car pulling up to her house. Anxiety had twisted her stomach tighter than a knot in a piece of string, and to make things worse, she had forgotten to hunt last night. As she sat in the corner something caught her eye, a pair of green eyes peered out of the dark at her curiously. Shady stood up to go inspect what it was, but it vanished before she could take one step towards it.

Then someone knocked on the door. "Uoy ydaer?" Drake asked from outside.

"Yes." Shady replied.

Drake opened the door and quickly shut it behind him, in his hands was a long black cloak.

"Do you think this would work?" He asked, holding it up. It was longer than Shady, and the hood was big enough to cover her entire head.

That should work. Vocivus told Shady.

"I think so." Shady said, her voice shaking with anxiety.

Drake handed it to her, and she slipped it over her clothes. Drake put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"There's nothing to be worried about," he told her. "Everything will be fine."

Shady smiled, comforted by his words. She slipped the hood over her head and Drake opened the door, at first Shady hesitated, then she stepped out into the light. Everything was so bright, Shady could barely see. Drake guided her to the squad car parked at the curb, the two got in the back, Officer Jones was in the front.

"You alright Shady?" He asked.

Shady nodded, and he started the car. As the car started to leave, a small black shadow dashed out of the bushes and attached itself to the underside of the vehicle, and hung there for the entire drive.

"We're here." Officer Jones announced. Drake and Shady got out of the car, Shady held the cloak tightly around her body. Drake guided her into the building, many other police officers stared at her with suspicion. She was led into a dark room with nothing but a wooden table and a single, small light. Officer Jones and two other police officers walked in with Shady and Drake. One of the other police officers, a thin woman with blonde hair and brown eyes, sat down at one end of the table.

"Please, sit." She said, motioning to the chair opposite of her. Shady sat down, her anxiety beginning to come back.

"My name is Officer Kelly." She said kindly. "Could you tell me what the situation is?"

Shady explained what had happened two years ago to her family, Officer Kelly and the other police officer frowned when Shady mentioned becoming possessed.

"Sweetie, that can't possibly be true." The other officer said. "There are no such things as demons."

Shady placed a hand on the edge of her cloak. "Then how do you explain this?" She hissed, whipping off the cloak. Officer Kelly and the other officer gasped in horror and shock at the monstrous features the girl had.

"Oh... Oh my god..." Officer Kelly whispered. "You... You're a-"

"A monster, I know." Shady said, her wings drooping in sadness. "That's how everyone sees me."

A look of sadness came to Drake's eyes, he looked like he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

"Show them," Officer Jones told Shady. "Show them the fire thing."

Shady held out her palms, the inferno blazed from her hands and twisted and turned to form the vision. They gasped in shock as the flames formed the image of a man.

"This is the murderer." Shady explained. "We need to find him, so he can know the pain he has caused me."

The other officer started to make a sketch of the man's features, but it was taking quite awhile, and Shady's energy was being drained fast.

"Shady, stop!" Drake said, a worried look on his face. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

Shady ended the vision, she gasped, completely exhausted. Drake put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "I haven't eaten... in quite awhile," Shady said. "I'm low on energy...."

Drake turned to the police officers. "We need some steak or something." He explained. They nodded and all left to get some.

Drake turned to Shady, who was now resting her head on the table. "Do you really believe that?" He asked.

"Believe what?" Shady asked, lifting her head from the table.

"Why do you think that you're a monster?" He said.

She looked down. "Because I have unusual abilities and I burn in the sun." She explained. "I tried to be normal, I tried to go to night school because I was nocturnal, but they attacked me." Tears started streaming down Shady's face, Drake put his arms around her to comfort her. "They screamed at the sight of my demonic features, they threw things at me, they even shot at me with guns." She said. "I don't think I'm a monster, I know I am."

Drake looked into her eyes. "No, you're not a monster." he said. "They're just so blind that they can't see what you truly are."

Shady wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What am I then?" She asked.

"You're the most beautiful person in the universe." He said.

Shady's cheeks became hot as she realized what he was trying to say. Then, one of the officers came in, he handed Shady a large plate of steak, then he turned to Drake. "Hey Drake," he said. "Could you one help me with something?"

Drake nodded. "Sure." He said. He and the officer left, but Drake glanced back at Shady before he left.

Shady started to rip the meat apart more ravenously than usual, she was starving.

"I'm sorry, Shady." Someone said.

Shady shot up from her seat, Vocivus got hostile instantly. But he became scared as they realized who had spoken. A small black cat with green eyes slipped out of one of the corners of the room and jumped on top of the table.

"Sorry?" Shady asked. "About what?"

"About the boy," The cat said. "He'll be heartbroken..."

"Why?" She asked. "What's going on?"

The cat had a sorrowful expression on its face. "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'bad luck comes to those who have a black cat cross their path'?" He asked.

Shady nodded. "Yes, I have." she said "Who are you? What do you want?"

The cat curled its tail around its paws. "My name is Nox," the cat said. "And I'm here for reasons that Vocivus obviously hasn't told you about."

Sadness emanated from Vocivus. Black cats are supposed to guide Demonics to the afterlife. He explained. That's where the saying came from.

Shady's heart sank to her shoes. "Does that mean that..." She didn't even want to say it.

Nox nodded. "You're going to die soon." He said. "A Demonic dies after they achieve their main goal in life, yours is to make your murderer feel your pain."

Shady flopped into the chair, hopelessness filled her heart like a thick fog. "Drake will be crushed..." Shady said. "But I can't tell him..."

Nox shook his head. "No," he said. "But there may be something I can do."

Shady lifted her head. "What is it?" She asked.

Nox got up. "You will see," he said. "When the time comes." Then he jumped off the table and vanished.