her lips as she hunched forward, curling into a ball in an attempt to lessen the pain. Warm hands were cupping her face, murmured words that were meant to comfort. She heard none of them, the pain too consuming. Her fingertips and toes felt afire, burning from the inside out. Light above flickered, in and out.
Just as suddenly as the pain had come, it swept away, seeping from her body like a receding wave. The world went black. For one heartbeat, the entire world went black as if she’d died. She had no body, merely a consciousness as she floated through oblivion. No sound, no feeling, no sight.
“Ellie,” a voice called out. “Ellie, come back.”
Light burst into her mind, brilliant white light. On a roaring wave, the world came back. Tingling feeling shot through her being, bursting through her arms and legs. Ellie arched her back, gasping for air. Devon was kneeling in front of her. For the first time since entering the shop, she finally looked at him, truly looked at him through her own eyes. The demon’s black blood combined with his red, and was splattered across his t-shirt. His pale face was tense, wavering in and out of focus as she attempted to make sense of her world once more. Someone was crying in the background. But she only noticed Devon.
“You’re hurt.”
“Just a cut on my arm. I’ll heal. Are you well?” His hand trembled as he reached out to her, stroking the side of her face.
He looked so serious, almost as if… he cared. But he couldn’t care. No, they’d only just met yesterday. She managed to nod, her gaze slipping from him to the demon who lay in a massive, putrid pile of pink flesh upon the floor.
Unmoving. Silent. Dead.
Her stomach clenched and she had to look away.
“Your eyes,” Devon whispered. “They were glowing red like the…”
He didn’t need to say it. She knew. Like the demon. She’d been a demon, for a few moments. Her skin crawled, her stomach tightened as bile rushed to her throat. All the vile thoughts she’d had rushed back to mind. She shoved Devon away and stumbled to her feet.
“Ellie?”
With no explanation, she pushed the doors wide and rushed outside. The cool morning air provided some relief from the putrid scent of death. But the sun was bright… so damn bright. Her throbbing temples flared to life. The door opened and Devon stepped outside.
“What are you, Ellie?”
The compassion on his face was gone, replaced with a weary hardness.
She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. Exhaustion pulled at her limbs, tested her patience. “I told you, I don’t know!”
She spun away from him, stumbling toward the bathroom sign, following the white cement building. Broken glass crushed under her feet, proof of their war, as if the dead demon wasn’t enough. She shivered, her body attempting to understand the invasion it had endured. She hadn’t been herself. Disgust ate at her gut. She’d been him. The demon lying prone upon the shop floor. She had to clean, wash her hands, something, anything.
“You must know what you are.” Devon latched onto her arm, jerking her to a stop.
She attempted to pull away from him, but felt too weak. “Let the hell go!”
Devon held her firm. “What are you?”
With what strength she had left, she shoved her hands into his chest, sending him stumbling back. “I don’t know.” She wrapped her fingers around the door handle and jerked open the bathroom door. A tiny room with a toilet and sink.
Devon followed her inside, his tall form filling the small area. “Try again.”
With trembling fingers she turned on the faucet and lathered her hands with soap. He wouldn’t relent until he had his answers. She was too damn tired to fight him. “I’ve always been this way. Odd things happen.” She scrubbed her hands with such ferocity, a person with OCD would be proud. She must get clean, had to scrub the remains of the beast from her flesh. But how could she ever clean her insides?
“What odd
Just as suddenly as the pain had come, it swept away, seeping from her body like a receding wave. The world went black. For one heartbeat, the entire world went black as if she’d died. She had no body, merely a consciousness as she floated through oblivion. No sound, no feeling, no sight.
“Ellie,” a voice called out. “Ellie, come back.”
Light burst into her mind, brilliant white light. On a roaring wave, the world came back. Tingling feeling shot through her being, bursting through her arms and legs. Ellie arched her back, gasping for air. Devon was kneeling in front of her. For the first time since entering the shop, she finally looked at him, truly looked at him through her own eyes. The demon’s black blood combined with his red, and was splattered across his t-shirt. His pale face was tense, wavering in and out of focus as she attempted to make sense of her world once more. Someone was crying in the background. But she only noticed Devon.
“You’re hurt.”
“Just a cut on my arm. I’ll heal. Are you well?” His hand trembled as he reached out to her, stroking the side of her face.
He looked so serious, almost as if… he cared. But he couldn’t care. No, they’d only just met yesterday. She managed to nod, her gaze slipping from him to the demon who lay in a massive, putrid pile of pink flesh upon the floor.
Unmoving. Silent. Dead.
Her stomach clenched and she had to look away.
“Your eyes,” Devon whispered. “They were glowing red like the…”
He didn’t need to say it. She knew. Like the demon. She’d been a demon, for a few moments. Her skin crawled, her stomach tightened as bile rushed to her throat. All the vile thoughts she’d had rushed back to mind. She shoved Devon away and stumbled to her feet.
“Ellie?”
With no explanation, she pushed the doors wide and rushed outside. The cool morning air provided some relief from the putrid scent of death. But the sun was bright… so damn bright. Her throbbing temples flared to life. The door opened and Devon stepped outside.
“What are you, Ellie?”
The compassion on his face was gone, replaced with a weary hardness.
She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. Exhaustion pulled at her limbs, tested her patience. “I told you, I don’t know!”
She spun away from him, stumbling toward the bathroom sign, following the white cement building. Broken glass crushed under her feet, proof of their war, as if the dead demon wasn’t enough. She shivered, her body attempting to understand the invasion it had endured. She hadn’t been herself. Disgust ate at her gut. She’d been him. The demon lying prone upon the shop floor. She had to clean, wash her hands, something, anything.
“You must know what you are.” Devon latched onto her arm, jerking her to a stop.
She attempted to pull away from him, but felt too weak. “Let the hell go!”
Devon held her firm. “What are you?”
With what strength she had left, she shoved her hands into his chest, sending him stumbling back. “I don’t know.” She wrapped her fingers around the door handle and jerked open the bathroom door. A tiny room with a toilet and sink.
Devon followed her inside, his tall form filling the small area. “Try again.”
With trembling fingers she turned on the faucet and lathered her hands with soap. He wouldn’t relent until he had his answers. She was too damn tired to fight him. “I’ve always been this way. Odd things happen.” She scrubbed her hands with such ferocity, a person with OCD would be proud. She must get clean, had to scrub the remains of the beast from her flesh. But how could she ever clean her insides?
“What odd
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