things?”
“It varies.” She grabbed a few paper towels and dried her hands. She’d never told anyone about her strange ability. Truth was, she wasn’t even sure how to explain her powers. What would he believe? She rested her head in her hands, so confused, so unsure of whom she could trust.
“And you’ve seen… demon’s before?”
She swallowed hard. A demon. She’d always assumed that’s what the evil monster was. She’d defined it as a demon because she hadn’t known what else to call it. A demon . But to hear another call it so… Dear God, it was truly a demon. A real demon. Her stomach clenched. Dizzy, she pushed Devon aside and stumbled into the brilliant light of morning. A semi truck zoomed by, the sound distorting.
She felt Devon behind her, his reassuring strength. “I think…” she said, “I think I saw a demon once before.”
The clerk stumbled from the building, tears streaming down his pudgy face. “What is that?” He pointed a trembling hand toward the demon that still lay upon the ground, unmoving, rotting faster than a normal human would have. “What are you people?”
“Good question,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What happened, when you saw your first demon?” Devon asked, ignoring the clerk.
She stared unblinkingly at the demon. “I was six.” Odd how she felt nothing now as she recalled the event. Perhaps enough time had gone by, or perhaps she was too damn tired. Lord, her hands trembled, she couldn’t stop them from shaking.
“Bloody hell,” the clerk mumbled, grappling with his cell phone. “Shite, shite, shite.”
“What happened, Ellie?” Devon asked.
A cool breeze swept through the parking lot, sending garbage tumbling and turning across the asphalt. “The demon killed the foster family I was living with. They blamed me…the fire… they thought I’d started it.”
Devon didn’t say a word, but the silence was welcome, needed. She’d never told anyone this story. Not even the police. At six years old, she’d known they wouldn’t believe her. Twenty years later, she could still see the monster. Not exactly like the one that oozed upon the shop floor, but close enough. The vibrations she’d felt had been similar… anger…desire…evil. Dark feelings that had invaded her soul. Feelings she hadn’t understood and still didn’t.
In the distance the high-pitched sound of sirens pierced the still morning. Devon rested his hand on her shoulder. “We need to leave, now.”
“And that?” She nodded toward the beast. “And the cameras? We’ll be on the security footage. They’ll have police looking for us. Probably already do.”
Devon frowned, glancing from the road to the shop. “You,” Devon called out to the clerk.
Startled, the man stumbled back, watching them with wide, nervous eyes. “Yeah?”
“When they ask you what happened, it would be best to make up something, anything, but the truth.”
“What do you mean?” He shook his head, his gaze jumping from them to the store. “I don’t understand.”
Devon lifted his hand. A fireball appeared, hovering over his palm, much like the demon had produced. “Don’t worry,” he said to Ellie.
He lifted his arm and tossed the fire toward the building. It swept through the broken window and hit a shelf. Packages of pastries burst into flames, quickly spreading down the aisle.
“Shite!” the clerk cried out, dropping to his knees.
Devon latched onto Ellie’s arm and led her toward the car. “They’ll never know we were here.”
Chapter 7
Devon had never been particularly good at discussing feelings. He was a man, for God’s sake, therefore, in his opinion he shouldn’t have to discuss much of anything but war and politics. But as the day went by and night fell, even turning into morning once more, and the silence grew to an uncomfortable level, he was eager to think of something, anything, to say to the woman sitting beside him.
As the sun peeked
“It varies.” She grabbed a few paper towels and dried her hands. She’d never told anyone about her strange ability. Truth was, she wasn’t even sure how to explain her powers. What would he believe? She rested her head in her hands, so confused, so unsure of whom she could trust.
“And you’ve seen… demon’s before?”
She swallowed hard. A demon. She’d always assumed that’s what the evil monster was. She’d defined it as a demon because she hadn’t known what else to call it. A demon . But to hear another call it so… Dear God, it was truly a demon. A real demon. Her stomach clenched. Dizzy, she pushed Devon aside and stumbled into the brilliant light of morning. A semi truck zoomed by, the sound distorting.
She felt Devon behind her, his reassuring strength. “I think…” she said, “I think I saw a demon once before.”
The clerk stumbled from the building, tears streaming down his pudgy face. “What is that?” He pointed a trembling hand toward the demon that still lay upon the ground, unmoving, rotting faster than a normal human would have. “What are you people?”
“Good question,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What happened, when you saw your first demon?” Devon asked, ignoring the clerk.
She stared unblinkingly at the demon. “I was six.” Odd how she felt nothing now as she recalled the event. Perhaps enough time had gone by, or perhaps she was too damn tired. Lord, her hands trembled, she couldn’t stop them from shaking.
“Bloody hell,” the clerk mumbled, grappling with his cell phone. “Shite, shite, shite.”
“What happened, Ellie?” Devon asked.
A cool breeze swept through the parking lot, sending garbage tumbling and turning across the asphalt. “The demon killed the foster family I was living with. They blamed me…the fire… they thought I’d started it.”
Devon didn’t say a word, but the silence was welcome, needed. She’d never told anyone this story. Not even the police. At six years old, she’d known they wouldn’t believe her. Twenty years later, she could still see the monster. Not exactly like the one that oozed upon the shop floor, but close enough. The vibrations she’d felt had been similar… anger…desire…evil. Dark feelings that had invaded her soul. Feelings she hadn’t understood and still didn’t.
In the distance the high-pitched sound of sirens pierced the still morning. Devon rested his hand on her shoulder. “We need to leave, now.”
“And that?” She nodded toward the beast. “And the cameras? We’ll be on the security footage. They’ll have police looking for us. Probably already do.”
Devon frowned, glancing from the road to the shop. “You,” Devon called out to the clerk.
Startled, the man stumbled back, watching them with wide, nervous eyes. “Yeah?”
“When they ask you what happened, it would be best to make up something, anything, but the truth.”
“What do you mean?” He shook his head, his gaze jumping from them to the store. “I don’t understand.”
Devon lifted his hand. A fireball appeared, hovering over his palm, much like the demon had produced. “Don’t worry,” he said to Ellie.
He lifted his arm and tossed the fire toward the building. It swept through the broken window and hit a shelf. Packages of pastries burst into flames, quickly spreading down the aisle.
“Shite!” the clerk cried out, dropping to his knees.
Devon latched onto Ellie’s arm and led her toward the car. “They’ll never know we were here.”
Chapter 7
Devon had never been particularly good at discussing feelings. He was a man, for God’s sake, therefore, in his opinion he shouldn’t have to discuss much of anything but war and politics. But as the day went by and night fell, even turning into morning once more, and the silence grew to an uncomfortable level, he was eager to think of something, anything, to say to the woman sitting beside him.
As the sun peeked
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