fast changing my mind.”
“You saw a demon?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
She was too fed up, scared, and tired to care that he would probably think her crazy. “Well, he said he wasn’t a demon but he had something on his head that looked like a horn.” She shivered. “Those eyes.”
“What about his eyes?” he asked.
“They were the strangest black, so dark it was almost like looking into a mirror but, instead of my own reflection, I saw endless pools of oily black.” She blushed at how dramatic she sounded.
She’d wanted to tell someone about the demon that haunted her and who better than someone that was crazy himself? Someone who would either die from the drug he took or be killed by the reverend.
“And you think him a demon because of his eyes?” He looked down at her and seemed to carefully think it over. “Maybe he was something else.”
“Maybe he’s not a demon like we think of demons,” Julia speculated. “He might be a different species. Except there was no way a different species could exist on Earth without being discovered.”
He looked away from her, glancing briefly at the cell farther down in the dark corner. “Maybe it was a being from another planet,” he said.
Up to now, she’d seen him ready to kill and expressionless, yet now some emotion roiled off him.
“An alien? I don’t think so. Why would he come to my house? No I think I’m going with demon.”
“You will not go with a demon,” he said, so serious she had to bite her lip not to laugh.
The drugs had really damaged his brain, and how sad that it was a great improvement.
“What else could it be? I looked it up on the TC and everything points to the fact that I’m haunted by a demon.” She scowled at him. “Although the salt didn’t keep him out.” She gagged. “And the stench in this place is making my stomach turn.”
He cocked his head in a strange motion. “Salt?”
Something tugged at her memory again.
“They said on the TC to sprinkle salt in the doorway and windows and a demon wouldn’t be able to enter.” Saying it out loud made her sound as crazy as him.
“Did this demon frighten you?”
“You have no idea.”
The way that demon appeared and disappeared freaked her out more than anything else. How was she supposed to fight a being who could disappear? Not to mention the fact that he moved so fast she couldn’t shoot him.
“Did you think him ugly?”
What a strange question. And why assume it was a he? An elusive thought lingered just out of her grasp. “He looked like drawings of some of the demons on the TC.”
“Maybe he just wanted to talk to you,” he said.
“Maybe,” she agreed, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
Between demons, the reverend, and her family she had more than enough on her plate. She searched for another subject.
“Do you know where my friend Sarah is? She’s a little shorter than me and very fine boned, with long golden-blonde hair.”
“I do not know where your friend is.”
“Would you tell me if you knew?”
“Yes, I would find her and bring her to you,” he said in a wooden, monotone voice that did not convince her of his intent.
Julia didn’t know what to say. He was like a totally different person. “Did the family send you after me?” Maybe he found her on his own, or by accident.
“No.”
“Then what are you doing in town?”
“I am on a mission.”
“Why would the reverend detain you? They know who you work for?” she asked. “Wait! Did you branch out on your own?” Wouldn’t it be just her rotten luck if he’d chosen this town to hide from the family?
“No, I do not have the dead wish.”
“Why do you talk like a foreigner sometimes?”
Must be the drugs starting to affect his brain. She suppressed the pity that was stirring. He was a monster. Even if he changed now, she’d seen him do unforgivable things in the past. For now, she’d use him to get out of here but afterward, she’d make a
“You saw a demon?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
She was too fed up, scared, and tired to care that he would probably think her crazy. “Well, he said he wasn’t a demon but he had something on his head that looked like a horn.” She shivered. “Those eyes.”
“What about his eyes?” he asked.
“They were the strangest black, so dark it was almost like looking into a mirror but, instead of my own reflection, I saw endless pools of oily black.” She blushed at how dramatic she sounded.
She’d wanted to tell someone about the demon that haunted her and who better than someone that was crazy himself? Someone who would either die from the drug he took or be killed by the reverend.
“And you think him a demon because of his eyes?” He looked down at her and seemed to carefully think it over. “Maybe he was something else.”
“Maybe he’s not a demon like we think of demons,” Julia speculated. “He might be a different species. Except there was no way a different species could exist on Earth without being discovered.”
He looked away from her, glancing briefly at the cell farther down in the dark corner. “Maybe it was a being from another planet,” he said.
Up to now, she’d seen him ready to kill and expressionless, yet now some emotion roiled off him.
“An alien? I don’t think so. Why would he come to my house? No I think I’m going with demon.”
“You will not go with a demon,” he said, so serious she had to bite her lip not to laugh.
The drugs had really damaged his brain, and how sad that it was a great improvement.
“What else could it be? I looked it up on the TC and everything points to the fact that I’m haunted by a demon.” She scowled at him. “Although the salt didn’t keep him out.” She gagged. “And the stench in this place is making my stomach turn.”
He cocked his head in a strange motion. “Salt?”
Something tugged at her memory again.
“They said on the TC to sprinkle salt in the doorway and windows and a demon wouldn’t be able to enter.” Saying it out loud made her sound as crazy as him.
“Did this demon frighten you?”
“You have no idea.”
The way that demon appeared and disappeared freaked her out more than anything else. How was she supposed to fight a being who could disappear? Not to mention the fact that he moved so fast she couldn’t shoot him.
“Did you think him ugly?”
What a strange question. And why assume it was a he? An elusive thought lingered just out of her grasp. “He looked like drawings of some of the demons on the TC.”
“Maybe he just wanted to talk to you,” he said.
“Maybe,” she agreed, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
Between demons, the reverend, and her family she had more than enough on her plate. She searched for another subject.
“Do you know where my friend Sarah is? She’s a little shorter than me and very fine boned, with long golden-blonde hair.”
“I do not know where your friend is.”
“Would you tell me if you knew?”
“Yes, I would find her and bring her to you,” he said in a wooden, monotone voice that did not convince her of his intent.
Julia didn’t know what to say. He was like a totally different person. “Did the family send you after me?” Maybe he found her on his own, or by accident.
“No.”
“Then what are you doing in town?”
“I am on a mission.”
“Why would the reverend detain you? They know who you work for?” she asked. “Wait! Did you branch out on your own?” Wouldn’t it be just her rotten luck if he’d chosen this town to hide from the family?
“No, I do not have the dead wish.”
“Why do you talk like a foreigner sometimes?”
Must be the drugs starting to affect his brain. She suppressed the pity that was stirring. He was a monster. Even if he changed now, she’d seen him do unforgivable things in the past. For now, she’d use him to get out of here but afterward, she’d make a
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