Runaway Devil

The rustling I heard behind my front door was unsettling.

"Give it back!" Was that Ben? "Stop being an ass, dammit. If you Throw that I swear to God-" I opened my door and found Ben, Issac, Jerry, and Bethany in my living room. Bethany was halfway over the back of my decrepit coach, holding Ben's phone just out of reach. Issac was prepared to catch it if she did throw it.

As I swung my door open, everything stopped. They all looked to me with wide eyes, caught in their immature act. Jerry looked from my mud-caked feet to my face, which looked slightly off. He couldn't put his finger on it but I looked... different. Something in my eye, maybe. I dropped my shoes next to my doorway and looked at each of them purposefully. "Anyone want to tell me why you're all in my house?"

They each looked at one another and collectively opened their mouths, then closed them. I raised my eyebrows and leaned against the door frame. Issac dropped his head and looked at me over his glasses frames. "You didn't-" He said looking like a kicked puppy, "-tell us where you were going. We were worried, and thought we should wait for you...here," He looked around and shrugged apologetically. I suddenly remembered that I had invited them, to settle their nerves, earlier that day.

"And I came because I wanted to check on you. But I found these guys here," Bethany stood from the couch and brushed some of Balan's hair from her jeans. "I thought I should stick around too," She seemed to get a good look at me then. Her brows slowly puckered her forehead and her words died in her throat. She took a deep breath in, seemingly collecting herself, but no words formed.

I looked down at myself, for the first time under direct light. I looked like a just wrestled a bear in the woods. I pointed down the hall towards my bathroom, "I'm going to go get cleaned up." I left them in the living room, hanging in suspense.

Balan followed me and jumped into the stained bathtub. The drain slowly clogged with mud, blood, grit, and whatever else hitched a ride in my hair. I cleaned the blood out from under my nails and brushed the rest of the deer from my teeth. I took a tired breath and stared at my face in the mirror. "Showtime," I could feel the bags beneath my eyes go from carry-on to fully-fledged luggage. I threw my clothes onto the floor of my closet and slipped something else on. Balan made a nest in the bed covers and promptly fell asleep, digesting his large dinner.

I shuffled into the living room and walked directly to the coffee machine. I could feel everyone's eyes trailing me. It was approaching three in the morning, and I knew that I probably wouldn't sleep that night. "Kara," Jerry's voice grated on my ears.

I stopped and rested my palms on the counter. I moved my head, indicating I was listening but looked at none of them. "What the hell happened?" Issac finished for him, his voice was smaller, softer.

"Not much. They just wanted to scare me. They dropped me in the middle of the woods,"

"How-?" Bethany didn't finish. Something wasn't adding up in their heads, but they would never know the full story. They knew I was keeping something from them, and they also knew they weren't going to get much more out of me. "Should we call the police?"

I shrugged, "You can, but they'll want a statement and I don't want to deal with that right now." I poured a cup of coffee and turned around, leaning on the counter. "It's late, you guys should be getting home-"

"No, we're going to stay here... with you," Ben finally spoke. "I'm not going to leave you like before," he stood from the couch and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "The more I think about it, we practically gave you to them. It was stupid of us to leave-"

"Ben-"

"No, Kara, listen to me. You are constantly saying that 'you'll handle it' and 'you've got it', but all you're doing is putting yourself in danger, over and over again." His cheeks colored and his eyes dared me to argue with him. He huffed and sneered at no one in particular. "You can't just tell us to go away and deal with these things alone. We are staying here with you tonight. End of story."

I looked back at him coolly and nodded slowly. "Alright then. I'll get some blankets." Ben huffed and nodded, relieved that it worked. There was no talking them out of it. And I would be less likely to do something rash, like go after that man, if I had people around me. Somehow, these people had made a home for themselves in my life. They cared about me, and I cared about them.

When I had first started exploring the human realm, I wanted to avoid such connections. I wanted to be like a leaf, drifting through this world without making any impressions, any connections. But humans seemed to be pack animals, they bonded with anything, even inanimate objects. I should have expected nothing less. Just as they can pack bonded with their Roombas, they can bond with a demon and her hound. It was ridiculous.

I gave them their blankets and let them put whatever they wanted on the TV. I pulled one of the armchairs up to the open window, positioning it so I could lean my head back on the windowsill. I folded one of my legs beneath the other and rested my head back, so half my head was out the window, looking up at the stars. I let the cool air wash over my skin and, for once, not minding it.

I starred up into the sky, through the clouds, past the stars. I starred at this human world and felt a twinge of wonder. It was beautiful. Beauty was in short supply in hell, but humans were surrounded by it constantly. The fact that I had almost died not three hours prior forced my eyes open to this world. It had been my home for these last couple of years. I spent my time trying not to pay attention to it, knowing it would agitate me.

But it was the people that gave this world value. Their earth was this big, hulking beast of self-sufficiency. It lived and will live without humans. I spent so much time thinking of them as prey, and it took me almost dying to realize that they're animals, arguably like me. I hadn't seen it before, but they could have killed me. I was impressed. They could love, care for one another, but turn around and tear each other apart with the same fervor. I had a newfound respect for them.

Breaking me from my thoughts, I felt Bethany's soft hips and thighs on my lap. I glanced at her without moving my head. She was looking down at me with tender concern. She rested her head on my chest, snuggling into me. She was warm and round, I couldn't help but rest my arm around her. "You scare the shit out of me." She spoke to me softly.

I chuckled and hugged her tighter against me.