A Teenage Crisis - Chapter Eight

The call came in from his older brother Jack. He told him I was ready. Now the Guard are the only ones left to protect the three remaining "Rarities" of the supernatural world. Now that Jack has the Rarity angel, Pressy was locating the hostile Rarity aemowolf, which left the youngest child, James, with the Rarity demampyre. He just finished his training with Jack and Tinzy. He was no longer a scrawny teenager...no. He was way faster. James sat down on the building’s edge thinking of his assignment. Whoever the demampyre was must be as dangerous as Mammon himself to wield such powers. He shivered by the thought of the figure that gave him nightmares as a boy. He knew what was coming. He read about it, something Jack never dared to do. James smiled. While Jack was the go-by-the-book, James was the rebel. However James was new to this. Trained he was but this was his first field mission. His first night actually.

Eyes coming back to focus James smelled something other than the usual city smells. He sniffed the air, yes, it definitely wasn’t human. Suddenly the hair from the back of his neck stood on end as he stared down. He saw a girl walking alone. Of course the girl did not scare him but what was behind her: a demon.

The Girl on the Street I was so stupid for walking the streets at night but my grandma called me so I went. Now it was colder and darker as I walked my ass home. I felt a shadow. I wanted to look around but I kept walking, my face straight. Only three blocks to go, I said to myself, no problem. I picked up my pace a bit but then I heard ragged breathing. I swooped around to face my stalker. My mouth opened slightly at...nothing. No one was there. My imagination? Suddenly, as if by some primal instinct, my body tensed up. I turned facing forward again and heard laughter. A blood curdling, maniacal laughter. Then a raspy breath hits my shoulder, I stand still in a cold fear, a hand grabs my wrist, then...pain. I look down and see a diminutive drop of blood fall. I look up at my stalkers face and see a monster.

A face so distorted that it could only be found in nightmares and visions of cryptic pasts in some mythical legend. What the hell is this thing?! It grabs my throat with long clammy fingers and starts to choke me. My thoughts start to mix as the darkness caves in slowly, who am I again? Kaylee? Kinsey? The hand at my throat abruptly drops me from its hold. I crumple to the floor holding my throat and the urge to chuck up my dinner hit me fast. My eyes close for an instant, but in that single instant I hear a guttural scream, some ripping sounds, and a breaking sound. Before long silence greeted my ears again. I opened my eyes and saw nothing. What? I know I heard fighting, I know I felt that hand...or did I?

I got up quickly from the wet cement, fumbling a little, and straightened up to bump into the chest of a very tall guy. I looked up from his chest towards his face and as my eyes reached his he...flinched? I stepped back realizing how close I was to him. "Hi." He said in a soft voice that sounded kind of hoarse. I replied by stepping back. We stood facing each other for what seemed like a century. I couldn’t move because I was entranced in those seemingly endless dark gray eyes that somehow knew everything.. I felt exposed. Tearing my gaze from his eyes, I turned to run those damned three blocks but, lucky me, I fell. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I cursed myself. With a quick tug of my hand I was standing but facing him again.

"Um thanks." I mumbled. He asked curiously, "Are you not frightened of me?" "Should I be?" "Most certainly, yes." I chanced a look at him and noticed he was serious. He also wasn’t breathing. Impossible. He was just probably holding his breath or something. I moved back away from his hold and he smiled at me. Two deadly looking fangs were attached to his teeth. Right, I thought, he probably bought those from Hot Topic or someplace like that. I hope I was right.

He couldn’t be what my mind was slamming against my conscienceless. He wasn’t a vampire. "Well thanks again." I said with as much finality I could muster. Bet you don’t want to leave him, do you? Whoa. That so just popped into my head. I definitely wanted to leave him. Sure you do, said a voice in my head sarcastically. Ignoring the voice, I shimmied to the side, avoiding him, eyes staring at him as his never left my face. Finally on the right side of the sidewalk I started to run the three blocks home but mid stride I slipped.

Fortunately the guy was there to catch me. This time he held on to my upper arm and nearly dragged me into his arms. He just stared at me for a long time into my eyes. My heart slammed against my breastbone. Thoughts swirled in my head, what the hell does he think he is doing to you?!, said that same annoying voice in my head. He needs to let you go or all hell will break loose. Hey you, let her go! Suddenly his face frowned as he halfway threw me away from him. He looked at me as if suddenly realizing I was some dirt on his shoes.

"Oh Jack will pay for this one! On top of that someone has already put a-" "Uh, excuse me?" I saw the guy’s eyes fill with something close to hatred. What is with this guy? You need to run Kaylin!, again that voice in my head. So thats what I did and amazingly I didn’t fall. I ran all the way to my place, without a second glance at the guy, to find that I wasn’t out of breath. Weird, I thought in my own voice. No, not weird, I helped you, you idiot.

UGH! WHO ARE YOU! I screamed in my head as I locked the front door. Why are you yelling? I’m the only one here! As for my name, don’t worry about that...for now. Go to sleep Kaylin. You need rest. Now sleep. Sleeeeeep... I felt my eyelids get heavy. I was sleepy...but I didn’t want to go to sleep! My lids snapped open. I heard silence. Nothing from my mind, no weird voice. I walked towards the bedroom taking my shirt off and not bothering with any of the lights.. I sighed, the dark coolness of my apartment touched my warmed up skin. That run was incredible, now that I think about it. It felt as if i wasn’t even touching the ground. My body was kind of beat up though but I felt great as if I could run again. I threw myself on my bed, but immediately the doorbell rang. Great, just great. My body was alert now.

I hope its not that creepy guy. Did he follow me home? No...I don’t think so, I hope he didn’t. I heard my neighbor’s annoying nasally voice. "Hey child, open up! I said open up! hurry it up now!" Her insistent demands made me walk even slower. How I despised that nasally sound! I reached the door opening it a crack, "What is it?" "Did you know some guy came in here earlier?" I froze. "How early?" "About five minutes before you came running down the street." "Oh. Is that all?" "Well, yes, but tell me is he your boyfriend? Because he had a key you know. Came right through the front. Tall looking. Don’t worry I won’t tell if you are having se-" I slammed the door in her face. I hope she dies a painful death. I locked the door and faced the rest of the house. "You can come out now. I know you’re here." Silence was the reply. I walked slowly towards my bedroom. Nothing. Bathroom was the same. The den...nada. I was getting pretty annoyed now. I looked to the kitchen. Okay, here goes. I walked into the unlit kitchen and...there he was. He was leaning casually against the right counter by the sink. He smirked, "Hello there."

"What do you want?" "Listen, as much as I don’t like you, I have orders to follow. You’re going to have to put up with me for a while." He stepped up towards me. Even with the lack of light anyone with eyes could see that face was... "Hey what are you doing?" I had just bumped into the left counter. I was trapped. Still I stood my ground, "Tell me what you want or so help me I’ll-" "I want you of course." He said it as if it were so obvious. My voice caught in my throat. We were inches apart, my heart audible to the both of us, and he leaned in closer. "My name is Daniel James Willmington the Third, but please call me James. What’s your name?" He asked. I just stared at him. When I didn’t answer he said, "Kaylin...what a nice name. As a matter of fact it fits. Kaylin Mossant." My eyes grew wide... "How did you-?" he pulled up his hand which was holding up my gas bill.

"You know you owe ninety-eight dollars and sixty-two cents. Jeez, do you leave the gas on demon?" "What did you just call me?" "Oh damn, thats right!" He pulled away slightly, head tilted down. "I so didn’t think this would happen...oh well, what do I care?" He leaned in once more close to my ear and said, "Go to fucking sleep." I woke up the next morning with a bruise along my neck, scrapes on my knees, and a bump on my head. Did I imagine all of last night? Definitely not. Oh, Grammie is going to have a field day on this one! I got dressed for her coming wrath. After a fresh shower I found my muscles stiffen up a bit. Damn. I hurried through my closet finding a white hoodie to wear over a tank top and some black cargo pants. This’ll have to do, I thought as I grumbled all the way to my grandmas house to meet some old friend of hers. Just what I needed, to be pinched on my cheeks by another old hag.

A thing about my grandma Kathleen, or Grammie as I like to call her, when she wants to see you, you had better come. All of Hades will come burning to the surface if her demands are not met, specifically and precisely. As her only grandchild, I have to see her at least once a day. Every afternoon was my scheduled visit. If I missed one I had to see her during the night, which never happened until last night. Its funny how the only time I go see my Grammie at night that I bump into a guy. Usually they avoid me. I walked blindly to my Grammie’s home, opening the door without introduction. Mind still buzzing of...what was it? James.

Yea. Strange, so strange. Suddenly, I froze. I was listening to laughter, but it wasn’t just Grammie’s. It was His as well. "Oh hell no." I whispered. His laughter immediately stopped. "Kaylin come here! Come here, come here!" Grammie demanded. Unexpected anger coursed through me towards Him. Grammie sat in the only chair in the den leaving me no other choice but to stare at the only spot left: right next to a casual-looking James. Oh he was all casual like but he was also the very definition of eye-candy, the kind you didn’t want to share. Gorgeous. I blinked several times coming to my senses. I sat down when she told me to; as far away from him as possible. "So, Kaylin. This is my old friend Daniel James Willmingt-"

"Oh please Grammie! We’ve met already." "No we haven’t." Came James’ unexpected reply. I looked at him in confusion. He stared at me with some sort of pleading in his eyes. Oh the nerve of him! "Grammie, yes we have met. Last night as a matter of fact, he saved me from a monster." "Kaylin, stop talking nonsense. You are old enough to know that monsters do not in anyway, shape or form exist." I looked at her and saw lines of disappointment and fear across her face. "But-" "What is wrong with you Kaylin?" "Him! He is what’s wrong with me!" I pouted like a little girl on the edge of my seat. "Kaylin calm down." James said breaking up my argument. He didn’t yell the command which made me even more infuriated with him. I got up from the couch, grabbed James’ arm and excused us, dragging him to the bathroom. "Kaylin, what-" I cut him off. "What the hell do you want from me?! I already thanked you for saving my life. What more do you want?"

"I already told you." His stare never wavered from mines and I could tell he was holding
back anger. I looked away. Could it be true? Tears splashed down in silent waves. What could he possibly want with me? I closed my eyes, putting my forehead on his chest. I stayed like that for a second hearing my heart beat and mine’s beat alone. I sighed. He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away from him, scowling. "Don’t do that."

I looked at him. He looked so hostile. Why was he so hostile? He stared at me for a moment before pushing past me towards the door. I grabbed his arm making him halt. He looked down not turning, "What?", I let go of him instantly. What did I want? He walked out the bathroom door. When I was finally composed I hid in the hallway. I watched as James whispered to my Grammie. Grammie looked worried. She nodded several times, I watched her stiffen at one point but she quickly composed herself. She looked so sad. I wanted to cry. Suddenly James did this thing with his hair that made my heart stumble. James simply pushed a hand through his hair, as if frustrated, and that alone made my knees weak. Oh gosh no. Did I actually think he was cute? My heart raced in reply.

James stopped and looked my way. He looked annoyed. "Kaylin?" Came Grammie’s voice. I walked in silently, looking at the floor. I tried my best to covertly look at James, but he was still staring at me. He didn’t look so annoyed now. Rather he looked...interested in something. Curious even. My heart raced yet again. Now he looked amused. I turned my head, "What?" "Kaylin, he said nothing to you!" Grammie said. "But he was looking at me funny." "And why were you staring at him?" She sounded absent-minded. I stammered but couldn’t think of anything to say. I actually blushed. From the corner of my eye I saw James smirk. Oh, why did he do that? I blushed even harder.

"Kaylin?" Grammie knocked me out of my thoughts. "Kaylin, are you there?" I looked at her. "Good. Now James and I have some very important matters to discuss with you." She looked at James as if starting his cue. Right then James got up pulling me along with him. "Mrs. Mo- I mean Kathleen, are you ready?" "Yes James." She replied.
"What the hell is your problem James?" Kaylin half-shouted. "Be quiet and look." He whispered somewhere close to my ear. That’s when I noticed Grammie. Her face was turning blue, her eyes a wonderful gold.

Besides the fact that her skin pigment was bluish, she looked like an actual angel. I was speechless. I mean what did a person say to the fact that your grandma just turned into some weird supernatural being? So I just stood there with my mouth gaping open. My Grammie smiled and that action alone made me think I was the most ugliest being on this planet. She spoke in a voice that sounded as if lyres were being played with each syllable. "Kaylin, our family history goes a long way. Because of this fact we have inherited some unique gifts. More recently, you."

"What-?" Her sheer radiance was knocking me off my feet. Everything was pulsing in a red sort of color. "Grammie, what are you doing to me?" James looked at me. Grammie looked at me. Her smile faded and she transformed into her normal self. Immediately the pulsing redness in my vision stopped. Grammie looked livid. "I thought you said she already Changed!" "She is...was! She ran faster than any human I have ever seen Kathleen. I don’t get it." "Kaylin, darling, have you had any strange thoughts that seemed to come from nowhere? As if someone else were talking to you?" I looked at them both in amazement. In shock rather. "You’re both crazy." That’s when I fell into some dark void. There I saw some guy. He was sitting in a computer chair, his back to me. He had a bag of chocolate chip cookies and had a game on paused. I think it was one of the fighting games I used to see boys play with when I was little. They never let me play. Who is this guy? I thought. He spun around and the first thing I did was laugh. His shirt said ‘I am Kaylin’s Ninja!’

"So you are the guy in my head." I declared. "The one and only. You can call me Dardon." "Dardon?" "Yea, old demon family name." "You’re a demon, in my head. So..."
He sighed but he kept on staring at me. He was kind of cute in a geeky sort of way. Dark chocolate brown hair, smooth skin. What caught me off guard were his eyes. They were a nice red. "You might want to sit down Kaylin. Want a cookie? This story is going to take a while." "What about?" "Everything."