“That’s just great. First, I start hearing people’s thoughts, then I start having visions, and now I’m having hallucinations? No, it was real. It had to be. But then, what was it?”
She pulled up the image of the figure in her mind and tried to make sense of it. It had had the form of a human, but different somehow. And those eyes. Those deep red, glowing eyes. They'd looked as if they'd been on fire. She shuddered and then shook her head to clear the picture from her mind.
She thought she had better talk to Walter about what she had seen, but she didn’t want him to know that she had failed with Lee. At least not yet. She glanced down at her phone and saw that the call she had missed earlier was from Tessa. That was who she really needed to talk to right now. She called the number back, and Tessa picked up almost immediately.
“Melina!”
“Hey, Tess. Sorry I didn’t answer your call earlier. I was a little busy. I’m on my way back to the store, though, and we need to talk.”
“Yeah, we do need to talk.”
Melina hesitated for a moment. “Oh, um, what is that you need to talk about?”
“Right after you left, two grisly looking men came into the store looking for you. I told them you had stepped out for a bit, and when I asked them what they needed, they became really angry and told me it was none of my business. They stormed out of the place before I could say anything back to them.” Tessa paused for a moment then continued. “Melina, these men, the way they looked… they weren’t just dirty and unkempt. They looked downright scary and… evil.”
“Evil?”
“Melina, will you please tell me what’s going on? You’ve been acting strange all day, and then these two creepy men show up here asking for you. I’m not sure what to think, and I’m worried about you.”
Melina couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be back at the store shortly, and I’ll explain what I can then.”
“No,” said Tessa. “I’m going to close the store early and come meet you right now. Where are you?”
Melina didn’t want to stay in the area of the park, but she also didn’t want to argue with Tessa about coming back to the store. “I’m walking right now. Meet me at Nina’s.”
“Okay,” Tessa said. “I’ll see you in a few.”
“See you in a few,” Melina affirmed and then ended the call. She slid her cell phone back into her coat pocket and turned right at the next block. About ten minutes later, she arrived in front of Nina’s, a small but quaint café. She looked through the front window and saw Nina, busy as a bee behind the counter.
Nina was a plump, older woman with short, spiky white hair, and a spunky attitude to go with it. She looked up for a moment and gave Melina a huge grin and mouthed the words, Hey, sweetheart!
Melina smiled and waved back and then turned around again to wait for Tessa.
It wasn’t too much longer before she saw a head of bouncy golden curls coming her way across the street. Melina smiled and said, “Hey, Tess.”
“Hey,” Tessa replied, a little out of breath. She motioned toward Nina’s. “You want to go in?”
Melina looked at the café and then back to Tessa. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want anyone else to hear what I’m going to tell you.”
“Okay,” Tessa said as she gave her friend a curious gaze.
“Let’s walk,” said Melina. She linked her arm through Tessa’s and started off down the sidewalk. There was no easy way to describe her situation, so she started from the first incident with Walter in the park that morning, which Tessa already knew about, all the way up to the encounter with the shadow figure. When she was done explaining everything, she stole a glance at Tessa to see her reaction.
At first, Tessa didn’t say anything. She just stared down at the ground with a crease in her forehead as they continued to walk. Several seconds later, she turned to Melina and asked, “What am I thinking about right now?”
Melina stopped walking and looked directly at her friend. After a few seconds, she let out a short laugh and replied, “You’re thinking of the number four. Why are you thinking of the number four?”
Tessa stared at her. “No way. You’re telling me the truth!”
Melina nodded.
“But why are you so calm right now then? These powers have a very good chance of killing you! Aren’t you scared to death?”
“Believe me, I’ve freaked out more than once today.” Melina sighed and started down the sidewalk again. “But I know now that freaking out isn’t going to help me gain control of the powers. I need to keep practicing with them, and I need to find Lee again and convince him to listen to me.”
“Well, he gave you his last name, so he shouldn’t be too hard to find. But what are you going to do about that shadow creature you saw and the two men who came into the store?”
Melina shrugged. “Ask Walter about them, I guess. I’m not sure where they fit into the picture, though. Walter didn’t say anything about shadow creatures, and I have no idea who those two men are.” She looked over at Tessa. “What made them look evil to you?”
“It was their eyes. I could’ve sworn they turned red when they both got angry.”
“The shadow figure had red eyes.” Melina rubbed her chin as she raised her gaze from the ground and looked out ahead of her. And that’s when she saw it. Just down the block and across the street from them the shadow figure was there, watching her from behind a tree with its glowing, red eyes.
She jerked her head away, hoping she had imagined it, but when she looked back up, there were now two of them. And they were coming straight at her.
“Run,” she said.
“What?” Tessa asked, giving Melina a quizzical look.
“Run!”
“But why?”
“Just run, Tess, run!”
Melina grabbed her friend by the arm and took off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. She glanced behind her and saw that the two figures were rapidly gaining on them.
“They’re getting closer,” Melina said as she looked forward again, her eyes wide with fear.
“Who?”
“The shadow creatures!”
“There’s more than one now?” Tessa turned her head around to see what Melina was talking about and screamed at the sight of them.
Melina quickly spun around right as the two figures were closing in on them. “No!” she cried as she jumped in front of Tessa.
The two figures let out ear-piercing screeches as they lunged at Melina. She squinted her eyes and braced herself for the impact when suddenly a bright white light flashed out around her. The creatures shrieked again as they both flew backward after colliding with the light. She stood up straight and looked down at herself, baffled.
“What was that?” Tessa asked, her eyes wide.
Melina shook her head. “I’m not sure.” She scanned herself over once more before turning back to see where the shadow creatures were, but they were gone.
She put her hand to her chest and tried to slow her rapid breathing. After what had just happened, she definitely needed to talk to Walter now. But how was she supposed to contact him? Not knowing what else to do, she looked up to the sky. “Walter? Walter, I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I really need to speak to you!” She stared into the clouds and waited.
A few seconds later, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She spun around and there stood Walter. He gave her a small grin and then looked curiously over at Tessa.
“It’s okay. She’s my best friend, Tessa. She knows about everything.” Melina took a step forward to regain Walter’s attention. After studying Tessa for a few seconds longer, he finally returned his gaze to her.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Melina said. “I wasn’t sure if calling out to you like that would work.”
“Well, you’re sort of like my charge now, and we can hear all of our charges when they call to us.”
She nodded and made a mental note of that.
“Is somet
hing wrong, though? Did something happen with Lee?”
“Something did happen with Lee, but I can handle that on my own. I called you here for a different reason.” She paused for a moment and then said, “Do you know anything about shadow creatures with red eyes?”
“Or scary-looking men with red eyes?” Tessa chimed in.
“Shadow creatures? What exactly did they look like? Give me details,” said Walter.
Melina took a deep breath. “They look like shadows and kind of have a human shape to them, but they’re slightly different. They have pointy ears and clawed hands, and their eyes look like they’re on fire.”
“And the two men?”
“She’s the one who saw them,” Melina said as she pointed at Tessa.
Walter turned to Tessa and looked at her expectantly.
Tessa cleared her throat. “They came into the store earlier today looking for Melina. They were really dirty and looked as if they were covered in soot. I said she wasn’t in, and when I asked what they wanted, they snapped at me and said it was none of my business. That’s when I saw both of their eyes turn red, and I know I didn’t imagine it.”
“Oh dear. That’s not good,” said Walter.
“What? What is it?” Melina asked frantically.
“What you both have just described to me are Noxin demons.”
“Demons? Even the men Tessa saw?”
Walter nodded. “She saw them in their human form, and she’s lucky too. They’re weak in that form. Hardly have any powers. But you,” he said, pointing at Melina. “You saw them at their strongest in their demonic form.”
The color instantly drained from Melina’s face. Up until that morning she wasn’t even sure if she believed in angels, but now demons were real, too? “Why are demons after me?”
Walter took in a deep breath and then looked Melina straight in the eyes. “Noxin demons are like bounty hunters, but for human souls. Someone wants to destroy you.”
Chapter Six
Melina stood still as Walter’s words sunk in. Even if she learned to control the powers, she still wasn’t going to survive now that demons were hunting her. Tears brimmed her eyes, but she immediately blinked them away. She wasn’t going to allow herself to cry in self-pity anymore. It wasn’t going to help her.
She tried to remain calm, but she couldn’t hide the fear in her eyes as she looked up at Walter. “Why? Why do they want me?”
“That’s the confusing part. The only thing I can think of is because of your powers, but I don’t see how they could even know that you have them. The elders and I are the only ones who know, besides you two.” He paused and then said, “If they do want your powers, I’m surprised they haven’t attacked you yet. Noxin demons are ruthless and won’t stop until they get what they want.”
“The first one I saw in the park didn’t attack,” replied Melina. “But then a few minutes ago it appeared across the street from us, along with a buddy, and they chased us down the entire block.”
“Hmm.” Walter removed his hat to scratch his head and then slowly replaced it. “It seems to me that the first one you encountered was a lead Noxin demon. They’re stronger than the regular Noxin demons, but they’re also more composed and have more patience. I think the two men Tessa saw in the store and the two that just chased you are one and the same. They sound more like regular Noxin demons. It would explain why they attacked you out in broad daylight and in the presence of another human. Their eagerness surpassed their intelligence.” He paused for a moment as he looked back and forth between the two women. “How did you two get away from them?”
Tessa glanced over at Melina and then back to Walter. “Melina had some type of light burst out around her. It was bright white, and well, it happened so fast that’s all I really saw.”
Walter looked at Melina. “Is that true?”
She nodded.
Walter gave her a brief smile. “That was your defensive shield trying to come out. Looks like it started to develop right in the nick of time. How did you conjure it?”
“I didn’t do anything. I was really scared and trying to protect Tessa.”
“That’s it then,” said Walter. “Your emotions triggered it. The next time you need it, think about protecting yourself. It will become stronger the more you practice with it and should stay out as a shield of light, not just a burst of one. But I wonder why your guardian angel didn’t show up to protect you?”
Melina shook her head. “I was so preoccupied with wondering if we were actually being chased by those creatures that I didn’t even think to call out for help.”
“When it comes to guardian angels, you don’t necessarily have to call out to them for help,” Walter said. “Your guardian angel should always be watching over you and should automatically come to your aid whenever you’re in danger.”
Melina frowned. “Well, since my guardian failed to show up, I guess if the demons attack again, I could call out to you for help."
“You could,” Walter said, “but my light shield wouldn’t defend against Noxin demons for very long. If they attack you again, you’re going to need the protection of your guardian.”
Melina gave him a worried look.
“You handled the attack by yourself. Maybe if you hadn’t been able to fend off the demons then your guardian would’ve showed up.”
Melina nodded as she took everything in. Once more, she felt incredibly overwhelmed. Could she defend against the demons by herself if her guardian angel didn’t show up next time? Self-doubt tried to creep its way into her mind again, but she ignored it. She could do it. She had to. Her life depended on it.
“Are you okay?”
Melina raised her head and saw Tessa standing in front of her. “Yeah,” she replied. “I just need to practice with my powers some more, especially the light shield, and then I need to find Lee again. I’m not letting these powers, or these demons, kill me.” She looked at Walter with a determined gleam in her eyes.
He nodded his head in approval. “I’m glad to hear it. It’s going to be dark out soon, though, and you don’t need to be out and about with these demons on the loose. Let me teleport you both back to your apartment to be sure that they don’t follow you there, and then let’s call it a night. They may know where you work, but they shouldn’t know that you live above your store. Get some rest while I talk with Adelia and try to figure out why the demons are after you. Then I’ll come back tomorrow morning.” He held out his hands to both of the women.
Melina paused for a moment as she thought. Tomorrow was Saturday, and the store would be closed due to the opening of the town’s Fall Festival. She would have all day to work with her powers and track down Lee.
She looked over at Tessa and said, “Let’s go.”
They both took a hold of one of Walter’s hands and were gone in a flash.
****
When Melina woke the next morning, she had a terrible headache. It was probably from the lack of sleep she'd had due to recurring nightmares about the demons. Or maybe it was from teleporting with Walter. That was one of the weirdest and most uncomfortable experiences she had ever had.
She sat up in bed and put her hand to her head and groaned. “Maybe a hot shower will help.” She threw the sheets back and stumbled out of bed. Luckily, the master bath was only a few steps away. She fumbled her way into the bathroom, tossed her pajamas off, and stepped into the shower.
Half an hour later she emerged with her hair and make-up done and her headache gone. She still felt a bit groggy, though, so she decided to make a quick trip to the coffee shop to buy a cappuccino. Since the store was closed, the demons would have no reason to think she was there, so she didn’t worry about them possibly being down there waiting for her. She walked over to her closet and pulled on a thin, brown sweater and a pair of jeans, slipped on some brown flats, and then grabbed her peacoat as she headed down the stairs.
Before she left, though, she needed to write a note for Tessa. After Walter left
them at the apartment last night, Tessa had said she was going to stop back by in the morning to check on her. Melina grabbed a pad of paper from her office and scrawled a quick note saying that she was off to get a cappuccino and then laid it on the front desk. She exited through the back and headed for the coffee shop.
When she arrived at her destination a couple of blocks later, she paused before going in as she tried to focus. She wanted to practice blocking out people’s thoughts. “Tune them out,” she said aloud to herself. “Think of silence. You can do it.”
She opened the door, and as she walked inside she was greeted by several voices chattering in her head. Immediately she closed her eyes and concentrated on pushing them out. One by one, they started to fade. She slowly opened her eyes and made her way up to the front counter to order her cappuccino. So far she was still able to keep the thoughts at a low volume, but she couldn’t block them out completely. She grabbed her drink from the counter and exited the shop, a bit disappointed with her failed attempt.
What am I doing wrong?
She shook her head in frustration and was about to take a drink, when she noticed two men walking in her direction from up the street. Their shoulder-length hair was dark and shaggy, they had scruffy looking facial hair, and they both appeared to be wearing formal suits. She also noticed that their skin and clothes were covered in something. As she drew closer to them, she saw that it looked like soot.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stopped in her tracks. The Noxin demons. She turned on her foot and tried to run away from them, but they were too quick.
Within seconds, they had whisked her down the alley next to the coffee shop and pinned her against a wall. One of them had his hand on Melina’s left wrist, and her skin felt like it was burning. She looked down at her wrist and saw smoke rising from under the demon’s hand. Tears started to slide down her cheeks, and she wanted to scream out in pain, but the demon on her right started to speak in a low, gravelly voice. She tried to calm her breathing so she could listen to what he had to say.