Demon's Protégé

Times We Spent

 By the time the night fell, the streetlights lit one by one as the darkness eventually swallowed the entire town. Eventually, I was suddenly astounded to the number of people that had started to show up on the streets. In contrast to how it actually looked during daylight, Avian Hills became a night-life of couples and a several groups of people that just came popping out of nowhere. It was suddenly all so shocking to me.

Soon after, cars started to show up as well. And most of them looked too sleek and expensive to be in such an urban town.

I don’t know how in the hell could this even be real. I never really got to see this kind of side of Avian Hills for the past few days I had been here staying. And now that I actually was watching this all happen in front of me, I became even more interested to figure out what the hell was even happening in this place. Is this some kind of a joke?

I remained slouching down beneath the bushes as I waited for the right time to sneak out and reach the pub at where Nari will be performing tonight. I still got a few more hours until she will be done. And come to think of it…

It might actually be a pretty long night waiting out here for me. How pathetic can I truly get?

Hours felt like days until I had finally heard the noises of the people coming out of the pub as I waited behind the tall trees beside the pub. Immediately, the crowd starting to disperse into the dark streets and back to their own places and cars started to drive past the road again. It almost seemed like there had been some kind of event and it was all the afterparty scene outside. And waiting for a few more minutes, I eventually heard Nari’s voice talking with the people she worked with at the pub. I could even recognize --- as she laughed at something they were talking about.

“I’m telling you,” –was saying to Nari, “It’s not that easy to have someone know everything about you. They could actually use it to make you feel insecure.”

“You sound so sure of this,” Nari retorted back with a playful tone, “Is that based from experience?”

“Frank isn’t one to speak so much and sometimes, I don;’t really get his mood. But since he completely gets me and knows too much about me, I always felt like he could just read everything in my mind. And it kind of bothered me to think about it. But, I guess, it’s just apart of being in a relationship, you know? You just have to be vulnerable and learn how to trust the person you’re with.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It is,” “But that’s why it’s called love. It will never be just simple.”

“And that’s also why I don’t want that kind of thing in my life,” nari’s words sliced through me as I listened on to what she admitted, “It’s messed up and I don’t want to trouble myself over it.”

She said those words as if she was so decided about it.

I actually felt quite hurt.

She did not want love in her life… And that was the only thing I could actually give to her. I want to protect her and make her feel that she could rely on me, but she sounded too determined and reserved when she spoke those things about not wanting the messy part of love.

To be honest, I don’t like the way she just regarded the whole idea. What was bad about trusting someone and being trusted back? When it could actually help someone feel at ease, doesn’t she realize how good it would be to rely on someone who is willing to share the burden of her hardships?

I can be that person for her, but she does not seem to consider the entire thing at all. Much less, to actually let anyone be that person for her. She seemed to be so used on taking care of things on her own.

How can I possibly make her trust me and believe that I could actually help her with my love?

Love… is really a very complicated thing.

I had been so deeply drowned with these thoughts that I didn’t even notice Nari in front of me. She stood so close and her eyes sneered at my face as she put her hands on her hips, raising a brow. Only then did I finally notice that we were actually nearing the corner from where her house was located. I was completely stunned for a second, slightly baffled that she had somehow caught me so quickly. I had decided to follow her silently when she left the pub alone and was planning to keep myself hidden until I get to her house to talk to her. But unfortunately, she had beat me to it as she gave me a glare.

“I can’t believe you.”

Her snarling words had me gulping audibly as I shakily gave her a weak smile and tried to come up with an excuse. “It’s pretty late and you’re all alone in the dark streets. I can’t help but feel kind of worried.”

“I live in this town, Taiyo,” she said bluntly as if my excuse had been nullified and out of the question. “I know everyone here and no one would do that to anybody. This is not the city.”

“I know,” I intoned, sighing, “But still…”

“Why are you following me?” she suddenly asked and hearing her say that had me wondering if she still had not heard what happened the other day.

“That’s kind of complicated,” I vaguely answered her with a wary smile and as I roamed my eyes around the vicinity behind her, I gently reached up to touch her on the arm. “It’ll probably be much better if we talk about everything at your house and not here outside. Would it be okay?”

My question hung over the air between us for a few seconds and I watched her back as she tried to read me through my eyes. She eventually nodded in silence and turned to lead the way as I followed her quietly until we reached her house, completely safe from anyone that might actually see me in town.

“I want you, your mom, and Brian to leave this town with me as soon as possible.

“What? What’s this all of a sudden? Didn’t we just already agree to go on a date? Why are you suddenly saying that now?

“I met the mayor.”

“You… met… her?”

“I’d be honest, I don’t really like the way she just forced me out of this town. She probably thought I really left the other day but I only came back here to get you and your family out of this place. I know something is going on in this town and my father probably knows everything about it.  So Nari, I’m asking you. Please leave with me. If not tonight, as soon as possible. I don’t like the very idea of leaving you here in this place after knowing things that I seemed suspicious about this town. So I’m really asking you to go with me… I won’t be at ease knowing you’re here in this kind of place.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” she suddenl blurted out and the panic in her voice was so apparent, her words shook as she spoke. “It’s not that easy, Taiyo. How can I just leave this place? You don’t know everything.”

“What’s stopping you?” I frowned down at her, my question came out so desperate and pleading as I try to held her shoulders and make her calm down. She was starting to look so frantic. “You don’t have to worry about everything. I will make sure I will take you and Maria and Brian at someplace else that is far from here and safer. I just want you to leave this place right away. I want to keep you away from here.”

“No!”

“What?”

“Just because you said it so does not mean it could be possibly done, Taiyo. I’ve lived here ever since I was born and I know this town. I can’t just leave right away when there’s nowhere we’d even go. I’m….”

“nari?”

“I’m…. I’m….” she stammered back, her breath hitched as I watched her eyes turned watery as she contined to murmured the word repeatedly, “I’m scared.”

The vulnerability in her voice was more tan enough to undo me as I gathered her anxious state and hugged her close to my chest. She was starting to shake and I was starting to get worried.

“Hey,” I said worriedly, tightening my hold around her, “It’s okay to be scared. I know it’s a big world out there but I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

Perhaps, leaving the only place she has known her whole life makes her feel anxious and frightened. This was all just too sudden and I didn’t really think about this through. But remembering those things I had just discovered about this place only made me much eager to get her out of here. No matter what the consequences would be, I need to get her and her family out of here.