Demon's Protégé

15

The night eventually came in a blink of an eye, with its darkness falling in shades of black and darker indigo hues. The blinking stars spread unevenly around the fainting glow of the moon beneath the thin patches of gray-colored clouds. I momentarily tried to take it all in, breathing a great deal of uncertainty into my lungs, and only to exhale it out loud for the effort of brushing away all of my jittering nerves. After a moment, I started to heavily walk down the small steps outside the motel. I took one last look over my shoulder and scowled with subtle annoyance as I caught the sight of Henry’s face through the glass doors.

I had coldly ignored his presence behind the receptionist counter when I had passed by the lobby this evening on my way out. Well, it didn’t really matter if I was going to approach him or not, he just kept reading the paperback he had this afternoon and didn’t even look up from the page he was on. A kid that young and almost unfairly too mature for his age could really be irritating in some way, just like now. And I snorted at the sight of his nonchalant ignorance and faced forward instead.

I think I still need to prepare myself first before meeting Nari again at the pub—emotionally and physically. Just remembering the past events of how I had made a total fool of myself in front of the locals last night already had me reeling with extreme repulsion. I can only close my eyes in helpless shame, forcefully pushing the memory back to where it should be.

Forgotten, that is.

As I peeved over my thoughts, I slowly felt more and more nervous and even reluctant with showing myself in front of her again. The embarrassing moment last night sneaked into my head once more and I furiously shut the entire memory off. It was such a nuisance. What an i***t, I was. I sighed grimly, completely disgusted by the reminder.

… People are just inevitably driven by their irrational judgments…

Henry’s words played over my jumbled thoughts, constantly bringing me back to that unusual opinion he had shared this afternoon. It certainly fit my current predicament. Not usually something to completely ease my mind off from this mental struggle but it kind of distracted me for a while as I walked down the dark path towards the pub.

The chilly fog-filled air eventually embraced me into a shivering comfort under the dark cold evening and soon, I heard a faint instrumental sound of jazz music playing engagingly in the background. The mere resonating noise immediately gave me an instant de ja vu—not a really good sign to start this night off but I could no longer force myself to stop walking subconsciously. I soon paused on my tracks as I stood in front of the entrance of the pub, the doors mocking me with a loop of reminder about last night’s replay. Forcing myself to enter through the sliding glass doors, the mellow and retro vibe inside immediately pulled me in. The place was packed tonight, and I almost backed out. However, the thought of seeing Nari again gave me a slight push to start walking again.

I cautiously sauntered my way in, discreetly trying to avoid anyone else ever seeing my presence. Somebody might really recognize me and this thought gave me a slight shiver of fear. I tried to hide my face with my hand while bowing my head as low as I can, carefully dodging every person I might come in contact with. But just when I thought I had worked it all out okay, I soon got trapped into a corner by a big figure who had suddenly appeared in front of me. The situation had me instantly looking up and saw a very huge bearded man with a mean look on his face. He stood tall past my height and I had to strain my neck to meet his eyes. I could already tell that he knew me the moment he stared me down.

“What the hell are you doing here, you fucker?” he angrily snarled, his eyes squinting sharply.

“I-I’m just…”

“Ferrer!”

A sweet-looking woman in a black polo shirt with a mauve-colored apron worn over it, appeared beside him out of nowhere. Her high-pitched voice quickly broke off the awkward tension between me and the big guy, yet having her joining us had me feeling even more trapped than a while ago.

“What are you doing here?” the woman pointedly asked the big bulky guy, her eyes only focusing on him with a reproaching frown, “Didn’t I tell you to never leave the back door unmanned?”

“What the hell, Chris? I’m still on break.”

“I’m the boss here, have you forgotten? And you’re actually paid to follow my orders. Now off,” she sternly commanded him, pushing him back as she steered him away. Surprisingly, the guy just took off without any other word. But before he finally turned around, he still gave me a deathly glare.

“Sorry about that,” the woman, who had been called Chris, told me after the guy disappeared.

I just smiled apologetically to her, not really sure of how to respond after that. I soon noticed a few locals looking our way and they were all glaring at me with disapproval frowns from their tables. I tried to not be bothered by it but I could still feel them staring and it just made me even more uncomfortable. I shifted and looked down to my feet instead, confused of what to do next.

“Come on,” I soon heard Chris say over the murmuring noises and the faint music in the background. I quickly looked up and frowned at her but she just motioned her hand at me. “I’ve got a vacant table at the back for you. It’s more convenient there.”

I hesitantly moved, skeptic of her unusual kindness.

“What? Don’t be shy. The spot is kind of separated from the rest of the tables,” she went on, “But it’ll do. Trust me.”

Unable to think anymore, I just silently followed her lead as she brought us to a very isolated corner beside the bar counter. She then turned around to look at me as she stopped in front of a one-seater table.

“You’re all by yourself, right?”

“Y-yeah,” I sheepishly took the seat she had offered, giving her a discreet smile of appreciation.

“Beer? Coffee? Or maybe you like some chips? We don’t usually serve meals here but I can manage something for you, if you want.” She cheerfully offered, smiling so casually. It really looked like a sincere gesture and I felt extremely flattered because it was actually the very first warm smile I have ever received in this town since yesterday (Henry was all just blank stares, anyway). I almost wept joyfully upon finally seeing a normal friendly face in a sea of disdainful and threatening glances.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Well,” I hesitated, “I’m an outsider.”

“So? What’s wrong with that?”

Her remark left me conflicted and I paused for a second.

“I guess, you’re just really nice.”

Chris laughed at my words and she playfully hit me on the shoulder, her eyes almost disappearing as they crinkled. The entire weirdness of the town slowly puffed out into smoke before my very eyes. Maybe what Henry had told me about the whole town hating outsiders was not entirely accurate. Chris does not seem to even mind me being there.

“I’ll give you a beer for being sweet. It’s on the house. I like that you’re funny.”

“Are you sure?” I asked her in doubt, still unable to brush off the feeling of mistrust since she was really being too inconsiderably nice.

“Ignore the people here,” she just said, her smile not even wavering. “They’re all cynics. I, for a change, is a romantic. And I sincerely admire your courage last night. It has been the very first time I’ve ever seen a guy do such a thing for a woman. Really.”

I blushed, and somehow, her words felt even more embarrassing for me. It was so much worse than just being on the receiving end of the glares the whole time.

“T-thanks,” I said shyly.

Chris just nodded, chuckling again as she promised to get back to me with the drink before she finally left me alone to attend to others’ tables. I watched her with slight amusement as she moved freely around the place, approaching customers and laughing with others. She was one of a kind, it seemed. And now that she had changed the whole unwelcoming atmosphere to me, I finally felt much calmer now than the last night. Though I still tried to ignore the scowling glances directed at me every now and then, it felt no harm anymore.

The glares never really mean anything to me. I was just here for Nari.

SEVENTEEN

“I didn’t tell her that you’re here,” Chris returned to my table after a few minutes with a tray on her hand, carrying a pint of beer and a plate of fries. She told me those words with glinting mischief in her eyes then casually placed the fries on the table. I gave her a smile of sincere gratitude and happily took the beer she had handed me with kindness.

“Thanks.”

“I thought she might jilt from the gig if I said something about you,” she explained. “Just so you know, she leaves at one in the morning as soon as the pub closes.”

The helpful tip made me grin even wider at her and she openly returned it with a friendly wink.

“You’re a nice fella.” She then said, her voice softer as she smiled down.

“Thank you.”

“You know Nari, huh?”

“I do.” I answered, consciously looking away to stop myself from saying anything more.

“It’s unlikely to have outsiders like you here but I really hope you’ll enjoy your whole stay.”

“Thanks.”

“No worries, funny guy.”

Then she left again, though this time, I don’t think she would ever stop by my table anymore. I eased down in relief as I took a long sip from the beer she had given me. It felt really nice. It has been a very long time since I had a drink alone like this. The total independence had me feeling quite peaceful as I basked in it. No more bodyguards, no more abrupt phone calls, no more butlers, nor drivers surrounding me and following me 24/7. This was complete independence. Just me alone—totally alone.

It was bliss.

Letting the sway of the jazz music from the band playing on the stage drowned me into a mood of relaxation, I casually leaned my back on my squeaky seat and sighed in relief. Soon after, the music in the background suddenly stopped. I looked up to the stage and saw a young guy walking to the front of the podium and spoke over the microphone.

“Now it’s almost time for the main event. Are you ready?”

The crowd replied wildly after that and I shifted on my seat as I already got a feeling of what was about to happen.

“I hear you all on that. So why don’t we call her up here, huh? Live from the Birds Haven tonight, we bring you one of our own finest voices in town… Nari!”

The crowd suddenly went loud as they shouted her name in chorus. And right on cue, Nari finally appeared from the backstage, walking gracefully as she stared across the stage. Her fiery long hair had been tied up into a red bun on top of her head. I watched her closely, noting the few thin strands of her red locks that had fallen down like silky laces on the sides of her cheeks, framing that small face. She was wearing a white knee-length dress with a colorful pattern of flowers drawn all over it. Her boots squeaked on the wooden stage as she moved and took the guitar from a band player behind her. She then walked forward, wearing the leather strap around her body.

“Good evening, Avian Hills.”

Her voice flowed smoothly through the speakers and I was caught in a trance for a moment as I stared at her. She strummed a single chord while the crowd still continued to shout her name in unison. Her eyes roamed around and she smiled, settling on a high chair that one of the guys behind her had provided. Another person approached her to adjust her microphone on the stand. She tested the device and greeted the crowd again with another breeze of her warm consoling voice. The crowd cheered back louder and some even whistled in response.

From a very far corner of the pub, I remained completely frozen as I sat on my chair with my eyes glued on her. Silent and watching, I let everything else fade into a blur.

“Wanna hear something new tonight?” she asked after, her sweet voice shifting down to a low murmur, resonating a cold vibrating sound that still warmed me enough to smile to myself. Her voice had always lulled me in my dreams for the past ten years, and I only used to hear that same voice singing that sad beautiful song. But now that I was finally seeing her in person, I soon noticed the change that time had made on her soft voice. It was now huskier and a little deeper. As I continued to listen in while she spoke from the distance, I was immediately brought back to the memory of that very particular windy day ten years ago…

“I have a new song tonight,” Nari said softly, pulling me out of my trance, “I hope you’ll like it.”

Whatever it was, I would like it no matter what.

I heard the crowd agreeing to her words with delighted reactions and rambled praises. She smiled again and started strumming a sweet smooth intro. It began with short cutting sounds and soon met a little slide of a chord, then it went on for a repetitive tune. It sounded sad but romantic and sweet, like a poetic melody…

It continued to reverberate inside my mind, giving me a heavenly visual of a grassland under a radiant clear sky with a view of falling leaves in the air… Something quite vague and clear; something that tells one of freedom but expressively carries on a heavy weight of isolation with it.

“I want to fly…

Yet I have no wings,

No dreams to try,

And only fears in me.”

The first few verses of the song came in like a soft brush… It gave me a hazy wave of sadness and tranquility—a contrasting feeling that overwhelmed me. ‘Melancholic’ could be the exact adjective to define how it sounded like. She played it well in a sweet tune, but the lyrics heavily depicted an unidentified misery.

“I’m jealous of it,

The wind, as it carries over,

I feel okay, kind of complete,

But I’m not happy anymore.”

What does she mean by singing this? Did she write this by herself? And if she really did, what was she trying to say with those lines? Why does it feel so sad? And why does it also make me feel warm inside?

The song continued to play on, while my mind wandered away. The moment the melody finally ended in one last strum, I was instantly snapped back to reality and had myself waking up to the sound of cheers and Nari’s chuckles echoing from the microphone. She smiled from the stage and spoke towards the crowd who was anticipating for another song from her.

But I was no longer listening to the rest of it, my heart was still stuck in a loophole of feelings brought out of that previous song. And with the wave of sorrow slowly putting me into a suffocating lapse, I quickly stood up from my seat and quietly left my table. I dashed out of the pub, breathing in the sudden kiss of foggy air under the cold night that had met me when I finally stepped outside. The chills instantly gave me the freedom to breathe evenly.

That was weird. It felt like a panic attack back there.

And as the moon glowed over me, I decided to wait outside instead.