Deal With The Devil

Chapter 4: Lurking In The Shadows

It's been a week since the incident at home. I just can't tell Aurora or Fallon about it; they will probably take me straight to a shrink to get my head checked. I know they care about my mental health after my mother’s death, but I'm totally fine. I'm positive that what I heard, saw, and felt was real, and not some weird hallucination or dream.

I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was being haunted by some creature or a ghost. It might have been a ghost that lived in the house before I bought it and got disturbed somehow, making it manifest. But on the other hand, it couldn't possibly be a ghost.

Or maybe it’s a poltergeist. I don’t have any f*****g idea.

The letter, it’s saying something about a devil owning me. I remembered vividly that right after I read the letter it burned in my hands, its ashes fell down on the floor. That includes the message I received, it was gone when I opened my phone again. Whoever or whatever was behind it seemed to be intentionally removing any potential evidence I could use to prove my experience to others.

“Are you okay?”

My gaze went up from my laptop to Fallon. Her hair was tied up into a clean ponytail, accentuating her slim face.

I nodded before leaning on my chair. It took me a week to finally be able to sleep peacefully without thinking of the incident. My mind is also alert to what might happen. I may look stupid keeping a garlic that I made into a necklace and a jar of salt in my night stand in case a creature attacks me at night. I know that it only works on local movies but in desperate times, you will end up doing what you think is stupid and that’s what I did.

“You look like you’re spacing out, girl,” she commented before sitting on the chair beside me.

“I’m just thinking of some things, that’s all. But there’s nothing to worry about,” I said, forcing my voice to sound like there’s assurance to it.

She nodded before opening her phone and started to fiddle with it. It was still pretty early for our class, and we were the first class of the day. The bright side of being so early was that we could relax before the rest of the students and teachers arrived.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something dark standing in the corner. Without a second thought, I turned my head to the side and my eyes widened upon seeing the same shadow that appeared in my room last week.

It’s just standing at the corner like a goddamn statue, I could feel its glare on me even if its eyes are not visible. It’s enough to make my skin crawl.

I was frozen in my seat, unable to move and speak as I held my gaze into the shadow. I wanted to nudge Fallon on the side and yell at the top of my lungs, but I couldn’t, like some heavy force was holding me back and preventing me from doing anything. I knew it was the shadow causing it.

I must have been staring at the shadow for a whole minute before I noticed Aurora standing in front of me, looking at me with a slight frown on her face. She followed my gaze, turning her attention to where I was looking.

As soon as her face left my vision, the shadow was gone, as well as the heavy feeling on my body.

“What are you looking in there?” Aurora asked, visibly confused as she turned her head to the corner where the shadow was.

I gulped and shook my head as I forced a smile on my face. I have to hide it, they wouldn’t believe me if I said it anyway.

Aurora returned her gaze on me, her eyes eyeing me suspiciously before placing the back of her hand against my forehead as if to check my temperature.

“I’ve been here for a good minute and yapping but you’re just staring in that corner.”

“Sorry, I’m just distracted,” I apologized before looking at her.

Although the shadow is gone, I can still feel a pair of eyes looking at me from somewhere in the room. Whatever that creature is, I know it’s not up to something good.

§§§

“Hello, auntie,” I greeted with a smile on my face.

I hugged her for a second before pulling away, not even bothering to look at the young guy she was with.

“It’s so nice to see you again after a year,” she greeted before taking a seat.

I sat down as well and placed my bag on the seat next to me. I could feel Axel's eyes on me as I moved, and I felt a bit uneasy. Despite his good reputation as a modern-day gentleman, there was just something about him that made me uncomfortable, especially with the way he looked at me – intense, but not s****l.

“How have you been?” I asked.

She smiled, her eyes slightly disappearing as she did, “I’ve been well, I was just taking care of my career,” she said before waving her hand to the waiter.

I nodded in acknowledgment and forced a smile, not wanting to come off as rude or unapproachable. Typically, I don’t mind wearing a blank expression when I’m by myself or with my friends, but this was my mother’s close friend, so I tried to show some respect and warmth. She’s been checking up on me ever since my mom passed away.

“That’s good, I’ve been watching your interviews, commercials and your newly released movie. You did great,” I praised, earning a giggle from her.

She turned her attention to Axel who was just observing us the entire time. And I already know from that moment that she will act as ‘cupid’ to match us up, which I know to myself that it won’t work.

“Do you still remember Axel?”

I nodded and looked at Axel. He doesn’t smile nor nod at me, he just looked at me blankly.

“Well, he decided to stop his acting career for the meantime and focus on his studies here in the Philippines,” she started as the waiter approached us with a menu on his hand.

After handing us the menu, the waiter speaks, telling us that he’ll come back after a minute.

She started to say, "I suppose you've read the news about Axel that's been going around lately?" Her voice sounded tentative, as though she was trying not to sound boastful, just looking for a clear answer.

With a smile, I nodded once again.

“Yes. Actually, I found out the news first from my friend since she’s a fan of Axel.”

Axel leaned on his chair, his expression showing a bit of amusement from my words. He simply opened the menu, not wanting to engage with our conversation.

“You and Axel will get along well, he’s a quiet one but you know he’s a good guy. I believe you two had spoken to each other before?”

I nodded again before glancing down at the menu to pick my order, yet I kept my focus and attention on her. I don’t want her to feel like I’m not interested in talking to her or any negative emotions and energy, she’s such an angel to deserve such treatment.

I replied carefully, "Yeah, he’s nice to talk to. I remember he seemed really mature for his age back when he was sixteen, but in a positive way. He was different." My answer earned a soft chuckle from her.

“I hope you don’t mind people shipping the both of you, if you’re not comfortable with it just say it, Axel will speak up about it,” she said before looking at Axel.

“I don’t want people to stop shipping us,” Axel blurted out.

His face still displays that blank expression.

Both I and her mother looked at each other for a few seconds before looking at him again.

He set the menu down on the table and looked at me, his piercing, cold gaze making me feel like he was burning holes through me.

“Why is that?”

“She said she already knew the news and that includes the reason why, right?”

He emphasized the last word as if he’s asking me directly so I just nodded like a puppy.

“Then why would I order my fans to stop shipping us when I’m clearly interested in you, if you’re uncomfortable then I’ll make you comfortable and we won’t have any problem with anything.”

I couldn’t tell if it was something specific that he said that caused me to feel strange in the pit of my stomach. It was a familiar feeling I had experienced before when my high school crush had complimented me in the past.

I could feel his mother’s eyes on us, a small smile forming on her face as she glanced at the two of us.

I moved my gaze away from him and stood up.

“I’m going to the restroom, I’ll be quick,” I said before walking away from them, hiding the blush that is slowly creeping up on my cheeks.

As I walked toward the restroom, I was roughly bumped, so hard that I almost stumbled and fell to the floor.

I turned around and was about to speak to the man when I saw him glanced at me through his shoulder. I froze in my tracks when I saw half of his face, recognizing his cold expression.

He smirked at me with his fangs showing and his eyes—it’s crimson red.

My eyes widened in shock as he suddenly vanished before me, and I was sure I wasn't hallucinating because I saw with my own eyes when he turned into a shadow, disappearing completely.

A phone call woke me up from my shocked state. I looked down to see who it was, but still, there’s no name or even a number on the screen.

I wasn't sure what came over me when I answered the phone. My hands trembled as I raised the receiver to my ear, my gaze fixed on the spot where he was standing a moment ago.

And there, a deep voice, sounding demonic, spoke in my ear. A threatening tone is visible in its voice.

“Know who owns you, human.”