The Demons Assistant

Episode 2: Meeting with Friends

Kenzie didn’t want much but just a massage. “My Masseuse went on Holiday suddenly and I have knots on top of knots. Can you please massage my back?” I nodded and went to kneading. I want to behave. I don’t want to be punished so I do everything she says. Even though she doesn’t use the Obedience trick. She asked me if I would. She didn’t tell me to do anything. It was nice. I massaged her back for a whole hour before she felt like she was done. I hung around downstairs though. Wanting to explore my new home. Well. Not actually my home seeing I had a mandatory move only today but that doesn’t matter.

I woke up startled. I woke up to the sound of the chimes. Kenzie needed me. I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs to start my first official day on the job. “Layla. This is a very important job. I need you to listen and listen well. I can’t go outside without getting some seriously burned skin, so I need you to go shopping for me.” I nodded, getting ready to write down the order “I need milk, Eggs, Bread, LOTS of candy of any type, I need meat any kind, and I need vegetables. Of your choice. Oh, and you can have whatever you feel like while your there. Here’s my credit card there’s over $1 Trillion on it. And can you please return it to me when you’re done? Thank you.” I look at the gold card, hope soaring through my chest. “Oh, I almost forgot. Once you’re done with everything come straight here. Straight back no detours no dawdling No talking to anyone.” She said. It stung a little. That she didn’t trust me enough to come back of my own free will but still. It’s been less than a day. “You can leave whenever you want.” My eyes pricked with tears threatening to fall and Kenzie looks away, ashamed. “Ok but can you please remove this bracelet? I can’t get it off myself.” She nodded and I rub my wrist where the silver used to be.

I left for the outing a little after breakfast and bought only the best. I got myself a very large bear made from chocolate. Small enough to fit in my MASSIVE fridge but large enough that it is the largest chocolate bear I’ve ever seen. I buy the rest of the items and I feel the pull to go home. I get back not even 10 minutes later. I hand Kenzie her groceries and bow. “You did good Layla. You didn’t resist even a little bit. I am rewarding you with not having the bracelet put back on your wrist and time with your loved ones. You can spend time with them for up to Wednesday. You will have time enough to catch up explain everything and tell them you’re moving out. I’ll make do here. You can leave whenever you’re ready. I let these tears fall. “Thank you” I sob. This is the best reward anyone could ask for. I leave immediately.

I breathe in the fresh air of my home. I stand outside getting ready to face the family. I’m not able to tell them everything. They wouldn’t believe me anyway, so I had to come up with a clever lie. I decided I’ll tell them I’m moving into a new friend’s place. That’s not exactly a lie but it is bending the truth. The lie comes in if they ask me why. I can’t exactly say I have no choice in the matter, but I have to say something. So, I came up with I want to be independent. Live on my own manage my own life. It’s not true. But it must be done. I ring the doorbell. As I get ready to spin my web of lies the door opens to find a police officer in the blue uniform. “May I help you child?” he says in a southern accent. Child? I’m 18 years old. Child. “My name is Layla Moore. My parents live here.” The cop nodded once and motioned for me to come in. “your parents are in the living room worried sick. They say you just left yesterday morning and haven’t come home since.” He explained. “Yeah, I went out with a friend for a few hours and then we went shopping and by then it was dusk, and my phone went flat so we went to her house instead. I would have told my mom the first opportunity I got except that I didn’t bring my charger.” Lie, Lie, Lie. All lies.

“Well anyway they’ve been worried sick about you. You should go see them.” And the police officer walked away. I walked into the living room and saw my parents. They looked like death. Their face was pale the only colour coming from how red their eyes were and the noses. They obviously have been crying. “Mom, Dad?” I slowly walk towards them as their puffy eyes met mine. They ran towards me even though a couch was in the way. “We were so worried. Where have you been. What happened? were you safe? What happened to your clothes? Why aren’t you answering our questions?” they both asked in unison. I told them what I told the police officer abandoning the lie I practised. It was a better one. “I didn’t mean to be gone for so long. I’m sorry.” I pause. “I am moving out. I found a job that’s hiring but it’s on the other end of the city meaning I must move. I’m sorry.” Another shameful lie. My parents nodded and said they would help me pack. A few hours later my stuff was in Bags and boxes. “I’ll come pick them up on Wednesday. There are some friends I want to spend time with. And I don’t have a lot of time before I must leave. Sorry Mum and Dad.” I sadly move to get my essentials as I slowly and surely get through my small list of friends.

Jamie being last as she saw me just Yesterday. I went through all my friends within the day. So, I headed to Jamie’s. “Hey.” I say. “Hey” she says back. My parents never understood the value of monosyllabic words like that. The truth is you can say a lot with just one word. Like when I said “hey” it really meant. “Hello. How are you today. I’m back from being a demon’s slave but I only have until Wednesday, so I think it’s a good idea to have a sleepover what do you think?” and she returned with “Sup I’m good what about yourself? It is so great you are able to come and go but it sucks you only have a couple days of freedom. Sure, you can sleepover I’ll just tell my mom. Why don’t you come inside? You look exhausted” so now you know. We spend the next few hours catching up and talking about magic and demons. And then we went to the sleep portion of the sleepover.

“So how are you settling in? I only saw a part of it but your apartment is MASSIVE. I’m sorry I missed it.” Jamie said the following morning. Its Tuesday and I leave tomorrow to go back to the Club. Back to Kenzie. I decide to spend the rest of my time with my parents while I can. Answer any questions about me moving “To another city”. My stuff was still there and so was everything else like my family, food. A bed. Etc. I say goodbye to Jamie and walk over to my parents’ house. I was the only adult in town around my age to not have a car. Or a licence. Or a job. Or money. So being a slave and getting rewards like this is the best thing to ever happen to me. That’s how I knew to say I got a job. I told my family that I now worked at a desk and was making money. I couldn’t actually say that my new job was being a slave to a demon. They were just glad I finally had a job and was getting paid.

I open the door to the house without knocking first simply out of habit. I found all my stuff gone, my bedroom stripped bare and my parents nowhere to be seen. Instead. I go into the kitchen to find a middle-aged dude that was so not my dad. He was helping himself to our food and was obviously not in an important job. His clothes were dirty and stained orange and he stunk of BO and garbage. He had a beard the colour of snow and was bald otherwise. I ask who he was and what he’s doing here, and he says “I live here” I was so confused. I was here just yesterday. Everything was fine. The only thing packed was my stuff. And then it clicked. My family wanted to live with me. In the City I had my “Job” in the apartment I “rent”. They moved out to a city that I made up. I was so screwed.

Well without my parents to hang out with and me already done seeing my friends I decided to call my family. They answered on the first ring “yes honey?” My mum said. Obviously, my dad was driving. They always obeyed the law. “We just couldn’t wait to move so we packed and left a day early. Are you on your way? You don’t want to be late for your first day.” I felt my face get hot with rage. “I am not because I don’t have a car. And you took my stuff? How did you sell the house so quickly? Why didn’t you tell me this was your plan?” I screamed. “I wanted to spend my last night with you. I just found out that a middle-aged man now lives in My house. And what kind of information do you know? Is it safe? It is Family Friendly? You know nothing of this place you are moving to. And the fact you did it to move in with me because I was moving for a job it the crazy part. I am an adult! I can look after myself. Also, the town name I gave you was a lie. The entire thing was a lie. I can’t tell you the real Job I had because I knew you wouldn’t understand. And your too overprotective for me to simply just move out so I couldn’t tell you where I was really going so good luck. You screwed us all! I want you to get back here right now and give me my stuff back. Or better yet, drop it off at my new place. I’m sure you’ll know it. It’s at the all-purpose place in Surfers.” after my rant I literally ended the call, turned my phone off and bolted crying back to Kenzie. To Home.

After explaining what happened in all details, Kenzie was the one that comforted me. SHE was the one that held me while I cried. And it was her that got my stuff when I couldn’t face my parents. Besides when Kenzie rang the bell, I practically locked myself in my room for a few days. Mad at my parents and the world for lying to me my whole life. When my body couldn’t produce any more tears. I crawled out of bed and ate my teddy bear made of chocolate.