--3--

"Long time no see," it sneers. "Glad to have you back." It sneers and I have realized I have never been this scared. Our room is on the second floor and my bare feet scrape against the roof. With it hand wrapped around my neck he pulls me close my face just inches from his. His breath smelled of ground mint and ash. Tears welled in my eyes as his hand grew tighter around my throat. "I've wanted you for a long time."

"Please God," I choked. He stood all the way up and my feet left the roof. I was trying to gasp for air. He laughed and the sound pierced my ears. It was sharp and mechanical.

"God," he cackled, "he gave up, there is no God anymore." He laughed again. Black was forming around my vision. I thought if I passed out now then it all would be over I would finally get some rest. I would no longer feel the need to hide from the world whenever the moon rose in the sky. He loosened his grip and put his arm around my legs throwing me over his shoulder like a person would salt to get rid of bad luck. I heard my parents yelling for me through the window. I looked up and saw my Dad running down stairs. The demon jumped off the roof and landed flat footed on the ground sending a shock through my body. My air left my lungs and I started beating on the demons back. "I would stop that if you know whats good for you." I did stop. I knew what these beings could do. He could tear me limb from limb in a second if he wanted.

He flipped me to the front his large hands under my arms. I felt like a baby in the hands of a monster. He looked me dead in the eyes. The black obsidian marbles he had as irises were deep. They were so big they were almost hypnotic in a sense. His hands were so large that I could feel his middle fingers meet in the middle of my back.

"Let her go," I heard my dad say. I felt as if I was dreaming. I craned my neck to see my Dad standing on my back porch with a rifle and a flashlight.

"Tell you dear Papa to go inside, or I'll call the others," he growled.

"Dad, please go inside, don't let Hallie lose you too." Tears were consistently flowing down my face and I felt as soon as he grabbed me from my window I was a dead body. The demon grabbed my bicep and used his other hand to fish in his pocket. He pulled out a sheer piece of ripped fabric and put it over his head. My Dad tossed the gun to the side and turned on his flashlight to try to blind the Demon however with the fabric over his head he was immune. "Dad, please go inside or he will call the others." I sobbed. I saw my Mom and sister in the door behind him Hallie was screaming and shaking all over. My Mom said one word.

"Robert." My Dad had a pained expression on his face. He dropped the flashlight and grabbed the rifle and walked in the door. I shook my head yes letting him know he did the right thing. I no longer was a person who would be able to stay inside with my family. Have silent movie night where we all watch a movie with headphones. Brush my sisters hair and make sure she was eating and taking care of herself. I would no longer be able to have celebratory pancakes in the morning where we all made it through the night. I wouldn't be able to go to my Dad when I get scared.

"How touching," the Demon cackled. He pulled the cloth off his head and sat on the ground and put me in his lap. He was wearing someones torn Addidas track pants and a black shirt that was to small. His touch was freezing. "Now we wait."

"Wait for what?" I asked as he grabbed both of my wrists and crossed them across my chest.

"Sunrise."

I stared at my family in the window of my home. It was the home I grew up in, the home I experienced my entire life in. The home where the dark times used to not haunt us. When we would catch fireflies at night and camp out in the backyard.

"I also advise you not to move, each time you do I will snap a rib." I didn't move, I stopped crying even. I had accepted that my demon had won. My life was no longer in my hands. He won everything.

It was six thirty in the morning. I saw the digital clock that was set on our fireplace. I saw my Dad planning something with my Mom and sister. They all looked very serious. They kept glancing at me to make sure we haven't moved.

"They're planning to get you at sunrise when I won't be conscious anymore. It won't work." His hot breath raced past my ear.

"How do you know it won't work?" It was the first thing I have said since he has sat down.

"Because, even when my body goes limp, I will drag you down with me no matter what."

"They will save me." My breath came hard out my mouth when he punched my side a cracking sound rang in my ears.

"Keep talking and we'll see how many ribs you'll have left." I started to wheeze and pain radiated up and down my left side every time I tried to take in air. I was crying again. Why was he tormenting me, I would've rather been ripped to shreds than to watch my family worry and suffer these last few moments that I will see them. He put his arm around my neck in a headlock. With his other hand he pulled out the fabric from earlier. He wrapped the fabric around my waist and tied me to him. This put pressure on my now broken rib and I tried my best not to whimper. "I really have enjoyed watching you for these past few years. You're family is so cozy I just wanted to be a part of it," he laughed a deep guttural laugh. Disgust crawled over me. "Showtime," he whispered.

As the sun was about to rise he stood up. I looked at my feet that were dangling about two feet from the grass. I clutched his arm that was under my ribs and pushed up so that the pain of my injury would lessen. I saw the sky lighten and the sun hit the horizon. My family was at the back door ready to charge the beast. He walked over to the pit that was farthest from the door.

The sun struck the horizon and I felt the strength in his body leave him. He landed on his knees so my feet finally touched the ground. The back door flew open and my whole family rushed out. The Demons body was pulled back like some type of magnetic force. I look up and I saw my sisters face and her arms reach out. She was the first to get to me. I reached my hands out for her to grab on, then I pulled them back. I remember what he said, 'I will drag you down with me no matter what.' There was a force pulling on his body. I was attached to his body. If I grabbed on they would be pulled down with me. His back hit dark water and soon all I could see was a pit closing around the vision of my family.

I felt like I was holding my breath for hours. Even though it was only seconds. I felt air touch my skin and breath fill my lungs. My clothes were completely dry even though I was fully submerged. I opened my eyes and all around us were glowing roots. That connected to a sky of dirt. The glow created a blue green hue. We were not falling either we were floating down. It was as if gravity didn't exist anymore. I felt like I was in heaven. The demons limp body was still attached to my back. I saw my braid swirl in the blue air. The warmth of this underground cove was that of perfect body temperature.

I felt the Demons body flatten against mine. As we softly landed into a pool that made up the entire floor of the cove. Water soaked into my shirt and shorts again. And pain struck again from my side. I was not dead. I was not in heaven. I felt him start to stir and awaken. He put his hand on my stomach and sat up. He reached around and untied the fabric that was wrapped around us. The whole floor of the cove was the same glowing blue that the roots were.

I started to stand slowly afraid that he was going to yank me back again, but I did it anyway. He did not touch me. I hear the water splash behind me as he gets up. I do not turn around.

"Look at me." His voice echos in the organic dome. There are no other beings around us. We are alone. I do not turn to look at him cause my fear is paralyzing. When will this be over I think. Hasn't he had enough. "Look at me!" he yells. I turn slowly and glance at his eyes.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to show you something." He sneers.

"What?" it's not fear that strikes my voice anymore, its annoyance. It makes him smile which makes me sick. He grabs my arm and I pull it away.

"Just look over there." I turn and I see a small platform. It looks like a swimming pool has been filled with black ink and has been set inside of a huge tree trunk.

"What is that?" My voice quakes.

"Your future."

"What do you mean my future?" I ask.

"That there will make you into one of us, I told you how I like watching you. I have watched you grow old in three years and look twice your age. I have watched you care about so many people that will just end up hurting you in the end. There was no way and still is no way that all of humanity won't die out or be converted to our ways. So why don't you do something simple, and give up your humanity?"

"Simple, that will never be simple! Did you do this? Were you human once too?" Tears welled in my eyes. He smirked.

"I guess you could call me a fallen angel. There's a reason why I brought you down here Cacy. Not really to covert you but to make you remember. Do you?"

"Remember? No. What do you mean by remember?" I looked into his large eyes and tried to think of what he could be referring to.

He started to sing. The song was a song my childhood friend used to sing. He committed suicide in high school due to severe depression. Joshua was my friend since sixth grade. We did everything together, however he just couldn't get out of his head.

"Joshua? No, you're not him. You would never hurt Hallie. He would never," I crouched and clutched my head. There was no way this monster was the Josh I knew. Josh would never do something like this he would never tear me away from the ones I love.

He let out a huge cackle. "You really believed in that bullshit?" At this point he was laughing and splashing the florescent water along the ground. I looked at him. "Ohhhh, baby. I hope you know that as soon as I pulled you under I have access to all your thoughts, desires, and needs. You belong to me now." His laughing echoed throughout the large cavern. Tears welled in my eyes due to the fear settling in my body. He crouched low and started crawling towards me. I kept stepping back, the body temperature water splashing against my heels. He kept crawling closer and closer to me. This large demonic being knows that I'm scared, knows that I am powerless. I turn so that I no longer face him shivering in my skin.

"Please, just don't hurt my family," I whispered.

"Is that all that you think about?" His raspy voice and herb scented breath was just inches away from my ear. I looked to see his knee soaked in the water just by my foot. His large hands wrapped around my arms. "What would you give up for you family, what would you do to see them again?" I didn't answer. "Would you become like me, ageless and perfect?" He pulled me to his chest my back knocked against his ribcage. A shooting pain sent up my side and my breath fell from my mouth. "All you would have to do is jump into that vat over there and you will be free from me."

"It will turn me though. I don't want to die. I want to live, I want to be with my family. I want to catch fireflies in the long summer nights. I don't want to be scared anymore. I want to be happy again." I was sobbing. He reached up and stroked my hair like my Dad used to do when I was a child. He even said,

"There, there Cace," in a voice that mimicked my fathers.

"Don't do that, get out of my head."

"It's so cozy in there though, so many beautiful memories. You can have that back, you can have that forever. You can get your family back I hope you know. Just jump in and become one of us then we'll do the same to the rest of you family. You will all be together again."

"Please, just kill me." Tears were falling from my face. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to give up my humanity and loose all control of who I am. I want my family I want to be with them forever and always. However, this is not a choice to drag them down to the pits of hell with me.

"I'm sorry I can't do that love either you jump or you be trapped down here with me till you grow old and die."

"If you wanted me to become one of you why don't you just throw me in the pit?" I was angry now. I felt my face redden as his hands tightened around my biceps.

"You'll have to do that on your own accord, if I do I will turn to ash. You need a mentor on our ways," His breath felt hot against my neck.

"So, if I were to jump, you would still be here to control me?"

"No, not control you like I can now, you would be an equal. An equal to me in every way. You could transform your family and be one again. All we want is to run freely without judgment. You can take what you want and never give back. You will never feel tiered or any pain. You will be the perfect being." I pulled away from his grip and walked over to the vat of black water. As I got closer it didn't look quite like water. More like oil with an iridescent sheen.

"If I jump where will I go?"

"You will feel some pain, but then you will emerge as one of us."

"If I jump will I be able to protect my family?" The strength in my voice was faked, and I know he could tell.

"You will gain strength that you will have never had before."

I looked at the inky pool. My toes curled around the edge. If everything is true I will be able to give my family a better life, if not I will become a monster or be trapped here till I die because he would not dare kill me or he already would have. My breath rattled in my chest. I let my knees collapse out from under me and was consumed by darkness and the feeling of nothing.

..............

I gripped the grass as I ripped myself from the earth. It reminded me of a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. There it was, my house, my home, my family. I jumped onto the roof and crouched outside my sisters old bedroom. Placed outside the window were oversized clothes that I pulled onto my body and tapped twice on the now fixed window as a thank you, I knew that it didn't come across as that. Now I would wait for my family to emerge from the house so I can pull them under and make them be with me forever. My long black onyx hair was twisted into a braid that resembled my sisters work. She opened the curtains. Here large eyes looked up at mine wanting to invite me inside, but never doing so. One day I she will be like me. One day she will become what I have become. I hit the window and tears welled up in her eyes. I felt a smile creep across my face. I cant remember what it felt like to cry. She pulled the curtains closed, and I proceeded to wait, singing all my sisters favorite songs till sunrise would erupt on the horizon causing my body to collapse and roll off the roof to be absorbed into the ground. Then I would wait with he who turned me till nightfall where I would emerge once more.