Demon Seer

by Kurtis Eckstein

  All of her non-human features looked like they might belong to a black rocky dragon.

  Michael suddenly gasped for air, forcing him to focus on the fact that he had been holding his breath. If she hadn’t been aware of his presence already, then she certainly was now. However, she didn’t even flinch or otherwise respond immediately to the abrupt sound. Initially, she acted as if she hadn’t heard anything at all, before slowly beginning to turn her head to look over her shoulder.

  If he had been uncertain about whether or not she was human, he certainly had no doubts now as she locked eyes with him. Rather than having a normal eye color like brown or blue, her irises were a bright red that almost appeared to glow slightly in the moonlight. Surprisingly, her expression was neither hostile nor inviting. Instead, she looked at him as if she might glance at one of the trees, completely indifferent to what she saw. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and the crimson eyes only seemed to add to the effect.

  It felt like an eternity that they stared at each other, and Michael immediately realized that the emotion competing against his fear was something unexpected. The demonic eyes that looked back at him solidified something he had never experienced before – he felt a weird combination of emotions that he could only best identify as a solemn infatuation.

  In that moment, as they locked eyes, any resistance that might have existed under the guise of self-preservation immediately abandoned his tense muscles – he had given up without hesitation. His felt his entire body relax, and he didn’t feel afraid anymore, even though he consciously knew he probably should be.

  The girl sighed in response to his noticeable reaction and, in a blur, she vanished from his sight faster than humanly possible. In her absence, he saw what she had been crouching over – a dead body lying on the ground. It was a woman around his mom’s age, who might have appeared to be sleeping were it not for a dark fluid slowly oozing out of her neck. Michael knew immediately what it was – he had noticed a red smudge on the demon girl’s face, right next to her lips.

  Under normal circumstances, he probably would have tried to stop the bleeding and call for an ambulance on his cellphone. However, he couldn’t help but feel compelled to begin looking around, trying to catch another glimpse of the demon goddess.

  But, she was nowhere to be seen.

  Panic again rose up inside him, but counterintuitively it was a fear of never seeing her again, rather than a fear of what might happen if he did see her again. The feeling escalated quickly to the point where he felt like he was beginning to have a full-on panic attack – he wondered briefly how his world could have been turned upside down so quickly.

  He had to see her again.

  Just as Michael began to think he was going to have a mental breakdown, a pair of pale hands slid underneath his arms from behind him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Simultaneously, he felt an extremely warm body press up against his back, and a pressure appeared on his right shoulder as the girl found a place to rest her chin.

  His breath caught in his chest again and his body began trembling with nervousness. He couldn’t help but notice the uneven pressure against his back caused from her chest. He knew immediately that they were about the same height, based on how her body felt against his.

  He flinched when he felt her tail snake around his waist and pull him even tighter against her, as if her abnormally strong arms weren’t enough already. He felt his face flush intensely as he recalled she was completely naked.

  Taking a shallow breath, Michael slowly turned his head slightly, feeling one of her horns brush against his hair, so that he could see her red eyes looking up at him. Her face was so close to his that, if he were to turn his head all the way, then they would be nose-to-nose. As it was, her full lips were barely an inch away from the corner of his.

  She had a slight grin on her face now, although it was barely noticeable in her expression, enough so that he wondered if he was imagining it. Granted, he was only noticing this from his peripheral vision. He couldn’t get himself to look away from her crimson gaze.

  Her smooth lips parted then, finally catching his attention away from her eyes, and her angelic voice filled the small space between them.

  “Afraid?” She wondered, sounding amused.

  His trembling had become more severe, although not from terror. He had almost no experience being intimately close to girls, never mind someone of ungodly beauty, and so he found himself overwhelmed by her warm body pressed against his.

  She tightened her embrace in response to his shaking, almost as if she wanted to comfort him. Surprisingly it did seem to help him feel more stabilized.

  One of her hands began slowly rubbing his chest, further convincing him that she didn’t want him to be scared despite her taunting tone. Then, when he didn’t respond to her question, she glanced towards her most recent victim as if silently asking her question again.

  Without looking at the dead body, unwilling to remove his gaze from her beauty, he finally managed a simple response. “N…no.”

  Her red eyes held his again, her voice filled with skepticism. “Oh? You should be. I kill people. I drink their blood.”

  “I know,” he stated simply. That much was obvious at this point.

  Michael felt stupid for feeling the way he did. It was like he just didn’t care that his life was in danger. It was as if he had already decided that he didn’t belong to himself anymore. He had not just given up – he had given himself away. He was hers now, and he couldn’t bring himself to resist if she drank his blood too. Yet, he had to admit that it was such a stupid way to die.

  Her eyes widened just slightly in response to his answer, although he again wasn’t sure if he had imagined the miniscule change in expression. Her tone sounded more annoyed this time. “I think I might drink your blood too. That one wasn’t enough to fill me up.”

  “Okay.” He replied quietly, feeling dazed. He couldn’t help but notice her soft breath gently caressing his face whenever she spoke.

  Her brow immediately furrowed in response to his answer – it was the first expression that was obvious enough to clearly not be a hallucination. Her ear then twitched slightly in his peripheral vision, and he realized it was long and pointy like what might be expected on a tall majestic elf. It was obvious that she was sincerely frustrated by his responses.

  “You know I’m a monster, right?” She demanded.

  Michael was confused by her annoyance. He felt like he was under some kind of spell, yet…if she was causing this reaction in him then why would she be bothered by it?

  He struggled to respond to her knowing that a simple yes or no wasn’t enough to express what he wanted to say. Yes, he knew that she was a monster based on the basic definition, and if he was being honest, he probably would have classified her as a monster prior to seeing her. However, at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to call this gorgeous creature such an ugly word.

  He took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes in order to gather his scattered thoughts. “You’re…beautiful.” He finally managed.

  When he opened them again, he saw that her expression had returned to a neutral poker face. He waited patiently for her to respond, unwilling to speak out of turn. Finally, after what seemed like another eternity, she asked another question, her tone flat. “Do you want me to sleep with you?”

  “What?” He asked surprised.

  That hadn’t been what he was going for at all. He knew that under normal circumstances he might feel that way, but this solemn infatuation he felt made him feel extremely somber. In fact, he felt confident he couldn’t get aroused even if he tried. He was also too nervous for that to be possible.

  It was like trying to be aroused when you were teetering off the edge of a cliff, unsure if you were going to regain your balance or fall to your death. Not possible for most people, unless they were demented.

  But she didn’t repeat herself, instead waiting patiently for him to respond to her question. Based on
her tone of voice, he doubted the proposition was sincere anyway, not that he would have lied and said he did want that.

  He really didn’t know what to say, so he decided to just keep it simple. “N-No.”

  Her eyes squinted slightly, and her voice sounded skeptical again. “But I thought you said I was beautiful?”

  Michael closed his eyes yet again, so he could try to speak without distraction. “You are beautiful. The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. But that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with you. I mean…” He struggled to clarify himself. “…maybe eventually that would be nice, but just having you this close is more than enough for me…” He paused briefly, hesitant to state how he felt. “I…I would like…to remain near you…if that’s alright.” He again recalled how horrible it had felt when he briefly thought he would never see her again.

  In response to his own thoughts, he slowly moved both his hands from his sides up to hers resting on his chest and stomach. Her skin was extremely warm to the touch and it was so soft, a stark contrast to the occasionally chilly breeze. He then sighed heavily before opening his eyes again to be mesmerized by her gaze.

  She was staring back at him with the same neutral expression. She almost seemed uninterested by the entire conversation, as if nothing in the world could have been more boring. Then, as if she had read his mind, her words echoed his thoughts. “How boring.”

  “Oh…sorry.” He replied. However, despite her words, he couldn’t help but begin stroking the back of her hand gently with his thumb. He felt her tail tighten slightly against his waist in response – it was snug against him but not uncomfortable.

  She scoffed at his apology but didn’t say anything. Michael wasn’t sure why she was so annoyed. Maybe she wanted the thrill of the hunt. Possibly she wanted her victims to scream in terror and beg for their lives. Did she find it boring that he was doing neither?

  After a short silence, she sighed, closing her eyes just briefly before opening them again and speaking. “Well, I guess I’ll just kill you then, so you can be my dessert.”

  “Oh…” Michael felt his shoulders slump, sincerely feeling disappointed about the turn of events, but not for the reasons he should. He replied quietly. “Okay.”

  He felt her left horn scrape against his forehead as she immediately pressed her lips to his neck. The sharp point dug into his skin and he could feel a drop of blood appear just above his eyebrow. He knew that this was it, he had lost his balance and was falling off the cliff to his death, yet he couldn’t bring himself to fear for his own life.

  His only regret was that he wouldn’t be able to experience her embrace again once she was done, but there was nothing he could do to obtain that wish if she was unwilling to concede to it.

  Now, his only choice was to accept his fate, so he sighed in defeat while he waited for the inevitable.

  “You’re such a stupid human,” she whispered against his neck.

  Unable to see her face, he wasn’t sure how to interpret her tone. She sounded almost…sad…but he wasn’t sure why she would be feeling that way. However, he definitely knew she was right. Any normal person, including his normal self, would consider his actions stupid…or was he just accepting the fact that he didn’t have a chance of escaping? She had been able to move much faster than his eyes could even track.

  He began stroking her hand with his thumb again. “Yeah…I can’t argue with you there.” Then, without much thought, he slowly began reaching up with his right hand until he was able to gently grab ahold of her right horn. It was rough to the touch, like holding onto an unrefined rock.

  He wasn’t sure if she could actually feel his hand on her horn, but in response to his touch she tilted her head more to the right, relieving the pressure from her left horn on his forehead.

  He then felt her right hand slide up, running along his chest and briefly caressing his face, before her fingertips ran along his brow. With her index finger, she collected the drop of blood above his eye and rapidly stuck it in her mouth.

  Sighing, she spoke again. “You aren’t that tasty anyway, so I may wait to eat you.” Then, abruptly changing subjects, her tone sounded more serious and menacing. “Tell anyone about me, and it will be sooner rather than later.” He felt her hand return to his torso.

  “Umm…right. I won’t tell anyone. I don’t think anyone would believe me anyway, if I told them demons were real.” If anything, people would think he was crazy. Demons didn’t exist in real life, and if it weren’t for the fact that he was being embraced by one, he wouldn’t believe it either.

  “Demons?” She said curiously. “Hmm, I guess that’s one way to perceive what I am.”

  “You’re not a demon?” Michael had thought that was an obvious fact.

  “Different humans have developed all kinds of myths surrounding my kind. Everything from more pleasant creatures like angels and gods to more sinister creatures like vampires and devils. All of it comes from the rare interactions with those like me. But I like it that you referred to me as a demon – that’s probably the most accurate description.”

  “O-Oh…well…either way, I won’t tell anyone.” He wasn’t sure how else to respond.

  She was quiet then for a few seconds before Michael felt her head nod slightly to herself, as if she was acknowledging her own thought. She then spoke cheerfully, a stark contrast to the mood of their conversation thus far, as she returned her chin to his shoulder so that he could safely look at her again without being impaled. “Good. Then I guess I’ll leave now to get rid of my dinner.”

  He had forgotten about the dead woman not far from where they stood; yet, even after being reminded of it, all he could think about was the fact that the demon girl would be leaving momentarily. “Will you be back?” He asked desperately, feeling embarrassed by his obvious infatuation.

  She grinned at him then, another one of the few expressions that was obvious enough to know he wasn’t imagining it. Her tone was taunting. “Oh? Are you going to miss me?”

  In response to her grin, he couldn’t help but examine her surprisingly white teeth. They looked normal, although he had to admit that her canines appeared slightly longer than the average person. Either way, it was obvious they were strong and sharp.

  He met her gaze again, her crimson eyes piercing his very soul, and answered her question truthfully. “Y-Yes…I’m going to miss you.” He knew he sounded extremely lame, but it was the truth. The feeling of loss he had experienced only briefly had been crushing.

  Her grin widened slightly, seemingly unsurprised by his response. “Aww, how sweet. Well, it won’t be tonight. So, enjoy your day tomorrow – it could be your last after all.” She then gently moved her hand away from his torso and reached up to slowly remove his grip on her horn.

  As she began pulling away from him, his back was suddenly chilled by the cool air. “Wait!” He said urgently. She stopped moving to allow him to continue. “What’s...I mean…Do you have a name?” He tried to turn himself to see her face again, but she wouldn’t allow it. Her grip now on his arms held him in place. He knew she was probably stronger than him, despite her thin figure, but it was surprising to feel like a soft stone was immobilizing him. Her hold was absolute.

  After a few seconds, she finally responded. “Miriam.”

  Surprised that she had answered with such a normal name, he wondered if she was telling him the truth. But he decided not to ask. “I’m Michael. Please…please allow me to see you again soon.”

  She was silent longer this time, and he tried again to strain to see her face, but he couldn’t. He began to wonder if she would respond, but then he heard her whisper almost to herself. “Well, I guess you’re mine now…” She then spoke a little louder. “…so, you will see me again soon, but not tonight.”

  Michael was about to reply, not wanting the conversation to end yet, but then she was gone. He twisted around to try to see her go, but it was too late. Then, a sound near the dead body caused him to recall that she had sai
d she was planning on disposing of her dinner.

  He quickly turned back around to find that both Miriam and the woman were gone.

  Michael knew it was wrong. Killing was wrong and being infatuated with a murderer was also certainly wrong, yet he couldn’t stop himself from wishing she would return immediately.

  He wondered what his problem was. How had his morality become so messed up so quickly?

  He knew he wouldn’t tell anyone about her, even if they would believe him, but it wasn’t for his own sake. He would keep silent to protect her, which meant he was just as guilty as she was for every person she killed moving forward. He hadn’t even been in trouble with his parents in years and was overall a model citizen, yet here he was suddenly becoming a willing accessory to a serious crime.

  Michael didn’t move from his spot for what seemed like an extremely long time, while he contemplated everything he had just experienced. He had entered the woods as a normal, mentally stable individual, but now he felt like everything about him was messed up. All his priorities had been sliced away, and now all he cared about was the demon girl who would elude him for an undisclosed amount of time…possibly only to end his life eventually.

  He wondered if this was what doing hardcore drugs was like. He was an addict now, and nothing else mattered to him except getting another shot of his drug of choice. He knew he was in a bad situation, but he found it difficult to really care.

  After a while, he slowly turned around and began walking with stiff legs back to his dad’s house. His entire body felt exhausted like he had just finished a three-hour workout. He also felt emotionally drained, despite his racing heart threatening to burst from his chest. Michael wondered if he really was having a panic attack. His lungs did feel tight.