Short Story Collection

I'm sorry...

I didn't mean to kill her, I swear.

I think back, back on the thing mother always told me. "My angel, please be careful, all it takes is one lapse in concentration," I mutter this to myself every Harvest Moon.

I hate the Harvest Moon, it's the one night a year that demons are at their strongest. I am a 17-year-old morph demon, in some ways, I am the luckiest type of demon. I have the ability to morph into my human form, but my demon side is really strong. I have grown accustomed to the names that I get called in the streets by the others.

Everyone hates morphs because one of us snapped, and brought agony and despair wherever she went. She was the deadliest demon with over 200 murders, now the morph demons get a bad representation.

Today is the Harvest Moon, I have about 2 hours till Ryanna takes over. I grab my jacket as I run out of the door, I'm heading to Warlock Gehanah's store. I need blessed metal, one of the few things that can keep morphs contained.

I push the door open and hear the ring of the bell, Warlock Gehanah appears behind the counter. She smiles at me, I smile back. She is one of the few that was kind to me after my family died.

"Here for some Blessed Metal my dear?" she asks.

"Sure am Warlock," I respond, bowing. Warlocks are rare so they are respected in their towns.

"Oh hush my child. I have told you to call me Nevaeh." She chides me.

"I will call you Nevaeh when you stop calling me child." I retort. I love Warlock Gehanah. She is so sweet to everyone.

Warlock Gehanah chuckles, as she slips out from behind the counter. She walks over to the shelves and grabs a pile of scrap iron and silver. She turns back and places it back on the counter, she heads over to her bookshelf and grabs a purple leather-bound book. I am used to seeing this book. I see it every year when I come to get my blessed metal. She starts flipping through the book as she walks back over to the counter.

She reaches the counter and slides the book on to the counter. Her hands hover above the pile of metal and start to mutter the purification incantation. I stand quietly as I always do, the incantation is only a few seconds long but it does the job, she steps back closing the book with a snap. I walk up to the counter as she goes to put the book back. I grab the gloves that she leaves on the counter and the leather bookbag that I brought with me. I slide the metal into the bag careful to not let it touch my skin.

"Be careful tonight my dear. Come and see me tomorrow so I can heal you if needed okay?" She asks. I nod my head and turn to head out the door. Warlock Gehanah knows that Ryanna is adamant to escape and won't pay heed to the burns that the blessed metal will cause. My body is covered in scars from previous years of the Harvest Moon, I leave the cozy little shop and I can feel the dread start to pool in my stomach. I can feel Ryanna start to stir and I can feel her excitement build.

I run home so that I can have time to get this setup, the leather bag is banging against my hip. I hear a rip, I look down and a sharp piece of metal has ripped the bag. I grimace as I reach down to push the metal back into the bag, I flinch when my fingers touch the cool metal. I quickly swing the bag off my shoulder and carry it so that it doesn't rip more. I look at my finger and there is already an angry red bump appearing on my skin. I make it home and run to my parent's old room, I have turned this into my cage.

There is a pair of leather gloves, 3 boxes of screws, and a drill. I throw the bag onto the floor, pulling on the gloves I stare at the 3 small windows and the door. I grab the first piece of metal, the drill, and a box of screws. It takes me about 30 minutes to get everything set. I start getting dizzy and feel my consciousness slip into the passenger's seat, and Ryanna is taking the wheel.

I grimace as the change starts to take place, I feel the black and white feathered wings sprout from my back. The curling ram horns grow from my forehead. My hands curl into claws and my teeth sharpen. My once mismatched green and blue eyes are now ruby red.

"Finally." Ryanna hisses. She unfurls our wings and with one flap of our big wings, our head hits the ceiling. She lets out a pained hiss and falls back down to the ground. When she falls into her yearly routine of clawing at the metal plates that are covering her exits, I can feel the hissing burn of the metal on our skin and the bursting on the bumps as she continues to claw. Soon the metal plates are covered in the black demon blood that flows through our veins.

I sense something has changed in the house, I hear a creak of a floorboard. Ryanna has an idea, I try to get her to stop but she's not listening.

"Hello?" Her voice has changed from the gravelly voice I am used to, to a softer tone closer to my human voice.

"Hello? Is everything okay here? I heard a ruckus outside and the front door was wide open." Oh no...I forgot to make sure the latch stuck, shoot.

"I am stuck, my closet fell on me can you help," Ryanna asks. I panic for a moment until I realize that the plates will stop them from coming in.

"Sure, give me a second." I hear the doorknob rattle. "Um, the door must be locked." the person shouts through the door.

"Okay, have a good night then," Ryanna murmurs glumly. She curses me for putting the plates up.

"Are you okay if I phase?" Crap, why did they have to be a vampire? I groan.

"Sure am, I just need help," Ryanna says creeping closer to the door. She reaches the door at the same time a girl appears through the door. The girl's eyes widen but it's too late, Ryanna has snatched her up and soon the girl is dead.