The Angel, the Vampire, and the Demon

Chapter Three- Demon

His hands flew out to break his fall as he landed hard on the mud-caked path of the old, cold town. As he stood, he heard the sound of the car door slamming shut before he heard it drive off. He turned, fear ripping through him.

"WAIT!!" He screamed after his parents' black, ash-covered SUV.

The car disappeared through the swirling black and purple portal to Hell, closing before he could move a step. The Demon looked at the place where the portal had once been, he couldn't open it, he was too young. He looked around taking ragged breaths that seared through his lungs, the Realm of The Living was nothing like Hell. Well, not here anyway, here was a ghost town.

All the buildings were covered in graffiti, dirt, and grime, the windows were smashed in, leaving dark, jagged holes in the walls, cobwebs framed the edges like faint waving ghosts. The roads and paths of the abandoned town were coated in rubbish and animal poop. The recent rain left the paths covered in dirty, smelling mud.

Telantes sank to the floor on his hands and knees, his shoulder-length copper-coloured hair falling to hide his face. Tears splatted his ash-coloured hands as he struggled to hold them back. He scrunched his face up; didn't his parents love him anymore? What did he do wrong? He needed them! He wouldn't survive on his own! He let out a cry, a loud one, like the first cry of a newborn, but much higher and more piercing. It was a call for help. A desperate call for help.

*

Raziel

Raziel woke with a cry, clutching his chest, scranching his bed robes in his tight grip. The pain didn't fade to a throb like it had done with Abrariel, this was a consistent pain, like someone was stabbing him with a knife over and over with each rapid beat of his heart. He got out of bed, it was daylight, and Abrariel was gone. Raziel hoped the Vampire was in bed as he ran for the front door. He knew someone was in danger, more than Abrariel had been. Raziel had to get to them, follow the sharp tug at his heart before it was too late.

*

Abrariel woke with a jump, someone had cried out. He got out of bed and went to his bedroom door, it had to be Raziel. He stopped at the door, it was daytime, and the whole house would be flooded by daylight. He would burn to death if he went out now, instead he placed his ear to the door and listened. He heard Raziel throw his bedroom door open and rush in stumbled steps to the front door, throwing that open as well, and slamming it behind him. Something was wrong, but Abrariel didn't know what.

*

Raziel flew as fast as he could, he was almost there. The pain in his chest was nearly unbearable, and his wings were aching from flying for so long, and so fast. He didn't know how much longer he could go on. Just when he was about to give up, he saw them.

A child on the ground curled into a tight ball, that was who his heart was calling him to. Like with Abrariel, he hovered and took in the boy's appearance.

The boy was younger than Abrariel, about ten years old, Raziel guessed. He had shoulder-length copper hair that hid his face, he was small, and the bare skin he could see was the colour of... Ash?

A Demon.

Raziel landed gently in front of the Demon, the pain that was throbbing in his chest faded now he was close to the source. The boy looked up at him, bright amber eyes in a sea of black, no whites visible. His grey face was full of fear and tear-stained. The boy was scared. He seemed to be abandoned like Abrariel had been, but unlike the Vampire, who didn't trust him, this Demon was just scared, scared and alone. Raziel knelt down and held out a hand.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I'm going to look after you. You seem like—" he never finished, the boy had lunged and wrapped his arms around Raziel's middle, crying bitterly,