Demons Arrive

Chapter Eleven

Sunlight. Sunlight is what wakes me. I slowly open my eyes, adjusting to the heavy sunlight streaming in through the window. In my room at my house, my window is on the other side of the room and the morning sunlight does not usually stream through so brightly this early. I sit up and stretch, getting sleep out of my limbs. Joey. I stare at my bedroom door and listen for Joey. Should I even go check on him? My conversations with Joey from yesterday played through my mind. His reluctance to be honest with me, and his protectiveness of Thane still bothered me. Thoughts of Thane and my dream from the night before plaguing my mind. After Thane's admission over my mother, I cried for what felt like hours. He did nothing except hold me while I cried, and when I was too tired to stand any more from all the crying, he carried me back to the room I had 'woken' up in and laid me down in the bed. He held me the entire time I cried, and he did not speak until I was about to wake up. All he had said was, "I'll see you soon." I am still not sure what he meant by that, but I have decided not to read too much into it.

There is a light knocking at the door before it opens to reveal Doc. She is standing there in her regular clothes, just a white T-shirt and some scrub pants. She gives me a small smile. "Did you talk with Thane last night?"

I look up at her as she speaks, and I sigh. "Sort of." My response is short, and in true Doc fashion, she intuitively knows there is more I am not telling her; cue the cocking of her eyebrow and folding her arms, her own way of asking questions. Would it be worth the effort to fight with her and pretend like nothing else happened? Probably not, and I have no one else I can trust right now. I used to trust Joey, but he is not very trustworthy right now. I sigh again. "He told me about my mother, and he explained what that Demon did to Joey. I can't tell what's a lie and what isn't."

"Have you decided if you're going to take Joey and go with Thane?"

I reel back. "Absolutely not. I do not trust him, not even a little bit. He is a Demon. Demons can't be trusted." Doc does not say anything at first, she just stands there and stares at me. "What?"

"I think... that Thane may be your best chance. He's stronger than all the Demon's that have invaded our world, you'd be protected. He obviously wants something from you, its not been heard of before for a Demon to approach humans without intent to harm." Us, safe with Thane? As if. I really hate all the Demons, but my hate for Thane is dwindling down some.

I still have no idea why he has been so nice to me, or why he did something like holding me while I cried. It completely contrasted how he had treated me before; like he was a different person. Before, he was just using sex and lust as a weapon. Now? Now... he was being kind and after he had found out where I was, he had stopped touching me like that. It was very confusing. "Has he touched you again?" Doc's question catches me off guard, but somehow, I manage to shake my head.

"He hasn't touched me again." I tell her, and I feel my face heat at the memory of Thane's hands. "Not... like he did." I peek up at Doc and she is smirking.

"He hasn't touched you... at all?"

I shake my head. "He hugged me last night, but he hasn't touched me... intimately like he did before. After he found out where I was, that basically stopped." She does not respond, only stares at me, gauging my reaction. The silence gives me an opportunity to change the subject. "Well, I better go check on Joey." I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and get up.

"Oh, he's outside playing with his friends." Doc says and I stop in my tracks.

"Why is he outside?" Panic runs through me as my head fills with questions. What if David and Amanda approach him? What if that awful Demon comes back and curses him again? What if he gets hurt, or he tells others about Thane and his ability to enter our dreams? I started to sprint towards the door, but Doc grabs my shoulders when I try to pass her. What are you doing? I shriek at her. Doc pushes me back a few feet and shuts the door behind her.

Joey is playing, like a kid his age should be. Ive been watching him while you rested, and I spoke with him this morning when he woke up. Aside from his newfound respect and allegiance to Thane, he seems perfectly normal. He assured me that he wouldnt tell anyone about Thane or the dreams. Apparently, Thane had given him specific instructions not to tell anyone besides you and I anything about him, the dreams, or Thanes interest in you. Joey has decided to listen.

At this point, Im not sure what to say or do. My mind has gone blank. How could Joey listen to him and not me? I stop struggling against Doc and just stand perfectly still until she removes her hands from my shoulders.

What did he do to him, Doc? I ask. What did he do to Joey to brainwash him like this? Demons are evil, Joey knows this, he knows theyre evil and hes choosing to trust Thane, to believe him. Why?

Doc sighs and gives me a sullen look. I dont know what Thane did to make Joey so complacent, other than what Joey already told us. I think we should play this one by ear and see what happens.

At her words, I can feel the panic rise to detrimental levels. The room is spinning, I can feel my heartbeat in my ears, I can feel my blood pumping and I feel like Im going to explode. I need to go take a walk. I manage to breathe out. Docs eyes meet mine and we stand and stare at each other for several moments before she finally sighs and opens the door. The second the door is open my body lunges forward at a sprint. All I can hear is my heartbeat in my ears as my feet pound out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door. I dont even think about it as I run in between different houses and into a field. Halfway through the field, the pounding of my heartbeat slows and ceases, and my feet slow into a stop in the middle of the field. As I stand completely still, I can still feel my heart pounding in my chest and my entire body feels like its been shocked with electricity, like Im vibrating. I try to slow my breathing until Ive calmed down.

Ive had panic attacks before, theyre nothing new, but I have never had one quite this bad. The panic at the thought of having to eventually go with Thane; being essentially captured and kidnapped by a Demon, the fact that Joey believes and respects the Demon, everything just all came crashing into me all at once. I dont know what will happen to us, to Joey and I. I dont know if all the things Im so scared of will come to pass, and I dont know what I will do if something happens to Joey, I have to protect him. What I do know though, is that I dont want to go with Thane, I dont want Joey being so friendly with him, I dont want to lose Joey to that Demon, I dont know what that Demon wants from us.