The devil from the fourth floor

Part 2

Do what? Run. Where to?

How did he get into the apartment? Definitely not through the door. Maybe a window? Nonsense, he's not a spider-man, he can't crawl through walls. Not a spider, but then what?

Oh, dear.

blink a few times, hoping that his image will dissipate, that the guy is just a figment of my imagination, but no. He's standing at the window, not moving, and looking at me intently.

I don't care! I gotta run!

In a millisecond I turn around and almost fall, slipping because of my socks, rushing to the door.

─ What the hell?! ─ I shriek as I see a man appear right in front of me out of some fog, blocking the door.

─ I asked a question. ─ A snap of my fingers and all the doors in the apartment slam shut, locking me in the hallway alone with this guy. And I'm losing my patience. You have one minute to explain who you are before I kill you! More smoke and more red eyes that make my heart stop.

─ Stay back! ─ I grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on.

A red umbrella left by a stranger.

The umbrella may look new, but it's certainly not going to hold this... Monster. I'm frantically trying to figure out what to do. I still don't believe it's real, hoping I'm dreaming, hoping that I'm just dreaming and that I'm in a very believable dream that won't end.

My heart is beating so hard it's making noise in my ears. I'm surprised I haven't fainted.

I've never believed in anything paranormal, and I've only ever laughed at Internet videos about ghosts and other evil things.

I have a lab on national journalism in two days, and I don't plan on dying today. If I don't pass the lab, I can forget about the scholarship raise.

─ Look, I don't know who you are, ─ and I don't want to know. ─ But let's make a deal. Take whatever you want and go! ─ I take slow steps backward with my umbrella in front of me. ─ Please! I promise I won't say anything and I won't tell anyone!

─ Are you trying to bargain with a demon? ─ He grins. ─ Are you an idiot?

─ A demon? What?! ─ Now I'm really scared. ─ Stay away! ─I'm almost shouting, clutching the umbrella's handle harder.

─ You think that's going to stop me? ─ A black flame ignites in his palm, I've never seen anything like it. ─ For the last time. Who are you and who sent you? ─ He speaks in a voice so steely that I'm sure I'll get gray hairs.

─ I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know who the hell you are!

He takes a step toward me, and my legs feel like they're stuck to the ground.

─No! ─ That's it, my self-control finally cracked. I started screaming, screaming. ─ Stay away from me!

A hellish, unbearable pain grips my palm. The umbrella falls to the floor, and I grab my own wrist. I've never felt pain like this before, my hand like it's on fire.

The last thing I remember before I was swallowed by darkness was his big red eyes.

─ No! ─  I sit up for a second, hoping to catch my breath.

A dream, it was just a dream. Thank God for all that's holy. I exhaled and opened my eyes.

─ Shit! ─ I shriek again and jerk in surprise.

─ A demon.

There's a guy a meter away from me. So I wasn't dreaming, so it was real. I'm lying on the couch, and he's sitting on a chair, looking at the umbrella I was holding.