Demons are from Heaven

PART 7: MY IMAGINARY FRIEND

Your dreams . . . I fulfill.

"Thanks for today." I said to Elwen after she dropped me off at the front of my house.

I shivered, feeling the demon's eyes on me the second I stepped out of Elwen's dark blue jeep.

"Thanks too, for letting me hang out with you." The girl answered with a smile, hands on the steering wheel. "I had fun."

"Me too." I tried to smile back, but felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

Why was he watching me? Heck – so he wasn't entirely gone? Why couldn't he just show himself? All this hiding and inability to seek was starting to get irritating.

I quickly skimmed my eyes around me, as if I could ever catch him red-handed. As if he was visible.

I could never see him, could I? That was the downfall of the matter, because not seeing him meant he had bigger access to torture me as he pleased. Was it allowed to sue a ghost for haunting you? Because I was seriously beginning to consider that. I wish there was some way to put a restraining order against him. But a part of me always searched for him whenever he wasn't around and it drove me wild.

"–is that okay with you?"

What?

"Yeah." I replied without thinking, having no idea what Elwen even asked.

"Okay then." She looked happier. "See you tomorrow!"

Um – Okay?

I turned around and headed to the front door, his eyes burning my back all the way.

I opened the door and almost shrieked at the sight of my parents standing by the window and looking straight at me.

Were they seriously watching me through the window?

"Was that your girlfriend?"

The question came out of my dad's mouth. Like I owed him every single bit of information about my personal life.

For the first time, he was looking at me with nothing but kindness on his face. His voice, caring? As if the red marks on my back weren’t there as evidence of how he had been venting his anger on me throughout our entire lives together. Like I was his son.

What to do? Play along, make Elwen pretend that she's my girlfriend and sooth this man's ego?

I shouldn't even be thinking about that.

Leave, Harley. The ghost ordered.

I should listen to him. Not my brain. Not my little heart that had been desperate to win my father's favor, even at the cost of pretending.

"She's –"

"Let the boy be." Mother cut me off, talking to the man. "It's his personal life. We shouldn't intrude –"

"– just a friend." I finished, beginning my way upstairs only for my father to stop me, hand on my arm. I flinched, a chill running down my spine at the contact.

My body knew the only reason the man could ever touch me was to harm me. It felt odd for him not to do it. Just hit me already. Hit me because I cannot ever have a girlfriend. Do it.

Leave, Harley. The ghost repeated.

"That's good. That means she's not your girlfriend yet." Dad smiled. I didn't even know he could genuinely smile at someone.

It was a horrifying sight to see.

'No, Dad. That means she's just my friend, not my girlfriend and never will be.' I wished to say, but of course, I knew better.