Wings

The Truth May Kill You

 Sarafine walked down the cobblestone sidewalk on Fort Street in a pair of bohemian sandals and a long army green dress that flowed as she took massive steps forward to the little bookstore, right down the road from Daniels apartment. She kept trying to forget what happened to her last night, but the image of that hell roaring demon charging at her was forever implanted. As Sarafine opened the glass door that was labeled Russell Books: Used & New a tiny bell tingled.

This was one of the only places Sarafine could go to figure out her problems. She loved to just sit down in the corner of the book store and just read her mind away; it was her therapy as a child. She breathed in a long breath of fresh air that tasted like old paper and walked to the desk that was located near the side of the building near the entrance way. A girl about in her twenties was sitting bored at the desk reading with her army boots resting on the finished wood, a manga in her hands, and she chewed her gum so loudly that the elderly man drinking coffee at the table across from her gave her rude glances. She played with her black oddly cropped pixie cut hair and smiled at Sarafine as she placed her book down.

"Well, well look at you." The girl said standing up and pulling Sarafine into an awkward embrace. "I haven't seen you in ages Sara."

"Yea I've been really busy...." Sara said as the pixie girl interrupted.

"Hey I don't want to hear excuses best best friend, I get it, engaged life, fun right?" the girl said as she popped a bubble.

Sarafine gave her a bad glance, a confused look. Emily was her best friend ever since middle school, her only friend since middle school. Emily was different, always the odd ball out, when most girls in high school wore different colored pastel dresses to homecoming, and Emily wore a long black lace dress. She was called "witch girl" and loved it. She also reminded Sarafine of Pandora.

"Wow. What happened to you?" Emily said while looking at the bandages wrapped around Sarafine's forearms.

"That's what I came here to talk to you about." Sarafine said. "I was attacked last night. I think it was a demon."

Before Sarafine could protest Emily grabbed her hand and hauled to the back of the book store near the computers. Emily sat down at the computer and became fixated of the screen. She typed like the road runner on a mission, then an image popped up on the screen that made Sarafine's chest hurt.

"Is this the demon?" Emily asked as Sarafine studied the picture. It looked like an exact replica of what attacked her. A winged monster with ram-like horns and scaly skin. Except in the picture it's eyes were disturbingly more visible, they were a devilish red.

"That's an exact picture of him. Where did you get this?" Sarafine asked as the photo started her down, also as if it was laughing at her.

"I sorta took it." Emily said, sounding guilty. "I was walking home last night and when I passed by your apartment I saw something totally freaking walk down the alley way. So sort of followed it."

Sarafine gave her that look that people give to their dogs who pee on the rug.

"Are you crazy, this thing could have killed you Emily." Sarafine said while putting her head in her hands. "I'm pretty sure I'm about to lose Daniel. I can lose you too."

"Wait Daniel saw this thing!" Emily said a little too loudly for a bookstore and pointed to the picture.

"No. After it attacked me it disappeared into thin air, then Daniel saw me bleeding." Sarafine said. "He thought I did this to myself Em."

"Well you told him you didn't right?" Emily asked, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't need to. The fact that my name was written in blood on the bathroom mirror was enough to show him that this isn't all just in my head." Sarafine whispered. Emily eyes grew wide with fear.