The October sun cast a golden glow on the Toronto suburbs as Ashton Baisley locked his door and began to make his way to school, the warm colours of autumn where misleading to the bleak temperature and he crammed his hands into his jeans. He met up with Blair on the corner of his street; she greeted him with a warm smile and fell into step beside him.
“You ready for the math test today?” She asked.
“That’s today? I thought it was next week, I didn’t have time to study I was so busy!” Ashton said annoyed. Blair rolled her eyes and turned onto a busier street.
“Ashton you say that all the time, I’m pretty sure you where busy doing something stupid.” Ashton gave her a look but she paid no attention and boarded the bus.
The yellow bricks of their east end school came into view as the crowded bus turned into the parking lot and everyone got off the bus chaotically. The two walked into the school together and headed towards their first class of the day, math. Blair was babbling about some English assignment when she realized that Ashton had disappeared from her side. She shrugged her shoulders and walked into the classroom.
Ashton had been walking with Blair the whole time when it caught his eye, it was there, at the end of the hall, so close he could smell it and hear its every word.
He broke off from Blair when she turned to wave to one of her friends. He made sure she couldn’t follow him, he didn’t want her to know, she would never see him in the same light again. Ashton followed at a distance until his target entered the stairwell leading to the basement. Ashton pulled out his dagger and hid behind an old vending machine.
The demon was crouched on the ground and etching a design on the tile floor, Ashton took two strides, pulled it away and against the wall gripping its neck. The demons black eyes where alight with hate, its razor like teeth completely exposed with the grimace on its face. Ashton began to interrogate the monster.
“Who sent you here?” He asked firmly. The demon didn’t respond, Ashton pointed his dagger towards its throat in a threat. “I’ll repeat myself one more time, who sent you?” Ashton demanded. The demon tried to twist and escape his hold but surrendered.
“I’d rather have you send me back than tell you!” The creature spat.
“So be it.” Ashton said and cut the demons throat letting its blood pool from its neck and drip down its body, Ashton sighed as he watched the demon fade to black smoke.
“Thanks for ditching me this morning” Blair said sarcastically “you’re going to have to do the test at lunch now, have fun.”
“Sorry, something came up.” Ashton explained.
“Yeah, it’s called not studying.” Blair muttered. Ashton looked at his feet; he was tired of lying to his best friend but some things where better left unsaid.
“Okay I cut class, I didn’t want to fail!” He admitted a little too quickly. Blair looked him over and seemed convinced; Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, his secret was safe for now.
