The Good Demon - Dolbent

2

Dolan remembers when his parents were still here. He remembers where they had lived, and how isolated they were. The forest was their backyard and DMB would always tell Dolan to join him outside, to run around as free as little kids would usually be.

Dolan agreed one day, finally going outside and smelling the pine trees and the fresh air. The air was Brian but the sun heated your skin.

His brother held their hands together and started to run forward, dodging through the trees, digging their feet into the ground as they sped up.

Dmb halted, staring up at one particular tree. It had different branches sticking out of it.

The siblings looked at each other and smiled. They were going to climb it.

Dmb started first, proclaiming that this was a race, and whoever would get to the top first would win. He didn't give Dolan enough time to react. He just started climbing and screaming.

Dolan started to climb, angry at how he started without him. "Hey! Wait!"

Dmb was swift. He climbed through the branches easily. Dolan not so much. He kept losing his footing. "Brother, wai--!" He lost his grip on one branch, causing it to snap. He falls a good 8 feet, crashing through the different thick branches.

He finally crashes onto the hard dirt, facing up. The air was in his lungs was suddenly gone. He couldn't breath. He was gasping like a fish out of water. His brother was screaming for him, asking if he was alright, but that was just background noise. All that mattered now was learning how to breath again.

That's how Dolan felt when he met eyes with Hellbent. He couldn't breath. He had forgotten how to breath momentarily.

"Dolan."

He looked up. He was back at home, sitting on the sink. His brother was placing bandages on his cuts and bruises. They met eyes. He spoke, "Did you even hear what I just said?"

Dolan paused.

"No."

"Unbelievable." He muttered. Dmb places a band-aid over one of the cuts in his little brother's face. He didn't care if that hurt him. "I had asked, what on earth were you doing on that side of the planet?"

"I had told you I had to cover for you."

"Over there?" He asked, genuinely confused as if he didn't even talk about this the day before. "I didn't know it was on their side. I wouldn't have let you gone."

Dolan softly says, "I know."

Dmb placed one more tiny square band aid on Dolan's knee. He sighed with hands on his hips. "What am I gonna do with you..."

Dolan shrugged.

"Go eat something." Dmb pinched in between his eyes with a troubled expression. "I have to reschedule the session."

Dolan's shoulders perked up, "I can do it this time if--"

"No. That's enough. Haven't you learned your lesson? You're going to stay here and never leave. I'll go to the session as planned. At least I'm not helpless over there."

Dolan was just about to argue, but the phone rang from the kitchen, and Dmb had left, muttering "excuse me".

Dolan adjusted his hat with a huff, "Stupid." He could handle it if he wanted to. At least that's what he thinks.

He gets up and goes to the living room. These cuts burned. The smaller they were, the more they stung. He had lost his phone...he had nothing to check. He had just sat there.

He slowly closed his eyes. His brother was talking in the background, but he didn't listen. He didn't want to.

Then there was a single knock on the door.

His eyes blink open. Dolan's brother was still talking. He didn't hear it. Dolan gets up, opens the door and finds no one.

Wonderful.

He looked down and finds a bright blue box. It was a shoe box, Dolan concluded as he picked it up. He took it inside and locked the door. Maybe it was something for his brother.

It wouldn't hurt to look, would it?

Dolan opened it, making sure his brother was still speaking before he did.

A phone. A brand new phone. Dolan cocked his head. He takes it, presses the lock button.

Brand new. Full battery.

He looked out of the window. "Who...?" He mouthed.

And it didn't take him long to spot a demon's tail swaying as Hellbent walked down the street, and around the corner.

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Sorry this took long.