The Incubus

Chapter 1 - Cause

"Hey, check this out!"

A young woman sat on the pink comforter of a full - sized mattress. Her back leaned against the headboard on the left side, black laptop held on her lap, pale skin turning red in the spot the warmth had engulfed. Her feet sat at the foot of the bed, legs stretched out, pressed together. She uses her hand to flip the blonde strands that fell in front of her view.

Her friend, who once stood on the other side of the bed, walked until she hopped onto the bed, eyeing the screen of the laptop, leaning over and resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Her eyes widened and eyebrows furrowed, her lips frown as she swiftly lifts from her position, using her hands to hold herself up from the back.

"Girl, what the hell did you look up to get to this page? Daemones, really?" The girl questioned, using one of her hands to subconsciously rub against her brown skinned leg. Her brown eyes narrowed, meeting the culprit's green eyes. "You tryna summon shit in my apartment?"

Her head turned to face the laptop once more, analyzing the unknown website. Her arms cross as she forms her legs into the criss - cross position. Feeling a strain on her back, she uses her hands to push herself, scooting back until she leaned against the headboard next to her friend.

The page portrayed an icon of a middle aged brunette woman who is placed at the bottom left corner of the screen. Her right arm folded into a position to mimic the illusion of her holding an information bubble that presents a list of links. Her facial expression lacked any emotion.

The girl's brown irises followed the list, taking in the individual shortcuts of the website. After reaching the Summon a Demon tab, her hand shot out, shutting the laptop and snatching it from the blonde's lap.

"Amira! What the fuck?" Her voice reached a higher pitch in disbelief. In protest, she reached for the device only to be blocked by Amira using her body and wrapping her arms around the closed tablet. She darted off the bed and stood a minor distance away.

"You know, Kayley, I'm wondering the same about you because why would you even think to pull something like this?" She reflected. Kayley laughed in response.

"Ami, chill! It's okay. Me and a couple other buddies got together last semester and used this website. Nothing happened." She shrugged.

"Nah, you chill! You're that bored you just play with entities and spirits randomly? Like it's a casual thing?" Her grip grew tighter as she argued back to the other. She stood in irritation. "Summon demons on your own time, not in my place!"

"Fine." She sighed. "Just chill out, bro. Let's get something to eat or something." She lied her back on the bed, arms spread to her sides. Amira furrowed her eyebrows in suspicion before walking to the left side of the room and setting the laptop on her desk.

"I'm not hungry. Plus, it's late. I'm going to get ready for bed." She began to walk outside of the bedroom, stopping on her heel and facing her friend, "Do not touch that laptop." She continued her walk to the bathroom, down the hall.

She switched the light on as she walked into the small bathroom. She stood in front of the sink, the cold of the tile floor reaching her feet through her socks. She began to pin her hair into four separate sections. She started from the back right, using her comb to detangle the curls. Throughout the repeated process, she used water and leave in conditioner, oiling her scalp as she went.

Occasionally, she wiped her hands against the towel so the mess would lessen. When the detangling was done, she braided each section. She grabbed her wrap and twisted it around her head, the platts falling under. She used the silk, black bonnet to cover the rest.

She wiped down the counter and washed her hands of excess product. She grabbed the toothbrush, used the faucet water to wet the bristles, squeezed toothpaste from the bottle and wet it again before bringing it to her mouth. After rinsing with mouthwash, she completed her face routine.

Throughout the process, she felt chills as the room oddly became colder. She shivered and mentally noted to check the air conditioning system. Amira switched the light off and walked out of the bathroom. As she walked towards her bedroom, she heard quiet giggling that echoed through the hall. She swiftly turned her head behind her, eyeing the blank space and the pictures hung on the wall. She shook her head and continued her walk.

            Her eyebrow raises as she glares at Kayley who is holding the laptop on her lap. Amira quickly walks over and checks the screen which portrays a discussion board from their college app. She seemed to be in the middle of writing a response. They both made sudden eye contact before she switched her gaze back to the screen.

            Amira ignored her weird behavior and walked to the right side of the bed, pulling the comforter back and climbing in. She switched the lamp on her side off and lied her head on the pillow.

            When Amira let out soft snores, Kayley clicked the hidden tab and double checked the directions, making sure she completed everything step-by-step. She bit back the slight feeling of guilt that came from hiding this secret, reassuring herself that nothing could go wrong if she did as she was told.