The Haunted Hairbrush

Flashbacks

Kendra's POV:

Flashbacks.

That's what I get. That's all I get. At first, it was like watching myself through a haze, or the eyes of someone else. Saying things I had no intention of saying, doing things I had no intention of doing and feeling things that weren't from my own emotions.

Then it became worse. I started ending up in secluded places I've never visited before, not remembering how I got there. What I'd been doing there. I was always covered in blood, blood in my mouth, in my hair, in my nails. Sore and aching.

The periods of time when I can see what I'm doing are becoming shorter and shorter. I don't remember what happened at school today, only that I was very hungry when I got home. Soon I won't remember anything.

The only time I was doing something of my own accord was when I broke into Cecily's house a week ago or was it yesterday? I'm losing track of time. I know - by seeing through a screen - that she and Connor are trying to help me. Sandra's been spying on them for me for some time, so she knows all about it.

Something about a demon gem and a hairbrush. She told me they figured out what the second part of the name meant - darkness. Somehow, I know that Narcos means magic, so I thought they might be able to help me with that information somehow.

I desperately want to help them help me, but I believe it's best to keep away from them so whatever devilry is possessing me won't interfere with their plans.

Right now, it's 10:00 p.m. I'm lying on my bed, pretending to sleep - or rather, the demon inside me is pretending to sleep, if it were up to me, I would definitely go to sleep, seeing as I haven't gotten any rest for the past few days.

Downstairs, I hear my someone crying - it sounds like my mom. I desperately want to go downstairs and comfort her, like my brother and father are undoubtedly doing, but the demon refuses to let me move.

I hear the door downstairs open. Someone cries, "Cecily, there you are!", followed by some murmurs of a conversation I can't hear. Then I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Good, whoever's coming upstairs might be able to free me, release me of the evil that has taken root in my body.

But then the demon takes over. And my mind goes blank.

***

The next thing I know, I'm somewhere surrounded by woods. The sky is obsidian black. I'm seeing everything through a hazy screen. I running, cold air biting at my skin. Twigs and branches on the ground tear at my bare feet. Guess I didn't put on shoes. Ironic isn't it.

There's a shadow moving ahead of me. Looks like I'm following it. Oh no. I- that is to say, the demon has found it's food for tonight.

The demon laughs, "You can run, but you can't hide". I try. I try to stop running. When the prey- person! I mean person. The human stops running. There's a wall behind them. I have them cornered. To the demon's delight, there are two shapes. a boy and a girl, by the looks of it.

I gasp when the moonlight hits their faces. It's Cecily and Connor. And I'm going to kill them. The girl shouts. "Stop! KEN, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. Somewhere", her voice fades to a whimper as my body advances toward them against my will.

Grunting with the effort, I manage to take control for a second, if only to prove to Cecily that I do, indeed, still exist. "RUN!!!!!", I scream at the top of my lungs. The last thing I see before the demon completely takes over is Cecily being dragged away by Connor to the right.

***

I wake up with a pounding headache. I'm back in my room, reunited at last with my collection of hand sanitizers. Perched at the edge of my bed is Cecily. The demon is slumbering, but I can still feel the horrible coldness of it inside of me.

"What happened?", I whisper, not attempting to move my head because I don't cherish pain. "Oh, good you're awake. You kind of tried to kill us, so Connor knocked you out, then we had to sneak you back into your house through the back door. Your mom's been worried sick", she rambles.

"I don't think the demon will slumber for much longer, and when it comes back, I don't think I'm going to be able to break through any more", I state, monotone. Cecily shakes her head, "Kendra, you have no idea how happy I am that you're back, even if it's just for now. Don't think like that", she says in a soft voice.

"It feels great to be back. Really. But there's this coldness. Spreading through me. And the bigger it gets, the less control I have over myself. We have to face the truth, Cecily, however brutal it may be: You're gonna have to kill me to destroy the evil that resides within".

Her eyes widen, but she grips my hand. "There is nooooo wayyyyy I'm letting you die. You don't have any idea how hard it is to work with your brother. I didn't spend all that time going through torture for nothing". I laugh despite myself, the simple action making my head throb.

"You know, after all of this is over, I'm going to murder Connor for knocking me out", I grin. "You know, I have a sneaking suspicion he's always wanted to do that", Cecily narrows her eyebrows. "I can't believe we are actually laughing right now. In the midst of everything that's going on", I sigh. "'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light'", Cecily quotes Dumbledore.

"I have to tell you, Connor and I did some research, the previous owners of the gem that hosts the demon - the one inside your hairbrush - had only 66 days to live. It also sucked the life force out of them and stuff. But the antique shop owner said that she's lost power over the demon now, so it might be a completely different case with you...", she trails off.

"Woah, Woah, Woah, slow down. Hairbrush, gem, antique shop, what?!", I ask. "Okay, I suppose I should explain everything to you", and so she does.

***

A few hours later, Cecily gets a call. I can't hear anything, but when she comes back into my white and blue room, her face is grim. She gives me a hug and says, "I gotta go. It might save you. It's our only hope.". I don't bother asking what it is because I know she won't tell me.

It's almost the same expression she had on her face when both of us were sprayed by a skunk. She didn't talk much. Then she leaves. And I'm all alone. With the slumbering demon within me.