The Wrong Side Of Heaven

Chapter 2: A Demon Steals My Ice Cream

"What the heck happened back there?!" Nick asks, not even bothering to knock.

I scramble to find the words. I made a mistake. A huge mistake. "I just- just forget you saw anything."

"Forget it? I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Look, I'm sorry about the damage, I'm sorry that I ruined-"

"I'm not worried about that, Peter. I just want to know. You said it was training you received from your department. What do you mean?"

I tap my finger against my leg. "I can't answer that."

"Why not? What was your department? Why would it be training someone as young as you were to fight like that?!"

I clench my fist, "I can't answer that!"

He freezes. I'm sure he can he can hear the pain in my voice.

"I, It's classified." I manage.

"'Classified'?"

"If I'm being completely honest, I shouldn't have even fought that guy out there. I messed up, okay. I'm sorry. But there are some things you just wouldn't understand." I turn and leave my apartment, Nick following me to the doorstep.

"Where are you going?"

I sigh. "I just need some time to recollect my thoughts."

"Yeah. I'm sure you do." He leaves to go back to his house, and I begin to walk the streets.

"You sure did screw up this time, huh?" Number seven.

I look over in the ally. No one else is around, just us. "Leave me alone."

"And why should I? We're just trying to show you that you don't have to be stuck here anymore. Stop pretending you're one of them! Face it! you're not! You don't belong here. There's only one place for someone like you, and that's with us."

"No, It's not. Be quiet."

"You're one of us! Just accept it!"

"No, I'm not. I'm not! I didn't ask to be like this!" I yell, my fists clench.

"Actually," he folds his arms, "you did. It's your fault you're like this."

"This isn't what I meant! So don't you dare compare me to the likes of you!"

"You know as well as I that your department treated you like crap." he says.

"stop..." I whisper.

"They threw you out like trash as soon as they found out what you were!"

"Stop! That's not true!"

"Just look at your back! That's all the proof you need!"  

"SHUT UP!"

The demon vaporizes on the spot into black dust. 

I fall to my knees and clutch my head in pain, breathing heavily. There's a lump in my throat as I whisper. 

"I didn't ask for this. I-I never asked to be a monster."

It takes a while to cool off. I get back home and lay on my bed once again. 

That demon had no idea what he was talking about. But he was right about at least one thing: this was my fault.

I shake out of it. Thinking about it only brings back memories. Things sure were a lot simpler back then.

My back aches, despite my medicine. I decide it's because I need ice cream. But at the same time I feel lazy, and so I don't want to go to the store to get some.

My craving gets the best of me, and I drive over to the store.

I walk in and look around. There are a decent amount of people here. I walk to the frozen section and grab some chocolate ice cream.

I bring it up to the register, passing a blonde girl along the way.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you need any help finding something?" One of the workers ask.

"No, thank you." She says in a silvery voice. "I don't even know what I'm looking for yet."

The worker looks confused, but nods and leaves.

Strange.

"That'll be $4.78, Sir." 

I fish out the money and pay for my ice cream.

"Have a nice day." They say, with the absolute most enthusiasm I have ever seen.

I take my ice cream and begin to leave, but once again, my very unfortunate luck stikes me.

"Seriously? Eight and it's still only Wednesday?" I whisper to myself.

The demon's small and he rips the ice cream from out of my hands and runs. It's like they aren't even trying anymore.

"Hey! Stop!" The worker calls, but they don't even make an attempt to chase it.

I turn around to chase it, but the girl stands there, ice cream in hand, the demon running away.

"Here you go," she hands it back to me. "Wonder what that kid's problem was."

Her blonde hair is long. She has side swept bangs, and half of her hair is up in a twisted ponytail. She has a mini braid in the hair that is laying down. Her eyes are light blue and seem to sparkle as she smiles. She's about an inch or two taller than me.

I thank her, taking my ice cream and turning to leave.

That was almost weirder than the demon trying to steal my ice cream. But I guess it was normal, because she referred to the demon as a "kid".

I make it back home and eat some ice cream. It doesn't help my back, but it sure does help my soul.

I have to work tomorrow and I really don't want to. My office job is really boring, and my coworkers really like to test my limits (I swear if Jonah takes my glasses one more time I'll kill him).

I take a look outside. Nick looks like he has finally cleaned up the mess from earlier. I feel bad that I can't tell him anything. But he would never understand. I'm sure that if he found out what I was, he, like everyone else, would stay as far away from me as he could possible get. That's just how things were. The demons were right about this, though: I don't belong here.

I sigh, taking my glasses off to clean them, which is a bit hard because I am really blind without them. I set them on my dresser and manage to find my bed, stumbling along the way. I'm tired. Both figuratively, and physically.

I drift off to sleep, dreading the morning to come.