Demons Within

Chapter One

Prologue

Flashing lights. Comforting words from policemen who don't understand. A mother who said she'll be gone for a minute, now gone for life. Homework on a rainy day, now long forgotten. No murder weapon, no suspects, no security footage and no evidence. A suicide, apparently. A body in a pond. A single slit across the throat. A crying sixteen year old left behind. And one guilty conscience, forever stained.

Chapter one

Her paintbrush glides effortlessly across the canvas, curling slightly near the end. A pair of devil horns begin to emerge, placed on the head of a man. Chocolate curls sweep down across his face, hazel eyes glinting dangerously. Freckles are sprinkled over his nose and cheeks. A large ruby is glittering on his finger, resting gently against his olive cheek. Mischievous would be the word to describe him. 

Megan clicks her tongue as she puts down the paintbrush, done for the day. Leaning over to the radio she flicks it off, shutting down the generic pop music she's been humming along to. The setting sun casts a shadow across the room, making her painting seem even more magical. Megan checks the time on the clock hanging above her easel. Groaning slightly, she stands up, stretching, and makes her way to the bathroom to get ready for her favourite holiday of the year. Halloween.

Megan doesn't know why so loves Halloween so much. Perhaps because of her mother. They would go trick-or-treating every year, but now that is a long forgotten memory, shoved down by years of heartache. Megan puts on her white gown, long and sweeping, transparent in some places, and dons her angel wings. She glances at the mirror one more time before leaving. Long, chestnut hair. Ice blue eyes. A spitting image of her mother, or so they used to say. But Megan's piercing eyes would catch them off guard. Every time she looks into the mirror she is haunted by the image of her mother. Megan thought it would help her through the heartache, but it just made it worse. Nothing could help. Nothing could take away the pain. Taking a deep breath, Megan clears her thoughts as she grabs her purse and makes her way out the door, to the bar.

~

Music thumps from the building; people moving in and out, dressed in an assortment of costumes. Their wings flutter almost too realistically as she passes a cluster of giggling girls, dressed as fairies with glitter on their cheek bones. She passes through the open wooden door and enters, seemingly into another world. People are everywhere; talking, drinking, and dancing. Sitting at the older looking bar is a man, with hair covering every part of his body, chatting to the bartender; who is dressed as a vampire, with his elongated canines gleaming a pearly white in the dim-light cast by candles. The hair-covered man stands up and passes drinks around to everyone, even those on the dance floor. Megan relaxes her shoulders, and makes her way over to the bar. A charming smile stops her in her tracks, his caramel voice cutting through the loud music.

"Wow. Who would have thought that I would met an angel tonight?" Megan looks up, mouth agape. Standing in front of her is the exact person she was painting only hours before. The same mischievous smile, the same devil horns protruding from his hair, the same ring on his finger. Surprise is emitted from the man. "Have we met before? You look like someone I know, or once knew," he says, darkened eyes questioning her.

"No, I don't believe so," Megan says, recalling her painting. He smiles sweetly, clearing his worried expression.

"Would it be okay if I brought this angel a drink?" He purrs, the same grin on his face that Megan painted.

"I think it would be more than okay," she replies, a light blush settling over her cheeks.

"Oh, I totally forgot myself. My name's Daniel Nolan, but you can call me Danny," he says, taking her hand, kissing it gently.