Breathe your last

Chapter 2: Facts and opinions

The next day I was placing books into my locker when Dan walked up to me and leaned against the locker to the left of mine.

"Good morning" he chirped. "About this history assignment I was thinking, maybe we could meet up at your place later today after classes, my family has a journal regarding deamons I could bring along for us to use." He continues without giving me a chance to reply.

"Why not just meet at yours since the book is already there?" I asked closing my locker and turning to face him. His mood immediately went from calm to uncomfortable. "I'm supplying the book I think it would be more than justified of you to supply a location?" He quickly recovers. I am left slightly thrown off at his rude remark.

"What time would suit you?" I ask, attempting to muster enough sarcasm in my voice equivalent to the amount he had just used on me. Judging by his expression he is clearly unaffected.

"An hour after school would be suitable thank you." He says amused. I couldn't prevent my eyes travelling towards his lips which now held a rather attractive smirk. After I gave him my adress we parted ways, advancing to our designated classes.

School was dismised at 15:30, as per usual and I arrive home soon enough to touch up the already spotless floors and tables. A first impression is everlasting, as my mother constantly reminds me. Rather, used to remind me.

A knock at the door signals my company has arrived and I cannot help but smile at the oblivious ness he seems to have to the doorbell that rests just left of the door frame. Either that or he simply did not care.

We exchange greetings whilst he seats himself at the dining room table and I proceed to the kitchen to get something for us to drink as well as something small to eat. He thanks me as I place a coke infront of him. I then take a seat across from him and place a large bowl of Doritos between us, taking a sip from my own drink. I wasn't entirely sure where to begin. Dan seemed to notice this and to my relief he spoke up.

"As interesting as this demonic topic is, which approach do you think we should take?" He asked humour evident in his tone and I returned his smile.

"How about the ideologies of it all. Like this whole hiding in the shadows and beneath your beds?"

"Okay so we put in the conjuring or paranormal activity and see where we go from there?" He smiled again as I swatted at his arm. "I'm serious! Even the whole appearance they seem to have taken on. The almost nonexistent threads for hair." "Ghastly skin" he adds. "Crooked walks" I chime.

"Inhumanly human forms" he concludes. "Precisely I confirm." I start up my laptop on a word document whilst he takes out a journal from a backpack I did not notice he had been wearing. His eyes skim the pages as I begin the format.

"1 500 words isn't all that much, so why don't we consider the basic outlook and origins." He says flipping through the pages. "Origin is easy. There are many different mythologies mainly Greek, even Persian, who believed spirits were born from fire. Demons..."

"Daemons", he corrects.

"Daemons", I continue, "can date back to either mythology, or religion. Its pretty straight forward stuff. But there are so many directions it branches off into which approach should we pursue?"

"I don't mean that type of origin" he says flicking his wrist and creasing his brow in concentration. "I mean like the birth of a daemon. Mainly deriving from the devil or devils, believed to be the adverseries of god or gods," he said phrasing what he was reading.

I stopped typing and looked over at him. "But some believed Devils were Gods themselves."

"Yes, gods of evil though. Or originally deriving from good but their intentions and actions became impure. Its the same rule that applies when it comes to establishing a devil from a god, and a daemon from a divinity. The gods or devils were the over all leaders, gods obviously on the side of good and devils on the bad. A daemon was believed to be the messenger or servant to the devils. And a divinity was a messenger or servant to the gods."