Playtime

Part one-Savanna Henderson

Her eyes. They stared deeply into his, seeming to see into the darkest corners of his soul. He couldn’t contain the anger, the hunger that raged inside of him. But he had to… he had to think about the job, nothing else. A job that would require him to put his personal desires aside. He ran his fingers through his white hair, and soaked in the fear he could feel radiating off of her. Her blond hair, her hazel eyes, marked her as the one he was searching for. He spread his black feathered wings, reveling in the feel of his powers escalating. She turned to look at him, and his fragile hold on his raging emotions snapped. The cold, crisp air swung past him as he cornered the victim. The fear in her eyes gave him the power he wanted… craved even.

“Why are you running?” he asked. “Haven’t you heard?” He grabbed her arm. “It’s playtime.”

I ran. My thighs were screaming at me as I pushed myself further into the forest. I couldn’t stop running. The horrid feeling of being followed was increasing, and as much as I wanted to stop and just end this nightmare, I couldn’t. I screamed as a figure appeared in front of me. His white hair hung in his face, and his bright red eyes stared deep into my soul. I tried to pry myself away from his intense gaze, but all I could do was keep staring. I collapsed to the cold ground, reveling in the feeling of rest.

“Savanna,” his voice whispered. It was deep, and yet angelic at the same time. I looked up to see him smirk. He licked his lips as he pulled me to my feet. That’s when I noticed the mark. The two horns on his neck. I forced myself backwards, only to bump into six more guys. They all stared at me as if it was dinner time, and I was the main course. I backed up and began to panic. “Don’t run, child.” I shook my head frantically as voices began to clash together. “You belong to me!”

I jolted up, panting heavily. Sweat joined my shirt to my skin as I looked around my darkened room. I couldn’t think straight. The feeling of those red eyes boring into mine still lingered in my mind. His voice, his expression… both belonged to a demon. A really attractive demon, but a demon nonetheless. I stood up and recoiled as I felt the cold wooden floor beneath my feet. Goosebumps raced up my body as I shivered in the embrace of a cold fall wind. I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders, and headed for the balcony.

The voices were still ringing in my ears. I couldn’t decide whether I should be concerned about the dream, and yet I knew the answer. I, being a fallen angel myself, had dreams like this often and thought nothing of it. I figured it was normal for fallen angels to have dreams like this. I opened the door wider and stepped out. It was a few weeks before Halloween, and I still didn’t know what I was going to do. I hated social activities that didn’t allow me to be the center of attention.

“You belong to me!” The chilling phrase still resonated in my ears. I tried to calm my racing heart down while I looked out over the neighborhood. The street looked empty, and yet I still had the feeling that someone was watching.

“You’re being silly, Savanna,” I told myself. “Just go back to bed and get rest.” I nodded my head at the advice and headed back to my room. I stopped, frozen in place as my gaze landed on something that didn’t belong. A guy. In my room. He smirked as he proceeded to step closer to me.

“Hello, princess.” he said, a cold glint gleaming in his eyes. I shook my head and began to back slowly away.

“How did you get in?” I asked, scared to guess the identity of the stranger. He chuckled before grabbing my arm and pulling me close. I coughed as the burnt smell from his clothes reached my nose. His red eyes seemed to reach into my soul, sucking out every ounce of strength and agency I possessed.

“Don’t be afraid,” he cooed. “I won’t hurt you, yet.” Strangely, the last word didn’t reassure me. I pushed myself away, feeling a slight power surge flow through my body.

“Get out.” I ordered. He chuckled again before pulling away and heading to the window.

“You’ll thank me later,” he said simply. Without another word, he turned and jumped. I blinked and shook my head. How did his voice get stuck in my head so easily? I pulled the blanket tighter around me as I curled up in bed. I wanted to forget that anything had happened.

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I raced into my classroom right as the bell rung, and silently groaned as the teacher gave me a death glare. Her glasses sat on the end of her nose, reminding me of a grumpy librarian. Her annoying high pitched voice grated on my ears.

“You’re late.” she said, as if I wasn’t already aware of the fact.

“I think I’m aware of that,” I sassed back, not in the mood for her lectures. “I had something more important to do.” I heard the class go silent as I returned the authority’s death glare with my own. She clenched the marker as I took my sweet time getting to my seat. I sat and smirked, crossing my arms defiantly. That’s right old lady, try and send me to detention.

“Detention!” she screamed. I laughed and nodded.

“It would be my pleasure.” I grabbed my bag and headed out into the hall. I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride rising in my chest. I had all of eternity to do this. If Heaven didn’t want me, and the Devil didn’t want me, I’d be happy to roam around here… forever.

I turn the corner and immediately bumped into a hard object. I looked up from the ground to see a guy with white hair looking down at me. His scarlet gaze was cold as stone, and yet I could catch a glimpse of something more. I gasped as black-feathered wings began to unfurl behind him. They folded slightly before spreading out fully, casting a monstrous shadow on me. I couldn’t speak, or think. I was dumbstruck.

A demon was in my school.