12 Nate

Mass of heat and smoke floated, clogged my vision, and chased the ravens up higher. I felt the blood in my feet boiled and the skin on my legs leaked oil. The orange fire ate up the woods very fast. But among the heat, I still froze.

"Leigh!" Dylan's sharp voice penetrated through the heat wall. And I saw him standing not far, shocked. But it was very shortly and he came running to the fire while Natalie pulled his arm.

"Don't go Dylan!" The Queen cried. "She's witch. We have proofs. She's using dark magic on y--"

"Let me go Natty." Dylan said very sternly. "This has gone too far. Do you really have to kill each other like this?"

"I'm cleaning her!" protested Natalie. "I'm releasing her from dark magic!"

Dylan lost word for that. He hesitated at the Queen for a second and looked at me again. I'm not going to say it. I'm not going to ask for his help. I have to help myself first. I can use him in the last minute.

But Dylan took Natalie's hands off and said. "I've never ever thought that you'd be---"

Natalie was about to cry. "It's not me! I didn't do it!" But Dylan's gaze toward her was still cold. "It's true! Someone sent me these photos." She took out the i6 again. "And the instructions. It says that I have to burn her! See, see!"

Dylan took the phone and watched the content in there with horror. I wanted to see too. Who sent the message to the Queen? Who wants me dead? Isn't it her?

Then I felt the fire receded and something cold on my feet. There was some white stuff like snow on the woods. And I saw Dale carrying a fire extinguisher and Sonnia and Michelle a bucket of water. I almost cried at the scene. I thought they had believed the photos and abandoned me. But…the photos and Natalie's excuse was true. That was why I didn't reject.

Dylan joined them. He went into the building and came out real fast with another fire extinguisher. He couldn't turn into a demon and help me here or both of us would end up even nastier than this. I saw Conner and many other people were helping with the rubber tube too. Seth and Phoebe, however, were observing the spectacle calmly.

The fire was about to die. I couldn't be any happier. Not only because I didn't die, but also because everyone still had some kindness and sense in them. They didn't go along with the stupid things Natalie said. These meant so much more. It meant I still had a chance of living a normal life. I was so grateful.

Dylan came closer with a knife. He cut all of the ropes and let me loose. My legs folded under me while Dylan propped my arms. Friends-- I could call them that now-- came from everywhere and supported me up. I felt so good now realizing that there was still good in this world and that maybe humans were not as bad as I'd thought. Dylan told everyone that he would take me to the hospital. No one opposed him. Sonnia, Michelle, and Dale wanted to tag along, but Dylan told them that he would go alone. Dale didn't seem very pleased but I had no energy to object. Whatever, just let me have some rest. Got buried and burned within twenty-four hours could really drive you mad.

Dylan took me to the parking lot, to his Porsche, and I saw that something wasn't right there. Waitwhere's my bike?!

Using my last resort, I raced across the asphalt ground craning my neck in all directions anxiously. A foreboding sense overran me as a glint of metal lit at the end of my eyes. There was a big garbage bin which gathered the trashes from all over the school. My bicycle was a newly added member in there. It was upgraded to a folded bicycle even though it couldn't fold. Despair hit me like a block of brick coated with poison. The poison spread from where it hit, disabling my muscles and nerves and I slumped onto the slimy ground. It must be deadly because I felt like I wanted to die.

It was the only present from dad.

Suddenly everything that happened until today was too much to bear. And tears came pouring out like Niagara Falls with limitless supply of water. It was like I lost dad for the second time. The bike had hitherto been the only thing that held me together and here, within less than an hour, it was ruined.

"What's happening Leigh?" Dylan was speaking at my ears. Shit. Stop messing with me! All of this was because of you! Dad's bike…

Then, he wrapped his arms around me. It was awkward. But at the time, I didn't want to do anything but cry out all the tears that had been stuck inside since dad was gone. I had enough. The last straw of my strength was already destroyed, dumped into the trash. All the misfortunes replayed in my head. I faced down, dejected, too tired to try for any longer. I don't want him. I don't want him anymore!

"My, my…am I interrupting?"

A guy with a big yellow sweater walked to us. His golden silky hair danced in the wind and gleamed in the sunlight. My tears suddenly stopped. Something about him didn't make me feel at ease. And rather than crying here, I wanted to run away. I didn't understand why someone would put on such thing in this weather, and how could the eye color of a human be as yellow as that sweater.

I mopped my eyes as Dylan said. "Nate! What are you doing here?"

They know each other? So it is another demon!? This demon was somehow a lot scarier than any demons I'd ever met. Oh my god! I've seen another demon! Do I have to make another contract?! No. No. Dylan used to say we have it one at a time. Yes, that's good. One at a time is hell enough!

"I come to see you." The yellow-eyed demon voice was high like those of a boy. And he flicked his gruesome stare to my direction again. I immediately sneaked behind Dylan. "Who's this?"

"My contractor." said Dylan and he introduced us. "Leigh, this is Nate, my cousin. Nate, this is Leigh."

So it's a relative demon. A family visit?

Nate lifted his eyebrows. "I see. That's why you were trying to help her just now." The new demon didn't take his eyes away from me and it's getting on my nerve every second passed.

"You were there?"

"Are you not going to eat her?" Nate ignored Dylan's question. My muscles went stiff.

"No." Dylan replied him. Nate, with surprise, widened his eyes and cut them between me and the demon. I sidled further behind Dylan, holding onto him without knowing. My instinct must have understood and realized that Dylan was a hell lot safer than other demons like this Nate.

"I got it!" Nate said finally, after a long staring at us. He put on a cheeky grin. "Right, I totally agree! Let's not eat her now."

What's with the word 'Now.'

"Your father sent me." This time it was Dylan who went stiff hearing it from Nate. He must be very scared of his father. Of course…demon dad, who wouldn't be scared? Oh! Dad! I sniffed lightly again while Nate continued. "He wants me to tell you that you need to keep up your performance for the plan."

"I told him I'm not interested in the plan." said Dylan.

"Let's not worry about that now." Nate dismissed Dylan again. "There is more important thing."

"Which is?" Dylan seemed pretty annoyed by now.

"She's here."

"Who?"

"The witch!" My ears perked up.

"What witch?"

Nate held a hand over his eyes. "What witch?! That witch! The one and only witch that's our enemy!"

There's another witch?! This might be the opportunity of a life time! And like a flicker of hope was relit, my misery diminished. I felt my body lighter as if the new fire of hope had evaporated all the disgraced tears. There was a chance to get my life back into place. The new demon, Nate, was talking about the witch who was the demon races' enemy. That meant she must know how to get rid of them. The demons must be very scared of her. Nate even came all the way here to warn Dylan. She was my true savior.

Dylan's voice seemed softer. "Where's she now?"

"In the forest." Nate said and pointed to the way that I recognized was Chane forest. I knew the place. It wasn't far. Oh. My freedom was in such a short reach. So I didn't wait and listen to what the demons had to say to each other more. Let's go and grab my normal life back!

Like people said 'There's blue sky after rain.' There might be rainbow as well!

With light steps, I crept away from them. Surreptitiously went out of the school, ran with all my might to the forest. It wasn't far.