Daemonophobia; The Fear of Demons

~|| Monday ||~

I walk into art and pull out my self-portrait. I'd been working on it since last Tuesday. Everyone does the same and again the room is softly put into silence.

I look over the paper, erasing some smudged and studying it. My pale eye, along with its flickering forest green partner, glides over the pencil lines of the sketch.

I smile at some parts of my work, like the cross-hatching shadows of my sweatshirt. The shading and the feathery way I'd drawn my hair to sweep over my shoulders, and I'd managed to draw a smirk into my lips. All that's left to draw are the eyes.

Involuntarily, I let out a woeful sigh, staring at the blank paper where the eyes would fit into. I look at the mirror, mimicking my pose, sizing up the proportions of my eyes.

The hard lead of the pencil had a light scratching noise drift from it as I pull it along the paper. What's left behind are lines that match those in the mirror.

"Hey, Gry."

My eyes snap up and I look at James a little bewildered; I'd forgotten about him. "Hmm?"

"Can I borrow your pencil sharpener? Mine... it keeps breaking the lead of the pencil."

I hand it over, and for a split second, I almost recoil. But when I blink, the black wisp daemon had disappeared from the table by my easer.

When James hands the sharpener back to me and after I set it on the table, the black smoke forms again. I grimace as it takes its form.

The red eye slides open from among the faint black smoke. It glints at me as the smoke condenses. The daemon just keeps pulling together, till finally it flutters as a black butterfly along the edge of my pencil sharpener.

It has spikes along ever edge of its wings and body. The black smoke wings wisp at the ends, creating a hazy tip to the sinister looking insect demon.

I stiffen as it creeps towards my self-portrait. I glare right back at the tiny red eye. Suddenly it flips its wings and flutters into the air.

Casually, I watch its flight, unwilling to let it behind my back. It flits here and there, as butterflies do, before alighting on another pencil sharpener across the room.

The girl working there is bent over her paper, violently erasing. The dense, dark, butterfly scampers over her paper.

The girl moves her arm, erasing more and more, but her hand moves to where the butterfly demon is sitting. It scuttles off to a different corner of her portrait.

She moves her again, still erasing and again causing the black wisp butterfly to move. This time it only disperses. With its disappearance, the girl finally leans away, putting down her eraser.

I turn back to my own paper, pulling in a silent surprised gasp of air. The daemon... and the erasing...No... They can't be linked. Right? She was just fixing some mistakes. Right? . . Right

My mind strains over it as I start at my paper blankly. I stare at the outline I have on my eyes on the paper and decide to erase them. I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and when I look it's only James borrowing my sharpener again. I let out a breath I don't remember holding and turn back to my paper.

RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!

"Whoops. Sorry class. I lost track of the time." Mrs. Moon looks up at the clock as everyone puts their stuff away and goes to lunch.

~ + ~ ~ + ~~ + ~ ~ + ~ ~ + ~ ~ + ~

Bio passes without incident. The Dragon sits curled on the desk. It's even more dense and hard than before, I somehow know it's getting stronger. The red eyes blink open and closed, and he watches the class, almost like some demonic cat.

The bell rings for passing-period and Danny and I walk out of class. While we're walking Danny leans in and whispers softly, "Do you ... go to parties?"

His voice is hesitant and I watch as his eyes flick around, waiting for my answer. I smile slightly at his shyness.

"Like birthday parties?" I say, being difficult, "Or like... party parties?"

"Party parties." Danny smiles. We stop walking at the base of the stairs, moving aside for the flow of traffic. He looks around nervously, but his blue eyes return to mine. I smile and give him my answer.

"I guess. . . I could go to 'parties'" I say, using my fingers to put air quotes around the word.

"Would you go to a party with me?" Danny give a small shy smile.

I smile and look at him. I can feel the lack of people in the halls, just a few scurry to class, trying to avoid being late.

"Sure."

Danny looks at me like he might burst from joy, but he quickly forces the emotions into a cool calm state. It makes me smirk and he says he'll talk to me later and that I should hurry and get to class.

I dart to my history room and the bell rings just as I slide into the door. Mr. Martin looks up from his laptop.

"You are late, Ms. Willow." He says, but with a smile on his face, "However, that's is quite alright for now."

"At least she's not as late as Luna" Some girl near the front snickers as I walk past, her groupies joining her cruel laughter. I recognize the name, but the girl it belongs to has, true to what's said, not shown up for class.

"'ight People!" Mr. Martian pulls the class together... sorta. "We are going to move from the Western Europe map to the Asian map here... on this wall... Come on, people. Follow me here, please. Now, we are going to take a look at Chinese dynasties and... drum roll please... have a open-note quiz on them Wednesday! That means two fun filled days!"

His enthusiasm is not contagious and the class simply pulls out notebooks to take notes. History rolls on from there.