Fly Me Away

I was sitting in my room beside my English assignment, which was sprawled out across my bed. It was late by the time Kelly and I left the Waterline because she insisted on having dessert. My stomach couldn’t handle another course, so I sat patiently and waited as she devoured a giant banoffee pie. I did not understand how that girl stayed so skinny....

Jackson stood inside the restaurant after my little rant. He stayed near, but not too close, and watched Kelly shovel down the pie with disbelief. I felt so much better with him there, scanning the room occasionally, but looking relaxed. Maybe there weren’t any demons hanging around that night?

At 10 pm, when I finally escaped Kelly, I arrived home to an excited mother who I had to inform of my homework situation so I could once again escape. She was nice enough to ask if I wanted help, but I didn’t. I wasn’t even going to do it.

I laid the homework out, just in case Mom decided to check up on me, but simply sat next to it with my head in my hands. Jackson was standing by my balcony, staring out like he usually did. When it was finally late enough for my Mom to be asleep, I took a deep breath in and rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes – I needed to talk to Jackson.

“Hey, I’m sorry I freaked out before....” I said in a weak voice, a little bit embarrassed with myself.

“Don’t apologize. It was completely rational.”

He pulled the curtains shut in one swift movement, but left a little slither of window visible. Then turning to me, he smiled. “I think tonight will be a quiet night.”

At first, I thought he meant that it would literally be a quiet night, to which I would have responded ‘but it’s always quiet at night,’ but then I clicked onto what it actually meant. Just like restaurants have quiet nights, when nobody comes in to eat, Jackson must have them too, when no demons come to....

This brought up mixed feelings for me. On the one hand, great! No demon’s is definitely a good thing. But on the other...what was a busy night like...

“Jackson.”

A lump became lodged in my throat at the thought of talking about the demons, but I needed too. I had to know what was going on.

Jackson sighed as if he knew what was coming.

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he stated, giving me a stern look.

“...the demons?”

He nodded. His seriousness wasn’t helping.

I fiddled around with the ring on my finger as I thought of the right place to start. That was always my problem – starting.

“....Wh...What are they like?” I asked nervously, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer anymore.

“There are many different kinds.”

I paused for a moment, “The one I saw in the backyard that time....”

“It was... just a shadow. Usually, when I want to get rid of a demon in the area, I can just dispose of it quietly so I won’t alarm you. But I can’t grab shadows, nothing can. Shadows can’t be touched. But by some horrible twist of fate...it can grab you.”

I swallowed hard. He continued,

“Logically, the only way to get rid of a shadow is to use light, but if I shone a light right then, you would have noticed. I didn’t want that. There was one thing working for me however – it couldn’t get into your room unless you opened the door for it. A strange demon rule that only applies to some of them. When you saw it, it was waiting outside for an opportunity.
“I was quietly confident that you were safe, so when you got up and walked to the balcony, I panicked. I tried to speak through your mind again, but it only made you want to get out there quicker,” He sighed with frustration, “the rest is history. I’m still just learning...”

“You’ve never done this before?” The thought scared me, but only a little. He was doing okay so far.

“Not guarded one person directly, no, but I do know how to deal with demons. I’ve been doing it all my life. Being so close to just one person is a whole different ball game. There are so many other things I need to start considering...”

“Jackson?”

“Yes?”

“....How old are you?”

He looked confused for a moment, then he laughed and grinned cheekily, “How old do you think I am?”

“Umm...20?”

He laughed again, but louder this time. I gave him a fierce look to try and hush him. If my Mom heard a boy laughing in my room late at night, that would be the end of my life.

“She can’t hear me Maggie, only you.” He sauntered over to my bedside and sat on the end, the odd laugh still escaping, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Alright. As of August 20th, I’m 48 years old.”

My jaw dropped. That couldn’t be possible. He didn’t look a day over 20...but 48?? That just wasn’t right. It was downright ridiculous!

“Forty freaking eight? Are you serious?!?” I whispered harshly.

“Yes, but you’ll be pleased to know I’ve always looked like this. My physical age has always been 20.”

“Physical age... oh, I get it. So you were never an angel baby? You’re stuck at 20?”

He laughed as I mentioned angel babies, then nodded.

“Brutal.... you’ll never be able to go clubbing by one measly year...”

“I think we are getting off topic here,” he said, clearing his throat.

I nodded eagerly, still baffled by his age, “You’re right, sorry. I was just thinking about that other time....the first time you spoke to me, in my head that is....” I trailed off.

Jackson squinted his eyes at me, trying to understand. Then I visibly saw the click in his head. His face turned from serious to worried.

“I don’t want to frighten you,” he said quietly, turning his face away.

“I can handle it,” I responded, equally as quietly.

I waited patiently for his answer, but got none. He wouldn’t even look at me.

“I can handle it” I urged.

He sighed in defeat, “That was the first time I doubted myself....”

I immediately felt a huge wave of sympathy for Jackson. He looked so sad. Sadder then the day he told me he never wanted to see me again. I wanted to lean over and cuddle the daylight’s out of him.

Then, as quickly as it had happened, it was gone. Serious Jackson was back.

He picked up my homework off my bed and placed it in a neat pile on the desk in the corner. I jumped up to help him, but he already had everything cleared away. He sat back down on the edge of my bed and gestured for me to follow suit. I snuggled myself back up against my pillows and pulled my blankets up to my chest.

“Have you heard the saying ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul?’”

That fateful night – the first night he spoke directly into my head and made me horribly sick – he commanded me to keep my eyes closed. I had felt something there, in my room with me; Not Jackson, but something else. The moment he first mentioned demons to me, I knew that’s what it was; this was just confirmation.

“That was something surreal...” he muttered. I looked up to see him gazing out my balcony window again, seemingly in a different world.

I didn’t want to force him to tell me about it, I could see it upset him, but I felt like I had a right to know. If I’m the one they’re after, I should at least know something about them.

“If that demon had looked into your eyes Maggie, you would have died. It would have taken out your soul and you would have died.”

I gasped and my eyes widened in fear. When I thought about how horrifically close I was to opening my eyes that night, I felt sick all over again.

Jacksons face crumbled back into a vulnerable state and he placed his hands over his face. I couldn’t stand it.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with any of this Maggie,” he mumbled.

Then I surprised myself – Creeping out of my bed as soundlessly as possible, I moved over to where Jackson was sitting and leaned my head on his shoulder. He immediately tensed up and became very still; I could almost hear the questions running through his head. I nestled up against his arm and after a long moment of silence, he relaxed.

“Are you scared...?” he whispered, his voice saturated with confusion.

I shook my head – No, I was unnaturally calm, thanks to him. I closed my eyes.

“You saved my life that night and I just brushed it off as a dream,” I breathed, suddenly feeling tired.

“I don’t need you to thank me.”

“I know.”

We sat like that for a while. The whole time I could feel him watching me, making sure I hadn’t gone crazy, I supposed.

“I had a falcon patrolling around your house for a while. A peregrine Falcon, very fast bird. Did you ever see it?” Jackson asked casually, breaking the silence.

I shook my head absentmindedly. Then I remembered that one time....

“Oh....I think I saw it once. It scared me and my homework went everywhere,” I said, in a sleepy drawl. I chuckled quietly at the memory.

He tensed up again. I opened my eyes and lifted my heavy head from his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“That bird saved your life that day, not me.”

I sat back up, “but...but you told me to shut my eyes, I...”

“That demon....I had never seen such a monster before. It took out the falcon’s soul – I saw it; It was appalling. That was how I knew how to save you. The demon itself was weak – easily disposed of – but I had never encountered something like that. If it wasn’t for that falcon...”

That poor bird...

I understood why Jackson was so upset. He had asked that bird to look after me, and it had died trying. It died because of him. Even though it was just a bird, he had a special connection to them that I didn’t think I would ever understand.

He breathed out and stood up, “You should go to sleep. We have plenty of time to talk about these things, and you have school tomorrow.”

School schmool. I didn’t want to sleep, even though I was tired. I still had questions.

“Wait,” I yawned, “I still have questions.”

“As I said Maggie, plenty of time.”

I sat there stubbornly and frowned. He stood watching me for a while, then, realizing I wasn’t moving, he leaned over and scooped me up.

I tried to struggle, but I was in my bed and under the covers with in a second.

“Goodnight.” Jackson turned off my bedside lamp.

“Do they only come after me at night? The demons that is,” I asked persistently.

If I spoke quickly, I could probably get a few more questions in before he got too angry.

I couldn’t see, but I heard Jackson sigh, “Some of them yes, like that shadow you saw, but most of them no. They just think it would be easier at night.”

I nodded and placed my head down on my pillows. “Jackson?”

“Please go to sleep Maggie.”

“You said it was going to be a quiet night. How do you know?”

“I can just tell.”

“....what’s a busy night like then?”

He growled a little bit, “It just means more work for me. Nothing for you to worry about. Now sleep.”

“...okay...” I said during a particularly big yawn.

School in the morning.... I groaned and rolled onto my side.