My Friend Z, the Demon

It was 3 am. I had just gotten into bed after a night of scary movies and junk food I already regretted eating. A shower was of no interest to me at this time but I felt gross and hopped in away. The hot water burning my skin felt better than anything. I stayed there for awhile, enjoying the warmth until it was so hot in the restroom that I felt dizzy. I laughed at myself and got out slowly. Getting into my sweatpants and a cropped sweater I made my way to the bedroom, a towel still wrapped around my head holding the birds' nest that was my hair.

I patted my hair then draped the towel over a chair. Sitting on my bed with a brush in my hand a sigh left me; this was a process I wasn't exactly in the mood for. I reached for the leave-in conditioner on my bedstand when a thud from under the bed stopped me.

Getting up slowly, I backed away and bent down... Nothing. I saw nothing. A shrug took me back to my conditioner and I began the process of detangling my hair, whistling the tune from a tv show to keep me entertained.

I had reached the last strand of the last tangle and finally dared to look at my brush. It could have made a wig. I cleaned it off and put the brush on my nightstand. Getting under the covers, I shut my lamp off and froze.

The thud came back, but this time louder. I went to reach for the light when my bed started to shake. I screeched and curled up, backing into the wall behind my bed. Something wasn't right. A bright red light appeared suddenly, staring at it hurt my eyes but there was no way I was going to look away. It stayed the size of a pea for a moment then began to grow, spiraling out into what seemed to be a doorway; that's when he appeared.

"Who in the hell are you!?" I screamed at the burnt man in front of me. He was a blood red color with small black horns on top of his head. He had sideways oval eyes; all black, and sharp teeth. His body was muscular and cut up in some places, revealing the inside of his skin that looked like lava. He had some kind of shorts on and nothing else. Through the shorts in the back, a long red tail hung, moving slightly but it was under his control. When he wanted it to move, it did.

"Ha, hello, you're coming with me."

He grabbed my ankle, dragging me from my bed and onto the floor; I yelped as I hit the hardwood.

"I need your help you see," he said as he walked into the red light portal, pulling me along like a child would with a ragdoll.

"This idiot thinks he's right and you are going to show him he's wrong." He turned his head to look back at me.

"Dude I'll bring you back don't worry."

My eyes felt like they were going to fall out of my head.

A noise of deep-voiced screams surrounded us as he walked down a long dark hallway; it was coming from the portal. As it shut the screams got quieter until it reached an abrupt end and we were left in silence, only my dragging body making a noise. He stopped then and dropped my ankle.

"You can walk, right?" He asked sarcastically.

I turned to look back, nothing was there but darkness. I stood up slowly, shaking.

"Ar..r..re y y you the... the devil?" I couldn't stop myself from stuttering.

He barked out a laugh.

"Gosh, you humans, always so afraid just because you don't know something and start assuming the worst. I am not the devil weirdo, I'm just a demon... one of his minions I suppose." He said, waving his arms.

"Do you...have a, a name?" I asked.

He looked at me confused.

"Do you?" he shot back.

"Well, yea."

"Then so do I. Case solved, let's go." He started walking and I, almost willingly, followed slowly.

I was intrigued and frightened at the same time. He was a sarcastic character, a bit rude I see... at least he wasn't straight up evil. I mean, he could be, right? I wonder if he's killed someone, or tortures people. Am I in hell? Is this hell? It's colder than I expected, still warm but not boiling. My shower was hotter than it was in here.

"Can you shut up?"

I jumped.

"What?"

"You have so many damn questions. I can hear your thoughts."

Ugh, why.

"Why? I don't know, ask Satan. " He answered my thought.

"How do I not think? That's not exactly something I can do. Why don't you just stop listening?" I shot at him.

He stopped walking and turned around, a smile appearing on his face.

"I knew I would like you." He reached out his hand.

"I'm Z." I shook his hand, it was rough and hot.

"I'm Felicity... Um, Z... where are we going?"

He rolled his eyes, exposing some white that was otherwise hidden.

"To meet an idiot; we made a bet and I'm winning this."

"Is his name Y?" I laughed to myself.

"Ha, ha," he said dryly. "No, his name is Jol."

We started walking again, for a while straight ahead but then came to a forked end. We made a right that led into another forked end, then made another right... and another, and another and continued to do this process.

This had to be hell. There's no way I could handle doing this for much longer.

But that's annoyingly exactly what we did. Over and over and over, right after right after right. Seriously what the heck. We continued making stupid rights at every stupid forked end in this stupid place. It came to a point of where, as soon as we went into the right, we were straight in front of a new forked end. We took three steps and again we were at a new one. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Z what the hell are we doing!?"

He burst into laughter.

"What's wrong child?"

"We've been going in circles for the past forever this is stupid! We aren't even getting anywhere!" I grunted.

"Took you a little while." He smiled and walked to the left of the next forked end.

"What!?" I breathed.

"What can I say, Felicity, I like pushing buttons and yours are easy to find."

"Great! You can read my mind, you know what bugs me, any more surprises!?"

"Mmm, I like you. So, from now on I won't listen to your thoughts."

Bull.

He laughed.

"Yea that was bull, I have no choice."

I looked ahead because a light caught my eye. It wasn't bright but it looked like it was inside of a room.

"We're here human. No more waiting."

"Finally," I breathed.

We walked into a room with one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The walls of this place were made of stone, it seemed. The hallways were lit with a low red hue and this room was the only bright light I'd seen. There was a metal table directly beneath the bulb and two metal chairs. One empty and one occupied by who I assumed to be Jol.

"Ah Z, you're back ...and ready to lose I see?"

"Psh, you wish."

Z sat down in the other chair and both demons turned their heads to look at me. I stood still, not knowing what to do.

It took a couple of minutes in silence for me to get over it.

"What?"

Z laughed.

"Told you I liked her."

Jol smiled. I wish neither of them ever did again; their teeth creeped me out.

"Okay Felicity, time for you to help me win this. I need you to whistle." Z interrupted my thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"Me and Jol made a bet. He said no one could whistle as good as him, I said I could find someone and, to piss him off, I said I'd find a human."

My eye twitched.

"You're telling me you intruded into my room, dragged me rudely out of bed in the middle of the freaking night, scaring me, to win a bet on who could whistle better!?"

They chuckled; Z nodded.

"Are you kidding me!? I could be asleep right now!" They laughed. Apparently, I was amusing.

"Fine," I growled.

I licked my lips and let out a small tune. It went high then low.

"Ta-da."

Jol laughed.

"That's nothing!"

I rose my eyebrow and crossed my arms, intrigued. What can I say? I enjoy a good challenge.

"Fine, whistle what you want and I'll repeat it to you," I smirked.

He smiled an evil little smile and began. One whistle, not too complicated, and I repeated it back. He did it again and so did I. We went along like this for some time until Z burst into laughter.

"I win Jol."

Jol threw his chair against the wall. I stood at the entrance still, content with myself.

"Ugh! Fine Z. You win... just get on with it."

Z stood up with a humongous grin on his face. He looked at me and winked then turned back to Jol and pointed a finger at him.

"Shrink."

A loud pop and smoke appeared in the room. As it cleared the only one I could see was Z... till I heard squeaking. I looked down at the floor; a mouse-sized Jol stood angrily waving a fist at Z. I couldn't help myself, I started laughing.

"Oh my, Jol you poor thing," I said with my laugh. He got angry and kicked my foot. It didn't hurt at all which made me laugh even more.

"Ohhh, now Jol, no kicking your superiors." Laughed Z.

"Ahh... alright Felicity."

Z came around the table and picked up Jol, setting him on the table he turned back to me.

"You can go home now."

"Wait, really?"

He nodded. I turned to leave then paused and turned back.

"How?" he chuckled and pointed behind me.

I heard the deep screams again and watched as the portal began to appear.

I was about to walk in when a thought I hated myself for thinking came to my mind.

Would I ever see him again?

Z sighed. I turned to look at him.

"You really want to see me again?"

"Er, I don't know. This has never happened to me or anyone I know... and I guess you aren't that bad."

"I could be worse," he sneered.

"I'm sure of it." I smiled.

"We'll see, human. Maybe I'll visit."

I nodded my head and waved.

"Goodbye demon."

Walking through the portal I fell onto the floor of my cold room. The portal quickly shut behind me and once again I was alone.

It was the first time I met Z but, (I wasn't sure if fortunately or unfortunately at this time) not my last.