“Oh my God,” he gasped, unable to hide the shock on his face. He knew there were demons in the world, but didn’t know how much damage they could inflict. “I guess that makes sense with her injuries, then. Will she remember anything?” Tom asked, genuinely curious. He could imagine how incredibly traumatic that could be, both for the body and the mind. He ran his hands through his hair before his hand lingered at the nape of his neck. “Well, from what I understand, one’s a vampire and another is a witch of some sort? I heard the witchy guy is pretty dangerous, but the only thing I honestly only know for sure is that we share a face,” he explained, his lips pulling into a goofy expression. “I can only assume they have enemies, given their status as immortal supernatural beings. They’ve probably both been on this planet at least four times longer than I have, if not much longer.”
A lump formed in Cara’s throat, and she tried to convince herself that the tears that pricked her eyes were from pain or exhaustion instead of their current conversation. “Some demons never allow their hosts to surface, and when – if they come to again, they don’t remember a thing. Others will allow it from time to time, especially if they can use the host’s anguish to manipulate their way into getting something. And others… Others will keep their hosts awake the entire time simply because they get enjoyment from it. They like making them witness everything their body is doing, they like sharing their thoughts,…They like making them suffer.” She shifted on the sleeping bag, preferring to feel the pain from the wound over remembering her time with Analiese. He then explained that his doppelgängers were a witch and a vampire, and her guess was that he was right, that they had amassed quite a large amount of enemies over their extended years. “…Do me a favor? Pull the duffel bag over to me. I need to get something – and don’t worry, it’s not another weapon.”
Tom was speechless. How could a being do such damage? How could he protect his friends, his family, himself? He gave a quick nod before reaching over and dragging the bag over to them, putting it close to her, still laying on the sleeping bag. He wasn’t worried about having another weapon drawn on him. Despite being kidnapped by this woman, he was feeling a warm sense of trust as they continued to talk. “Does this happen….often? Possessions?” He finally spit out the few shaky words after leaving the space between them silent. He could have sworn his heartbeat was echoing throughout the warehouse as it beat faster and faster. “Could I be possessed right now and just be surfaced right now?” Thoughts were racing through his mind, one after the other. He tired to keep himself calm, but his breathing was getting more and more rapid as his anxiety rose. “Could I?”
“It’s hard to tell these days,” Matt laughed, his voice echoing through the empty hallways. He was grateful that he was mostly on his own these days, but not that it mattered. His Mom probably wouldn’t care, anyway. “I’m just hoping I can still play in the game this Friday. Coach finally has me starting,” he said as they turned the corner. “It’s about time. I’ve only been on the team for all of high school.”
“I keep my blankie security blanket from when I was little. It’s tucked away, but easy enough to access. I don’t normally tell people, but it’s one of the few things that can calm an anxiety attack.”
