It had been practically noon before we managed to arrange a certain plan laid out in front of us. It was short and relatively simple, but for some reason it took so long to form it. Abe thought it would work so I felt slightly secure with it. The plan was for me to lure the demon to me in my room by taunting him. If he wanted me dead, he would've already killed me. I can't believe I'm doing this. This can't be real. How can this be rea- No! Stop it! The blood on my shoulder proves it's real; you have to accept it or die now! I touched the wound while reviewing the plan, the blood moving around under the bandage in lumps. It was oozy like mucus while also being dried and cracking around the edges. I winced at the pain.

After I had the demon with me in my room, Abe would come from his hiding spot in the bathroom and kill him. If it all goes well, I'll have a chance to live. If it doesn't, I will help an innocent man to his death. I can't mess this up. I have to get myself together, but why is this stranger helping me?

"Heya, kid," Abe walks up from behind me and I nearly jumped turning around. He gave me a look that made me feel like a freak. It was as if he was concerned, but didn't want to touch me.

"Y-yeah? Abe?" I could tell I looked like a disgusting lab rat to him.

"Yeesh are ya always this jumpy?"

"Honestly, n-no." His expression clicked into surprise. I stared back at him, starting to panic. "W-what?"

"What happened to yer shoulder?" He shifted the subject, gestured to the bandage. "I didn't seem ta notice it when I met ya."

"Yeah, the demon got me. It's how I realized he's real." I scoffed like I was confessing my belief in Santa Claus. That demon isn't Santa. He's real. Abe inspected the wound a bit while closing one eye. "I-is there something you w-want to tell me?"

"Yep, that's a doozy right there, and you said its fingers were like sharpened bones?" He leaned away, avoiding it yet again. Fine, creep.

"Its fingers weren't like sharpened bones; they were. His fingertips looked like they were shaved down to the bone, and then he sharpened them into these spike-like points." Abe nodded, thoughtful.

"Do ya remember anything else about his hands?"

"I could see his blackened flesh slowly lead to bone. It was dried blood, ripped muscle that somehow managed to still move the joint and veins. When I saw it, I wanted to hurl, and the smell." I shuddered. Abe was silent for a long moment before nodding. What are you thinking? Is it important? I should know! Stop keeping secrets when I could die!

"Look, ah, kid. If this doesn't go well, you need to set your affairs in order. Call your Mom or whatever friends you have." He looked me dead in the eyes. "Just be prepared for the worst." I gulped, and he walked away to sit on the couch.

"How do you do this? Hunting demons?" Abe sighed.

"Kid, as nice as you seem, I don't want to share that bit of information with ya. Let's stick with I just do, okay? You're a good kid, Jackie. I can tell." He patted me on the back. "Still, there's always a chance this will go wrong, terribly wrong. If it does, both of us won't see tomorrow."

He's right. I need to tell Mom and Hannah I love them. I may never see my best friend's goofy smile anymore. I may never hear my mother's bell-like laugh that reminded me of Christmas. I walked upstairs to get my phone. I may never talk to Hannah about smuggling kittens into school, never go to the cafe for our study group and see her get something on her face. I may never see my goofball again, and the last time she saw me she was telling me to get better. I'll never be capable to tell her how much she meant to me. How much her smile could light up a room without even trying, how it would light up my day even if I slept crappily the night before. I laughed remembering when she managed to get whipped cream on her notebook. She leaned over the table to show me something, but all she had to do was tell me. She didn't notice until I told her after the study session was over. We were going to be best friends forever, and now there's a good, realistic chance we can't. She'll move on to someone else and forget about me. Not recognize my name when it's said. We were going to college together.

Oh God, college. I was working so hard to get a scholarship to help Mom with tuition that I forgot to have fun. I forgot to live, because I took my tomorrow for granted. I just thought I could make it up to everyone later once I was successful, but would have I ever been successful? I could have just kept working and put off my relationships for meaningless success in the wrong areas of my life. By the time I was done, I'd be in retirement and Hannah may not even talk to me from how far I would have pushed her away. We were friends since the fourth grade, instant BFFs. In the eighth grade we promised each other we would work to attend the same college together. A part of me wanted to be more than just BFFs, but I new she would just be oblivious to it. I scoffed with a reminiscent smile. My eyes were burning, and I started thinking about the best thing that ever happened to me, my mom.

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I promised her I would go to college. I promised her grandchildren so she could spoil them like "The princes or princesses they'll be," as she put it. She would tease me about marrying Hannah, and even though I didn't have any other close friends, she still supported me. I remember how she'd pick me up when I fell down like a doofus, and when she'd care for me even when she was sick. I remember how she promised to always be there for me when she and dad divorced, and she would sing me lullabies when I was younger to help me sleep after a traumatic day with Aunt Kate. The demon may call her weak and too sensitive, but I call her passionate and the most caring woman on the Lord's planet. If anyone had a different opinion I would take them down. She would take care of me, and I promised to take care of her when she couldn't anymore. If I die, who will be there for her?

Tears already blurred my vision a long time ago and left stains on my cheeks and pants. They flowed in their mini rivers down my face as I looked up to the ceiling. I should call Hannah now.

I wiped my phone screen off on my pants and dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hi Jackie! Are you feeling okay now?" She seemed to scream into the phone. Usually, I would hold it away due to the volume of her voice, but I didn't. Right now it was music to my ears.

"Hey Hannah, um, no I still don't feel well. I-" My voice was groggy and scratchy from crying.

"Do you want me to come over? I can make soup!" She sounded so giddy as if she was ready to bombard me with blankets, soup, and movies galore. I love how over enthusiastic she is.

"No, I don't want to you sick, too."

"Aww, but then I could miss school!" I couldn't help but chuckle despite how much it hurt.

"No, you shouldn't skip school. Listen, I just wanted to call to say I love you, as a friend."

"Well of course you do you dodo. I love you too, duh!" She giggled. I smiled.

"Hey, if anything happens to me, just know I love you okay? I had to tell you."

"What? Jackie, are you okay? What's happening?" Her laugh became more of an awkward, dying chuckle.

"Nothing, I just wanted to let you know, you know?" I tried covering it up, if she was worried, there'd be no stopping her from racing over here.

"Jackie, I'm serious! Do I need to come over? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Her concern turned into panic.

"No! No, it's fine. It'll be okay. I'll be okay. I don't need to go to the hospital." I laughed at the end. Please believe me, the last thing I want for you is for you to be scared for me. The phone was silent for a long time.

"Okay Jackie, I believe you, but now you have to smuggle kittens with me." I could hear a faint giggle that followed her words like an echo. "Just please be okay, okay? If something happens, I'm coming over. Don't forget to tell me if something bad happens, promise me!"

"I will, I promise." The words sat in my mouth like dead weights. Lord please don't let this be an empty promise.

I hung up and stared at the phone a bit. I felt emotionally drained. I don't want to call Mom, but there's no way I can let this go. I have to at least try to say I love her. She has to know from me. I shook my head in an attempt to clear the drained feeling and called Mom.

The phone rang once, twice, three times, four, five, and went to her voicemail message. Does she still not want to talk to me? I have to say something regardless. When the beep sound came, I wasted no time.

"Hey Mom, I just wanted to say I love you and that I hope you're having a good day out. I... um," I had to pause to keep my voice from cracking. "I wanted to say I was sorry. Sor-"

"Thank you for your call," the automated messaging system cut me off. I thought about trying to call again or to leave another message, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I should go back to Abe now.

I walk back downstairs and head into the living room. There I find Abe with one of my kitchen knives, but it was glowing slightly. What?

"Um," I start, confused. He turned around.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout using one of yer knives, but I've enchanted it to kill yer demon with voodoo magic... and stuff," he said, embarrassed. He looked like he was caught and making an excuse for stealing a cookie. A knife cookie. I laughed out loud and hard. I bent down in a fit of giggles, despite my throat. Why is that so funny to me? Through my hyena laughter, I could hear Abe chuckling a little bit more conservatively. More like he's laughing like he's sane, Jackie. I let everything out, even the horrible, nastiness pent up in me through laughter. I howled and chuckled, and it was the best I've felt in a long time. After what felt like hours, I finally calmed down.

"I-," I cut myself off while trying to keep from erupting into laughter again. "It's fine, no worries. It actually looks better like that, I guess." I snorted and got to hear Abe laugh. "How did you enchant it?"

"It's a secret," he winked. "A magician never discloses his secrets, right?"

"Right, right." A smile was still on my face, and for some reason I felt content.

"Anywho, Jackie. Did ya inform the people you love that you love them?"

My smile dripped off of my face and dropped on the floor. I nodded solemnly, no longer feeling the need to laugh.

"How'd it go?"

"Hannah, my close friend, was extremely concerned. She started to panic and I had to tell her it would be okay. My Mom didn't even answer the phone so I had to leave a voicemail."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, I'm not a social child." I scoffed, trying to bring in what humor I could. I inwardly cringed when Abe didn't react.

"No, no, it's fine, it was just concerned b'cause you were upstairs fer a long time." Abe cleared his throat. "Look, kid. If this goes well like it should, they'll understand. It can be okay." I nodded, noting how he said it can be okay rather than merely saying we'll be Gucci or something.

"Yeah, thanks Abe."

"No problem, are you ready kid?"

"Can I really be?"

"Fair enough let's go." He escorted me upstairs. Honestly, how could this have worked out so well with the demon popping in on me? It couldn't be because of Abe, because he was there with Mrs. Bass.