I wake up with my head against the red bar table, I raise my head up and notice the glass still in my hand from last night. I hadn’t drunk any of it, which is surprising since I love alcohol. Looking behind me, I notice Zack was asleep in the same position but at one of the many tables. I assume Rod is in the backroom, or he left to go home, I doubt he would leave us. Sure enough, I see Rod yawning and walking out of the back room. “Good morning, Lil.” He makes his way to me and then looks at Zack who is still asleep.
“He’s sleeping well, huh?” Rod points his mechanical thumb toward him, and I laugh. “Yeah, well he better wake up soon If we want to get to gaining people’s trust. It’s funny though, yesterday he was the one waking me up.” Rod started to make his way over to Zack, “Yeah, well the man doesn’t do well under stress.” Once he was behind Zack he held a metal finger to his mouth, I make a gesture of zipping my lips back. Rod then places both hands on Zack’s shoulders quickly. He shoots up and yelps then he looks behind and swats at Rod, “Get off me! Damn mechanical monstrosity!”
Rod and I begin laughing at Zack, the smile remains on his face. His cheeks turn red in embarrassment, “You are both asses and should be ashamed of yourselves!” He yells at us, picking up his glass off the table and walking behind the bar to put it in the sink. “Oh, come on Zachary, we are just having some fun,” Rod says with a stupid grin on his face, hands on his hips. “Yeah? Well, we have too much to do than to have fun.” Zack says in a sharp tone, I look at Rod and he smiles shrugging. “I told you, he doesn’t do well under pressure.”
“Calm down Zack, we will be fine. Let’s just get going, ok?” He looks back at me and raises an eyebrow, “Fine.” Rod claps his hands together, “Great! So, shall we make our way to the café?” I look outside the window, the sun shining down on the town, people walking the streets. But I notice something about that, they were walking to us, they are making a crowd around the bar! Zack points out the window, “If we can make it to the café that is.” Rod leans toward me to look outside, he then sighs. “Here we go.”
Rod rushes over to the door then looks back at us before opening it, “Watch what you say... Keep a smile, well Zack that won’t be a problem for you. Mainly just, be on your best behavior.” His expression is filled with worry, he takes a deep breath in, then opens the door. I walk out behind him, and Zack behind me. All eyes are on us, the people that were yesterday cheering, now look terrified. Amidst the silence, I hear a man cry out, “Why are you keeping them hear!” Then a woman yells in retaliation, “The man saved my child, you keep your mouth shut!”
Arguing begins between the crowd, I could almost draw an imaginary line between the humans on our side, then the ones that aren’t. Zack looks down at me, I don’t understand what he expects me to do. “What?” I ask, “You made that little speech yesterday, do it again.” I look at him completely shocked by this, “That’s not my job, you’re the one with the perfect smile. Plus, you are so charming and convincing.” Zack shrugs, “But I act just like a deceiving demon, with manipulative tactics. You are different, just try, for me.”
I look at Rod and he nods signaling to the crowd, looking back at them I hear the arguing get louder and louder. Once I step forward a bit, without saying anything, they silence themselves. Their eyes locked on me, their gaze piercing through my soul. I opened my mouth to speak, but a voice halts my words.
“Back away from the Demoness!” A woman’s voice rings loud in the crowd. They all turn around and I see the expressions change on their faces. All the people on the left side of the crowd went from a face of rage to a look of excitement. Heels click against the ground, and all I see is white hair. The woman stands in front of me with her hands on her hips. Rod’s voice speaks up behind me, “Angel, we were just on our way to see you!” The woman named, Angel, whipped her head around to look at Rod, “Yeah, sure looks like it.”
She looks back to the crowd, “Quiet! Now, all of you just calm down. This woman just saved us let’s not be rash.” Arguing again, it starts quickly. People shouting and pointing at us. I don’t understand where all this hate comes from, Angel yells, “I said QUIET!” The crowd silenced themselves only for a moment, only to break out into cries again. I hear people say we should be thrown to the church, burned, and killed. Then others go on to say we should be respected, welcomed, and treated as people.
“We don’t want to hurt any of you,” Zack pleads with the crowd. “They just want to help I promise,” Rod adds. But no one was listening. Angel grabs Zack and me and sneaks off from the civilians as they argue. She drags us down the street, and I feel her push me through a door and into a little café. “Wow, I thought they would listen to you since they respect you so much,” Rod says as he puts a chair against the door handle. “They respect me sure, but it’s not like my word is law. They are still people, Rodrick.” He rolls his eyes and sits at a table.
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I look at the woman in front of me, she is tall and beautiful. Her white hair was like silk going down past her shoulders. She had violet eyes mixed with the color of pastel pink. She wears a white blouse to compliment her hair and fair skin, with a long blue skirt with it. She looks into my eyes, looking me up and down, then at Zack. “So, you two caused all this panic.”
Zack rubs the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “We had some issues the other night, we are terribly sorry ma’am.” She points a butter knife at him, “Angel.” Zack stumbles back and laughs awkwardly, “Ha... Yes, Angel.” She walks behind the counter puts the knife away, she cleans as she talks to us. “What’s with the smile?”
“Oh, uh, It’s a curse. Been in my family for a long time, meant for phycological torture.” She looks back, tilting her head to the side. “To others?” He shakes his head, “No for myself, it is so I cannot show any expression of sadness... No matter how much pain I am in.” She doesn’t say anything in response, only a noise of understanding, “Why are you two here? Not in hell fighting with your own kind?” I smile and speak up, I’m excited to tell another human my take on things! “We aren’t on either side! We are on the side of peace!” Angel sets out cups along the counter, “What a childish idea.” Rod hasn’t said a word the whole time, Zack just stands there. I can’t believe the response I got from her. “Childish? It’s not childish.”
“Tell me Demoness, how do you expect to achieve such a goal? If you cannot even get a small town, in a small state to like you.” I never thought of it like that, “Well, I will figure something out!” She keeps her cold gaze locked on my eyes, “They want to throw you to the church, Rod and I have every right to do so.” I look back at Rod who wasn’t making eye contact, “You wouldn’t do that, right?” He looks at me and shakes his head, seeming to have gotten out of a trance, “No, No, of course not! Angel! We are not throwing them to the church!” She isn’t listening to him, and she begins to pour coffee into all of the cups, four in total. As well as a small cake next to each. “As far as I’m concerned you aren’t my equal, in fact, I think you are disgusting. You are lucky I will even let you into my café, I don’t care if you saved the town I love. You also have attracted danger because of your power and views.” Power? What power? Maybe she was talking about Zack’s. I have heard that many Demons have learned to sense each other's power. I look at the cups and then around the room, there is no one here but us.
“If you think so low of me why pour coffee for all of us, then give us little cakes?” Angel smiles, and her gaze softens. Of course, she was only being rude to test me. “You are observant, also you can keep your cool in an argument. Most demons start raging and throw weapons. Now, have some coffee and food.” I pull out one of the small white chairs and sit down, “You were right, my idea is childish though.” Zack and Rod walk over and sit on either side of me. “It’s not that it’s childish, it’s that it’s nearly impossible to achieve.”
“Well, I appreciate your kindness Miss Angel, but we can’t stay here, can we?” She smiles and laughs at Zack’s remark. “Of course, you can stay here!” How could we? “What do you mean?” I ask, “We throw you to the church.” She says with a large smile. Rod nearly drops his cup, “What!?” Angel laughs again, her laugh is so warm. “You don’t pay enough attention, Rod.”
“Of course, I pay attention!” She laughs louder. “If you did, you would know why I said this.” Zack leans against the counter, “Well, tell us then!” She takes a sip of her coffee, and I watch her with my full attention while eating my cake. “You know, people going missing aren’t just from the monsters. I have reason to believe the church is involved.” The three of us all look at each other, giving looks of confusion and concern. “Please, let me explain.” Angel goes on, “The disappearances aren’t from the monsters alone, I believe that hell’s army wasn’t sending them to us as Zack has suggested.”
“Now hold on just a minute Miss how did you know-“ Angel cuts him off, “I said let me finish.” She set her tea down on its plate rather harshly. “As I was saying, I believe that the church summoned those beings as a distraction from what they were really doing.” Once again, I cannot believe what I am hearing, but I suppose I need to get used to that. “I saw that thing kill a woman with my own eyes though!” I yell, protesting, but Angel just gives me a sweet smile. “Well, they have to make it believable don’t they.” Zack was stuffing the piece of cake down his throat while he spoke, “Well what do you expect us to do? Go into the church, guns blazing, and gain the human's trust?” Angel nodded, “Zachary, don’t talk with your mouth full. But basically, yes, I want you to bring back evidence of the individuals that were taken. Hopefully, you won’t be bringing home bodies.” The three of us look at each other and then back at Angel, I speak first. “We will help.”
“Now, wait just a minute!” Zack cuts in, but Rod cuts him off. “I agree, we will help.” Angel claps her hands together. “Wonderful! You two can stay in the café for the night, Rod you will come with me and settle down the people. We will meet the two of you here, tomorrow evening. Hopefully with the good news that the people have listened to us.”
Rod and Angel leave the café and Zack and I are left in the small room. He looks exhausted as he lays his head on the counter. I reach over setting my hand on his shoulder, but before I could say anything to him, he’s fast asleep. I sigh loudly wondering what to do. Everything moves so fast, one minute I am just a girl lost in the world, and now I am at the center of a never-ending storm. If we gain the trust of the humans of this town what happens next? If we anger the Church what happens next? I don’t know where this road is leading us, and I fear it won’t end well. I know one thing for sure though, I have joined some kind of rebellion with Zachary, and I cannot escape it now.