I never thought that dressing up would feel so embarrassing. Before Rowan left my bedroom, he stopped at the threshold and said, "I'll be in the kitchen with your grandma if you need anything."

I couldn't believe that, for a brief moment, I doubted his intentions toward me. After Death's acts, I suspected Rowan of every little thing he'd done or wanted to do. In the back of my mind, I went through the things Death had done to me and thought Rowan would do the same to me. I'm afraid that one day soon he'll walk through my bedroom door and reveal his true identity.

It really felt as if I were living in a horror movie, waiting for people around me to remove the mask from their faces.

Who could I really trust?

Was my grandma, even my grandma?

Is the room that I'm in a real place?

A cold crept over my body, and it was hard to move my fingers. It wasn't mere coldness. It usually meant that the Grim Reaper was nearby, on his way to me.

I swiftly rose and sprinted to the corner of the room where my large closet stood, making it the perfect place to hide behind. I clutched the hem of the black robe so it wouldn't peek out.

As I predicted the coldness, I could sense it closer to me, and then a loud clomping noise was heard. I was certain it was Death until the footsteps separated and their noises did not match. That meant there was more than one person in my room.

Suddenly the noise stopped, and I could only hear my heartbeat. I shut my eyes, my breath shaky.

I opened my eyes slowly, seeing an upside-down charcoal face with crimson-red pupils and bright red shoulder-length hair. "Hi there!" He said, his voice growly.

I crashed my back against the closet as I flinched. There was no space to move, so I slid my back against it and crawled on my fours as fast as I could out of the tight space.

After a few steps, I had to stop because someone stood right in front of me. My gaze met their boots. I looked up and saw a completely different man. His chestnut hair was short, but the tips of it were forest green. The color of his skin was the same as that of the first man. His pupils were the color of flames. The irises were black.

Mind you, I still had my robe on, so part of my skin got revealed. I let myself fall, my face meeting the wooden floor.

Are they going to strip me and do something to me? I thought. But Rowan is still downstairs; he for sure heard them.

The man who stood in front of me crouched down. His hand reached for my hair and pushed it aside. I could no longer hide my face behind my hair. They were too short in the first place.

With my right eye, I stared eye to eye, into his flaming eyes. His skin was not painted as I first thought because he wasn't an ordinary man. They weren't thieves. They weren't part of the human world.

"You have two choices: stand up by yourself or with our help, which won't be gentle, human." The creature said, piercing through my eye.

I sighed and turned my face away from him. I pushed myself up, my hands trembling, to stay still. I slowly moved onto my feet and then crossed my arms under my chest.

Why can't at least one day in my life be normal?

The first man, who scared me, joined the second man by his side. They were both towering over me, and I felt completely weak against them. They were human-looking, except for their skin and eyes. The red-headed one was clothed in a leather jacket that had all kinds of symbols in different colors. Then a pair of denim jeans in a dark gray color. The other creature had a black shirt and slacks. He was dressed much more elegantly than the other one.

"We know your angel friend is here. Don't try to scream for help, because if you do, we won't let your grandma come out of it unscathed." The creature with red hair spoke, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

Both of them were close to me-more than the pendant should've allowed. That only meant the pendant wasn't working on them. I clutched the pendant in my hand, shifting my gaze from one man to the other.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my lips froze, and a lump stuck in my throat. All I wanted to do was shout and cry at the top of my lungs. I was truly exhausted.

Stolen story; please report.

They looked at each other in unison and back at me. It seemed like they didn't know what to do next. Like their plan had a hole.

"Uhm- sit on the bed." The red-headed creature commanded. I did as he said.

I felt a bit better when I sat down because I didn't have to stay on my feet. I was really freezing, I thought. I no longer felt my toes. While the red-headed creature brought my chair in front of me to sit on it, the other creature locked the door.

"Are you going to harm me?" I asked quietly, fidgeting with my fingers; my gaze stuck to the floor.

"No." The other creature who locked the door answered. I looked up to see him, but he was already sitting beside me.

I shifted further on the bed to the corner of it, so there'd be a huge distance between us. They apparently had no problem with it.

The chair the red-headed creature sat on was a sinking chair. While the silence ruled over the room, the man was going up and down the chair like he was on a carousel.

The creature sitting next to me and I were both observing him in amazement. Was this a fever dream?

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do anything stupid? Was this the billionth time?" The creature next to me said to him, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The other creature stopped moving and looked deadly into the eyes of the other creature. "As far as I know, Azra, watching over a human girl is not our job, so I should have a little fun with it. Why did that bastard send us here instead of him, if he's so into her?" He said, going once again up and down the chair.

I widen my eyes. "Watch over me?" I spoke for the first time in several minutes.

Azra peered at the other creature. Even though I couldn't see his facial expression, his angriness radiated like a flash of light, shining at him. The red-headed creature then stopped mid-air and got up from the chair. He strolled around my room, analyzing my belongings. When he stopped by my desk, he grabbed my rose lamp and switched the lights on.

Azra shook his head with a sigh. "We intend no harm to you if you cooperate with us. And for the Devil himself, Keliah!" Azra slammed his hands against his legs. "Could you not pick her stuff? He will slaughter us to pieces when he finds out. You know he will."

Keliah laughed in a low voice; it almost sounded like a growl. "You are so paranoid, brother. When was the last time he did so? If I recall correctly, one hundred and two years ago."

He did what? I thought. And they still do work for him?

"I'm sorry to interrupt your bickering, but who are you talking about?" I asked, and my voice now sounded stable and confident.

Keliah stared into my soul with his bright red eyes. He switched the rose lamp off and leaned against the desk, crossing his arms.

"You know, human, your brain is really slow. While we both suffer with his annoying commands, you act like we chose to come here by our own will. Do you think we have nothing better to do? I just abandoned a kitty in the middle of a road because of you! At least apologize for that. She was already curled up in my arms-"

"That's enough!" Azra raged, making sure the word syllable sounded sharp.

My brows drew together, and my pulse began to fasten. Why did Rowan have to talk to my grandma so much? I know I practically threw him out of my bedroom, but still, he should've checked on me sooner.

Keliah showed his charcoal middle finger to Azra, sticking his split tongue out.

"That fucker is more fucked up than us, and that's something to say." Keliah proclaimed. "He can't stay away from a mere human girl and even send bodyguards to protect her. And from what? Him himself?" Keliah began to die laughing, and Azra just rolled his orange eyes.

So Death sent them. Great!

I shook my head, not believing my ears. I'd even laugh, but I was too shocked to even let out a noise.

"Want to know a secret?" Keliah said, looking at me.

I half nodded because what other choice did I have?

"I've never seen him so obsessed with someone, especially a human. He completely lost his mind because of you. He was already a psychopath, but now he totally lost it. You know what he is planning to do?"

"Keliah, don't you say another word." Azra snapped.

Keliah, for a second, looked like he wouldn't say what he started, but then he grinned, or at least it looked like it.

"That maniac is totally lusting for you. He will never let you be. He will kill everything and everyone to get what he wants. Even us. And his plan in order to do so is-"

Azra smacked Keliah across the face. Keliah fell down onto his knees, and that made the floor make a thud sound.

"You fucking dickhead! Once you start yapping, there's no end to it, and now we're exposed because of you." Azra said, touching his temples. I could say he was the most rational one of the three of them.

"This coming from a demon is bizarre." Keliah chuckled, moving his gaze toward me. He slowly licked his lips with his split tongue.

"Great. Now she knows we're demons. Death will cut our throats and torture us for eternity." Azra said, brushing his fingers through his short hair.

Before I could speak or ask any questions, the door handle started to rattle.

"Vivienne, is everything okay? Why did you lock the door?" Rowan shouted behind the door, his voice having a slightly angry undertone.

"I-I'm coming!!" I yelled, strolling from the bed. Keliah whispered before they disappeared, "See you; see you; maybe not." And he waved as they vanished in a crimson-red mist.

Unfazed, I quickly changed into the pajamas Rowan left for me and sprinted to the door. When I opened them, Rowan frowned.

"Something hard fell. What was it?" He wondered, scanning my room.

I opened the door fully and stayed quiet. I decided to keep this visit from him too. He was already looking miserable because of me; adding another worry to his list was unacceptable.

"My lamp fell, but as you can see, it didn't break." I finally said, avoiding his eyes.

I wanted to know more about those demons and why Death sent them here to watch me. And in order to do that, they'd have to visit me again. If Rowan knew about this, he wouldn't let them see me, and that was a problem.

There was one thing I knew for sure. I became a big, fat liar, and I'll drown in those lies someday soon.