The heated tension between Janet and I as we sat across the table from one another was hotter than the feast my mother spent all evening preparing. The food consisted of pork chops smothered in mushroom sauce with side dishes of rice, yams, and string beans. A homemade sweet potato pie sat on the stove for dessert.

“Can you pass me the salt?” my mother asked Lucas, who had arrived just before the food was served. He sat next to me, but my attention was solely on Janet.

“Lucas, my man, how’s the music thing going? You got any plans in case the buzz fizzles out?” my father quizzed from one end of the table.

“It’s going good, actually. The band’s growing more popular by the day. I put a lot of passion into the music and it’s really my only focus right now, so I can’t say I have a specific plan in mind if it doesn’t work out. But if I had to go a different route, I’d probably go to college for sound engineering or something related to music.”

“That’s smart,” my mother proudly declared at the other end of the table. “You should always keep an open mind and have options available for the future.”

“Who is the girl in the band?” Mya blurted out. “She’s pretty.”

Lucas took a sip of his drink before answering. “Her name’s Robyn. She’s not going to be in the band for long, though.”

“Why not? I like her. She’s a really good singer.”

I glowered at my sister until I noticed my mother staring at me. “Mya, that’s Lucas’s business. No more questions about it,” my mom demanded, probably realizing that the topic was bothersome to me. “So, Janet, are you enjoying the meal?”

Janet’s eyes were glued to the burning candles on the dinner table. “Yes, Mrs. Dawn. It’s delicious.”

I wasn’t taking any chances. I jumped out of my seat and grabbed the candles before putting on a fake smile. “I’m gonna take these and put them over here.” I placed the candles on the kitchen counter and sat back down. “So, what were we talking about?”

My mother’s forehead creased as she observed me. “I was going to ask Janet what her parents do for a living.”

“My parents are gone. They died last month on my birthday.”

Janet’s revelation silenced us all at the dinner table. The only sound that resonated through the home was the chomping bites made by Cinnamon, who chowed into her food vigorously.

“Janet, I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Janet stood out of her seat after the mournful words of my mother. “If it’s not a problem, I should be getting home now. My grandpa worries if I’m not in the house at an appropriate time.”

“Yes, it’s alright,” my mother said. “Thank you for staying, Janet. You’re always welcomed here.”

Janet gave her a small smile. “May I use the restroom before I go?”

“Yup,” my father answered. “It’s up the stairs to your right. Can’t miss it.”

She left the table and walked upstairs with her head down. I felt tempted to follow her, but the strong vibration of Lucas’s cell made me turn to him.

“I’m sorry, I have to go as well,” he said after looking down at his phone. “My dad wants me to grab a few things before the market closes tonight, so I’m gonna need to go now.”

“I’ll walk him to the door,” I told my mom, rising from my seat and seeing the disappointed expression on her face.

“Okay, Lucas. Get home safe,” she said. “Tell your father I said hello.”

“Will do.” He nodded at my mom and exchanged a fist bump with my dad. “Goodnight, everyone.”

We walked to the front door. My eyes flickered looking up at him. “Lucas, was that really your father who texted you?”

“Yeah. Ali, listen, there’s a lot I need to tell you, but I can’t do it right now.”

“Why? What are you hiding?”

“I didn’t wanna say it in front of your parents, but—”

“Just say it. It’s Robyn, isn’t it? You’re cheating on me with her.”

His face contorted into a scowl. “No, I’m not. But alright, since you wanna know so damn badly. My dad’s drinking again, okay? The fact that he could sit there and pick up a bottle every night knowing Mom died in a drunk driving accident kills me. I’m going through a lot right now, and it’s hard to keep it all in because I don’t wanna worry you.”

I pressed my body against his. “Then don’t. Keeping things from me will worry me. I wanna be there for you through it all. You don’t need to feel ashamed.”

“I know. Things are just hard right now and really confusing. But thanks, babe. I’ll call you tonight.”

He gave me a quick peck on the lips before walking out of the door. I closed it and leaned my back against it, thinking long and hard about his situation until Janet walked downstairs.

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“I’m leaving. Don’t try to stop me.”

“Look, as much as I’m afraid of you being in my house right now, I’m not moving until you tell me what’s going on with you.”

She chortled as if I was a joke. “Cute. Now move.”

“No. I’m not moving. It’s about your parents, isn’t it? I saw the way my mom’s question bothered you.”

“You don’t know anything, and don’t ever mention my parents. I won’t hesitate to burn this place down, Aliyah.”

A tense staredown resulted in me stepping aside, allowing her to open the door and walk to her car. I couldn’t help but follow behind, eager to speak one last time in hopes of convincing her to talk.

“Janet, did you kill your parents?” I asked, regretting that decision seconds later. The wrong choice of words could’ve gotten me killed. “You need to talk to someone. I can see and feel the dark aura around you. It’s eating you up inside. If you don’t do something about it soon, you’re going to attract the demons I’ve been telling you about.”

“Then maybe that’s for the best,” she hollered. I must’ve jinxed it, because her vicious shout summoned a small group of demons that lurked across the street.

“Dammit, they’re here.” I mustered enough courage to grab her hand. “Stop getting so angry and open up before they start manipulating you.”

She shot a searing glare. “I told you not to touch me.”

I screeched in agony and released my grip, peering down at my hand to see a burn mark on my palm.

“Stay away from me,” she demanded, getting in her car and putting the key in the ignition.

“You don’t have to run,” I cried out.

Feeling the harsh sting of my scorching flesh, I contemplated if I should go after her. Watching the pack of demons follow the vehicle as she drove down the street did me no favors.

My desire to save her encouraged my next move. “Dad, forgive me.”

***

My heart pounded in my chest after stepping on the gas pedal. The motion of my dad’s moving car through the night streets of New York made me scared for my life, almost as if it were tugging the strings of my soul.

This was only my second time behind the wheel, but I had to put my fear aside and save Janet. All I could hope for was that the demons in pursuit wouldn’t influence her to do anything life-threatening.

A red light halted my chase. “Dammit,” I uttered, hitting the wheel with a closed fist. The pain in my hand reminded me of how dangerous she could be.

“Why don’t you turn around before you get hurt? She isn’t worth it.”

The deep, grueling voice of my demonic tormentor echoed in my mind. The demon was seated in the back of the car, its presence making the journey even more unnerving.

“She killed her parents. That’s unforgivable. She deserves to die.”

“Shut up. She’s not dying.”

We debated as I drove through the busy streets. The sirens of police cars driving by made me panic.

“You should go home. The girl is going to die no matter what.”

Taking a deep breath, I ignored its callous words and concentrated on the road. The Shadow Current soon became visible, allowing me to track Janet’s location to a bridge where several cars were parked.

My eyes widened at the unsettling view of Janet standing at the edge of the bridge, her vision locked on the water below. The brisk wind brushed against my face after unbuckling my seat belt and getting out of the car. I pushed past the people who had gotten out of their vehicles with their cell phones in hand and made my way toward Janet, who stepped one foot on the railing.

The heart-wrenching reminder of Valeria’s suicide attempt shrouded my mind with doubt and despair. “Not again,” I said to myself. “This is not going to happen.”

I approached Janet with caution, who turned to me in anger. “I told you to stay away from me,” she yelled through the loud commotion from the people nearby. A collection of demons were also present, one bigger than the others with a striking resemblance to the ogre-like demon that had manipulated Valeria. “I’m not strong like you,” Janet continued. “I can’t live through this anymore.”

“Yes, you can. This isn’t the answer, Janet. It never will be. Think about the people who love you, like your grandfather. You can’t leave him like this. He needs you. You have your whole future ahead of you. Life can change.”

Her eyes shut with a single tear trailing down her left cheek. She placed her other foot on the railing, causing me to scream in anguish.

“Grandpa will be safer without me,” she said. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to him.”

“Whatever happened, we can get through it together. I won’t be afraid of you. You can talk to me.”

“It’s my fault they’re dead, okay? I played with fire and they got burned. There’s nothing else to discuss.”

A deafening explosion erupted with her shout. Panicked pedestrians began scampering away from the bridge as vehicles began to explode. More demons surfaced with delight and watched the catastrophic show on display.

“They would still be alive if I wasn’t so captivated by something so destructive. You don’t know what it’s like to love something so dangerous, to be anxious every minute for something you know is wrong. To desire the one thing that destroyed your family, your home. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror anymore ‘cause if I did, I’d see the person responsible for my parents’ death. If I was a normal person like everyone else—like my therapist claims I am—my parents would still be here with me.”

Her fit of rage generated multiple explosions nearby. Onlookers scurried away in a frenzy, with some being trampled and lost in the stampede. Tears were ready to roll down my eyes. I could feel every bit of Janet’s suffering.

“Janet, you are normal. I know your parents wouldn’t want you to end your life this way. It was an accident, and I know they’d forgive you. Please, you have to believe me.”

“What would you know? You can’t talk to the dead. You have the perfect family and a boyfriend who loves you. You can never relate to me. Hell, you don’t even know me.”

“I don’t need to know you to understand and relate to you. You may feel like no one cares about you, but those feelings can change. We all make mistakes, Janet. We all have regrets, but we can’t let the past control our present and shape our future. You’re coming down from there, you hear me? I’m not gonna let the darkness take you.”

I reached out my arm and pulled Janet off the railing. Police sirens and relieved citizens brave enough to watch were heard in the distance.

“I told you, you don’t have to run,” I said, hugging her. “The best thing about being alive is that there’s always tomorrow, and tomorrow can be anything you want it to be.”

“I’m scared,” she admitted, gripping the back of my shirt while crying tears that were held back for so long. “I don’t wanna hurt innocent people or anyone I care about.”

“You won’t. I’ll make sure of that.”

The demons scattered in search of other potential victims, but the giant one stayed and glared at me from afar. There was no doubt anymore. It was the same one that influenced Valeria.

Several officers rushed over and covered me and Janet with large blankets while escorting us away from the scene. I smiled feeling her grip onto my hand. It was a scary night, but going through it all for her was worth it.

Tonight, a friendship had been born.