Dawn approached with the light of the rising sun gleaming through the windows of the minivan. Ray dropped Janet off first before making his way to my home, but as we neared the street I lived on, my cell phone vibrated with Lucas’s number appearing on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Ali, I need you to come over to my house. Right now. Robyn’s having complications with the baby. She’s screaming and said not to call the ambulance, but I think she’s in labor.”

Oh, no.

“I’ll be there in a second,” I told him before ending the call.

“Seriously?” Ray complained. “Dammit, Aliyah. Expect a gas bill under your door later.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just turn around. We’re going to my boyfriend’s house.”

☾☼☽

When we arrived in front of the house, Ray offered to wait and bring me back home, but I declined. He had done enough for me for one day.

I ran to Lucas’s door and knocked until he opened it. The first thing he did was scrutinize my damaged attire. “Ali, what happened to—”

“I’m fine.”

I walked in the house and saw Robyn on the living room couch—unconscious—with a towel wrapped below her bare and bloated stomach.

“What happened?” I asked Lucas.

“She passed out a little after I called you. Maybe it was due to the pain, I don’t know.”

“Where’s your dad?”

“Probably drunk somewhere, who knows. He went out last night and never came home. Speaking of last night, where were you? I can tell something happened.”

Lucas already had enough going on. I didn’t want him to worry about me as well.

“It’s a long story,” I said while walking further into the house to distance myself.

But of course, he followed behind. “Well, can you fill me in? I feel like we’re losing connection and there’s a lot going on that you’re not telling me. What happened to not keeping secrets?”

He just had to bring that back up.

“I’m not. I just don’t wanna pull you into this stuff, okay? It’s getting dangerous. There are demons, a mysterious organization, an evil cult, and a bunch of other insane pieces to the crazy puzzle. It’s all so overwhelming.”

He placed his hands on my waist, gazing into my eyes. “Babe, listen to me: whatever you’re involved in, so am I. I wanna protect you. I wanna be the person you come to when you feel like there’s no hope. I wanna be the man who makes everything okay. Please, let me into your life.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I could only look down at the carpet and let his words sink in. He placed his finger under my chin and lifted my vision. “Please,” he said with a smile.

I returned the gesture. “Alright. I’ll start from the beginning.”

We walked back to the living room and sat on the sofa across from Robyn, who didn’t move an inch since my arrival. Had Lucas not told me she passed out, I would’ve assumed she was dead.

If only.

Pushing those negative thoughts aside, I conversed with Lucas about everything that transpired overnight. Unsurprisingly, he gaped in disbelief and sat in silence. Trying to rationalize it all would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t there.

“Ali…what has this world come to?” he questioned. “Our lives don’t feel like reality anymore. None of it feels right.”

“I know, believe me. What about you, though? How’s the music deal going?”

He sighed and stared into space before speaking. “It’s amazing. Too amazing, actually. My dreams are coming true, but this isn’t the way I thought I’d feel. Regardless, I have to keep at it despite the fact it could all be fake. Hell, I’ll need the money to take care of a child, after all. Right?”

Ugh. Why Lucas, why? Why’d he have to bring that up now?

“I guess.” I looked away from him. “You have to do the right thing.”

He got off the couch and stood in front of me. “Listen. I don’t wanna be like my dad.” He took me by the hand and lifted me up to face him. “If I’m connected to that child in some bizarre way, I have to be there and love that kid, Ali. It’s my responsibility. I know it’s crazy, but I have to do it.”

I hated everything about his resolve, but I chose to say, “Okay, I’m with you. And I’ll find a way to reverse the curse. That’s my responsibility.”

“Alright. Then we both have goals to accomplish. Let’s achieve them together.”

We held each other close until Robyn’s sudden shriek pulled us apart. The lights began to flicker as shockwaves shook the home, tearing through the walls and furniture in the house.

“What’s happening?” Lucas panicked.

“Something really bad. I need you to leave and—”

“No, Ali. I’m gonna protect you. You don’t have to fight alone.”

His bravery and love for me was appreciated, but I couldn’t help but fear for his safety. Before long, the horrifying birth of Robyn’s child had begun. Her eyes shot open as she hollered in despair through the tortuous process. A murky hand clawed its way out of the darkness between her legs, its black arms stretching further every second. It was soon apparent that the dark, humanoid figure wasn’t the size of an infant, but a mature life form with a solid physique.

She cried out in agony as the shady organism continued to slither out of her. The more its lanky body released from her abdomen, the stronger the shockwaves became.

“W-what the hell is that?” Lucas quavered, pointing at the creature.

Reality set in hard. Lucas could see the demon.

“Lucas, I need you to run, okay? Run. Now.”

The demon’s head rotated upside down until it completed its abnormal contortion and stood tall in the home. Red liquid oozed from its eyes and spilled on the carpet before it opened its hollow mouth and screeched.

I manifested a chakram and hurled it with as much strength as I could muster, but it did little to bother the gangly creature. It retaliated by lurching forward with its thin arms circulating in an unorthodox motion. Both Lucas and I dodged its frontal attack that broke the dining table in half.

“Grab Robyn,” I told him as I ran halfway up the living room stairs. Lucas lifted her body off the couch and hurried past me to carry her into his bedroom. I watched the demon tear through the house in a frenzy before making my way upstairs to Lucas and locking the room door.

“This is insane,” he voiced in fear, placing Robyn down on his bed. “Ali, how do we kill it? Should I call the police?”

“No, they’ll get killed. I have to be the one to stop it.”

“No way. That’s a real demon down there. I’m not letting you risk your life trying to fight it.”

“What do you think I’ve been fighting all this time? I know I can—”

“No.” His shout was filled with frustration and sadness. “I had to live without you for almost an entire month, and those were some of the hardest days of my life. I can’t risk losing you again, Aliyah. Seeing with my own eyes what you’ve been dealing with has changed my mind. I don’t want you doing this anymore.”

Robyn's sniffling pulled us out of our debate, only for her words to bring more distress.

“There's… There’s something else inside of me.”