The Demon Inside (Hell's Creatures Book 1)

by Katerina Degratte

  Gabriel falls to the floor as the door snaps shut. “Why did I have to get stuck with a bastard such as him for a father?” He rubs his swollen cheek, from where his father hit him. “Looks like school’s not an option for a few days.” It was still too dark to hide.

  A Black Veil Brides soundtrack plays in the background as he sheds his tears. He takes a blade from his pocket and cuts his ankles, leaving thin red lines as the blood flows, then stops all too soon. Healing too quickly to do any actual damage. “With knives and pens we made a plight,” he softly sings.

  I feel my heart cry out to him.

  xxXxx

  “Why?” he yells out to the sky. “Why did you leave me just to stick me here with him? Every day I go through more misery than the last, and it gets so hard just to survive!” He’s in a wooded clearing. “This voice inside my head tells me to destroy, to hurt people, but I can’t stand doing that,” he chokes, falling to his knees, whiskey bottle in hand. Guess that was always his drink of choice.

  “I want to die! I don’t want to go through every day of misery. In a short year I’ll be subjecting people to the worst! I can’t live seeing myself that way!” he yells, sitting up. “That’s why I should take care of it before it even becomes an issue before I become more of an issue than I already am. I drink my weight in alcohol all the time to numb it!”

  He weaves his hand through his back pocket until he finds what he’s looking for, a bottle of pills. I feel myself gasping at the sight. Even though he couldn’t have gone through with it since he’s still alive and standing today. At least it was an unsuccessful venture.

  “Mom, I’m sorry, and dad you can go to hell for all I care.” He pours the pills out into his shaking palm. Because of all the shaking, they splatter all around the ground. “FUCK!” In a frenzy, he goes to pick them up until a hand stops him. “Knock off!” he mutters. “I’m having a moment.”

  The hand takes his own, and he looks up to see a woman with long brown curls, and eyes that match his own. Theresa.

  “Mom,” he chokes, somehow just knowing that’s who she was.

  “Yes dear, I’m here, but my time is short.” She gives him a hug, though he doesn’t wrap his arms around her. “You can’t end your life.” She strokes his cheek, which he jumps away from.

  “You don’t understand. Life is hard to go through. I constantly try to be good, try to do the right thing, but I slip and drink and screw around. My father wants the worst for me, even though, with whom he is, I shouldn’t call him that,” he rambles, pacing around the area.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” she whispers, stroking his hair like he is still a child. She puts a hand over the pills, evaporating them as the son looks onin shock. Maybe even slight relief.

  “I was going to use those; how did you do that?” His mouth gasps like a fish needing water.

  “I’m an angel, a powerful one at that.” She smirks, matching his own. “And in a brief time of eight or nine months I’ll be sending someone to help you, so try not to push her limits too much.” She rolls her eyes. “For now, I must go before everyone else finds where I ventured off to.” A worried look is in her eyes.

  “Please don’t go yet.” He grabs her arm, pleading with her to stay.

  She shakes her head, giving him a sad smile. “I’ll see you on the other side in a year’s time. Remember your mother loves you.” She gives him one last quick hug before disappearing.

  xxXxx

  I’m in a room with a dreary light. The walls painted a blood red as if he painted with the insides of his victims.

  “Enjoying the show?” A voice calls out from a black as night couch. It was plush, looked inviting, but I knew better than to sit my cute little ass there. Always a trap with him.

  The demon.

  I cautiously go toward him.

  “Please take a seat.” He smirks venomously. “I won’t bite like your vampire friend.”

  “What do you want?” I scoff, lacking surprise at where I’d ended up...

  “No, it’s not what I want, it’s what you want dear.” He shrugs. “You’re going around Gabriel’s memories, it is much like a soap opera. Sad, really? Want some tea?” He gives me a devilish smile.

  I shake my head. “I’ll pass on that for now.” Forever. You don’t accept a drink from a demon. Especially one who tried to kill you.

  “Smart girl.” He tilts his head to the side. “It has rat poison in it you know, I was hoping to trick you into tasting it. Then I would have one less problem to worry about.” He takes a drink. How fucking mental was he? “I personally like the zest of flavor it gives.”

  “Why are you here?” I ask warily.

  “I’m Gabriel’s demon, this is the image of who he sees me as, so this is how I appear.” He points to his form. The glowing red eyes, devil horns, darkened wings, and pointed teeth. He looks so much like Gabriel, but with several differences, and the twist of evil in his eyes. Gabriel was an asshole, but not evil.

  The demon is... “Nice place you have here.” I look around idly at the blood red walls and carpets with every piece of furniture black. So cheerful.

  “Just because it doesn’t suit your tastes angel, doesn’t mean you have to insult it, that’s rude you know.” He’s one to talk about unpleasantries.

  “Did I offend his highness?” I scoff. “I’m here to kill you.”

  “Give it your best shot.” He grins wildly, challenging me. He was insane, lived for these sorts of moments.

  I run up on him, placing my hand on his chest as the energy pours through me, laying its bellowing blow.

  He writhes in pain. “Be careful about what you use up your energy doing next time.” He coughs, yet doesn’t sound concerned.

  And like that, I’m gone and away from him, back into my own body. I blink my eyes open, coughing as I fight the weakness that threatens to take over me.

  Gabriel’s eyes open, looking at me worriedly. “What happened? Are you okay? Please don’t go into a coma on us again Aura!”

  I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.” I shrug, feeling very discouraged. I’d gotten too distracted, should have been more on target. His demon could conjure up a lifetime of memories for me and I wouldn’t be able to beat him there.

  He looks worried. “Which ones did you see?”

  I shrug. “None of them were with you and girls in bed,” I tease, before the smile drops. “Though I saw you as a kid at a train station, your father hitting you and the first and only time you encountered your mother.” I leave out the part that was happening before that. He need not know that I saw him planning on committing suicide. That I saw him try, again and again, just to fail. To fail because of the angel blood’s healing properties. It was bad enough to think about. Even if he was fixed, he had a lifetime of issues to work over. Trauma didn’t just get wiped clean.

  “I told you it wasn’t a pretty place,” he says, scratching his arm. I try to avoid staring at his arms. Pinpointing the exact points I saw in the memory, the lack of scars. People rarely appreciate those stares. Was that an often occurrence?

  I shake my head. “I feel exhausted and defeated though, I’ll see you later.”

  He looks like he wants to ask something but pauses. “Maybe it’s better if I don’t know.”

  “What is it, Gabriel?” I question what he could be talking about. I didn’t blow off his queries about the memories.

  “Do you know what happened to Minx, and her buddies the other night? Or anything about what happened in the forest. One night their enchanting Latin around me, the next I woke up to a sunny sky, with no one anywhere to be seen.” Missing memories had to be troublesome.

  “I don’t know about them,” I lie, not wanting to cause another heaping of drama on his plate. I knew about Minx, but I wasn’t about to brag about killing someone. Someone who looked like my sister. Better off forgotten. The others I didn’t know. For all I knew, there was only Minx herself.

  “Did you kiss me? Well, him?”. He wasn’t supposed
to know about...that! Heat rises in my face.

  “No,” I say, grimacing at how fake it sounds. There was no way I sounded or looked like I was telling the truth.

  “Was it good?” I’m reminded of the way I enjoyed being in the demon’s arms way too much. It was just for business, not pleasure. The two shouldn’t be mixed. “Because if it was bad, we could try again.” He jokingly winks.

  “See you later. Bye. Besides, save those kisses for someone who wants them. I’m sure you’d have several takers.” I’ve recovered from my embarrassment.

  “Jealous?” Nah, I didn’t need a mouth that’s been around the bend that many times on my own.

  He wishes. “More so concerned about any type of contact like that, with you. Need not catch some demonic disease.” I slam the door in his face before he can come up with some witty comeback.

  xxXxx

  “Aura.” I hear Theresa’s voice call me over.

  I look around to see that she’s pulled me back into the area of peace. “Is something wrong?”

  “We need to talk.” Her air of seriousness confuses me. What did I do wrong? Why was everyone impossible to keep happy?

  “I’ve been doing what you’ve told me to do Theresa, what more is there?” I question her.

  “You’ve been trying trial after trial.” Well, two. Three if you count Minx’s excuse of a trial. At least none of mine ended that badly, not that the thought conjures much pleasure.

  “I’ve given him the tools he needs, the pills.” All that crap. What more did she expect from me?

  “It’s not just making him jump through hoops Aura. The demon’s been there for years.”

  Where was she going with this? Was I not doing enough? If she could do better, why wasn’t she there. The absentee mother. I’m almost shocked at my resentment.

  “So, I’m trying to expel it!” I yell, exasperated. I was the one doing her dirty work, and she wanted to criticize me.

  “It’s been there for him for years. Good and bad. It’s a part of him, it’s been a friend. He’s a lonely guy.” I see where she’s going with this, or at least I think I do.

  “You want me to be his friend, spend more time with him.” Fuck.

  “Give him every reason possible to not go back to him. It may not be enough, but at least try.”

  Chapter 24

  Gabriel

  ‘Hello?’ I call out to him but only get silence. I shouldn’t be egging him on, but the silence is driving me insane. It was nice for two seconds, before becoming deathly lonely. That, along with my pounding from a minor headache, nausea, the classics. The few side effects from the ratchet smelling pills Aura gave me. Also, with the fact that it burns my insides, from it repenting my demon side... maybe I should mention that to Aura, but eh... could be worse.

  He’s been quiet. Other than a few bits and pieces that get out through the static. It’s lonely even, not like I necessarily was missing him; he’d just become a part of daily life.

  Luke helped me fix the apartment issue, as long as I worked for him again. Not glorious, but he didn’t have to help me out. Or take me back on after past issues I’ve caused.

  There’s a knock at my apartment door. Cheryl. She almost immediately jumps into my arms. “Gabriel, I missed you so much!” Her lips greedily take mine, as I’m unresponsive, just taking it. She was too far gone to notice. “Did you want to party a bit?” My stomach clenches at the idea.

  I shake my head. “No thanks, Cheryl.” I had to be better than that. I didn’t want to wake up shirtless in the middle of the woods again. The partying could take its ship right past me for a bit.

  “Are you feeling alright? The Gabriel I know never says no to a high.” She pouts her full lips. “Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?” Her eyes are dilated. What was the substance of choice this time?

  I have to be better. I push her back from me. “I said no.” She takes offense. “Why can’t we do something else, like catch a movie? Bowling? Relax at home? I’m really not feeling well. All we ever do is get high.” I take a seat down on the edge of the bed.

  She looks around. “I don’t get it.” She sees the bottle of pills on my dresser and grabs them. “No label. What are these?” She tampers with the lid. I should have hidden those instead of leaving them in plain sight. I knew better.

  “Give them back.” I didn’t have the patience for this. My voice is testy, I try not to let the rage rush through. I have no desire to find out what would happen if a human took those. She’d probably seize out or something. That’s something he would enjoy. I mentally smack myself for letting thoughts like those enter through the cracks of my mind.

  Her face screws up in distaste. “Oh god, the smell is wretched.” She takes one in her taloned fingers. “I guess trying one couldn’t hurt.” She licks her lips, trying to tempt me.

  “No, they’re prescription.” I apologize.

  “All the more fun.” She winks, taking that as an invitation.

  I tackle her over, much to the complaints of my body which is adjusting to the meds.

  “Ouch!” She yelps, though it likely hurt me more than it hurt her.

  I roll off her, grabbing the pill she’d taken.

  “What the hell was that for? I was just trying to have fun.”

  “Cheryl, we’re not a suitable fit. I don’t want to see you anymore. Don’t come back.” The waterworks start. Heaven, no. We’ve been over this.

  “Gabriel, I love you. Please don’t do this.” She tries to run her fingers across my cheek, I flinch from the contact. It felt wrong.

  “No, leave.” I wasn’t budging on the issue. I go towards the door, opening it for her.

  “But-” I cut her off.

  “Leave. Don’t make me tell you again.” My voice is devoid of any emotion, once again indicating towards the open door want her to go before a stray cat decides to come running in. Just fucking go.

  She cries but picks herself up and goes. “You’ll eventually come around calling me again. But do us both a favor and wait until you plan on being fun again. This sober act you got going doesn’t fit you.” Her eyes burn in hatred for me. “Of course, you wanted me to go, so you could have fun with that blonde you keep ditching me for.” Fuck? Aura wouldn’t be dense enough to go to this side of town, would she?

  Why wouldn’t she be? She walks in, ignoring Cheryl’s slander towards her.

  I shut the door. “Aura what in the actual hell are you doing around here?” My body flinches in pain, the immediate anger making him restless and resentful to be locked away, flaring in her presence.

  “I’m worried about you. You went awol for a few days after those pills. Something-.” She stops her train of thought, eyes scanning over me. Studying me. “You’re not taking too well to them, are you?” Can’t keep anything hidden from her. If she sticks around, maybe she should consider a police career choice, given there is one available, when this city turns to chaos.

  “Just adjusting.” I look away, embarrassed. I didn’t want to appear to have a low pain tolerance. I could handle it. “Point is, it’s doing what it needs to do.”

  “What are all your symptoms? I could make adjustments.” She steps a little too close to feel my temperature. The proximity increases my body heat.

  I take a few steps back. “Calm it down a bit with the mother bear act.” She ignores it through with a simple roll of the eyes.

  “You look pale. Do you have a fever?”

  “I’m fine.” I flinch as I hear someone at the door yet again. Must be Cheryl returning to apologize and beg that I take her back. “Go away I’m not interested Cheryl.” I yell out.

  “Wonderful thing, I’m not Cheryl.” I hear his voice as the door twists open. Fml. I should have locked the damn thing, not that it would have made much of a difference, anyway.

  Fuck. I step in front of Aura to shield her body from him. Try to keep her safe. Not that I could do much good in my current predicament. Why did he have to stop by now of
all times? Luke should have told her not to come. He probably did, but she’s not a caged animal, only around to do tricks.

  “Looks like you have a visitor.” The smile he gives Aura is haunting. On the outside, she doesn’t flinch a bit. “To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be meeting you so soon.” His eyes scan over her, a hint of a smirk present. He gives a false gesture of kindness by offering his hand to shake, but she doesn’t take it. Smart move. “You’re smarter than you look. I could use someone like you on my side.”

  Her eyes glare blazing daggers at him. Her anger is barely concealed, refraining from expressing how she feels on that subject.

  “So, you should be smart enough to know not to attack me here, where I can call up half a dozen guys to help in just the snap of my fingers. Right?” His head tilts to the side, enjoying that he has the power in this situation.

  She numbly nods.

  “Why are you here, father?” I snarl at him.

  “What, worried that I’m going to hurt your little girlfriend? Not that it will matter if you have a different girl on your arm every night.” He shrugs. “No, I’m here to remind you that the hour is near.” His lips twist to something senile, showing his wicked ambition.

  “He’s stronger than that. He won’t give in.” Aura speaks for the first time since he’s arrived, sounding surprisingly confident in the ideal.

  “He’s not living by father’s rules. Just like the angels would throw you out if they really knew what we’re doing, Aura.” He laughs, bemused. “Don’t look so surprised Aura, I know tons about you. Word gets around.”

  “Could you be any more of a creep?” I shoot back at him to get his attention on me, instead of sitting idly by while his eyes dissect her like a frog.

  He takes an interest in the bottle of pills on the dresser. He picks them up, opening them, wincing at the smell as everyone else has before. “These have to be eating away at your insides, Gabriel.” No worry or anger---just stating the obvious. I look worriedly at the way he holds them. The rare ingredients potentially going to waste if he disposes of them. He places it back on the counter though, not seeing that fight as worth it.