The Road Becomes Distorted

So much has happened. I couldn't update this as often as I wanted because Damen told me months ago someone unpleasant might be tracking us through this. I can hardly remember all that has occurred; the days and weeks have been blurred together. I can't believe so many months have passed by. School must be starting soon. I'm sure my name will be called on the roster somewhere.

June's dead. Damen's missing. He told me he would come back to get me. It's been weeks now, I think. I can't say exactly where I am; Damen will have a fit. But it's far away from civilization. I had to travel about a day and half on foot to get to a nearby town. Pretty old town, lots of trees. Must be somewhere in the east. Was able to nab a laptop from someone in a coffee shop. I can't expect this thing to last another day. So it might be a while before you hear from me again.

I wish I could say what all happened. I can't get my thoughts together. Everything just went to fucking hell in a handbasket. I need to write it all down before my memory fails me altogether. Might help if I find something to eat.

I'm sure there's more to come on this barren road I'm taking. I can't escape it now.

Denbora

I'm out in some foreign desert; it's not one I've seen before or that could possibly be pulled from memory. There are the regular inhabitants; cacti, tumbleweeds, rocks. Lots of rocks. Can barely see the dirt. But the only living thing besides myself is a single lizard, bathing in the blistering sunlight. It does not run no matter how close I got to it but each step towards it draws closer an ominous feeling, growing from an unsure whisper in my brain to a definite fear fluttering in my heart. It would then stare at me with its perfectly yellow gaze and as my heart rate spiked I would awake before I could die of fright. A dream; one of an ominous omen if I remember correctly. Ugh. Damen sure picked a fucking perfect time to up and disappear.

I think I'll just skip to the interesting part. June and I stopped at a local deli after spending most of the morning searching for Damen (against June's better judgement, but she acknowledged he did save us from the van that crashed into the restaurant). My thoughts were consumed with the possible areas he might be and where we had yet to check that I completely blocked out June's presence. Until, that is, when things got weird.

"You are truly a loyal companion, aren't you?"

I thought maybe I was hearing things. Clearly the voice couldn't have come from anyone else other than June, but it was deep and distorted... almost... demonic.

June's eyes, which had turned a familiar bright yellow, flashed to my hand as it grasped the table knife ever so slightly. "Hmm. I stand corrected." The creature in turn picked up June's knife and held it up to her throat. I cursed and set mine back down.

"Haven't you ever heard of manners?" it taunted, distorting June's face into a monstrous smirk.

Folding my arms, I asked, "Who are you and why are you here?"

"You yourself have invited me, the demon Denbora."

"Bless you."

"Too late for that, girlie."

I threw my head back and glared at the sky. "Do you mind leaving? I'd kinda like my friend back, you know."

"Sorry, I'm not as easy to get rid of as Damen."

Oh, that got my attention. I met the cold hard gaze of the yellow eyes and stared into them for a good few minutes before shrugging. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised demons know each other..." Something else occurred to me as I said this last sentence. "... Have you been watching me?"

And the sneer I received in response confirmed it all. "No, I haven't. But I have. And I will."

Before I could get a word in on what he meant, June suddenly collapsed and laid unconscious on the cement floor. She's sill breathing but she has yet to awaken; I carried her from the deli and placed her on her bed once we got home. Denbora hasn't shown up since then. It's been three days. And I'm feeling pretty vulnerable right now. I haven't been able to buy groceries with a card or drive anywhere considering I don't actually have an identity.

But at least I wasn't alone.

Long story short, Damen told me he only returned when he smelled Denbora's "scent" at June's residence. I wanna say they are sworn rivals, but I don't think they hate each other. Damen describes Denbora in explicit detail; his appearance, his personality and, more importantly, his motivation. Though it screams nothing short of a typical demon.

"He and I have a bet," Damen remarked, fidgeting with a small round object in his hands. "But this is unfortunate. We might just be competing for the same- " He stopped himself short, but soon continued to throw the ball in the air and catch it repeatedly. "I'll get to work on waking June up. Shouldn't take long. Do you guys have meat?" So I fed him an early dinner before he proceeded to look after June. Personally, I don't think he's making a damn bit of difference. But I suppose the only thing I can do is just wait. In the meantime, I think I'll take some great advice and search for others who might share my dilemma. 

"To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy."

"Always say 'Bless you' after someone sneezes to ensure that the devil hasn't entered their body."

Things Have Been Quiet Recently

I'm starting to look up some websites about superstitions. I've got a pretty good one here; really, I didn't think there were so many. Damen was being an ass and told me some of them were not true but he refused to tell me which ones. Now I just think he's messing with me. That comment sparked the interesting part of our conversation.

"So how do I get rid of this bad luck?" I asked, almost nonchalantly. I attempted to appear uninterested and not really expect an answer. He decided to humor me.

"You have to get rid of me." He smiled devilishly at the thought of it, like it was an impossible act. Or maybe he was imagining me choking him to death to solve the problem.

"I take it killing you is out of the question?"

His eyes flashed and the smile turned inhuman. "You could try. I doubt you'll get any results."

"So that's a no?"

"Did I say that?"

I flipped him off and he burst into a hysterical fit of laughter. He rose to his feet after it was over and patted on my head as he headed for the kitchen. I half wished I had thought about poisoning some of the food 'til I remembered June might accidentally die instead if she ate anything I poisoned.

"Hey, Damen!" He didn't respond. "Why do you insist on saving me from bad luck if you won't even tell me how to get rid of it?"

"Call it just desserts," he replied through a mouthful of food.

"That doesn't explain anything."

"Get used to disappointment, little girl."

Okay. I could play that game, too. I leapt off the couch and stomped over to the coat rack. Damen was unaware at the moment what I was doing, but I'm sure my sudden silence got him suspicious. The moment I found what I was looking for, Damen suddenly appeared, his hand gripping my wrist and the other confiscating the umbrella.

"What happened to just desserts?" I mocked, wrestling my arm in attempt to free myself from his grasp.

"Don't cause trouble."

"Oh, I see, I'm so very sorry. I didn't realize that was your jurisdiction." He threw my arm aside, finally annoyed with my struggling. "If you only told me why I'm sure I would be less inclined to 'cause trouble'."

He cursed under his breath and broke the umbrella in half. I didn't want to think how I'd have to explain to June how her umbrella broke without her lashing out in hysterics. Damen shook his head several times now and I snickered at his frustration. I'm sure he was realizing he couldn't keep me in the dark for long.

"There are... worse things than a car crash," was all he said.

"Such as?"

He stood there for several seconds, glancing at numerous things as though they would save him from this confrontation. At a loss for words, he finally tossed down the two halves of the umbrella and retreated back into the kitchen. There were sounds of clanging plates and unraveling of plastic as he resumed his task of making lunch for himself. My own frustration boiling over I grabbed a coat and walked out the door, taking extra care to slam the door for him. It wasn't good enough. I needed answers.

Well, I spent the rest of the afternoon just cruising around downtown. Several times I was tempted to deliberately give myself more bad luck, but I knew it would only get my ass screwed over than anyone else's. Especially since Damen wasn't here if I did. Flashes of images of the car crash weeks earlier resurfaced and I couldn't be sure if the next unfortunate incident would result in my death if Damen wasn't here to save my sorry butt. He knew that, too; and he knows that no matter what I'm at his mercy. Is that the reason he won't tell me how to get rid of him?

The rest of the day passed by as uneventful as ever and tension was high at home after June picked me up at a local coffee shop. There was the usual behavior between June and Damen, but June couldn't help but notice how Damen seemed to be ignoring my existence as well. It annoyed me to have him on my back all the time, but his silence concerned me. I finally had to say something during dinner. June was the only one who noticed me as I stood up from my chair, glowering at Damen.

"If you're not going to tell me what the fuck you're after, you can leave." That caught his attention. He placed down his silverware slowly and gazed up at me as though I were an insignificant bug.

"You can't survive without me," he replied, as if reminding me that in order to eat I needed to chew.

"I know all the in's and out's. If you hadn't noticed, superstitions aren't hard to come by. I can handle things from here. Now get out."

He shrugged and, slightly to my surprise, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. June's face mirrored my amazement as he shut the door with a forceful bang on his way out. I stood there frozen and finally sank back into my chair.

"... He's really gone," June whispered. I couldn't say anything in response. June attempted to lighten up the atmosphere but finally realized I wasn't in any mood to feel happy or relieved. I called in early that night and stared at the ceiling for a good hour before falling asleep.

That was almost a week ago. Everything has been quiet since then. I decided to not do anything rash since I figured that's what he wanted. My just desserts. I'm going to see if I can return to my normal life now that he's gone. I'm going to stay on my guard, though. I can't really be expected to believe that getting rid of bad luck can be that easy.


"It’s bad luck to open an umbrella inside the house, especially if you put it over your head."

Seeing Double

For weeks on end I had to deal with Damen's constant supervision and nagging. Every time I would make the motion, he'd quickly remind me to avoid looking over my left shoulder no matter what. Pissed and annoyed as I was, I did find it strange that nothing else had occurred since that day at the restaurant. Yes, I was still skeptical. And my disbelief cost me much more than I bargained for.

My next "transgression" was at a local festival held annually at this time of year across the street from my house. June sort of retracted into her shell; she was in complete denial. Strange, and yet she is the one who is extremely superstitious. Damen also noticed the sudden change in her demeanor. Still, he allowed me to go with June when she offered to have me go to the festival. She was a little disheartened when I asked to invite Damen, but finally conceded after much persuasion. Does she think ignoring his existence will make him go away? I don't even know what goes on through June's mind these days. Interestingly, Damen also seemed quite grim to accompany us considering he watches my every move like a starving hawk. What the hell was with everyone?

Well, I attempted to liven up the group and have as much fun despite the depressing atmosphere they were engulfing themselves in. June completely ignored Damen, an action that was mutually returned. Which put all of June's attention on me, preventing me from interacting with him. I had tried to get to know Damen better and why he was here, but all my efforts failed as June interrupted any contact I might have with him. She was still at it hardcore during this festival and I hardly even got to have a word in with Damen. He finally piped up when June suggested we travel through the House of Mirrors. I turned to him and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to not break any mirrors," I mocked and proceeded into the maze without allowing him a word in. June had already gotten a head start, unaware that I had stopped to address Damen about the mirrors. I also had to keep in mind to not glance over my left shoulder at any cost, lest the bad luck incurred upon by the saltshaker kick into effect. This pissed me off to no end; it still does. When will this particular bad luck run out?

Honestly, it was a fucking nightmare. Everywhere I turned I could see thousands of reflections of June and slowly as I progressed into the House of Mirrors the images began to distort. June's image began to grow fatter, mine grew taller; you know, those kinds of mirrors. And then I reached what I assumed was the center because the mirrored walls caved into a circle surrounding this lonely pedestal that held a traditional candle in a cup handle. Then, as if sensing my presence within the room, the lights abruptly extinguished leaving the candle the only thing lit. Weird, but I went along with it. It had been ages since I had been in a House of Mirrors, though now it seemed they were attempted to convert it into a House of Horrors. Which was progressively becoming true as I had to slowly maneuver myself around the corridors of mirrors. Seeing everything by candlelight in the dark, the mirrors gave the impression I was being stalked by numerous people. It didn't help that June had a candle, either. A flicker of light would occasionally fly across the many reflections of my own candlelight, which of course would scare the shit out of me. Madness was starting to take over; it just felt like I was going around in circles at this point. Then, the strange flicker came more frequently and my panic level was boosted to maximum.

"JUNE!!!"

"E?"

June's face finally appeared by her candle, right at the moment I called for her. Of course, she came up right behind me and the mirror distortions didn't help. So, naturally, I screamed and dropped my candle which conveniently caught fire on my pant leg. June set her's down a good ways away before patting out the fire. Everything else after that is fragmented. I know we had to be escorted out of the House of Mirrors and that I was in tears rambling nonsense. Once Damen heard what happened, shit hit the fan. He explained to me how horrible it was, but at the moment it didn't matter. I just continued my ramblings, the same few words over and over again. Though I do not remember what it was I was saying, June confirmed the words to me later on:

"Please don't let the precious die."


"It is unlucky to see your face in a mirror by candlelight."

Dealing With Damen

I didn't understand his meaning and I shook my head in confusion.

"What about it?"

"Don't you know?" he asked almost incredulously. I was starting to get ticked.

"Spilling salt is bad luck, E," clarified June. I rolled my eyes; typical June being such a superstitious baby.

"So?" I retorted, waving my arms at the other objects on the table threatening to knock 'em over. "It's not like it's the end of the world."

I heard something that sounded like someone clearing their throat and looked up to see the boy averting his gaze from my own. Seriously? What was the deal with these two, I thought. I fidgeted a while before deciding to change the subject.

"Are you going to sit down?" I asked him. He snapped his head back to me and it wasn't until that moment did I really take in the color of his eyes. A cool green, mirroring that of the natural colors of the forests. He glanced down at the empty space next to me and I patted on the seat invitingly. He complied and sat down.

"What's your name?" I inquired. He didn't reply at first; opting to stare at me and observe me thoroughly before responding.

"Damen," he murmured.

"Where'd you come from?"

"E!" chimed in June.

"What? Am I being rude?" She replied with a look. One that I knew all too well in the many years that I've known her. I sighed and rubbed my left temple.

"Sorry, Damen. I suppose you're very busy and you need to get going."

"I can't."

I grinned to myself gazing aimlessly at a barren part of the table. "Sure you can. I'm not holding you back."

"You are."

I glared at him, mostly in confusion. "Why do you say that? What did I do?"

His eyes flashed back to the overturned salt-shaker and I groaned, frustrated. "Look, I get that you're a superstitious dude, but I don't believe so therefore it won't work. Or would you like me to throw a pinch of salt over my shoulder to put an ease to your mind?"

"It won't matter now. It's too late."

"Then what is the problem??"

"He means it's too late, E," said June. "You're now cursed with bad luck."

"Oh, please."

"This sounds serious, E."

"That's because you're an idiotic, gullible fool."

"Don't be an ignorant ass!"

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "C'mon! Do you honestly expect me to believe that spilling salt is bad luck and that throwing it over my left shoulder- "

"DON'T-!!" It was at that moment when I motioned throwing salt over my left shoulder that Damen grabbed my arm to stop me from moving. He cursed under his breath at the sound of car horns blowing and tires squealing.

"Get away from the window!" The arm he had a hold of was tugged at the strength of his grip, forcing me from the comfort of my place in the booth and running towards the section with June, though confused, following shortly behind.

Not seconds afterward was the side of the building crashed into by a beige mini van, right were the three of us had been sitting. We took cover from the flying debris and when all was quiet once more, observed the damage done. Without hesitation, I ran forward to check if life still remained in the injured driver but was intercepted by Damen.

"What are you doing?!"

"He'll live."

"Bullshit! Let me through!"

"The strikes of bad luck only affect those who instigate it. The man has not been mortally injured."

Peeking over the top of his shoulder, I indeed saw the driver shake his head in confusion and appearing to be in perfect condition. I returned my gaze to the boy of green eyes and auburn hair who observed me with intense interest and sincere anxiety.

"So that one time when I looked over to see you..." I started slowly. "... You actually weren't there until I glanced over my left shoulder, were you?"

After carefully assessing my reactions and mental state, he slowly nodded to confirm my suspicions. I gulped, the weight of it all suddenly becoming heavier by the second.

"D-Does that mean... that you're... bad luck?"

He smirked. "You may even consider me to be... the devil himself."

The table where we once sat finally collapsed, a single item escaping away from the wreckage and rolling its way until it met the obstacle of June's foot. As she picked it up, the shape surprised me and my heart began to leap at the sight of a looming omen. But, upon closer inspection, I realized that the trinket she held in her hand was not the salt shaker.


"If you spill pepper you will have a serious argument with your best friend."

Where It All Started

It all started on this fateful day. My friend June and I went to a local restaurant as my birthday treat. I had been living with June for several years; anytime before the day when we first met is where my past begins to blur. Poor June had to put up with a lot of unanswered questions and just to get redemption she started playing around with the letter of my name. So far I've been called Elly, eBay, Elien (her play on alien), Eetle... My only comeback is June Bug. Ugh.


Anyway, the day went by just fine and dandy; I wouldn't trade anything for the first half of that day. Then we went to lunch. And I met him.


Now, of course, I've stated before I was into bad boys. So naturally I couldn't turn down the handsome guy I happened to see at a glance over my shoulder. Noticing my gaze, he arose from the booth farther down the way and walked over to June and I. June looked away; obviously uncomfortable in his presence. I welcomed him with a smile, which was returned with a grimace.


"You've got a bad case of luck, don't you?" were his first words. 


I stared at him inquisitively before replying, "I don't believe in luck."


That drew a smile on his face. "You will soon." He motioned his head to something on the table. Utterly confused, I followed his gaze to an overturned item lying next to my hand with its contents almost emptied from its bowels. It was a salt shaker.




"Bad luck will follow the spilling of salt unless a pinch is thrown over the left shoulder into the face of the devil waiting there."

My Name is E

Over time my name has lost all meaning; my own memories of my past remains blank or hazy. I'm not even sure it starts with an E. Whatever, I like it anyway. I've pretty much accepted the fact I'll never know where I came from or who I am. The future is all that's left for me so might as well keep moving forward, right?

Moving along... since this is an introductory post, I'll let you in on some little quirks about myself. After the many years of denial, I've finally conceded that I'm a materialist. Not hardcore; I can still tolerate religious holidays with a grimace now and then. The only thing that absolutely pisses me off is stupid superstitions. Like, really? Seven years of bad luck just for breaking a goddamned mirror? Someone was obviously bored one day and decided to create a panic amongst the people. Evil, conniving bastards, honestly.

Oh, also, I am very straightforward. I'll tell you outright I don't like you if it's how I feel. Deal with it. Needless to say, I've got very few friends. Not that I need any to keep me entertained, but apparently some people find that to be abnormal. Pft! Okay...

And finally, I go for the bad boys. It may be stupid and reckless, but don't go assuming I'm a fool or slut because of it. I'm not looking for romance. Or, at least the woman's definition of the word romance. Okay, fine, call me a slut. If that's what you want to label me; doesn't mean I'll give a fuck about it if you're doing it for attention. I've got everything figured out, don't worry. My whole life is planned out to a T.

Or, at least it was... before the day came where I would forever question the morals I thought I set down in stone...