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D is for Demon

As I walked down the crowded city streets of Honolulu, my mind buzzed with excitement. The smell of food reached my nose, and I nearly drooled from simply inhaling. Merchants had their own stands set up on the different sections of the street corner, and they were yelling to the masses about their products. The streets bustled with activity, and people of all shapes and sizes walked by me. Some of them looked me over while others just walked by me without even glancing in my general direction.

Most of the people were tourists either going to Hawaii or leaving it. Luckily, I was one of the people heading into the heart of Hawaii. I needed a break from work, and one of my friends decided to invite me over to his vacation home to spend the week. Technically it was his grandparent's vacation home, but I couldn't resist such an offer. I left early in the morning, and a few hours later I landed with a hundred or so others on Honolulu's main airstrip.

At the time, I had on baggy shorts and a simple tee shirt that had my favorite alternative rock band on it. A pair of shades sat upon my dirty blond hair, and the sandals I wore made a clapping sound as I walked. The suitcase I was pulling behind me hit several cracks in the hot sidewalk as I walked, which only made my presence even more known when it cracked every time it hit an indent in the sidewalk. My blue eyes scanned the locals, and I immediately knew I wasn't at my hometown of Waterloo anymore.

A woman about twenty-one walked by. Her blond hair sparkled in the sun as she walked, and her blue eyes twinkled as they scanned over me. She wore a plain white tee-shirt with baggy shorts. She gave a wink as she passed by me and I couldn't help but watch her closely as she strolled by. I blushed.

"Eyeing the locals?" a voice behind me asked. I jumped, and turned around to be face to face with a tall man. His voice was deep and soothing. He had a green tank top on, and white swim trunks were around his waist. The shoes on his feet hit the ground with a dull thunk as he walked. They were Nike, and I could tell from how worn they were that they were used for running.

His body was lean, and it didn't have an ounce of fat on it. His skin was a dark brown which showed of his heritage from Hawaii, and it really clashed with his swim trunks. His hazel eyes looked into my calmer brown ones with prestige and pride. His arms bulged menacingly, and his legs did the same. The tank top on his chest did little to shelter it. It pushed out against it which made the tank top look almost tight and revealing. The curves of muscle that cut paths through his torso like the Nile river in Egypt made many girls, and some curious men turn to catch a glance before walking on their marry way.

"Not like you don't too, Bruce," I teased.

He gave a smile, and then chuckled lightly, saying, "I'll admit that Hawaii does have more to it than just beautiful views and beaches..."

A brunet walked by, holding a red purse that matched the lipstick she had on. She wore an American Eagle shirt and black shorts that only covered her hips. Bruce glanced at her, and said, "It also has beautiful people."

I grinned foolishly. "I've only just left the airport, and it seems like Oahu is a crazy place."

A merchant yelled across the road at Bruce about how much his product would help his skin. Bruce just laughed, and said to me, "Yep. Better get used to it if you want to relax here. This is the more urbanized part of the island, but where we're going it's way quieter."

As we walked down the street, I thought about the plane ride here. I remembered the breathtaking views from the window I sat by on the plane and how the blue water and sandy beaches looked so small. I remembered seeing the large cityscapes dotting Hawaii in certain areas and then thinning out to allow the large forests and valleys breathing room.

I noticed that each area of Oahu was cut into different parts with the southern part of Hawaii being the most urban and the northern part being more virgin and untouched. The east and west parts of Oahu were more suited for my needs. They both had small towns that dotted the island, but still left some areas alone. The towns were not as big as Honolulu, but they still provided people with enough things to do that they didn't feel completely cut off from the urban lifestyle.

As we walked down several blocks and into the middle of Honolulu, the stands started to multiply and sell even more exotic gifts and other trinkets. Some sold clothes and the material to make them. Others sold foods that were part of the local cuisine, and some sold fruits that looked as sweet as they tasted. As we walked past the stands, the streets started to become more congested, and I realized that we were starting to walk through Honolulu's marketplace.

Many of the stores had flashing signs to attract tourists. Some of the stores even had discounts for first time visitors of Oahu, and they were giving out small knickknacks to attract customers. The scent of the food that I had smelled before became stronger, and I felt myself start to become hypnotized by the tropical, sweet, and spicy smells of Hawaiian delicacies.

Bruce looked over to see I was nearly drooling, and he smirked when he heard my stomach give a loud gurgle of hunger.

"How long has it been since you ate something?" Bruce asked me.

"Not including airline peanuts, about 5 hours," I said with a huff as my stomach gave another loud rumble.

"Why don't we stop to eat? The food here will blow your mind!"

I gave a chuckle and said, "Anything is better than airline food."

After walking a few steps, we came across our first restaurant. The entrance was nothing really special. The décor was tropical, and it made me want to kick back and relax. The inside was an oriental style, and it added a pleasant touch to the overall atmosphere. When we were seated by a kind waiter, he knew instantly that I wasn't from around here. He could tell it in the way I presented myself.

"You look too stressed to be a local," he said as he handed me strawberry lemonade, "Visit the beaches and relax. It's a must here, and you look like you need it."

When he walked away, Bruce said, "He is right you know. The beaches here are gorgeous. Just wait 'till we get to Lanikai. I'll give you a tour myself! My home is just outside of town, and Lankai beach is probably the greatest place on the face of the earth."

As I listened to Bruce talk about the beach, I felt my mind wander. I imagined myself swaying back and forth on a hammock while sipping on an ice cold fruit drink. I could taste the salt water on the tip of my tongue, and I could feel the breeze that blew from the ocean ruffle my hair.

I smiled, and Bruce looked at me strangely. "You were on that plane way too long, man."

A few minutes later, the waiter came back with our food. The smell that hit my nose made my mouth water instantly. Long egg noodles with beef and chicken scattered in it adorned my plate. The egg noodles simmered, and steam rose up from the plate and brushed against my nose. I couldn't help but grab my fork and spoon and dig in.

After eating a good amount of my food, I was full and satisfied. The waiter came back and handed us the bill. I reached into my pocket to dig for money, but was immediately told by Bruce not to bother with it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own wallet.

"It's on me," he said as he threw a twenty onto the table.

I just went along with it. I never liked when people paid for me, but I didn't want to turn down his generosity. Since Bruce was paying for the meal, I convinced him to let me pay for the tip, and I felt better about my meal being paid for after putting five ones on the table.

When we left the restaurant, the sun was high in the sky, and the heat and humidity started to bog me down. As we walked through the crowded streets, I felt my body begin to slow down and become increasingly slower and sweatier. Bruce wasn't unaffected either. Sweat dripped down his brow and rolled underneath his shirt.

Finally, we made it to the parking lot that was for the airport and the marketplace. Cars lined the parking spots, and streets were clogged with traffic. It was a busy day. Bruce told me to stay close, and I did so. The crowds around me were large, and it reminded me of trying to budge my way through airport checkpoints. I started to come under the impression that it was getting harder to breathe.

After what seemed like ages, we made it to Bruce's car. He had a topless, tan jeep with tires made to go off-road. It could comfortably fit four people inside, and possibility six if need be. He unlocked the doors, and the next thing I knew I was sitting shotgun and heading to Lankai.

When we got onto the long stretches of roadway, I relaxed and put my hands underneath my head. The seat cushioned my back, and I give a long sigh of relief.

"This is way more comfortable than the stupid airline seats."

Bruce gave a grin and said, "Yeah, and the views are much more spectacular on the ground too."

Almost on cue, I looked to my right to see the ocean in all its glory. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. The sapphire colored water glistened in the sunlight. The white sand on the shoreline looked soft and sparkled along with the water. I watched the waves crash onto the shore before disappearing back into the ocean again. It put me into a trance, and I found myself not wanting to tear my eyes away.

Just looking at the ocean made me want to jump out of the jeep and run towards it, laughing maniacally, and roll around in the sand like a dog rolling around in the grass. The view I was currently looking at I had only seen through photographs and TV documentaries. I never thought I would end up in Hawaii to see such things myself, but here I was.

Bruce saw my awestruck reaction, and added, "You'll be seeing a lot more of that. My vacation home isn't very far from the beach. It's about a fifteen minute walk."

"I would walk miles if a beach was involved," I said with a chuckle.

After a few minutes of silence, I had a moment to collect my thoughts. With the hectic plane ride and the craziness after the airport, I didn't have any time to just sit and think. I thought back to when Bruce invited me to spend a week with him during spring break. We had known each other since high school, and he was blessed with having wealthy grandparents who owned a vacation home in Hawaii. He talked to his grandparents a while back, and he had asked if they were comfortable with him going to Hawaii with a friend and using their vacation home. They didn't mind. When he asked me if I wanted to come with him for a week, I couldn't say no.

Eventually, the ocean disappeared and was replaced by a thick jungle with a large amount of foliage. The sun was blocked by the tall trees above me, and the jungle we were driving into swallowed us up. It was like we were driving into nature itself. Exotic birds made their calls in the distance and flew over our car. Many of them were searching for a partner since it was their mating season. Flowers that were native to Hawaii showed their colors beautifully. Each of them were a very bright red, yellow, purple, or orange. Some of the trees had large fruits, while others bore small seeds. The tropical temperatures allowed only certain plants to live there, so all of the plants and animals that were nearby were native to Hawaii.

It was like we drove straight into another world. The more we drove through the jungle, the more awestruck I was by everything. I looked over at Bruce, and asked, "So why me?"

He looked at me, confused at my sudden question. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why did you choose me to come with you?"

He looked away from me for a moment to ponder on what to say, and then began, "I don't really know actually. We sort of lost touch during the first semester, so I decided to bring you along with me so that we could reconnect. I don't want to lose the best friend I've had since grade school. It's also very boring in Hawaii without guests."

He smirked, and added, "Plus I had been bragging to you about my grandparent's vacation home since we first met, and I felt it was time for you to actually see the house."

I just chuckled, and said, "Well, thanks for allowing me to chill with you."

"No problem. I always wanted to show you Hawaii anyway."

After that conversation, I decided to get back to admiring the jungle. I sighed contently, and waited for the jungle to disappear. I wanted to see the ocean again.

After what felt like an hour, the jungle disappeared, and the sun shined in the sky brightly once more. The ocean was visible again, and the crystal clear waters called my name now more than ever. The image of laying out a hammock shot back into my mind, and I felt myself daydreaming again.

I didn't even see the "Welcome to Lanikai" sign that was basically displayed right in front of my face as we passed it. Bruce nudged my shoulder, and I jumped at the sudden touch. He looked over at me and said, "We finally made it!"

A speed limit sign flew by us as we exited the jungle and pulled onto a road, Bruce's foot nudging the brake to slow the car down. I felt it slowly come to the appropriate speed of 35 miles per hour, and I kicked back and relaxed. When we drove into Lanikai, it was almost like a maze. The town was large and bustling with activity. Many people were walking around, soaking in the atmosphere, and I felt the need to be with them to do the same.

I desperately wanted to explore the stores, restaurants, and attractions as we passed them. One in particular held my attention when we drove by. It was a store that sold sea shells and coral.

"Don't worry, you will have plenty of time to explore the island. The house is only a couple of minutes away from the center of Lankai."

"Nice! I could definitely get used to this place," I said.

"Well, if you even if you didn't like it, it would grow on you pretty quick," Bruce replied. I just laughed.

After driving for what felt like a day, Bruce made a left turn off the road and onto a dirt path. The path wasn't exactly smooth. As Bruce drove, the holes in the pathway made the Jeep hop, and I had to grab onto the bars on top to keep from flying out of my seat. Looking to my left, the ocean was easily visible. I couldn't help but smile at being so close to the ocean. The white sands shined back at me, and I started to wonder why it was deserted. It looked so peaceful. Bruce noticed I was looking at the beach, and said, "That side of the beach has rough currents. If you walk out far enough, it literally drops off. I wouldn't advise swimming out there unless you like undertows, but it's still nice to look at. The real swimming happens closer to the town, at Lankai Beach. It's the nicest beach around, and tourists come from all over just to see it," he said with an almost tour guide like voice.

"You brought a swim suit, right?" he asked. I just gave him a glare. "I will take that as a yes," he laughed.

As we traveled down the dirt path, I started to notice more and more trees appearing. When we first turned onto the road it was barren, but now there were trees sprouting up all over the place. I started to get curious, and asked, "Is your grandparents' vacation home in the middle of the jungle?"

Bruce shook his head, and said, "Nope. It just has all these trees so the house has a bit more privacy. Most people don't even know a house is back here. Also, those are palm trees, so this isn't a jungle," he added, motioning towards the trees.

Sure enough, when I squinted at the trees, I noticed the iconic leaves of palm trees. Some of the trees even had coconuts. I started to realize that the trees were almost like beacons that created a pathway towards the house. After a few seconds, the trees started to spread out, and get further and further away from the path. The dirt road that we were driving on slowly started to turn into a rocky driveway, which hinted that we were getting close to something. I looked in front of me, and I was blown away by what I saw.

The house was two stories of beauty and majesty. The outside walls were painted a light brown and they shined brightly in the sun. The square roof on top of the house was almost flat, but it slowly rose and came to a point precisely in the middle. A wind compass was on top of the roof, the arrow below the bird pointing where the wind was going.

The entrance was very inviting, with its brown, wooden door in between two pillars which connected to the balcony. Through the windows in the front of the house, I could see a living room and a kitchen. Through another window on the far right I could see the dark silhouette of a bed. The windows on the second floor were lined up with the windows on the first floor, but were larger, which allowed more lighting. The window on the left showed the master bedroom, while the window on the right framed the large bathroom. Everything I saw made me even more breathless than I already was.

My excitement to see the rest of the house kept rising as we drove closer and closer to it. Parking the car in the driveway, Bruce shut off the engine, and hopped out. I did the same, and I could feel my heart thumping in anticipation as we got closer and closer to the front door. As I walked, I looked down at the pavement beneath my feet to see the rock of the driveway was mixed in with sand that blew over from the beach. For me, it was my dream to be so close to the beach. Bruce looked at me, and said, "The outside is pretty spectacular, but the inside is even better!" he bragged as he took out a small key from his pocket.

"Aren't you afraid of losing a key that small?" I asked, soon noticing that it was connected to a keychain.

"Nah. I'm good at keeping track of my stuff," he replied.

He was right about that. No matter what happened, Bruce was always good at keeping track of his things. Most of the time, if Bruce ever needed to find something of his he would immediately remember where it was or where he last saw it. If he couldn't remember where it was, someone else had probably moved it.

---

After he stuck the key into the door knob and gave it an abrupt twist, he pushed the door open to reveal a spacious foyer which reminded me of a hotel lobby. Hanging from the ceiling, a chandelier dangled gracefully, and the lights which littered the foyer shined brightly, which gave the room an open, friendly feeling. The tile flooring that Bruce and I walked on made a dull echo through the house. I looked to my right to see the kitchen displayed before me, and I noticed that the tile continued through the kitchen. I looked to my left to see the living room, and noticed that the tile hit an invisible line where the room began. The tile was then replaced by a lush, tan carpet that matched the white of the walls.

The living room was simple, yet made use of all the space, so it looked full. A flat-screen television was mounted on the left wall by the panoramic window. A leather couch sat in the middle of the room, facing the TV. The leather was in pristine condition and didn't it have a speck of dust or debris on it. Display cases were littered around the living room which held fine china and assorted weapons. I walked over to one that had a rusted katana from World War Two in it. The katana was beautiful, yet it sent a shiver down my spine as I admired the way the blade shined.

I moved to the next display case, and came face to face with rows of fine china. Roses were painted on the plates, and one had a little girl painted on it. The girl's face was not noticeable, but she was holding her hands up to the sky, and it was beautiful.

I looked past the plates to see a hallway which led to several rooms. One doorway was on the left while two others were on the right. I jumped when I heard Bruce say, "That's where you'll be staying," he said while pointing down the dimly lit hallway. "Those are the guest rooms. The bathroom is the door on the left. There are two guest rooms, so if you get bored with one, there is always the other," he chuckled. "My room is upstairs. If you need me, let me know. I am going to change to go to the beach. You can come with me if you want."

I told him I would, and I thanked him for his hospitality. He smiled warmly, and said, "No problem. While I'm changing, you should check out the patio area. It's really nice out there."

I nodded, and said, "I will, after I explore my room."

We parted ways, and I walked down the hallway. I peeked into the bathroom out of curiosity. The tile was the same tile as in the kitchen and foyer, and was a light blue which clashed with the white walls. A shower was in the left corner, and it had a wide walk-in area and multiple nozzles to choose from. On the right side of the bathroom, a large sink with a marble countertop, which was just as big, stood unused. A mirror above the sink showed my reflection in all its glory. I decided I had enough of the bathroom, and I went to inspect my bedroom.

Opening up the wooden door, I found myself face to face with darkness, as the blinds on the lone window were closed tightly. After a few moments of trying to find the light switch, I finally grasped the small flip switch, and flicked it upwards. I wasn't very surprised by my room as much as I was by the family room, but I was still impressed.

The room was large, but it wasn't large enough that I felt like an ant. The walls were a hunter green, while the carpet was a dark grey. The bed took up the most space since it was a Queen-sized bed. To the left of the bed, a simple nightstand stood alone. Walking over to the window, I opened up the blinds to see the front yard and the entrance to the house, which were as quiet as ever.

Above the bed, a lone painting hung, and it watched over the room like a silent guardian. It was a painting of a waterfall cascading into a river. The water splashed onto the shore of the river, and I could make out two silhouettes of humans standing near the riverbed in awe of the waterfall.

The painting reminded me of the Native American literature that I once read in English class.

I sat on the bed, and gave a content sigh. I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I was in Hawaii. It was a dream for me. When I was a child, I remembered fantasizing about the crystal clear waters, and the white sandy beaches. Now I was there, and I was actually happy.

Then it hit me.

I forgot my luggage in Bruce's jeep.

I sighed at my forgetfulness, and made my way back outside into the courtyard to grab my luggage. As I was rummaging through the jeep and grabbing my suitcase, bag full of swimwear, and my first aid kit, I noticed something by the left rear tire. As the sunlight hit the object, it illuminated with a strange glow, and I shivered just by looking at it. I squinted and saw a gold band connected to a jewel which was blood red. The jewel shined proudly in the sunlight, and I figured it would look beautiful in any collector's possession. I put two and two together, decided the ring was probably Bruce's, and it probably just fell off his finger when he was getting out of the jeep. Like any good friend, I was going to give it back to him.

I hopped out of the vehicle, and walked towards the rear wheels. I leaned down, and put a knee on the hard gravel driveway to get a closer look. The gold band had strange symbols written on it that I had never seen before. Some of the symbols looked like a few of the letters from the alphabet, but many were unrecognizable. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and thought to myself, "This is probably an heirloom of some kind. I better go ask Bruce if it's his."

I picked up the ring, and was very surprised to feel how warm it was. I figured, since it was under the shaded part of the car, that it would be cool to the touch. I didn't realize how wrong I was. When I touched the band, I felt a warm, and almost burning sensation spread across my body. Along with that burning sensation, I felt a white-hot anger course through me. I was surprised enough that I hit my head on the bottom of the jeep.

I cursed in pain, and cursed the ring. I picked it up, and hurled it into the jungle, watching the blood red gem fly through the air and into the dense foliage. Satisfied, I huffed, grabbed my luggage that was packed into a large suitcase with wheels, and walked back into the house. When I opened the door, I noticed Bruce walking down the stairs. He was shirtless except for the bright white swimming trunks that clashed with his dark complexion. He gave me a warm smile.

When he smiled, I felt the guilt seep into my conscience. The ring I just threw into the jungle could have belonged to Bruce's family. Noticing that I was looking at him strangely, Bruce could tell something was up. "Is something on your mind?" Bruce asked curiously.

"Does your family own any rings?" I asked.

Bruce shook his head. I let out a sigh of relief. Bruce just rolled his eyes, and walked down the stairs to come face to face with me. When standing in front of him, I always felt small in comparison to his large form. It was as if I was an ant compared to him. I felt almost like a twig in his presence, and I felt a twinge of envy. I was muscular, but he was even more so.

"Did you stumble upon one outside?" he asked, his tone becoming a bit more serious. His dark eyes narrowed, and I could feel them prying into my brain. The strange thing was that his smile he had before was still etched across his face, like he was still trying to keep the conversation casual. I felt like a criminal being interrogated. I nervously glanced past him, but could still feel his eyes watching mine closely.

"Yes, why?" I replied, confused, and I wondered why the hell it even mattered.

"What did it look like?" Bruce asked with more intensity in his voice.

I stuttered, and looked for the right words to say. I wasn't used to Bruce being so assertive, and I found myself intimidated and shaken. As I looked for the right thing to say, I felt like this wasn't anything common that Bruce was asking about. I realized over the years that when Bruce goes into "interrogate mode" it's usually for something serious.

Finally, I mentally pulled myself together, and said, "It had a red gem with a gold band. Some strange letters were on the band, but I never really looked into it."

When I mentioned the letters, Bruce's eyes went wide, and he grabbed my shoulders forcefully, asking loudly, "Did you touch it?!"

I was so surprised that I did what every friend would do to another in that situation...

Nearly shit his pants, and lie.

"I-I didn't!" I stuttered.

I pushed him away from me, making him stumble. I felt bad about it, but I didn't like where the conversation was going. When I told him I didn't touch the ring, he calmed down. His stance relaxed, and his eyes turned less ferocious. His breathing started to slow down as well, and so did mine. I was still a bit shaken, regardless.

"W-what the hell was that about?" I yelled.

I was irked, and Robert was shocked enough that he jumped. I didn't angry very often, but at that moment I was a bit pissed off that Robert decided to interrogate me about some stupid ring. He thought about what to say. Finally, after what felt like an hour of silence, Bruce said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to act so forceful. Let's just pretend like that never happened."

Bruce was avoiding the subject, and from the way he talked, I knew it was going to be hard to get the information I wanted on the ring. I decided to drop the subject, and told Bruce passively, "Don't worry about it," I told him with a forced smile. I noticed he lightened up a bit, and I got a smile in return.

"Good."

After a few moments of awkward silence, I decided to speak up. "I'm going to change," I said as I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, and wheeled it to my room.

As I walked down the hallway and past the display cases, I could feel Bruce's eyes watching me closely. When I reached my door, I happily closed it, and breathed heavily.

"God, I wish I never found that ring," I said out loud, and I sighed, exasperated. I was tired, slightly irked, confused, and I longed to see the beach. I reached over and clicked the light switch on to see the room how I left it. Well, except for one slight detail. One shiny, metal detail.

I gasped at what I saw, and nearly ran out of the room. A ring that had a blood red gem, and a golden band sat on my nightstand, the same freaky letters carved into the band, and the same symbols and images embedded in the metal. You could say I freaked out since I had to put my hands over my mouth to keep myself from yelling in frustration and horror.

"Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" I said in hisses as I picked up the ring, which still felt hot, opened the window, and gave it a decent chuck.

I heard the ring hit the driveway with several "pings" before coming to a halt somewhere near the jeep. I gave a content sigh, and looked back at the nightstand like it was poisonous. Nothing was there, so I figured that the ring was gone for good this time.

Looking back out the window for reassurance, I noticed the glimmer of the gem, and saw it was far away. I gave it an inappropriate hand gesture before walking back to my suitcase. I unzipped it, and emptied its contents. Enough shirts, shorts, underwear, socks, and swimming trunks were packed to last for about a week without doing laundry, along with sunscreen, goggles, and a first aid kit. My shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, and body wash were packed closer to the bottom.

I took out all the clothing, and placed it near the dresser with the first aid kit. I sorted it into different drawers with the underwear and socks being in the top drawer with the first aid kit, the shirts in the middle drawer, and the shorts and swimwear in the bottom one.

Satisfied with the way I put the clothing in the dresser, I moved on to the other things. Before I could to anything with the other things, however, I saw a glowing object outside. I walked to the window, and looked outside to see the ring that I just threw outside was floating in midair!

I started to move away from the window, petrified at what I was seeing, and backed up against the door, as far away from the window as I could, but that was to no avail. The ring flew through the window extremely fast, and the red gem looked like a blur. I didn't have time to yell, and was too surprised to do so anyway. It moved onto my fourth finger on my right hand, and stopped there. The ring was red hot, and I could feel the metal burning against my skin.

I tried to pull it off, but it didn't budge. It was as if the ring was fused with my finger. As I pulled on it, the ring grew tighter and tighter until there was no more room to budge. I cursed, flipped my hand over, clenched it in a fist, and punched it against my metal bedpost. It made a "ting", but that was it. There wasn't a single crack in the ring.

All of a sudden, I felt a probing in my mind. It was as if there was a drill being pushed into my head, and I felt my temples starting to burn. I growled ferociously, and started to stumble around the room before landing on all fours. Then I heard a whisper. It was soft at first, but the whisper started to get gradually louder, eventually turning into a roar in my ears.

"OUCH! Don't you have any respect, petty human?"

The voice was deep and rumbling. It shook me to my very core. The voice almost sounded commanding, and I felt the need to listen. When I listened closely though, the voice sounded soothing. It was a strange combination, and I could tell instantly it wasn't human.

I was shocked by it, and I was frozen in fear by it.

As I started to think about what I was going to say, I heard a low chuckle bounce around in my head. He was obviously enjoying himself.

"You don't have to say what you are thinking. I can already decipher it. I am inside your mind after all," the voice said matter-of-factly.

"Well, you can get out now," I thought loudly, my courage slowly returning back to me.

The voice inside my head laughed, and said, "Why would I want to do that? You have such delicious memories."

My eyes went wide with fear. The creature that was in my mind was taunting me, but its taunt was more of a threat to me. It could go through my memories like an open book and discard the ones it didn't want. I was held ransom by my own brain.

The voice could tell something was wrong when I started to pace, and it said reassuringly, "Don't worry, I won't do anything drastic. That is, if you cooperate."

I felt intimidated by the words. I felt my heart rate start to increase, and I realized I was talking to an otherworldly creature. He could want more than just my life. He could force me to do his bidding.

"Good, good. It seems you're catching on. Now, back to business," he said as he cleared his throat. "I need to use you as a portal."

"What the hell do you mean by 'portal'?" I said a bit too loudly.

All of the sudden, I found my mouth was unable to move. It was as if it was frozen in place, and I could feel the muscles in my jaw tighten and lock. I started to paw at my mouth to find out it was shut like someone had super glued it together.

"That's not one-hundred percent cooperation. Think with your mind, not with your tongue."

I cursed loudly in my mind.

"Now that you cannot speak, I can elaborate. I am going to use your spiritual energy as a portal, and connect your spirit to mine. Using that as a bridge, I will cross from my prison, this ring, into your world."

Several questions started to bombard my mind, but one was the leader of all of them. I decided to ask whatever the voice was that was in my mind a question.

"How did you get inside the ring?" I asked.

A strange silence followed the question. Whatever he, or it, was thinking, he was definitely thinking hard on it. Then, a simple phrase followed that nearly made me fall backwards, "Why don't you ask your friend, Bruce?"

I got instantly defensive. "What does Bruce have to do with something like you?!"

I wanted answers. Actually, I demanded answers.

---

I felt the probing feeling disappear for a moment before coming back, and I could tell that whatever was in my head was surprised at my outburst.

"You will find out if you let me out," he said simply.

I thought about it for quite a while. I didn't want to let out anything that would harm Bruce or myself. He was trapped in the ring for a reason, and I felt I didn't want to let him out. Then I started to feel my arm moving of its own accord, and I grabbed my wrist to pull it back down. I tried to yell, but remembered my mouth was forced shut.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled in my mind in protest.

"Taking myself out by force," it replied matter-of-factly.

All of a sudden, my mouth started to chant mysterious words, and I felt my ring finger start to burn. I ground my teeth as the thing in my brain started to escape. Feeling my mind tear itself apart, I found myself unable to yell, only chant. Feeling the pressure in my mind start to leave, I felt a wave of relief, but right when that relief hit, I saw something red by my right hand.

Blood red.

I squinted, and noticed that the hand was larger in shape, and it had claws instead of finger nails. I looked to my left hand to see the creature's left hand as well. I started to shake as I realized what it was I was releasing.

At the moment his hand started to move from mine, I felt like I was being pushed backwards. The chest, legs, and feet of the creature appeared quickly. Right when his head started to be pushed from my body, I was blown backwards into the wall of the room with a giant explosion of light. Luckily, my thump against the wall wasn't that loud, and the explosion didn't make any noise. If it did, Bruce would have probably investigated immediately.

As I blinked and rubbed my eyes to see what was in front of me, I was face to face with something out of a fairy tale. A large creature with blood red skin and piercing yellow eyes looked down on me. He was muscular and well-toned. Every curve in his lewdly clothed body was smooth and very powerful. He wore a G-string like cloth around his loins. It was a deep purple and had golden rings on the sides. A ring on the back allowed his tail to come through. The material brought out his groin area, and I felt my face grow red.

The ears on his head looked almost human except for the fact that they came to an abrupt point. Since the creature had his mouth open, I could see fangs inside. They were sharp, and made him even more intimidating. What made him appear even scarier was the forked tongue inside his mouth. Two curved ram horns grew out from the top of his head as well.

Walking up to me, the creature gave an evil cackle that shook me down to my core. It was a low baritone. I knew exactly what the thing was. It was a demon. I watched the tail behind him sway back and forth, the point at the end holding my attention. When he was close to me, I noticed two silver objects on his upper chest, two nipple rings. One was on his right nub, and the other on his left. His nipples were dark black, and clashed against his skin. Dark black hair on his chest was trimmed, but still noticeable, and a treasure trail moved down his chest and to his groin area.

I started to move back in fear, and reached for the door. Before I knew it, the demon snapped his fingers, and I heard the locking mechanism click into place. I gulped, and looked for any emotions in the demon's piercing yellow eyes.

All of a sudden, the evil cackle started to turn into laughter, and then the demon was having an episode on the floor. He rolled on the floor, holding his chest, and wiping the tears from his eyes. My recoiling in fear turned into anger, so I walked up to the creature, and gave it a firm kick.

An "ow!" echoed throughout the room.

"What the hell are you doing!?" the demon yelled before jumping to his feet and giving me a violent shove.

I felt my back pushed up against the wall, and I felt the fear I once had before slowly start to creep back into me as I was eye to eye and toe to toe with one of history's most mischievous creatures. His hands grabbed my wrists, pushed them against the wall, and his feet stepped on mine so I couldn't lash out at him. I could feel his breath on my neck, and I thought I was going to die.

Then he released his grip.

"You humans are always so fidgety," he crooned.

When he turned around, I wasn't surprised to see two very large wings sprout from his upper back. His muscles in his back were just as muscular as his arms, legs, and chest. His tail swung back and forth as he walked, and I watched him sit on the bed and smirk at me. His eyes watched mine like a predator.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He still wore the foolish smirk.

"Why would you want to learn about me when I would much rather spend time getting to know you? You are my master now after all."

I was taken aback by those words.

"What do you mean by 'master'?" I asked with disgust.

I wasn't used to being called a master. After all, a master was a term for someone of a higher rank, and usually called such by a follower, apprentice, or slave. I hated the word.

The demon's grin grew wider when he saw my face, and said, "Well, maybe 'master' isn't the correct term. More like partner."

I just chuckled darkly. "I would never associate myself with someone of the likes of you."

He opened his mouth, and let out a vibrant laugh that shook my core once more. "That's too bad because we are now forced to be together."

My eyes widened in shock and confusion. I felt anger start to boil up inside my veins. The demon's grin turned into a smile.

"I can feel your anger, Jason Burner."

"How do you know my name?" I said with a gasp.

"Well, considering I was in your head, it's pretty easy to go through your memories. Your mind was opened to me like a book," the demon said with a shrug.

All of a sudden, I felt a sudden emotion come over me, and my ring started to glow. I started to feel an unexpected calm rush over my body.

"W-what is happening?" I stuttered as I felt my vision slowly start to fade in and out.

The demon got up and ran over to me. He opened his arms, and allowed me to fall into them. "Relax," he said soothingly as I felt my eyes grow heavier and heavier. "Summoning a familiar such as myself takes a lot of strength. You need rest. Shut your eyes, and allow yourself to drift off. I will protect you."

The demons words felt sincere, and I found myself unable to keep my eyes opened any longer. I felt two powerful arms lift me up, and put me on the bed. The bed felt heavenly, and my body locked up. The demon snapped his fingers once more, and a blanket appeared from thin air. He draped it over me before getting up and walking over the window. His eyes looked outward like a silent guardian, and, ironically, I felt safe, no matter how much I wanted to deny that any of what I was seeing was actually happening, I felt safe.

I closed my eyes, and drifted off.

Slowly opening my eyes, I felt the sun's rays hit my face, and I woke up with a startled yell. I looked to my left to see the demon with a sun reflector pointed at his face, soaking up the rays of the sun. I blinked twice, and looked around my environment, confused.

In front of me, Bruce was jumping into a salt water pool. I put two and two together to realize I was in the back part of the yard, and when I turned around I saw the back part of the house. I started to laugh.

I don't know why, but I had to laugh.

The demon raising an eyebrow, he looked over at me, and said, "Good afternoon, sunshine."

I blinked once more, rubbed my eyes, and pinched myself. For good measure, I lifted up my right hand to see a ring on my fourth finger. I gave a long, drawn out sigh before rolling over in the chair to have my back face the sky.

"Oh, there's no use being so gloomy on such on a nice day. You even got to go to the beach yesterday."

I shot up off the pool chair in astonishment.

"I thought I passed out," I said, surprised.

"You did," The demon said curtly. "I released that I could protect, and see the area you mortals call Hawaii, at the same time by possessing you. Your body was at work, but your mind was fast asleep. By the way, some of you humans have terrible motor skills. I nearly almost got you run over twice in a five minute span trying to cross the roadway with your friend Bruce."

"I don't even know how to respond to that," I said shrewdly.

"Cheer up."

"How can I do that? I never got to see the beach, and it's all because of you and this stupid ring," I said as I tore on my index finger in a sad attempt to rid it of the ring.

The demon gave a scowl, and said, "Fine, you want to see the beach so bad? Here."

He discarded the sun reflector with gruff disappointment, and walked over to my chair. He leaned over my body, and stared straight into my deep brown eyes. In an instant, I felt like I was rising off my seat.

As his yellow eyes looked into mine, a wave of memories collided within my mind. It was as if his memories were transforming into my own. Next thing I knew, I was looking through the demon's perspective. His vision was the same as mine, and I could see my brown eyes looking back at me. I could see the swim trunks I wore were my favorite Hawaiian flower design, and the flip flops on my feet. It was literally an out of body experience.

Glancing at my features, I saw that my facial expression looked normal, and I watched in awe as my form leaned over, grabbed a book underneath the pool chair, and acted like I was reading. I realized that Bruce, who was still swimming in the pool, wouldn't disturb me since it looked like I was wrapped up in an exciting novel.

I could feel the power of his body, and I felt the wings on his back surge as he flew into the air. I wanted to yell out in fear and tell him to stop, but before I knew it I was flying. I could feel his face contort into a smug grin, and each time he blinked I felt it as my own.

I was him.

I realized that this was the connection he was talking about.

Every time the demon shifted his weight, I could feel his ligaments and muscles work. Even though I wasn't in control of the situation, everything he did I could feel. I could even decipher his emotions. He was amused, and enjoying the flight.

So was I.

I watched the demon reach out and brush his hand against a cloud, and I could feel his excitement. He dived down towards the ground in a brilliant display of speed and agility. He pulled up at the last minute, which sent a wave of wind across the ground. The grass buckled underneath the wind, and a man that was nearby had to hold onto his hat.

"It's been too long!" The demon said as he did corkscrews in the air.

"Remember that I have never flown in first person before!" I said nauseously.

The demon chuckled before flying low to the ground. He passed by several humans, and I realized that they couldn't see him. He flew by as close as possible to one particular old man. The only thing he did was sneeze when the demon passed by him casually.

I watched with awe.

"How come I am the only human that can see you?" I asked curiously.

"Excellent question. The reason you can see me is because we are connected. The ring you wear every day is a sign of that. The connection allows you to see me, allows me to read your emotions, and you to read mine."

I let the information sink in before asking, "So, am I the only one that can see you?"

The demon shook his head. "No. Your friend Bruce can see me, but he cannot see through many of my disguises. Witches, wizards, and enchanters can see the spirit world, and communicate with our species."

"So does that mean that Bruce is a wizard?" I asked, stunned.

"No. He is a hunter of our kind. He would skin my hide if he had the chance. Too be honest, I would rather end up in a potion than be trapped in a prison once more," the demon replied darkly.

"How can he see you?"

"He probably was granted the ability by a priest. Many priests can transfer the ability to see demons from God himself."

I thought about the information, and then remembered who and what I was talking to.

"So, you're from hell?"

The demon gave a sigh, and said, "Once we get to the beach, you can bombard me with as many questions as you see fit."

I was content with what he said, and kept my mouth shut the rest of the flight.

When we made it to the beach, I had a bird's eye view of the area. The sand on the beach shimmered brightly, and the ocean was as blue as a sapphire. The sands reflected the sunlight off of them, making them shine. I could hear the waves crashing against the shore, and hear the squawking of seagulls.

The demon took a dive at the sand, and I yelled loudly as we plunged towards the beach. The wind streamlined around his body, which only increased his speed. I felt the need to hold onto something tightly, but the only thing I could do was close my eyes. I could feel the demon's excitement, and the faster we dived, the more energetic he got.

"Scared of flying yet?" the demon teased.

"Yeah, I think I just want to walk for a while," I replied meekly.

With that statement, the demon smirked, and pulled up sharply before we hit the sand. He slowly came to a stop in the middle of the beach.

"That was amazing," I said.

"Flying is something I enjoy doing. Now you see why."

"So is there a way I can see the beach from my own eyes?" I asked curiously.

The demon looked at me, and said, "There is a way, but it would be strange the first time."

I nodded, and said, "That's fine. I just want my own body back."

He snapped his fingers, and out of thin air my body appeared on the beach. I looked like I was sleeping soundly. The demon then walked over to me, leaned over my body, and breathed onto my face. I felt like I was being pulled once more, and closed my eyes. I felt like my side was jerked, and then I opened my eyes a few seconds later to see I was looking at the creature straight into his yellow eyes. I gasped in surprise, and started to involuntary crawl backwards before coming to a stop in the middle of the beach.

The demon chuckled, and I gave him a dark look.

"How were you able to do that?" I asked.

"I am guessing you mean teleport your own body to me, and then put your soul where it belonged? It was simple. Our connection is stronger than you think."

I gave a sigh, and sat down in the sand, cursing myself for finding the ring, but then remembering how amazing it was to be able to experience flight. I put my head in my hands, and pondered on what exactly I had gotten myself into.

After a few moments of silence, the demon sat in the sand near me as well, and basked in the rays of sunlight. The sand that was on his red skin sparkled brightly, and it was hypnotic. He flexed his wings before crossing his legs. I took the opportunity to look at his body.

He was definitely powerful. I couldn't tell if he knew of my curiosity, but his head moved upward which gave me a good view of his chest. It was perfectly carved. I saw two silver lights near the upper part of his chest. The demon wore his nipple rings all the time, and I still didn't know if they stood for anything. My eyes started to move lower, and I blushed when they crossed over his endowment hidden inside the pouch of his unique G-string.

I had to admit, he was well endowed, and his manhood was definitely snug against the tight material. Shaking off the fact that I was looking at his junk, I quickly looked at his legs, still blushing like hell. They were just as powerful as the rest of his body, and the way he flexed them...

"So, as I promised, ask what you want to ask me."

I jumped at his words. I was so busy looking at his figure that it made me jump back to reality when he spoke. I concentrated on his words, and realized that there was compassion in his deep voice. He made himself look less intimidating and open by leaning back and putting his hands underneath his head.

"S-so who are you?" I said stuttering.

The demon gave a grin, and said, "So now you want to know, Jason."

I gave a smirk back as well. Out of all the experiences I have had with him, I never asked for his name.

"My name is Eodue. It means shining one in our language."

"Where are you from? Hell?" I asked as curiosity started to rise in my voice. After all, I figured it wasn't everyday where someone got in contact with a demon.

Eodue gave a sigh and then scowled at me, "I am not angry at you, instead I am angry at what knowledge you humans possess, but mind my words that not EVERY demon is from Hell! I will tolerate the question since you are ignorant," he said simply before shaking his head with a grumble.

"You see, Jason, I am from Hawaii," he said while scooting over closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I could feel the weight in his arm, and had to slump down a bit. I was starting to get intimated again when I realized how incredibly massive he was compared to me, and felt myself shrink down a bit.

He motioned my body in the direction of one of the huge volcanos, and pointed ,saying, "Specifically that part of Hawaii. My people live inside the volcanos. They are portals to our dimensions, and the lava does wonders to keep you humans away."

"So how did you end up here in the first place?"

Eodue gave a dark grin which revealed his fangs, "I am Bruce's guardian."

My eyes went wide, and I gasped loudly. "You, of all things, are Bruce's guardian?!"

He gave me a glare, and said, "I have feelings too, you know. I would prefer to be referred to as 'someone' by your people."

"Sorry," I said with remorse. I kept forgetting that he was now connected to me. I was basically the same as him. I felt my stomach lunge a bit when I thought about it. I wasn't used to talking to something that I called evil all my life.

"Contrary to your beliefs, there isn't just one species of our kind, but multiple. Just like how you have different races, we have different races as well."

"So, you aren't related to Hell at all?"

"No."

"How can I trust you?"

He leaned close to my ear, and said, "You can't, until you figure it out yourself."

Eodue had enough with the questions, and started to walk to the opposite side of the beach. All of a sudden, it clicked that we weren't alone. People were all around us, and I felt my heart nearly stop when a man literally waved to Eodue, and the demon waved casually back!

All of a sudden, I stormed towards Eodue, and tackled him to the ground in front of the mass of people all around me. They all looked at me strange, and started to whisper to each other. A young couple pointed at our two bodies on the ground, and laughed.

I ignored them, and whispered in Eodue's ear, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

All of a sudden, Eodue's back pushed upward, and I found myself moving upward at a fast rate. Next thing I knew, I had my back pressed against the sand, and Eodue's hands gripping my wrists tightly.

"What do you mean, ME?! I am just being friendly!" Eodue growled.

Confusion hit me, and my face showed it. Then Eodue picked up on what I was confused about, and started to chuckle. He shook his head, and gave me a shit-eating grin.

"You really think I would show my true form to your kind? The only reason you can see me in my real image is because of our connection."

"Then what do they see?" I replied with a raised eyebrow.

In a blink of an eye, I saw an image of a blond haired man that looked about 21, and had a light amount of facial hair. The man had piercing yellow eyes, but they were pupils, and not slits. He looked exactly human. The only thing different were his fangs were still present. When I blinked again, he was in his demon form once more.

"I see your point," I said, defeated. "Can you let go of me now?"

Laughing at my ignorance, Eodue got off of me, and kept walking. He motioned a finger towards me, saying, "Well, are you going to walk with me to your home or not, Jason?"

I stood on the sand for a while, blinking and staring at Eodue. I still couldn't believe I was sticking around with the demon. I shook my head, and ran up to him. The trail back was made of dirt, and the trees blocked out the light to make the forest appear dark. The fact that the sun was setting in the sky didn't help light come through.

The fifteen minute walk was relaxing, and I felt myself opening up to Eodue. I told him about my childhood, about Bruce, and about college. I even got on the subject of my love life. Eodue found that subject interesting, and listened intently while explained many of my high school crushes, and that all of my relationships in college were unsuccessful.

"Have you dated someone of the same sex?" He asked curiously with a sly grin on his face.

I blushed hotly at his statement, and said, "No. I don't want to either."

"Sure you don't," he replied with a smirk, elbowing my side playfully.

"Knock it off!" I said, laughing.

The sun was now below the horizon, and the cool evening air started to blow all around us. I shivered slightly, and cursed the pathway for being so long. The moon in the sky shined vividly, and the stars twinkled all around. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

When we made it to the house, I mentioned to Eodue that I couldn't believe I was opening up to someone like him. He chuckled, and said, "There is more to me than meets the eye. I will tell you more about myself later."

When we walked up to the front door, I told Eodue to come in through the window in my room, just in case Bruce could see Eodue's true form. After all, Eodue mentioned that Bruce locked him up in the ring to begin with. I didn't want Bruce to find out that I was associating myself with the demon. It would cause too much trouble.

---

Walking inside, I saw Bruce sitting on the couch watching TV. I sat by him, and talked with him for a bit. He seemed like Bruce, and I walked away from the living room with a sigh of relief that he didn't question me about the ring.

I walked past the antiques in the hallway, and made a hard right into my room. When I made it to my room, I saw two yellow eyes piercing through the darkness and looking into mine. I gulped, and turned on the light to see the demon lying on the bed. His eyes were still watching mine, and I felt like prey.

"Glad you made yourself comfortable," I said sarcastically as I walked over to the dresser to grab a clean pair of briefs and a clean tee shirt. While I was rummaging through my dresser, I also grabbed shampoo and bodywash.

The demon grinned foolishly. "Better get used to it."

I raised an eyebrow at that statement, and walked towards the door to the hallway. "I am going to take a shower. Don't cause too much mischief."

He chuckled darkly, and said with a playful wink, "The same goes for you."

Giving a small laugh at his comment, I walked out of the room, and into the hallway. Giving the door knob an abrupt twist, I opened the door to the bathroom. The tile on the floor was a bright white while the towels hanging on their racks were a dark black. The sink was marble, and it had a very large mirror above it. It was a simple design, and one that I liked. The shower was tucked away in the left corner of the bathroom.

Walking over to the mirror, I examined my reflection. I was starting to grow a small amount of facial hair, and I smiled at how mature I looked. I wasn't anywhere near as muscular as Eodue, but working out at the weight class I took for an elective this semester boosted my self-confidence, and toned out my body a bit.

Flexing in the mirror, I watched my chest and forearms bulge menacingly. When Eodue's almost naked body popped into my mind, I felt a tinge of jealously at how sculpted his body looked compared to mine. Feeling my face flush red, I quickly shook away the thought of Eodue flexing in the nude with oil on his body, and thought about a different subject.

Walking over to the shower, I examined its features. The doors that led into it were made of glass, and the tile was checkered white and black. The shower wasn't anything special, but the glass doors gave me a weird feeling that I was going to be spied on. As I stripped naked, I felt like there were eyes watching me.

Opening the glass doors, I walked into the shower, and turned the knob to an appropriate temperature. Jumping at the water pressure, and the temperature of the water itself, I quickly retreated to the back of the shower, and waited for my body to get used to the temperature.

Finally fully enjoying my shower, I let the warm water hit my skin on my more sensitive parts of my body, and felt a wave of relief. I felt almost high on the steam that was filling my nose, and it felt great to wash the hard and rough sand particles from my skin that I picked up from sitting on the sand.

After a couple of minutes, I decided to open the shampoo bottle, and scrub down my hair. The sweet smell of the shampoo helped clear my head, and soon I found myself not even thinking about the fact that I had a demon walking around in my best friend's house who somehow has a connection to the whole thing.

That was until Eodue walked into the bathroom buck naked.

"AHHH! WHAT THE HELL!?" I shouted as I quickly cupped my privates, and peaked out of the glass door, blushing madly. Eodue was grinning from ear to ear.

"In order to fully understand me, you must fully understand our culture," he said as he picked up a towel and put it on the hook by the shower.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I slid further away from the shower door as he approached it.

"Our kind bathes together because it helps create a bond between one another. I am going to attempt to do the same with you. If we are going to be spending all of eternity together, we might as well get to know one another comfortably. Plus, I want to know why your kind likes the activity called 'showering' so much."

Still cupping my privates, I backed up when he stepped through the glass door. I felt like a cornered animal. Luckily, the shower was easily big enough for two people so I had no trouble being away from him. The only problem was that I wasn't under the steady stream of water. The demon's large body replaced the spot where I was standing.

Standing silently in the corner of the shower, I watched Eodue pick up a bar of soap and start to wash himself with it. The water trickled down his slick skin and his muscular back. I found myself looking at his rump, and I was transfixed by the way his tail swung back and forth. I felt embarrassed that I was so interested in his backside, and I looked back up to see his head turned back towards me.

"Well, are you going to join me?"

I looked at his eyes, then to the bar of soap he was clutching in his hand, and back to his eyes again. I sighed, and walked up closer to the showerhead. I was still cupping my privates with embarrassment still etched across my face.

When I was finally side to side with Eodue, he pulled my hand away from my crotch, and said, "No need to be modest. I don't judge."

Rolling my eyes, I reached for the second bar of soap, and started to wash myself. As I did so, I noticed that Eodue was giving his privates some tender loving care. Curiosity started to settle in, and I glanced over at his crotch. The hair around his loins was neatly trimmed, and dark black. The manhood itself was a lighter red, which was large, and hung lazily over his balls which were the same color as his loins. As his hand touched, and fondled with, his manhood, I looked away. I didn't want to get caught gawking at his body.

In Eodue's naked form, I noticed he had several dark black tattoos that reminded me of tattoos tribe members would tattoo on one another. The large tattoo was on his right arm, trailed up his arm, and onto his muscular chest. Then I remembered that he never had a tattoo when I saw him before.

"Where did you get that mark?" I asked him as I pointed at his arm.

The demon looked at me, and said, "From you."

Shocked at his comment, I stood silently. I had no idea what he meant.

He said as he finished washing his legs, "This mark, Jason, gets brighter as our connection gets stronger. Eventually, you will become so similar to me, that if you die, I would as well, and vice versa. You are a half-breed. Half demon and half human."

I started to slowly walk backwards. I was blown back by his statement. I wasn't able to process the information at the time, and I started to feel anger boil in my veins that Eodue forced the connection on me, and didn't tell me about the consequences. In my anger, I pushed him against the wall of the shower. My body was pushing up against his, and his against mine. He looked into my eyes with sympathy, but pushed me off of him with a snarl.

"You need to calm down!" he said, growling, and offering me his hand. "I will help you through this!"

"You have helped enough," I said as I hit his hand away. I opened the glass doors of the shower, dried myself off as quickly as I could, put on my clothes just as abruptly, and ran for my room before Eodue could explain himself.

I climbed into bed, put the covers over my head, and lay there, pondering. The moonlight from the window shined in, making the room glow strangely. After lying in the bed for a bit, I felt my eyes slowly start to close. Before I could fall asleep, I heard the door creek open, and feel the bed sway as Eodue sat on it.

Sitting up and looking into Eodue's piercing eyes, I felt terrible that I yelled at him. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I felt a finger put softly on my lips to keep me from talking. I chuckled, and rolled over to face the window once more.

Eodue pushed the covers back, and slid close to my body.

"Let me guess, it is customary for your kind to sleep with one another as well."

"Yep."

I felt his body heat against mine, and I started to relax. I could feel his chest against my back, and his legs up against mine. It was strange at first, but I figured showering together was a bit weirder so sleeping together was a step down at the time. I felt his breath tickle my ear as he spoke.

"I will protect you. I'm obligated to," He said softly.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't say I was mad at him, but I still felt regret. I didn't know how I felt about Eodue.

When he moved even closer, I felt something brush up against my backside, and blushed hotly.

"Do you sleep naked?" I asked.

"Yep."

I sighed, and scooted away from him. I felt his arms wrap around my shoulder, and I started to feel secure in his arms. I felt my mind start to slowly drift away, and my eyes get heavier and heavier. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep. I dreamed about Eodue's naked flesh against my own, and saw myself in a mirror. I blinked.

A demon that looked like me appeared for a split second, pressed against Eodue.

Then it was gone.

______________________________________________________________________________

As my eyes opened, the sunlight pouring in from the windows blinded me for a split second. I could feel a chest expand outward, and lightly push on my back before moving back down. I realized Eodue pulled me closer to him in his sleep. Hearing the sound of deep breathing, I looked over my back to see Eodue fast asleep. Attempting to move in the demon's strong grip, I felt his grip strengthen, and pull me even closer.

Sighing, I waited for Eodue to stop trying to suffocate me before trying to attempt to escape. Eventually, Eodue's grip weakened, and I eventually lifted one gigantic arm off of me before scooting over a bit.

Then I felt it.

Something was poking me on my backside.

I reached to where the unknown object was poking me at, and felt something hard, slick, and throbbing. Eodue gave a low growl, and I felt his hips push forward involuntary which pushed it further into my hand. My jaw dropped when I realized what I was touching.

I was touching Eodue's fully erect manhood.

And it was dripping.

"You must be having a great dream," I grumbled.

As I felt the member, I could feel power within the organ. It pulsed, and twitched like a living being. Curiosity started to set in, and I turned around to face Eodue, and his endowment. Using my right hand, I gripped the base of the demon's manhood, and started to stroke it up and down. The skin on the demon's endowment was smooth due to the pre, and my hand glided across flawlessly. He gave a grunt of satisfaction, and started to thrust in his sleep, Eodue's hips starting to buck into my hand.

My left hand started to move towards his balls, and I cupped them. I felt their weight, and how full they were. Feeling my face grow red as the sexually high demon let out a moan, I decided I had enough, but it was too late. Eodue started to groan, and thrust harder into my hand until his balls were slapping against the bottom of my hand. With one final thrust and one extremely long moan, he let his load go. Twitching in my hand, his manhood lifted a bit as it released the pressure built up inside of it.

Suppressing a yell as the thick, white, and creamy orgasm hit my chest and my briefs; I could only wait until his climax tapered off. If I moved at the time, I could've woken him. After he let out a whimper, and his manhood stopped twitching, I hurryingly got up off the bed as quietly as I could, and ran for the shower.

Looking in the mirror, I looked at my tee shirt and briefs to see they were soaked in fluid. His shot was even powerful enough to get into my hair. I huffed, cursed my curiosity, and stripped naked. Making sure to kick the clothes underneath the sink in case Eodue decided to shower, I felt like I eliminated the evidence well enough.

Sure enough, a few minutes later Eodue walked in naked, yawning and stretching. His tail swung back and forth, and he had a smile as big as the Grand Canyon slapped on face. He said, "You'll never believe the dream I had."

A couple of days went by after that event, and I found myself growing more attached to Eodue. He told me about his culture, and how demons were integrating more casually into human society. He explained to me over a course of several days that demons could pose as humans, and interact with humans.

Over the course of the week, I started to reveal many private occasions in my life to Eodue. He would sit and listen, and wouldn't interrupt. At the end of our talks, he would tell me about his life, and how he had to survive in his tribe. After every talk, his tattoo would glow and get bolder, or spread across his body a bit more.

Eventually, both his arms were covered with the tribal tattoo, and almost his entire chest as well.

We were still showering together, and I was starting to grow comfortable with him. I would wash his back, and he would wash mine. He never told me at the time, but I could tell he would flex the muscles on his back on purpose. Feeling every ridge and crevice on his back gave me a sense of his strength, and I found my respect growing for him. He told me personally that he liked the way I massaged the soap into his back. I didn't really know how to react.

When he washed my back, he would take special care on making sure not to knick me with his claws. Sometimes if he was feeling up for it, he would dig in to tense spots, and massage my back. I would have never admitted it to him at the time that it felt heavenly.

I was changing physically. My ears started to come to a point, and my pupils started to change from round to slits. My eye color become more intense, my teeth became sharper, and came to a point. It was easier for me to see in the dark, and my footsteps became more muffled. Eodue referred to my half-demon self as a "Night Bringer."

Luckily, Bruce couldn't see my changes, and Eodue was the only one that could.

Bruce was starting to investigate. He would walk into my room at the most awkward of times, ask how I was doing, and then walk away. I felt almost like a prisoner, and I still had a week of Hawaii left. Whenever I told him I was leaving, he would always ask where I was going, and sometimes even who I was going with. Eodue once said, "I can always damn him to oblivion. It's enjoyable for me. It probably won't be for him."

I told him that it wouldn't be a good idea to harm Bruce.

He shrugged, "One more demon hunter to worry about then. If he finds out you're a half and half, you might as well call yourself shit out of luck."

I denied what he said. I couldn't believe Bruce would do anything to me, even if I was half demon. One night, Bruce and I were relaxing in the living area, and chatting about random topics. He broke open several beers, and was already intoxicated. I didn't drink, and I laughed as Bruce started to slur his words and tell jokes about different subjects.

Like old times.

During the conversation, I was about to open my mouth and tell him the truth about everything. I was going to tell him about Eodue. I was going to tell him about my connection to him, and I was about to tell him about the demon world, and how I was a half-demon.

Then I remembered Eodue's warning, and closed my mouth. I hid the motion with another laugh. I swore that I would tell Bruce my secret after that night, sometime when he was ready. Every time Bruce and I went out, I would always have a voice in the back of my head wanting me to just tell him. I wanted to get it off my chest.

But I couldn't.

I didn't want to risk ending our friendship.

Or worse.

Everything was going smoothly until one day towards the end of vacation, Eodue and I did something I wouldn't have ever expected.

It was like every day. I woke up with Eodue wrapped around me, and a hard on pressing against my backside. I got up, grabbed clean clothes, and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. Stripping naked in front of the mirror, I checked if there were any changes in my physical appearance. I didn't see any. Walking over to the glass doors of the shower, I opened them up, and turned the water over to the appropriate temperature.

Hearing the door creak open, I looked behind me to see Eodue standing in the doorway wearing only a smile.

"Good morning," he said as he walked over to the shower, opened the door, and began washing himself.

"Same to you," I said casually, and walked in along with him.

We shared a bit of small talk as we scrubbed ourselves, and I found myself staring at him once more. Noticing that I was trying to reach my back, Eodue nonchalantly walked behind me, and started to wash my back. Feeling his hands glide across my skin, I closed my eyes, and let him work his magic. As he scrubbed me down with soap, he started to explore and massage my lower and upper back. I let out a sigh of relief, and he grinned foolishly.

"Now it's my turn," he said.

I didn't complain, and moved behind him. Grabbing the bottle of body wash, I squeezed the bottle to get some of the liquid on my hand. I rubbed it into my hands, and started to go to work on the demon's rougher, yet smooth, skin. He moved his wings farther apart so I could get his back fully. He let out a grunt as he started to work in the soap, and I could feel his muscles flex. I smirked.

"Always the show off," I said playfully.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eodue said as he turned his head over his shoulder.

"Sure you don't."

Giving out another moan, Eodue was showing his affection for my touch, and I started to get the feeling that something was different about him. He was flexing more, and being more vocal when I massaged him in the right place. Leaning down to squirt another handful of body soap, I got a view of his balls, and gasped at what I saw.

I could see something hung growing outward, and didn't have time to react.

All of a sudden, I was pushed up against the shower wall, and close enough to Eodue to feel his throbbing member against my soft one. He looked into my eyes like he was drunk. He was panting loudly, and I looked down to see his hips slowly push against me.

"Eodu-!"

Before I could say what was on my mind, his lips connected with my own, and I found myself paralyzed in place. His body was up against mine, and I could feel every muscle in him move and work. His tongue started to move into my mouth and battle against mine. Euphoria started to hit me, and I felt my heartbeat start to increase. Letting out a moan inside my mouth, Eodue started to grind against my body.

Not knowing what to do, I closed my eyes, and accepted it.

Unlatching the kiss, Eodue looked down into my eyes with passion, and I felt his emotions. I started to feel light headed and shaky. I felt an ecstasy like I never felt before.

Giving a light thrust against my member, I felt my hips buckle underneath his weight, and I pushed back against him. Our manhoods rubbing together sent wave after wave of feelings through me. I didn't know how to react. I pushed Eodue lightly off of me, and he advanced towards me once more. He started to nuzzle my neck, and I lifted my chin up. I could feel his wet face against my own. He snapped his fingers, and a cone started to move around the shower. It was transparent, and wavelike. When it moved all the way across the shower, it disappeared.

It was a sound barrier so Bruce couldn't hear us.

"What was that all about?" I said through pants.

Eodue said almost drunkenly, "I never kissed a human male before. I wanted to pleasure you, and myself. I want you to be my mate."

I was confused at what to do. My mind and my body both wanted to go on with it, but one part of me wanted to say no. I wanted to walk away from it. I could have fought his advances.

But I didn't.

When his lips moved back up to meet mine, I accepted it, and fought back against his tongue, and when his manhood rubbed up against mine, I pushed back. Pressure started to build up within my lower body, and I felt like I was going to explode. Our kiss started to get more aggressive, and I felt his hands start to explore the lower parts of my body. He gave my member a hearty stroke which made me moan out in ecstasy. He then moved lower, and put one hand to fondle my balls while his other hand moved to my rear.

"I can't believe I am doing this," I thought to myself. "I can't believe I'm falling for him..."

I attempted doing some exploring of my own. I started to play with his nipple rings, and gave each one an equal amount of tugs. Each time I would tug, he would thrust forward, and I found it enjoyable that his nubs were that sensitive. After I was done with his nipples, I moved to his chest, and rubbed over the muscled areas. Whenever I would hit a sweet spot, his loins would throb, rise up, shoot pre, and then fall back down on to my member.

I went even lower, and started to brush against his pubic hair and feel his hard cock. I felt his strength, and each time his pulse would beat, I would feel it against my own member. When I gripped his member and started to stroke it, he nearly lost it, and moaned out in ecstasy. When he moaned, the glass doors of the shower would shake and rattle.

All of the sudden, I felt myself lifted off my feet, and put onto the ground. Climbing up on top of me, Eodue let his body fall on top of mine. We were close enough to be chest to chest, nub to nub, and manhood to manhood. We were both panting wildly, and I found myself hypnotized by his tail as it swung back and forth behind his back. Pre was leaking from both our members at a quick rate, and the water from the shower mixed in with it.

We were getting clean to get dirty.

Leaning in for another kiss, I felt my mouth assaulted by the demon's forked tongue once more. When he was done, he lifted his body off of mine, and licked his fingers until they were covered with his saliva.

"W-where are you going with those?!" I said as he started to move them towards my rump.

Using his hand to spread my legs, I was fully exposed to him.

"Just relax. Trust me."

I did as he told me, and let him go on. He moved his finger down until it was lined up with my hole, and slowly started to penetrate it. I let out a gasp in pain, and started to see stars as the muscles in my ass squeezed around the intruder. All of the sudden, I felt another finger join in, and felt the second one enter just as hard.

"AHHH! NHHHGH!"

Eodue said comfortingly, "Let me know if it hurts too bad."

I nodded.

He started to push in deeper, and I squirmed at the strange feeling that was starting to move through me. Instead of feeling pain, I started to feel a mixture of pain and pleasure as his fingers brushed against my prostate. I shivered once more in ecstasy, and the demon grinned when he saw my facial expression.

When he couldn't move any further in, he started to pull back out, and then push back in. I grunted, and started to push against his fingers, wanting them to penetrate me. Leaning in, Eodue started to lick up my neck, and then down my chest. He started to lick around my nipple before putting his mouth over the nub and sucking on it.

I felt my manhood twitch, and I let out a groan as I pushed back a climax from happening right then. After sucking on my nub for a bit, the demon pulled his fingers out of my hole, and got on top of me again. I let out another yell before shooting pre over my chest, and he followed suit.

Moving above my head, he kneeled in front of me, and put his cock head near my face. I knew what he wanted. I sat up, and started to lick the head of his cock. Letting out a moan, he shot more pre which trailed down my back. Putting a hand on my head, and guiding it to where he wanted it to go, eventually, I made it to his sack. When I licked his two orbs, the taste that hit me was strong, and salty. I was blown back by it, and yet wanted more. The way the demon moaned turned me on, and I wanted to pleasure him.

When I was done worshiping his low hangers, his hand moved down below my chin to lift my head up to face his cock. It was huge, and throbbing. I felt intimidated by it. Jerking it off was a different game all together.

Nudging me forward with his hand, I clutched his member in my hands, and stroked it, which got a grunt out of him. I decided to take the plunge, and I opened my mouth. Eodue moved forward so I could open my mouth wider. My mouth wrapped itself around his member, and my tongue licked the undercarriage. The groan that came out of Eodue shook me to my core.

The taste of his manhood on my tongue was not as strong as his orbs, but still had a salty taste to it. Pre leaked into my mouth from his head, and I swallowed it. My own loins twitched, and shot off pre.

Starting to take more of Eodue, I felt my mouth widen to take the demon's girth, and I felt myself start to gag. Eodue realized that I couldn't take most of it, and stopped me at his base. My mouth stayed there for a few moments, and I gave a brief suck on his manhood before moving back. Eodue gave a grunt of approval as I bobbed up and down. When I made it to his base once more, he would buck his hips. Before I knew it, I was deep throating him, and his balls were up against my chin. I could feel his manhood pulse every time it discharged pre, and I could feel it trickle down my throat.

After a while, Eodue started to sweat, and the pulse in his member started to get faster. I knew he was getting close, and he did too. Backing out before he blew his load, Eodue pulled out.

"UHH! Almost had me there, human. Now that we are all lubed up, why don't we take this further?" he asked with a wink.

"How am I lubed up?" I asked, confused.

"I put demon spit in your passageway. What do you think you mortals make lube out of?"

I rolled my eyes, lay on my back, and put my hands by my sides. Eodue just grinned.

Moving on top of me, he licked up my neck until he connected with my lips in a passionate kiss. Unlatching it, he said,

"If you feel uncomfortable, let me know."

I nodded.

Moving his hips outward, he lined his manhood up with my hole, and slowly started to push in. Mimicking the pain of the fingering, I saw stars once more, and grabbed onto Eodue's arms tightly while he pushed further in.

"AHHH!"

Feeling the euphoric feeling from before as Eodue's member started to fill me, pleasure started to course through my veins like liquid lava. Eodue moaned as I squeezed against his manhood, and I felt drool fall onto my chest.

"Mmmmmm. So tight..."

"Damn, you're big," I said in reply as I took his final inch.

"It's better that way," he said as he started to pull back out before thrusting back into me. I gave a grunt in reply. My member replied by twitching.

After pulling out a good amount, Eodue shoved his member deeper in, and I felt my prostate being pushed up against. Before I could yell out, Eodue moved his head closer to mine, and kissed me to muffle my voice as well as his own. Our moans rumbled between our mouths, and sent vibrations through both of us. Each time Eodue rammed into me, a vibrant slap rang across the shower as his sack hit the rim of my backside.

Unlatching the kiss, Eodue smiled slyly, and said lustfully,

"Let's amp this up a notch."

Starting to buck his hips faster, my body started to push against his own in reflex, and I gripped his arms as hard as I could as he sped up. Letting out primal growls, Eodue was getting close, and I braced myself. His orbs started to violently hit my rump, which rang wet slapping sounds all around me, and I knew I would be feeling our lovemaking later. I felt pressure start to build up within my own orbs, and I started to yell out,

"I-I'm close, Eodue!"

Letting out a roar, Eodue started to buck faster, and I felt myself being pushed backwards on the slick floor. Digging his claws into the tiles, claw marks started to appear where Eodue was attempting to grip.

What felt like several hours later, I reached my climax.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Reaching my orgasm, my own cum splattered on my chest, and it had the range to hit the bottom of my neck. My hole tightened up, and I felt the demon's hips push a couple of times into me before giving one hard and final thrust. With one huge roar, Eodue climaxed inside of me, and I felt cum rush inside of me before he pulled out and put his member on my own. Unleashing another roar, he continued his orgasm, and my eyes widened as he unloaded onto my chest, neck, and face. I moaned out as my climax came to a close, and I pushed against Eodue's member as his came to a close as well. Compared to my orgasm, Eodue's was a waterfall. My chest was covered in semen, and my neck got hit as well.

"I was....saving that one for...you," he said in between pants.

"I can't...say the...same," I replied.

He chuckled, and offered me a hand.

This time I took it.

As we washed ourselves in the shower, I felt a strange tingling on my left arm. Looking over to it, I gasped at what I saw. A black line snaked its way up my arm, and onto my chest. It was being followed by another black line. After the two made it to my chest, they snaked their way to my left arm. I felt a burning sensation in my chest, and went on all fours. Eodue noticed, and put his hand on my shoulder.

Letting out a primal growl, I covered my mouth when I heard the voice that escaped it.

It was demonic.

Low, baritone, and menacing, my voice changed almost in an instant.

"What's happening to me?" I asked Eodue.

Eodue simply said, "You're changing."

Letting out a roar that shook the glass, I went back on all fours to see my skin turning red, and my nails start to grow to more of a point. Feeling something trying to escape on my backside, I looked behind me to see a tail shoot out. Muscles started to grow out on my arms, legs, and chest, and my tongue started to take on a forked shape. The fangs that I already had grew sharper, and my eyes grew even more yellow.

I began to grow taller, and my frame became bulkier.

Feeling the same sensation as when my tail grew out of my backside, I started to feel something wanting to grow outward on my upper back. I gave a yell as wings started to grow outward, and spread and stretched themselves. The tattoo that was on my body looked exactly like Eodue's, and started to glow brightly. Eodue's tattoo glowed brightly as well, and his eyes went wide.

Walking up to me, he told me, "You're a full half-demon now. It's done."

Lifting me up off of my crouched position, I felt my legs wobble and almost fall out underneath me. I held onto him for support, and put my head on his shoulder so I wouldn't fall over. I flexed my new muscles lightly, and moved my wings and my tail. I gave a light smile. I could be with Eodue.

Forever.

Then I remembered something that sent a wave of sadness through me.

I would never be human again.

Forever.

Setting me on the bed, Eodue asked, "How do you feel?"

"I-I don't know," I replied while looking down at my hands that now had claws.

Climbing onto the bed, and putting his hand on my shoulder, Eodue said, "You will get used to your transformation. The connection and the transformation wouldn't have worked if you weren't one hundred percent sure. You would have stayed human, the connection would have broken, and I would've passed away, but you would've been able to live. This is the point of no return."

"I never thought this would ever happen to me."

"I will protect you, and teach you."

"I-I know."

I looked into his eyes, and asked him, "So what happens now?"

"We celebrate," he said with a grin.

We celebrated with a kiss.

"What about Bruce? What if he finds out?" I asked worryingly.

Eodue said, "I will protect you, like I said before. If he harms you, I will kill him."

I shook my head at his answer. "Don't kill him."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Let him kill us?" He asked with a chuckle. "We are not like them. They don't understand."

"Then I will make them understand," I said demandingly.

Eodue was shocked at my statement, and scooted closer to me, saying, "I wish it were that simple."

We shared an intimate moment of silence, and only looked into each other's eyes for a minute, or two.

That was until there was knocking on the door...

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

"Open up, Jason. I know you aren't alone. I wish to speak with you."

What happened next changed my life forever.