A silent boundary sat between their hands as both were careful not to brush fingers with one another.

The exhaustion and cold air put Delilah under what felt like a hazy dream as they walked in the dark. Her numb fingers poked past her sleeves, the chilly wind sending needles to her bare ears.

She itched to stir up a conversation, that way her frozen lips wouldn't have to be so goddamn purple.

Then Ryland lifted his arms to tug the collar of his jacket closer to his chin and Delilah caught a glimpse of something sticking out in his pocket. "What do you got there?"

He quickly put his arm down, hiding the object back in his sleeve. "Nothing."

He stopped walking, and Delilah released her mind from its sleepy state, and let her senses wake up to the scene before her. "This doesn't look like home," she said.

A crooked smile was slapped n Ryland's lips, smearing this amusement across his face that she still didn't understand. "Just listen."

A rush of cars zoomed beneath the bridge and their feet rumbled at the incredible speed. Headlights flashed like shooting stars below them; oddly enough a wish even slipped into Delilah's mind:

She wanted to know: What kind of dark was this?

She expected to come across a graveyard or a special tree but this—this was unexpected.

"It's a highway," she blandly stated.

"Listen," he repeated.

She didn't. She pretended to do so and stole a discreet glance over her shoulder. Ryland had his eyes closed, almost as if he was giving himself to the world.

He's ought to be the dumbest idiot I've ever met.

"I know you're not listening," he said.

Her gaze darted to his eyes. They were still closed. Did she say something aloud?

"If you don't want to listen that's fine..." he began.

"I do so!" she interjected.

"Then do it," he dared.

She was going to wipe that smirk off his face. She'd be the best listener he'd ever seen!

Delilah folded her arms over her chest and shut her eyes and waited.

Waited some more.

And waited a little longer.

"You can't hear it can you?" he spoke.

"The dead people? I hear them all the time."

"You can't hear it."

"Yes I can."

"Your nose is scrunched, I've never seen that many wrinkles on your forehead and your brows are narrowed enough to form caterpillars."

Her eyes flashed open. "I'm sorry that all I hear is fucking air!" Delilah itched to claw that smile off his face.

"If you're not going to try, they don't bother to join me anywhere."

How could a smiling boy say something so cruel? Not in that evil kind of way, but in that sly, 'I-know-more-than-you-loser'.

Delilah bit down on her retorts and turned back to the highway, lips tight and pursed. Dropping her arms to her side, she took a deep breath and exhaled out a big cloud of cold air. She closed her eyes and allowed the world to take her.

There was a nip at her cheek, a slither down her back and a whisper in her ear;

The wind.

The stupid fucking wind. Was this all he wanted her to hear?

Her lips rooted together, not allowing any of her thoughts to stem into a sentence; when her thoughts grew into words, they always seemed to be the wrong ones around Ryland.

She began thinking about Paris and the promise she kept to HB. She shivered at the notion of commitment and felt a hand slide up her arm.

"We should go," Ryland murmured.

She opened her eyes, vision filled by soft pillow lips. She lifted her head up, startled by this proximity, but he had already stepped back. He turned with a hand stuffed in his jean jacket pocket.

"More like I should go," she mumbled and trekked after him.

Although it wasn't a comfortable car silence, it wasn't an awkward one either. Her mind was wrapped in the relationship of Paris and HB on the way home, not even thinking about untangling herself from a problem that wasn't her own.

Ryland parked a block down from Paris's apartment as all spaces were filled. Once he killed the engine, he walked her along the street with his hands in his pockets.

The honey glow of the streetlights fell over Delilah's head and then slid off her silver hair, only to slide back on before taking two more steps. It wasn't until she stopped at the glass entrance doors when she remembered Ryland was walking her home.

She reached for the door handle and tugged a bit.

"Maybe next time, Delilah," was the only thing Ryland said.

For a second, she thought 'next time' meant he was inviting her to hang out again.

But as she watched the back of his head disappear down the street, she realized he didn't mean that at all.

Ryland knew she didn't hear the 'sound'.

And maybe next time, she would. That was---if she was still alive for the next time.

+++

"One time I asked HB about doing a hall pass," Paris told the lunch group. "You know. Because we've never been with anyone else but each other."

Melon Head laughed. "Yes. Because that's the best way to increase the health of your relationship."

"Hall pass?" Brody stopped tapping his chopstick on the table.

"It's an agreement between you and your partner that for a certain amount of time, you can sleep with anyone you want and it wouldn't be considered as cheating," Delilah explained.

"I mean"—Paris started picking the petals off the flowers he picked for HB—"They are so many other sausages in the world to try. And of course, muffins. The world is your buffet. Taste a little bit of everything."

"Someone better write that on my tombstone," Melon Head said.

"I feel like that metaphor wasn't about breakfast," Brody added.

"And?" Delilah looked at HB.

The blonde blew a strand of hair away from her eyes. "I told Paris I didn't care."

"So we didn't do a hall pass. Because that's when I remembered how much I love her," Paris cooed and gave HB a kiss on the head.

Delilah grimaced, scooting to the end of the lunch table. Then she sensed Ryland approach and she quickly snapped her back upright. His presence was weird today—it was off. Boy, only if he knew how different he was compared to everyone.

He set his tray down beside her and she took a deep breath.

He didn't say anything when he sat and just started to eat. Everyone at the table went silent and it wasn't until his third bite when he finally looked up. "Why are you guys staring?"

Paris failed to hide his smile.

The light bulb of realization clicked on and Ryland a cast a look over to Delilah who was beside him. He sighed. "Okay. So what if I'm sitting beside her. I still think she's a freak."

"I'm right here," Delilah pointed out.

"I know."

A plate of spaghetti splattered in the centre of the table and laughter came from the side. They turned to see Lucan and his friends grinning and pointing.

"Dick," muttered Ryland.

But the cosmic forces must've hated them at that moment because Lucan began walking over. "Hey assholes," he sneered and set both hands on the table.

"You left your lunch here," Paris told him with a smile and circled the thrown spaghetti.

Melon Head pulled out an empty chair. "Lucan, if you're going to keep coming to our table, you should just sit here."

Lucan's smile dropped. "I don't always visit your table."

"You always come," Melon Head said.

Delilah snickered and HB snorted, all three of their minds deep in the gutter.

"I don't come all the time," Lucan snapped back, dark thoughts flying over his head.

"No. You come too early," Delilah stated.

"Guys. No," Ryland cut in, face mortified and disgusted at where this was going.

Lucan's expression scrunched up, brows knitted together before he just shook his head. "Whatever." He spun around and walked back to his table.

"You're welcome to come anytime!" Paris shouted after him with a wave.

Delilah leaned into the table and tossed her thumb over her shoulder once Lucan was out of earshot. "What's with this dickturd's deal?"

Paris's cheeks ached from all that smiling. "Well," he chirped and placed both his hands together. "It's probably because we're—Ouch!"

Ryland grunted something under his breath and Brody poked Paris's head with the chopstick.

"We're what?" Delilah persisted, but everyone mumbled something else and stood up to leave. "HB?" She turned to the blonde, only to find her lady friend gone.

Delilah clenched her fists, anger rising in her chest.

Enough was enough.

+++

She 'persuaded' Melon Head to skip class (oh, the power of black magic) and took him for a walk around town. She needed to talk to someone about this secret and he was the only clueless one besides her.

Melon Head pulled the joint away from his mouth. "Do you find me attractive?"

Delilah pressed her lips to a tight line. "What kind of fucking question is that?"

He shrugged. "Can't a guy just ask a question?"

Delilah's red boots clicked down the sidewalk and she flinched at the slam of blinds and doors. People caught a glimpse of her before shutting themselves in their homes, cowards screaming threats behind their windows.

Hells Bells—this must've been the Catholic side of the town.

Delilah's silvers curls whipped in the fall breeze, lips still pursed. "I don't know. I never really saw you as anything else but 'Melon Head.'"

"Okay." He sucked in the joint and breathed out a cloud. "Say you didn't know me. Would you ride me all night long?"

Laughter flowed from her black lips. "Not sure."

Then water sprang an inch from her face and landed by her feet. Delilah turned and faced a screaming woman, her voice preaching to the skies and she kept sprinkling water before Delilah's boots.

"She ain't thirsty, hoe!" Melon Head shouted at the strange woman.

Delilah scowled and used her hand to shoo the strange woman away. But the human kept screaming in another language, taking a step forward, but quickly stumbled backwards as if fear held her back.

"This is kinda funny. How religious humans can sense your badass-ness. It's like they think you're going to 'end' their world or something," Melon Head said.

"I know, eh? I mean, 'ending' a world requires a lot of effort. And who in seven sins has that? The human species are a truly bizarre bunch."

A crash went off beside Delilah and she lifted one leg up with a shriek. Glass shattered and pieces flew against her legs, some cutting through her tights. They both jerked their heads up to see a woman cursing in the same language, bottles and plates hovering over her head.

Her heart pumped faster and she grabbed Melon Head's collar, tossing him in front of her. "Let's leave this helluva whack house." Her hamstring whined in a yanking motion, pain striking up her leg at the sudden jolt forward.

But Delilah broke into a run anyway and leaped up at another sound of a crash. She propelled her legs harder, her breath dragging with Melon Head's.

"American psychos!" Melon Head screamed. Suddenly, people came swarming from the alleyways and apartments, trapping them on the main road.

Delilah spun around. "What the fuck is going on?"

Then she saw a different kind of black magic weaving into the wind.

She heard the whispering wind cry out and slither through the ears of the humans; rattling and banging inside their brain before shooting out the other ear, leaving them broken and raw of madness. A light flashed in the normal eyes of almost a hundred humans before a bloody red colour pooled into their pupils.

Melon Head slammed his back against Delilah—both back to back as the humans caged them in.

"I know you said not use my fucking kickass demon powers," Delilah mentioned. "But now is an exception right?"

"Uh..." She could feel Melon Head's heart hammering as their shoulders pressed against each other.

"Their eyes are really red," Delilah said.

"Maybe they're high? My eyes were that red at Cupid's Christmas party—drugs do that kind of stuff. Remind me to never take one of his cinnamon hearts..."

"Melon Head, I don't think they're on drugs."

"The stakes aren't high enough to use magic. Don't."

But the ground already started rumbling.

The anger and frustration that built over the past few days crashed into her head, cracking open the Devil inside of her.

Delilah's eyes turned a piercing black and her throat burned to produce a beastly screech. The sensation bubbled from the pit of her stomach and flames grew from her open palms.

Some humans took a step back—even the foreign black magic thrown inside of them wasn't enough to forge true bravery.

Delilah hissed, ready to project the scream that would send all of Earth shaking, but then the wind whispered even louder, saying something in her ear.

Delilah froze and the flames died out in her palms.

Grains of sand ran down the brick homes and from under the sewers, sneaking out from cracks in the sidewalk and through the open windows.

"Well, well. Didn't think I'd see you again," rumbled a deep, familiar voice.

The flames grew again in Delilah's hand, diamonds still glittering in her black eyes. "What in seven sins are you doing here?" she growled.

The townspeople stepped to the side as a black trench coat floated through the parting crowd. "I'm sorry for dropping in like this." A human looking figure formed inside of the coat, golden flecks making his eyes, and hands were hidden in gloves. "I know this isn't the proper way to see your ex fiancée."

The flames in Delilah's hands rose. "Fuck you," she spat.

Startled, Melon Head looked at Delilah. "You were engaged?"

"Is that hard to imagine?" she snapped.

"Are you kidding? Who'd want to marry the fucking Devil?"

The man in the trench coat grew a sly grin and told Delilah, "Awe, c'mon hun. You haven't seen me in centuries. Shouldn't I get some nice greeting?"

"You were my first fiancée out of three," Delilah spat to the trench coat man. "You're probably the least favourite one of them all. Hell, walking away from the aisle was probably the best decision I had ever made."

"You have three fucking ex-fiancées?!" Melon Head threw his hands up. "Bruh, does your vagina have no chill?"

The trench coat man frowned as Delilah grinned at her ex-fiancée. "Still a fucking cunthead, hm?" he spoke.

"Wait, wait." Melon Head raised a hand. "I've heard about this." He snapped his fingers, trying to figure it out at the tip of his tongue. "Ah ha. You're Sandman right? You, like, proposed to the Devil and shit and then she got cold feet and left your sorry ass." Melon Head let out a hoot. "Sandman, bro. Get REKT."

"Don't call me Sandman," the trench coat man ordered.

But Melon Head was too engrossed in other things. "You know Sandman, I thought you'd be...I don't know, like, a little more sandy?"

"I'm not actually made of sand you idiot," he spat, the possessed townspeople hissing more at Melon Head.

"Then what the fuck do you do? Like, to be honest, you're the least known spirit on the planet," Melon Head pointed out.

Sandman glared, clenching his fists.

"Melon Head," Delilah lowly growled.

"Don't get mad," Melon Head told her. "Before shit goes down, remember we have to keep everything low key. We can't attract too much attention on this part of town or else the po-po's are gonna be here. Be settle."

Sandman whistled and one of the hypnotized humans leaped forward, it's jaw open and ready to snap. Melon Head whipped the gun out of his jacket and shot it in the throat. Blood squirted across Sandman's coat.

"What the fuck?!" Delilah burst. "I thought you said to be low key!"

"I was low key!"

"You just fucking shot someone!"

"That's pretty fucking low key to me."

"Enough!" Sandman exclaimed and pointed towards Delilah. "You. You shouldn't have never come to Earth."

"I know. Everyone has been telling me that!" she screamed.

"Then did you come here?" Sandman demanded.

She threw her hand down and fire erupted from her side. "Because I didn't have a choice!"

"Technically you did," Melon Head added. "You just didn't make a good one."

"I'm ten seconds away from stabbing you with my middle finger," she seethed at Melon Head.

Sandman sighed. "I hate to do this to you, honey. But you're worth a lot in the spirit world. And as a guy who likes big bucks and a shit ton of power, you're practically a walking bonus."

The humans crept forward, some crawling on the ground and others stalking with arms up, fingers limply reaching for her.

"You want to kill me?!" Delilah threw her head back in laugh. "Best fucking thing I've heard all day."

She set her other palm on fire, flames reflecting her twinkling black eyes.

Melon Head swallowed hard as he watched her gaze darken, seeing the Devil surrender to a much different, much harsher darkness than what Ryland had in mind.

+++

+++

A/N:

Have you ever seen Hell break loose?

Prepare for a badass Delilah because she's coming your way. ;)

You ready?

Delilah is played by Marycake from Tumblr.

She's got this devilish look to her, idk.

Please comment on what you think of the story so far! :)

Thank you for all your support guys! It really means the world to me.

I'm planning to mix genres in this story: romance, comedy, adventure, action etc.

Please vote!

200 votes? :)

Love you lots!

Xx twister