By Sunday I still couldn't make up my mind if he was real or not. No one had actually seen me in the bathroom with him so I had no witnesses. The pain from having my head bashed against the wall was completely gone. There was nothing else to link him to reality with. The girls didn't even really notice my absence. I guess they were having a lot more fun than I thought.

I tried blocking him out for a period of time and since I was a Sunday school teacher I didn't need any distractions. I adored the kids in my classroom. They were energetic and willing to learn making my job a little easier.

Today we talked about Peter, one of Jesus's disciples, who had denied Christ three times. The reason he denied Christ was because he was scared and feared he would share the same horrific death Jesus received. We're kind of like that today too. Sometime we don't speak out about our Christian beliefs because we are afraid to be ridiculed. It's a weakness we need to break out of.

Once class was over I stayed behind to organize a few things. Kids can get a little too carefree and leave a mess a mile high.

"Need any help?" I heard my father's voice come in.

"Nah, I'm almost finished."

"How was class today?"

I shoved the last piece of random paper back into its folder before sitting on the table and facing my father. "It went well."

My father nodded.

"Father can I ask you something?" Maybe he could answer a few of my questions.

My father crossed the room and sat in front of me, waiting patiently for me to continue.

"Have you ever had something, something bad but might possibly be good, follow you around?" How do I explain the man in my dreams aka my imaginary friend?

No one in my family had ever really had a demon follow them or taunt them to the extreme I have. But I wasn't even sure if he was a demon or evil force. It was becoming clearer he wanted to hurt me but he warned me. Evil souls don't have consciences.

My father raised a curious brow. "Not exactly. Why do you ask?"

I signed. I couldn't tell him. We were supposed to be the strongest, the ones set in stone. Nothing should be able to haunt us. We killed evil things everyday. How could one follow me around? I was too ashamed to tell my father, especially when I didn't know if my imaginary friend wanted to really harm me or not. I guess a part of me wanted to just be sure before I destroyed him. Maybe it was his face. I was a sucker for cute, hot, unbelievably gorgeous faces.

"I don't know. I just..." I bit my lip. I can't tell him. What if he thinks I'm weak?

My father took in my struggle and decided to speak again. "When Mary was pregnant with Jesus many did not believe her story. How could a virgin get pregnant? She was ridiculed and branded as an adulterous. She was then isolated from the rest of the world until an angel came down to Joseph and made him believe. Joseph took her and with his faith married her despite what everyone else thought they knew."

I thought about it. "What are you trying to say?"

"Sometimes the things following us are sent from God. He doesn't hand us anything we can't handle."

My father's words were slowly sinking in. Maybe this was a test or temptation I had to withstand. Maybe this imaginary friend was sent to me on purpose. I just had to hold my faith and battle through. I was strong enough. I could deal with it.

"Thanks father. I really needed to here that."

The rest of week was surprisingly very quiet. My imaginary friend was absent and nowhere to be seen. I was sure it was all part of his plan. He wanted me to get extremely confused and possibly go crazy. And maybe he was winning because I was constantly questioning my sanity. 

It was already Thursday and Gabe wanted to go on one last hunt before his wedding on Saturday. Pierce and I were more than willing to oblige. We decided to hit up the trashier side of town. It was the side where you don't want to go without a weapon. The reports claim most people get robbed or killed quicker on this side. It was a good thing we were practically human weapons ourselves.

Walking the sketchy street was having a target on your back. Every person in contact with us was basically planning out our death with their eyes. Most of the humans on this side were possessed with evil forces. People sell drugs, steal, and kill like it was nothing to them. They listened to the little voice pushing them to edge and tossing them out of range of their morals.

It was like that evil angel on your shoulder pushing you to do bad things. Some eventually give in because the pushing starts to get painful. The pushing turns into spikes and agonizing suffering until they finally do the bad thing they were influenced to do. We couldn't stop them all though. That's what sucked. It was hard to watch as some people were so deeply consumed that it torn them apart. We saved who we could but this world is an enormous place.

We entered a warehouse looking building that has a dark cloud hovering over it like a plague. That's how we sometimes found our next destination. It was like a sign God was giving us to guide us to our mission. The building was old and barely holding up by the bricks.

"I'll take the first level. Gabe you the second and Laken check out the third." Pierce commanded.

We split up and I took the staircase. It was empty and quiet. I hated being in a situation like this and everything is quiet. It's just leading up to something really big.

The hallway on the second floor had doors connecting every five feet and it was a long hall. I didn't want to imagine all the corruptive stuff that happens in all those rooms. My gut was giving me a feeling, like pulling me to a specific door. I went with the feeling and ventured on down through the darkness. I stopped when I head a voice coming from the room in front of me. It was a man's voice. He was angry and yelling. I was sure there was some else in the room he was screaming at. I heard clashing of objects and my curiosity plunged me forward. I conspicuously opened the door and found a teenage girl slumped on a bed, crying.

She was wearing only a bra and underwear and her body was in an awkward twisted position. It made me think she had possibly dislocated something. She looked beaten and exhausted. How long had she been here? The man with hooded eyes moved closer and lashed a belt across her back. She cried out in pain but he hit her again regardless of her anguish. The man's eyes finally came into sight and they were blazed with a sick threatening excitement like he was enjoying her cries of pain.

My stomach quenched. The evil in this world still astounded me and I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Not even after everything I've seen. The belt whipped into the air and I couldn't take it anymore. I had to stop him from hurting that innocent girl but as soon as I took a step towards them I was restrained. Huge muscular bear arms had my whole body caged to the point I couldn't even move. Not amount of jerking would loosen the hold he had on me.

"Not so fast pumpkin." His cynical voice echoed in my ear like a dangerous lullaby. It was my stupid imaginary friend.

"Let me go!" I shouted, making my voice as loud as thunder.

My yelling didn't even make the man and woman look at me. It was like they didn't hear me or couldn't. The man continued to inflict gaping wounds onto her back. I felt like I was in a thick glass display box where no one could hear or see me besides my imaginary friend.

"What's the magic word?" He taunted as his anaconda grip tightened.

There was no time for this. Why was he holding me back? "Bite me."

And that's exactly what he did. His semi sharp teeth bit into my neck, hard like I was a freaking piece of cake. Vampires don't exist. Who the heck did he think he is? I ignored the tiny tingles and jammed my head against his iron one. He pulled away, chuckling at me. Was this a joke to him? How could he be distracting me as this horrific scene was unfolding in front of us?

"What's wrong with you?" His sick behavior was making me question everything including my own sanity.

"I actually feel divine today. Thanks for asking." His hot breath was running up and down my throat.

He pressed my back closer into his chest, as if that was even possible. I was sure my ribcage was caving in. "Okay ogre I'll give you three seconds to release me before I crush you like a cracker over a soup."

His hand trailed up my hip, sensually over my stomach, and landed on my neck. I had treacherous shivers invade my body from his uninvited touch. His large hand wrapped around my neck and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Kitten I really doubt you're in the position to give threats. I can tie a string around your tiny fragile neck and hang you like an ornament over the Eiffel Tower till your pretty little head pops off." 

"You're such a romantic. I bet you're used to women falling dead at your feet." Ughhh. Why was this happening, now of all times? What did he want? "Why are you here?"

"For the show." He jerked my face forward just in time to watch the man take off his clothes. "Can you guess what's going to happen next?"

He was going to rape the girl. "Let me go. Please just let me go."

My irritating imaginary friend pressed his cheek to mine. I swear my face was burning from the contact.

"Why so you can help her, save her? Pumpkin you got to learn that you can't save them all." His tone was calm like a psycho's would be before indulging in a killing spree.

I was forced to watch the man smack the girl around because of her crying. Her blood was splattered all over the dreary bed. I wanted to reach out for her but I couldn't move. I was trapped. I had never felt so helpless in my life.

"I know I can't save them all but I can help her. Now." It was so frustrating.

"What makes you think she deserves to be saved?"

His question faded the same time his grip left my body. I was free. I wasted no time and yanked the man off the poor girl. My fists were automatically punching him to next year. I couldn't stop. I was like a ravaged beast seeking blood. I guess it was also due to the frustration my freaking imaginary friend had already worked me up to. My hands were covered in the guy's blood and he was laying lifeless on the ground. He wasn't exactly dead but close.

I took a few deep needed breaths before looking up. My imaginary friend had his gaze locked on me like he was entranced with my performance. The curious, intrigued way he was assessing me with made me feel like a savaged cannibal. I could honestly believe he was taking pleasure in my brutal attack.

He took a few steps towards me. "I can't explain to you how attractive that fight club moment was to me." His thumb brushed against my cheek for the slightest second. "You have a little blood there."

I dropped my gaze, a little ashamed I got carried away. It wasn't like me to be so vicious especially on an actual human. I typically went ham on demons but humans were supposed to be dealt with a little more care. I knew better. This guy barely breathing at my feet was just a human, a human under the influence of evil forces.

"It's a shame it's not yours." Just one punch would give me satisfaction.

He smirked. "Yeah I bet you would like to get your hands on me...all over me."

It was too dark to see my flushed face or extreme annoyance. What was with the perversive jokes? He was so cocky and way to confident in himself.

"I don't know exactly what you are yet but I could kill you. And I'll make it look like a bloody accident." I was sure he wasn't entirely demon. The bite he gave me wasn't giving me hallucinations or near death episodes. But I was sure he wasn't an angel either. Well actually I had never met an angel before.

"I'm ten times your size munchkin. What are you going to do, bore me to death with your pathetic threats? No, wait I got it. Why don't you kill me with kindness?"

I clinched my teeth and crossed my arms over my chest. I had to give it to him there. He was smart, big, and quick not like the rest of the dumb demons I was used to. He was something else, something beyond my comprehension.

I had almost forgotten about the timid girl who was now scrunched in a ball, still crying her eyes out. Mr. Imaginary Friend glided around the bed and swiftly lifted her up. I instinctively took a step towards them. I wasn't sure of his intentions but I wasn't about to let him hurt her. She was shaking like a leafe until he protectively engulfed her against his chest. They were both facing me.

"Why did you save her?" His eyes were glued to me. I didn't answer. "Why save a woman you know nothing about?"

"Because I couldn't watch her suffer."

The woman stopped crying and I got a good look at her. She had to be at least in her late twenties.

"But she's a whore. She was asking for trouble."

I shook my head. What the heck was he talking about? "No one asks for trouble or to be beaten to death."

His hand slowly slithered over her stomach and stopped just above her pelvic bone. Out of nowhere the girl began to moan. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was barely touching her and she was crying out in ecstasy.

"What are you doing to her? Stop it." This was some freaky stuff.

His brow arched. "Are you jealous?"

"Disgusted." I spat back.

"Do you want me to let you in on a little secret? She isn't as innocent as she looks. This woman in my hands has abused drugs for years ultimately causing her to kill her own son." His eyes never looked away from me. "She didn't even shed a tear. Her son was an obstacle in her life. He was only three. Now tell me does she deceive to live?"

I was stuck. My mind had frozen over.

He was impatient with my delay and dug his claws into her stomach, drawing blood. She struggled to get loose but he held on tight. Man did I know how that felt.

"We all mistakes. Who are you to punish the sinners?" Only God has that right.

"Someone has to serve justice." His hands wrapped around the woman's head. I feared he would literally crush her skull. "She'll do it again you know. Evil is like an addiction, an infection in the bloodstream. And you can't save them all."

All too quickly he twisted her head and snapped her neck, instantly killing her. No, no, no. This was not supposed to happen. I raced to her fallen body but there was no use. She was gone and probably sent to an eternity of hell. If only she had a chance to change. He didn't give her a chance.

"She needed a chance." My weak whisper was hardly audible.

"A chance to change?" He mocked me again. "You'll learn all too soon that no one can change their true nature. Evil had already branded her."

The room fell silent and then Pierce and Gabe showed up but my imaginary friend was already gone. Leaving me no evident to prove to my brothers I wasn't insane but maybe I was. I couldn't be sure anymore.

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