"...Maybe this world is another planet's Hell..."

Aldous Huxley.

           I swear my heartbeats could be heard for miles. The slow drop of sweat that was rolling down my forehead was contradictory, because I was actually feeling pretty cold. Maybe it was that cold sensation we feel when we are scared of something or when we know we are in danger.   

Madness... 

             He had said that that was his name. Madness was not a name but a noun. I was sure that if I looked in a dictionary I'd confirm I was right. He was still standing behind me; his cold breath caressed the back of my neck gently, maybe that’s another reason I am so cold. I could feel the power he emanated.  

Demon...           

            He'd said he was a demon but how was that possible? Demons don’t exist, do they? I believed in God faithfully. I guess if I believe in the existence of God, then to believe in demons doesn't seem so preposterous. In fact, if God exist then demons exist.

         If there was a heaven, it was very likely that there was a hell. Where else would the dark sinful souls go if there weren’t? Why was I just standing here thinking about this? I needed to move away, far away from this creature behind me but I couldn’t seem to find the strength to do so. Tears filled my eyes, but I held them back. I would not give him the pleasure to see me crying. He would think he was achieving his ultimate goal: to break me.

           How could my life change so drastically? Two weeks ago, I was a simple young woman living my life like everyone else. I had a wonderful, loving sister who came to visit me every weekend at my humble rented apartment. I had a boring job but at least it gave me enough money to pay my bills.

          Now, my sister was gone and I was shaking in my living room because a creature that calls himself a demon was standing right behind me. Was this really happening? It’s hard to believe that it is it sounds so illogical and insane, like something right out of a nightmare.

          "How I love the smell of fear," he says with relish. His ice cold breath was brushing the back of my neck. It was giving me goose bumps.

          "Are you real?" I asked hoping he'd say he wasn't, that I was just having a nightmare. He didn't reply. He stayed silent for a moment then I heard and felt him sniff my hair.

         "I love the wild way your heart beats, the way your breathing quickens and your body becomes tense,” he said coldly but huskily, "I enjoy knowing that I am causing all these reactions in you." I wanted to get away from him so badly. I started to take a step forward "Do not move, Angeles." he demanded venomously. His tone was serious and menacing. My mind told me to obey him but my body responded by itself and I was able to walk a few steps away from him. When I felt that I was far enough away I turned around to face him.  

He wasn't there...  

         What? Where did he go? I scanned my living room desperately, moving my head in all directions but still found nothing. Did he leave? I really didn't think so. Suddenly a deep, burning pain filled my chest. I screamed but nothing came out of my mouth. It felt like the mark on my chest was burning me, my skin actually stung worse then having a sunburn.

         What was happening? I fell on my knees holding my burning chest. I gasped for air, I couldn't breathe. The pain wouldn't let me breathe.

             "Please," I begged as I gasped for air, knowing all the while he was doing this to me. I had disobeyed him and now he was hurting me. How? I had no idea but I didn't care; I just needed to stop the pain fast, it was becoming unbearable. Dark smoke began to appear in front of me. I watched confused as that strange smoke was transformed into the figure of a man. My eyes looked at his shoes and went up to his calves. Everything was black, his shoes and pants. I wanted to look up at him but my chest was hurting to much.  

             "Please," I pleaded as it was becoming harder to breath. Instead my despair spoke for me, and then the pain was gone as suddenly as it had come.  I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with sweet air. It was in that moment that I dared to glance up. He was gazing down at me, his red eyes shining brightly in the dark. I couldn't see his sharp teeth, as his signature smirk was gone, so I knew that meant he was serious.

            He knelt in front of me, putting all his weight on one knee. Our eyes were at the same level now. His face was so close to mine that his cold breath was brushing my mouth and nose. My cheeks were wet; tears that had escaped my eyes even when I had tried really hard not to show him weakness.

           "Don't provoke me, little human. I can really hurt you." he threatened. I was still breathing fast trying to get my breath back, my chest was moving up and down quickly. He extended his hand towards me my body automatically tensed in fear. He held my face in his ridiculously cold hands I involuntarily shivered. He wiped a tear away with his thumb "Sweet tears," he said softly. Then, he moved his hand back, grinning at me. I was surprised by his next move. He licked his thumb slowly "Salty tears, they taste so good" he said with his smirk back in place. I glared at him, not liking his sadistic comment.

           "Why me?" It was a question I'd been have been asking myself since all this started. Why me? I was just a woman. I was not a bad person. I always tried to do good. I'd never hurt anyone, at least, not on purpose. Why did this creature have to choose me? Why did he want to hurt me? Where was Raven? Did he take her? My mind was filled with confusion and more unanswered questions then ever before.

          "It was meant to be this way," he explained casually, a big grin was plastered on his face. Why was he grinning like that? Did he enjoy my pain?

          "What are you talking about?" I ask, each time he would answer a question, he would only confuse me even more.

           "You're boring me with all these stupid questions," he stated, his grin became a smirk again.          

            "Just one question, answer just one more and I will stop," I pleaded. He nodded his head so I proceeded to ask him what was most important to me, "Where is Raven?" He seemed to hesitate for a moment.

            "She's where she's supposed to be." his cold tone was back. His smile was completely gone.

             "Where? Is she okay?", I ask..

            "Define okay," his grin returned. My chest tightened. Did he hurt her?

            "Did you hurt her?" I asked without thinking.

            "No more questions, Angeles, you're starting to annoy me and believe me, you don't want to deal with an annoyed demon." he stood up. He was extremely tall. I had to tilt my head back to glance up at him "Be a good girl and you'll be fine for now." he promised. I wanted to believe his words but something in my gut told me I shouldn't. 

             "Please, do whatever you want to me but leave Raven alone." I begged. Raven was my only family, the only person who'd always been there for me. He sighed, sounding bored.

             "Humans can be so pathetic sometimes," he affirmed giving his back to me "I must go now, but I'll be back." and with that he vanished into thin air.

           I don't know for how long I stayed in that same position even when my mind was telling to go see if Jess was okay, I just couldn't move. It felt like my knees were glued to the carpet that had gone cold under me. He admitted he had taken Raven, I wondered if she was alive and uninjured. I hoped he hadn’t been hurting her but what I'd seen of him, the way he enjoyed my pain, I honestly doubted it. I mentally slapped myself. I needed to move. I finally got up and almost ran to the bathroom. I opened the door and my heart sank in my chest. The bathroom was empty. Oh God...          

              "No!" I wailed as I felt tears in my eyes again.

               "No what?" I jumped two feet in the air and turned abruptly to see Jess. She was standing in front of my bedroom door. She scowled at me while asking, "Are you okay? Were you crying?"               

             "I..." I didn't know what I should say, so I said "I had a bad dream"  

             "But you weren't in your room", Jess replied.

            "Are you alright, Ann? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" she asked sounding concerned while she was rubbing my shoulders. 

           "I'm fine. It was just a stupid nightmare" I said. She gave me a sympathetic smile and wrapped one arm around me in a half hug while pulling me down the hallway.

           "Let's prepare the tea, the water must be ready" she informed as we headed towards the kitchen. I sighed and rested my head on her shoulder. I wished I could tell her everything but I was sure she was going to think I was going crazy. She would probably blame my sister's disappearance for it. We prepared the tea and chatted for a few minutes about nothing special but, my mind was somewhere else and that somewhere had a name.

    - The next day -

           "Hurry up, mommy!" a very energetic little girl exclaimed pulling at her mother's skirt.         

           "Samantha, stop it" the mother whispered to her looking embarrassed. She was probably in her thirties. The little girl pouted, making her small cheeks look fuller. I couldn't help smiling at her. How could the mother resist to that?

           "Please, mommy, I want to see the lights." I knew she referred to the Christmas' lights on the streets. Nightfall was here. I was still in Kristoff's hotel.  I had decided to work late tonight; I really didn't want to go home I was afraid of what I may find there "Hurry!" the little girl cried running towards the hotel's exit mechanic doors.

         "Wait for me!" The woman shouted running behind her daughter. I couldn't help wondering how it would feel like to have a mother, since mine abandoned me when I was just five years old. I had vague memories of her. I remembered things like her curly golden hair and bright blue eyes, the same blue as mine, but that was it. I didn't remember her voice, her face or anything else. I watched the little girl leaving the hotel's lobby, her mother following right behind her. I couldn’t help but to smile at them.

         "Are you thinking about me?" a smooth male's voice asked. I turned to him slightly annoyed. 

       

        "No, why would you think I would be thinking about you?" I asked frankly. Drake leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter.

        "Because you were smiling like a fool," he replied smirking at me, showing his perfect straight white teeth "I tend to make girls smile like that all the time." His green eyes sparkling in amusement as he said it.

        "Right" I rolled my eyes. I really didn't have time to deal with him right now. There was a lot of stuff going through my head. Drake sighed in frustration and his playful expression vanished.        

         "Ann, you should stop hurting my feelings" he shook his head in disapproval, his straight blond hair moved a little.

          "Feelings?" I raised an eyebrow "Do you even have a heart, Drake?" he narrowed his eyes at me.

         "What's that supposed to mean?" he grumbled as he folded his semi-muscled arms across his chest.

         "Never mind" I said mildly, Drake didn't deserve to be treated like this. It was not his fault my life was a mess, "I'm sorry," I apologized, his expression softened "I'm in a rotten mood"  

         "Yeah, I can tell,” he said as his silly smile was back on his face in a matter of seconds, "So, this is the part where I ask you out and you say no. Then, I turn around and walk away dramatically with a horrible sad song in the background." I chuckled at his antics he could be really funny.           

          "You should stop trying, Drake. I'm not gonna say yes." I said trying to look serious.

         "You can't blame me for trying" he shrugged his shoulders "You're worth it."

         "Right, you're only being this persistent because I'm the only women that works in the entire hotel that you haven't had," as I made a circle with my finger, emphasizing the hotel.

         "That may be true," he admits "but maybe, I'm falling hopelessly in love with you" he put a hand on his heart and put a puppy dog expression on his face. I almost laughed at him.

         "As if I'm going to believe that," I gestured him to leave "go get a girl for the night and leave this tormented soul in peace." I replied dismissing the conversation. Soul... that word reminded me of him, the demon who was tormenting me and held my sister captive.

        "Fine." he pouted and turned around so slowly that it was ridiculous. He started walking away humming a song, he turned slightly to me and I chuckled as he mouthed "Dramatic background song" I smiled. Drake was really attractive and his personality was the best of him. But I couldn't risk my heart like that. He was a player and even though I liked him, because there was no point in denying it, I wouldn't accept his offer, it was just too risky.

          I was almost dragged out of the hotel. My boss ordered me to go home; he said I had worked more then enough. He obviously didn't understand that I didn't want to go home. Jess had left early, she needed to buy some groceries for Christmas dinner, which was only two days away. I was dreading Christmas this tear. Knowing I probably was going to spend Christmas night alone. I always have Christmas dinner with my sister but this year I didn't even know where she was.          

           Oh Raven... how I missed her, I thought as my eyes started to tear up again. A part of me was always worried about her, about her safety even before she was taken. Now thinking she might be hurt or worse was almost unbearable.

          I walked inside my apartment and closed the door behind me. The place was so silent I could hear myself breath. I headed to my room. I stepped inside and turned the light on. I swear my heart stopped beating, my breath was caught inside my lungs. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I blinked over and over again. This had to be a nightmare. Because that was what my life had become...

  One long terrible endless nightmare.