“Hold on tight,” I said through gritted teeth.

I ran, ducking around the figurine stall as a heavy black claw the size of my body came crashing down behind us.

Stacy screamed.

The weight of her body getting dragged behind me slowed my pace. There was no way I could out run a demon. I had to find somewhere to hide, and fast. 

Sweat beaded down my temples as I huffed. I knew I wouldn’t last very long. 

My squishy physique wasn’t designed for heavy exercise.

I just hoped Stacy was okay. I couldn’t see her very well from behind me, and if anyone was going to get hit first, it would be her. 

“Hurry, Nyx!” Stacy yelled as the demon ran straight through a book stall we’d just run past. Splintered wood and ripped pages showered around them like confetti. 

I felt something smack my side, but kept on running, weaving around anything that we could use as a shield or distraction.

The demon was faster than them. Much faster. But it was bulky and clumsy, and had to barrel through decorations and stalls to reach them, which slowed it down. 

I’d recalled something that Rini had explained to me one morning. They’d been sitting at the breakfast table, munching on some cereal.

“I’ve read a few personal accounts from magical girls last night,” Rini said, her mouth half-full of food. “They said demons aren’t very smart. So as long as they can get to a demon sighting early, they can usually prevent casualties. Survivors say if you ever encounter a demon, you need to outwit it. Obviously we can’t fight them off like magical girls can, so it makes sense.”

What she hadn’t told me was how quiet demons were. It didn’t roar. It didn’t growl. It was silent, like a figure of mist. If it weren’t for the destruction of everything it passed near, I wouldn’t have even known it was following us.

Its movements were uncanny and my instincts screamed at me to get away.

Unnatural. My mind whispered to me.

I took a sharp right, flinging Stacy around the corner into another hallway. The demon crashed into the opposite wall, skidding across the floor.

My eyes found the black lettering of a familiar storefront. 

Medieval Maniacs.

It was perfect.

I ducked through the door.

“Ow!” Stacy yelped as her head bumped into the doorframe.

I ran behind the checkout counter, all the way to the back of the store. Medieval weaponry and clothing covered the walls and isles. Chainmail, maces, swords… most were collectibles, but some looked sharp enough to be used as actual weapons.

“I…think…we’re…safe…” I huffed, out of breath and sagged to the floor in relief. From outside the store, the demon prowled slowly, head in the air as if it were trying to locate them through smell. Could demons smell? Wish I’d paid more attention to Rini’s ramblings.

It was looking for them, but couldn’t figure out where they’d gone. I guess demons were as stupid as Rini had said.

“I can’t believe we’re actually alive,” Stacy muttered quietly. Her body shook as she scooted to take hold of my hand and squeezed, as if trying to right herself. 

“We should have hid sooner, Nyx. Why did you wait so long to hide?”

I thought back to all the stores we had passed. When the demon appeared, everyone nearby had immediately hid in the surrounding stores. With so many people packed in one place, the demon would surely have…

“I don’t know.”

Stacy opened her mouth as if to say something, then immediately closed it. A flash of anger appeared in her expression, then disappeared so fast I thought I'd imagined it.

“I can’t believe how unlucky we are,” Stacy mumbled as she sat upright on the tarp. “If only you hadn’t made that noise—“

“I didn’t want to draw its attention,” I snapped. I knew she’d blame me for this. And sure, maybe I hadn’t been the most careful, but it’s not like it was my fault the demon appeared in the first place. 

“You’re right, sorry,” she sighed and squeezed my hand. “At least we’re—“

Shatter. The ear piercing sound of glass breaking deafened their voices. Fear clawed its way back into my throat as I peeked around the corner of the checkout desk in time to see the demon crawling over the broken window, into their store. Racks of metal weaponry clattered loudly to the floor as its tail swung wildly, seeming agitated by the noises. 

It didn’t seem to know exactly where they were, but it was only a matter of time…

I looked toward Stacy, who was still shaking. Her eyes were wide, lips trembling. She looked like she was about to cry. 

Can you move? I mouthed to her, pointing toward the only exit and entrance to the store. They were trapped with only one direction to go. With all the weapon racks knocked over, I didn’t have a clear path to drag Stacy out of the store.

Stacy shook her head.

The demon knocked over more merchandise as it pathed towards them. Clang. Clang. Clang. The store wasn’t very big. It was only a matter of time until it found them.

Think. I had to think. Stacy couldn’t move. I couldn’t just leave her here. But we couldn’t just stay here and wait to die.

There was only one option left.

And it would probably result in my death.