Yeah this isn't good. The neighbors are going to call the cops soon if they haven't already. "You can go back to your home now. Your visit is over."
As soon as the last words leave my mouth, the demon stops in his tracks and begins contracting in size. Soon, he's shrinking down to a size of a pea and disappearing from sight. When he disappears, the couch and coffee table still, and the silence is almost deafening.
"Holy shit." Charlie runs both hands through his hair and pulls. "What the hell was that all about?"
"I have no clue, but he freaked out about the artifact." I take a few steps back and plop back on the couch. "Hell, everyone does. At least we have more information. Kind of."
"Hell, we freaking summoned a demon." Charlie rubs his eyes and chuckles. "I never thought I would say those words."
"Hey, you never thought we would be friends, but here we are." I want to take back the words as soon as I say them. We are friends, right? I didn't just make an ass of myself.
"Is that what we are?" He shifts towards me and stares. "Friends?"
My heart picks up pace and my tongue gets heavy. I'm not sure what to say, but there is so much I want to confess at the same time. When did things get so tense and confusing with him? "I..."
Before I'm able to make a fool of myself, the air in the room begins to shift and contract. It's as if something is trying to make its way here.
"Do you feel that?" I pull away from him and face the middle of the room.
"Feel what?" He exhales heavily. "Are you just trying to get out of this conversation?"
Is he being serious right now? "No, don't you feel it?"
Something must show on my face, because he stands and stiffens. "What are you talking about?"
"The air, it's charged." I don't even know how to describe yet explain it. Before I can try to again, a dark gray blob appears again in the middle of the room.
"Did you think you could just send me back?" His voice is grainy, and his eyes are as bright as flames.
How in the hell did he get back here? That shouldn't be possible. I sent him back. "Look, it's late. You were going to wake the neighbors."
"Do you know how much trouble I could get in?" He floats over and knocks the remotes off from the coffee table. "I'm not supposed to leave Hell and you've brought me here."
"Hey now." Charlie stands and raises both hands. "We didn't realize that. We just needed to get some answers. We weren't trying to cause any problems."
"Ha! Do you think I died yesterday?" The demon lowers and then lifts the coffee table tipping it over, making the top crash to the ground.
Thank God Charlie is on the bottom floor or I'm sure the landlord would be getting calls right now. "He's right. We just needed a few questions answered."
"I don't believe you." He rushes to the kitchen and throws a chair.
Charlie runs after him and dodges it at the last minute. "Come on now. Don't tear up my house."
A loud laugh echoes from deep inside him. "If you think that's bad, you haven't seen anything yet." The kitchen table begins to shake and elevate.
Crap, what did I do wrong? He's got to go back and fast. It's one in the morning and I'm exhausted. I don't have time to deal with a psycho demon. "You need to go back to your home and stay there. You aren't welcome here any longer. Do not come back."
The table drops and he groans. "No. I'm not done with you." His form gets smaller and smaller as he’s sucked back to his dimension.
When the air clears and everything settles, Charlie turns to me, and then smiles. "What the hell was that?"
I'm not sure if it's from sleep deprivation, being back with him, or a combination of both, but I can't stop the stupid grin that spreads across my face. "I don't know, I'm just glad he's gone. At least we got a little bit of information from him."
"I swear, whenever I'm with you, it's always an adventure." He shakes his head and then bends, grabbing a chair that he uprights and puts back under the table.
"Speaking of an adventure, it seems like Hell may just be full of surprises." The demon wasn't that forthcoming and what he did tell us wasn't all that useful.
5
Today has been a whirlwind. I woke up thinking it would be just another day of working at the diner and now I'm back home and just summoned a demon. To say I'm exhausted is a complete understatement.
"Hey, are you okay?" Charlie steps toward me and rubs his hand down my arm.
My arm tingles where his hand has been. "Yeah, just tired. It's been a very long day."
"Here, I'll walk you to your apartment." He heads to his door and opens it. "You don't need to be out there by yourself anyways."
I open my mouth to protest but close it. I haven't seen him in two weeks, and right now, I still want his company. "Well, my car’s out front."
"You don’t live far away. Come on." He motions me out the door and winks. "I just want a few more minutes with you."
A smile spreads across my face. At least we are on the same page. "All right. At least most everyone will be asleep and won't see you like that."
"Hey." He leans back on the door and lifts his head. "I look good, even in my half-awake state."
Isn't that the truth? Wait. What the hell is going on with me? "Someone has gotten full of themselves in my absence."
His face falls and his shoulders tense. "That's not super funny, you know." The shift with him is
