Page 1 of My Silent Demon

Chapter 1

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Magdalene

I screamed and ran. I had to run parallel to the driveway to find the road. I couldn’t run in the driveway because it was too open.

Thunder rumbled, and rain poured from the angry night sky. My bare feet splashed through wet mud and standing water as I tore out into the darkness. My wet red hair clung to my head.

I could feel the creature behind me. If it captured me, it’d kill me.

I pushed harder through the rain, seeing a gap in the trees lining the driveway. If I could make it there, maybe I could lose the creature behind me.

No matter how fast I ran, I only seemed to move in slow motion. I knew I had to keep going, though.

My legs carried me across the boggy ground. Lightning struck the surface nearby and caused a shriek to come from my throat.

The creature would catch me. I ducked into the trees and frantically searched for a place to hide. Shadows of undergrowth and darkness flashed through my vision. Panic set in when I saw nothing to hide behind. I kept moving.

My breaths came shorter, my heart beat wilder, and tears overtook my vision.

I slipped and fell in the mud. I pried myself from the sucking substrate as fast as I could. An angry red scratch ran down my arm, and I was completely soaked, but I didn’t have time to feel it. I had to get away.

Branches cracked behind me as the creature grew closer. I ran even faster as I sobbed.

Almost out of nowhere, I spotted a cabin ahead. With relief, I headed there. Maybe I could lock them out temporarily and figure a way out of this.

My feet left muddy prints over the floorboards of the porch. I shoved through the front door and slammed it behind me. I felt for a lock and, once it was bolted in place, I turned my back to the door and faced the room. It was warm and dry with soft lanterns lit throughout the space. The interior of a small cabin.

A kitchen table set in the middle of the room. In a chair at the table sat a man I’d never met before, but I recognized his face. He would protect me. Relief washed through me. He had dark irises and short hair, his face handsome. His mouth didn’t move and his gaze never left me, but I clearly heard “I’ll take care of this.” He drained a tumbler of something I assumed was scotch, set the glass on the table, and disappeared.

That was when I woke up in bed, soaked in sweat from my nightmare. Desperately, I flung my arm into my vision and breathed a sigh of relief when I didn’t see the scratch from my dream.

I wondered who that guy was. He’d been appearing as a savior in my dreams for months, but I didn’t recognize him. Maybe he was an actor I’d seen on TV?

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 6:57 am. I didn’t have to be at class until 10:00, but there was no way I was going back to sleep. Maybe I should get breakfast.

I climbed out of bed and looked around my messy dorm room. I’d been lucky and gotten a single room this year but I did still have to share a bathroom. A shirt and jeans off the floor quickly passed the sniff test, and I pulled them on. College.

I’d mounted a mirror over my dresser where I brushed my red hair and applied dark red lipstick. I paused and studied my reflection in the mirror. What did others see when they looked at me? My pierced nose? Sharp features? Dark lipstick? I stared a moment longer before I made a disgusted noise in my throat. Who cared what people thought about me? Fuck them.

I spritzed on some perfume, pulled on my boots and a well-worn band hoodie, grabbed my bookbag and keys, and left my room.

Quickly, I pulled earbuds out of my backpack and tucked them into my ears.

I saw the resident advisor on my way out and gave him a wave of acknowledgement. When I got outside, I walked across campus to the cafeteria absorbed in the beat of the music.

I walked into the cafeteria building, prepared to sit alone. I took my earbuds out and got in line for breakfast.

It surprised me when I saw a woman I’d met at orientation, Wynn, and her boyfriend sitting at a table nearby. Wynn saw me and gestured for me to come over. “Magdalene! When you get your food, come sit with us.”

I nodded at her and picked up a tray, which I filled with breakfast goodies. After I checked out, I carried my tray over to Wynn’s table. Wynn didn’t live on campus, so seeing her in the cafeteria was unusual.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I sat down. I put my backpack on the floor under the table.

Wynn pushed a strand of her blond hair behind her ear then gestured at her boyfriend. “Onyx here was craving breakfast pizza. I can’t deny the monster what he wants. So we came for breakfast.”

Onyx smiled at Wynn then focused his vision on the pizza on his tray. His dark hair was longer on top and short on the sides. The man was incredibly handsome. He wore contactsthat made his irises look black, but I’d seen much weirder things on campus. “Thank you, Wynn,” he said. “This made my day.”

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