Page 7 of Demon's Desire

“But it’s not just those things,” Torie reminded her. “It’s the potholes and the animals and the window, plus other shit. Stuff’s gone missing from people’s apartments. And I totally get that break-ins happen, but one woman said she’s missing things from her seventh-floor apartment. All her doors were locked, and nothing else was disturbed. Plus, there are the building malfunctions.”

“I forgot about those!” Mica gasped. “Yeah, so the building beside us had a gas leak six days ago. It was the weirdest thing. It was one of the gasses you can smell, so they all got out and everyone was safe, but it was so weird. They said it was a valve or something that malfunctioned. And again, on its own, but that’s not all.”

“Yup,” Torie added. “That building your neighbor mentioned, if it’s the one I’m thinking of, had the fire break out in a totally dry room. Which, okay, fires happen, but the police and the firefighters say they can’t find a cause for it. They’re not sure if it’s arson or what, but there’s no evidence anywhere. Isn’t that weird?”

“That, I will admit, is weird enough to make a story,” Kelly conceded. “Only because people love strange, seemingly supernatural phenomena.”

“Wait, how do y’all keep up with all of this stuff?” I asked.

“We use community engagement apps like Nextdoor and stuff to keep up with what’s going on!” Torie smiled. “You guys should totally get it. Then we can check in on all the weird stuff happening here too.”

“I think I’d rather not know.” Kelly laughed.

Mica rolled his eyes. “Whatever. When you come to our place, you’ll see exactly what we’re talking about, anyway.”

“Oh!” Torie clapped her hands together. “Not to change the subject from this, but that reminds me, we wanted to come see you today and let you guys know we’re having a party tonight!”

“A party?” I looked over at Kelly. She hadn’t been a massive partier during college, but I had been.

“You guys have to come!” Torie insisted. “You can meet all of our Chicago friends!”

“Two days of driving, two days of unpacking… Do you think you’re up for it?” Kelly asked me.

I gave her a half-smile. Honestly, I would probably be exhausted. But still… Chicago was going to be the start of my new life, and I wanted to celebrate that new life by having as much fun as possible. “I think it sounds awesome. What about you?”

She looked thoughtful for a second before shaking her head slowly. “I mean… if you want to go, I’ve got to keep your ass out of trouble, right?” She gave me a slight smirk to let me know that she knew exactly what I was thinking.

I beamed and threw my arms around her. “Yay! We’ll be there!”

“Yes!” Torie clapped. “You guys are gonna love it. I’ll introduce you to everyone I know. A couple of my friends work at Starbucks, Kelly! I don’t know if it’s the same one, but you can talk to them about that!”

“Sounds good,” Kelly agreed.

“But you have to help me pick something to wear,” I told Torie.

Kelly laughed and nudged me. “Yeah, she likes to overdress for parties and things.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “I just like to dress nice!”

“She likes to dress like she’s going to a club,” Kelly clarified.

“Oh, that’s perfect!” Torie grinned. “My friends are the same way. They’re all attention-whores.”

“Aw, well, Mia’s just a real whore,” Kelly added with a playful pout.

I gasped and shoved her, trying not to laugh. “Bitch!”

She laughed and fell onto the floor in a dramatic fashion, kicking me with her leg. “Come on. Let’s eat and make them take us to a grocery store, then we’ll come back and get ready to go.”

“Oh, that’s perfect.” Mica nodded. “We actually need to pick some stuff up, and you guys have a Jewel close by.”

I blinked and cocked my head. “We have a… what?”

“Right.” He rubbed his face. “I forget you guys don’t have those in Texas. It’s our grocery store, Jewel-Osco. We have Walmarts and Targets and shit, but they’re all twenty minutes away. You guys are within walking distance of a Jewel, so we’ll take you there.”

“Good, because I am not going to remember that name.” I shook my head.

Torie giggled and leaned her elbows on the coffee table. “You’re gonna like it. It’s quintessential Chicago culture.”

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