A cold breeze ran across your face as you left your apartment. The day itself was sweltering hot as you left for your friend's apartment. A few of your friends were gathering together for a party that night. Your best friend, Alexa, decided that since it was summer, and college was over for good, that a party was due.
As you walked up to the door, you knocked on the door a few times before letting yourself in, which everyone did frequently.
"Hey!" The group of three girls and one guy hollered at you. You could tell that they had already started drinking.
"Hey, guys," You smiled. Alexa stumbled over from the couch, grabbing you happily and hugging you.
"We were waiting for you! Have a drink!" She laughed.
"I don't know. So soon?" You asked, giggling as she walked you over to the couch.
"Yes!" She hollered, making her way over to the fridge and grabbing a beer for you. You had just recently turned 21, and you were glad, too. Finally, you wouldn't get in trouble getting caught drinking.
Alexa handed you the cold bottle of beer, and plopped down beside you on the couch. You said thank you and cracked it open, taking a swig of the bitter drink.
Kaine, the only guy there so far, smiled as he sat on the floor beside your other two friends, Jen and Hannah.
"I can't wait for this!" He yelled enthusiastically, probably the drunkest of them all. You laughed softly, looking over at Alexa.
"So, who's all going to be here?" You asked. She shrugged.
"Some college friends. It shouldn't be too big of a party, to be honest," She told you, taking another drink of beer.
It was around 1 in the morning by the time you started feeling like you needed to go home. Music blaring and an empty beer bottle in your hand, you managed to stumble to the kitchen counter and hold yourself up.
"How the hell am I getting home?" You asked as you looked around the apartment. You sigh and stand up as straight as you can, setting the bottle on the counter, and trying to take a step. You feel yourself about to fall.
That was when someone grabbed you, one hand on your shoulder and the other holding your hand.
"Need some help?" A voice asked. That voice, it was dark, otherworldly. There was an accent to it, as well. You felt warm breathing by your ear, and you could tell that whoever they were was smiling.
"Can you help me get home?" You asked with slight hesitation. The voice gave a small laugh.
Of course," They said, guiding you towards the door.
"(Y/N)! Where are you going?" Alexa hollered from across the room. You carefully turn around.
"I'm going home. I feel like shit..." You laughed.
"But the party's just starting!" She smiled, doing a little dance.
"No, sorry. This guy...is gonna..." You start, looking around for the mysterious voice. "Get me home..."
"Well, whatever. Get home safe, ok?" She said, hugging you tightly before walking away. You nod, and get out the front door.
You were greeted by a dark mass standing outside the door in the hall. A hand emerged from the darkness, and grabbed your own.
"Shall we?" The familiar voice asked. You could only nod as they assisted you down the hall.
You found yourself sitting on the steps to the apartment complex. You could tell the darkness was still there with you. It felt uncomfortable with how close it seemed to be. But slumped over, trying to stay awake, you couldn't do much.
"Don't worry. I know you're not feeling that good right now...I wouldn't do anything to take advantage of the situation..." The voice whispered to you.
"Who are you?" You asked quietly.
"I'm no one...yet," They told you. "Wake up, (Y/N). Wake up...It's safe now..."
The sun shined through the blinds, and you slowly sat up, looking around. No one was there, you were fully-clothed, and you were hungover.
"Well, didn't hook up with anyone..." You laugh. "Good."
The walk to the bathroom hurt your head, but you managed to get there and get cleaned up from the night before. It must've been a crazy night, because you could barely remember anything. You couldn't even really remember how you got home. Except, there was one detail you could remember.
That voice. So odd, so uncomfortable, so safe...You tried not to think about it, and made your way back to the bedroom, where you got dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. There was a clanging noise from in the kitchen, which startled you. You blamed it on the dishes in the drainer settling, and you headed in that direction.
As you opened the bedroom door, things were different. A lot different. The apartment was no longer filled with sunshine. Rather, it was gray. Everything was a dulled-out shade of what it had been. You carefully continue towards the kitchen, watching your step on the suddenly rough carpet. You contemplated heading back to your bedroom and staying safe, but you kept going.
You heard more clanging coming from the kitchen as you got closer and closer. Soon, you were there, but you saw nothing. The noises continued, their source not revealing itself.
"H-hello?" You asked quietly. Suddenly, you were being held against the doorway of the kitchen by your shoulders.
"You woke up. Good."
"What? What's going on?!" You yell.
"I'm just making sure you're ok...Are you ok?" The voice asks soothingly.
"Well tell me who you are and I might answer."
That was when a figure appeared right in front of you, starting from the hands on your shoulders, and spreading from there. Bright blue eyes shined into yours, and a devilish smile greeted you.
"Hello..." He greeted you, hands still on your shoulders. You move your hands up to his and try to lighten his grip, but he just holds onto you tighter. "Are you scared?" He asked you, still smiling the same wide smile.
You hesitated, but shook your head no. "Why would I be?" You asked, letting go of his hands.
"You shouldn't be. I'm not here to hurt you," He told you.
You were confused. "Then what are you here for?"
He laughed. "Consider me...how do I put it, your guardian demon." He said. "You can call me Shadow. I'm here to protect you. Not harm you."
"You've got to be shitting me, right?" You ask, letting out a small scoff. He held onto your shoulders even tighter now, pressing you into the doorway harder, making you wince.
"Do you think I would've walked you home if I wasn't here for you?" He bellowed in a deep voice.
"Can you let go of me...?" You asked. He clears his throat, slowly letting go of your shoulders, and taking a step back. You rub your left shoulder with your right hand, knowing that there's a hand print there, and on the other one as well. You watch Shadow, adjusting the gray hoodie he wore. This was your chance to run. As he looked down for that split second, you attempted to run down the hall to your bedroom. Before you even made it even three feet, you felt yourself being tossed backwards. Suddenly, Shadow was holding you by the waist as you faced the hall.
"And where do you think you're going?" He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. You were silent, stunned that he caught you. You were for sure you could've made it to your room. There you could've at least locked the door and been away from him. Maybe he would've left after a while. He chuckled, letting go of you. You turn to him.
"I don't need a 'guardian'. I'm 21! I'm not a child," You mutter. He stares at you with his light eyes.
"Who said it has anything to do with age? Everyone has a guardian," He told you. You rolled your eyes.
"Yeah, and I suppose you want me to believe there's angels too, right?" You scoffed. He nodded, turning away and walking into the kitchen. You thought of trying to run again, but something held you back from it.
"You wouldn't believe the lack of guardian angels these days," He said, opening the fridge and searching through it. You sigh, and look around. The air seemed to be lightening up, and the color of the walls were returning from an ashy gray to the tan color they actually were. It seemed as though you were starting to get used to the idea of having a demonic guardian around you already.
"Yeah...sure..." You said quietly, making your way over to the cabinets. You took out two bowls. "So, are you like, staying here? Or, what?" You asked. He nodded, taking out the gallon of milk and drinking straight from it. You took it from him and sat it on the counter. "Well?"
Wiping his lips with his sleeve, he nodded. "Staying here."
Once again, you noticed his accent as you poured some cereal in the bowls. "So, where're you from?" You asked.
"Hell," He said sarcastically.
"No, like, where's your accent from? Sounds Irish..." You said. He smirked.
"Got it," He laughed.
"So then everyone from hell sounds Irish?" You laughed, still a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"No. It's just a masking system to help us be more humanoid," He explained. You could only nod as you wiped the top of the milk gallon, and then poured some of it into both bowls.
"You know you're in America though, right?"
"Yeah? So? There's a thing called traveling, you know?"
You hand him a bowl of cereal and open a drawer quickly. Handing him a spoon, you grab one for yourself and head towards the table.
"Well, whatever. If you're staying, you might as well make yourself comfortable."
