Angels?

You start to follow Alicia as she walks away. The regular customer from work is an angel? Angels are real? Demons are real? Endless questions litter your mind as you fight disbelief. As you think about Chris running from that thing you haven't even seen. That demon. Just its presence had been enough to fuck with you. If you had seen it you probably would've just sat there and let it kill you.

You make it ten steps before your legs buckle and your head spins. Your palms scrape against a tree as you catch yourself. You can feel the skin tear and the blood warm your skin as you try to stand up straight. It's a matter of seconds before Alicia has her hands on your waist as she guides you up.

She guides you into your car first. Reassuring that you'll be safe when she goes back to grab the discarded box of Chris's things. She hands it to you before climbing behind the wheel. Your keys jingle loudly in her hand as she puts it in the ignition and starts the car. Glancing down, the knife is back in the box, covered in the sticky blood of a demon.

"Put your head between your knees. Side effects of dealing with demons the first couple times can be heinous." She gently puts her hand on your neck as you do it. "Kester is good with mind-bending. Hallucinations. No doubt whatever shit he pulled with you didn't help. Won't kill you, but it'll hurt during and after."

"Endure," You push out, the pressure building in your head. "That's what you said, right?"

"Yeah. Endure." Her rings clank on the steering wheel. "Or fucking stab the guy. That also works."

You brace yourself as the car turns. Vomit pushes up your throat and you grind your teeth together. Fighting it as the car turns again. You're almost home. Two more minutes. Then you'll be back home and away from everything.

When Alicia helps you through the door, you're met with darkness. Not the kind before you wake up as you push the nightmares away. It's a stale darkness. It makes your head hurt when the lights are flicked on.

You shiver as the shower is turned on and Alicia puts your hands under, saying nothing as you wince as the water pelts the scrapes on your palms. Nothing is said as she grabs a towel from the linen closet and sits it by the shower. She waits outside the bathroom door as you strip and shower, watching blood and dirt swirl down the drain. Your head hurts too much to even pretend to process the night.

Demons. Angels. Chris. Diner regulars and otherworldly beings.

Alicia comes back in when you open the bathroom door. She hold up a first aid kit and gives you a hard look as she nods back at the bathroom. The door shuts softly behind her as you sit on the edge of the tub.

"So you're an angel?" You scoff and Alicia gives you an amused smile. "Sorry, little hard to believe. Still getting over the whole demon thing. Been two years since Chris died and I'm still getting over it. So it might take me a while."

"It's not something you can process like that." She snaps her fingers after putting a band aid on one knee. "We're not actually angels. No wings, no heaven, no hell. But I am here to help you. The easier you accept it the easier the rest will be."

"Yeah, the new regular customer from work is an angel. Cool. And what's the rest?" You look over at her as she moves to your other knee. "What am I supposed to do about a demon wanting to kill me?"

"Force it to walk away. Pawn it off on someone else. Cage it." She shrugs. "Few options. Although none of them are exactly easy."

"Oh, yeah. Let me just simply kill a fucking demon."

"You already stabbed it. "She patted your knee. "Give yourself a little bit of credit there. Definitely a possibility if you want to."

"Did it kill Chris?" Your brows pinch and you feel angry tears pressing against the back of your eyes. The headache only makes the pressure feel worse.

"It…" Alicia glances up. "I don't know all the details. But I know Kester and your friend had a deal. Deals with him or any demons don't usually end in anything but death."

"Alicia," You speak slower. "Did he kill my best friend?"

She reaches into the first aid kit and grabs another band aid. "It's highly likely."

"Then I want to kill it."

"Spunky." She raises her brows going for a cut on your thigh. "Get some rest before you decide what you want to do, alright? It's not something that should be rushed. You have time to think it over."

"Why? Cause of you?"

"Yeah, cause of me." She clears her throat and moves to your hands, wrapping them in gauze as they slowly bleed. "He won't come near you while I'm around you."

"Why?"

"Old codes. They have no power over minds when we are near."

"No." You shake your head. You couldn't care less about whatever reasons keeps a wall between you and Kester. "Why are you protecting me?"

Alicia is quiet as she finishes with your hands and sets the first aid kit aside. She's buying time, you can see it on her face.

"I have a promise to uphold."

"A promise?"

"Yeah, Sara," she says sternly. "A promise."

A flash of Chris's face hits you. His zombie costume from Halloween in high school. His bright smile as he beams down at you. His headstone follows.

"Need more than that, Alicia. I can't just start letting some bitch hang around me simply because she says she promised to protect me. For all I know, I'm having a mental break down, and you're some piece of shit taking advantage of me."

"Hey now, some bitch? Ouch." she playfully clenches at her chest in front of her heart. "Thought we were…friends of sorts."

You shake your head and stand up. Your whole body is sore. It fucking hurts. Her hand finds your arm to steady you.

"Can you at least tell me why Kester is after me? Or, do you know why he is if Chris's already dead?"

"Because he can." Alicia shrugs. " You'll have to ask Kester. He's the only one who really knows."

You grab clothes from your dresser and change. If you blink for too long, you can see Chris. If you shut your thoughts off you can hear him. Alicia says nothing as you shut the bedroom door, crossing past your clock that reads after midnight. You jerk your covers back and climbed into bed.

You don't sleep at all.

You're out of tears when your alarm goes off and you prepare for work.

"What are we supposed to do?" You step into the bathroom to change. Splashing some water on your face and wince at your reflection. "What am I supposed to do? I have a shift at the diner tonight. Do I just go back to my normal life and pretend some demon isn't trying to kill me me?"

"Basically." Alicia takes a bite of her waffles. "Until we can figure out how to capture, reroute, or take it down. I'm not exactly a How-To Guide when it comes to this. It's different for every demon."

"Well, what do you know?" You throw your pajamas into your room and sit on the other side of your couch. Alicia looks right at home eating your food while chilling on your furniture. "Seemed like you two knew each other last night."

"Kester and I have crossed paths before." Alicia breaks off another bite of waffle and leans over, holding it up in front of your mouth. When you don't take it, she nudges your injured knee, and you gasp at the pain. She shoves the bite into your mouth with a proud smile. "I know how to annoy him. That's it."

You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, gauze rough against your skin. The sugary syrup tastes sour in your mouth, but you swallow the bite. You shake your head. Everything suddenly hits you at once. Compartmentalizing only works when you're not getting lost in your thoughts.

"Get out," you say so softly that it sounded like a threat.

"Sara."

"I said get out. Five minutes. Take a walk." The tears are already falling and you're digging your nails into your palms to focus on pain there instead of the one hammering itself into your chest. Over and over and over. "Please."

"Five minutes," She says before walking to the door. Her eyes linger for a second before the door closes.

Once you hear the door shut the dam breaks and you burst. Grabbing onto the knees as the sobs tear out of you. Shaking your whole body as you press yourself back against the couch and hang your head. You yell and put your hands over your face. Pressing the heel of your palms against your eyes and lean your head back to stare up at the ceiling. Feeling the tears fall down over your jaw and down your neck. You miss Chris. Two years and you still miss him.

You run to the bathroom when you heard the door knob turn. A few squares of toilet paper wipe away the tears. But your eyes still linger at the image in the mirror as Alicia knocks on the door frame before coming in. You can smell cigarette smoke as she stands behind you making eye contact with you in the mirror.

"Time for work" You croak out before she can talk. Your voice is painfully round, and you close your eyes as you sniffle. "Let's go"

You turn the key in the ignition, and Alicia puts on her seat belt.

"Sara," She says softly.

"Drop it." You don't look at her as you pull forward. "I have to get to work."

The ride is quiet. But the sounds of town are loud as you pull up outside the diner. You're thirty minutes early, but you have to change and make yourself look presentable. As you look in the rear view mirror you know that'll be a challenge.

You nod and start walking towards the door. "I'll see you in six hours then."

"Six hours." Alicia stalks off as you go inside.

You B line it to the employee bathroom and lock the door. Your exhale is shaky as your expression falls and you roll your head and crack your neck. You change your bandages before heading out. You'll have to wear gloves all day which you're not looking forward to. They feel gross on your hands even when you first put them on, and you ignore all the questions your coworkers ask as you put your duffle bag in the small break room and put the gloves on.

Your break comes and you grab a sandwich and walk out back. There are a few others back there eating takeout at the picnic tables. Alicia glances up as you sit across from her putting the sandwich between you. She sets the book aside and leans on her forearms, picking up a fry and dipping it in ketchup.

"How long have you been watching me?"

Alicia peers up, mid-bite. You look at her with tired eyes as she reaches down and takes another fry.

"Longer than you think."

"Since Chris died?"

"No." She steals a sip of your soda. "Much longer. I…" She shakes her head. "I did start to actively watching you after Chris. Kept an eye on you mostly here at work. But I've known you before then."

You narrow your eyes at Alicia and take a sip of your shared soda. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Use to check in with you here and there over the years."

"Until Chris died?"

"Until Chris died." She holds up her hands and grabs the other half of the sandwich. "I think interacting with Chris's grave so much must have gave Kester the opening he needed. "

"So if I hadn't gone to visit Chris, this wouldn't have happened?" Your voice cracks. "Does this mean I can't go back to his grave again?"

"For the time being that's the smartest option. Even with me there." She clears her throat. "My protection was basically keeping you hidden. But it was only a matter of time before Kester found you."

"I've already failed Chris, I—"

"I think Chris can forgive you for the time being considering your circumstances." Alicia sits the sandwich down as you look away. Your jaw clenching and eyes stinging because you just can't cry anymore. "Kester isn't to be messed with, Sara, trust me."

"Trust" You look at Alicia, hands clenched in your lap. "I don't know you, Alicia. Not really. You're just someone who I suddenly have to put my trust in and the only thing I know about you is you like hearing the specials at work, our coffee, and the only thing actually protecting me from some demon physically messing with me is you, my 'guardian angel'. I can't just trust you like…like you're Chris." You grab your half of the sandwich and stand. "My life is turning upside down, and I'm held together by goddamn string. Forgive me for wanting to keep some kind of normalcy."

Alicia grabs your wrist, but you jerk yourself out of her grasp, going inside to finish the rest of your lunch in the break room. You're snippy the rest of your shift, earning a third of the tips you normally earn. At least the work lets you turn your mind off for a bit. You go through the motions as you work. That is until you're clocking out, grabbing your duffle bag, and walking out to find Alicia leaning against your car.