Fear gripped my heart, and I struggled. They weren’t letting me go. Hands, clawing, grasping, roughly ripping any shred of anything they could find off. Nails. Hair. Clothes. Limbs. They were all forfeit to these skeletal hands of the deep, and I cried out, scream catching in my throat. My eyes looked around my room as I gasped for air. Looking down, I saw I was soaked, sweat dripping from the ends of my hair. Swallowing, I shakily stand up.

My phone rang, and I answered it even as I stripped to take a shower.

“Hello, so the group of exorcists arrived. When will you arrive? It’s about an hour and a half until the set meeting time,” The Head Janitor asked.

“About half an hour,” I replied after a moment’s thought, “I might stop by McD’s on the way over. Do you or they want anything?”

I started the shower, putting the phone on speaker so that I could strip all the way.

“Uhhh, probably not. They all look really healthy. I could use a twenty-piece, though, if you have the spare cash.”

“Yeah, sure. Rent just got done going through yesterday, it went down again so I have some extra.”

I took a long shower, and didn’t dry my hair even as I got ready. My black shirt held “Father Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned” on the front in white and “Oh No Daddy, I’ve Been Naughty” on the back in red.

I grabbed a blank hoodie too, not putting either on, and rushed to the door after stumbling and hopping my way into pants.

“Bye, dork! Have a good night!” I called out to my brother.

“Whatever!” He called back.

Still half-dressed, I got into the car. As I finished putting my pants on, a hum caught my attention.

Turning, I hesitated, before hurriedly putting on a bra and my shirt.

“Pervert.”

I heard his sigh, “Typically people don’t change in their car, in clear view of the street. Forgive me for the safe assumption that you’d be dressed.”

“Whatever. Had a stupid nightmare because of you,” I muttered even as I put on my hoodie, starting the car at the same time.

“Yes. I’m the one who gave you it,” He said dryly, and I huffed.

“Cool. What do you want?”

I started driving, but when I attempted to make the turn to the McDonald’s, the wheel forced itself to the right, and instead the car went towards the school. I scowled at him, but he just rolled his eyes.

“I want you.”

“Okay, but why? How? What’s the reason behind it?”

“The contract.”

They were all going to die.

We were all going to die.

“Mm-hmm,” I hummed out, starting my car and pushing on the gas.

A minute later I slid to a stop three feet from hitting the group that waited at the front doors of the school. My heart rate immediately spiked at what I saw. The only one still standing was the Head Janitor, a machete in one hand and a pistol in the other as he stared down at the mangled corpses of what I presumed to be the exorcists.

When he turned, I saw red eyes fade, and suddenly the Head Janitor looked horrified. Dropping the machete, the Head Janitor stumbled back. I tried getting out of the car, but the doors remained locked, and the seatbelt wasn’t unfastening.

“Watch.”

Suddenly my eyes were forced to the scene, and I watched as the Head Janitor turned to me, eyes wide and teary, before he turned the gun on himself. His hands shook, and he obviously tried fighting it, but eventually his head snapped back, and his body went limp.

Hands tightening around the wheel, I try turning it, pushing the gas pedal.

The car didn’t move, turning off and going dark. Lucifer reached over and took the keys before my seatbelt finally unfastened itself, hitting me as it snapped back to where it typically hung. The car doors flew off their hinges, and I glanced to the side to see that

Lucifer had vanished.

Swallowing, I get out of the car slowly. Observing the school, I turn tail and walk away. I’d just leave. No biggie. Now that I wasn’t needed, I could just tell William we’d blow up the school.

I brought my phone out, but the screen didn’t turn on, and when I continued trying it snapped in half. I jolted back, looking at the phone as it fizzled out.

As I walked away, a downpour started up. I jumped back when Lucifer appeared in front of me, but he only grabbed me by my hood and forced me with him.

“Nn, no,” I said, struggling against him. I even lifted my feet like a toddler, but it didn’t even phase his grip, only ending up choking me more. My feet planted themselves forcefully against the ground, but they just scraped, “Stop. What are you doing? Stop.”

“This is what I mean when I say I want you,” Lucifer answered, “You’ll die, and you’ll go to Hell and be with me for eternity.”

My eyes catch the dead ones of one of the exorcists, and I swallow even as I look away.

“Th-then kill me yourself! Don’t- why do I have to be taken here?” I argued. My hands shook even as I tried unclasping his from my hood.

I tried taking a step away, towards the doors, but his hand caught me by my hood. I struggled as he pulled me towards the nearest corner inside the high school proper.

The sounds of screaming and crying reached my ears. Whispers of welcome. Knowledge that Hell was getting closer filled my mind, and with a garbled cry I ripped out of my hoodie. Arms catching, I turn. My heart hammered at the sight. I was standing on the cusp of the corner, the darkness leading further than it should’ve. I pull and tug at my arms.

I go flying back when I finally get them free. Turning, I sprint towards the door, but it slams shut and no matter how hard I slam against it, it remains closed.

Eventually, Lucifer grabbed me by the hood. He threw me away from the doors, and I rolled once before stopping, on my back and staring at the ceiling.

I watched him walk into the room, glance at me with his eyes glowing, then crouch as they faded. It reminded me of something…

“This is a familiar sight,” He mused, shifting, “I suppose since it’s your last night I can tell you. We’ve met before. Once.”

My eyebrows scrunched even as I stared at him, frown forming on my lips, “Huh?” I asked eloquently.

Lucifer laughed, “Your friends had used you as a sacrifice. I admit, it worked until I saw your soul. You were already damned to Hell, at such a young age… there wasn’t any point to it. I killed all of your friends in front of you. I’m not surprised you don’t remember it.”

I stared him in the eyes, trying to remember. I came up blank, though. Was he sure I was the right person?

“It’s also the reason you survived so long. I’ve never seen a soul damned to Hell recover, but somehow you’ve managed to undo all the sins that damned you in the first place. It’s amazing, really.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked after a moment, noticing a frosty cloud escape my lips as I said it. I sat up, realizing it was actually super cold.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, before meeting mine. Shivers ran down my spine at the look in his eye.

“Have fun, tonight. I tried giving you a good death, but… Well. Enjoy it. It’s your last night.”

I swallowed when he vanished, the cold vanishing with him. Standing up shakily, I walk forward.

There wasn’t any preamble, or shower smoke to signify that I should brace myself when a hand reached out.

Rosy pink eyes met mine, and I was in love. Perfect rows of white teeth glistened even in the low light, and as I was pushed into a wall, soft lips formed against mine. Electricity ran up and down my body, leaving me shaking even as I reached out and pulled him closer. His skin was softer than a lotion models, and every brush of his hands left fire in their wake.

“Why hello,” The man purred, pulling back enough to grin at me. He was perfect in every way, and he knew it.

I swallowed, throat dry as my mind stopped me from reaching out and pulling him in again. A flash of blond hair in my mind’s eye and a glimmer of blue eyes made me blink hard, and I tried shoving the incubus away.

“Aw, what’s the rush?” He asked easily, leaning forward and brushing his lips against my jaw.

I felt my cheeks flush as I tried pushing him away harder.

“Stop. I’m,” I stop myself before I saw what I had planned to, stuttering out something else, “I’m, I’m someone else’s.”

The incubus pulled away in surprise, before his grin widened and his hands started roaming more casually, no more rough handling or shoving me around.

“I see. I’d always wondered why my charm never worked on you. Did you idolize him?”

“Wh-what? No, stop it, leave me alone,” I refute.

What was he talking about? I had no idea, it seemed he was just spewing random words. Like Lucifer had been, earlier, to get me to remain still as he tried freezing me over.

“Mm, I’ll leave you alone… After this,” And he leaned forward for another burning kiss. I moaned into it, hands tangling into his hair as whatever complaints I had faded.

When I opened my eyes, though, it was to shove away a corpse. My stomach twisted at the sight of the hand extracting itself from what used to be the incubus’ chest cavity.

Had my stomach not been twisting so badly, I might’ve thrown myself at Lucifer, but he vanished before I could even open my mouth. Blinking, I looked around, but the only visible being was the corner man.

Fear filled my veins at the casual death of something so strong, and I ignored the odd snapping sounds as I pass the corner man.

Stumbling back to the entrance, I try the doors, but they don’t unlock.

My mind keeps thinking of Lucifer, though, the effects of the incubus not quite gone.

As I walked the hallways, sprinting the opposite direction whenever I caught sight of the girl or the hallway crawler, I thought of him more and more.

Soon enough, I was panting in a hallway, barely able to move.

“Fuck, I want him so bad,” I got out, leaning heavily against a wall, “I thought the incubus was dead, why, why do I feel this way?” I asked myself quietly.

Lucifer appeared in front of me, and when I tried pushing him around, he easily shoved me against the wall. He leaned in close, taking a deep breath. His nose wrinkled, and he leaned back a bit, eyes curiously meeting mine.

“You’re absolutely covered in the scent of an incubus. His blood must’ve gotten into your system… Tell me, who were you thinking of last when he died?” He asked curiously.

I whined in the back of my throat before answering as I tried pushing against him, the hand shoving me easily against the wall not enough contact, “Y-you, why?”

Lucifer laughed, and took a step away from me. When I tried walking forward, I found I couldn’t.

“Incubus hormones are powerful, but incubus blood…? I wonder how you must be feeling, right now,” He murmured, leaning forward, looking almost careful in the way he avoided touching me.

I tried reaching out, or shifting forward, but I couldn’t, causing a whine to escape my throat. He laughed again, meeting my eyes. His laugh was warm and steamy, like hot chocolate on a cold winter night.

“Nnn,” I begged wordlessly, squirming, but he just vanished. I could move again, but my heart ached.

I tried moving, but I just stumbled, pain echoing throughout my body.

What… was going on?

I looked down, and saw that there were claw marks across my chest. Swallowing, I walked back to where the incubus had been. I say had been, because the only thing left was a half-eaten arm and some blood. I watched as an elongated and shadowy hand reached down from the nearby corner and picked it up.

The claws on the hand matched the ones on my chest, and that was all the information I needed as I walked away, ignoring my own blanching skin.

Although my throat felt super dry, I swallowed a lot as my mouth filled with saliva.

The hallways were long and dark, and a lot of the hallways hadn’t been there before that night.

The feeling of my heart beating was even more prominent as I slowly lost my balance. I fell into the corner man, only just realizing that I’d been getting followed by the girl as she descended on me.

I felt her claws dig into me, and I could only half-sob in pain as the corner man wrapped his hand around my throat and pulled me up, out of her clawed grip.

Shreds of my skin tore up, and I looked into the yellowing eyes of the corner-man for the first time.

His cracked lips twisted up cruelly, broken yellowed teeth a crimson red from cutting up his own tongue, gums, and lips.

I hated this. I hated this all. Why couldn’t I live a normal life?

My vision faded, and I distantly heard a crack. The sound of skin and flesh tearing reached my ears. Distant pain made me feel myself getting disemboweled even as my cooling corpse is thrown aside.

My eyes land on the entrance. I saw the moon, and realized I didn’t even make it to midnight.

Who was going to tell my brother?

As the thought left my mind, I saw my legs slam, bleeding, into the doorway, coating the sight of the moon with blood, my upper half unattached.