A Long Evening

"I still can't believe you're about to marry a real idol, how did you get so lucky?" My friend chuckled and sipped his coffee.

"Well like I've said before, we've known each other for a long time. Sometimes she can be a little obsessive, but I adore it." I smiled.

My friend is named Kennedy. I've known him for a three years and he's been a good friend of mine. He helped me get the job and even helped me get promoted.

"She's insanely beautiful. Like her beauty seems so impossible and yet it looks so natural. Her name is also very elegant. It sounds hard but it just rolls off the tongue so easily. Estella Priscilla Aponius." My other coworker giggled.

My other coworker was named Kassandra. She's actually pretty smart, landing a high position in this business immediately after the interview. She's been my friend for a little over a year and we're pretty close. Estella is often jealous of Kassandra but I keep reassuring her that me and Kassandra are only friends.

"When's the wedding going to happen?" Kennedy asked.

"We're still planning that, y'know since we aren't too sure on a date just yet either. I honestly want everything to be perfect for her." I said.

"Aww! That's actually really sweet, I hope your marriage with her goes exactly how you want it! Ahh the dream of being married~" Kassandra said then sighed softly and daydreamed.

I chuckled softly and stood up. I began to walk off. "I'm gonna go to the restroom. I'll be back."

"Aye aye Captain." Kennedy chuckled.

"Don't take too long, break only lasts for another 15 minutes!" Kassandra called out to me.

I waved my hand in acknowledgement as I walked off.

~~~~~

I began to wash my hands and noticed the lights had gone off and the water began to turn into blood. I noticed it and turned around to see a dead body that resembled me. I looked at it and closed my eyes.

I began to walk off and walked to the paper towel dispenser and pressed the button. Instead of a paper towel, I was met with skin and flesh. I still grabbed it and dried my hands.

"Even from a distance you can still induce these ridiculous hallucinations upon me." I said and noticed Reality becoming normal again.

I threw away my paper towel and left the bathroom and noticed the office place was empty as if it was abandoned. I walked around and found my office and walked inside then sat at my desk.

I called Estella on the phone and she picked up. "Can you stop this? If I don't get any work done, I don't get paid and we eventually won't have a place to stay at."

"I don't know, you seem pretty scared~" Estella giggled over the phone.

"No I am slightly annoyed. I will tolerate these simple pranks outside of work. You know outside the one place I get money from so I can take you on dates.." I said.

Estella sighed and turned everything back to normal. "Fine...Mr. Workingman."

I smiled and leaned against the desk. "Aren't you tired of being on this losing streak..? Fifteen years is pretty egregious don't you think..?"

"I won't stop at nothing until I've successfully terrified you. I was thinking seeing your own dead body would be enough to scare you. That would scare anyone." Estella said.

"That has to be one of the most beginner scares ever. I'm 25 years old, not 15. I fear no man other than the man upstairs." I said and sat back in my seat and began to work while I talked to Estella on the phone.

Estella scoffed. "Alright, we will see how composed you are when you get off work!" Estella said then hung up.

I smiled and chuckled softly then placed my phone down and continued to work.

~~~~~

My shift finally ended and I packed up to head home. After gathering my belongings, I made my way out my office and soon out the building via the elevator.

I walked down the parking garage and noticed a woman walking toward me. She had long black hair and wore a face mask on her face. She had on professional clothing and stopped in front of me.

I looked at her and crossed my arms. I tried to walk around her, but she began to glitch then appeared in front of me again. I stared at her and rose an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

The woman stared at me and watched my every movement. "Do you think I'm be—"

I interrupted her with my hand in her face. "First off, we aren't in Japan. We are in Texas. Two, I may not know how much power Estella really has but if you will, please tell her that this isn't even remotely scary if you know how to beat it."

The woman looked confused and noticed me run past her. She glitched and appeared in front of me. I shoulder bumped her and she fell on the ground, grunting.

"Sorry! You were in the way!" I said as I called out to her and ran to my car.

To me, running is does not always show fear. I saw running as a tactical option to quickly leave an area. I didn't fear Kuchisake-Onna because I knew how to survive her.

I knew Estella was trying new things but forgets that my cousins have scared me with different tactics for years with different creepypasta and myths. I've done my research on most folklore, myths, and legends. I knew my way around most things.

As I got in my car, I noticed a shadow creature rising up from my backseat. I sighed and opened the glove compartment and pulled out my handgun then pointed it at the creature. It raised its hands and looked at me.

"Crawl back into the hole you came out of." I said.

"Wait. I'm a demon! Your gun isn't gonna scare me!" The creature said and tried to jump at me.

I shot the creature in its stomach and it groaned and fell back on the seat. I looked at it and sighed. "You really tried to grab me even with a gun aimed at you. You must've thought I was bluffing. Foolish."

"Fuck man! You're even crazier than Lady Aponius!" The creature said then disappeared.

I sighed and started my car then drove off. As I drove home, my car began breaking down and I sighed. I noticed the sky become red and a demonic creature began to emerge from the ground. It was a large black creature with a giant eyeball and he looked at my car then picked it up.

As I stared at the creature, I noticed a golden chain fly toward the creature and hit his eyes. The creature dropped my car and I grunted, holding onto the steering wheel.

Estella landed on the roof of my car and glared at the creature. The creature grew in size and fired a laser at Estella from his eye. Estella snapped her fingers and dark orbs of light were launched at the beam and collided with it, causing an explosion.

I got out of my car with my gun and sighed. "Again with one of these. Are they just rogue demons?"

"No they want your soul. Such a strong spirit like yours is valuable to us demons, but you're mine and I won't let anyone else take you before I make you at least jump!" Estella said.

"Sooo...when you make me scared, you're gonna kill me?" I asked.

"Hell no! I just wanna make you scared! Seeing how this demon doesn't scare you...no matter, bullets don't work on large scale demons like him. This demon was summoned by one of my rivals that would've gotten you if you weren't engaged to me." Estella said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Her name is Hone-Onna. A lot of beings told from Folklore are targeting you because you lack fear. Instead of them wanting to scare you, they want you dead because they feed off fear. You weaken them because of your lack of fear!" Estella said and used her golden chains to wrap around me and pull me toward her, allowing me to evaded the eye beam.

"Where's everyone else? Are the innocent safe?" I asked.

"When situations like this happen, reality shifts to the Red World. As far as I know, you're the only human who can enter this world. This is where all demons fight. I am known as the strongest because I am a Fallen Angel so I still have a bit of my Angelic Abilities." Estella said.

A woman laughed and we noticed a figure floating down from the sky. She landed on the one eyed creature's head and looked down at us. She was a gorgeous woman with a slender body and wearing a red kimono. She held a staff with a lantern on top of it and pointed it at Estella. Her black eyes shined and she smirked.

"Just hand him over, Estella! You can't keep him forever!" The woman said.

"Keep dreaming, Hone-Onna! He's mine and that is a fact! You've spent years trying to lure him ever since he turned 18 and each time I've stopped it! If you want your own fearless man, go somewhere else!" Estella yelled.

Hone-Onna giggled softly and her lantern shined. An army of demons appeared behind her. "You can't win!"

"Please! I have an army as well!" Estella said and snapped her fingers.

Kuchisake-Onna and a few other demons appeared behind Estella. Everyone looked at the creature with a bullet wound in his body.

"The fuck happened to you?" Estella asked.

"Your fiance happened. When I tried to scare him like you asked, he shot me without second thought!" The creature said.

Everyone looked at him then started laughing. The creature looked around and even saw the large one eye demon cracking up.

"I used to be human! I'm not gonna be able to take a bullet like that! You all are freaking YOKAI! You all can't be harmed like I can!" The creature said.

"This low classed demon got hurt by a bullet! Nah I gotta tell Lucifer this!" A demon said and called Lucifer and he answered.

"Hello?" Lucifer said.

"Guess what? Some demon got hurt by a bullet from a handgun!" The demon laughed.

"What?!" Lucifer asked them laughed.

"Okay fuck you guys, I'm seeking Salvation!" The creature said and disappeared.

Estella caught her breath and sighed, wiping her eyes. "Ahh that was funny, but now it's time for business!"

Hone-Onna looked at Estella. "Yeah! It's time you hand him over! All units! Strike them down!"

Hone-Onna's army charged at us and Estella's allies charged at Hone-Onna's army. The two armies began their battle with Estella's army having the upper hand because of beings like Kuchisake-Onna and Jack the Ripper.

Hone-Onna propelled herself toward Estella and swung her staff at her. Estella dodged the attack and elbowed Hone-Onna. Hone-Onna groaned then was blasted away with a blast of holy energy. Estella's cross shined and she raised her hand in the air.

"As always, this shit is too easy. Now disappear!" Estella yelled.

Beams of light began to strike down Hone-Onna and her army then a bright light shined. Hone-Onna and her army had disappeared and the world had returned to normal. Estella snapped her fingers and a pillar of light warped us back home before anyone saw us.

~~~~~

We landed in the parking lot of our apartment complex and I sighed then leaned against my car and watched Estella walk toward me.

"You owe me." Estella said.

"What do you want?" I asked and smiled at her.

Estella walked closer to me and placed her hands on my chest gently then smiled. "A nice dinner...and a nice session in—"

Estella's marking shined on her hand then she groaned. "Of course some kid is being bad at this time of the evening."

I checked my watch and shrugged. "The evening is still young. I'll have everything ready for you when you get back~"

Estella nodded then a red magic circle appeared beneath her. "It better be ready or I'll be scaring you ten times harder!"

"Good luck with that." I chuckled then pulled her in for a kiss.

She kissed my lips and blushed softly. She pulled away and sighed. "See you soon."

"I love you." I said.

Estella blushed even more. "I love you too..."

I watched her warp away then made my way to the apartment.

Aside from always wanting to scare me, Estella also acted as my guardian when I run into high ranking demons and yokai I can't simply handle with a gun. I've always been targeted by them as a kid, especially Slenderman, Siren Head, Hone-Onna, and a man known as Jeff the Killer.

Although I know she's powerful against Demons because she's a Fallen Angel, she can't defeat of them alone. That's why I kept a cross on my front door to ward off the evil spirits that come after me. The Nun from the Underworld is a pretty wicked woman, but when it comes down to it...she is always there for me. I wanted to do all I can to be there for her.