Chapter Seven

In Another Life

DEMONIC POSSESSION 

• involves the belief that a demon or entity controls a person's actions, commonly claimed symptoms are missing memories, perceptual distortions and loss of a sense of control

"Jake?" I hear Anne's voice echo around the empty house, our school dismissed as early due to some sort of meeting they had to hold and I found myself telling Jake to come to my house to which he skeptically agreed on.

"Oh hey" their conversations turns to whispers and I could barely hear what they were talking about but I was slightly preoccupied, making sure that my room looked decent enough for a guest to enter, I haven't cleaned for so long, last month's assignments still laid on my desk, I compile them in a messy stack, taking one last glance of myself in the mirror until I pull the doors open.

I almost scream when Anne's face greets me. She looked perplexed, one eyebrow raised in annoyance

"You didn't tell me we had a guest coming" she says that through gritted teeth and I offer her a sheepish smile, I didn't really think that she would care, not that she looked bad anyway, she never does.

"I forgot" she rolls her eyes at me and I feel weird seeing her annoyance is pointed directly towards me. We've fought when we were young but it was only over toys or who gets the last piece of cookie and we might argue from time to time but she seemed to genuinely despise me right now.

"Hey" I only notice now of Jake's figure who stood behind her with an awkward smile, holding a plastic filled of what looked like food. I grin at the sight of him, he was out of his morning clothes, looking ready for the party awaiting, his hair was slightly wet, I assume he took another bath like I did, it was nice to know we were just as nervous as seeing each other in times like this. Now that I think about it, we've never hang out in the afternoon just for fun and no one else has ever been to my room before.

"Ill be downstairs" I hear Anne mumble, quickly brushing past Jake.

"Picked out a movie yet?" he enters my room and I fidget in nervousness. He takes a quick glance around and comfortably settles himself on my bed as if it were his own.

"I was thinking you'd help with that" He hums in agreement, he hands me what he has been holding and I smile at the delicious sight of cookies.

"My mom made them, we had a few more extras so she told me to give some to you" I blush thinking how his mom hasn't forgotten about me yet although our time together wasn't really much memorable.

"Oh...Thankyou, I'll make up to your mom someday" he waves a hand and starts scrolling through the movies in Elaine's laptop, she always loved watching movies and would often spend late nights on them, she could always be more dedicated to a series drama than her own studies, I guess it always happens when we actually love one thing and despise the other.

We end up building a tiny fort on the floor because apparently, my bed wasn't giving the vibe valid enough to endure watching a movie, he says the environment is important to enjoy oneself and I, the inexperienced, follow along his seemingly childish plans. We eat through the cookies, watching Lovely Bones, waiting until the sun died down in our little fort.

Darkness slowly engulfs my room until I find myself slowly fading away from my body until I feel drastically lighter than before, the only providing light was my laptop but Jake was too engulfed in the movie to even notice, I smile, watching his emotions shift one after the other, completely unaware of everything else, his elbow was touching mine and I couldn't focus, I could barely remember what happened in the first place, all I wanted was to lean my head over his shoulder and fade away into slumber, I wonder if he feels it too, but just watching him makes me feel content. Comfortably anxious is how I'd describe it.

"Aiko?" Anne's head peeps through the door, harsh light coming in the darkened room. Jake's attention finally goes elsewhere, his eyes going wide when he realizes I wasn't in my body anymore.

"Oh..she uhh..fell asleep" he awkwardly pats my head to which I chuckle, he gives me a side glance before pulling away his hand.

"Oh...uhm...well...never mind then" She looked dolled up, her face caked in make-up and an outfit ready for the party, this time, she wore a black sweater and a leather skirt that hugged her figure wonderfully, wearing a white fur coat over everything else and less taller heels that before, maybe that walk did take a toll on her, yet she sill insists on wearing them.

I'm still slightly annoyed as to why she keeps pushing herself in being part of a group in which none of them even care about her wellbeing as well as their own. She gives Jake one last smile before closing the door shut, her footsteps soon fading away as she goes further and further away.

"We better go, we don't want to lose her" I nod in agreement, pulling myself off the floor, Jake swiftly lifts my body and places it on the bed, pulling the blanket laid on the floor and tucks me in with it, grabbing the few pillows and laying them under my head and beside.

"I'll never get used to this sight" he mumbles, looking over my semi-dead body. A frown settles over his face but he quickly shakes it off, grabbing his coat and flinging it from behind, puffing out his chest as if he were some hero.

"Shall we?" I laugh at his goofiness and we head off downstairs where Anne was standing over the kitchen, a small bag in hand.

"Jake!" she seems genuinely surprised at the sight of him but she quickly regains composure and flashes him a smile.

"Oh hey. I was just heading home" their conversation blurs in my head as I stood behind Anne, one hand extended, hovering over her back.

"I'm sorry" I mumble, stepping in her boundaries, her body embraces me and I am molded once again into her figure, I feel the same emotion of excitement running through her, I grab unto the counter top as dizziness takes over, I close my eyes shut until it slowly fades away.

"You okay?" Jake lays a hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner and I nod in response. We head off into the night, aimlessly walking through the empty neighborhood as we entertain ourselves with questions and the silence masked over with laughter, I almost wished that we were just back in my room, staring at the ceiling with nothing else to do but talk and talk until he states that he needs to go home but it wasn't the case. I was in someone else's body having these moments with Jake, it wasn't my face he could see and it wasn't my voice that he could hear.

We get further and further away from the neighborhood, the busy streets greets us in the city, still full of life. The sidewalks were filled with people hanging out and having their nightly fun and I grin at the sight, I've never been to the city this late at night before, I don't even recall the last time I was here, I've always been perfectly content with the peaceful way I was living my life but now that I see this, I didn't want to leave.

It irks me that all this had to happen when Aunt Leah was gone, all these realizations only because of grief and worrisome circumstances of the past. I wished I didn't stay in my room through all those years, that I would have the courage to do what I do and to say the truth but maybe things would be different and as I walk through these streets with Jake, I didn't want them to be.

"This looks sketchy" Jake mumbles, my face falling at the sight of the private club, it was slightly deeper into the dark alley, there was a small line of people in front and two bouncers by the door, stoic expressions written on their face. I could barely hear the music blaring inside which meant the walls were thick enough to cover them, the people smoked outside and wore uncomfortable outfits out in the cold. I spot Anne's friends quickly and it looks like they had just arrived.

"Anne! Great timing!" her blonde friend cheers enthusiastically, her breath already smelling like alcohol and judging by their demeanor, they've already indulged themselves in some.

"And your friend's here too" she laughs at the sight of him and I awkwardly offer a smile

"I hope you don't mind" Katy butts in, shoving the blonde girl slightly, she wore an extra revealing dress tonight, she didn't even bother wearing a coat, I guess that's only because her client was around.

"Nonsense! The more, the merrier" I force myself to chuckle along with them and I slightly regretted why I had the urge to come here in the first place.

We follow behind them, Katy whispers something in one of the bouncer's ear and they open the doors for all of us to enter. A dark hallway filled with leather walls greeted me, the flashing lights peeking, the music getting louder and louder with every step we took. I grimace at the sight, there were less people than the last party we had gone to and it was a peculiar setting.

Men surrounded the table and laughing ladies sat on their laps, enjoying themselves with huge amounts of alcohol, the air was filled with the smell of smoke and there were 3 polls in the middle of the dancefloor, already occupied by dancing women on their underwear, they offer seductive smiles to the men who looked on and cheered and it seems that in every table, most of them were making out. They looked to be a lot older than our group and the glances they gave us made me shiver.

I suddenly feel a squeeze on my shoulder and I flinched, my head snapping at whoever was behind me but like instinct, my muscles relax at the sight of Jake's comforting smile. I feel even more guilty that I've dragged him into this mess yet he still manages to make the best of it.

"Oh look!" I stiffen as Katy bumps into me, a huge smile across her face as she stared at whatever was in front of her. I follow her gaze and my frown deepens at the sight. A tall muscular man sat comfortably in one of the chairs, he was laid back, two women on each of his lap and a few men stood behind him, I watch as the bartender attends to his drink, pouring it with a shaky hand, the man held a confident smirk and eyes that looked much darker than anyone I've ever seen before.

"He's the one I told you guys about! He owns the place and is apparently a big shot around here!" I don't know why she seems so excited about such a horrific aura.

I see you

I almost scream at the eerily familiar sadistic voice, I stiffen, my stomach turning into anxious knots and I wanted nothing more than to run far away from here but fear glues me to the spot. My eyes waver, dragging and forcing itself to look up and I gasp at the sight.

The same bloody shot red eyes stared at me, filled with malice, as if my death was beyond its gaze, so dangerously close. Its hands glides over the shoulder of the man, who lets out a laugh, drowning himself in alcohol. It oozes dark blood, staining the man's clothes but I knew it was only in my mind, my own nightmare in reality yet unmistakingly feeling like a dream. It stared at me, deep into my soul knowing perfectly well who I was.

"Aiko" I jolt at the voice, Jake gives me a worried look and my eyes dart back to where the man sat, it was gone.

"I don't think it's a good idea to drink" I mumble, letting my head hang low in anxiousness. Whoever this man was has something to do with that demon, it wouldn't have showed up here so randomly if it didn't and with the amount of people in the club, it just so happens it clings itself to the man who was piercing through my bubble with a needle.

Jake doesn't say anything and only takes a look around as we sit in the table with Anne's friends who giggled away to whatever Katy was saying, I wonder if they even notice Anne's lack of interest, its hard to tell under the sensual loud music and the red gloomy light that lit up the room. I watch as one woman on the pole swung herself gracefully around it, one leg wrapped around the slender pole, her eyes never leaving the man in front of her who smirked, eyes filled with nothing more but lust.

"I'm going to the bathroom" I hear Jake whisper, I meekly nod and watch as he disappears into the corner and I silently hope he wouldn't run into trouble in there, anyone would barely notice and everyone in this room looked to be capable of murder and keeping their mouths shut, even Anne's friends would have utter betrayal, after all, they barely even cared.

"A drink milady?" a hand suddenly appears in my vision, holding a glass filled with unknown substance, the ice clinks with his swift movement. My eyes travel up to his face only to see confidence oozing out of it, his eyes held humor in them yet I had nothing to smile about, it only managed to make me even more uneasy with everything else around.

He smelled of smoke yet didn't seem to be drunk, in fact, he looked much sober than Katy who laughed her way through alcohol. He wore a black tux, a few buttons left opened to show off his sculpted chest. The sight of him made me stiffen, my hands were sweating in nervousness, after all I've done, I wasn't about to put Anne in danger,

I shouldn't have come here

"Uhm..n-no thanks" I ball my hands in fists out of frustration, why did I have to stutter?! My confidence falters as his smirk grew more taunting than the last.

"Why so nervous?" he slurs, his tongue clicking, clearly enjoying the sight of me frazzled by his appearance alone. He brings the drink to his lips and gulps it down in one swallow, wincing at the bitter taste yet his grin doesn't leave his mouth, his tongue running over his lips, fully aware of what he was doing.

"Well, since you turned down my drink, how about a dance then? It would break my heart if you refuse" he grins, extending out a hand and I shiver at the thought of his hands around me. My eyes wander over to Anne's friends, hoping they would notice but I was quickly met with disappointment as they clearly avoided my gaze, allowing themselves to indulge in bliss through ignorance.

"We were just about to leave" I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, Jake comes into view but a few people around had already laid their eyes on the situation, my heart beats in nervousness and dread, we were outnumbered and even if we weren't, we could never be strong enough, they could happily introduce us to death and still manage to sleep soundly at night.

Jake's hand grabs hold of my wrist and I don't refuse as he pulls me closer to his side, the man doesn't seem even slightly fazed at Jake's appearance but his lips now formed a thin line of annoyance. Only now do I realize that Jake was just as nervous as I was, his hand was sweaty and I could almost sense his heart having the same nervous rhythm as mine, his apple bobbed up and down and his eyes wavered but they looked straight into the confident ones of a narcissistic man. He was putting on a facade and if I could see through it, so could he.

"I don't recall ever talking to you" the man takes a step closer and I almost stumble back but Jake's firm grip keeps me in place. The man snickers, his chest pressing even closer to Jake's. He towered slightly and was clearly more built than Jake's figure and I could barely notice the eyes of the on lookers, swarmed by the stoic atmosphere the two men had built up.

"Enough!" I couldn't help but flinch at the commanding voice, it boomed through the room even with the music and everyone paused as if in some trance, puppets being controlled by the puppeteer, me helplessly being one of them, I could feel Jake tense up by the sudden voice. I could hear his footsteps, the man in front of me, eyes wide and shaking in fear, no longer looked like the taunting man I had seen before.

"I've never seen you here before" A strong grips lands on my shoulder and I am forced to turn around, my body thrown like a ragdoll yet it barely took any effort from him. His stare pierced deep into mine and a knot forms in my stomach, my breathing turns rugged and my heart is leaping out of my chest, I've only met this type of fear a few times in my life and all of them were peculiar but this man alone sends goosebumps down my spine, I could feel Anne's own worried emotion and guilt surges through me. I got her into this mess and I plan to get her out.

"I-" I gasp, a suddenly force collides into me and I could feel myself slowly falling to the ground, it seemed as if time slowed down, stopped for a moment of either in my favor or doom, the man hasn't moved, his face contorting into confusion as he watches me meekly falling to the ground. My breath is taken away, my eyes darting towards the force that presses itself on my shoulders.

Aiko

It knows my name. The demon knows my name. Its eyes are the last thing I see before darkness takes over.

I cough, an agonizing pain surging through my body, my legs were shaking and felt as though I could barely pull myself up, I could see my hand, it dripped of blood and my arms were filled with bruises, my vision was blurry and an unknown hallway greeted me.

I could taste the bitterness of blood as it dripped in my mouth, my head throbbed in daze, I felt like my heart was barely even breathing but this pulsating urge to live was pulling me upwards, keeping me from aimlessly dying, alone and lost, death was beyond my reach yet I had no plans on extending out an arm to grab it. Somehow, my mind kept telling me to live, run, it was searching for something, longing, tears were falling down my face, but blood masked the clear waters and I knew that I was going to die but I didn't want to accept it.

Not like this

Aiko

I'm not in Anne's body anymore or in mine, there were no mirrors, I couldn't register who I was but I felt her pain, her agony, she was afraid of dying, regret flooding her emotions and I was dying along with her. I cough again, blood spurting out of my mouth, my throat has a burning sensation in them, I could barely even breath.

"Come back here!" She screams, I realize I wasn't even controlling her, I was just there, feeling her pain, seeing her suffer. She pushes herself off the wall, the night was dark and there weren't any signs of anyone else around. She screams and screams and screams but I doubt anyone could hear her or anyone even cared. Tears were rolling down her eyes and blood along with them, she stumbles, her body slowly giving in even when her mind wasn't.

Don't stop

I found myself saying this, she wanted life and I had this feeling like I didn't want her to lose it, even if it meant giving away my own. But then I hear it, that loud laugh echoing through the hallway, she panics, glancing with blurry eyes where she could hide but there wasn't anywhere, she was shaking helplessly and so was I. A pull is felt on her head and she screams in pain as the man tugs on her hair, unknowing of his strengths that he could almost tear open her scalp. She screams.

And screams

But no one hears her.

Her body soon gives up, dragged along the hallway, trailing away her blood with every step the man took yet he held no remorse. He throws her unto the ground and she gasps at the pain, air slowly being deprived away from her, she coughs, blood pooling in her own face, drowning in her own blood and tears, this is what death felt like. And the eyes of a murderer was staring right at me.

It was him.