The Winged Guardian - 5 Contract first day

A thousand ‘Aaa’ rang in my ears.

I rammed my head under the pillow pushing the weight down, but the noises would not fade away. It took me all night to chase that demon out of my house and I got only two hours of sleep, and now this?!

The noise went silent as soon as I slammed my fist on the window. It was somewhat like an alarm clock.

I got myself ready for school wondering what was going on this early morning. The noise was so loud as if a big fighting stadium rose out of the earth beside my house within one night, or maybe it was the siren for accidents. It could even be that new kind of exercises where people breathe in and out singing ‘Aa’ loudly. I heard they called it the ‘Chi’ practice from China.

I opened the front door and something flapped into my face. I hit the thing with my bag and when the vision was clear, I saw—

The beginning of my doom.

Walking into the lawn, looking up the roof, I saw—

It was like black dots spreading everywhere. I pranced on my previously green lawn trying to find a walking space, felt almost—just almost—like Harry Potter when little Harry got his admission letters to Hogwarts for the first time. The sad thing was they were not cute owls from the witch school, they were—

“Aaa!”

A thousand CROWS cried in unison.

I am NOT going to any demon school!

“Aaa!” They called again as if greeting me.

It took me about five minutes to think what to do with these crows. I could not think of anything in the end but chasing the black birds away like I did to Dylan last night. “Go! Go! Shoo!” I flailed my arms and bags like a lunatic. The crow took shelter on the roof where I could not reach them. I morosely pelted balls of hardened soil with my aching arms.

I was already very tired by the time I arrived school. Walking like a zombie, I went to Dale and Sonnia who were talking to each other excitedly about the heart attack news. But something with evil auras was coming from the opposite direction.

“Hey Leigh! I heard your mum’s—”

Dale was left mid-sentence while Dylan dragged me away in the midst of everybody’s eyes. They all watched me while I looked back at them for help imploringly.

Dylan pushed me into a cleaning room. I quickly ran for the door. He closed it and cornered me as I tried to look away from his beautiful eyes.

“Why did you chase all my friends away?” Dylan said in a slight angry tone.

“Friends?”

“I sent them to watch over you!” He said. “So you can be safe when I’m not around!”

“You mean—” I said and tried to think hard what he was talking about. Wait,— “Those are CROWS!”

“Ravens!”

“There were hundreds and hundreds of them!” It was my turn to get irritated. “Are you crazy? People will think I have evil spirit following me with that many c—ravens!” Actually, that is quite true, I have this evil demon following around. “And I didn’t ask for anything to look after me!”

“It’s my duty. And it’s raven not craven.”

“Oh, come on!” I was about to reach my limit and I really needed some sleep. “Just leave me alone okay?”

I shoved Dylan aside and walked out of the room. People were gathering around listening to our conversation. I hoped they heard nothing.

“Leigh!” Sonnia called out. She was with Dale and Michelle. They were one of those in the front row. “What happened?”

I pressed my lips not daring to meet the eyes of the audiences who were waiting enthusiastically for my answer. It was going to be hard to explain. “Nothing.” I decided to say and quickly walked away to art room where people were less concerned about those that happened around them.

“Leigh.” Jaden, our class rep, called out. “We are painting on large canvas today. You can get one in the store room.” I nodded and saw Conner, carrying his, was walking this way. He stared at me piteously that I had to avert my eyes not to feel anymore guilt. Hey, I didn’t do anything wrong!

“Leigh.” Conner called and it felt like I was getting caught at doing something evil—like—summoning a demon.

“Y—yes?” —sir.

He put a small piece of paper in my hand, “If you need any help, you can come see me here,” and settled into his seat. I looked after those blond hair with confusion and surprise. I thought he was going to—I don’t know, something not nice! But then suddenly I remembered, Conner might actually be a nice person because he used to compliment my paintings (Okay, enough lame reason!). I looked briefly at the paper. It was a rough map to some place.

I put it away. For now.

The canvas was about six feet high. It blocked all my vision and I had a hard time holding it with the height of five feet five. The cumbersome wood frame got in my way and it jerked forward.

“Careful!” Someone got hold of the canvas saving my fall.

“Thanks—” err—

—Dylan was giving me a friendly smile.

Fastening my clasp on the canvas frame, fastening my mind, I tugged the frame over to my side. “It’s okay, I can carry this. I don’t need your help.”

Dylan didn’t let go. He pulled it over to him. “It’s too big for you. Let me help you.”

“No, it’s alright.” I yanked the frame close to me. I was not going to fall under this demon’s trap. If I let him help me, he will take my soul.

“No, let me help.” Dylan insisted.

“No.”

“No. I’ll help.”

“No.”

“No.”

“No.”

“No.”

The seizing force increased with the number of ‘No.’ I did not hear the crack until the frame clean split in two.

Damn it! Ms. Alder will charge me for this!

“O—oh.” The demon looked at the broken frame in his hands with remorse. “Sorry.”

“Look what you’ve done.” Tremors crept into my voice. “Why don’t you just stay away from m—”

“Is that an order?”

Shit. If I order him and he does it, that will mean he does as I request, and I will be dead very soon. No, I can’t let him.

Heaving up a long deep breath, I strongly said, “No.” and snatched the broken frame from him going into the art room dreading Ms Alder’s comment.

But those were only one of the first tragedies. Dylan and his dazzling face pestered me the whole day, made it harder for me to face people by –saving a seat,asking to be paired up with me in Chemistry so he could help with the titration experiment. At lunch, he bought the set and brought the tray over to our table, squeezing himself between me and Dale. I went white while my friends stared at me wide eyes trying to ask—especially Sonnia, being one of Dylan’s admirers.

The demon put on his charming smile. “I am Leigh’s body—”

“Body drawing!” I blurted out and spluttered. “I—I asked Dylan to be my drawing model! For—for the next project!”

I said it pretty loud so others who had or had not been straining their ears could hear as well. Some of Dylan’s admirers nodded understandingly, Sonnia and Dale and Michelle too, whereas some retained their doubtful glances. I expelled my breath with tiredness and excused myself. Dylan tried to follow and I only prevailed his persisting pursuit via his admirers’ help. They were swarming him wanting to know what kind of posture would he put on for my project.

It truly was a disastrous day. I dared not get too close to my friends afraid that they would ask more, while every one of Dylan’s admirers tried to get to me to ask more stupid questions. The DWs, who were pretty much normal students now, looked at me dubiously. And Natalie and her friends were trying to eat me with their carnivorous eyes.

That was not even close to the end. When I thought the path was clear and was riding on my bike heading home, a black Porsche skidded in an ear-bled noise, halting at a mere hairsbreadth from the front wheel, convinced me for a moment that I was hit. Yet to be recovered from the shock, Dylan got down from the car, threw my bike into the back seat, and hauled me toward the black door. I resisted with all my might but was not able to fight his strength. He was able to ram me into the car and hurled the bold black door shut in the end.

I opened it again. But he was faster. He got into the driver seat and caught my wrist driving the car off with one door hanging about. The speed went up crazily fast.

“Stop! The door is open!” I shouted with fright.

“Then, close it.”

“No! Stop! Stop!”

“Is that an order?”

He put a cork in my throat. It was as if he looked through my intentions and I had no choice but to do what he said. Pulling the door shut, I sat stiffly as the car accelerated.

“W—where are you taking me?”

“Home.”

Riding a shotgun with Dylan was nothing to be enjoyed. I stole a look at the speed meter and my face went chill as if a block of ice attached to it. It said 310 km/h.

“C—can’t you drive any slower?” Unlike the stillness of the ride, my voice wavered.

“It’s too fast? Sorry, I’m used to flying.” He said but did not slowdown.

The car pulled up in front of my house and I was more than glad to be able to get out. My legs shook and I almost threw up when my feet touched the grassy ground. It really did feel like flying in this car. The demon was unloading my bike and—what’s that Louise Vuitton suitcases?

“What. Are. Those?” I asked, still found it hard to control my voice.

Dylan looked down at the suitcases raising his black brows. “Huh? This?” he said. “I’m moving in.”

WTF?!

“I need to give you a lesson.”