The Demon Side by Heaven Liegh Eldeen

I can’t force you to choose a side. I can only put the temptations in front of you.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    “What do you want me to say? I want to see you burn in the depths of Hell? You’ll never hear that from me. Only you and your actions can decide where you go when you leave this world.”
    “I would go if it meant I could be with you, you know.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” As much as I would have loved for that to be the case, her comment angered me. I couldn’t imagine a person like her becoming something like me.
    “I know that when you’re around, I feel safe nothing could ever hurt me. I get butterflies in my stomach when you touch me. I know your soul, Ra. I don’t know how, but I know. I knew it the second I saw you. You weren’t meant for this existence. You fought for good once, and I’m certain you will again.” Etta was strong in words. She spoke with solid confidence. She described what I felt.
    “There’s no going back, Etta. Once you’re damned, you can’t go back. I’m worse than a sinner…I’m a fallen. Fallen are never forgiven.”
    “How do you know if you don’t remember what you did before being here?”
    There are just some things in this world you can’t explain to a person, and this was one. I may not have shown her the extent of how awful I could be, but she was a fool for thinking I could be “saved.”
    “Let’s talk about something else.” I gritted my razor sharp teeth so hard one snapped.
    “What did you have in mind?” Etta rolled over onto her stomach, resting her chin in the palms of her hands. I didn’t really have anything in mind. I racked my brain trying to come up with something but what Etta said threw me for a loop. My brain fixated on the fact that what started out as just another tenant to scare away had morphed into a young girl falling in love with a beast and the beast loving her back.
    “What kind of music do you like?” Etta asked, snapping me out of my deep thoughts.
    “Not one particular kind. I’ve heard the radio and seen music videos over the years. There’re a few good songs out there, but most of it is just noise to me.”
    “Like what?”
    “I like that Discovery Channel song.” I smiled.
    “Oh my God, the bad touch song? Really? Figures it’d be a dirty one. You’re such a pervert.”
    “Stop saying that name around me!”
    “Oops. Sorry, didn’t know it bothered you.” Etta rolled her eyes at my reaction.
    “I fight for the other team, my dear, so logic would tell you I am probably not very fond of the big guy.”
    I thought for sure my aggressiveness would start another match between us, but Etta just let out a laugh and turned the subject back to music. “It’s an okay song, I guess, the bad touch song. At least you don’t listen to mariachi music or something.”
    “Well, what’s one of your favorites?” I asked.
    “I have a lot of favorites, everything from classical to metal. My all-time favorite band though is definitely Gogol Bordello. They’re a blend between folk music and punk rock.”
    “Ooh, rock and metal…the Devil’s music.” I laughed while wiggling my fingers toward Etta to imply some evil.
    We stayed up for hours talking the night away about everything under the sun, except our pasts. We talked about her upcoming graduation and the goals she had afterward, then the conversation flowed from anorexia and moved onto race cars. I had to shush Etta a few times because she laughed loud enough to wake up her father. I watched as she painted her toenails a glittery purple, and I even allowed her to paint my claws black. I found it a little silly since my claws were already a dusty shade of black, but she ensured me the shimmer of the paint would make them look better. No amount of nail polish could change what I was, but if it made her feel more comfortable with me, I could be okay with it.
    I lost myself in our moments together and wished for more. Her