Braeden was your typical Instagram-famous selfie star. Adorable, innocent, good natured, and of course, a bit vain. He had approximately 42,000 followers, who worshipped his every move. To any outsider, Braeden was the most fortunate kid around! He came from a poor background, but with the strangest stroke of luck around every decision, nothing bad ever seemed to come his way. He released a song he wrote on Youtube, he had 100,000 views. He drew up an anime character while bored in class: a designer saw the clothing it was wearing and bought the design for $30,000. No matter what this kid did, it always turned out for the better. Behind the scenes, and unbeknownst to him, a dark force swarmed constantly swarmed about him.
One bright and sunny day, Braeden was doing his typical Friday vlog in Ramsden Park, when in the corner of his eye, he spotted a strange boy watching him from behind a tree. This vlog, however, retained his absolute attention, as it was regarding his upcoming 20th birthday. The video was of the utmost importance! Yet, a strange headache began to plague him. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was like an electric shock, radiating from his head to his toes.
He concluded his vlog, wincing from the pain, and placed his iPhone on the picnic table beside him. Glancing upward, Braeden noticed the strange man was still staring at him! He was no older than Braeden, with dark black hair and haunting eyes. He was wearing all leather, adorned with spikes and zippers, and a pair of black combat boots. Casually leaning against the trunk of the tree, the man’s crossed arms insinuated a less-than-friendly demeanor about him. Despite all this, Braeden felt nothing less than untouchable- a devout bravery he’d come to be known by.
The strange migraine began to throb even worse, his skin crawling with goosebumps. Deciding to pay no attention to the foreboding man, he packed up his things and walked to the nearby bathrooms, hoping to take some Zyrtec or Ibuprofen. He twisted the sink faucet, and cold water flowed out the spigot, filling his water bottle. Just as he turned the knob to cut the flow, the lights shut off, engulfing him in complete darkness. A peal of soft laughter began to echo throughout the cavernous room, steadily growing louder until the weight of the sound forced Braeden to cover his ears.
“Well, well, well. Little Braeden. It’s been a long time.” Braeden fell to the floor, sliding backward until he felt the comfort of the cold cinderblock wall. “My you’ve grown into a sexy little thing, haven’t you? You’re eternally welcome for that little handiwork.”
“Who the fuck are you!” Braeden shouted at the disembodied voice, holding back any terrified stutters in his tone.
“Ahh, it’s not who I am that’s important. It’s who you are. Haven’t you ever wondered why you have such an ideal, picture-perfect life? Why nothing unfortunate or sad has ever fallen upon you? Did you really think it was luck?” Braeden shivered at the thought, trying his best to maintain an ounce of composure. “I can guarantee you that no normal person lives the life you live. That’s called divine intervention. Or, rather, demonic intervention.” A fanged smirk glowed in the darkness across the room, graced with a decadent tongue licking invisible lips.
“It’s time to pay up, Bray. I held up my end of the bargain.” Braeden cried at the growing prospect of violence. “Oh come now, it’ll be nice. Would I lie to you, my little ingenue? Would I lie to your parents?” Those words struck him like a brick. “Oh yes. Your parents. I wouldn’t have been able to help you all these years without their unmitigated blessing. It was a delicious deal, and I’ve come to collect our agreed fee.”
Suddenly, the lights began to flicker, and before Braeden could jump up to escape, an unseen force restrained him, locking him to the cold tile floor. Tears flowed from his eyes like waterfalls. Before his eyes, he saw the staring man approaching him, slowly and steadily. His black boots squeaked with every step growing closer and closer.
“C’mon. It’ll be fun. I promise you’re gonna like it just as much as I do.” The man grasped him by the throat, his body being raised up the wall. “Open up, Bray.” The demon’s face distorted into a terrifying scream, before a thick black goo spewed from his mouth and into Braeden’s. Tasting like tar and brimstone, the slime forced it’s way down Braeden’s throat, coating everything it touched in it’s revolting sludge. Braeden closed his eyes, hoping for a quick end as he choked and writhed. The room echoed in bellowing laughter. Mirrors shattered and steaming water streamed from the sinks. In seconds, the strange boy was gone, and Braeden sat slumped against the wall. Just then, another young man entered the bathroom, only to discover the immense devastation.
“Whoa! Hey, are you okay?” The boy ran to Braeden’s side, kneeling over him. Braeden groaned, his white hair covering his face.
“Better than ever.” A harsh, yet silky voice slithered out of his mouth, twisted into an evil smirk. Grasping the boy by the face, Braeden pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss, easily restraining his futile attempts to push him off. The boy squirmed and gagged, feeling Braeden’s forked tongue invade his throat. Pulling himself away, he ran to the exit, but not before glancing behind him at his assailant; and for a brief moment, he didn’t see the strikingly handsome white-haired boy, but in his place kneeled a black-haired, leather-clad man, glancing at him with haunting black eyes.
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