The same man who drove us to the headquarters drove us back home. Mom had called Dad and told him that we’d have to reschedule because she had to take care of the situation. The situation being that they couldn’t find the demon. I was just glad to get out of there.

  When we made it outside I almost ran into a handsome blonde man in his thirties. He was only vaguely familar but he seemed to recognize me.

  “Excuse me, Cain Rogue,” he said politely. I moved awkwardly and he gave an appreciative nod.

  He must have been a friend of Moms, though he, like Ron Basin, wasn’t wearing a uniform. He was rich if his expensive suit meant anything.

  The car drive back wasn’t too bad. I was worried Dad was already suspecting something about my whole non-human situation but instead, he only questioned what I was going to say before that Jiro guy interrupted.

  I stuttered for a moment trying to search for an answer. I hastily said, “The truth is… I don’t think I’m getting an ability.”

  Dad immediately questioned why I thought that was.

  With my face turned away from him, I mumbled, “I can just tell, okay? Maybe my power jumping eight feet in the air. I don’t know.”

  The thing is, Eternals are naturally strong. Sure, most of them probably can’t jump eight feet in one single jump without a running start but they were stronger than a normal person. If my ‘power’ were jumping high then it wouldn’t be much of a power. To the world, I would probably become the disappointment of the Rogue family. But that was fine I guess. It would mean less attention on me and less risk of being sent to the Hospice. At least for now. I still want to show people that demons aren’t bad like they think we are.

  “It’s more than I can do,” Dad had said in response and somehow I felt a bit better.

  The car pulled over in front of our house and I leaped out. It was a three-story house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. My room was on the top floor. Because of Mom’s position in the Wardens, we were able to afford such a place and moved in four years ago. When I was in high school I would act like I was swimming in money and brag that I lived in a mansion with a pool. I didn’t make as many friends from that as I expected to.

  When I was younger, before Mom was drained by a Giant like I was and became an Eternal, we were broke. We were so broke in fact that family members had to step in and help with Cory and my expenses. They bought us winter coats and mittens, school supplies, and even, for a few months, our food.

  But we have money now, so I can stroll through the gate after putitng in the code and through the front door with the silver-colored handle. Once inside, I jumped onto our black leather couch. I dragged a throw blanket over my shoulders and cushioned my head on my arms. I wanted a nap, which was a new development— before I could barely sleep night.

  As I lay there allowing the heaviness to overtake my body I could hear Dad coming inside.

  A calmness that I didn’t experience much settled over me and I hummed into my arm. I fell asleep to Dad’s shuffling and hushed movements.

  When I awoke it was an hour or so later. Rather than feeling the groggy sleepiness that usually accompanies naps, I was refreshed. And I needed to spend some energy like a wound-up spring, I needed to do something. I stretched my arms above my head and popped my back as I made my way to my bedroom. When I yanked on my door the thing creaked painfully and with a sound of snapping wood, my door handle was yanked out. I gaped, not knowing what to do with the sudden knob in my hands and a door with a hole in it. Not wanting to bother my dad, wherever he was, I stepped into my room and placed the door handle in the hole. It was not set right but it was close enough.

  I grabbed a remote from my desk and turned on the TV. The movie I was watching last appeared, paused mid-way through. The superhero movie played and I listened to the dialogue as I skipped over to the desk.

  (Very carefully) I rolled my desk chair out and plopped onto it. After staring at the cluttered surface I sighed and began to move things off. It took me approximately seven minutes to create space for paper and my elbows. But once I completed that I… stared at an empty piece of paper with ‘in bold at the top.

  “OkayI said to myself. “What is my problem…”

  I wrote down:

  I rested my head on my palm. My true source of danger was honestly myself. Telling Cory wasn’t a bad idea. Cory, if anyone, wouldn’t turn me in. Also, he could probably keep a secret better than I ever could. However, the problem for me was myself. If I were found out I would be sent to the care home, if Cory was found out to be ‘hiding’ me then his career was over. I could just as easily ruin his life as well as my own. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad if he were anyone but Cory, the of the Wardens. But he was Cory Rogue so it would be a massive scandal.

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  I shouldn’t tell him, so he doesn’t have to make that choice— at least for now. Maybe in the future, I can tell him, I can make my stupid head function. My ideas were too loose to be a real plan.

  How can I show people that demons weren't so bad? That not so bad. Maybe I could reveal myself and show people I’m not a crazy killing machine? But that comes with numerous problems and risks. For one, not many people know personally. They know my mom and they simp over Cory but I’m just the ‘other Rogue brother’ as most articles have called me. So the masses do not have a connection with me. Two, it would ruin my family's reputation, even if most people did take it well. I can see it now: the headlines

  And number three is that I most likely would end up in the Hospice.

  So that just leaves the question… How can I gain good public attention, gain their trust, and reveal myself as a demon while simultaneously keeping the Rogue name safe?

  the TV said.

  I stared at the screen, and at that moment, a metaphorical light bulb above my head flickered on.

  Whipping back to the paper I wrote,

  A grin pulled at my lips.

  I then ripped up the paper into tiny, tiny, little pieces and threw it all in my trash can. I nodded to myself, finally feeling like I had a plan— one that I could stick with.

  If I became a great superhero vigilante, I could reveal that persona of myself as a demon! People would realize that the friendly neighborhood demon was actually a cool guy and it may shift people’s opinions. What a great idea!

  For the rest of the night, I watched the rest of the movie series for research purposes, leaving all other things for tomorrow. Throughout the movies, I was buzzing. I found myself imagining myself doing all of the things that the character was doing, and I began to jump off my furniture, acting as if I were the Spider himself. The watching process became slow because of this.

  I have never dared to hope that I could be a hero— not like the character Spiderman or even Batman. And definitely not like Cory or Mom. But here I was. It was going to happen! I was going to make it happen if it killed me!

  I laughed.

  Eventually, after hours, I finally grew tired and turned off the movie. I rubbed my arms to get rid of the goosebumps on my arms. Checking the time (2:48), I yawned and stretched my arms over my head. I dived into my bed, pulled every blanket and pillow to me, and curled into a ball. All the blankets kept the cold out and I began to drift off.

  Not much time passed when I awoke again, the sky was still as dark as before.

  I fumbled for my phone which I had put on the table next to my bed. The screen’s glow stung and I had to squint. Through my eyelids, I made out the number,

  That was much earlier than I normally would awake. Was this a demon thing or was I simply not tired? In any regard, something was painfully wrong. I was . It wasn’t just a chilly night, something in my bones was cold. I hugged myself and huddled into my covers. I was still wearing my hoodie and jeans and even so, I may as well have been lying in the snow, naked.

  Something shifted then, in the shadows of my room. I stared at the spot I was sure something was hidden. Another flash of motion was visible for only a moment in the corner, next to my closest. I sat up, pushing my back to the headboard behind me. My gaze jumped around as my blood pumped loudly in my ears.

  Still a shadow with no shape, it pounced. Its long arms grabbed at my shoulders and I tumbled out of my bed, almost hitting the table. The shadow followed me. Its eyeless holes stared down at me and I could see nothing else. Nothing but that lifeless face and overwhelming figure.

  I screamed.

  Squeezing my eyes closed and scrambling back until I hit something, I continued screaming. I ducked my head into my arms and huddled against the solid thing I bumped into.

  My door slammed open and a light flicked on. I could see the illumination past my eyelids. When I opened them I was met with Dad and Mom staring down with disheveled hair and panicked faces.

  “What’s going on?” Mom demanded, coming into the room.

  I sucked in my breath and looked around the room. There was nothing but my ordinary room.

  But… I was sure something was there. There was that shadow thing! It attacked me!

  I found myself unable to get a word out. I just heaved in the air and gaped at the spot where the shadow monster used to be. Mom kneeled down next to me and Dad stood above her, watching me with a concerned gaze.

  “It was just a nightmare,” she said, putting a hand on my knee. Sympathy was in her voice. “You’re okay.”

  was not a nightmare. A part of me wanted to tell her that but a bigger part of me would rather do anything but speak. So I just nodded and accepted her soothing back rubs and reassuring words.

  I hadn’t been treated like this since I was six years old when I really did have nightmares. It was nice. Especially when Dad came in with a mug of hot cocoa. I took a sip and I wished I could force out a weak but even that was too much so I merely smiled weakly.

  Mom asked if I would be able to sleep and though I was sure the answer was a resounding no, I gave a nod. The two of them told me good night and went back to their room, leaving my door open just a crack. The silence they left in their wake hit me hard. I laid in my bed, wishing that my mom and dad were still with me and that I wasn’t alone with the shadows threatening to suffocate me.

  After ten or so minutes I slipped out from under the covers and crept down the two pairs of stairs, past my parent's bedroom, and down to the downstairs living area. I made my way back to the couch and laid down. I couldn’t sleep but I felt safer in the darkness of the house's open floor plan than in my room.

  When morning arrived I was exhausted. Light snuck through the curtains and created lines of sunlight across the furniture. It was rare for the sun to peak out through the clouds in cities. Its warmth caressed my face and I found myself finally drifting off to sleep. Even if I was only able to rest for a couple hours I was thankful that I could at all. This night was the one of the worst I have ever experienced, only being topped by my draining, and the day Cory became an Eternal.

  That was probably why I had a horrible morning headache. Mom didn’t work on Sundays so one of her TV shows was playing when I stirred. She was sitting in one of the adjustable lounge chairs wearing a casual blouse and exercise leggings. Dad was in the kitchen slicing vegetables. Neither seemed to notice me.

  “Good morning,” I croaked. My throat was dry as a desert and my stomach was hollow. I sniffed and just about smiled. “What's for breakfast?”

  “Breakfast burritos,” Dad answered. He gave me knowing eyes. I perked immediately, some of my drowsiness disappearing.

  “Yes!”

  One of my favorite breakfasts. Maybe that can push away the ache in my skull or the fear in my gut. Maybe it can make it all disappear, just for a few moments.