For as long as it took to complete this job, as long as this invisible mark was here, she was the demon, and she would commit to any level of demonic actions to finish up this mess and get back her humanity. It was always the job, always the job. How did it ever come to this? A mistake made long ago, a simple mistake that she had never been able to completely free herself from. Anytime the demon needed her he would call, it had changed over the years. First, he would send one of his minions, then it was an image or two flashed into her memories as a message. Now it was a phone call. Evolving over the years as time passed Carlos would always find her.

From one simple mistake she was now a reaper of death on this world, a bringer of destruction. She is the darkness from which humanities nightmares are molded. She was here to grow the ranks of the demonic army waiting to rise and consume the world. She was now faced with another choice in her life. The same kind of choice that allowed her to be cursed, seduced by a lover who told her everything she wanted to hear and then stole her soul for his own. She has been alone ever since, answering the call of deaths bell when it rang.

But now, now she was not alone. She had family and friends. She had a life of her own. Could she still fulfill her duties or was this the moment she had dreamed about all her life, her chance at freedom. To be free from the demon Carlos and her unholy duties.

As she walked outside she was hit by a blast of cold air knocking her back she braced against the now closed door. Cold! It was summer… She was worried now, cold always preceded him. He was here, he had sensed her dissension to his plans. He would not be coming to see her to bargain, if he was here it was for something else. What that was Angela could only wonder, one thing she did know was that whatever the reason she would be a big part of it.

It’s only when the city sleeps that I can be free. It’s only when the city sleeps that I can be myself. No eyes staring at me, no judgment, no condemnation, I can be who I want to be when no one is looking. I can be a fool and laugh without being laughed at. I can be stupid without being called stupid. I can act like a child and not be punished like one. It’s only when the city sleeps I can be real without being called fake.

Karen walked the lonely streets of her once bustling town, it didn’t matter where, they were all the same now. She listened for familiar sounds that would never return, it was an instinct she had not yet outgrown. Kids playing, lawnmowers cutting grass…was it Sunday? Birds singing in the distance, cars speeding by too fast on small streets, all these she could no longer hear. The one sound that she could never imagine being gone though was her own family. Never to sing, or laugh or cry or argue…or…or? She couldn’t think about it, not any more. She didn’t want to think about it, too much pain associated with memories of the past. When humans decided that easier was better than hard. When fabricated truths outweighed actual facts. When lies and deceit rained over truth and morality. Karen slowly wandered down the street looking for her next meal as she always did when it was light, that was fading though.

She needed to hurry.

In the distance she heard a sound, she flinched, frightened, she recognized the sound. She could hear the crackling of a fire, smell the smoke dancing on the breeze but could not feel its warmth. Where was it? She needed it, now! It was getting colder as the sun set, they would be back then, they always came back then… She needed to hurry!

Around a corner, faster she ran, she could see the glow, gravel crunching and crackling under her feet. Damn! She slipped, a rock slashing her hand as she braced the fall, ripped pants allowing blood to stain her knees. Not what she needed right now, they could smell the blood, they would be coming faster now. She needed to hurry.

As she righted herself and gained solid footing she heard it… in the distance ahead. Faint.

She should be hurrying.

A stick breaking in the woods past the road. She froze, breath caught in her throat, but her heart would not listen, it continued faster…faster…faster. She couldn’t control it. She knew she was going to die now. This is how her life would end. As everyone she had ever known would end, at 15. Not old enough to live a full life but that is what life is now. After the decision was made all those many years ago. World powers decided that no more military, no more guns would benefit all. Forced opinions on the rest of the world. They had hoped no more war on the planet. But, they forgot one important factor. What if we are not alone in the universe…