Main attraction

I usually wake up early during vacations; now that I have no worries, I guess it’s natural to want to make the most of the days.
School isn’t a big deal anyway; anything having to do with it is boring.

“You should keep sleeping.”

I turned toward my bedroom window; I leaned out and saw a beautiful, pale girl standing in my backyard.

“What are you doing there?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve been living here for days.”

“What do you mean, living here?”

“Don’t you remember hitting me with a bottle last night?”

Before going to sleep, I heard a noise in the kitchen; so like anyone else, the first two things that crossed my mind were: it could be an animal, or a thief. I grabbed the only thing I had nearby, a bottle of detergent. When I peeked in, I saw a shadow, and out of pure instinct I threw it. Then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished. The door to the backyard was open; I never thought it was her…

“You woke up earlier than usual…” she lowered her head a little, avoiding my eyes. “They haven’t come to see me in a long time, I thought they’d forgotten about me…”

I went downstairs and walked over to her.

“We didn’t, really; it’s just that a lot has happened these days.”

The hustle of these past weeks—I have no idea how to describe it; it all started when I took the old woman back to her house.

“Samanta?”

“Azra?”

The confusion was obvious. There was nothing wrong with what I was doing, but I think what surprised me most was that Sam was somehow connected to the old woman’s family.

“Oh, dear; she’s my granddaughter, Samanta.”

Confirming what I suspected—she was family; wait… granddaughter?

“Yes, we already knew each other,” I showed her a gentle smile. “So you have another child, then?”

The old woman suddenly turned nostalgic. “He died some time ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be,” Sam replied. “Anyway, it was a long time ago.”

Slowly, I lowered the TV off the cart.

“Oh, now I see why you were taking so long.”

“Your uncle gave it to me, but the delivery service wasn’t available.”

“You should’ve asked me to bring it for you.”

“No, no—don’t worry; luckily I ran into your friend.”

While I set the TV on a small table, Sam made coffee.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” I quickly pulled my mouth away from the cup. “It’s hot.”

The cold and the smell of the coffee took effect on me almost immediately; I felt relaxed.

The old woman, Sara, was slowly going up the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said.

Sam stepped closer to me.

“I need to ask you a favor.”

The conversation grew more and more serious. What she told me surprised me—it was something so unexpected; I never thought she’d do that kind of thing, something like that…

If I were someone else right now, and they accused whoever did such a thing, I’m sure they’d point at me first—I don’t exactly have a reputation for being benevolent. Still, we worked it out; that’s what friends are for, right? Helping each other, giving advice; keeping secrets…

I fixed it, and I guess for her it was all over, right?

“Anyway, aren’t we going somewhere today?”

“I think so. Why?”

“I heard you’ve been on vacation. I went to see Sam and all I can say is she doesn’t leave that old woman’s side.”

“She’s her grandmother.”

“Yeah, yeah—whatever.”

“So where do you want to go?”

On the outskirts of the city, a few months back, they finished building an amusement park; bumper cars, roller coasters…

“I didn’t feel like coming,” Sam said. “But she insisted so much.”

“Me neither.” I looked to my side but didn’t see Sonia. “Where did she go?”

“Let’s get on that.”

“I don’t have the stomach for this.”

The screams of the people in the cars grew more and more intense; my body fought not to throw up. Sam just closed her eyes; at least Sonia was enjoying it. And every time I saw the drop filled with lights and crowds enjoying the clamor echoing through these vertiginous cars, all I could think was that I could’ve been somewhere a bit quieter. What if I die here? There are so many roller coaster accidents online—people flying through the air… just thinking about it makes me shiver.

“I’m never getting on that thing again,” I said, clutching my stomach—so much for my willpower.

“I don’t even remember what happened; I think I passed out at some point.” Sam looked exhausted; I guess she’s not into this stuff either.

We rested in front of a candied apple stand. As expected, Sonia wanted one, so I gave her some money to buy it.

I looked around; people seemed to be having fun—and I think I was too, in a way. When I managed to stand up again, I decided it was time to recharge somewhere away from everyone.

“Where are you going?” Sam gently grabbed my arm.

“For some fresh air.”

“You should get used to people, don’t you think it’s about time you did?”

“I will.”

It’s only been a few months since we met, and yet Samanta thinks she knows me completely—and what if I don’t like crowded places?

Once I was away from the park, I noticed a red-and-white striped chapel; it was practically in the middle of nowhere, hidden among the surrounding trees.

I heard a whisper.

“Et lux, et lux.”

It wasn’t very clear.

A brilliant light entered the chapel. It shamelessly seduced me; I slowly moved toward it.

Inside, the darkness was lit by hundreds of clown plush toys, some with disfigured faces, and what I concluded was blood—the smell of iron and dampness soaked the place.

In the very center was a hatch, there on the ground, muddy and red. It was half open, so I couldn’t help but fix my eyes on it.

When I opened it, I found spiral stairs leading down into a sinister darkness.

Consumed by curiosity, I descended the endless steps. With every step, the echo of my footsteps made me tense, thinking someone else might hear them. So I tried to go slower.

At the very bottom, a huge, wide door awaited me. Beyond it, I saw something unsettling.

A skeletal figure with abnormal proportions; it wasn’t human at all. Its skin was so dark it blended with the darkness of the room, lit only by amber lanterns.

Its back was completely flat, with several glowing red rhomboid openings; its feet were like a horse’s; and on its arms—seven of them, by the way, three on the left and two on the right—were embedded knives with greenish handles.

The being before me was groaning; it seemed to be suffering. From its body oozed a dark, acidic liquid that nearly made me suffocate.

It moved to the left side of the room. Kneeling before a table, I saw it pick something up—like a ball—and caress it.

The lantern light cleared my doubts.

What it held so tenderly was, without a doubt, a human head. Freshly severed, still bearing an expression of suffering and horror.

For some reason, my body didn’t react very well to this kind of abnormality.

I’d seen demons before, but this one was, without question, incredibly grotesque and nauseating.

There’s no one else who can do anything—so how will I?

Such a horrifying entity, reeking of sulfur and intimidating just by being seen, something that had clearly already attacked someone…

What makes me think it was only one?

I should act fast—but how?

I felt a strong hand over my mouth.

A whisper by my ear.

“This is no place for humans.”

With one arm she grabbed my body; the next thing I knew, it was as if a gust of wind lifted me off the ground. I quickly saw the light, and with it, the hatch I’d come through.

I was thrown to the ground; it hurt a little.

“You should go back home, kid.”

When I looked up, a tall woman placed a hand on my face, urging me away; her silver hair matched her gray eyes. It wasn’t until I managed to stand that I noticed something on her head.

Ears? But not human ones—long and furry.

“Are you from a nearby tribe?”

She didn’t seem to want to answer.

It was completely certain that what stood before my eyes was a werewolf woman, straight out of those mythical legends.

They’re said to act only when sent by their leaders to balance a specific area.

“I’ve been told you no longer have the Exorcist.”

“Ellen…”

She hasn’t been around for a while now; I suppose it’s because she doesn’t trust me…

Why would she?

“I need to tell you about him.”

“Him?”

“The being beneath us is known as: the Demon of the Extremely Severed Smile.”