The Demon I Am by Kirsten Lott (little red riding hood read aloud txt) 📕

As I entered the dark fog, I heard my footsteps echo as if I was walking on stone flooring. My feet seemed to be burning but I felt achingly cold, as if all life had been taken from me. The fog seemed to dissipate but I still twisted as I tripped on the first step I didn't see before. I jumped up quickly in pain and I now realized why my feet had been burning: the floor was hotter than fire. When I got up, I looked up to see a somewhat medieval, narrow staircase that didn't seem as welcome as I wanted it to be. I wanted to turn back but I felt like I was being forced to go up the staircase. I took about three steps until I heard a child singing a strangely familiar.. and unfamiliar tune. It both scared me and drew in my curiosity..

I stepped up farther along to see a room consumed of the wrenching smell of death. As I looked more into the room, I noticed fresh blood written on one of the walls that read a few words that I could not understand.

"У једна уста носи виле и ветрови, друга уста – издат и зле болести, трећа уста – учинци, растурци."

I whispered to myself, wondering what the words could mean and then my thoughts were interrupted by the childlike singing. I looked around only to see a black bird with orange flamed tips at its wings. I could feel the evil but felt drawn to it as it sang again:

"In one mouth she bears fairies and winds, the second mouth – infirmity And bad diseases, the third mouth – spells, curses."

I walked closer to the bird and felt my heart race knowing it would kill me as its flames rose higher, but it kept singing the song over and over again. I felt consumed and scared as I heard an awful, evil, low laughter everywhere around me as I walked closer. My conscience yelled at me but I knew I was in a trance that could not be broken.

The bird twirled violently in the air with its flames encased around it and made its talons turn into daggers. It sang with a fiercer tone that made my insides scream louder to run.. but I could not run. It sang for one last time as it drew closer:

"In one mouth she bears fairies and winds, the second mouth – infirmity And bad diseases, the third mouth – spells, curses."

It dove down as I felt chains clasp tightly to my ankle, my trance was clearly broken and this place knew it, for I knew it wanted to kill me.. I knew at that moment I had become a prisoner and could not run like my mind told me to.. the pain quickly shut out those thoughts in the back of my head.

That was when I started to scream a silent scream.. I could feel the talons dig through my entire torso, sinking deeper and deeper. I garbled my blood violently and looked into the bird's red eyes as it smiled and let go of my dead body carelessly...

I was gasping for breath rapidly as I woke up to the sunrise. This nightmare was something more powerful today.. It was as if I had woken up when I had fallen to the ground from the dagger-like claws that were being torn from my chest.. When I recollected most of my thoughts, I could hear the wind howling and screaming outside as if it breathed heavily with me. 

As soon as I wiped away a stray tear and pulled myself together, I slung my legs over my bed and stretched my arms. As I stretched I felt my cat, Belle, rub against my lower back and meow. I turned my upper body, looked down at her, and smiled a little. She purred as I petted her softly before I got up slowly from my bed and stretched a little bit more.

I walked down the hall and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. As soon as I took off my black tank top and gray sweatpants, I walked into the shower. I started drenching myself on the hottest setting in the shower. I sighed as the warmth settled onto my skin, it was the only thing to calm my nerves.

As soon as I washed myself and the hot water started running out, I turned the knob and got out of the shower with my towel wrapped around my body. I turned to the mirror and wiped the steam off it with my hand to see if anything on my unfortunate looking self had changed. My eyes were a little bit darker brown than usual.. and they'd always been light.. "That's strange.." I murmured under my breath.

"Seriously, aren't you like, being a little vain looking at yourself EVERY morning? And God, could you use anymore steam in here? I mean, this is ridiculous, it's, like, flooding out."

I jumped when I heard her obnoxious voice. I didn't even hear the door open, it was always so annoying when she just opened it. Brooke was the biological daughter and I knew she hated me because I guess I was "competition" now that she's no longer the center of attention. (In her mind, I'm always a recluse in my room.)

I turned my eyes away from the mirror and grabbed my pajamas. I looked at the floor and silently told her, "How could I be vain if I'm not even pretty?" I looked up a little to see she had a little glint of sympathy. And then avoided her eyes again.

Ugh, just what I want from an irritating girl like her.. I hate when I end up bringing sympathy out of people..

 I looked away as she tried to make eye contact with me, I murmured, "I need to get ready for school..." and walked down the hallway, in a fast pace, to my room. She had said something but I shut the door behind me before I could even make out what she said.

I was incredibly socially awkward because I could never look anybody in the eyes. Everytime I did, they'd look at me in horror.. I knew I was ugly.. I had big, long red hair, huge brown eyes, a strange pointy nose, little lips, and an awkward shaped face that was as pale as pale could get. I could never look pretty and I had learned to accept that. People have always assumed I was just shy but honestly I got tired of peoples faces when they looked at me. I sighed and walked to my closet.

I got dressed in my favorite skinny jeans, my black t-shirt and my black, worn out Converse. I dried my long, big hair with my towel and decided to lay down on the bed. I looked at my watch to see it said 6:50. It takes 10 minutes to get there, school starts at 8, I'm a new student so I'll need to go to the office so she/he will be talking to me for about 20-25 minutes. They'd want to get a student to show me a tour to which I'll say no because I have a map (Plus I don't want to get all social and I can get by) which will be an explanation of an extra 5 minutes. I have to find my way out of it, which I always do. So, 10 minutes there, 30-35 minutes approximately in the office, my first class might be on the other side of the school which might give me an extra 5-10 minutes.. I need to be early by 10 minutes. So, I need to leave the house now.

As if reading my thoughts, Belle meowed beside me. I scratched the top of her head, "I'll see you soon enough, hopefully my day will go okay.." I got up and picked up my backpack and black leather jacket. I ran down the stairs, tiptoed towards the door and quietly shut it behind me. I ran out the door to my car as quickly and quietly as I could. I avoided my foster family because I dreaded hearing, 'Have a good day at school!'  At this point it felt like it was routine for any parent and it's a numbing thing after 13 foster homes.

I put the keys into the car and heard it crank. Then lightning struck loudly. Yeah, yeah, I was mad.. It was always so strange that the weather changed so quick to my moods and thoughts. I drove out of the driveway and spun on the road to school. Here we go..

I parked in front of the school and turned the car off. I sighed and rolled my eyes when the sky sighed with me. I hated weather, it was so strange. I jumped when lightning struck and put my hands up in frustration, "Well, quit acting with my emotions." And then the sky went straight back to the softly, fast, pulsing thunder that went with my heartbeat. "I will never understand Oklahoma weather."

I climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind me to open the door behind it, grabbing my backpack. I closed the door and started walking towards the school. I looked at my watch walking slowly, '6:58'.

I guess I have time to--- THUMP.

"Uh.. Sorry about that.." Said a deep, soothing voice.

I had bumped into a tall chest and couldn't help but stutter a little, "Uh.. Um-m-m.. It-t-t's-s f-fin-n-nine.." The thunder seemed to coo a little bit.

I turned away, looking down at the ground as usual, my heart was beating rapidly and the wind was giving me cooling chills along with the thunder, rumbling with my heartbeat.

I felt a shockwave as his hand touched my shoulder and lightning crashed when he did, I jumped and looked up at the sky. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye to only catch him staring at me in awe.

Our eyes connected and he whispered, "You are... Gorgeous.." He stepped back a little and kept staring at me with his soft, green eyes. Before I could look at him more, I backed away and ran to the office, feeling my face flush with embarrassment and.. flattery? Confusion?

I heard the sky rumble and saw it turn a little red. But