Mimi's Demons

Chapter 95: Demon Gets the Talk

 The kid was out of his den. He leaned on the wall across from Mimi's bedroom, hunched like a gargoyle in his too-big hoodie. He wore a garishly bright yellow beanie on his head with a Pikachu face on it.

Serena paused in the hallway, Mimi's nighttime dose in hand, but then kept going.

Good. Basements weren't good for kids. And his freakish gray coloring could only get better with a bit of fresh air, though sunlight would be better.

"I bought you a set of shirts last week. Do all you wear is hoodies?"

The boy jumped a little and blinked owlishly at her. She didn't know why. It wasn't like this was the first time she'd approached him on his night guard duty. Sometimes he acted as though he didn't expect people to see him.

Ugh, she really did have a soft spot for traumatized kids. There was something wrong with her.

"Are you cold all the time or something?" she asked.

"N-no," he squeaked, then cleared his throat and said lower, all while ducking his chin as though to recapture his serious 'watchman in the night' image. "Easier to hide the wings."

She rolled her eyes so hard her head almost fell off. She'd seen those tented animatronics enough times to say no amount of hoodie could hide those. But he insisted on pretending he didn't just take them off, so she wouldn't push it. He also insisted he wore beanies to hide his horns, though she suspected it was just because he liked hats. He wore every one that Omen and Serena brought him, even if they practically glowed in the night like his Pikachu hat did now.

She went into Mimi's room as quiet as a wisp. The atmosphere seemed somehow tenser with the added musk of her sleeping boss that spread about by the high grade humidifiers at work. Sweat instantly budded on her brow at the warmth gathered there. She closed the door behind her and carefully got to work rousing Mimi just enough for her to swallow her medicine. Serena had mixed it in a dose of warm strawberry jello so the chit would be none the wiser that she was taking medicine.

Once she finished, she once more closed the door as quiet as a mouse and turned back to face the oh so dark and mysterious watchman on the other side.

He looked at her expectantly.

"She's doing much better," she said. "Fever broke this morning and even her airway seems to have cleared a good deal. Has a little snore going on, but nothing bad."

The boy, Honrye, visibly relaxed with relief. She seriously doubted Honrye was his real name so she kept thinking of him as 'the boy' or 'kid' in her head unless she was feeling particularly amused with his antics. Honestly, what kind of name was Hon-rye? It sounded like a combination of honey and rye, or like two sounds smashed together by a kid writing a fantasy novel. Where did her boss pick up weirdos like this? She'd asked Omen for his real name, but the Sikh had just given her a weird look, as though it should be obvious. So they were both weird, whatever.

"Does the demon want a midnight snack?" she asked.

He blinked once. "Sure?"

So, even though she was tired (Mimi's sickness was wearing on them all), she took the long trip to the kitchen and brought back a little platter of cold sausage, cheese squares, and crackers, along with a bottle of milk. The funny kid seemed to like milk.

He thanked her in that awkward way unique to him, as though he weren't used to having people around to thank, and got to work making little sandwiches out of the crackers, meat, and cheese.

Serena turned to leave.

"Um, Serena?"

She half-turned back, giving him her attention. Her heart may or may not have jumped a little at being addressed by her name for the first time by him.