• “Alexis, I’m so glad to see you,” Her mother said, opening her arms up as if to hug her.
    Alexis went to her mother. “Mom, I-“
    That’s when she felt Max’s hand on her shoulder as he pulled her away from her mother. She watched as he raised his gun to her mother’s forehead. The instant the two locked eyes on each other her mother’s eyes dilated until there was nothing but black. She opened her mouth as teeth sharpened to resemble a shark’s. Her expression was contorted by fury as she seemed to attack Max right before he pulled the trigger.
    Alexis watched her mother’s lifeless body fall to the ground for a second time. She was speechless, and could feel tears stinging at her eyes. ”Wh-wha- . . . ,“ She started to say but her voice trailed off.
    “She’s not your mother,” Max answered her unsaid question. “Not anymore, at least.” He turned to her and explained, “When a demon devours a human’s soul, the corpse becomes a demon as well. One of the reasons they were able to take over.”
    He turned and began walking out when she said, “Wait,” He stopped. “Could me and Ryan stay at your house? Since more demons will probably come here if she was able to find us.” She was choking back tears, so her voice sounded ragged.
    “Sure,” He said, his voice taking on a sympathetic tone.
    So, she took her little brother’s hand and walked with Max to his car where they drove back to the large mansion in which he lived. It seemed so out of place among the tattered remains of buildings and houses surrounding it. When they came inside, she told Ryan how to get to the bedroom she had woken up in and told him to rest. He didn’t seem to understand what was going on, so he nodded and stuck to following his sister’s orders like he always did.
    When he went upstairs to bed, Alexis plopped down onto a couch as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
    “You miss her don’t you,” She heard Max say as she felt him sit down beside her.
    She only nodded in answer.
    “I never really knew my parents. So, its kind of hard for me to imagine how you must be feeling.”
    “Well, who raised you?” She asked finally looking at him. He seemed to be staring off into space.
    “I did, since I was very young.”
    They were silent for a while before she heard him let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m going to leave tonight and I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Make sure you never leave. No matter what.”
    “Okay,” She said, wiping away her tears and doing her best to calm down. “By the way, Max,” She stopped him before he left the room. “How did you know so much about demons back there?”
    He didn’t turn to her when he answered. “In war,” He began, seeming to choose his words carefully, ”you have to know your enemy.” And then he left.
    Some part of her didn’t believe him. Some part of her knew he was hiding something from her.
    And she intended to find out.