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Chapter 1 - Part 1

I think today is going to be a good day.

At the time, I really did believe this statement. So far, it had been an okay day, nothing bad or out of the ordinary. Jack was going to take me somewhere special tonight just because he felt like it. I’d say that is grounds to assume it would be a good day.

Just as I locked my diary shut, I heard the doorbell ring. Ah, yes, that wonderful doorbell. It had one of those rings that sounded somewhat old, but carried with it some dignity that came only from being around for many years. The entire house was ancient, but I never remembered until the doorbell rang. The newly installed computer made it hard to believe this house had been around longer than my mom had.

Voices could be heard downstairs. Obviously, my older brother Devon was chatting with Jack, trying to get the scoop on what we would be doing tonight. Eric would be joining in soon, bounding into the room with that cat.

It’s not that I hate cats. I don’t have anything against them or anything. However, Jack doesn’t like them one bit, plus he’s allergic. It figures that my younger brother Eric would want one more than anything else in the world.

Anyway, Jack was downstairs and I was upstairs. There seemed to be a problem there. Quickly checking my make-up, I gracefully walked down the spiral steps. If I hadn’t been wearing a black dress, I would have said I looked very angelic. Jack would have agreed, but he has a way of being very quiet every time he sees me, as if I’m the most beautiful thing he has ever seen and can’t seem to get used to it.

I guess any guy might look at me and think that, because I am a very beautiful girl. My hair is long, curly, and orange. Anyone who doesn’t find that beautiful either has eye problems or doesn’t like girls. Or maybe they just are intimidated because of how tall I am. Either way, Jack loves my eyes the most; both of them a brownish-gold.

“Yfel…” Jack started, having trouble pulling the words together to form sentences. “You look… beautiful!”

I smiled. “And you, Jack, look very handsome.” Jack is good-looking too, but I understand what Devon means when he says Jack is lucky to have gotten me as a girlfriend. I look like a model, and he… well, he looks like a hot guy, nothing spectacular. Actually, not even I know exactly how it happened. One day I just saw him and was madly in love.

As I had expected, Eric walked into the entrance room holding Whiskers, the kitten mom bought him about a month ago. Jack sniffled a little.

“I think we should go.” I suggested, flashing a dirty look at Eric. “We wouldn’t want you having an allergy attack.”

Jack nodded slowly, still staring at me. As we walked out the door, I noticed him glance nervously at Whiskers, who was just staring back without blinking. For a split second, the cat seemed to change, just a little. It looked devilish, almost evil. Then it was back to a cute cuddly kitten, the same as before.



Jack wasn’t himself when we got to the restaurant. He seemed jittery, as if he was expecting a savage killer to jump out from the kitchen with a machete. But as dinner went on, and nothing tried to kill anyone, I was sure he would ease up. He didn’t, though. I was starting to worry that perhaps there really was somebody there and I just was too oblivious to notice.

The food came and I tried to ignore Jack’s weird behavior. Families came in, families when out. I saw no killer, no sign of any disturbance.

“Are you okay, Jack?” I said in between slurps of soup. “You don’t seem to be feeling well. Should we leave?”

Jack didn’t answer. He was staring at a man who had just walked in, dressed all in black and wearing an odd cloak-like thing. His skin was pale, and his eyes were an odd shade of purple. He seemed to be staring straight back at Jack.

I felt like I had seen him somewhere, as if I had known him long, long ago. Jack obviously knew this person too, because he seemed to be even more freaked out as the man drew closer and closer.

“Sawol. I wasn’t expecting you.” Jack stammered. The name Sawol sounded like the name of somebody I had known, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

The man, whom Jack had called Sawol, cackled in an undertone. “Don’t start with that, Jack. You knew this day was coming. I even sent out my scout to remind you.”

“Yes… The cat…” Jack whispered.

“Did you think I would forget about our little agreement? No, a deal is a deal. You have Yfel, and I have your soul.”

Jack stood up out of his seat and stammered, “So… so this is it… isn’t it?”

Sawol nodded, a grim smile spreading over his face. He raised his hand to Jack’s chest, his arm white as snow. All around us was silent, or maybe I just couldn’t hear the people staring at Sawol and Jack in shocked awe.

The moment drew closer and closer, and I could not stand it. “Please, stop! Sawol, leave Jack alone!” Sawol’s eyes widened, his head turned quickly in my direction. I had jumped from my seat, nearly knocking it to the ground.

“Yfel… I had forgotten you were here too.” Sawol stared at me with a look I could not recognize. It was almost admiration, but it had a hint of hatred and sadness. His white hand lowered, and Jack stepped backwards, staring at me in confusion.

His gaze seemed to look into me… it weakened me.

“I apologize, Yfel, but I have a debt I need repaid. Your boyfriend here-” He gestured to Jack- “owes me his soul, and I plan to take it. I understand this is hard for-”

“No! Keep your hands off him! If you need a soul so badly, take mine!”

My words hurt Sawol, I wasn’t completely sure why. His face fell, and he looked at me as if I had stabbed him. “You would give yourself up in place of Jack? You love him that much?”

I nodded slowly. “Jack is my world. I won’t let you steal his soul; I don’t care what he did to you.” Sawol seemed to be holding back tears. He raised his hand, and I closed my eyes and braced myself for whatever was about to happen.



I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. Sawol put his hand to my chest. Despite what I had expected, his touch was warm. There was a slight choking sound, as if somebody were trying their hardest to hold back tears.

“Jack…” I whispered. “Jack… it’s alright.”

There was no answer. I opened my left eye slightly, and was shocked to see that Jack wasn’t holding back tears, but rather staring curiously (fearfully, too) at us. What shocked me even more, however, was seeing that it was Sawol choking himself up.

I closed my eyes once again, and pretended I hadn’t seen anything. While it was rather unexpected to see Sawol acting like this, I didn’t care. I was saving Jack’s life, and all I could think was why isn’t Jack freaking out?

Suddenly I was aware of a weight in my chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, it felt like it was being lifted from me. Warmth seemed to slowly leave my body, as if I were being submerged in ice. My saddened state was lifted, and a horrible feeling of nothing came into me. Every second was agony.

My eyes shot open, just to see if I were still alive. Sawol slowly moved his hand from my chest, and in it seemed to be a ball of light. My soul.

“Yfel?” Jack called over. I glanced over to him. Why did I not feel any love for Jack? Why didn’t I feel anything?

Sawol closed his eyes for a moment. “Alright, Jack, you’re off the hook. But just so you know Yfel isn’t yours anymore…”

His eyes opened and looked over toward me. A sudden pain shot through my body, making me gasp. One second I was standing, and the next I seemed to have doubled over. I raised my hand to my head, and screamed.

My hands… they weren’t hands. I had paws. Cat paws. I stood up shakily, and saw my feet. Also paws. Sawol nodded up, and I knew instantly what he meant. I had cat ears too. I didn’t even have to look to know I also had a tail.

“Yfel, the Demon Cat,” Sawol said slowly. “There’s one last thing.”

He pulled out a black necklace and handed it to me. As it fell in my hand, a light began to emit from it; a red light.

“So long as your soul belongs to me, this will glow. A reminder that you are a demon now.” Sawol said. I could tell it pained him to say it.

An anger swept over me. “What now? Are you going to slit my throat? Quit torturing me and just kill me now!”

Sawol shook his head. “You won’t be dying for a long time.” He turned and began to walk away. “A very, very long time...”



Sawol had cursed me. I wasn’t human… I wasn’t even alive… and yet I wasn’t dead. I was sitting on the fine line between the two, with paws and a tail to boot.

I would have cried, but for some reason I couldn’t. I didn’t really even feel sad, as if my feelings had been taken away from me.

A crashing sound reminded me that Jack was still here, and I turned my head slightly to look at him. He jumped he moment I looked at him, although I hadn’t done anything. He was scared of me.

“Jack? What… Where are you going?” I asked him quietly.

He gulped, and then mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

Jack was leaving. Why was he leaving? Why was he so scared of me? Or was he scared of Sawol coming back? I didn’t want him to leave… He couldn’t! I wanted Jack, I wanted him to stay by me and help me through everything. Why was my world falling apart?

“Jack! Please don’t leave!” I yelled. He didn’t listen. “Jack, I need you!”

Jack ignored me still. I flew to my feet and ran to him, grabbing his arm. I fell to my knees, begging. “Don’t go… Please, Don’t go…”

Jack pushed me aside with more force than I had anticipated. He looked at me with sadness. “You are Sawol’s now. I can’t change that. Just… remember me, okay? I can’t be with you anymore. You were never really mine anyway.”

“Yes, I was! I loved you so much, don’t you see? I will die without you!”

He shook his head. “You never really loved me. I was selfish… and I have to pay for it now. You have Sawol. He loved you long before I did, and you loved him. Even though you can’t remember it, it was true.”

“ No, it’s not true! I don’t even know him!”

“You once did. I stole you from him, and now he‘s returning the favor.”

Anger welled up inside me again. Sawol had no right to decide who I loved. I wanted to be with Jack, and nothing Sawol would say or do could change that. I didn’t care that Jack said I was once in love with him, that Jack had stolen me away. I hated Sawol for threatening Jack and for ruining my life.

Jack leaned down to my ear and whispered, “Goodbye, Yfel. I will never forget you.” The next second, he was gone.