Halluci-Dating A Demon (Monster Match season two)

One

Arien

“I’m not sure this is going to work out the way you intend it to.” Dr. Peterson flicks his gaze at me, leaning against the desk.

“I think we should at least give it a try. Think of how many people we could help. How many would no longer be scared of falling asleep at night.”

“Having some demon visiting you while you’re waking up or falling asleep will never be pleasant,” he says, sounding agitated. I’m not getting my point across. I have to try harder. I don’t want to keep going on this way. My kind survives off human emotion. We’ve spent all these years assuming it was only fear and anxiety that kept us thriving, but I’d proven those theories wrong more than once.

The last human I visited, his heart rate regulated as I sang him a lullaby connecting him to good memories from his childhood. The smile on his face was so big and bright, making my presence feel more welcome. I wasn’t this scary monster he feared and wanted to get away from. His fear was quickly replaced with comfort and the feeling of being safe.

Energy burst inside me, and I left his room feeling more satisfied inside than I did when people were tormented by terror.

I didn’t want to be known as this unwanted visitor people dreaded every time they went to sleep. Who wants to be seen as a nightmare you open your eyes to before fully waking up?

“Maybe not every time, but it doesn’t always have to be scary either. People with sleep disorders struggle enough as it is. Think how much these small disturbances are taking more sleep from them. Sleep they can’t afford to spare.”

He sighs, straightening his glasses. “I guess trying it can’t hurt anything. I do have a patient in the human world with a severe case of sleep paralysis. He doesn’t sleep well at night, not even with the help of sedatives. That used to be when he experienced them the most, but now he gets them no matter what he does. I think it’s due to his inability to get more than two hours’ rest at a time, and he’s had a major increase in anxiety lately.”

“He sounds perfect,” I say, sounding a little more enthusiastic than I meant to. “I’d like to work with him, but I’ll need his exact sleep schedule if he has one. The times of day he sleeps the most. I want to be able to get to him before anyone else does.”

“I think I can help provide you with that info. Should we inform the patient?”

I shake my head. “No. I think it’ll work better if he doesn’t see it coming. I’d also like a list of all his favorite things— movies, songs, memories.”

“I’ll look over his file and see what information I can gather for you. If it does help this guy, then we’ll know it’s worth investing more time and money in.”

“So does this mean you’re hiring me onto your research program?” I blink slowly, hope rising in my chest. This could be my chance to see more of the human world and meet more people. I’ve been so lonely lately and haven’t had much luck finding someone to fill the void in my own world. The few guys I dated on-base hated when I accidentally invaded their dreams while we shared the same bed.

It isn’t something I can control, and it’s not like I’m Freddy Krueger or anything. He’s someone I only just heard of recently when I joined some work friends for a movie night, and oh, there were a lot of jokes steered in my direction during and after the movie. The joy of hanging out with humans. I mean, not that monsters are always perfect, but at least a human never tried to eat me for dinner or chase me for miles through the woods. Although I’m not sure I’d mind if they did the second thing.

He stands up taller, hesitantly shoving his hands into his pockets. “Yes. You’ll be working for me under a six-month contract and we’ll go from there.”

Biting back a smile and with my heart pounding, I shake his hand. “Great. Just let me know when you’d like me to start.”

“You’ll be working at the clinic in the human world more than the one on-base. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.” I do my best to hide my excitement. “Will I be staying there as well?”

His forehead creases. “I’m afraid you’ll have to travel back and forth every day since I’m only able to get approval for a work visa for you. At least for the time being.”

“I can do that.” Not fully what I was hoping for, but at least it’s a step in the right direction, and I am a “look on the bright side” type of guy. Some would even say a little too positive for my own good, especially after spending all my life in a world where I constantly have to fight for survival. Living in base housing has given me a taste of another life, and I want more. More freedom to go where I please and to take long strolls during the daylight without constantly looking over my shoulder.

Yes, there is still lots of prejudice against monsters in the human world, but aside from a few stares and comments, humans are mostly harmless. I can’t say the same for what lives outside these gates. Life here isn’t always awful or scary, though. There’s lots of beauty to be found in this world, along with kind creatures who are capable of amazing things.

“Good. I’ll let the other clinic know to expect you as early as next week then.”

“I can’t wait. Do I still have to come back to report here?”

He leans back, crossing his arms. “No. Reporting there will be enough. Remember, I’m giving you six months. This is your first time working with a patient so I hope you don’t let me down.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Opening his mouth, he closes it only to open it again. “If that’s all, you’re welcome to go home early for the day.”

“But I haven’t finished filling in my notes on the breathing pattern of the last human I visited.”

“That’s okay. We have enough to go on for now. You might’ve really stumbled onto something good, and I’d rather not waste any more time putting it to the test.”

“Thanks so much for the opportunity, and I’ll see you sometime next week . . . maybe.” This is it. I may get to live in the human world soon. If they see how well I work there, they might approve my application faster. Getting a visa is getting harder and harder with all these silly regulations and rules. I have to prove myself time and time again. Demons like me are seen as unpredictable since we have the ability to enter people’s sleep and affect their dreams. I’d never purposely bring harm or pain to anyone, though, and this could be my way of showing them that.

“Yeah. I’ll be there to touch base with you after your first couple of visits.”

I go still, eyes widening. “First couple?”

“Yes. You’ll be working closely with Mr. Salazar every day for a month. Unless you’re unable to—”

“No,” I blurt. “I can do it. It’ll give me more time to understand him, and this could be more beneficial in the long run.”

“Excellent. I have to get to a meeting now, but I can’t wait to read over your first report.” He pats me on the shoulder, ambulating around me toward the open doorway. When I’m finally left standing here alone, my body relaxes and I let out a happy laugh.

It worked. It actually worked. I’ll be on the other side of the wall soon, and I might actually be able to help someone who really needs it. I will have to find ways to blend in better with their kind, somehow, if I’m going to be spending more time in their world. My interests never seemed to mesh up with anyone else. I do like watching movies, I suppose, but I’d rather be outside gathering flowers and reading in the grass. The friendly kind that tickles you when you least expect it while also forming a nice little pillow underneath your body. What’s the grass like over there? Are there giant bugs living underneath it too? Do they have sinking dirt?

I’ve tried to ask other people these questions, but they seem to get impatient with my constant rambling and how I quickly jump from one topic to another. I’ll get to find out on my own soon enough, though. I exit the clinic, walking into the bright sky light and jumping down the steps. It’s happening. It’s really happening. So many more possibilities are about to open up for me and I can’t wait to welcome them all.

I’ve been living in base housing for almost a year now. I didn’t need to attend classes as long as some other monsters, mostly because I’ve been studying humans all my life. Their language, thought process, basic morals and emotions. I learned about the way they dress and eat. Food isn’t a requirement for my kind, but I’ve really enjoyed some human snacks and these weird squares of meat they keep in their fridges. I was happy when the base opened a store with a mixture of food from both worlds to appease all the species that stayed and lived here.

Up until now I’ve only been able to enter the human world through people’s sleep and haven’t ever been able to walk outside. When I close my eyes to channel the other world, I have people’s thoughts swimming through my brain the way people swipe through movies and videos on devices, and I can’t leave their rooms if they have their doors closed. The rules are very weird, and I’ve never fully understood them. I wonder how different it’ll be visiting them while I’m in their world instead of mine. I’ll at least be able to leave their houses this time. I’ll walk down the street and see what sunlight feels like . . . see if clouds really do form funny shapes in the sky.

When I get home and read over the file, I feel a deep ache in my chest. This man has suffered so much. What if the small burden I might be able to remove from his life won’t be enough?

When I dig a little deeper, channeling his past visits from other demons, I grow angry. So many demons will use anything to get the most fear and anger out of someone. They don’t care what pain or harm they cause, they only care about what they earn from it in the end. I’ve never had that kind of thinking. Putting others first is in my nature, but no one’s ever understood why I care so much. Maybe because so many of them don’t.

These demons who visited him before were rubbing his past mistakes in his face, forcing him to suffer a loss time and time again. A month might not be long enough for me to erase the damage they caused. I’m going to try my best anyway. Not only because I wanted my idea to work, but also because I have this strange feeling in my chest that we were meant to find each other.