Devil Ears Part 1

    It's funny how it takes someone else to point out what's wrong with us, and that same one to point out the right direction. When all seems to fail, there always seems to be someone there to be our guide. It can be hard to realize the truth behind the matter or see what others cannot.  However, with guidance, one's life may be turned completely around.
    A young girl sprinted down the streets; she had the feelings that she just had to get away had to escape.  She would rather freeze in the dropping temperatures than return to what she had fought so hard to leave.
  Looking over at the bridge she walked across the pathway, gazing at the water below.  The weather had been harsh recently, so the waters were rough.  As she reached the top of the bridge, she leaned over the edge so far her toes almost weren't touching the ground.  She held her breath and kept her eyes sealed tight.
    Feeling a slight breeze, she opened her eyes and gasped to see the rushing waters and how fast they were moving below her.  Heart pounding in her chest, she leaned back and looked at the sky.  It was amazing how clear the sky was at that moment.  After all the storms and rain, she never thought the stars and moon could shine like they were.  For a moment, everything felt so clear and she forgot what she had been running from.
    It was then that something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.  She looked over to see a boy sitting on the edge of the railing, looking out.  He stood up and looked to the stars, just as the girl had been doing moments before.
    After a brief hesitation, a moment of realization came rushing to her.  "NO!!!" the girl shouted, running over to him grabbing his arm.  Just as she pulled him down onto the ground, she yelled, "Don't jump!"
    The boy pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, hovering over and looking at the girl.  Getting a good look at him she noticed his long black silk hair was pulled back and falling over his shoulder, his silver eyes glistened like the stars, he wore a men's kimono, and he... wait… was that black ears she just saw on top of his head?  She couldn't believe her eyes for a moment, but he had for real furry animal ears.  They twitched when he stood and he offered his hand with an unpleased look across his face.
    The girl didn't want to reach out, so he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet instead clearly irritated.  He made sure to pull her close to him with the hand he had grabbed her arm with as he grabbed her chin with the other, forcing her to look him in the eyes.  His eyes, which had seemed hypnotizing a moment ago were now piercing, as if they could steal a soul.  With a fearful chill running down her spine, she shut her eyes as tight as she could.
    "Even someone like you has reason to fear me..." he smirked with clear amusement in his voice.  "..someone who has nothing to lose in this miserable world."
    Thoughts quickly ran through the girl's head.  Was it possible that his eyes could see right through her?  Even if they couldn't, it sure felt that way.
    "Hey, I saved you from jumping." she muttered up the courage to whisper out.
    He pushed her away and glared, "Weren't you about to do just that?"
    She just turned her glance away from him and down to the ground.  Why had she said that?  She knew better than to speak up.
    "I don't have time to waste with you." he grunted as he turned away and began walking.
    "Wait!" she yelled.
    But he didn't stop and seemed to have no intention to. She had to catch his attention one way or another.  His long hair swayed and his ears once again twitched.  She had to figure out what was up with this guy.
    "You're just gonna leave like that!?!"
    Still, he ignored her and continued walking.
    The girl stood there for a minute, just watching him leave.  It couldn't be just the ears that caught her attention, but who was he?  What was he?  She felt so many questions run through her head that it just left her in a slight daze.
    By the time she had snapped out of it, he was a pretty good distance away.
    "Hey!" she called out, running after him.  She had to know.  "What's with the ears!?!"
    With that, he threw his hand up behind him and black flames engulfed her.  She shut her eyes, but soon opened them after noticing that they didn't burn her.
    "Ears?" the guy smirked wickedly, turning around. "How interesting."
    He walked towards the girl with a clear menacing look on his face.
    "This changes things."
    He quickly and swiftly grabbed her and held her close with one arm as he spun his other hand around, creating more black flames, and using them to fly off into the sky.
    The girl held on as tight as she could. Though she was afraid to look down, she found herself doing so.  They were so high up, it was impossible to tell what area they were over anymore.
    "You're crazy!" she yelled, looking up at him and clinging on for dear life.  "Let me go!"
    "Oh?" he grinned.  "if that's what you wish."
    He then let her go and she fell towards the earth screaming.
    Looking up beside her, she saw him falling too, but he looked more like he was just lounging in a chair as his long hair whipped up like a streamer.
    "What are you doing!?!" she screamed, reaching for him, but failing.
    "You said to let you go." He smirked.
    "Don't let me fall!!!"
    "Humans are so demanding." he scowled, waving his hand to summon more black flames to catch her just before she hit the ground.
    After landing gracefully on the ground himself, he snapped his fingers and she hit the ground with a thud.
    Looking around, it looked like she was at some old abandoned shrine.  It looked a bit run down, but it was still captivating.  The boy then stepped in front of her and pulled her up by her arm.
    "Welcome to the cursed shrine." he smirked.
    "Cursed!?"
    "I'm the one who curses it." he slowly whispered in her ear.
    "Why'd you bring me here?"
    "I was merely intrigued by the fact that you saw my ears.  Even when I take human form, my ears and tail are still spiritual. You really should have kept your mouth shut, girl.  You never want to catch a Devil's attention. Hehe as luck would have it you caught mine… you belong to me now." He said every bit of it with a straight face amusement playing his eyes.  The girl could tell... he was serious and that her world was about to change.