Great Oak Gazette

Zahreen Danesh’29

Staff Writer

I looked up at the clock, its hands frozen at 9:06 p.m. It had already been four hours. I sighed as I looked back at the colorful ponies on the screen. Our group, The Cryptids, explores urban legends in Portland and beyond. We’d read about a demon said to possess TVs that played children shows, hijacking them to show…more explicit things. All we had to do was pull the demon out, and Koa—who had done things like this before—had come up with an exquisite method involving a toilet plunger. I’ve learned to stop questioning his ideas. To be honest,  I didn’t even watch the show. I was busy reading. It wasn’t our choice to tune into My Little Pony; Oakley, our tech expert, had calculated that the demon would appear at Rosie’s house— 

 a friend of ours. Apparently, her little sister’s TV time happened to fall right when we needed to do this—and she had to watch this. She was focused on the screen, smiling,—a sharp contrast to the boys. Almost all of them were asleep or doing their own thing. Koa, the leader, sat on the floor and was the only one still watching the show, waiting for the demon to appear. He’d been doing this cryptid-hunting longer than the group, so it made sense that he was the more focused one. Ash, our photographer, who was sitting on the other side of the couch away from me, was on his phone, probably on the stock market. I didn’t get it. He was so wealthy that he could build a college just for himself; however, I suppose he’s making money for himself and not relying on his parents. Rowan, our writer for scripts, was dead asleep; there was no waking him. He was stretched out over the whole couch, using my lap as a pillow and Ash’s as an ottoman. Oakley, our hacker, was also asleep on the floor and hugging my leg like it was a stuffed animal. I didn’t mind being used as a headrest, but my legs were getting pretty cramped and felt like they were falling asleep. “Koa, do you think this demon will ever show up?” I finally asked, watching him turn to see me. I was surprised he wasn’t driven insane yet by staring at a screen for a long time. 

He shrugged before signing, “It has to show up soon, otherwise I’ll have to repay all you guys.” He was mute; he physically couldn’t talk, so he had to use sign language. His baby blue eyes looked strained and red from staring for so long. 

Ash and I exchanged looks. “Dude, you need some rest, maybe take a nap?” He offered, which he strongly agreed to, sitting next to Ash, to use his shoulder to rest on. Now that there are only the two of us awake, we have to fend for ourselves. “So, who’s watching the-” “You,” I immediately said without further interruption. 

I felt him give me a look, “What?! You can’t just do that to me! I’m making good deals here,” he commented, invested in his stocks. 

“You’re a millionaire, you can already buy everything you want. Watch the pony show.” I licked my finger to flip the page as I heard him mock me and put away his phone to watch. I was reading Princess Academy. Koa said to bring things close to our childhood, the more drawn the demon is to the room. This isn’t my book; I wasn’t into princesses when I was younger. This was owned by my little sister; we used to read together. 

I felt someone lightly take my shoulders from behind. I pulled away from the touch and turned quickly just to see Rosie, “Oh, sorry, Cypress.” She twisted her hazel hair; it was out of her usual bun. The style looked good on her, “I forgot you don’t like being touched.” 

I felt my expressions soften. It was hard for me to be mad at her. “It’s fine, you forgot anyway,” I shrugged it off, turning back to my book. 

She looked around, “What happened to the boys?” 

Ash sighed, “They got tired of watching,” he moved Koa so he wouldn’t fall off his shoulder, “Cypress is too busy reading his girly books to watch a girly series.” He huffed, seeming upset to be off his stocks. 

“Please, Ash, you can continue later, at least I’m doing something child-like.” I knew he was giving me a look, but I didn’t take my eyes off the pages. He scoffed and went back to watching. 

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be upstairs?” He asked her, looking upstairs to see if her door was still open. It’s good to keep rooms shut so the demon wouldn’t have hiding spots. “My parents wanted me to check on the brownies,” they were at work and expected Rosie to watch Abby before we sent her away to keep her protected as we watched Abby. Judging by 

all the boys asleep, we’re doing a really great job. “Also, I have to watch over her,” she pointed to her sister. 

“It’s ok, Rosie,” I reassured her, “We promise nothing bad will happen to her, she just might finally get tired of the magic of friendship,” I grumbled, looking back to the pastel show. Rosie loomed over me, “Abby, can’t you turn something else on? Meet them halfway?” “No!” She announced, “I wanted to watch this, so I shall; it’s not my fault that a demon is going to hack our TV.” She turned away from the TV to look at her sister, “Where’s the demon anyway? It’s been so long.” She whined. I agreed with her, staring at a screen for so long is energy draining, look at poor Koa. I was going to answer, but she huffed and turned back. I looked up to see Rosie giving a stern look; she must teach her how to bite her tongue. I felt her lean down to get a better look at the book, feeling her breath hit my neck. She giggled, “I didn’t know you liked princesses.” 

I huffed and turned away, trying to control my embarrassment from showing, “It was my little sister’s. She loved this book, and we would read together before she…” I held my breath before I said more. Thinking about her was like a hushed memory, something I want to remember but not speak about. 

She halted her laughter and went to the side of the couch to look at me, her sea green eyes staring into mine. She frowned, “Did something happen to her?” 

I looked away from her, trying to avert my thoughts. I remembered that day well. She was poisoned and died at 11. I was 14 when that happened. They say her food was poisoned, but they didn’t know what the poison was. My parents became tough and strict after she left us. I still need to figure out who did it and what the poison was…“Cypress?” I felt her take my face and 

make me look at her. My focus shifted to her as I realized how close she was. My eyes widened when I felt her caress my cheek. She had a soft smile with pretty eyes. 

I choked on air as I took her hand off my face, breaking the moment between us, “I-I rather not tell you, I-I…” I looked around, trying to find something, anything. When I didn’t, I pretended to find the couch pillows more interesting. I hated how I stuttered, I hated how her comfort gives me these…complicated feelings. “It’s personal…” I finally spat out, annoyed at my pausing. 

She frowned, looking unsatisfied with my answer, but returned her smile, “Alright, I’m just glad you keep her close.” She eyed the book, “Do you like it?” 

“No, not that much,” she scoffed at my response, “Not the things I’m into at the moment, it looks like something you would read.” I handed her the book as she scanned through the pages. 

She hummed, “Maybe because I have read this,” she giggled at my shocked expression, “I was into princesses when I was younger.” She gave it back, her fingers brushed off mine, giving me chills. “Your sister had good taste.” 

I beamed at her comment. Anything about my sister made me happy, “Thank you…” I placed my hand on hers, feeling her soft skin, “she would’ve said the same about you.” I watched her eye my hand as her cheeks gained color, her eyes sparkling as she pressed her lips together. I realized my action and yanked my hand away. I didn’t know why I was acting up like this. I needed to focus on the job…My mind couldn’t be this distracted. “U-uh, Ash, have you-” My words halted when I saw him asleep, leaning on Koa. Now Rosie and I were the only two awake. As much as I wouldn’t mind spending more time with her, we had a job to do, “Ok, 

boys!” I announced, putting down my book, “Wake up!” I clapped my hands in front of Rowan’s face, waking him up with a startle. 

He rubbed his eyes, “Did we catch the…” he yawned, “Demon?” 

“No, it hasn’t even shown up yet,” I growled. 

“Oh, ok, I’m going back to sleep,” he stretched and turned the other way to get some shut-eye. 

I lost it as my legs were swelling in pain from him lying on them for so long, “Get…off of me!” I scowled as I pushed him off, and he fell to the ground with a grunt. It was also followed by a grunt from Oakley, which I assumed Rowan landed on him. “Sorry, Oakley,” I quickly said. 

He rubbed the back of his head and gave me a faint smile, “No worries, I think it’s about time to wake up.” 

“Hey, don’t I get one? You pushed me off the couch!” Rowan complained. I rolled my eyes, “No, you need to help me, and you both have been giving me leg cramps,” I complained, rubbing my sore thighs. 

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that,” Rowan apologized as he got up and sat next to me. Oakley stayed on the ground. I noticed Rosie was gone and looked around, but she was just in the kitchen. When I turned back, a sweet aroma caught my senses as I turned back to the kitchen. 

Oakley gasped, “Are those brownies?” He jumped up and sped walked to the kitchen before almost immediately returning, “She kicked me out.” He pouted, getting a laugh out of me and Rowan. The smell was great; however, the rich chocolate scent made me crave those sweets. As he returned, I couldn’t help but think about the childhood memory I brought with me. 

I wonder if the others have brought anything. “So, you know how Koa said to bring items connected to our childhood to attract the demon more?” Both of them nodded and waited for me to continue, “I was wondering if you guys brought anything like I did, for example:” I held up my book, “This was my little sister’s favorite book, we would read together, and she would run to this one.” I sighed at my memories with her, feeling an empty void in me for only having faint memories of her, “I keep this book close to me as a memory of her.” I looked up to them, both with sad expressions. They already knew about her death, so there should be no shock. 

Oakley softly smiled, “That’s nice, I honestly just thought you got into princesses.” I slapped my forehead as Rowan let out a laugh. 

“Of course not, you dumba…” I choked on my words as I bit my tongue. I almost forgot there was a child present. I quickly changed the subject. “Anything from you two?” Rowan’s laughing halted as he became quiet, which was a first. There was a silence between all of us, like they were wary of answering my question. I looked between the two, seeing if there were any signs of discomfort. Rowan broke the silence when he sighed and pulled something off his neck, “It’s a wolf tooth, I used to collect bones from the hiking tail we lived close to in the past,” he smile faltered, “It…was the only thing I was able to retrieve before our house caught fire…it’s a special part of me that I don’t want to lose.” He just stared at it, closing his hand on it and holding it to his heart. Oakley put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it, trying to give him comfort. 

He scoffed, “Sorry, I…I didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” he muttered quietly. “Don’t worry, you told us about your house, so it’s nothing surprising. I didn’t know that the tooth was the only thing you were able to find.” I looked back at the tooth and there were no burn marks or anything. “It is beautiful.” 

“Isn’t it?” He beamed, “After all these years, it’s not even dirty yet.” He put his necklace back on. He then took notice of Oakley’s comfort, “Thank you.” he nodded and took his hand off. 

I turned my attention to him, “Do you have anything?” I watched him shift uncomfortably, not liking the attention. 

He then took off his jacket and pulled out something small, which was a 

worn-out-looking piece of cloth; it was dark gray. “It was a part of a blanket I had during childhood, it was…ripped up, and my sister was able to get one piece of it,” he quickly put it back as he shrugged, “That’s all.” 

He never liked talking about his past, and we never bothered him with it anyway. I smiled at his item as he smiled weakly back, trying to find some comfort. The mood was broken with a sudden scream. I spun around to see Abby running to me, crying. “Demon! Demon!” Rowan yelled, grabbing the plunger. Ash and Koa shot up like they were in the army. I looked at the screen to see the horror showing; it was of the pink pony killing her friends in bloody, gruesome ways I didn’t want to think about. 

Koa nodded at Ash. He nodded back and started shouting instructions, “Oakley, see if there’s anything to weaken it. Cypress, watch Abby.” I nodded as she climbed onto my lap and hugged me tightly. I suddenly became protective of her, hugging her back and not wanting the demon to get close to her. Oakley was quick to type on the keyboard on his computer, trying to find anything. The three boys put the plunger to the TV screen and started suctioning the demon out. The TV was glitching and static, and screams could be heard from it. 

“We got it!” Ash screamed as all of them fell back after pulling it out. I wish they didn’t, it was a horrid creature. It looked exactly like the pink pony from the show, except her fluffy hair 

was straightened, she had bulging eyes, and a wicked smile. I stiffened at the sight. I couldn’t move, and half of it was also because of my leg cramps. 

“P-Pinkie pie??” Abby said weakly, she was shaking harshly, tears streaming down her face. The pony seemed to notice our cries cause she started charging at us. Abby screamed as I grabbed her and jumped over the couch, watching the pony slam into the wall. 

The demon cried and locked eyes with me; however, a TV remote hit its head, “Hey, demon, over here!” Its attention shifted to Ash as it jumped over the couch. I heard the boys yelling at each other as they directed the demon to follow their movements. I dared not look; I knew the boys could handle it. 

My focus was on Abby; she was sobbing into my shirt, “Hey, it’s ok, nothing is going to hurt you.” I stroked her hair, the same color as Rosie’s, “I also need you to be strong, if it hears your cries, it might come after you again.” The demon seemed to be going after the girl, maybe because it was aiming for the children overall, and it was its chance to get one. I noticed a bright flash as the pony screamed. Ash must’ve taken a picture of it with his Polaroid. 

I heard her sniff a few more times before nodding, her cheeks still wet. I wiped them with my sleeve as she stopped crying. I watched the demon jump over again, its mouth now stained red. I felt the air leave my lungs when I saw Koa’s jacket in its jaws, torn to shreds. I knew he was alive, but the blood…It seemed to recognize us again, and I swiftly moved out of the way, holding onto Abby. “It’s a demon!” I yelled, getting tired of nobody doing anything, “They are weak to iron and silver, salt, and holy objects! Do you guys really have none of those!?” I let the demon pounce as I slid under and between its legs; my cramps were aching, but I ignored the pain. 

“Oh! That’s right!” Oakley didn’t wait for a response as he closed his laptop and pulled out a metal stake. Since when did he have one? “Ugh, now I need an opening.” I didn’t know how to make one; all I could do was run. Rowan took over, outrunning the demon; he was a faster runner than I anyway. The demon halted to a sudden stop, seeming to sniff the air. I did as well; it was that rich chocolate again. The demon noticed a brownie on the floor next to it. It pounced on the brownie and gobbled it down. Oakley crept around the couch and behind the demon, waiting a second before grabbing it and stabbing its neck with the stake. The demon shrieked and whined, trying to throw him off, but he didn’t break his grip. The demon made one last cry before falling limp to the ground. He removed the stake, both its end and his hand covered in the black blood of the corrupted pony. 

The boys gathered around the body as we watched it burst into flames and disappear, returning to its realm; the black blood also vanished along with it. All of us were breathing heavily, even Abby. The blood on its mouth did come from Koa; he has a gash on his arm, but it’s small compared to other injuries we’ve gotten. I looked at Oakley, shocked, “Do you always carry that with you?” 

He spun the stake proudly, “Pure iron, I take this on missions in case of a demon encounter.” I admired his weapon; it’ll be very useful in the future. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rosie standing in the doorframe of the kitchen, the tray of brownies next to her. She had thrown the brownie. “Rosie!” Abby ran to her sister, throwing her arms around her, “I never want to watch My Little Pony ever again!” She announced, tears streaming down. 

“I agree with that!” Rosie laughed, not showing any fear from the event. She was too good at hiding her emotions. 

“Ahem,” I turned to face the boys, “Well, guys, I call that a mission done, let’s go edit the video.” Koa signed, which we all agreed to. 

We gathered our stuff, and we were about to leave when Rosie caught us at the door. “I just wanted to say, thank you for capturing the demon, and glad I could see you guys.” “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s what we do, right, Koa?” He nodded at Ash’s statement as the other boys agreed. 

“Cypress?” I turned to look at her, but she motioned me to get close. I felt my face flush as the guys were oooing and teasing me. When I approached, she just stared at me for a second before pulling me into a hug, her arms wrapped around my neck. I didn’t mean to flinch, but I quickly accepted it. She smelled of chocolate, maybe from the brownies, but it filled my senses. I felt my heart beating in my chest. I hope she didn’t feel it. When I heard the boys snicker, I pulled away quickly. I didn’t mean to hold her for that long. 

She was shocked by my sudden movement, but she just smiled. “Thank you for protecting my little sister. That means a lot to me.” Her hands traveled down to mine, taking them. “Of course,” I felt myself smiling, “she reminded me of my sister a little…” My words traveled off, but she got the gist of it, nodding at my statement. 

“Oh, and one more thing,” she let go of my hands to grab something next to her. I only then realized I was holding her hands and awkwardly put them to my sides, not knowing what to do. “Here, a little gift for all of you,” it was a napkin covering something. 

I knew what they were from the smell, but didn’t say anything about it. “Thank you.” She nodded, “See you on Monday!” She exclaimed before shutting the door behind her as I made my way to the guys. 

“Oh, what’s happening on Monday~” Rowan playfully nudged me. 

“A study session for AP History, wanna join?” She and I would study often. I was happy to find someone as passionate about academics as I. 

“What, no!” he protested, jumping at the idea, “I don’t even know what I’m doing in regular history!” He started laughing as the others joined in. The laughter was common to us. I felt someone picking at the napkin in my hand, “I knew it, brownies.” It was, of course, Oakley, grabbing one and stuffing it in his mouth like it was the last sweet on earth. “Eat it slowly, how will you even enjoy it when it’s gone?” Ash questioned him as all the boys grabbed one. I was the last one to grab one and take a bite. I didn’t expect the rich chocolate flavor, but it was still a treat. I also enjoyed the chocolate chips inside it. 

Oakley was already long gone when Ash was done talking. Ash scoffed and hit his arm playfully; he just laughed in response. 

“Okay, so,” Koa started, “We have a picture of the demon thanks to Ash, now we just need to head to my house to finish the vid. Anything you guys wanna watch while over?” He questioned us, looking around for answers. 

Ash shrugged, “My Little Pony?” We burst into laughter as we rejected that tiring show, acting like it was something horrible. We continued talking as the moon lit our way, just a group of friends having fun and discovering new things. I smiled as I looked at the path ahead, another mission done, and now just waiting for the next.