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Crystal can see him too. And for once, she isn't scared. She likes him.

Last night I woke up to music and giggling. I looked around and saw she wasn't there. I followed the music to a room on the other side of the hall. It was the room that has this huge Victrola that I can't get to work.

It was playing an old record that's cracked on one side. It's song that goes "I'll be pretty and I'll be rare because I'll wear a smile and a ribbon in my hair." It's not even a 78. It shouldn't play correctly on an old Victrola.

Well, I went in and there she was, dancing around the room with the demon as a dance partner. It was actually pretty cute. He's a spaz dancer. When I walked in the Victrola stopped working and they both stopped and looked at me.

I didn't attack him. I didn't yell at him or run. I just sat down and they did the same. Crystal sat in my lap and played with my hair as the demon stared me down.

"Please don't take her," I said, "She has a family that loves her, even if she doesn't have a real home."

He didn't say anything. I didn't expect him to. But I knew he wouldn't take her. He couldn't. I don't know why but I just got a strong feeling that no matter what the situation was, he could never take her.

We sat for hours, or so it felt. I looked down at Crystal and when I looked up he was gone and I took her back to her mother. Told her that Crystal went exploring and fell asleep in another room and I found her curled up in a corner. At the moment, she doesn't need to know about the demon. And if Crystal tells, we'll all just assume it to be an imaginary friend.