I groaned and tried to ignore the sound of my annoying alarm clock, hoping that I can sleep in for a few more minutes, but like always it just keeps annoying me until I’m awake and aware of my surroundings. Opening one eye, I glare at my clock sitting across the room, momentarily cursing myself for thinking that was a good idea. I glared longer, feeling the dark power rising from deep within the ground- from the deep and darkest parts of Hell- into my body, and with a practiced invisible push, I released the energy and watched as my alarm clock burst into a dozen pieces, a scorch mark left where my clock used to be.
A satisfied growl reverberated inside me as a dark voice grumbled, “Why do you need that infernal machine? It does nothing more than rouse us from our needed slumber and annoys us to no end.”
I grumbled my reply, “I have to get up to go to work.” I rolled onto my back and opened both of my eyes to stare at my ceiling. I could see the fine ridges of plaster that had been sealed to support the apartment above, where the repairmen had patched my roof to seal up a water leak, faint scrapes from when the previous tenants had painted the ceiling- I could see all this because of the Demon who possesses me.
The rest of my morning was uneventful, save for hearing almost every tenant in the building- another side effect of the Demon. As I was taking a shower, I could hear the Richards’ (who live three floors up) fighting about Mr. Richard’s gambling problem. I was getting dressed to the sound of the Samson’s (who live on my floor, but on the other side of the building) going over a new savings account they just opened for their newborn son. James (four doors down) and Camille (second floor of the building) were having early-morning sex as I was eating a bowl of cereal. I left my apartment to the sound of Mrs. Walden (top floor, but currently in the hallway) looking for her cat.
Leaving my building was hard to do because the Demon was sensitive to light, which was why I had to close all my curtains and dim the lights in my apartment. My eyes had changed with the possession, they turned from chocolate brown to a dark yellow with black cat-like irises, which was why I had to wear sunglasses now. It doesn’t necessarily bother me too much since it actually helps when I’m stuck in front of a computer all day. I had told my coworkers that my vision was worsening and they didn’t question further.
My coworkers and I inhabit an old building with an intriguing background. The old owners were suspected to be Satan worshippers and left different markings on the walls behind the paint. I accidently uncovered one of these when I got a nasty cut on my hand and summoned a demon that wound up possessing me. He (I assume it was a male from the sound of its voice) first said, “I am the Demon whom you have summoned to do thy bidding. I shall grant your wishes, destroy your enemies and make you ruler over this land, but only if you submit your soul to me.”
I contemplated his words before coming to a conclusion. “I think I’m good. Wishes aren’t fulfilling if you haven’t done anything to accomplish them. I don’t really have any enemies nor would I want them destroyed and I don’t want to be a ruler over anything because that requires responsibility and a restrictive set of skills. So… no need to submit my soul.” I had replied, trying to find a napkin for my hand.
“Oh… Then what about treasure? Or for your desired mate to desire you in return?” He asked me again.
I replied instantly, “No treasure, I already make a good income that supports myself. Also, I don’t really have someone I desire to ‘mate’ with, so I’ll skip on that.”
He went silent for a few moments as I wrapped my hand in my t-shirt to stop the bleeding. Finally, he returned, except much more pleadingly, “Please don’t send me back! I don’t want to go to Hell!”
“Why? What’s so bad about Hell?” I asked as I pulled out my phone to text my partner, Samantha, to bring me a first aid kit.
“I just don’t want to go back. Listen, you can keep your soul, I’ll help you if needed and I won’t cause any trouble to anyone. Just let me stay here. Please…”
It was the pathetic way he begged that caught my attention. So I let him stay, and he’s kept his word by not being a bother to me or my coworkers and neighbors. It’s actually pleasant to have someone to talk with when I’m alone and in need of advice ( but because he’s a Demon he doesn’t know much about my world, so I have to make sure he understands that no, I can’t disintegrate my landlord because he raised my rent). Things have been going very smoothly… until one Friday evening.
Samantha decided to drag me along with a couple of my other female coworkers to a local bar to try and pick up guys. The bar was nice, the people were decent, and the food was delicious, but the minute the drinks hit the table, everything changed. I tried to be civil and polite, but the men were too assertive when they were drunk and the girls either didn’t notice or didn’t care about how uncomfortable I was with their advances. One man, Joseph I believe, had tried to pull me to a secluded corner, drunkenly telling me to stop being so stubborn and to let loose. “C’mon babe,” he slurred. “we ain’t gettin’ any younger ‘ere. Why- why not make da most o’ it?”
“No- now leave me alone.” My answer had angered him. His clouded eyes had filled with rage as his grip on me tightened. He then shoved me against the wall, causing my sunglasses to clatter to the floor as he began to administer sloppy open mouth kisses to my neck. His hands wandered and groped at my sides and chest as he humped against my stomach.
Bile rose in my throat as I tried to hold in my disgust. I briefly wondered about calling for help when I remembered my promise with the Demon. I said to him, “You said you would help me if needed, well now I need your help!”
Joseph hesitated, possibly to wonder if I was addressing him, which was the perfect moment to attack. I felt the darkness rise as I momentarily considered what would happen to him, since I had only ever released my power upon my alarm clock. It was too late now. My power intensified as he backed away from me, his face morphing from drunken lust to terror as I finally released my anger. His body flew backward aggressively, crashing through several walls as he released a series of grunts and painful howls. Finally he crashed into the wall of an alley two stores down and I gave a rueful smile at the way he remained still, a dark chuckle passed my lips.
A woman’s scream was what brought me out of my bloodlust. I turned to look and realized it was Samantha, tears streaming down her pale face as she stared at me with pure horror. She quickly turned and stumbled away in search of one of the policemen who frequent the bar. I slowly began to understand that I had just made a horrible mistake. I turned to view the dead man, hoping he would move or make a sound, even a small whimper, but he was still and silent. My vision blurred as tears began to form in my eyes, washing away the fine details of the broken buildings and the sickening way his body was twisted.
“Run.” The Demon whispered. So I did- I ran past the backdoor and blindly followed the street signs to my apartment. Upon entering I shut my door and hid in my room, wishing this was a nightmare that would end soon. “But it isn’t,” the Demon said. “they will come. And they will destroy you.”
I didn’t want to hear his words that only further upset me. “Go away… leave me alone…” I whispered as I sobbed into my pillows and listened to the sound of police sirens in the distance.
It had been two weeks since the murder. My portfolio was displayed on every news station with the promise of a reward if I was brought in alive. I had left the city and drove on the back of my Harley across the country, realizing that the only two options were to either rot in jail or to disappear. No one was going to help me, not even the Demon, who hadn’t spoken since that night.
I had stopped at a secluded spot by the ocean and watched the setting sun. It was too quiet, unfamiliar and desolute. So I whispered, “Speak to me…”
Silence was what I encountered at first, a brief moment of hesitation, then a familiar voice said, “You now wish to speak? After all this time, you dare ask to speak?” He was angry at me, understandable considering what I had thought earlier. But his low hum told me that he was relieved to speak to me.
“I need your help.” I whispered into the cool breeze that caused me to shiver.
A dark and humorless chuckle answered. “We know what happened last time I tried to help…” We both were silent as we remembered the murder, guilt gnawed at my conscience once again. “What do you need from me?”
I momentarily thought about what I wanted at this time. I finally asked, “I don’t want to go to jail and I don’t want to die. So can you take me… somewhere else?”
A moment of silence. Then a black portal illuminated beside me; on the other side was green grass and vast blue sky. No city, no people, no hiding. But one thing still nagged at my mind. “You never told me why you didn’t want to go back to Hell.”
A hesitated moment of silence then the best answer I could have ever received caused me to smile and laugh for the first time in two weeks. “Their Wi-Fi sucks.”
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