The Demon On My Chest: Waking Up

by Dan Farris

  “Don’t look so melancholy. I’ve given orders; none of my brothers will harm you. You don’t have to run or hide in the shadows again.”

  “You mean we can roam free on Earth?” Asked A’isha.

  “Soon, but not yet. I don’t want Father to know what we’re planning. After Heaven falls, you can roam wherever you see fit. In the meantime, you can either stay in Hell or return to The Darkness and await my command.”

  “Lucifer didn’t authorize this,” said Furcas.

  “Silence. I am your king now, not Lucifer! Hell follows me, do you understand, Furcas?” Samael punched Furcas in the stomach, causing Furcas to fall down and cry in agony. “And don’t ever attempt to contradict me again, or you’ll be joining the kings of the jinn.”

  “Yes… my king.” Furcas’ wings appeared, and he flew away.

  “Now, all of you, leave me. Except you.” Samael created a portal to The Darkness, and all the jinn left except A’isha.

  “What would you have of me?”

  “Tell me about the history of your race. Start in the beginning.”

  Chapter 21-Rebecca

  Rebecca came out of her house and walked the short distance over to her library. She was alone for the first time in one hundred years. Pursan had left her to rally his army. When Rebecca entered the library, she felt something was off.

  “Who is in here?” From behind one of the bookshelves, Achcauthilli emerged. He gave a coy smile. Him…what is he doing here?

  Rebecca started to grimace. “How did you get in here? You’re trespassing in my king’s territory, and more importantly I don’t recall inviting you into my territory.”

  “You remember me? I’ve come to wrestle. I knew we’d meet again. All alone? Where’s Alitash? She’s not here to protect you.”

  “I need no protection, and did you hear me? You are trespassing in Pursan’s territory. What do you think he’ll do to you when he finds out?”

  “Your king is no concern to me. I have orders. My king sent me here. Did you know that your king was on the verge of an invasion? I was an advanced scout. Your king should really work on his defenses; it was easy for me to cross into his territory unnoticed.”

  “True, my king was on the verge of an invasion, but he agreed to follow Samael. Don’t you know this?” Achcauthilli took one step toward Rebecca.

  “Is that so? No, I didn’t know that. The last I heard, my king was preparing to invade Pursan. So I scouted Pursan’s lands, encountered some of his humans, and returned back to my king. Only after I returned did my king alert me that the invasion had been called off. That’s what I know. If only I had known that before I came here, what I’m about to do to you would not have happened.” Achcauthilli had a mischievous look on his face.

  “You’ve got your story, then. What do you want?”

  Achcauthilli took another step toward Rebecca.

  “You know what I want; I want to wrestle you.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to make you. It’s your choice. Nice library, by the way. You can do anything you want, but you spend your time seeking knowledge. I love a smart woman.”

  No, never again. Rebecca took a step back.

  “Nuh uh, don’t you even think about running. I promise I’m faster than you.” There was a moment of silence that seemed like an eternity; both Rebecca and Achcauthilli stood motionless. Rebecca gave no signs that she was afraid.

  “I don’t plan on running. I was going back to my home. Talking to idiots bores me. You haven’t thought this through, have you? What a dumb brute you are. You’ve come here to rape me, but you’ve forgotten about something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The evidence of your misdeed. You can’t kill me; we’re already dead. If you rape me, I’ll tell King Pursan exactly what happened.”

  “Ah, what if I took you? He would never know.”

  “I just realized that you’re actually dumber then you look. If you kidnapped me, how long before Pursan realizes I’m missing?”

  “You’re just a human. I don’t think he would care much.”

  “That may be how your king views his humans, but Pursan is different. I think you know that. He favors each of his humans, and he keeps tabs on us to make sure we’re not wanting for anything. If you follow through on this, he will find out what you did eventually.”

  “Your words don’t frighten me. At worst, my king will give me a warning. A slap on the wrist. You think Pursan will risk a war over one human?”

  “Don’t you know his reputation? He’s not a commander, but he’s the most powerful being in Hell. He’ll use this as a pretense to war, and he’ll convince the other kings to follow suit too. As a matter of fact, doesn’t Lucifer despise your king? You don’t think that Pursan could easily convince Samael that ousting your king is the right strategic move? After that happens, what do you think will happen to you? Tongue-tied, are we? Let me help you. You, the fool who caused his king to lose his kingdom, will be placed in eternal torment. Have you seen the fields? The dome? And what about mental torment?

  “Another food for thought: what do you think Samael will do to the fool who jeopardized his war on Heaven? So, rape me, fuck me as hard as you want. I hope it’s worth it, because it’s the beginning of your eternal torment. Do you want to fuck me in here on the table, or in my bed?”

  Achcauthilli walked toward Rebecca with a slight grin on his face. Never again.

  “You’re not the girl I remember. I like you; you’re very clever. On second thought, I just remembered that the invasion has been called off. I must return to my king and give him my report.” Achcauthilli exited the library, and Rebecca watched him as he disappeared in the distance. Rebecca let out a deep sigh.

  Never. I’ll never be raped again. I must remind Pursan to give me some power; my words may not be enough should something like that happen again.

  Rebecca calmly walked to the bookshelves and pulled out a book.

  Chapter 22-Samael

  Samael was digesting everything A’isha had told him about the jinn. They stood only arms distance apart from each other.

  “If it makes you feel better, Father hurts the ones he says he loves as well. That’s the thing about being ruler of everything: you can do whatever you want. You get to make the rules. That’s why you and your kind should be happy you follow me now. You’ll get a chance to make Father pay.”

  A’isha took a few steps towards the shoreline.

  “So, this is Hell? The humans make it sound so much grander than this. Where are the spheres?”

  “There are no spheres. This place is a big chunk of rock. Instead of planning a counterattack on Heaven, my brothers have wasted their time trying to dominate this place. Fools.”

  “One human I met once said that it’s better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. Based on what we know about God, maybe your brothers aren’t so foolish.”

  “You can leave me now. I’ve got the information I needed from you.”

  “So soon? I think I’ll stay a little longer, if you don’t mind. I’ve never been out of The Darkness; I don’t want to go back just yet.”

  “Fine.”

  Samael watched A’isha with a focused gaze as she walked along the shoreline, until Furcas appeared in the sky, headed toward him.

  “Samael, my king,” said Furcas. “We’ve received word from Pursan. He has submitted himself, and his army, at your disposal.”

  “Now you truly are King of Hell,” said A’isha.

  “What would you have me tell the other kings?” Asked Furcas.

  “Tell them to wait for my orders. I want each of their armies prepared to launch an attack on Heaven at my command. Now go.” Furcas took back to the sky and faded in the distance.

  “Forgive me, but I overheard. You have my people and all of Hell at your disposal. Why not attack now?”

  “I want more soldiers. My brothers in Heaven are mustering more support. Once they’
re ready, then we’ll launch an attack.”

  “So, what will you do until then?”

  “Wait.”

  “Just stand here? How boring you are.”

  “Zethera used to say that.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “No one.”

  “Let’s have some fun until it’s time to attack.”

  “Fun?”

  “Yes, fun. You do know what that is, don’t you? I want to go to Earth. Would you come with me?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? Aren’t you king of Hell? Can’t you do as you please? Unless you’re afraid that God will see you on Earth.”

  “My father only sees us when we want him to see us.”

  “Come with me, then. Aren’t you curious to see the home of God’s favorite creation?”

  “If I leave now, my brothers may plot against me. I need to make sure my authority here is cemented.”

  “Nonsense. I was daughter to the high king of my people. These angels are in complete fear of you. Besides, we won’t be gone long; we can come back quicker than the blink of an eye. What do you say?”

  I shouldn’t…. She reminds me of Zethera.

  “Take my hand.” A’isha grabbed Samael’s hand. “Now, think of a place on Earth you want to visit.” Samael’s wings appeared. He created a portal, and they both walked through it. When they came out of the portal, Samael and A’isha stood on top of a slight hill. Green plains stretched for miles around them, and distantly the ocean waves crashed into the shore. A’isha ran through the fields, screaming in disbelief and joy.

  “Isn’t this wonderful?”

  “I’m not impressed.”

  “Easy for you to say, you’ve seen the entire Universe! For me, this is Heaven! Look at the grass, smell the trees! Look at the butterflies, look at the sun. This is wonderful!”

  So, this is it. The home of Father’s pets. This planet is a technological backwater. The humans haven’t even colonized another planet. Pathetic. What would Father do if I destroyed this planet and all his humans right now?

  “This is New Zealand! I’ve always wanted to come here, but never thought I’d see it. I guess we should leave before one of your kind senses me.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that; you’re with me.” A’isha ran to the edge of the ocean, her clothes disappeared, and she jumped in the water. “In that case!”

  Look at her, she’s as old as this planet, but she’s acting as if she was just created. Samael placed his hand on the ground. It’s dying. What have these humans done to it? They’re the ones that should be exterminated. Look at what your pets have done, Father. Some stewards they are.

  A portal appeared next to Samael, and Furcas emerged.

  “Aren’t you going to join the beast for a nice swim?”

  “Are my armies ready?”

  “Why do we need her? Why do we need any of them? Why don’t we annihilate each of them? They’re abominations.”

  “Father should have annihilated each of you after you rebelled. Yet you remain, taking up space. Are my armies ready? I won’t ask again.”

  “It’s Pursan. Lucifer and the other kings fear that he may betray us. You took their companions as hostages to bind their loyalty, but Pursan has no companion. What’s keeping him from betraying you?”

  Samael grabbed Furcas and created a power ball, that looked like contained electricity, inches away from Furcas’s face.

  “You see how you feel right now? Fear. It’s a powerful thing. That’s what will keep him from betraying me.” Samael released Furcas, and the power ball disappeared.

  “Pursan is more likely to betray the other kings than me. I’ll say this once. Unless it’s an emergency, the next time you interrupt me will be the last time you ever interrupt anyone.”

  “How will I know if it’s an emergency?”

  “You’re smart. You’ll figure it out.” Furcas created a portal back to Hell and left.

  “What did he want?” Asked A’isha as she got of the water.

  “Nothing.”

  “Well, I should return to my people. As much as I hate The Darkness, I must make sure they’re safe. May I return to you afterwards?”

  “You can do as you like.” A’isha nodded and vanished. She is beautiful.… Back to Hell.

  Chapter 23-Rebecca

  Pursan has been gone for too long. Maybe Samael replaced all the old Kings. No, Pusan is too smart. He has to be okay, thought Rebecca as she walked out of the library. She had learned all the knowledge on Earth, and her books had been replaced with knowledge of other worlds.

  When Rebecca neared her house, there was a powerfully built man dressed in all-black amour. It had an ancient look to it. Rebecca knew he was a demon because he stood nearly twenty feet tall. His hair was long and un-kept. He had a serious and sullen face.

  “Who are you? Where is Pursan?”

  “My name is Dagon. I ask that you come with me.”

  “The king sent a commander to fetch me. Why isn’t he here?”

  “He sent a message out to all his humans to go to safe areas. But you are the only one that he wanted led by a personal guard.” Dagon slowly circled around Rebecca. “And now I see why.”

  Does he know about me and Pursan? How do I know Pursan even sent him? Wouldn’t he have sent Agrippa?

  “Where am I going?”

  “The king has asked that you come to my household.”

  “How long will I be there?”

  “Until the king says it’s safe for you to return here. The way things are looking, that may be a long time.”

  “Well, lead the way. I’m curious: Many serve under you, couldn’t you have sent someone to bring me to your territory?”

  “A question I’m sure the king would love to answer when you next speak with him.”

  “Of course. Which way are we walking?”

  “We’re not walking.” Suddenly, wings appeared from Dagon’s shoulders.

  “My territory is far from here. It’s quicker if we fly. Grab my hand.” I may be getting abducted, but he won’t hurt me, I think. Rebecca grabbed Dagon’s hand, and they flew up in the air.

  The two traveled in the sky for what felt like days. “We’ve been traveling awhile, but I’ve noticed that we haven’t come across anyone else. Why is that?”

  “Hell is big. To your kind, anyhow. It’s best we go to my territory unnoticed.” Don’t want to be found out.

  “How is the king?”

  “He’s well. Making sure all of us are ready for battle.”

  “You mean making sure all of you are ready to blindly obey Samael?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s something I always wanted to ask you. You’re a commander, one of the strongest, but you call Pursan king? Why not make yourself king?”

  “At one time, my father made it so countless beings answered to me, trillions. Entire worlds were under my control. I was content, happy. Then, one of my brothers convinced me that I deserved more. I lost everything, all because I let my pride get the better of me. No, I don’t want to be king. And if I must follow, Pursan is as good as any. Much better than Lucifer and the others.”

  “I’m shocked you would share such insight with someone you just met, especially a human.”

  “But you’re much more than just another human, aren’t you?” He knows about me and Pursan.

  “You flatter me. And wouldn’t you and all the demons in Hell challenge Samael? Why just submit so easily to him? You’re a commander.”

  “Samael, he’s in another stratosphere. And soon, we may all be calling him god.”

  After traveling for some time, an object appeared in the distance. Rebecca and Dagon were heading toward it. As they descended from the sky, there was a small wooden frame in the shape of a cone. It was no larger than ten feet tall. From out of the wooden cone came a beautiful woman who looked like she was no older than Rebecca. She wore a short dress that looked like it was made of animal skin. She had long, b
raided hair. As she walked to Dagon, he decreased in height, until he stood only a foot taller than her. She walked up to Dagon and hugged and kissed him.

  “Are you sure no one saw you?” Dagon gave her a nod. “Good, so this is Pursan’s companion. After all this time, you must be quite special, Rebecca.”

  “I’m certainly not special, and I’m not the king’s companion. The king has no companion.”

  “No need to lie. You have nothing to fear here,” said the woman. Dagon kissed the woman one last time before taking to the sky.

  “He’s leaving?”

  “He has other business to attend to. But you’re safe with me, for now. Here, let’s sit down.” Two large rugs appeared on the ground. Rebecca sat on the rug immediately in front of her.

  “You have power to do such things? Who are you?”

  “My name is Soolweawa. And of course I do, don’t you?”

  “Why would the king give such power to a human?”

  “Rebecca, you can stop the ruse.”

  “How about we both stop? Pursan doesn’t know I’m here, does he?”

  “No, he doesn’t.”

  “And it was your idea to take me, not Dagon’s?”

  “How do you know whose idea it was?”

  “Dagon doesn’t seem like he’s hungry for more power.”

  “Yes, but despite his misgivings, he always listens to me. Demons, with all their power, they don’t rule Hell. We companions do. Aren’t you going to try to run away now that you know the truth?”

  “That would be a waste. So, what’s your plan?”

  “You’re safe. That’s all you need to know. Leave the politics to me. Aren’t you going to ask about Pursan’s safety?”

  “Why? I was just using him. I’m in Hell, and he kept me from eternal torment. But, looks like he can’t protect me anymore. I don’t care what happens to him. He was just another trick.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Dagon ranks pretty high up there. I’d expect his home to be grander than this.”

  “It was, before Samael took over. No matter, Dagon is happy as long as I’m happy, and I enjoy living in the home of my people.”