The Demon On My Chest: Waking Up

by Dan Farris

  “You will not disturb the peace! Nothing happens to Pursan until we seize Heaven.”

  “I don’t care. I’m done serving anyone, including you.”

  “You’ve come to challenge me?”

  Gabriel laughed. “You’ve come to challenge Samael? It’s this horrid place; he’s gone mad.”

  “I’ve haven’t gone mad. I finally know what my destiny is. To reign in Hell as king. To reign everywhere as king. Once I destroy Samael, our other brothers will quickly get in line.”

  “You’ve made your choice. Shall we begin?” Samael placed his arms to his sides, daring Dagon to attack him.

  “Let me,” said Gabriel. “I haven’t had a good fight since the rebellion. I always wondered how strong you truly were, Dagon.”

  “Make it quick,” said Samael.

  “Oh, don’t you worry, I will,” replied Gabriel.

  Gabriel rushed toward Dagon, and they started fighting. They exchanged punches, and then power balls. They appeared to be evenly matched.

  “After I destroy you, Samael is next.”

  “Don’t get cocky. We’re just getting started.” They continued fighting, and Gabriel landed several blows to Dagon.

  “Enough playing around. Finish him,” said Samael.

  “Goodbye, Dagon.” Gabriel ripped Dagon’s head off and destroyed his body with a massive power ball.

  “Well, that was a nice little warm up for our attack on Heaven,” said Gabriel.

  “Why did you toy with him like that?”

  “I wanted to have a little fun, is that a crime? Besides, after how they betrayed us, I wanted him to think he actually stood a chance before I destroyed him. Lucifer and the whole lot of them should be destroyed.”

  “They will, after they help us destroy Father. Enough planning. I’m going to raise Hell’s armies. The next time you see me, I’ll be at the gates of Heaven.”

  “Finally!” Gabriel disappeared.

  Samael’s wings appeared, and he flew in the sky, headed toward Lucifer’s territory. When he arrived, he went to Lucifer’s throne room. Lucifer sat on his throne.

  “My king, how may your humble servant serve you?” Asked Lucifer.

  “Rally your army and send a message to Pursan and the others to do the same. When this is done, I want each of you to meet me at The Lake of Fire. From there, we leave Hell and attack Heaven.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Samael lingered.

  “Is there something else, my king?”

  “Yes…the jinn queen. Are you treating her well?”

  “Of course, by your command. Would you like to see her?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.” Samael took off and headed back to the Lake of Fire.

  Chapter 37-Sean

  Sean sat in his living room with Luke. Sean appeared to be emotionless, while Luke appeared to be weary and sad.

  “I brought you from out of the Darkness because I need you to do something for me. I called the others, but they didn’t come.”

  “They’re in Hell, including April. A demon got her before they all disappeared.”

  “Demons, evil, that’s why I called for you. You know firsthand how much evil is out there. I have the power to destroy it, and you’re going to help me do it.”

  “How did you bring me out of the Darkness? I’m a ghost. I don’t belong here, on this plane.”

  “You’d rather I’d left you in there?” “No, but it hasn’t been so bad lately. I haven’t seen a demon in a while.”

  “You’re going to help me, whether you like it or not.”

  “What...what happened to you, Sean?”

  “It doesn’t matter, but you’re going to do what I tell you to do, got it?”

  “S…sure.”

  “It’s not all bad. When I’m done, I’ll send you to Heaven.”

  “You can do that?”

  “I can.”

  “Heaven? I can go to Heaven? Whatever you need, count me in!”

  “Good. But if you even think about betraying me, instead of sending you to Heaven, I’ll send you to Hell on a first-class ticket.”

  “I wouldn’t betray you. What happened, Sean?”

  “Don’t worry about that. Just remember my warning.”

  “Before we start doing whatever you want to do, can I see my mother one last time?”

  “We don’t have time for that. The evil must be destroyed!”

  “I understand.” Luke looked at Sean with sad eyes.

  “Fine! But don’t ask me any more favors. Let’s make this quick.”

  Sean and Luke got in Sean’s car and drove to Luke’s mother’s house. It was dark outside.

  “How can I help you, exactly?” Luke asked. “Looks like you’re doing just fine. I don’t see what you need me for.”

  “There are humans that work for demons. I’ve seen what they are capable of, including killing innocent people. Some even live in town.”

  “No!”

  “Yes, and they want my power. I have to destroy them first, but even with my power, I haven’t been able to figure out how to locate them. They could be anyone: a banker, the person that works at the store, or a stay-at-home mom.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “It’s simple. You’re a ghost, and I’m going to use the special ability that ghosts have.”

  “What is that?”

  “I want you to go through houses and tell me who is worshipping a demon. You do that, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “What will you do to them?”

  “Send them to their demon master. I’ll take them all out in this area, and then we’ll go on. Until they are all destroyed. Wiped out.”

  “You’re going to murder them?!”

  “They’re evil! You haven’t seen what these people are capable of. I have. Since God won’t take care of them, I will.”

  “Are you sure you wanna do this, Sean?”

  “It has to be done. And don’t ask me that again.”

  They arrived at Luke’s mother’s house, and Luke exited the vehicle and walked through the front door. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the car with a giant smile on his face.

  “Ready to go.”

  “We’re going to drive through the city. I want you to search each house. When you find what we’re looking for, let me know. Let’s start right here.”

  Luke exited the vehicle and walked through each house in the neighborhood.

  They’re going to regret making deals with demons. Evil. They’ll get what they deserve.

  Luke returned to Sean’s vehicle after leaving the house right across the street from his mother.

  “Mrs. Crawford. I’ve known her my whole life! She’s the nicest lady I’ve ever met, and she’s eighty-two!”

  “Are you sure she’s what we’re looking for?”

  “I’m sure. She was in there speaking some weird words and praying to some type of half-man, half-beast painting. She also had a mark on her forehead.”

  “What kind of mark?”

  “The kind that says what demon you belong to. The kind of mark that only dead people can see. The kind that says you sold your soul.”

  “That’s what we’re looking for.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Sean exited his vehicle and walked to the front door of Mrs. Crawford and knocked. After a few knocks, she came to the front door.

  “What are you doing at my house so late? If you don’t go away, I’m going to call the police.”

  “Why don’t you call the demon you’re working for?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to put something on you that you ain’t neva got!”

  “I hope that demon treats you well. I hope it was worth it. Now: burn, burn, burn.” Mrs. Crawford caught on fire and ran inside her house. Sean turned around, and by the time he reached his car, the house was burning down.

 
“She’s dead. You killed her!”

  “May her soul burn in Hell for all eternity. Now find me some more.”

  “Sean, are…are you sure about this? I know they’re evil, but still.”

  “If you ask me that one more time, you may end up with Crawford in the fire.” Luke cringed with fear. Sean started his car and drove off.

  Making deals with demons. They’re all going to pay. All of them.

  Chapter 38-Rebecca

  After days of being guided by Elizabeth; Rebecca, Achcauthilli, Marianna, and Benjamin finally emerged from the mountains. They walked about a hundred more yards before they came upon countless souls nailed to crosses. Their hands and feet each had spikes through them, and they were all on fire. Their screams and pleas for mercy were faint. Rebecca heard the words “take me.”

  “God…how many souls are here?” Asked Rebecca.

  “Millions,” said Elizabeth.

  “Do they all truly deserve this?”

  “This is Hell, is it not?” Replied Elizabeth.

  “We should turn around now,” cried Benjamin.

  “Too late for that. You have a message to deliver, remember,” said Elizabeth.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” whispered Achcauthilli.

  So do I.

  They continued walking until they came upon a large black mansion. When they reached the mansion, a man ran outside. He was very handsome, bald, and powerfully built. He had on a nice, modern, all-green suit. Rebecca could tell he was a demon.

  He ran up to Elizabeth, picked her up off the ground, and kissed her passionately. “Did you enjoy your hunt?”

  “I did. One of them even made it all the way to the lake.”

  “Splendid. I have a surprise for you.”

  “You know I love surprises. What is it?”

  “Five girls and two boys, all just thirteen years old. They’re in room six. I’ve already prepared them for you.”

  “You spoil me! I love you!” Elizabeth ran inside the house while the demon remained outside. He looked at Rebecca and the others with a delighted glee.

  “It seems my beloved has brought guests. What an honor to be chosen. I’m always curious: how long were each of you on a cross?”

  “Are you Nelchael?” Asked Rebecca.

  “You know my name? Interesting. And you are?”

  “My name is Rebecca, and we were never on crosses.”

  “Then why are you in my territory?”

  “We have a message from the king.”

  Nelchael walked to Rebecca. “You see, I’m confused. When you say king, are you referring to Pursan or Samael?”

  “Pursan, of course.”

  “I thought that’s what you meant, and that’s what confusing. Because last I checked, Samael was king of Hell.”

  “We should run,” cried Benjamin.

  “Are you saying that you no longer serve Pursan?”

  “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you? I don’t know, am I saying that?” Nelchael grinned.

  “If I said something to offend you, I apologize,” said Rebecca.

  “No need for apologizes, we’re just talking. You, with the animal skins, what is your name?”

  “Achcauthilli.”

  “An Aztec. Yours was a glorious civilization. And you, beautiful, what is your name?”

  “My name is Marianna, and this is Benjamin.”

  “Marianna? I feel we’ve met before.” Marianna quickly looked down. “What a splendid group. An American, an Aztec, a Spaniard, and an Englishman. Oh, I nearly lost my train of thought. What were we discussing again?”

  “The king,” replied Rebecca.

  “Ah yes, the king. Who is it, Pursan or Samael? You say it’s Pursan?”

  Finally, Elizabeth came out of the house.

  “I’m getting introduced to your friends. Are you enjoying your gifts?” Nelchael said to her.

  “I am. And my friends… I want them to stay with us a bit.”

  “A great idea. We’ll feed them and allow them to rest. They look weary.”

  “We would not want to impose. The king--” said Rebecca before Nelchael cut her off.

  “Let’s talk about the king after you get some rest.”

  “We’ll rest after we return to the king,” said Rebecca.

  “No, I want you to stay awhile,” said Elizabeth.

  “It’s bad manners to turn down the offer of a beautiful woman,” said Nelchael.

  “I would hate to be rude,” said Rebecca.

  “Yes, you would, you’d hate that,” said Elizabeth. Nelchael and Elizabeth walked inside the home, followed by Marianna and Benjamin. Rebecca and Achcauthilli remained behind briefly.

  “You look shell-shocked. So you know about Nelchael’s companion?” Asked Achcauthilli.

  “I know of her. Elizabeth Bathory-- she’s one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.”

  “I told you to wait until you meet her. Should we try to escape?”

  “No, they’ll catch us, and who knows what they’ll do to us. For all we know, Nelchael wouldn’t care if I was Pursan’s companion or not.”

  “Great, we’re never leaving this place. I knew this was a bad idea.”

  “Trust me, we’ll get out of this.” We have to. Rebecca finally walked inside the mansion, and Achcauthilli begrudgingly followed. When they all were inside, the door shut behind them.

  “Each of you gets your own room,” said Elizabeth. As they walked through the mansion, they stopped at three separate doors. Achcauthilli, Marianna, and Benjamin each took a room until Rebecca was left walking alone with Nelchael and Elizabeth. By this time, the three of them were upstairs.

  “There, you can have this room. Room six, my favorite room in the entire house,” said Elizabeth.

  “Where are the girls and boys you mentioned earlier?” Asked Rebecca.

  “Don’t worry about them. I moved them to another room.”

  Rebecca entered the room, and the door shut behind her. The room only had a small bed and window. Rebecca looked out the window, there were the countless crosses. If Nelchael has betrayed Pursan, how do I get out of here?

  The next day, Rebecca’s door opened, Nelchael was standing there. He had on a bright, all-yellow suit. “Come join us, we’re about to eat.” They made their way downstairs, and music was playing. Nelchael led her to the large dining room, and the music only grew louder. Sitting at the table was Elizabeth. She was dressed in a silver gown covered in diamonds. On the table were all sorts of food. In the corner was an old man playing the violin.

  “Where are the others?”

  “They’re resting. I invited them, but they refused. Please, have a seat right here by me.” Rebecca sat cautiously at the table. Nelchael and Elizabeth were seated right next to her.

  “I’m not in the mood for food,” said Rebecca. Elizabeth clapped her hands, and the food vanished. “Where are the people I came with?”

  “They’re resting,” said Elizabeth.

  “Can I go check on them?”

  “No, you’ll bother them.”

  “My beloved is right; the human soul needs to rest,” Nelchael said. “Now, let’s continue our discussion about the king: Pursan or Samael?”

  “Samael may be the king of Hell, but Pursan is king of this territory,” said Rebecca.

  “Why should Nelchael continue to serve Pursan? Nelchael is a commander, after all,” said Elizabeth.

  “Nelchael has always been a commander, and Pursan isn’t, that’s no secret. Yet you have served Pursan faithfully for eons. Why did you decide to serve Pursan in the first place?”

  “My territory is one of the largest in Hell. I have more souls under my command than Lucifer. I serve Pursan because he’s not greedy, unlike the others. He promised me territory, souls, and much autonomy when he asked for my support.”

  “And he kept his word. He always keeps his word, so why abandon him now?”

  “Do you know what Samael’s plan is? They’
re going to declare war on Heaven, on God himself. The old pollical realities do not matter anymore,” said Elizabeth.

  “If you renounce Pursan, then what’s your plan? Convince others to join you and overthrow him?”

  “What a foolish idea. Who do you think I am, Dagon? Pursan often travels alone, unguarded, except by his humans, who are nothing. If I were to renounce Pursan, I’d go to him, alone, and drag him to The Bottomless Pit. Then, I’d get the others to make me king.”

  “But there is no guarantee that the others would follow you. What’s more likely to happen is civil war. I think one of the reasons you and the other commanders chose to make Pursan king is because he is not a commander.”

  “What is your meaning?” Asked Elizabeth.

  “All the other commanders could not agree on a king. Their pride and ego would not allow them to follow a fellow commander. But a non-commander who was a bookkeeper in Heaven? A non-commander who promised those who follow him total autonomy to do what they want in their territory? Now that’s a good candidate for a king.”

  “I’m really intrigued now. How would a human come to know what Pursan did before the war?” Nelchael and Elizabeth looked at each other.

  “When you overthrow Pursan, it will start a civil war in this territory. The other commanders that serve Pursan will claim the throne belongs to them. Then Samael will find out. He’ll come, and when he finds out whose responsible for the chaos, he won’t cast you in The Bottomless Pit, he’ll destroy you and punish your companion just to send a statement to any other demons who would jeopardize his war on Heaven.”

  Nelchael and Elizabeth looked silently at each other. “You are right,” said Elizabeth. “It would be foolish for anyone to change the status quo. And Nelchael would never even think of renouncing Pursan.”

  “The king will be pleased.”

  “That was your intent in coming here, to see whether I was still loyal? Clever,” said Nelchael.

  “Very clever,” said Elizabeth.

  “If you weren’t loyal, what was going to happen to me and the others?”

  “You still wouldn’t have had anything to fear. I can think of other ways to use Pursan’s companion than cause her pain. Never thought he would get one, but I can see why he chose you.”

  “I’m not the king’s companion. I’m just his messenger.” Nelchael grinned.