The Demon On My Chest: Waking Up

by Dan Farris

  “I was the one giving information to Lucifer.”

  “How long?”

  “Long before you got here.”

  “Why…? Everything the king has given us. Has he not earned our loyalty a thousand times over? Each of us!” Yelled Agrippa.

  “So, what will you do with me?” Solomon asked.

  “Lucifer.” Suddenly, Lucifer appeared before all of them.

  Hatshepsut jumped up from her seat. “No, it can’t be!”

  “You called for me, my queen?”

  “Seize your spy and throw her into the Pit.”

  Solomon rushed to Rebecca and kneeled before her. “Please, please forgive her. It was Lucifer; he must have tricked her. He’s the great deceiver. Please, she has served the king well all this time. Tell her, Agrippa. Stalin, tell her!”

  “I commend your love for her, Solomon. But in lying, you have betrayed the king too,” said Rebecca.

  “What?”

  “Your love for her is more powerful than your loyalty to the king. Cast him into The Pit with her.”

  “No, no!”

  “Achcauthilli, go with Lucifer. Make sure they’re both thrown into The Pit.” Lucifer seized Solomon and Hatshepsut, who were screaming and crying as they were dragged away.

  After Achcauthilli followed behind them, Rebecca was left with Agrippa and Stalin.

  “What has happened can never happen again.”

  Agrippa and Stalin both nodded.

  “I know we’re at war, but we must proceed as if the king will be victorious. So, I want each of you to bring me every human the king has saved from torment. I want to judge each of them to determine if they are still loyal to the king. If the king’s trusted advisor will betray him, then everyone is suspect, except you two… for now.”

  “And if you determine that they can’t be trusted?” Asked Agrippa.

  “They will be thrown into The Pit.”

  “When you say all the humans, do you mean the king’s soldiers’ companions?” Asked Stalin.

  “All of them.”

  “Nothing like a good purge,” said Stalin.

  “Are you sure this is what the king would want?” Asked Agrippa.

  “He left me in charge, and it’s what I want. And after I take care of that, I want you two to bring me a list of every human in the king’s territory.”

  “Why?” Asked Agrippa.

  “Because I don’t think all of them deserve to suffer eternal torment. See it done.” The two left Rebecca. Then, Rebecca created a golden crown that sat atop her head.

  Chapter 44-Sean

  Sean lay on the floor of his hotel room. He had not eaten, slept, or drunk anything in three days. His eyes were red from the many tears he had wiped away.

  Is this what you want, God? All my life, I believed in you. I loved you. You were all I had. I tried to be good. And now you want to destroy me for something I can’t control. Come on then, show me your wrath. End me. What’s the point to anything anymore? I have nothing.

  There was a knock on his hotel door. When he opened the door, it was Lucy.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to leave town?”

  “Nice to see you again too.” Lucy entered the room, walked right past Sean, and sat on his bed. “This place smells like shit, couldn’t you have gotten a better hotel?”

  “I said, what are you doing here? And I didn’t say you could come in.” Sean closed the door and walked over to Lucy.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

  “Because I’ve come to help you.”

  “Haven’t you heard about me? You’ve seen what I can do. I don’t need any help. I don’t need anyone. Now get the fuck outta here.”

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, so angry. You didn’t let me finish. I’ve come to help you.”

  “I said I didn’t need any help!”

  “Are you sure about that? Aren’t you curious as to how I found you?”

  “I don’t give a fuck.”

  “The others have been tracking you since you arrived in town. They know you’re here. They’re coming for you, tonight.”

  “I killed a fucking demon, you think I’m scared of a few demon worshippers? If your friends are still stupid enough to come for me, then I look forward to sending them to Hell. I should send you to Hell right now. Do you know what it feels like to burn? I’ve never been to Hell, but I imagine it includes fire.”

  Lucy didn’t wince. “If I was afraid, you think I would have come here?”

  “You want me to send you to your master? Is that it?”

  “If that’s what I wanted, I could have killed myself before I came here.”

  “Why did you come then?”

  “I want to serve you.”

  “What do you mean, serve me?”

  “I sold my soul to a demon, for power on Earth and in Hell.”

  “How could you betray God like that?”

  “I stopped giving a damn about what God thought a long time ago. He doesn’t care about me. Why should I care about him?”

  I know the feeling, but at least he doesn’t want to destroy your soul.

  “Before we get to how you could ever serve me, why would you? I’m not evil like you.”

  “Evil is subjective. I don’t care about good or evil. The only thing I care about is power.”

  “You want to use me? I’m used to that.”

  “Not use you, serve you.”

  “You want the power? Is that it?”

  “I want to serve you.”

  “At least you’re honest about your motivations.”

  “Speaking of serving you, my first advice is telling you to take a shower. You look and smell like shit.”

  “I don’t need anyone to serve me.”

  “What about your mission? To kill everyone who serve demons? To kill all witches and warlocks? That is your mission, right?”

  “It was… I thought it was God’s will. Now, I don’t know.”

  “Do you know what power is? Real power? Power is being able to get people to do what you want them to do. Power is being able to do what you to do, when you want to do it.”

  “I don’t care about that. I’m in this mess only because I wanted answers.”

  “Really? I saw the look in your eyes when you killed the others. When you fucked me on the floor, because you knew you could. You didn’t like that?”

  “And if I said yes? Would that make me a bad person?”

  “Don’t you understand? You can do anything you want. And no one can stop you.”

  “Your demon-worshipping friends aren’t the only ones that want me dead. God, the Creator of Heaven and Hell… He wants me dead too. More than that, he wants my soul destroyed. There’s a powerful angel looking for me right now.”

  “Let him come. You will destroy him too. You said you killed a demon, right?”

  “A low-level demon. This angel that’s coming for me is a different matter, or so I’ve been told.”

  “I don’t know or care how you got so powerful. But I think you’ve just scratched the surface of what you’re capable of. Why does God want you dead? Because you’re evil?” Said Lucy in a sarcastic tone.

  “No, he wants my soul destroyed because… whatever I am is a threat to him.”

  “Like I said, just scratching the surface.”

  “What would I do, then? Keep killing your friends? What’s the point anymore?”

  “Yes, for now. You like it, and when the angel comes, you’ll destroy him too. You can do anything, Master.”

  “Master?”

  “Yes. Now release me so I can serve you.”

  Lucy pulled Sean to her and performed oral sex on him. Then, she placed Sean on top of her. “Do with me as you want, no regrets. You don’t owe God anything. Take me. Fuck me. I’m yours.” Sean started kissing Lucy passionately, and they had sex on his bed.

  That night, dozens of people appeared outside Sean’s hotel room. They could barely all f
it in the parking lot. Some of them carried knives; others carried guns. Lucy was waiting outside when they arrived. “He’s inside.”

  Sean’s hotel door opened. “Hi everyone, are you all here for the party?”

  “Come with us now, and we promise a painless death. Lucy, bring him to us,” said someone from the crowd.

  “You were telling the truth, it’s so many of them,” said Sean.

  “Every covenant in New Orleans,” replied Lucy.

  “They made it easy for me.”

  “Are you going to do what we talked about?” Asked Lucy. Sean looked out at the crowd, and all the people that came were lifted off the ground. Some of them fired the weapons at Sean and Lucy, but the bullets evaporated into nothing as it neared them. Then, all of the people’s skin slowly peeled off their bodies, causing them to scream and cry out in agony. Next, every bone was broken in their bodies. All of them screamed for death. Lucy walked up to each of them and smiled. “Almost done.” Finally, all of their bodies caught on fire.

  Lucy walked back to Sean, and they watched the people that had come for him burn until their bodies were no more, turned to dust.

  “How did that feel?” Asked Lucy.

  Sean looked up into the sky. “Good.” Lucy kissed Sean, they walked back inside his hotel room and had sex on the floor.

  “That was fun. What do you want to do next?” Asked Lucy.

  “You know where we can find some more of them?”

  “I know where almost every coven is in the country.”

  Sean sensed someone outside his hotel room. “This night keeps getting better and better.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see.” Sean got up from the floor, quickly put his clothes back on and headed outside. Lucy followed him.

  “There you are.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Asked Lucy.

  Sean snapped his fingers, and Persephone appeared before him and Lucy.

  “Who is she?” Lucy asked.

  “She--it--is an alien. Lied to me. It’s working for a demon, like you were.”

  “An alien? You mean like from outer space? Holy shit!”

  “Sean, please, let me go,” asked Persephone.

  “Still following me? Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?”

  “I only wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Cut the shit. You’re keeping your eye on your prize.”

  “Who is this?” Asked Persephone.

  “She used to worship a demon. Now she’s helping me find the ones that still do.”

  “Not helping. Serving,” said Lucy.

  Persephone looked into the sky. “Get me out of here, now!”

  “They can’t help you. I have them too.”

  “There’s more like her?” Lucy asked.

  “Yes, right above us. You can’t see it, but there’s a massive ship,” said Sean.

  “Sean, please, don’t do this! You’re a good person. Please don’t do this.”

  “Are you a good person?” Asked Lucy.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, I’m talking to Sean,” replied Persephone.

  “Answer her question,” Sean said.

  “You heard him. Are you a good person? Or whatever you are? You serve a demon. Does that make you a good thing?”

  “Sean, please, I care about you.”

  “Do you now? Tell me who you work for.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Oh pity. Make her tell you,” said Lucy.

  “Sean stop, please, you’re hurting me! Please, stop, you’re hurting me. I’ll tell you! He told us his name was P--”

  Sean stopped her before she could finish. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. Demon, angel, God, it’s all the same.”

  “Would you let me go now?”

  Sean stared at Persephone. Lucy grabbed his face. “Don’t hold back. Do it, show her your wrath,” said Lucy.

  “You betrayed me. You lied to me, manipulated me. I want you to look in the sky, inside the ship, and tell me what you see.”

  “No, stop, you’re killing them. All of them! Stop! Sean, this isn’t you.” A teal light radiated off Sean’s body.

  “Oh, but it is me. This is who I am, this is what I am. You can thank God for that. He has forsaken me.”

  “I wish I could see what you were doing to them up there,” said Lucy.

  Sean stared at Persephone until she revealed her true form. I’ve never seen anymore more hideous. She looked like a giant slug, with orange skin and giant holes scattered throughout her body. She had one eye and a giant mouth that drooled. “To think, I almost had sex with you. Goodbye, Persephone.”

  Persephone opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, and her body exploded. Sean fell to the ground and started to cry.

  “You did what was necessary, friends or no friends,” Lucy said.

  “No, never friends. She wanted to use me. She lied to me the moment we met.” Sean stood up and wiped his eyes. “I think some people at this rathole may have seen or heard all this commotion. I’m surprised no one has come out all this time.”

  “Do you want me to take care of it? I can search the rooms and deal with any problems.”

  “No. Killing demons and the people or creatures who worship them is one thing. We’re not killing innocent people!”

  “So naïve. No one is truly innocent. What shall we do now?”

  “The ones that came for me, did I get all of them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s the nearest coven?”

  “There’s a large number in Dallas.”

  “Let’s go then. I don’t want to wait. We need to stop in Lafayette first, though.”

  “What’s in Lafayette? An old flame?” Sean and Lucy got in Sean’s car.

  A few hours later, Sean and Lucy arrived at Brother Boudreaux’s house in Lafayette. “He’s in there then? The man of God,” said Lucy sarcastically. “Why did we stop here?”

  “Wait in the car.” Sean exited the vehicle and walked up to the house.

  He knocked, and Brother Boudreaux came to the door. “Sean, is that you? Come in.”

  “I won’t be coming in. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.”

  “That’s mighty kind of you, Sean. These old bones of mine are holdin’ up just fine. What about you?”

  “I’m doing good.”

  “Seems like you’ve had better days. Who’s the nice-looking lady in the car?”

  “She’s nobody.”

  “Is she helping you with what you’re doing?”

  “Yes, you can say that.”

  “Sean, I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but it’s wrong, what you’re doing. I know you think you’re doing God’s will, but you’re not.”

  “I know that.”

  “You know? So why are you doing it?”

  “God has forsaken me, brother. You were right, the first time you met me. You said that whatever I was, it wasn’t from God. You were right. He wants me destroyed.”

  “Who told you such a thing?”

  “An angel.” Brother Boudreaux looked for the words but couldn’t find them.

  “Nothing uplifting to tell me, brother? Aren’t you going to tell me that God still loves me, no matter what?”

  “He does, he does. I’m not sure why this angel told you such a thing, but God is a just God. He wouldn’t abandon you.”

  “He has!”

  “Sean, you didn’t stop by to check on me. You stopped by so I could check on you. You know in your heart that what you’re doing is wrong, and despite everything that’s happened to you, despite what that angel said, you’re a truly good person, and God still loves you. I may not know what you are, but that’s one thing I do know.”

  Sean fought to hold back his tears. He doesn’t, not anymore.

  “Goodbye, brother.” Sean walked back to the car.

  “Sean? Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “Pray for me.” />
  Sean got back into the car. “Are you okay?” Lucy asked. “Did you get what you came for?”

  “Let’s go to Dallas.”

  Sean and Lucy were driving on the highway towards Dallas when Sean heard sirens behind him. “What does he want?” Lucy said. “You weren’t speeding.” Sean pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the police officer to come to his vehicle.

  Sean rolled his window down as the officer neared his vehicle. The officer was a big man with an unkempt mustache. The mark.

  “Is there a problem, officer?”

  “License and registration.”

  “You must not have heard me. I said, is there a problem?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You must be bad of hearing; did you leave your hearing aid at home?”

  “Step out of the vehicle right now!”

  “No.”

  The officer reached for his firearm. “I said step out of the vehicle. I won’t ask you again!”

  “I always wanted to know why most police officers have such quick tempers. Here I am, unarmed, have not threatened you, and you are ready to blow my brains out. Is it because I’m black?”

  “Now!”

  “Shut up, and don’t move one inch.”

  “How did you know he’s one of them?” Lucy asked.

  “There’s a mark on his forehead. He sold his soul to a demon.”

  “You can see that?” Asked Lucy.

  “Yes. I guess there’s a few more witches and warlocks outside of the big cities.”

  “How’d you find me?” Asked Sean.

  “Your, your…your car. We got your license plate. Each of us are looking for you,” said the police officer.

  “Good, saves me the trouble of finding you all.”

  “Please, I have a family. A wife, little girl.”

  “Did they sell their souls to the devil too?” The police officer’s heart burst out of his chest, and he fell to the ground dead.

  “That was exciting. Aren’t you going to get rid of his body?”

  “Why? I’m not afraid of humans anymore.”

  “Not even law enforcement?”

  Sean started his engine and got back on the highway.

  Chapter 45-Samael

  Samael stood near the lake of fire, with A’isha holding his hand. They had just made love for the first time. The two stared passionately into each other’s eyes.