# body horror?# maggots# religious bs# chris in general
Slowly shifting from unconscious oblivion to conscious oblivion, waking up from a strange sound, almost like scratching. There was a new pain aside from the typical rigor mortis or headache from his head being bashed in, a pain that moved.
He'd been laying there for a few days now, seeing as nobody found his body. In this time, nature was beginning to take its course and flies had begun to gather around his corpse, laying eggs.
He would've gagged, vomited, or screamed if he could've but he was still unable to move. A still but frenzied panic flooded through him, causing his mind to race further beyond his own thoughts and into another's mind.
Though isaiah was hardly the type to speak to currently judging sinners, this one was a special case. Vile enough to escape the pits of hell and become a nearly full fledged demon, this one was about to become a problem. He went to assess the potential threat, almost completely disappointed to find the fear addled corpse below him. Rotting, messy, and worst of all; active. Not so much as an active threat yet, but mentally active. ' Hopefully they calm down before they're released, otherwise they'll blow everything up within the next couple kilometers', he thought to himself. Being able to hear thoughts, this mortal's thoughts were racing between maggots, his mother's situation, his own situation, and what to do. " Y'know, I know angels are supposed to say fear not, but it's okay to be afraid. You did a lot of wrong, your judgement could take several more days."
At first, chris thought he was hallucinating. Hearing another voice in this area was just too weird, especially one so calm, claiming to be an angel. Now his mind suddenly jerked towards the idea of dying again. If he thought the creatures in his head were bad, he couldn't think of actually going to hell right now. Another wave of panic set in, giving Isaiah another migraine.
" After years of watching you try to file out and suppress mortal feelings, I think you could put a little more effort in now so you can listen to me. "
He was listening though, it's not like he could interrupt. Before he could manage to mentally form an argument, isaiah tapped him with his foot. " Hearing and listening are different. Calm down before I just wipe your existence off of-" He had to remind himself threats were not how to deal with fearful mortals, especially seeing as the threat matched the fear. He waited silently for everything to come to a near stop in the other's head. " Better?"
Chris had managed to slow himself down and drown out the scratching sounds in his head enough to reply, finding out it was as easy as a thought. " I don't want to die. I can't yet. I haven't paid the taxes. They're going to take my mother's house. She needs me." He replied relatively calm and composed compared to earlier.
Isaiah almost pitied him, seeing as he feared for someone other than himself. Unfortunately, he can't interfere with the living outside certain circumstances." Your actions have consequences." He replied coldly, deciding to sit down on the nearby bed.
" I know, I know. I would do it all again if I could. " He answered too honestly for Isaiah's comfortability, reminding him what he was dealing with." But my mother is still alive, she shouldn't have to pay for my bullshit."
" She is, but your actions put you in this situation, now putting her in hers." Shaking his head at him, keeping himself to a minimal. " You're probably gonna rip my head off the second I get up, aren't you?" " That was the plan, yes." He knew he was being walked through a sort of scheme by the new demon, presumably an escape plan considering the way he dug for near random bits information. It was somewhat true too. Chris had been trying to feel out for any gaps to push in to get what he wanted . He was scared to die again, but even he knew that was inevitable. Isaiah couldn't sense the intent but knew better than to dismiss it, deciding to humor him, he replied. " Scared?" " Terrified. " He corrected, thinking about what he had read of angels. He knew lying wouldn't do him any good, but he had things to do before the inevitable, preferably soon. With any luck, he'd hopefully get out of this without too much effort." But I know your type isn't unreasonable. What's your name?"
Isaiah thought that was an odd question when discussing how reasonable his kind were, but nonetheless he told him. " Isaiah. "
Chris mentally screamed, he could make this work. Get out of dying again and get his mother stabilized. Snapped back to the current situation, getting nudged by Isaiah's foot again" right here, stop screaming. You're giving me a headache"
" Sorry, just remembered some old studies. Isaiah, culler of demonic entities. Never thought I'd get to meet you out of all of them. Fair fighter, defender of the innocent, the crier. My luck couldn't be better."
Isaiah couldn't roll his eyes any harder. True, they were all his titles, but none of those defended Chris aside from the fair fighting. Even then though, Chris would die the moment he stood.
" Make a deal with me. It's simple, no tricks. I'm not smart enough for any word play, so please don't try any."
'Don't try any word play with him? He's a demon asking an angel for a deal and he's scared of tricks?' he pondered, quickly brushing it off as a human trait of doubt.
" Tell me what you want and I'll think about it."
It was a better chance than what he had before, so he moved on with it. Even he was aware they were in no place to make requests, so he wouldn't push his luck too far." The money order for my mother's place is in my dresser. She didn't do anything wrong but raise me, but I made bad choices on my own. I need you to take it to the bank. Maybe watch her a little longer after I'm gone for real. In return, I won't fight when you choose to cut my head off."
Isaiah would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. Demon or not, chris was indeed human at one point. And like most humans, he had connections to certain others. Less than the normal amount, being the sick creature he was,but relations nonetheless. Isaiah didn't see watching over one mortal as a chore, this deal covered everything he does, helping the mortals, killing the demons, and it was so much easier. " What's the catch?"
" I know I'll never kill you but I've done enough rituals to harm angels even stronger than you. This just achieves both of our goals with less of a fight" Apparently they were both on the same level of thinking, but they both had their own tricks in play. " Alright, consider it done. Don't go back on it after I've delivered." " Does it look like I'm going anywhere?" "You know what I meant. After 500 hundred demons, I think it would be a good time. " Taking the paper and vanishing, leaving chris with more questions than before. ' 500 demons? What does that have to do with anything? ' Several ideas ran through his head but none made sense to him. These questions and ideas were laid to rest as soon as isaiah returned. "I'll get rid of you after you get rid of 500 other demons. I need a vacation and you don't want to double die, so it's at your leisure."
Though happy to learn he wouldn't die any sooner than thought, how was he supposed to pull off 500? This was borderline impossible, he wasn't even able to move yet. Before he could let the feeling of being overwhelmed hit along with being helpless all the while, isaiah kicked him in the side a little harder than before" at your leisure. Do humans just not listen?"
" It's been a long week, y'know. And by the sounds in my skull, I'm half brainless, so do you mind cutting me a little slack here if I missed a word or two?"
"I can't tell if you were serious or sarcastic"
" Y'know, I can't either, so probably both. I'm freaking out but it really has been a long week. Dying is exhausting" Isaiah shook his head, done with his assessment having some control over them now. " See you when you're up and around" returning to their home, leaving Chris to his thoughts once again. " Fuck my life.."
