Creepypasta One-Shots

Strange Changes (Epilogue!Zalgo + OC)

Content Warnings
• Zalgo is a severed head impaled on a stalagmite
• Zalgo is has also been a bad father
• Judas almost cries
Word Count: 1000+
Summary: Judas visits his father Zalgo to let him know some good news, expecting to earn a few pained groans of dissaproval. Zalgo takes it a lot better than Judas wants him to. This creates conflict. Has a sort of bittersweet ending, although nothing bad technically happens.

———

Judas still went down to Hell to visit his father, from time to time. Zalgo had been reduced to a severed head on a pike—still lucid, still speaking, but without any of the advantages having his body gave him. Of course, Judas was still spiteful of him, and the time they spent talking was hardly ever in the demon's favor. The best way to torment him was always to talk about good deeds and family outings. Volunteering at the food bank, helping Splendor with bake sale fundraisers, picking up trash on the highway, those sorts of things. Usually, it earned Judas a groan of disapproval. But that's what he expected. A minuscule part of Judas still loved to make other people hurt, and tormenting his old man with his good deeds was a perfectly moral way to go about getting his fix.

Today was no different.
Judas stood before his fathers impaled head, glaring up at him with a devilish grin that hardly fit the topic of the conversation. Zalgo's enormous head may have almost blended in with the black stone stalagmite it hung off of, if not for the bright red glow of his eyes and inner mouth. He seemed as disinterested as he ever did as Judas began to speak.

"I'm sure you'd like to hear what I've been up to. It's been a long while since we last spoke, father, not that you would know," He teased, "It's impossible to tell the time down here without any allies on the surface."

Zalgo didn't even greet him, he only watched expectantly for his son to continue.

"...Well, after all the good I've done, I'm starting to realize how much of my life was wasted following your orders. My later years in school weren't perfect, but not worth dropping out for. It was you who made that decision for me—rather, it was your voice in my head that compelled me," Judas explained.

"I recall," Zalgo replied. His tone was flat and low.

"Well, I've been thinking now I might pursue my education again. ARC said that if that would keep me on the right moral path, they'd be more than willing to help me get my GED and maybe even go to college."
Judas crossed his arms, waiting for his father's usual protests.

"That's great, Jude," was not the answer he was expecting.

"What?"

"I said that's great," Zalgo repeated, "Have you been keeping your ears clean?"

Judas opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but no words came out. He pressed his lips together tight and stifled a growl, before finding what he wanted to say.
"Your lies don't work on me, anymore. If you're trying to use reverse psychology, then I think you need to learn a few new tricks," He huffed, defiantly turning up his chin.

"I'm being honest. I think going back to school is a great idea, I didn't think you'd ever choose to do that yourself," Zalgo replied. There was still a frustrating lack of any passion in his voice. Surely, if he meant what he said, he would sound more excited for his son. Right?

"You've always underestimated me," Judas spat, "Trying to change your outlook now would be pointless."

"You changed, didn't you?" The demon asked, "Despite everything? Despite how hard I pushed you to be evil? If you could change in the face of adversity, its probable that anyone could. Hell, look how much everyone on the surface has changed over the last three years. Don't you think that means anything, Judas?"

Judas didn't want to believe what he was hearing. No, his father would never want to be kind to anyone. He never even gave his own son the time of day, why would he bother being kinder now? Nothing he could say would change the fact that he's a disembodied head, impaled on a stone spire, deep down in the pits of Hell where no one would ever seek him out. Zalgo would be alone forever, that was certain.

Well, maybe not totally alone. Not as long as Judas kept coming to visit him.
Why did he keep coming back?

"You aren't anything like the family I have now," Judas said, his defiance and confidence now nowhere in sight, "This little scheme of yours is too little, too late. If you wanted me to love you like a father, you should have never made me take the path I did. You should have never tried to kill all of my friends, and the only world they know."

There was silence. Judas stared holes into the ground, he didn't want to see Zalgo's face. If he saw the demon frown, or squint, or so much as whimper, it might have illicited some sympathy out of him. The smell of sulphur and soot swirling around him only further added to his discomfort. He could feel his father's gaze upon him for what felt like years.

It was really only a minute or so.

"I've had so much time to think, Judas. Between your visits, there's no one else. It's deafeningly silent, my own thoughts feel suffocated by the air down here these days. Even if you only come to torment me, you're still someone willing to be with me. And you're still my son."
Zalgo paused, either to breathe or hold in some kind of outburst. Judas didn't look up at him to see.
"If hating me and everything I put you through is what motivates you, I'm glad. There's no future for me, not while I'm like this. I want you to have the future to yourself."

Judas felt a hard lump grow in his throat and his face turn hot. No, no, he refused to let his father see him cry. He'd only belittle him. That's all he'd ever done when his son's human side bled through. Crying is for children. Crying makes you weak.

"You can go if you have to. I understand."

Judas glanced up at his father once more before he teleported home. If he didn't know any better, he might've thought Zalgo looked a touch more gray than usual.

He left before his composure broke.
Change can come at such strange times.