Sympathy For the Devil

17

Before the girl could react, a guttural scream roared from deep in my belly as my diaphragm allowed me to expel as much sound as possible for a lengthy amount of time. The ground shook before me as the house rocked back and forth on its heels. The girl catapulted back as a cacophony of sound reverberated off of the once peacefully still beach.

"Nice trick. But you forgot about me." A voice called. Josh. Shit. His eyes were no longer gray, but a midnight black color leached of warmth. Every injury he had was long gone as he looked brand new. His tan flesh was stitched together and his once wild hair was completely tame right now. He no longer looked like the boyish meathead jock who took my virginity. He looked more dignified and dangerous. 

"And you forgot about me." Uncle Charlie struck a steak knife in Josh's jugular as he appeared in front of the door. Black blood pooled around the surface of his neck. His neck hung limply as Uncle Charlie picked up Josh's body using the knife to his advantage.

"Don't." I pleaded. "I don't want him to die again."

Uncle Charlie appeared conflicted, but ultimately nodded. "We will contain him for now, but eventually you must say goodbye. It's not the boy you knew anymore. It's something more sinister inhabiting his body. His soul is long gone."

"You have too many morals, Jellie Belly, I should have known you didn't turn on us, but you owe me a necklace. That was a century old heirloom" Killian wiped off his black shirt that stretched taut against him. Akira had ripped through the fabric with her freshly polished nails. Can't say I'll miss the ironic shirt too much.

"What a mess." Ankou stepped around the spread of bodies and puddles of blood. Each move he made was articulate and calculated. Each footstep pounded heavily on the floorboards that were in shambles. "Killian, you are a fucking disappointment. Not much of a hunter. You have failed miserably." Ankou lowered his hood and looked gravely at us as he whipped his scythe blade to his sides. Bennett stood up and cracked his neck to relieve tension from being knocked down by me earlier.

The Japanese girl was nowhere in sight anymore. They vanished with the darkest shadows. A putrid scent wafted into the stagnant air.

"No, no, no, no, no." Oh God.

I rushed passed Ankou, almost brushing his broad shoulders in passing. "And look who's at the face of trouble."

Tears seeped down my cheeks until my cheeks stained and turned red.

All of the blood of Josh's once human body was draped against the pristinely white living room. Josh's body was treated like a piñata for cannibals.

"If they did this to Josh, what's stopping them from going after my family or everyone and everything I have ever cared about?" I spoke to no one in particular.

"The Sluagh have rules that are embedded in nature. They only go after souls that are expired." Ankou spoke like he was reciting information from a Wikipedia page. He resembles Severus Snape.

"Josh wasn't expired." 

"Either way. You failed him. Time to swallow the fucking medicine and face the music. Arguing with me will get you nowhere."

Ankou bent down towards demon Josh and used his blade to make a cautious precision in Josh's chest. 

"If I can argue with your son, I have no problem arguing with you too. Fix this, Ankou. Please. I am asking nicely and I only do that once."

"I don't do nice. And there is no reversal. Trust me." Ankou tapped his chest where his heart should be as a touch of blue illuminated his chest briefly.

Ankou was killing him all over again until the blade turned the body to pulverized ash. I held onto my head as the tears brimmed. No. No. No. The demon let out a final unpleasant screech as the body laid in a pile of dusty ash on the carpeted floor.