Seven Days With A Demon

CHAPTER ONE

SATURDAY

When she opened her eyes, the pain was immediate.

Jennifer's hands flew to her face and covered her eyes. Blocking out the light helped, but only a little. Some of the sun's rays were blocked by the louvered blinds installed over the bedroom windows. But plenty of painful light flowed freely around the edges. Other sunny days hadn't bothered her in the least, but that morning the intensity of the pain caused her to gasp loudly. It felt as though a metal spike had been hammered through her head from temple to temple. From the moment she had awakened she was in agony.

Ted was turned away from her, snuffling quietly. He did not react.

The pain seared her consciousness and stilled her breath. After a few moments the intensity moderated somewhat, but echoes of the pain and the sharpness of the jolt reverberated in her nerve endings. She wanted to turn to one side and cower under the bedclothes, but her body would not respond. Try as she might, her legs were too heavy to move and her torso felt as though it was made of bricks. After several minutes of futility, she let out a loud whimper.

Ted immediately woke up.

He grumbled, then slowly turned over to look at his wife.

Jennifer's hand remained over her eyes. She felt his hand, warm and gentle, touch her wrist, then pull her fingers aside.

Her eyes focused and Ted's face looked just like the Devil himself.  Blood red skin, eyes, hair. Sharp horns, teeth, forked tongue.

She shrieked and twisted away. Her legs tangled in the sheets and she landed with a thud on the floor. Despite the padding of the carpet her skull banged against the minimal pile and she saw stars.

"Honey?"

Jennifer struggled to claw her way out of the bedclothes as the intense pain throbbed in her head.

"Jen?"

She twisted to her right and the tangle loosened. A glance over her shoulder and she caught sight of the Devil again. His hair had turned to fire and his eyes glowed with evil. She tried to scream but her voice was so dry she fell into a coughing fit. For a few seconds she was paralyzed, her hands pressed flat on the carpet, her arms trembling under the strain.

"What the hell?"

She felt his hand on her arm and she tried to pull free. His grip was too strong. She tried to twist free but his fingers remained curled around her shin.

"You're going to hurt yourself," he said by way of warning.

She scrambled to her feet and flailed madly, then tried to make a dash for the door. But as she raced around the foot of the bed she lost her footing and flopped down.

"Hey!"

A moment later she was up again and her hand was on the doorknob. She tried to twist the cheap copper knob, but it wouldn't move. She whimpered again.

"Jen!"

The door suddenly popped open and the edge of the door banged against her skull. Everything went black and she went down in a heap.

The fog was heavy in her mind.

Her eyes opened to allow slits of light, but they refused to focus. Sounds seemed muddled, as if filtered through water.  Indistinct images floated in her eyes and mind as sounds echoed in her ears. She turned her head and recognized the outline of her husband seated to the left.

"I think she might be awake," Ted said in a surprisingly clear voice.

She saw him lean toward her and his face, his normal human face, came into focus.