Devil's Soul

Chapter 25 (a Halloween special: part i)

***Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I thought that the perfect Christmas gift for you guys would be a Halloween special, so here it is. It's a bit longer than I anticipated, so I've broken it up into several parts. Thank you for being so patient with me in waiting for the next chapter! Like Mavis, I also have a college education to attend to. Enjoy and don't forget to vote and/or comment!***

When I was in elementary school, a topic of frequent discussion was pinning down our favorite holidays. Back then, holidays seemed like the most important thing in the world. We lived for them. Perhaps that’s because all of the major holidays in the U.S. have become largely kid-oriented. The rituals require adults to devote an ample amount of both time and money to arrange for the amusement of children. The lore surrounding holidays is treated like truth, but only the young and gullible can enjoy the magic of believing it. It’s true that most holidays have some sort of important and unique foundation, but in the end, all holidays worship one thing: children.

All children have a preference for how they like to be worshiped. For most, their preference is being showered with gifts. My peers in elementary school favored Christmas far above the other holidays. I, on the other hand, was the odd one out. I have always favored Halloween. The idea of becoming something more than I was enthralled me. And it wasn’t just me that got to become something more. The entire world seemed to transform into a supernatural paradise. It would become a place where anything seemed possible, and I’ve always been a sucker for possibilities.

This year was different, though. This year, so much of my October was spent trying to adjust to my new life in a realm of perpetual Halloween (demon drama) that by the time the real day rolled around, I had forgotten all about it.

I can’t think of a better way to be reminded of Halloween than to be scared out of both a pleasant dream and warm covers by a demon with flaming eyes and a crazed grin. I didn’t realize what had happened until I was across the room and breathing like I’d just run a marathon. I’d been brought out of my sleep by an overly enthusiastic “Happy Halloween!”, and I’d woken up to find Desmond’s face hovering over mine. He was laughing, looking quite pleased with himself, as usual. Except something about him was different. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I tried to scrutinize him, but quickly decided that it was too early to be thinking this hard.

I smirked and crossed my arms defensively. “Keep laughing, but one day I’m gonna track down where you live and put you through all the same stuff you’ve pulled on me.”

“Someone’s feisty in the morning,” he mocked.

I blushed, feeling unexpectedly flattered that he would use the word “feisty” to describe me. Then I quickly changed the subject to draw attention away from my reaction. “What’s with your demon eyes?” I asked. His irises were still consumed by orange and red flames.

“It’s Halloween,” he said. “It’s the one day that I get to truly be me and no one will give me shit about it. People just accept me as I am.” He was grinning from ear to ear. “Halloween’s my favorite holiday!”

“It’s mine too,” I said absentmindedly, but he seemed to take this as the best news ever. He surged forward and delivered a friendly slap on my back, making me wince.

“Well, come on then! Let’s see those beautiful eyes of yours!”

I timidly backed away from him, thinking of all the reasons why that sounded like a terrible idea. What if someone out there could recognize demon eyes? What if we were spotted by a demon hunter? What if they tried to kill us?! “Um…are you sure that’s okay?” I asked.

It was then that I realized what was different about him today. His trench coat was nowhere in sight. I’d come to view it as his security blanket. I was surprised to see him so comfortable without it being at least within arm’s reach. Now, he had no way to hide the reversed pentagram on the back of his neck, and he was wearing it with a strange sense of pride.