Devil's Soul

Chapter 29 (a Halloween special: part v)

I think most people can agree death is a rather uncomfortable topic. However, there are certain situations where people may find death to be cause for celebration. The death of a villain is the most common example, and I don’t just mean in fiction. I’m not implying that villains exist as real people (they don’t), but the idea of a villain is very real and essential to the human capacity to find mirth in someone’s death. There are many despicable people in the world, and if you don’t look at them too carefully, you can get away with convincing yourself of their villainous identities. Then when these villains die, you will only have reason to celebrate. But as soon as the edges of the villainous stickers begin to peel away, things start to get uncomfortable.  

No matter how much I wanted to be glad about the Child Corruptor’s end, uncomfortable was the most positive feeling I felt as I watched him die. While I didn’t know anything about him beyond his hobby of corrupting and murdering children, I still found his death strikingly eerie.

Maybe it’s because I knew that if I wasn’t careful, I could end up just like him.

Luckily, I was quickly distracted from his death when the children regained their freewill. They took in their surroundings, too dazed and frightened to move from their spots.

“Why are we in the scary place again?” one of them asked, shifting her medusa hat so she could see around the snakes better.

Geo appeared around the corner of the stairwell, seemingly unfazed by the night’s events. “You were all possessed by the Devil, so I had to perform an exercise-ism on you guys,” she cleverly announced.

The kids spun around to face her and, in consequence, noticed the lifeless Child Corruptor. Desmond had closed the man’s eyes, so he gave off the slight appearance of being asleep.

“Is the bad man dead?” the tiger kid asked.

Geo waved off the suggestion with her hand. “Nah. He’s just sleeping. He was possessed by the Devil too!”

The kids looked at Geo uncertainly.

“Let’s get out of here! This place is creepy!” she said and led the children back upstairs before they could think more about the situation.

I looked down at Abhinav, who was still crouching and picking at the lock. “Um, do you need help with that?” I asked.

“I’ve got it,” he mumbled unconvincingly.

No-Face approached him and held out his hand, palm facing upward. As he pushed his hand forward, he made soft grunting noises.

Abhinav peeked over his shoulder to see what Chung was going on about, but he was not amused. “I don’t need a key, Chung,” he said. “I can pick the lock.”

A key certainly explained why Desmond had been released so much sooner than me.

“Come on, Abhinav. Just use a key. Being locked in a cage isn’t exactly fun for me.”

“Don’t ruin the show for the rest of us, bird.” Desmond chimed in, laughing even as he helped the weakened Remy to her feet.

“Don’t you guys have any decency? You need to let me out so we can get Remy home,” I pleaded.

Remy managed a weak smile. “Speak for yourself. I’m enjoying watching this too,” she said.

“Chung, can’t you talk some sense into them?” I demanded.

He shrugged. “We have to wait here until the police arrive, anyway.”

Abhinav was now smiling as he worked, clearly enjoying the fact that everyone had sided with him.