The Demon

The Demon

     Melanie Whitcomb walks into her babies’ room. They are on the floor playing with a ball. They will sit there all day and push that ball back and forth to each other. Mel reaches down and picks up the ball mid-roll getting dour looks from the girls.

     “Now, girls. You know its bath time.” Melanie said smiling.

     “No bath!” the twin girls said as they ran out the room giggling.

     Melanie chased after them giggling herself. She would always let them run around and play chase with them for a bit to tire them out before bed.

     “Stop playing and get in that tub!” A voice yelled from the back room.

     The girls stopped in their tracks and runs into their mother’s arms.

     “You heard, Daddy. Bath time for real now.” Mel said to the girls.

     “Go get your clothes from your beds and come in the bathroom. I’ll have your bath ready. And remember, no playing around this time.”

     The little girls ran down the hallway and went into their room. Annie got her clothes, but Bobbie couldn’t help but look in the corner. Annie grabs Bobbie’s arm as they run by a dark shadow on the way out.

     “Dark man, dark man.” The girls said.

     “Your Daddy is just tired from all the hours. He loves you girls. He’s not a dark man.” Mel said kissing them on their foreheads.

     Melanie put the girls in the tub and as soon as they got in there, they started water fighting. Mel looks on the toilet seat and notices Bobbie didn’t get her pajamas.

    “Mommy is going to run and get your jammies real fast. Do not get out of this tub.”

     Melanie leaves the door wide open and runs down the hall to the girls’ room. She walks in and is confronted by the Dark Shadow. She blinks and is in another world. Nothing but ocher colored mountains and desert surround her. The red sky filled with dark clouds, a demon stands before her.

     “Melanie, I need you do to something for me.” The Demon said.

     “Where am I” Melanie asked.

     “You are in the Next Place.” The Demon said with a smile. “Now I need you to do something. Are you up for it?”

     “This can’t be real. I can’t be here, I have babies in the tub.”

     “Don’t worry about that. Time stops when you are here. They are safe as long as you do something for me.” The Demon said.

     “Well?”

     “You need to kill your husband before he kills you and your girls.” The Demon said.

     “He would never hurt us.”

     “You know he will too. I know you been telling yourself it’s just the hours and that he’s just in a mood, but he has dark intentions.”

     “No. I am not doing anything to hurt him. He is just tired and likes his space.”

     “Do you want him to keep torturing you and your girls? He will kill you all eventually” The Demon said.

     “Stop! I want to go back home! I will never hurt him!” Melanie screamed.

     “Fine. But you will never see your babies again.” The Demon said coldly.

     She was back in the cold room with goosebumps covering her whole body. Melanie runs to the bathroom, but the door is closed. As soon as she grabs the door knob and swings the door open, she goes blind.

The End