Warmth. Tears. Blood. A smile. These are the things haunting me now. I am floating in space while the police stare at my dead body, discussing how it came to this. They know it's Jeff who did this. They'll be after him now, only I don't want him to be locked away. He's my big brother. I love him.
I can still clearly remember why he did this to me.
Screaming outside my room startled me awake, but I closed my eyes again, ignoring whatever noises I just heard. It was most likely Jeff screaming from the pain pills wearing off. When I opened my eyes for a second time, I saw Jeff standing in front of me. Afraid he was going to doing something to me, I pushed myself back in my bed, the headboard digging into my shoulder blades.
Jeff's wide grin looked at me with blood oozing down his face from two fresh cuts coming from the edges of his mouth. His eyes were lidless. He covered my mouth and I squirmed, struggling to get out of his grip, but it was no use. Jeff kept a hold of me and plunged his kitchen knife into my chest, the blade slipping deep into my heart, making a sick popping noise.
"Shh," Jeff said. "Just go to sleep."
I forgive him though. There is no way I could hate my brother.
My body floats here like being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket, calming my worried nerves. There's a hazy glow off to the right of my room. No one notices. The cops keep their noses buried in their little notepads and huddling around in small groups. Turning my head to the right, I feel the narrow light wrapping around me, as if it was beckoning to me, like a lighthouse shinning its light for the sailing ships.
"Child, come here."
I look around me, confused about the voice calling me. It seemed to be coming from the light.
"Yes. This way."
Following the voice, feeling my body grow warmer and warmer, like the stove heating a pot of water. I squirm and twist until the blinding white light wraps around my body and I'm staring at the face of a demon with a twisted face. Scars run down its gray face and black horns protrude from its forehead. Long nails scratch at the chair it sits in. It leans forward, breathing a foul stench into my face.
I squeak and drop to the ground, tucking my knees up to my chin, and squeezing my eyes shut.
"You think I would let you pass on so fast?" It chuckles in a Chucky the doll kind of way.
I pull my knees closer to my chin. "Please, let me go. I didn't do anything to you..."
The demon brings a greasy, scaled hand to my face, brushing my tears away. A low purr escapes its waxed lips. "I will make a deal with you."
The way he looks at me with those burning red eyes gives me chills. I nod weakly.
"Become a demon and live again. When the time comes, you will repay me. What do you say?"
I stare up into its eyes. "What do I call you?"
"Lucifer."
"Lucifer...why do you want me to do this?"
The demon scratches his chin.
"Hmm...well, you have something precious of mine. So, I will repeat myself: when the time comes, you will repay me. That is all. I'll have Zalgo lead you pits."
He waves his hand at me, ushering me away. A tall man with paper white skin, smooth as glass, for a face and charcoal gray skin from his torso down walks over to me. His eyes are the taste of chili flakes, candy and heavy cream. The smoothness of satin, the pain of a burnt fingertip, and he warmth of a sunset. The smell of roses and cinnamon. The sound of a violin, playing a slow song. The soothingness of warm water. They seemed gentle enough for me to trust. But the liquid running from his eyes...it is the taste of iron mixed with a freshly cut steel plate smell. The dried flecks are copper, but the wet stuff is like a small stream, branching off in many directions across the land. Two stone horns protrude from the sides of his head, creating a ram look to him, but also having rose thorns poke their way out of them.
"You are to get ready. Before you get in the pit, strip down. After that, climb into the pit. You will have about one minute before the pit lights up."
He doesn't wait for me to completely strip down and shoves me into the pit. I lay there in silence, my head spinning. The screams begin to echo around me. I shiver and wait in silence. I know the flames are almost here.
I've had this little story for a while now and didn't know what it belonged with, but I think it goes better with this story than any other story.