Birthday of a Demon Theresa Woodward
Birthday of a Demon
By: Theresa Woodward
There is a cave at the shrine I work at. The door has black gold bars across it, and rocks all around. My grandfather says that both those items are for caution. At this shrine, we keep a demon locked up.
My brother says that the demon has seven arms, ten legs, millions of eyes, and horrible teeth. He saw the demon once when they locked him away. No one ever tells me how they managed to lock such a creature away. I think the reason no one tells me is because in the battle they lost all of the females in the family. When none were left that must have satisfied him. My grandfather said that he murders the women because no one will ever love him. I feel horrible for him.
But there really is no reason to feel sorry for him. Everyday on the day that so many years ago he was sealed away the demon is feed the first child born each day. In our county ( we have a small country is no biger then a little western town in the old USA) no one wants to have their baby born on that day but someone always gets unlucky. The doctors don't tell anyone what day their child will probably be born. They are afraid that they will run away with the child.
Today is the birthday of the demon. There is no happiness anywhere. There is no sound; we are all waiting for the first cry of the baby then the cry of the mother. And there it is. The first sound of the day. Then all of the talking starts, everyone must get ready for the sacrifice of the child.
My uncle hustles around telling everyone what to do, he is in charge of the ceremony. My father hustles around getting other things ready he is in charge of the sacrifice. And my grandfather makes sure that everyone is great full for what one family is going to give up.
My grandfather is the head of my family. My family consists of ten uncles, 24 male cousins, my father, ten brothers, my grandfather and me.
Today is the day that everyone is saved. What we do is we wait for the slaves of the demon to come out and take the child. If we hear an awful eating sound we know that the demon is feasting, but sometimes the child comes back out with it's legs or arms missing. That is when the pain for the demon leaves me and I realize that he is truly a monster.
The child that is to be sacrificed today is our next-door neiber's new child. That horibal monster is going to eat that new born child again. If that creature ever gets out I'm going to destroy him.
My father walked over to me and told me "I know that you really are upset but we can't do anything till that creature comes out."
"But", I said, "that horibal creature deserves to die."
"You need to relax. The time will come one day."
"Yes father"
Then a boy about 15, my age, came up and asked me, "What's going on"
"You're not from around here are you?"
"No"
He had long silver hair and the most beautiful purple eyes that I have ever seen.
"Well this is the birthday of the demon, every year on It's birthday my family, the keeper of this shrine, feed a child to the demon."
"Why"
"Just cause" I snaped
"You don't have to be so crule to me"
I just noticed that I had been harsh on him.
"I'm so sorry I'm just… well…sorry…"
"You don't have to be sorry. I know how you feel I lost my whole life to a demon. Your nice neibors across the street just adopted me."
Then I noticed that he had an accent from some southern place. "That's good," I said, "Jim and Carry have been wanting a child but everytime they try something goes wrong."
"They just had a child feed to the demon last year." Racal, my friend from school, said.
"Well it was hard on them" Jamie, another friend, said, "I never thought that they would stop trying and just adopt a child."
"It's still good that you are here. Where are you going to school?", I said.
"I'll be going to Dachuan academy." The boy said
"Sweet," Racal, Jamie, and I said together. "That's where we go."
"I will see you tomarow then. Bye."
"Hey see you later Dylan." Jamie and Racal said
"See ya" I said.
Finally it was time to start the sacrifice. The torches we lit and the child's mother was gaged so that she didn't cry out. That would ruin the sacrifice. My grandfather opened the door to the cave and wisled, three time, like useal. The demon slaves came and whispered something in his ear. Then Grandfather turn around and said, "The demon has decied to punish himself by not feasting this year. Your child is safe. Since the sacrifice was not finished we will not have any festivitys this year Goodbye everyone, have a safe trip home.
When everyone left my family sat down at our table to eat. There was chicken, lama, fish, ostrage, deer, pelecan, and buffolo meats. There was every kind of fruit that you could image. And the desserts were endless.
Well we were feasting my grandfather asked if we saw anything new today. One of my uncles stood up and said that we should have prtended to feed the child to the demon then went in and finish it later. No one agreed with him.
Then I stood up and said, " I learned that Jim and Carry just adopted a 15 year old who lost his entire life to a demon."
"What does the kid look like," my brother asked me
"Well, he has long silver hair and perfect purple eyes. He has some sort of southern accent but I can't figure out where he is from. He is going to go to Dachuan Academy. And he hates demons."
"That's good to know that there really is someone out there that you can relate to." My grandfather said.
"I think that he should stay away from that boy just cause the demon kept getting their child." The uncle who stood up originally said.
"I'll get to know him and then make my decision." I said
When dinner was over we all went to bed without bathing. That was defently a nono when there was women around.
The next day I put on a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt that said down with demons. This is what we were supossed to where the day after the sacrifice even if there was no sacrifice. You could where any color top as long as it said down with demons.
The new boy wore a black shirt that said down with demons in gold so it symbolized the black gold which the demon hated. I walked over to him and said "Hey, I didn't catch your name."
"That's cause I didn't throw it." He said
A guy walking by said, "Dylan, you just got burned by a southerner dood."
"Ok, what is your name." I asked the southerner.
"You can wait just like everyone else till class."
" It's the first day of 10th grade no one is going to make us go around and tell everyone our names."
"You just wait and see what Mrs. Falnox does. See ya later."
"Ya se ya."
As soon as school started I saw him in my first class, and then all of the rest of the day. Finaly we got to Mrs. Falnox's class.
"Ok new be, what do you mean we are supposed to wait and see in this class. I don't see anything out of the ordinary." I said.
"You need to wait a little longer. Then you will see." He said.
Right at that moment Mrs. Falnox walked in. the first thing she said was "To start off a good year push all the tables to the side of the room. Then sit in a circle on the ground."
"How did you know that was going to happen?" I asked the boy.
"Easy, all the upperclass men were talking about how sorry they feel for the 10th grades that go Mrs. Falnox, because she treats us like we are in 4k." He said
"Oh no, my brothers warned me about her but they forgot her name I guess because they said Miss Jamla."
"That was her name and then she got married."
"Great this is officaly going to be the worst year ever."
"I've had worse."
"Imposable."
"No not really when you are me. Remember I'm adopted. My mother died shortly after I was born and my father was killed in a bombing of our villiage. The funny thing was that the bombing killed only the person it was suppose to kill. Even though there were tons of bombs and lots of people should of died. I guess that is fate, right. Hey are you listening. I've just told you something very little people will ever hear and you're not even listening."
"Oh sorry I must have zoned out when you said bombing."
"Ya ya lets just sit down."
Why did he have to be from the village that our county bombed during the war 10 years ago. I should have known when I saw the silver hair and purple eyes. But he didn't have the black steek that symbolizes him as a person from Isubana.
"Hey you there." He said. "I'ts your turn to tell your name, age, birthday, and where you were born."
"Oh," I said, "Hi, I'm Dylan Xorciam I'm 15, my birthday is 12/11/12, and I was born here in Camtolans."
"Its nice to meet you Dylan." Mrs. Falnox said. "Your next" and she pointed at him. Good I finally get to learn his name. I thought.
"Hi my name is Ace Zenbros, I'm 15, my birthday is 12/12/12, and I was born in Isubana." He said.
Everyone gasped at his birthday and where he was born.
"You can't be from there." Aomeone said.
"Your birthday is that day." Another person said.
"How are you the same age as the demon sealed away."
"NO one from Isubana is alive anymore, we destroyed that place in a bombing attack." One kid said.
"Ok class is dismissed." Mrs. Falnox said.
When we left everyone crowded around Ace wanting to know what he had seen the day his villiage was bombed. Jamie, Racal and I decied that to many people were crowding around him so we grabed his arms and ran all the way to where Jamie's limo was waiting to pick us up.
Once inside the limo Racal started asking questions. "Hey Ace," He said. "Why would you come to a county that destroyed your village. That's so stupid dude."
"Stop asking him questions about his past we brought him in here so that he could get away from all of the questions." Jamie said.
"It's ok," Ace said, " I'm used to it. Everywhere I go people ask me questions about those sorts of things. Ask me anything that you want."
"Ok," Jamie said, "Why don't you have a black streak in your hair like the history books say you should?"
"That's easy," He said " I have it covered up with other silver hair so that you can only see it when my hair is let loose."
"You must take some time in doing your hair if you have to cover it up." Racal said.
"Not really," Ace relpied, "after so many years it's natural to put it up this way."
"You should come over and celebrate the festival of the extinct races with us." I said.
"Ok, sounds like fun." Ace said.
"Well," the driver said, "we are at Master Dylan's house I will pick Mistress Jamie up a midnight."
"Se ya later Ringo." Jamie said.
"Goodbye mistress." Ringo said.
As we all walked up to my house Racal asked, "You never ansered the question about why you came here and didn't take any other adoption offers?"
"Oh," Ace said, "Well not very many people want to adopt a 15 year old tenager that isn't there race, so this was the first opertunity to get out of the orphanage. I would have been stupid to not have taken it."
"Ok," Racal said, "I guess I would live with people that helped kill my people too if I was in your place."
"It doesn't really matter what other people would do. This is my life not theirs and I need to make the best of it." Ace said.
"That is very inspiring, boy." A mysterious voice said.
"Uncle," I said.
"OOOOO I don't like this guy." Racal whispered to Ace.
"Does anyone," Jamie said quietly.
"No matter how quiet you talk I can still hear you if I am behind you." My uncle said. Then someone's hand reached out to grab Ace but before that could happen Ace grabed his hand and made him give up before he even thought about letting go.
When another person in the shadows realized Uncle was getting his but kicked, his son steped in to help but got beat just as badly as his father did, if not worse. "Stop it, all of you, this is a time of peace and thanks giving for all we have sacrificed to make our masters happy. Let us regoce and give thanks." My grandfather said.
"Sorry sir," Ace said, "I'm just used to having to defend myself from people that sneak up on me."
"That is fine," he awnsered, "if you need to fight make sure it is always part of self defense never self awfecse. That is the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter. Next to practice."
"Agreed sir," Ace said, "Sorry but I really have to be home now. Jim and Carry don't like it if I'm out to late. They don't trust the dark very much but that's understandable after all they have been through. But it's nice to have someone who cares about me like a family. I haven't had one of those for sometime now."
"You are welcome here anytime you would like." Grandfather said.
"See ya." Ace awnserded oveer his back as he left.
"I like that kid," Grandfather said once Ace was gone.
"I don't," Uncle said.
"I don't care what either of you think. Truly it only matters what I think of him, doesn't it?" I said.
"Yes you are right it is your choice who you put your trust in. choose wisely my grandson." Grandpa said.
"I think you should chose for the child." Uncle grumbled.
"What you think is not what I think." I said. Then I realixed I had just smarted off to a man that had way more power over me. It came so fast I didn't know what was going on. My uncle slaped me so hard I fell to the ground.
"I'm your elder you don't sase back of to me." Uncle said.
"You shouldn't hit other people's children." Another voice from the dark said. My father steped out from the shadows, "And you," he said to me, "Respect your elders."
"You know, " My uncle said, "Some times you get on my nerves, little brother."
"I will punish my son without your help." My father said, "Racal and Jamie I'm so sorry but could you please go home I will have my son drive you home. And you," He said to me, "You are I so much trouble. Lets go."
"Yes father," I said. "Se ya Jamie and Racal."
"Bye," they both said. As they walked down the drive way I could feel my father's, my uncle's, and my grandfather's eyes watching me.
"I know I did some thing wrong, but do I really need to be grounded for this?" I asked.
"Yes," They all said together. Then my father grabed my arm and dragged me back toward were my part of the family lives. He sat me down and said, "You and I both know that you need to act more responsible around other people, you need to set an example."
"Dad, I really don't want to."
"That sucks cause that's how your life is going to go."
"Why does everyone else have and eaisy time at life."
"You think your life is hard, did you listen to a thing Ace said?"
"No."
"I will go and get him so you can learn how hard life really is." With that he walked out the door. As I sat there waiting for him to come back I felt as if I really did have the bad end of the stick.
The door flung open and in walked my father with Ace. "Hear talk to him about how hard life can really be. Not just the way you think it but the way it really is." Father said. Then he left.
"What do I need to know about how hard life is. My life is hard enuf, no mom to be around. Not the food I like. And not..."
"If there is nothing you need to know about how hard real life is then I'm going to go back to bed, we are going to have a pop quiz on how life is suppose to work, things like what is hard, what's easy, and how to succide in your goals for life." He said
"Ace I'm sorry," I said, " I need your help. My dad said if I don't ace the first test in each class I'm grounded for the rest of the year."
"How can I help you?"
"You seem to know what's going to happen before it happens. You must know what's going to be on that test, that way you can help me study. My dad can arrange it that you can stay here for the next week to help me incase of tests and things like that. You know."
"I don't know, I really should be getting…"
"No please help me."
"Fine."
"Yes,"
We sat there for a little bit. When he didn't say any thing I looked at him funny. "What?" right as he said that my uncle walked in. Not the one that doesn't like Ace but the one that completely adores him and if he was ever up for adoption my uncle would have him in about two minutes. But Jim and Carry adore Ace even more. I think.
"Hi boys what's up?" He said.
"Ace is suppose to help me study, but he has only said 'what'." I said.
Instead of helping me with this situtation he turned to Ace. "Here Ace do you need anything, pie, candy, soda, popcorn, blankets, writing utesels, note books…" my uncle said
"well I guess you could.." Ace said
"Good I'll get you everything." He said then my uncle left.
"He adores you." I said
"Ya, I know."
Then the screaming started.
"What was that" I said. Ace proably didn't even hear what I said he was out the door as fast as possiable. Once we wer out the door we could see what was happening. Jamie and Racal had been attacked by a Octodemon, and eight legged demon that looks like an octopus. My uncles all lay on the ground exept for the on that really hated Ace. My brothers and cousin were also all over the ground but my father was still standing but he looked like he could fall any second.
"Jack what now." My uncle called.
"You tell me you're the one that's fought this before." My father yelled.
"Your no help, Jack. I'd do this myself but I only remember that you need more than one person last time we had nine people."
"Well obviously we have two of us."
"Don't count out the pipsqueak and the demon weapon."
"What?!" I yelled.
"Sorry I called you a pipsqueak." Uncle screamed in his sarcastic tone.
"No I could care less about that right now. What do you mean the deamon weapon?"
"Oh you don't know." His gaze flipped to Ace. "If only I could use mine right now."
"What?" Ace snapped "You think I'd help you" a smirk appeared on his face. "Ha id like to see you try to get me to help you. The only way I will is if well think of it yourself"
"Great I forgot his demon wepon is the deamon with an attitude problem."
"Really I have the problem." Ace said sarcasticly.
"Your such a stupid demon you know that."
"Stupids not the word I would use"
"Stop being troublesome"
"Ah is the old man upset"
"What are you two talking about" I screamed
"well," uncle said, "as a family curse a demon is born the day after you. This deamon has amazing powers usally only one or two abilities. Then you lock the deamon away for 15 years then you can start training the deamon most of the time you can lock them away easely unless the deamon is just stolen, like yours."
"What do you mean stolen? And what is mine?" I asked
"Stolen since your mother died during child birth she couldn't give birth to a deamon so we went and stole one."
"that's horriable."
"Ha see even he thinks its bad" Ace said
"Fine next time ill think about your feelings." Uncle said
"Wait," I said well looking at Ace, "you're the deamon that they locked away?"
"Yeah I guess I am." He said.
"how dare you be such a . . . " I said befor getting interrupted by my father.
"Yes we can deal with it later since you have no idea how to control a demon weapon give me power over yours." My father said.
"How?"
"Say lats to pa do soca la traap"
and I repeated that as I said it gold bands appeared on Ace's wrists neck ankles forhead ears upper arm and fingers
"No," Ace said, "Why would you give someone control over me? You stupid child."
"Thank you my son" my father said.
I don't even know what happened next all I could think about was that this person that my family trusted had killed off so many people. All of the sudden the monster was on the ground and my father and uncle were takeing racal and Jamie into the house. It took some time for everone to get up and go inside I still hadn't figured anything out but I knew what I had to do.
Slowly I walked up to Ace who stood there in a all of the gold bands. I took out my knife and in one quick motion tried to stab him but he was too fast and caught my hand stopping the knife in mid air. His purple eyes were sad and looked at me like I had betrayed him.
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