Chapter 20 Redemption for a Demon

I promised you guys that this chapter would be more redemptive and as such it is. I think you guys will like the new touch of light, and K.W. Lycan? Are you still reading this story? If you are, after reading this chapter, is the story getting better, if not, what would you suggest I do to make it better for you? Yes, happy thanksgiving everyone. Oh, and lijay, the sprites don't know about the Goddess' plan. Remember, he told the blue one, but that was only before the Blue one was killed. The other sprites are still oblivious. As for Gotz, well he will be an important Character later, so just keep reading.

The Kappa sank down to the bottom of the lake. A long, deep slash stretched down the front of its chest, advertising the mortality of this creature to the entire world. The Kappa crumpled to the floor of the lake, and looked down at its deep wound. The creature of the lake was losing blood quickly, and it had to do something quick if it wanted to stop the bleeding.

The Kappa closed its eyes, and began calling out to its master. Calling out for help. Its master heard its cries. Soon the Kappa felt its skin knitting up, and its flesh healing. Soon the wound had healed, and the Kappa had regained all of its strength. The voice of its Master then reentered its head.

'Know this. I am not doing this for you. I do it because I want your task completed. I can easily take your life away from you again. Complete your task, and I will let you live.'

Rick stood in the forest with Karen, his childhood friend. They were reminiscing about all the carefree days they spent together out here in the forest.

"Remember how we used to play out here in the forest?" Rick asked smiling at the fond memories. "You used to wrestle with me out here. Don't you remember. I was never able to beat you."

Karen's expression changed from happiness to fear and severe unhappiness that the memory had been resurfaced. She had spent her life hiding from it.

"I don't remember it," Karen said rather decisively.

"You don't?" Rick asked giving Karen a strange look. "Don't you remember how I would cry when you threw me to the ground?"

"I said I don't!" Karen shouted, close to tears now. "And that is my final answer!"

With that, she turned around, and ran from the forest.

"Hey!" Rick shouted. "Where are you going? Wait for me."

But Karen wouldn't wait. She ran through the forest, ran through the village, and didn't stop until she was back at home in her room with the door locked behind her. Karen collapsed on her bed, and began crying. The memories. They can be happy, and make you feel better than ever before, and make you wish that you were still in the past. But they could also destroy you at the very mention of them. They could also show you your true self, and your true self was too terrifying to think of.

Yes, Karen remembered what Rick had described vividly. She remembered the unholy rage which had overtaken her. The incredible strength which she had suddenly acquired. How she had hurt Rick, badly, when he had done nothing wrong.

"It wasn't me!" Karen shouted at the pillow. "It was Darkfor! He promised to be my friend forever! He promised to look out for me! And then he made me hurt my friends!"

Karen pushed her face into her pillow, and cried her heart out. Karen wasn't a sensitive person. She could withstand pain, and insults. She rarely cried. But this memory brought all the sadness which was bottled up inside right up to the surface. Karen wouldn't admit it to herself. She had been lied too. She had been used. She no longer had control of the situation.

Rick walked through the town, searching for Karen. He was surprised at her behavior. She had never ever acted like this in her entire life. And Rick was the one to ask about Karen. He had known her for years. Ever since they were four year old children. Rick wondered what was wrong. Why did Karen want to hide it? Rick barely remembered the memories of the two of them wrestling. He just remembered always losing, and crying when he lost.

"I was so immature back then," Rick said to himself. "I couldn't accept the fact that I lost. I was a bad sport."

But something deep inside him told him otherwise. Maybe it was some vestigial memory from the past that he had blocked out because it was painful. Something told him that in the memory, he was crying from extreme pain, not because he was sad that he had lost.

Rick's thoughts were scattered when he saw Kai standing in front of him on the path. Rick immediately scowled at Rick. Kai smiled, but his smile froze when he saw Rick's hateful expression.

"What do you want?" Rick snapped.

"Since I left last spring, I... I thought about who I was. I rethought who I was, and now I know that I have been a jerk. I am sorry for all that I have done to you. It wasn't right. Now I see how I was wrong. I know you don't approve of me dating your daughter, and I respect that, because now I understand who I used to be. And I am sorry for it. Will you forgive me?"

Rick's hardened features almost melted when he looked upon Kai's caring look. But Rick then reminded himself of who Kai had been.

"Kai," Rick said reasserting his deep glare. "The wounds you have given me can never heal."

With that, Rick kept walking, bumping shoulders with Kai as he left. Kai stood his ground, never moving. He then began to realize how he was doomed to never be forgiven. At least not by Rick. That was hard to swallow, for even God would forgive Kai for who he had been. But Rick would not dispel of his grudge.

After my battle with the lake creature, I decided to go visit some of the people in the town, and try and ask them if they knew anything about the creature. My first stop was the Yodel Ranch.

"Hello Zach," Barley said as I entered.

"Hey Barley," I said as I entered. "Say, have you ever heard of anything that lives in the big lake out in the mountains?"

"Hmm," the elderly man placed a hand under his chin as he began thinking. "No, not really. I know that several types of fish live there."

"No," I said. "I don't mean species of fish. Do you know anything about a... creature that lives there?"

"No," Barley said thoughtfully.

"Well," I said unhappily, "thanks anyways."

"Unless of course you mean the Kappa," Barley said as I turned for the door.

I turned away from the door.

"What is the Kappa?" I asked him. "I seem to recall hearing about a mythical creature known as the Kappa."

"Well," Barley said, "the Kappa is a legendary creature which is believed to live in our lake. It is sort of like a man, and sort of like a fish. I don't remember much about the legends, but I remember they often were about the Right Hand."

"What is the right hand?" I asked.

"You know, the Goddess is the Head, the Spirits are the Left Hand, the Harvest Sprites are the legs..."

"Yes I know, but what is the Right Hand."

Barley looked at me through his glasses.

"The Kappa..." Barley began. "I... I don't know. Only legends exist of what exactly the Right Hand is. The legends of the Kappa spoke of it as a mighty creature. Some sort of demigod, if you will. The legends of the Right Hand speak of a mighty being which swears allegiance to the Goddess. A mighty demigod. The legends both tie together. I believe that the legends are one in the same. The Kappa is the Right Hand, and the Right Hand is the Kappa. The terms are one and the same."

"The Right Hand is the Kappa," I repeated to myself.

"Does that help?" the old man said smiling.

"Yes," I replied. "Thank you."

I was about to leave, when I heard a quiet voice from the other room speaking.

"He will see the Kappa again some day," said the voice.

I turned around, and looked at Barley.

"What was that?" I asked.

Barley smiled a loving smile.

"That's May," he said. "She plays with these cards that she got for her Birthday one year from Carter. I don't understand any of it, but she certainly enjoys playing with them. Its really quite funny to watch. She thinks she can tell the future with them."

A feeling of uneasiness flashed through my soul. Read the future? Sounded definitely occultic. I remembered all the warnings in the Bible about fortune tellers and witches. The two of them both worked for the same master. And that master was Satan. I remembered the story about Paul. How he had met a slave girl who could read the future. Then he realized that she was demon possessed. When he called the demon out of her, she lost her ability to foretell the future, for the demon was responsible for that. I began praying that May didn't have an evil spirit in her, slowly poisoning her soul. But perhaps she did.

I entered the room to see May sitting on the floor dealing out a deck of cards. She put three cards in front of her, and then three more right across from her as if she was passing them out to an imaginary person. On the back of the cards their lay a picture of the Harvest Goddess. May spoke silently, never looking up at me.

"By this good earth, created by the Goddess. By the good powers of the Spirits. By the forces of this island. Spirits of the Mountains. Spirits of the Forest. Spirits of the lake. Tell me the future!"

May then bowed down before the cards which she had dealt across from her. Then, without looking up, May reached across and began pulling the three other cards to her.

"Oh Goddess," she chanted. "Put the voice of the future in these cards. Put the voice of all that will happen. Show me what will happen!"

May then shuffled those cards with her cards, and then pulled out three random cards, and turned them face up on the ground. May then lifted her head up, and looked upon the strange symbols which were printed on the cards. I couldn't figure out what they were supposed to mean, but May seemed to understand them.

"Oh he did, did he?" May said as she looked at the cards. "The Right Hand will recover from this. The Kappa will take revenge. I see sadness. The Spirits will deal with her in due time. Karen is having regrets. Darkfor will keep fighting. I see darkness. I see little happiness. We will endure."

"May?" I said, trying to put an end to the little ritual she was performing down on the floor. May was Barley's Granddaughter. She was a very cheerful little girl, and I found it hard to see this in the girl that I now looked upon.

"Hello Zach!" May said happily as she looked up from her cards while speaking in a voice much different than before.

"Hello," I said smiling affectionately down at the little girl. "Say, what are you doing with those cards?"

"Seeing the future!" May said with the typical enthusiasm that children commonly had.

"How... how do you see the future?" I asked.

"The Spirits tell me through these cards," May said as she pushed back her dark brown hair. "All I have to do is move aside, and give room for them to move in. Move aside, and give room for them to move in."

That must have sounded so cute to Barley, or anyone else, but to me, it sounded like the clang of an executioner's axe. Move aside and give room. That sounded like she was allowing demons to come into her body willingly. Shock overcame me, and I gasped in horror. Why God why? How could you allow a poor little girl to be taken by these lies? She was innocent. May didn't know what she was getting herself into. She didn't even know what these Spirits were.

Then all of a sudden I could see the Spirits around her. Dark shadows hovering over her soul, slowly moving into her body. All three of them were reaching into her soul, slowly moving in, alongside her spirit. They cackled evilly as May's soul moved aside, and they moved in further. Soon they would control her whole body. They then looked up at me, with hateful eyes glaring. They smirked at me as if to say: "See our power? See our might? Even children are not safe from our touch."

That was enough for me. I ran all the way home, fighting the desire to throw myself down on the cold pavement, and cry my heart out. I ran inside my house, and collapsed onto the floor and began crying. I lay there, in horror with what I had seen. She was a little girl. She was innocent. And yet, she was being taken by demons.

"Why God?" I cried out as I wept. "Why? Why do you allow demons to take little children? Why don't you protect them."

'You know that I can't do that. You know that they will not let me into their hearts. You know they won't accept me? The refuse all help I can offer. And that includes my protection.'

I fell face first against the wooden floor and continued crying. Now I saw the evil of the Goddess. She lured in people when they were small, impressionable children. Soon they would be caught, and it wouldn't be easy to escape again.

As Zach wept, another person wept as well. A bright figure in a robe knelt beside the farmer, and held him tightly. The man was God. God hugged Zach tightly to him, and wept with him. His strong arms embraced the farmer as he fought through his despair. As Zach broke down, and wondered how Satan could target children, God lifted him back up, and whispered words of encouragement into his ear. Zach looked up at heaven, and cried out again. God helped Zach get back to his feet, and half led, half carried Zach over to his bed.

I struggled to my feet, all the while crying. It was strange. Before it seemed like all this would be easily solved. Now, my life seemed meaningless, and it seemed as if I could do nothing to prevent evil from taking this poor village. I found new strength, and stumbled over to my bed.

"Back I say!" Gotz continued shouting at Cliff.

Cliff began to get concerned.

"Maybe I should go get the doctor," Cliff said. "Do you want me to get the doctor?"

Gotz didn't answer, so Cliff approached the door.

"GET BACK!" Gotz shouted again, and Cliff backed off.

"What do you want me to do?" Cliff asked Gotz.

Gotz didn't answer, but he seemed to get an idea. Gotz stood back up, and took a step towards Cliff.

"Spirit!" he shouted at Cliff. "I rebuke you! I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!"

Cliff suddenly felt fear overcome his soul. He had no idea why, but it felt as if a part of him was being threatened by the very words of Gotz.

"I command you spirit!" Gotz shouted. "I command you... demon! I command you to come out of this boy! COME OUT OF THIS BOY! Go! And take away the voice of Satan with you!"

Gotz was no longer the one afraid. Cliff was now afraid. He had to get out of the room. All of a sudden Cliff leaped off of the bed, and ran out the door. Gotz watched him go, and suddenly felt stronger than he did before.

I can do it! he thought happily. I can stand up to them!

But was this new power he had really for good? Or had the old farmer been as messed up as people had said?

That night Ann slept peacefully in her room of the Inn, completely oblivious to the darkness which hovered all around her home. It surrounded the Inn, leaving a dark aurora encircling the building. It stealthily moved around all the walls, peeking through every window and creeping through the yard. This building belonged to it. The darkness owned the place.

Yes. Ann slept on. Oblivious to all this. Completely unaware of all the darkness. But luckily, through all this darkness, a thread of light passed through. In a gray dream world, Ann saw a figure step forward. The man was dressed in white, and bright light shone all around him. She could see his face, but afterwards she could never describe how it looked.

"My child," the figure said. "Why can't we ever be together?"

Ann felt as if she had known this man for years, even though she had just met him a few seconds ago. In truth, she felt connected with this man, the way a child feels for a parent.

"Why don't you allow me to be with you?" the figure said, in a voice that sounded close to tears. "I have wanted for so long to be with you, but you will never allow me to."

"Why don't you come to the Inn?" Ann asked. "I don't know who you are, but I live there. Who are you? Why do I feel like I have met you before?"

"My daughter, it is because I was with you as long as you would allow me to be. Why can't I visit you anymore?"

Ann began to wonder if perhaps this man was a person who had known her when she was a baby.

"You can visit me whenever you want?" Ann said, confused.

The man shook his head.

"You say that, yet you still drive me away. When will you let me in?"

Ann was speechless, so the man continued.

"I stand at the door to your heart and knock. When will you open up, and let me in?"

"I-"

Suddenly Ann saw a vision of a man being nailed to a cross back when the Roman Empire ruled much of Europe and Asia. The cross was hoisted up into the air, and the man slowly began to die. Ann felt pity for the man who was being killed, and even wished that she could pull him down from there. Then the vision ended and the man appeared before her again.

"I went through all that for you. I was beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross. I did it for a kingdom, for a King, but I also did it for you. Then I died like that, and rose again from the dead. But still, you don't accept me, even as your friend."

Ann then realized who this man was.

"Are you... are you Jesus?"

"That is my name, but what is a name?" the man said. "I have been called the Savior, the Messiah, Christ, Jesus, the Lamb of God, and other names. But names do not matter. Like you my daughter. Your name is Ann. But you would be accepted no matter what your name was. He would still love you. As would I."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that God was referring to Zach.

"Your Father created you, and He created you for a purpose. In the beginning I was with the Father. Will you fulfill your purpose?"

"I'm... I'm not... I'm not sure that I believe in you," Ann said, only now realizing what a sad excuse that was.

The man sighed, and his shoulders slumped back. Then he looked back into her eyes, his gaze piercing into her soul.

"You know I exist," he said. "Deep down you know it. Search your heart. Talk to Zach. He loves you, and wants what is best for you. He is the messenger. I am the gate. No one makes it to eternal happiness except through me. You must realize it daughter. You must realize this daughter. Farewell"

"Wait!" Ann shouted. Jesus turned and looked at her. "Will I ever see you again?"

"That is all up to you my child," God said before turning and walking off into the gray clouds. But as he walked, tears fell down from his eyes slowly, and quietly.

In my bed, I slept through the night as dreams of what I had seen this day flashed through my mind. Visions of those Evil Spirits forcing their way into May's fragile body haunted my rest. Her small voice, crying out not in pain, or in terror, but in bliss. Pure bliss. Satan came dressed like a mighty Angel, but inside, he was dark and evil. He was not one to be judged by his appearance. But he often was.

I watched helplessly as I saw the Spirits again. Floating all around her body like a cloud of darkness. I wanted so much to tear those Spirits away. I wanted so much to chase them away from the poor girl, and stop them from harming her soul.

'You can help her,' said a familiar voice. 'Help her. Chase the demons away. You have my authority.'

I stepped towards her, but then suddenly had doubts.

'Rebuke them. You have my authority.'

My doubts began to fade. I knew that God would never lie to me.

"Spirits!" I said commandingly at the void like demons which surrounded her.

The Spirits then turned and faced me.

"I... I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," I said quietly.

The Spirits glared back at me, before turning back to the little girl.

"I command you Spirits!" I said, with more confidence this time. "I command you in the name of Jesus to leave this girl!"

That got their attention. The demons turned, and stared me down.

'Who are you?' one of the demons hissed.

"I am a witness of God," I said to the Spirit.

One demon looked up in utter fear when it heard me say that I was a witness. The other two just sneered at me.

'A witness!' a different Spirit shouted.

"In the name of God!" I shouted. "Spirits! Leave this girl and take the lies of Satan with you!"

'Don't say that word!' the cried out.

"In the name of the Cross!" I shouted. "Leave this child."

'We will not leave our only home!" one cried. "We will not obey you!'

"You will obey God!" I shouted again.

The demons' eyes all widened as they listened to my words.

They all looked at each other, and nodded.

'Kill him,' one said calmly, as if this was normal behavior.

Before I could react, all three demons leaped upon me, and began slashing my soul with their claws. I was knocked back by their attacks, but recovered quickly.

"Back Spirits!" I cried out through my spiritual pain. "IN THE NAME OF JESUS! LEAVE MY SOUL ALONE!"

The Spirits all retreated back to May, looking fearfully at me as I got back up to my feet.

"Demons," I said coolly, addressing all of them at once. "I command you to leave this girl, and go to the pit of Hell."

'No!' one cried. 'We will never go to the Abyss!'

"Yes you will!" I counterattacked. "In the name of Jesus you will go to the Pit!"

'Please don't send us there,' they all cried in unison.

"I am sorry," I said calmly, but firmly. "But there is no where else for you to go. This is your fault you know. You rebelled against your Father. You can't go to heaven, and you will not harm anyone on Earth. Go to Hell!"

The Spirits then began crying out blasphemies against God, before disappearing into a dark hole which appeared in their place. But then I saw one Spirit still huddling behind May. It was the one who had looked up fearfully when I had said that I was a witness.

"Go with your brethren," I commanded the demon. "Go to the Abyss in the name of God!"

'Stop!' it shrieked. 'Wait! LET ME SPEAK, PLEASE!'

All of a sudden the demon was speaking nicely to me. I could have commanded the demon into Hell right then, but something stopped me.

"What is it Spirit?" I asked the demon in a firm tone.

The demon cowered back further as I said this.

'I- I don't want to go to the Abyss.'

"Neither did your friends," I said. "Neither do I."

'Please! I am sorry for who I became! I am sorry that I turned away from my father, and joined forces with... Satan!'

"Do you truly mean this?" I asked the Spirit, not wanting to get fooled if it was lying.

I looked into the eyes of the demon, and saw no malicious hate, or evil intentions. Instead, I saw sorrow, and pain. The demons head drooped to the ground as it began moaning.

'I... I really am a bad Spirit. I always wanted more power. So much, that I tried to dethrone...'

"You can say his name now," I said. "You don't have to dread the very mention of it."

'to dethrone... God. Listening to you rebuke us, I realized how evil we truly are. How wrong it was for us to turn against our Creator. Lucifer promised us so much. He promised to give us Heaven, and make us mightier than we were before. I was blinded by his lies. Lucifer fell just as we did, and became Satan. Now all he cares about is revenge. I should never have joined him. Can you help me please, Witness?'

Strangely enough, I felt compassion for this Spirit. He was so much like me. I remembered a time when I had fallen, so to speak, and been taken by sin. I had turned against God, and being a Christian in general. But I later realized how I had been seduced by the lies of Satan, and had fallen, just like the demons. Immediately after I realized this, I fell to my knees before God, and cried out for forgiveness. Now this demon had realized this as well. All that was left for him to do was to go to his father, and confess his sins, and he would be forgiven once again.

"What is your name Spirit?" I asked the cowering demon which floated before me.

'When I fell I was given the name of Sardana. But my real name, the name I was given by God, which I was taught to hate by Satan, is Julius.'

"Well Julius," I said to the Spirit. "You must go back to God," You must go back to your father. You must tell him how you have sinned, and tell him how sorry you are. You must ask him for forgiveness, and he will give it."

The look of despair which covered the demons face turned into a look of hope. The demon then turned, and looked at me.

'I will go back to him. I will tell him how I've been a bad Spirit. I will tell him that I am sorry. I must go now. It has been too long since I have seen my father.'

And when he said the word "father," he said it with more love than I had ever heard anyone ever say that word. I couldn't help but smile at the Spirit.

'Thank you so much Witness,' the Spirit said. 'You have helped me to realize how evil I am. I will never forget you!'

The demon then stretched out its wings, and flew away. And this time, it didn't fly down, or straight, parallel to the ground, like the other Spirits. This time it flew up towards the sky. Towards Heaven.