Childhood Demons

When I was 23, my father died. I would have preferred to have nothing to do with his demise. We hadn’t spoken since I left when I was 18, and with good reason. However, he had, for some unfathomable reason, left everything to me. The house where I’d grown up. His small savings account. A mess of different collectables.

I stared up at the house apprehensively. There were a lot of unhappy memories here. However, I knew from my childhood that my father had two addictions: alcohol and valuable collectables. His stamp collection alone might be worth enough to get my dream business off the ground. Add in his baseball cards, his coins, and all the other odds and ends he had no doubt accumulated…

I nodded decisively. Bad memories or no, I’d sort out this mess and sell it all on ebay. Then I’d finally have enough saved up to start my comic book shop cum bakery. I smiled, imagining it. All the comic book shop type merchandise would be up front. Behind that, there’d be an area with tables where people could sit and play games. Behind that would be the bakery area, full of great munchies for the hungry gamer.

I pushed the key into the lock and turned. With a click, the door opened. Memories flooded me as I looked at the entrance hall. There was where I’d dumped my backpack after school. There was the long, mahogany chest that Father had used as a table. When I was little, I’d convinced myself it held a very short vampire. I snorted. I’d been a very imaginative child.

I took a quick tour of the ground. Very little had changed. The furniture was a bit more worn, and had a few more stains. The TV was new. Larger. And apparently, I noted, my father had gotten a bit sloppy about disposing of his bottles. I nudged a half empty beer bottle with my foot. It rocked gently.

Upstairs, I peeked briefly into my father’s bedroom. Same as ever. I could even see the bin of items he’d confisticated from me, gathering dust. My old room, though, was a mess. He’d gotten rid of the bed, and added a few shelves. Boxes were heaped upon the shelves, spilling down onto the floor. More collectables. I sighed. It would take weeks to sort this out.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to go back to work anytime soon. My job as a waitress had ended when the restaurant I’d worked at had gone belly up. Between my savings and the money I’d inherited from my father, I had the cash I needed to support myself for the month or so it would take to get everything listed. And, since it was winter break, I didn’t have school.

I sighed again, and wondered where to start. My father would likely want to keep his favorite stuff close to him, in his room. The favorites would likely be the most valuable. Or I could start wading through the stuff in my old room.

My old room. Memories rose in me again. Nope. Nope. Not going there. I backed out and carefully closed the door. So. I’d start in my father’s room, then.

I worked for several hours before I got hungry. Checking my watch, I realized it was past time for dinner. I ordered a pizza, and then returned to my father’s room.

My eyes found the bin of confiscated items again. Vaguely, I wondered why he’d kept it. He’d gotten rid of pretty much everything else I’d left behind.

I decided to open it and look through my old toys. Perhaps they would trigger some happy memories, memories of before my mom had left. Popping the lid, I looked inside.

Near the top were a pair of handheld gaming systems. My father had bought them for me, and later taken them back in a fit of drunken rage. One was broken. The other was not. I set the broken one in the trash pile and put the other in my stack of potentially sellable items.

Below that were other toys. A barbie. Stuffed animals. A toy truck. I took out a stuffed bunny and smiled wistfully. Penny. She had been my favorite toy when I was little. I’d had tea parties with her and my imaginary friend, Nado. I frowned, trying to remember what I’d thought my imaginary friend looked like. He’d been tall. And red. A giant red bunny, maybe? I smiled, amused by my childhood imagination.

Penny and the other stuffed toys became the beginning of my keep pile. I frowned at the toy truck and the barbie. The barbie was in good condition. Worth something, perhaps? I could check. I stuck it in the potentially sellable pile. Same with the truck. Both would likely end up in the donate pile eventually, but it never hurt to check.

I frowned down into the bin. There was one other item in there. It was a small wooden box, carved with a pentagram. I tried to remember ever owning this item, and could not. Frowning, I opened it. Inside was a dull silver medallion, roughly two inches in diameter. I picked it up, and then immediately dropped it. It was cold!

I realized as it thawed that was actually pretty shiny. The dull appearance had been caused by frost. The swiftly receding frost revealed letters in flowing cursive. My name. So it was mine. I just didn’t remember it.

I picked it up again, and this time it was no colder than any other metal. Flipping it over, saw words engraved on the other side. “Knight of the Crimson Order,” I read. “Denadro.”

Suddenly red light arched out of the pendant. I yelped and dropped it as a figure coalesced out of the red light. Stumbling backward, I tripped and fell on my butt.

The first thing I saw when the figure solidified was enormous crimson hooves, as large as a horse’s but cloven like a goat’s. The legs they were attached to were covered in short, fine red fur. I followed them upward. The fur swiftly thinned out, disappearing entirely around the figure’s knees. The skin beneath was the same shade of red.

As I followed the legs further, I saw that the figure’s thigh muscles were alarmingly large and well defined. Black leather shorts covered the upper thighs, groin area, and butt. Red hands with pointed crimson nails, distinctly masculine, hovered over a belt covered in short knives. A tail with a sharp point lashed behind him.

My shocked gaze traveled further up. The man’s chest and arms were even more well muscled than his legs. Black leather straps criss crossed his chest in a big black X, and batlike wings flared out behind him. Above muscular shoulders was a muscular neck and a face with a hard, cold expression. Two curved crimson horns sprouted from his head.

Crimson eyes widened, and his expression changed from cold to confused. “Emma?”

My disbelief broke. I screamed.

The figure knelt. His hand lifted placatingly. “It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You’re, you’re a demon!” I gasped.

He nodded. “Yes. I am. I’m your demon.” He frowned. “You don’t recognize me?”

Wordlessly, I shook my head. Vaguely, I wondered if I would be more or less freaked out if I didn’t know anything about demons.

His frown deepened. “You don’t recognize me, but you know what demons are?”

I swallowed. “My, my boyfriend, Travis, he’s an arcanist. He’s told me about them.”

The demon’s eyes widened in alarm. “Your boyfriend is a what?”

“An arcanist.” My eyes traveled from the demon to the medallion and back again. “I’m, I’m in a demon contract. I’m a demon anchor. I don’t believe this.” I closed my eyes. “Shit.” Travis was not going to be pleased. I knew I wasn’t. Upon their death, demon anchors, so called because they anchored the demon to this reality, had their soul taken by the demon.

The demon placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrieked and pulled away. He withdrew his hand, looking hurt. “It’s ok, Emma. You’re safe. I’d never hurt you.” He looked around the room. “I’m not sure what’s going on. Where are we? How are you so old?”

I glared at him. “I’m 23. That’s not old.”

He bowed his head. “My apologies, my lady. I only meant that, last time I saw you, you were much younger. I think around 4?” He grimaced. “I suppose the age difference explains why you don’t remember me. Humans don’t remember a lot of what happened when they were small, do they?”

I shook my head. “No. I- I suppose that does explain my- my lack of memory.” I frowned. “How- how long have we, umm, had a contract?”

The demon bowed his head. “I was summoned the night you were born.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously? Shit!”

The doorbell rang. I jumped to my feet. “Shit!” I looked at the demon. “You need to go back in the medallion.” I winced at his expression. “Please?”

Slowly, the demon stood. “I will return to the medallion on one condition.” He bent over to grab the medallion’s chain. “Promise me you will wear this. Always. And call on me at need.”

I shook my head. “People will notice!”

The demon traced the edge of the medallion. It frosted briefly. “No one will notice the medallion unless you point it out to them.”

I blinked at the medallion. Demons, I remembered, couldn’t lie. “O-okay. I promise I’ll wear it. And call you if I need you.”

Solemnly, the demon unfastened the chain of the medallion, and lifted it to my throat. “Good,” he said as he fastened it behind me. “Now, to call on me, just say or think my name.”

I blinked. “Your name?”

He flipped the medallion over to show the side with “Knight of the Crimson Order” and “Denadro” on it. He traced the lower part. “My name is Denadro, like it says on the medallion.”

He vanished in another burst of crimson light which flowed back into the medallion. I sighed in relief, and went to answer the door.

The pizza delivery girl was about to leave when I opened the door. I paid for my pizza, with a nice tip, and went inside.

Sighing, I wondered what to do next. Should I call Travis, and tell him about the demon contract? Perhaps there was a way out of it, a way to keep my soul intact after I died.

I sighed again. Travis had already told me that there was no way out. If the demon died while bound by contract, it returned to the medallion until it recovered. No spell could end a demon contract, and no power could break a medallion.

That was why Travis was so dead set against my becoming a demon anchor when his parents suggested it. He’d flat out told them no, he wouldn’t let me do it, and if they tried to force the issue, he’d fight them. His mother countered that, without the protection offered by a demon, a norm like me was a liability he couldn’t afford. He could get hurt trying to protect me from his enemies. If I was captured, I would be a powerful bargaining chip.

It thought back to the conversation. “Without a contract, Travis, she won’t survive in our world,” his mother, Dedra, said. “It must be done.”

His father, Renaldo, sighed. “Shouldn’t it be her choice, dear?”

Travis and Dedra glared at him. “No,” they said in unison, and then looked at each other, frustrated.

After a moment, Travis sighed. “I suppose it should be your choice, Emma.” He frowned. “But please, don’t. I don’t really have any enemies. You’ll be safe.”

Dedra sighed. “If you want to become a bounty specialist, you’ll get some, believe me. I know I did.”

“Then I won’t become a bounty specialist,” Travis said, determined. “I’ll- I’ll be something else.”

Renaldo frowned. “You’ve wanted to since you were in kindergarten. It’s what you’ve been training for all your life.”

“I’ll train for something else from now on,” Travis said. “I’m getting a business degree, remember? That was your idea. I’ll use that.”

“The business degree was supposed to be so you could manage other bounty specialists,” Renaldo protested. “You never planned to use it for anything else.”

Travis’s chin jutted out. “Plans change.” He stormed from the room. I followed, but not before I saw Travis’s parents exchange a worried glance.

Later, I’d asked Travis, “Are you sure?”

He’d glanced away from the road briefly. “What?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to be a bounty specialist?” I asked. I looked away. “I’m sure dozens of mages would be more than happy to be your girlfriend, and they wouldn’t get in your way.”

Travis pulled over to the side of the road. “You’re more than worth it,” he told me. “I love you, Emma. You’re smart. Strong. Kind. Just as into sci fi as I am. You’re an amazing person.”

I shook my head. “I’m not that great,” I muttered.

“That’s your father talking,” Travis told me sternly, “And you know it.” He shook his head. “Someday, I am going to kick that guy’s ass. I’ll- I’ll turn him into a rabbit for you.”

I giggled. “I thought you sucked at transformation.”

He shrugged. “I’ll learn. Just for this.”

“And then the Council of Mages would turn you into a rabbit for using magic on a norm,” I reminded him.

He smiled wryly. “Actually, they’d probably just fine me or something. If I didn’t do it in public, at least. Then they’d turn him back and wipe his memory.” He shrugged. “If they find out. They might not.”

I blinked. “Seriously? You mean you could turn him into a rabbit and just get away with it?”

He grinned. “Yeah. You want me to do it?”

I shivered. “I- I don’t think so.” After a pause, I asked Travis, “Someone could do that to me, couldn’t they?”

Travis grasped my hand. “I wouldn’t let them. I’ll protect you. Or- or baring that, I’ll find you and change you back.” He looked into my eyes. “I promise. I’ll never let you down.”

I smiled. “I know.”

Then we kissed. And did other things. But, in the back of my mind, I still worried, just a little.

Back in the present, I looked down at the medallion. It was a source of safety, at least. But I knew the price, and I didn’t like it.

Well, no point in risking Travis seeing it. It was too tight to just slip over my head, so I fumbled for the catch.

And kept fumbling. For several minutes, I went over the chain inch by inch, but didn’t see any clasp.

I swore. “Shit!” Travis hadn’t told me much about demons. Apparently they had magic of their own, and Denadro had used his magic to ensure I kept my promise, at least in regards to me wearing the medallion.

I dropped the medallion in disgust. It dangled just above my breasts. Well, if demons had magic of their own, that explained how Denadro was keeping the medallion from being noticed. I just hoped his magic was strong enough to fool Travis.

*

I continued searching through the mess that was my father’s house the next day. And the day after that, and the day after that. Even with music and audiobooks, it got boring. I finished my father’s room and started on downstairs.

I looked down at the chest in the entryway, remembering nightmares of vampires. “It’s just a chest,” I muttered. “There’s no such thing as-” Then I reconsidered. Mages existed. Demons existed. Why not vampires?

I sighed, and picked up my phone. Travis answered on the first ring. “Emma!” he exclaimed. “It’s so good to hear from you.”

I smiled. “Missed me, did you?”

“Of course!” Travis told me.

I laughed. “Then why didn’t you call me, silly?”

I could picture his shrug. “I was going to, if you didn’t call today. But you said you were leaving town for something personal. I didn’t want to bother you.”

I sighed. I hadn’t known what to tell Travis. If I’d told him my father had died, he’d have wanted to come with me, and he had classes. “I missed you, too.” I paused. “I kind of have a weird question.”

“Weird how?” Travis asked.

“It’s… It’s about your world. Magic, and shit,” I said.

“Nothing weird about that,” Travis said. “It’s natural for you to be curious.”

“Is there such a thing as vampires?” I asked.

Travis was silent for a second. “Is there a reason you’re asking me that question?” he asked, voice serious.

I tried to laugh it off. “It’s nothing. I just was reading, is all.”

“Emma,” Travis said, “I’m serious. If there’s any possibility there’s a vampire near you, I need to know now. Vampires are extremely dangerous.”

I looked down at the chest. “I’m not in any danger, Travis. Really.”

“You can’t be sure of that,” Travis said. “I’m sending someone to you. Stay were you are, ok?”

“Travis-” I began, but he had already hung up. I made a face. I knew who he was sending. I began to dial. If I called him back, if I explained-

There was a rush of air from behind me, and a loud pop. Too late. Sighing, I turned.

The sorcerer behind me put up his goggles and looked around. “Dude… This place is a mess.”

“Hi, Adam,” I said glumly.

He laughed. “You don’t sound too happy to see me. Now, where’s the vampire?”

I put my face in my hands. “It’s nothing. I was just reading Dracula, is all.”

Adam snorted. “Anyone ever told you you’re a horrible liar, Emma? Because you are.”

My cheeks flushed. “I’m just being paranoid.”

Adam looked into the closet. “I’d like details. If we’re about to be ambushed, it would be nice to know.”

I sighed, and pointed to the chest.

Adam looked at it, face serious. “You think there’s a vampire in there?”

My cheeks were burning, and I couldn’t look him in the eyes. “I know, I know. It’s too small.”

Adam shrugged. “Small vampires are a thing.” He snorted. “Do you really think being a midget prevents you from turning?”

I smiled weakly. “I suppose not.”

“Nope. Also, some vampires can shrink,” Adam continued. “Or turn into bats, or whatever. Now, what makes you think there’s a vampire in there? As opposed to some other supernatural creature, or, like, just a regular midget?”

I sighed, and looked away again. “I thought there was a vampire in there when I was a kid.” I shrugged. “Probably just my imagination.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Adam told me. He frowned thoughtfully. “If it’s been in there since you were a kid, then it’s probably hibernating. Hibernating vampires don’t come out of it quickly, so we probably don’t need backup to open it.” He pointed to the opposite side of the room. “You should still stand over there, though.” He fished in his pocket. “And hold this.” He held a pendant out to me.

I blinked. “Isn’t that the protective amulet Travis made for you?”

He shrugged. “You need it more than me right now. I’ve got basic defensive magic. You don’t. And Travis will kill me if I get you killed.”

I sighed. “Yeah, ok.” I took the pendant and stood where he’d directed me to stand.

Adam cracked his knuckles. He touched the latch on the chest. “Ok, on the count of three. One… Two…”