A Gift From a Demon #2
“Z-Zeth?” I groaned, feeling my limbs tingle with the same sensation you get when they fall asleep.
“Hello?” I opened my single eye, remembering how I had lost the other.
It scanned my surroundings, adjusting to the dull light.
I realized I was still inside the Bip Top Pizzeria.
But this time I was alone. “Zeth? Hello?” I looked next to me and gasped, “Oh my god!” I scrambled back on my hands and knees, hitting my head on a nearby table.
“What the fuck,” I breathed, staring at what was lying next to me.
What the hell is that?
I could only describe what I saw as a Frankenstein’d body, sewn together with random bits and pieces of humans, sitting in a chair, slumped over. Its head remained tilted to one side, its lids wide open revealing two unmatched eyes that stared blankly back at me.
“Cri-s-s-s-s-a.” A low demonic voice left the body, and I recognized it immediately. It was the same voice I had heard in my head too many times to count. The same voice that had haunted my dreams and filled my brain, comforting me through these past couple weeks.
“Zeth?” I leaned closer to the body, poking its chest. Squeaks sounded from inside the patched corpse, causing me to jump back.
“Dear Crissa.” The body cracked its neck from side to side, adjusting itself to sit more comfortably. “Your vessel served me well, Crissa. You kept your vow, and your revenge was served. Your contract with me is fulfilled.”
Fulfilled…wait, does that mean, he’s no longer inside me?
I patted my body down, no longer sensing his demonic presence within.
“Zeth…what is this?” I motioned to the makeshift body Zeth was now possessing.
The longer I looked, the more I recognized each piece, having come from the very people he killed.
It was a monster…some fucked up creation madeout of pieces of the people I knew.
“Zeth, what did you do?” My voice trembled as my hand reached out to stroke the chest that once belonged to Montey.
I recognized the patterns of moles instantly, feeling his skin and features the way I’d done so many times before.
One of the arms of the body raised and reached out toward my face in such an unnatural way, its fingers brushing a tear away that I hadn’t realized started to fall. I noticed the nails on the fingertips were painted black. “These are Token’s, aren’t they?” I asked, touching them gently.
Zeth spoke again, his voice having settled into the body a bit more; it was smoother than before, the tone of it oddly comforting me.
“Yes. And his twin is here.” He gestured to the thick legs, also now attached to Montey’s torso.
“I do want to apologize for your eye, Crissa. I never wanted any harm to come to you…but as you can see, I did put it to good use.” He pointed to my eye, then the other, a stark blue.
Lavender.
“An eye for an eye, as they say.”
“But..why? I don’t understand…why?” Tears streamed down my face from the single eye.
I felt so overwhelmed and emotional, but even though there was a demon before me, wearing a skin suit of my friends, I wasn’t afraid.
Explaining the exact emotion I felt would have been an impossible task.
I was confused, sad, relieved…so many things.
How was that even possible?
“Crissa,” he spoke my name with such care. “You felt so alone in this world, only ever craving one thing.”
I gasped as he touched my face.
“Now, you have that very thing you longed for…a friend. And I have made you the perfect one.” Zeth threw the arms of the body out to the side.
“And with this new body, I can be with you forever.” Zeth awkwardly tried to pull the lips on Tawny’s face into a smile.
It didn’t really work, but I knew he meant well.
“Zeth. You…did all of this, for me?” My heart bloomed at the sentiment, feeling grateful that someone, well something, actually cared for me. Cared so much…enough to do something like this.
“Humans mean nothing to me, Crissa. They are simply vessels for us demons to enact our plans and fulfill contracts, but you…you are different.” He stepped closer and I heard another squeak.
“Oh yes. While I was using your body, I was introduced to these helpful little vermin you befriended, that now live within me.” Muffled chattering sounded from within the body as Zeth continued speaking.
“We devised this plan to create a friend for you, using this meat suit. Now, I do not have to fulfill any more contracts. I have a vessel to inhabit and a human to accompany. You Crissa, you are my human, and I am your friend. Forever.”
As I sat staring at the body, I examined the pieces and parts.
It was grotesque, covered in bodily fluids, blood smeared and leaking from the stitches as little flaps of skin dangled from a few poorly sewn places.
I knew I’d have to tidy up his work a bit, but couldn’t stop smiling at the fact that he’d done this—all of this, for me.
Zeth tried his best to smile and it warmed my heart. After all our time together, I didn’t think he was capable of such emotion, but I suppose even demons can care. If he took the time to do this for me, maybe he wasn’t so bad.
“Zeth.” I giggled. “We have got to get you some clothes.” The awkward proportions of his meat suit, as he called it, were like nothing I had seen before.
Glancing around the room, I spotted the mascot in the window.
The horrible animatronic that kids would fuck around with.
It wore a faded, baggy striped and polka-dot jumpsuit which seemed large enough.
“How do you feel about being a clown for a little while?” I asked, turning to look back at him.
“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.” He chuckled, wiping what was left of my work makeup from my face.
As I stood up, I suddenly became more aware of the dried blood and substances that coated my body. There was so much that had happened tonight. So much that changed me…for better or worse.
But none of that matters because I was no longer alone. I had Zeth.
I returned with the polyester jumpsuit, Zeth’s meat suit now standing.
He balanced on a nearby table, still adjusting to his new body as I helped him slip the clothes on.
“You know Crissa, this music has been playing on a loop all night. Since I’ve finally fulfilled my plans for the evening, will you dance with me? ”
“Are you trying to be romantic or some shit, Zeth?” I teased. “You realize this is carnival music. And your a demon, in a fucking rat meat suit.” I tilted my head. “I appreciate the sentiment and everything, but seriously?”
“Oh, lighten up, you boring human!” Zeth shouted. His demonic voice boomed through the pizzeria and he awkwardly skipped and danced around. “Unlike us demons, you only live once! Why not cherish it while you still can?!”
Zeth was right.
With a loud laugh, I started dancing with the demon.
The demon that ate my ex-friends and is now wearing them as a rat-filled meat suit.
The storm raged outside while Zeth and I continued to dance like idiots in the pizzeria.
He fell over a few times, still getting used to maneuvering with the rats, but I helped him up, the two of us rejoicing in such a successful night.
Out of the corner of my good eye I saw the flash of a light come from outside the mall. I put my hand on Zeth’s shoulder. “What was that?”
“It was probably just lightning from the storm. Relax, Crissa, all is fine.” He resumed dancing, but I kept still, feeling uneasy.
“Stop.” I put my hands on his shoulders again.
“Zeth, stop. Look.” We both glanced out into the direction of the mall and noticed the lights coming from within.
No. It wasn’t lightning…it was humans. Cops.
“Shit! Lavender must’ve called the cops.
We have to get out of here. Now!” Zeth quickly turned and tripped over his feet.
I reached down and helped him up, pulling him up to his feet.
“Let’s go through the kitchen. We can leave through the back alley door.” Zeth nodded, shadowing me as we hurried towards the kitchen.
If the cops found us here, then it would be the end. And I refuse to lose my friend. Not after everything we’ve experienced tonight.
Zeth and I made our way through the kitchen, stepping over the mess he left behind. We hurried to the back alley door and stepped out into the storm. I peaked around the side of the mall, blinded by the blue and red flashing lights that had lit up the mall entrance to our far left.
“Crissa.” I turned to look at Zeth. “Shall we?” He held his hand out to me with a smile.
I placed my hand in his, smiling back. “Yes, we shall.” Together, we skipped, hand in hand, humming the carnival music from the pizzeria as we slithered into the darkness, a handful of rats trailing behind us.