My Personal Demon Ch. 04

I took a coin and watched as my better-looking self smiled. "You can have more than that if you want. Go ahead be as gre--"

He stopped talking as I flipped the coin toward the mirror. The surface rippled as the gold slipped through and disappeared into the small black window. His eyes followed the path of the coin until he heard me running. His head whipped back around as I bolted for the mirror.

When I ran from the naked people, I was a machine moving with precision and speed, but I quickly learned my former body was barely up to the task. I tried to move with the same speed as before, but my breathing became labored and I struggled to stay upright. As I neared him, I knew I'd never get past so I darted to one side then dove straight at him. I shot forward, my arms outstretched as I slammed into him. My weight and momentum caught the demon off guard and he cried out as we both went into the mirror.

The short fall ended when I landed in a gondola. If you've ever been in one of those flatboats you know they aren't designed for laying. My back cracked as I landed on one of the seats. The boat rocked side to side as it attempted not to capsize. The only thing I had to console myself with was I had recovered my athletic body. A splash drew my attention and as I looked over the side I could see my rival sinking beneath the water.

I relaxed for a moment as the boat floated along a river as the old ferryman kept us between the shores. I was glad as the land didn't look like a place I wanted to be.

On the left bank, people were fighting each other over things I couldn't tell. They were screaming but because there were so many their shouts became a wall of noise.

The right bank wasn't any better as the people on that side were not only fighting each other but destroying everything around them. Most things were burnt or burning and above the fiery destruction, more men and women hung in cages trying to avoid the flames that rose up from below. The fighting didn't end onshore. I watched in fear and amazement as people took their fighting into the water and then under it. I think the people fighting under us was the most unsettling part.

As I looked into the water, the demon me broke through the surface and tried to climb into the boat.

"I'm you, you little piece of shit. You can't get rid of me." I kicked him in the face, hoping to dislodge him, but it only made him laugh. "That's right, kill me. Kill yourself. We've always been our biggest enemy." I kicked him again, enjoying the feeling of the rush I got. "Yes!" It wasn't the response I wanted so I leaned over him and started raining blows down onto him. He laughed as he yelled, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

His declaration sent delicious chills through my body and as I looked around for something to hit him with I noticed his words were echoing throughout the cavern. As the others heard, they renewed their frenzied attacks on the objects of their hatred. The levels of violence displayed helped break my own destructive chain of thought. My head began pounding as I fought myself not to finish the man holding onto the side of the boat.

The boat began to sway as he climbed aboard. I looked around for the exit, but couldn't see anything for the fighting and smoke. The ferryman looked at me for a moment then pointed upward. In his hand was the gold coin I'd tossed through the mirror. I followed an outstretched hand and saw the clock on the roof. If it hadn't been for the shining red lights of the numbers, it would've been hidden in the darkness.

It was too small to read, but I got the impression it wasn't in the quadruple digits anymore. As we got closer I could see a swinging ladder hanging. It was slightly to our right. I looked back to the ferryman.

"Can we go that way?"

"Would you like to steer," he asked in a raspy voice holding the handle to me. I wasn't well versed in the lore of Hell, but one thing I did know was you paid the ferryman and you never ever took the steering oar.

I didn't bother telling him no as we had almost passed the ladder. Like with the rest of my journey, I acted in desperation and not with forethought. As my lookalike tried to stand I used him as a springboard. When I stepped onto him he roared like a beast and stood straight up shooting me toward the swinging ropes.

My right hand hooked the bottom rung as the toes of my shoes skimmed the waves below me. With a strength I could only attribute to a surge of adrenaline, I got my other hand on the rung and began climbing. When I got my feet in on the action I quickly scurried up. Still in the boat, my demon self screamed at the ferryman to turn around. The ferryman made him the same offer.

"Would you like to steer?"

I shook my head as the demon pushed the ferryman from his position and grabbed the oar. The boat spun quickly as he steered back toward the ladder. My heart was racing from both the exertion of the climb and the fear of him reaching me. As the boat floated under the ladder the other me tried to let go of the oar. His hand stuck like glue and I laughed as he raged against the old man who had chosen a seat outside the range of the demon's swinging fist.

The last I heard of him was a bellow of anger as I disappeared into the black window next to the clock. It read, '02:00'. I cursed and climbed up into a carnival.

The carnival was large and the attractions were plentiful. Tents claiming to solve all your problems with a potion or a wish or a reading of the future. I ignored them all as I searched for the clock, hoping against hope I wasn't too late. I spotted it across the fairway. It was a straight shot and all I had to do was get there.

Everything blurred around me as I bolted for the one thing I need to return home. My focus was on the clock and nothing else. I thought I'd made it in a matter of minutes, but as I slid to a stop at the last tent the clock read, '00:01'. I pushed past the line into the tent and entered. A man in a red and black suit stood in the middle of an outlandishly decorated office and smiled at me.

"Wow, you made it. I didn't actually think you would, and with one minute to spare. Marvelous."

The clock was sitting on his desk and slowly counting down the last minute. "Thanks, can I leave now?"

"Let's talk."

"I don't have time."

He smiled and snapped his fingers, the clock exploded. His eyes narrowed and his voice got a slight growl, "This is my place, we have all the time we need."

I swallowed as I sat in the chair in front of his desk. After all I'd been through, my brain clicked and I realized who was speaking to me. He snapped his fingers again and with a whoosh, Isabella was standing by my side. She squealed as she dropped into my lap and wrapped her arms around me, "You made it! I missed you so much."

"Since you did make it, it's only fair I let you say goodbye."

"Goodbye," I said to him as I got up and pulled Isabella to the door.

"No, no, just you, not her."

"But you said I made it and I could leave."

"You can, she can't. The deal was you had three days to choose her, but you didn't."

I thought back to the living world and what day it was before shaking my head. "It's still the third day. I choose her."

He gave me a pitying smile. "Sorry, but no. In your realm, you've been unconscious for three months, well past the three days I've allowed."

"Three months?! How the hell have I been here for three months?!"

He chuckled as he sat in an ornate chair, "Indeed, how the 'Hell' could that have happened. It is a conundrum. Ah well, at least you got laid a few times, got a restart on the old life, and made some memories. Not a bad trade if you ask me."

"But I did choose her."

"You didn't tell her. That's rule one, tell her."

"I didn't have time, I was put into a coma."

"No, you chose to fucked a demon instead of telling her. That was your choice, no one else's. You put yourself in a coma, but at least you're free to go now. This will make a great story, won your freedom, but lost the girl. Triumph and tragedy."

"If I'd known what would've happened I would've told you, I swear."

Isabella looked at me with a sad smile, "I know."

"And if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas."

I glared at him as he smirked at me. "There must be something I can do to keep her."

He leaned forward, "You want to make a deal?"

"No, Alex," Isabella said before the man snapped his fingers again. She flew from my arms and across the room into the wall. As she lay crumpled a cell formed around her.

His desk was large, but I was across it in an instant. I grabbed a letter opener and pressed it against his throat. "Let her go!"

He looked at me unconcerned. "If you're going to keep a demon, you've got to keep them in their place. Now, either waste your chance to leave and stab me or let's make a deal."

"My soul for her freedom," I growled.

He laughed and snapped his fingers. I was back in my seat and he was picking his fingernail with the letter opener. "How pedestrian, what else have you got?"

"Alex," Isabella said weakly. I looked at her as she said, "Don't do it."

"Ah," he said, "My baby girl's in love." My head snapped back to him. "Didn't you know, all demons are my children. Tell you what, lover boy, I'll make you a deal, but not for her freedom. No, she's staying here, but I'll let you stay with her. Earlier, another of my minions offered you the same deal, but I'll up the ante. You can come work for me and you can have her."

"So, we'd both work for you, but we can be together? No tricks?"

He chuckled, "No tricks. So, are you ready to call me daddy, for her?"

"Please, Alex, don't leave me alone."

I nodded and said, "Fine. What'd I have to do?"

He smiled, "Just sign on the dotted line." A page appeared on his desk. It was written in a language I didn't understand and when I looked at him he said, "Trust me." I looked for a pen and he handed me the letter opener. "I know it's a little bit old school, but I'm going to need you to sign in blood."

I grimaced as I poked my fingertip. I looked at Isabella and she smiled. "I'm so glad we'll be together forever."

As I reached for the paper the door from behind me swung open and a woman walked in, it was Isabella.

"Alex, I told you not to stop. We don't have much time," she said holding out her hand.

"Yes, by all means, go with either one," the man said, "but you've got to sign first."

I looked back and forth between the Isabella on the cell and the one at the door. The one at the door looked around confused. "Where are we?"

"You're home, my little one."

"Who the fuck are you?"

My eyes shot to the man. "You're saying she's also Isabella?"

He shrugged, "Who knows, maybe she's another demon playing dress-up. They all look the same to me." He laughed at his own joke.

The Isabella at the door stormed in and grabbed my hand. "I have no idea who this is or where you're dreaming we are, but we can't keep you alive much longer. We've got to hurry."

"You know, I'm really loving your imagination. Two Isabellas and another wild goose chase adventure. I may put you in charge of inventive mazes for new arrivals."

The Isabella from the cell pushed open the door and said, "Alex, I don't mind if you have two of me, but please don't leave me."

Door Isabella stared at Cell Isabella in amazement. "Are you out of your fucking mind? I'm the one and only. Come on, we've got to go."

"Do you remember what you said to me last," I asked her.

"We don't have time for this."

"I need to know," I said not moving.

"Yes, I know."

"What about you," I asked Cell Isabella. She glanced at the man in red who nodded. She nodded and I asked her, "What?"

"Uh, I said, I love you, of course, because I do. So much, and I'm so happy we're going to be together."

I looked at Door Isabella who shook her head. "She's a fucking idiot. I said, 'Dammit, Alex, come home to me.'"

"Well, of course, I said that," Floor Isabella said, "but after that, I said, 'I love you.' You mustn't have heard me. You were pretty distracted at the time."

I looked at her for a long moment and then went to Door Isabella. "I'm ready to go home."

Her smile lit the room and I knew it was my Isabella. She led me from the room as the walls of the office began to dissolve and darkness returned to my vision. Unlike my arrival, I didn't whoosh anywhere. My eyes closes in a long blink and when I opened them again I was at home in my bed.

Isabella was curled up on my side with her hand on my face. On the couch were Tim and Brenda. They were cuddled together and watching some old Price is Right with Bob Barker. I rolled Isabella onto her back and kissed her. She woke up and smiled at me.

"You came home," she whispered.

"Never doubt that."

We kissed again and then she pushed me back laughing. "Oh, God, you need a shower."

"Well no shit, I have been in Hell after all."

She looked at me confused and followed me into the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth and showered, Brenda and Tim came in and asked me how I was feeling. I said hungry but great and Brenda called for take-out. While she ordered, Tim told me I had been in a coma for three months and I stood stunned until Brenda hugged me and said she was sorry.

My first instinct was to be mad, but then Isabella told me they'd stayed with me during the entire time, helping her keep me alive. I wasn't sure exactly what they did, but the more I thought about it, the happier I became that Isabella hadn't been alone.

They asked me what it was like for me and I told them. I told them about the ever-present clock and starting out in the waiting room watching old TV shows. Tim said it was probably the shows they'd been watching bleeding through. I agreed and told them about the orgy. That got me slapped by the women because I hadn't invited them. We laughed. Everyone got a little quieter when I told them about meeting myself and how that made me feel. Isabella squeezed my hand and I felt better.

Then we all had a good laugh about the other me trying to bribe me to become a demon and me turning him down. The ladies rolled their eyes and said that wasn't how it worked. Tim and I laughed at their expression. We were laughing a lot, more from stress relief than any actual humor. I told them about meeting the ferryman and sailing on the river, and I told them about running through the carnival and meeting the man in red. That part of the story got me a lot of slaps on the arm because, as Isabella put it, I shouldn't have been so stupid to believe that was her.

As I finished, Tim laughed and said, "You were traveling the Inferno. A severely distorted bastardized version, but still it sounds like you were running the nine levels. Remember, I told you about the animated show I'd seen. You said you were going to watch it."

At first, I didn't understand, then it hit me and everything fell into place. The reference Tim had made was about the nine levels of Dante's Inferno and I suddenly remember watching that crazy animated show he told me about a few days before meeting Isabella.

I laughed, "I guess I didn't understand the story the way I thought I did."

Another round of laughter as he teased me. After we ate, they left and Brenda promised not to put me in a sex coma again, Isabella grabbed me and pulled me back. Then Tim hugged me as they left.

I looked at Isabella and she shrugged, "A lot has changed between those two since you've been gone. You'll see."

"How're you still here," I blurted.

"What'd you mean," she asked as we did the dishes.

"You gave me three days and it's been way so much more than that."

"Yeah, I gave you three days to decide to be with me."

"I never told you I decided."

She laughed and flicked soap at me. "Yeah, no shit, asshole, but it doesn't work like that. Once you made the decision the bond formed. You better thank your lucky stars too because if we hadn't bonded when we did, you would've died."

"So, it was our bond that kept me alive." She nodded and I kissed her. "Then thank you."

"You're welcome." Her eyes narrowed and she said, "Now, describe in detail the pool orgy."

"Jealous," I teased.

"Hell yeah. Also, I want some pointers so I can make it happen for real."

She wrapped her arms around me and we began to make up for lost time.