{"sf1_id":9847,"sf2_id":"J1Orw6An","title":"Hell Fights Back story one - The Demon's Chance","author":"Alex Reynard","words":7858,"posted_at":"2006-03-14T18:14:00.000Z","tags":["Bunny","Compassion","Demon"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/9847-hell-fights-back-story-one-the-demon-s-chance","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/J1Orw6An","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=9847\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#4 of Bartleby Tales","content":"  \nThe Demon's Chance  \nstory one of \"Hell Fights Back\"  \nby Alex Reynard  \n  \n~\\*~  \n  \n  \nMarissa Matthewson was a little white bunny rabbit. She was lying on top of  \nher blankets on her bed while moonlight spread into the room through the open  \nwindow. The air was cool, not cold. The stars were out. And the crickets almost,  \nbut not quite, drowned out the sound of her quietly crying.  \n  \nDaddy had been angry tonight.  \n  \nThe young lapine cried for a very long time. She felt her body dully ache in  \nall the places he had hurt her. Daddy hadn't been as angry tonight as he was some  \nother nights, but that didn't make the hurt go away any faster.  \n  \nMarissa looked up, out her window, at the round, full moon.  \n  \nShe looked up at the moon for a while, mesmerized by its silvery blue glow.  \nThe moon was peaceful. It helped to calm her down. She thought idly that she  \nwished she could run away from home and go live on the moon. To be surrounded in  \nthat calming glow all the time.  \n  \nEventually she decided to get ready for bed. After all, she had been up past  \nher bedtime for at least an hour now anyway, and she didn't want Daddy to get  \nangry anymore tonight. The little six-year-old got up off the bed. She noticed  \nthe small dark circles her tears had left on her blue pillow. Ignoring them for  \nnow, she began to take off her clothes, silently as possible. She did not dare  \nmake a noise. She winced as her sleeves passed over some of the bruises.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She stood there naked in the moonlight for a little while, simply enjoying  \nthe feel of the summer night air on her fur. She noticed that her fur looked a  \nlittle like the moonlight. When she stepped a little closer to the window, she  \nseemed to glow too. She liked that, and was able to smile.  \n  \nShe went to her dresser drawers and selected a pair of pajamas: a very pale  \npink (the same color as her nose), with white patches on the feet and on her  \ntummy. She also smiled as she pulled them on. They were very comfy. They cradled  \nher young body with gentle softness. Her own little pink cocoon. She glanced at  \nthe mirror and thought for a moment that she looked like she'd been dipped in  \ncotton candy.  \n  \nMarissa slipped between her sheets, kicking the blankets aside as she did  \nso. It was a warm night and her pajamas were hot enough. She didn't want to sweat  \nall night and have to take another shower in the morning.  \n  \nFinally getting comfortable, she laid her head on her pillow. She could feel  \nher spent tears making moist patches on her cheek.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She gazed out the window at the night sky. So many stars.  \n  \nSo many stars.  \n  \n~~~  \n  \nShe was almost to the point of falling asleep when she heard a noise coming  \nfrom inside her closet.  \n  \nShe stiffened, clutched the sheet in her paws. Monsters? No. No, only babies  \nbelieved in closet monsters, and she was a big girl now. Teacher said there were  \nno monsters in closets or under beds, so that meant it must be true.  \n  \nThe noise came again. And this time she thought it sounded exactly like  \nknocking.  \n  \nMarissa's eyes were wide open in fearful alert. She stared at the closet  \ndoor, right between her and the window. She could see the moonlight on the  \ndoorknob. Maybe that would keep it in. Monsters were afraid of the light, weren't  \nthey?  \n  \nThe doorknob began to turn.  \n  \nMarissa's small body tensed. She opened her mouth, ready to scream, but knew  \nwith terrible certainty that she could try with all her might and no sound would  \never come.  \n  \nThe closet door opened slowly.  \n  \nSlowly.  \n  \nAn inch of black darkness and a shadow on the knob. Something holding the  \nknob. From the inside.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; And then a voice.  \n  \n\"Excuse me, but do you mind if I come in for a bit?\"  \n  \nThe voice made her blink in confusion. It sounded just like a regular  \nfurson. But what would anybody be doing in her \\*closet\\* of all places?  \n  \nThe paw on the knob opened the door another few inches. She saw that the  \nhand was covered in jet black fur and began to get scared again.  \n  \nThe thing in her closet stepped hesitantly out into the light. Whatever it  \nwas, it wasn't normal. That was for sure. But it didn't really look very  \nthreatening either. It looked like a squirrel. A grown-up squirrel, but not  \nnearly as old as her Daddy. With bright red fur, like a candy apple. And little  \nbat wings. And a big top hat.  \n  \nThe thing moved very slowly, and looked at her with surprising concern. It  \nshut the door silently behind it.  \n  \n\"Please don't be afraid, little one. I'm not here to hurt you.\"  \n  \nThe words were gentle. Surprisingly, she believed them. But this was still  \nmuch too weird for Marissa to deal with, especially on top of what Daddy had done  \nto her earlier.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You're a monster. Go 'way,\" she said.  \n  \nThe thing chuckled, impressed by her boldness. \"I assure you, I'm not a  \nmonster. Really, don't you think I look a bit too silly to be a monster?\"  \n  \nHe had a point there. Marissa found herself unable to hide a smile as the  \nthing from her closet flapped his tiny wings and did a little juggling trick with  \nhis hat.  \n  \n\"So what are you?\"  \n  \nThe thing bent down on one knee to look her in the eye. \"My name is  \nRazielphustar. But that's a bit of a mouthful, so you can call me Raz if you  \nlike. Or Razzy.\"  \n  \nShe nodded. \"Why were you in my closet?\"  \n  \n\"Well, I came here to visit you. And to help you, if you'll let me.\"  \n  \nShe gave him a questioning look.  \n  \nRazielphustar reached out a dark paw towards her.  \n  \nInstantly, she shrank back. Comical-looking as he was, Marissa was a smart  \ngirl and was not about to trust a stranger just because he had a funny hat.  \n  \nRazielphustar pulled his paw back a bit. \"Please, sweetheart. Trust me just  \none little bit. Just five seconds, that's all I ask.\"  \n  \n\"What're you gonna do?\" she asked, pulling the sheets up to her chin.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Have you ever seen, in comic books or on TV, people who have X-ray vision?\"  \nhe asked, seemingly out of the blue.  \n  \nNot comprehending, she nodded.  \n  \n\"Well, I have something just like that, but a bit different,\" Razielphustar  \ntold her. \"I can see pain. When I look at a little boy or girl like you, I can  \nsee right away if something's hurting them. Just like your cheek is hurting now.\"  \n  \nThis startled her. He was absolutely right. She could still feel the sting  \nthere, from when Daddy's big paw had...  \n  \nRazielphustar reached out again. \"Just five seconds. Please. Not only can I  \nsee where it hurts, I can make it feel better too.\"  \n  \nHis eyes convinced her. They were deep and shining and honest. They begged  \nher for her trust. Marissa hesitantly lowered the covers, scooting up a few  \ninches to let the moonlight touch her cheek first.  \n  \nAnd then he did.  \n  \nShe gasped. Right away, she felt a cooling sensation. Like an icepack. Like  \nthe time at school when she fell off the jungle gym and hit her head and the nice  \nnurse fixed her up. The gentle chill spread like a flower over her cheek, cooling  \nthe pain, erasing it entirely after only a few seconds.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Razielphustar took his paw away and smiled at her. He felt better now too.  \n\"See?\"  \n  \nMarissa lifted the sheet away and sat up, awed by this incomprehensible  \nthing that had just happened in her own bedroom. This was like something out of a  \ncartoon, or a fairy tale. Like magic.  \n  \n\"Thank you,\" she whispered.  \n  \nHe nodded. \"You're welcome, little one. Now, is it all right if I touch you  \nagain? I can see a lot more places on you that need healing. It looks like you  \nhave big red spots all over.\"  \n  \n\"I had spots once when I had the chicken pox,\" she told him. She understood  \nthat red spots were bad news. She sat up a little more, getting into a kneeling  \nposition. \"Where do you see spots?\"  \n  \n\"Oh, all over,\" Razielphustar said. He pointed. \"There's one right there on  \nyour upper arm. Another on your wrist. And another there, and there, and  \nthere...\" He paused. His voice faded like tissue paper. \"And there...\"  \n  \nThis time he pointed between her legs.  \n  \nMarissa nodded. Daddy had hurt her in all of those places. Even down there.  \n  \n\\_Especially\\_ down there...  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"May I?\" the red squirrel asked again, and the bunny girl nodded.  \n  \nHis soft paw cupped her upper arm and she could feel the coolness spreading  \nright through her pajamas. Within seconds, the pain went away from where Daddy  \nhad grabbed her and shook her.  \n  \nHe touched her wrist, and the pain went away from where Daddy had pulled her  \nacross the livingroom.  \n  \nHe touched several spots along her leg, and the pain went away from where  \nDaddy had kicked her to the floor.  \n  \nHe touched her back, and the pain went away from where Daddy had forced her  \ndown.  \n  \nGently, ever so gently, he touched her bottom, and the pain went away from  \nwhere Daddy had spanked her; first with his hand and then with one of his shoes.  \n  \nAlmost all of Marissa's pain was gone. She felt like her body was totally  \nnew.  \n  \nExcept for that one place. Her girl place. Where Daddy had put his boy place  \nin. Hard. Just like last night. And the night before. And several nights since  \nMommy left. Since the Divorce. Because she didn't like how Daddy acted when he  \nwas drunk. So she got in the car one night and drove away. Now Daddy was free to  \ndrink as much as he wanted. To do \\*anything\\* he wanted.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Razielphustar looked solemnly into the young girl's eyes. This last one  \nwould take the most effort, in many ways.  \n  \n\"I can see one more place,\" he said.  \n  \nShe nodded. She knew.  \n  \nHe looked like he was trying very hard to keep himself from crying.  \n\"Sweetheart, I don't want to have to touch you there. No one should ever touch  \nyou there, not without your permission. But I can see how much it hurts. It's the  \nbiggest, reddest spot of all. I don't want you to have to feel that way any more.  \nNot ever.\"  \n  \nHis sincerity made her believe that this closet-thing, as strange and  \ndifferent as he looked, was not at all like her Daddy. When Daddy made her do  \nthings, his eyes got very blank. Like the TV set when it was turned off.  \n  \nThe little bunny nodded again, and slowly sat down on her bed, spreading her  \nlegs for him.  \n  \nHe acknowledged her trust with a grateful nod of his head. He swallowed  \nnervously and reached out two fingers held tightly together.  \n  \nShe trembled as they came closer to her girl-place. Panic tingles began to  \npinch at her skin.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; With just the very tips of his fingers, Razielphustar touched the girl.  \n  \nShe shut her eyes tight and cried out like a tiny breeze.  \n  \nThe soothing feeling spread out from the two dark-furred fingers, taking all  \nthe bad feelings away. Sweeping them away forever. Making her feel good. Fixing  \nher up again. Making all the pain go away. All better.  \n  \nWhen Razielphustar withdrew his paw, Marissa shuddered. She shivered. She  \nfelt like she just might fall over and melt like an ice cube. She cried two very  \nsmall tears.  \n  \n\"Is it better now?\" he asked her.  \n  \nMore tears joined the first two. She looked up to him, and her vision had  \nblurred and doubled. \"Uh huh.\"  \n  \n\"That's good, sweetheart. Good girl. What a brave girl.\"  \n  \nShe whimpered, almost inaudibly.  \n  \n\"May I sit down next to you?\"  \n  \nA barely perceptible nod.  \n  \nRazielphustar sat, and was not at all surprised when the little girl hugged  \nhim.  \n  \n~~~  \n  \nShe cried for a surprisingly long time. He could only guess at what thoughts  \nmight be trapped silently within her at that moment.  \n  \nHe had his arm placed around her tiny shoulders. Every now and then he gave  \nher an encouraging pat.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; So tiny...  \n  \nSitting as she was, she didn't even come up to his shoulder. Maybe she  \ncould, with her long bunny ears. But those were drooped lifelessly down the sides  \nof her face like two extra-large tears.  \n  \nSo small...  \n  \nAnd to think of the things he had been doing to her all this time...  \n  \nRazielphustar grit his teeth, careful even not to do so loud enough to  \ndisturb her. Inside, his hate flared like an industrial furnace. He tried to calm  \nhimself, thinking about how this was the first time in his aeons of existence  \nthat he was actually getting to \\*do\\* something about it, but that was really no  \ncomfort at all. To know that that man was lying in the room next to them,  \nsleeping, not ten feet away... And oh, how Razielphustar wanted to crush that man  \nlike a bug beneath his claws. Thinking of him, knowing what he had done to this  \nbeautiful little girl... What \\*millions\\* of parents did to their children, night  \nafter night, all around the world... And nobody dared imagine the true scope of  \nit, the true horror of it. But as a demon, he could not help but see.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa stirred.  \n  \nRazielphustar looked down to find her looking back up at him with eyes as  \nblue as robin's eggs.  \n  \nThere was a question in those eyes, but it was one her young mind could not  \nquite articulate.  \n  \n\"I'm sure you're wondering a whole lot of things about me right now,\" he  \nsaid.  \n  \nShe nodded enthusiastically. As if to say, 'You got that right'.  \n  \nHe smiled. \"Well, I didn't come here just to make your hurty places feel  \nbetter. Though that is one very BIG reason that I came... Truthfully though, I  \ncame to offer you a choice. A chance, actually.\"  \n  \n\"A chance?\"  \n  \n\"That's right. But before I get to that, there's something else I have to  \ntell you first.\" He looked hesitant, like he held a bad secret in his heart. \"You  \nsee, I have to be totally honest with you, Marissa. I not only want to, I \\_have\\_  \nto. It's part of the rules. This is still a very risky experiment, and a lie,  \n\\*any\\* lie, would be like a big red flag signalling my presence.\"  \n  \nShe looked perplexed.  \n  \nHe realized he was perplexing her. \"Sorry, sorry.\" He sighed, partly from  \nfrustration. He stroked his goatee thoughtfully.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa just watched him.  \n  \n\"Little one...\" he began. \"I'm not a monster. And I'm not a normal furson  \nlike you or your Mommy and Daddy. Do you know what I am really?\"  \n  \nShe shook her head.  \n  \nHe had to tell her. HAD to... But it would all be so much simpler if he  \ndidn't...  \n  \n\"I'm a demon.\"  \n  \nIn a heartbeat, Marissa had pulled away from him. She sat curled up at her  \nheadboard, her eyes now wide as searchlights and filled with fear.  \n  \n\"I take it then, you know what a demon is,\" he said bitterly.  \n  \n\"Go away,\" she said in a sharp, shaky whisper.  \n  \nHe looked at her, into her, and could see the damage the grownups and their  \ninfernal stories had done to this poor child. Brainwashed like so many others.  \nHer innocence ruined by stories made of fear and guilt. Lies that strangled souls  \nand turned young, fresh minds dark with hate.  \n  \n\"Demons are bad,\" Marissa husked. \"Jesus loves me and God protects me.  \nThat's what the church man says. You go away right now.\"  \n  \nRazielphustar nearly cried. \"You poor thing...\"  \n  \n\"Go away. You can't have my soul,\" she said defiantly.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; He nearly laughed, but knew it really wasn't funny at all. \"Sweetheart, I  \ndon't want your soul. I promise. That will always be yours to keep\"  \n  \n\"Satan is the father of lies,\" the girl recited. \"Says so in the Bible.\"  \n  \nRazielphustar thought of a few choice words he could have put in there.  \nWords about the 'truth' of the Bible, and of the reality of his boss, his mentor,  \nand his friend.  \n  \nInstead, he scooted a few inches away from her, letting her see that he  \nrespected her fear.  \n  \nShe did not take her eyes off him.  \n  \n\"Marissa,\" he asked very softly, \"Why would a demon want to heal you?\"  \n  \nShe frowned. \"I dunno. To trick me.\"  \n  \nHe shook his head. \"I don't want to trick you. I only want to help you. I  \npromise,\" he said again.  \n  \nShe did not look convinced. Not at all.  \n  \nHe tried a different tactic. \"Little one, how often do you go to church?\"  \n  \n\"Once every Sunday. Sometimes we go at night when they have a dinner.\"  \n  \nHe nodded. \"And do they ever talk about Hell?\"  \n  \nShe nodded.  \n  \n\"What do they tell you about Hell?\"  \n  \nThe young rabbit thought a bit, worried this might be part of a trick. Her  \nbreaths were sharp and regular as clockwork. \"The church man and Mrs. Jacobson  \nsay that hell's where all the bad people go. People who don't believe in our lord  \nJesus Christ. Mrs. Jacobson said in sunday school that hell is a big lake of fire  \nand if you get sent there you go in and you just get burned forever and ever.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; He smiled sadly, feeling for this poor girl and hating the people who had  \ndone this to her. \"What if I told you it's not like that at all?\"  \n  \n\"I wouldn't believe you,\" she said immediately.  \n  \n\"That's understandable. But I \\*am\\* a demon. Hell's where I live. Don't you  \nthink I might know a little bit about the place?\"  \n  \nHe could see the confusion in her eyes, frustrating her and making her head  \nhurt. \"Mmmaybe... But you'd still lie 'cause you want to take me with you and put  \nme in the lake of fire.\"  \n  \nRazielphustar shook his head. \"That's not what I want at all. I want you to  \nbe happy, Marissa. I want you to not have to be afraid anymore. I want you to  \nfeel safe. I want to keep him from hurting you anymore...\" A sneaky punch, he  \nknew, but it was important to find any crack at all in the glue they had poured  \nover her thoughts and wriggle his way in any way he could.  \n  \nMarissa thought about that. About how Daddy hurt her. She found that a  \ngrowing part of her wanted to believe this creature sitting on her bed. He had,  \nafter all, healed her. He had even asked for her permission first. He had hugged  \nher. He was gentle. He was nothing like the pictures Mrs. Jacobson had shown her.  \nThose pictures had scary demons, big as houses. Laughing and tossing bad children  \ninto the lake.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; This demon didn't look like that.  \n  \nSeeing that tiny spark of doubt, Razielphustar allowed himself a brief hope.  \nHe changed the subject just as deftly as he could. \"Marissa, have you ever been  \nin a situation where a bigger furson did something bad to you, and when you tried  \nto tell someone about it, they didn't believe you?\"  \n  \nShe cocked her head to the side just a little. Why would he ask her about  \nthat? But she nodded anyway. \"This one time at school we were having cookies and  \nGerry took mine and ate it and he laughed at me. And when I told Miss Edwards,  \nshe said I was just being greedy and that I was making up stories to get another  \ncookie. But I wasn't!\"  \n  \nRazielphustar nodded. \"I believe you, Marissa. Things like that happen all  \nthe time.\"  \n  \n\"Why'd you ask?\"  \n  \n\"Because, little one, that's exactly what happened to us demons.\"  \n  \nShe wanted to call him a liar right off the bat. But he'd said he believed  \nher about the cookie, and that was something. No one else had. Certainly not  \nDaddy. He'd given her the belt when she tried to tell him about it.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; So, she listened.  \n  \nAnd seeing that she was listening, Razielphustar's heart swelled with this  \nsecond small victory.  \n  \n\"You see, little one... One time, long, long ago, all there was was Heaven.  \nJust God and the angels. And then God made the world. And He made the sky and the  \ntrees and the clouds and all the animals. He made people too.  \n  \n\"But then some of the angels started to disagree with how He was treating  \nthese living things He was creating. They didn't like how He made rules for them  \nto follow, but never told them what they were. They didn't like how He was  \npunishing them for things that they couldn't have known were wrong. And when the  \nangels spoke up about it, God became very, very angry at them.  \n  \n\"One of these angels was named Lucifer. God made him very, very ugly and  \nturned him into the Devil. He made all the other angels who agreed with Lucifer  \nugly too, and made them into demons. Then God created Hell and told Lucifer and  \nthe former angels that this was where they would have to spend all of eternity.  \nThey could never, \\*ever\\* see Heaven again. They would never get to see the other  \nangels again either.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa broke her silence. \"Well, they shouldn't've disagreed with God  \nthen,\" she assessed simply.  \n  \nRazielphustar looked surprised, then smiled in an odd, melancholy way. \"I  \nsometimes think you might be right about that. But nevertheless, they did. And  \nafterwards, God started sending down all the people and animals and other living  \nthings to Hell too. He said they were all bad, and that now it was the Devil's  \njob to punish them for all eternity.  \n  \n\"But the Devil didn't like that idea. He thought that most of the people God  \nwas sending to Hell weren't really bad at all. In fact, some of them were very,  \nvery \\*good\\* people...\" He trailed off a little, trying to collect his thoughts.  \nHe was woefully inexperienced at this, and felt he was probably making too many  \nmistakes already. He tried again. \"Remember when I asked you if anything bad had  \never happened to you, and if nobody believed you about it afterwards?\"  \n  \nMarissa nodded.  \n  \n\"That's what happened to us. It's true in every case, all through the ages;  \n'The winners write the history books'. We demons had something terrible happen to  \nus, and then the one who did it only lets people hear His side of the story.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Did she feel a spark of sympathy for him? No. She squashed it. She couldn't  \nlet herself feel that way.  \n  \n\"God gave us his orders, but we disobeyed Him. We are still disobeying Him,  \nevery day ever since. And there is nothing we are more proud of. He told us to  \npunish the souls he sent us, and instead we comfort them. True, there are always  \nbad people who are sent to Hell. It's why Hell exists. But we don't just punish  \nthem, we try to teach them. We try to help them learn to be better. We want them  \nto be better. We want everyone eventually, someday, to be happy.  \n  \n\"People die all over the world. Many, many people every day. Some of them,  \nsadly, are children like you. Some are even little babies. And almost all of them  \nare sent to Hell because God says they aren't perfect.\"  \n  \nThat thought horrified her.  \n  \n\"So, we do absolutely everything we can to make up for it. We do our best to  \ntake good care of the good souls who are sent to Hell for silly reasons. We find  \ntemporary parents for children who've left their mommies and daddies behind.  \nThere's lots of toys and fun places to go and things to see...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; That sounded kinda interesting. But Marissa quickly scolded herself for  \nthinking such a thing.  \n  \nRazielphustar smiled at her warmly, seeing the tug of war going on in her  \nhead and realizing he was beginning to gain some ground. \"Marissa, don't you  \nthink it's just a little unfair that the church says you can only go to Heaven if  \nyou believe in Jesus Christ?\"  \n  \nShe frowned. \"No. Why?\"  \n  \n\"Well, think about it this way; what about a little girl like you who gets  \nborn in another country far, far away, in a place where they have a different  \nreligion? What if she never gets a chance in her whole life to hear about Jesus,  \nand just doesn't know she should believe in him?\"  \n  \n\"I... I'm sure God must let her go in anyway. It's not her fault.\"  \n  \nRazielphustar leaned slightly forward. \"But what if he doesn't?\"  \n  \nHer breathing became more rapid and her heart sped up. \"Well that's...  \nThat's...\" She stopped herself. Bit her tongue. No. She couldn't say that it was  \nunfair. It was bad to say stuff like that about God. It was bad to even \\*think\\*  \nit! The little bunny shook her head violently. \"Stop it! Stop! You're making me  \nthink bad things!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; As soon as the words left her mouth, she stiffened up in absolute terror.  \n  \nDaddy!  \n  \nIf she woke him up, he'd come in the room and use the belt on her again for  \nsure!  \n  \nMarissa clamped her paws over her mouth and shut her eyes tight as tears  \ncame again.  \n  \nRazielphustar ground his teeth and hated himself. He could see as plain as  \nday the inner pain he was causing her by making her question these beliefs she'd  \nundoubtedly been taught since she was old enough to understand speech. But he  \nknew he had to. The pain he was causing was necessary, and only temporary. Like  \nmedicine that tastes awful but cures a disease. He had to crack open her shell.  \nGet her to think for herself. Make the choice on her own.  \n  \nMarissa waited for what felt like eternity. She waited to hear Daddy's  \nbedroom door open and his footsteps come pounding down the hall towards her.  \nWaited for the door to slam open. Waited for him to start hurting her again.  \n  \nShe waited, but he didn't come.  \n  \nGradually, her muscles began to loosen. Normally, Daddy was a very light  \nsleeper. He'd hit her several times before for disturbing his rest. But sometimes  \nthe beer made him get really, really sleepy. And then he wouldn't wake up for  \nanything. This must have been one of those nights. Marissa thanked her lucky  \nstars.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Then she looked at the demon sitting on her bed. And glared hatefully at  \nhim.  \n  \nTo her surprise, he did not speak or look away. His eyes met hers. And they  \nheld an aching amount of sadness.  \n  \n\"I'm sorry,\" he whispered. \"I'm so sorry I have to do this to you. I don't  \nwant to make you feel this way. I'm sorry.\"  \n  \nIt was the last thing she expected to hear from him. She thought this was  \nwhat he had wanted all along. To trick her into making noise so her daddy would  \npunish her again. That's why he had healed her; to make the pain hurt worse this  \ntime.  \n  \nInstead, he was apologizing. It boggled her poor young mind to even think  \nthat a demon \\*could\\* do something like that.  \n  \n\"Marissa...\" he whispered, \"It makes me sad that, after centuries upon  \ncenturies of lies from the church about how demons manipulate mortals in order to  \nsnatch them away to Hell, here I am doing almost the same thing to you.\" He spoke  \nsoftly. Feather-light.  \n  \nShe said nothing, but he noticed her ears were slightly raised.  \n  \n\"But it's \\_not\\_ the same,\" he said, more firmly and mostly to himself. \"I  \ndon't want to decieve you, little one. I haven't told you anything that's not  \ntrue. All I want is to let you see the other side of things. You told me to stop,  \nand I will respect that. I'll go away if you want me to. All I meant in coming  \nhere was to present my agument and go. The choice has to be up to you. A  \ncompletely free choice, and it's all yours.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa looked down at the blankets solemnly. She was thinking. In fact, her  \nmind felt very full all of a sudden. It was like she could see the shadows of a  \nswarm of thoughts that had not yet arrived. She felt a little overwhelmed at the  \nmoment, but she felt certain that once the demon was gone and she'd settled down,  \nthere would be a great many important matters waiting in her mind for her to  \nconsider.  \n  \nRazielphustar sighed and gazed off into empty space. He looked up at the  \nmoon, in fact. \"Marissa, there is just one last thing I want to tell you. We have  \na very important rule in Hell. It's the \\*most\\* important rule. It says that, any  \nsoul who resides within our realm will only be punished exactly as much as they  \ndeserve, and no more. We always try our best to be as fair as we can be. So,  \nsomeone like \\*you\\* wouldn't be punished at all, since you're a very, very good  \nlittle girl.\"  \n  \nMarissa tucked her face into her folded arms at hearing that. \"No I'm not.\"  \n  \nRazielphustar scooted a few inches closer, worried. \"Now why would you say  \nthat?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"'Cuz Daddy tells me I'm a bad girl.\"  \n  \n\"Well he's wrong,\" the squirrel said straightforwardly. \"He's about as wrong  \nas a man can possibly be. Believe me; I'm a demon and I can see the good and evil  \nin people as easily as what shoes they're wearing. I see almost nothing \\*but\\*  \ngood in you. And almost nothing but evil in him.\"  \n  \nHer head shot up. \"That's not true!\" she cried desperately. \"He's not always  \na bad Daddy! Sometimes he's nice to me and takes me places and combs my hair and  \nbuys me stuffed animals!\"  \n  \nThe demon leaned closer to softly pat her paw. \"Sweetheart, would a good  \ndaddy do the things to you that he does? With his hands? And to your girl-place?\"  \n  \nMarissa shut her eyes tightly. She began to sniffle.  \n  \nRazielphustar inched a little bit closer. \"There there, little one. It's  \nhard, I know. My job in Hell is to be there when little boys and girls arrive and  \nto tell them about the place and try to make them feel better. It takes time,  \nMarissa. It takes years, sometimes, to be able to accept the truth.\"  \n  \nHer voice was tiny, oh so tiny, but the words she spoke were thunderous in  \ntheir meaning. \"...That he's a bad Daddy?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Razielphustar nodded, immeasurably proud of her for being able to even say  \nsuch a thing while she was still so deep in his clutches. \"See, little one? You  \nalready know the truth. Your heart knows. And I'm sure your heart knows that you  \ndon't want to live here anymore and have him keep doing those awful things to  \nyou.\"  \n  \nShe made a tiny whimpering sound.  \n  \nHe lifted himself up to sit beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.  \n\"Remember how I said I was offering you a chance?\" he whispered to her.  \n  \nA tiny nod.  \n  \n\"All over the world right now, demons like me are peeking into bedrooms just  \nlike yours. Bedrooms where frightened children sleep. Children whose mommies and  \ndaddies do unimaginable things to them. Children... who need a way out.  \nDesperately.  \n  \n\"Have you ever seen a movie where someone your age finds a magic portal to  \nsomeplace far away and beautiful? Someplace magical?\"  \n  \n\"Like the Wizard of Oz?\" she squeaked.  \n  \n\"That's right, sweetie. Just like that.\" He gave her paw a pat. \"Well,  \nthat's what I'm offering you.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She held her arms about her small frame tighter. \"You \\_do\\_ want to take me  \nto Hell with you.\"  \n  \n\"That's right, little one. I do. And I apologize again if I seem like I'm  \ntrying to trick you. But Hell is made up of many different levels, and the very  \ntippy-top one is the place I'm offering you a ticket to. That's where lots of  \nhurt little boys and girls go, and we do everything we can to fix them up again.  \nIt's like a hospital. Imagine a whole world that's like one big hospital.\"  \n  \nShe sniffed back a sob. \"I went to a hospital once,\" she said quite clearly.  \n\"Daddy broke my ankle.\"  \n  \nHe shook his head, his heart breaking that she could be so matter-of-fact  \nabout it.\"If you agree to come with me, we'll do our best to fix up your insides  \njust like they fixed up your ankle. And I don't mean your heart or your tummy.  \nNo; physical bodies are easy to repair. I mean your \\*heart\\* heart. Your soul. You  \nhave scars on your soul, little one. Long, deep scars. But they can be healed.  \nAnything can be healed if its given enough time and enough love.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa did not answer, but continued to cry. Silently now.  \n  \nRazielphustar took a deep breath. He gave her one last pat on the arm, and  \nthen began to slide himself off the bed.  \n  \nMarissa looked up. \"Are you going?\"  \n  \nHe nodded. \"I have to. I said I only came to tell you my side of the story,  \nand I meant that. I don't want to pressure you. I just wanted to give you  \nsomething to think about.\"  \n  \nShe looked down at her paws, her heart in shards, her mind like the wake of  \na tornado. \"I...\"  \n  \nHe leaned over and placed a finger upon her chin, gently lifting her head to  \nmeet his gaze. \"Don't worry. You don't have to make any kind of decision right  \nnow. I said it was a choice, and that was perfectly true. I'm going now, but I'll  \nbe back. I promise.\"  \n  \n\"When?\" she asked, her eagerness surprising even herself.  \n  \n\"Next Saturday. At the exact same time. One week from now. That's a whole  \nweek for you to think about what I've told you. It's up to you to decide whether  \nI'm lying or not. Think about what I said, then think about what you've been told  \nin church. Think about what feels more right to you in your heart. But most of  \nall, I want you to think about your Daddy. Think hard about what your body felt  \nlike before I arrived. Think about how it feels now, and if you'd like for it to  \nstay that way. This is not about angels and demons, Marissa. It is all about  \nyou.\" He took a step backwards, towards the closet.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa was already thinking. Thinking as hard as she could. \"If... If you  \ndid take me... Does that mean I'd have to die?\" she asked timorously.  \n  \nHis hand on the knob, Razielphustar stepped through the doorway into  \ndarkness. He looked to her one last time and nodded. \"Yes, sweetheart. You would.  \nBut I would never hurt you. Never ever.\"  \n  \nThe door closed to a tiny slit.  \n  \n\"I promise,\" was the last words he spoke.  \n  \nThen the closet door shut with a click.  \n  \nMarissa was alone again.  \n  \nThough not entirely alone.  \n  \nThe moonlight was still shining in through her window, casting its cool,  \ncalming glow across her troubled face...  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n~\\*~  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nWhen he returned later, Saturday night as promised, Razielphustar found the  \nyoung rabbit sitting on her bed waiting for him.  \n  \n...a packed suitcase by her side.  \n  \nHis heart just about melted. \"Have you perhaps made your decision?\" he asked  \nwith a grin.  \n  \nBut his smile quickly died when he saw the look in her eyes. Horror came  \nover his face like a shroud. \"Marissa... What happened?\"  \n  \nBelow her left eye was the telltale dark stain a fist had left behind. With  \nthe sight that all demons possessed, he could see almost more red spots on her  \ntiny, trembling form than there had been before.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; The demon sunk to his knees and put his paws on her shoulders, barely  \ntouching her, afraid she might shatter. \"What... have they... done to you!?\"  \n  \nHer eyes seemed frozen open. Dead from pain. But slowly, life began to  \ntwinkle somewhere deep down inside.  \n  \nThen, almost before he knew it, she was clutching herself to him so tight it  \nwas as if she were clinging on for dear life. She began to sob with her entire  \nbody, but without letting a single sound escape. She feared making the slightest  \nnoise. Dreading that it might bring \\_him\\_. Her body jerked as violently as if she  \nwere having a seizure. Razielphustar held her with utmost gentleness and stared  \noff into nothing, trying to comprehend how the girl he had met before, shaken as  \nshe was, could so swiftly become this broken, silent thing in his arms.  \n  \nThen her breath was at his ear. And everything suddenly made sense.  \n  \n\"Sunday morning... I told them about you.\"  \n  \nThe words hit him like a sledgehammer to the face. She had told them about  \nhim. She had told her sunday school teacher about what had come out of her  \ncloset, or maybe the 'church man'. Told them all about the nice demon that had  \ncome to visit her. She just wanted them to help her understand. And what had they  \ndone? What, in the name of all that is decent, had they DONE? He was not sure he  \neven wanted to know. They had certainly told her father, as he had left visible  \nsigns all over her body of how he had taught her a lesson that night. What had  \nthey done, up at that church, to a girl spinning wild, blasphemous tales of  \ndemons and God? What punishments had they set upon her for telling such  \noutrageous lies?  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; And what... Dear dark lord, what if they'd \\_believed\\_ her?  \n  \nRazielphustar's jaw shook as he opened his mouth to speak, but could not. No  \nwords would come. No words that could simultaneously comfort this poor, dear girl  \nand express all the murderous rage he felt at the ignorant, evil, heartless, vile  \nscum that had raped her very spirit like this.  \n  \nThey held each other wordlessly for a very long time.  \n  \nThen Marissa said, \"Do it.\"  \n  \n\"Do what, little one?\" he said, his voice sounding as if he hadn't used it  \nin centuries.  \n  \nShe pulled back from the hug just long enough to look in his eyes. \"Kill  \nme.\"  \n  \nHe fell silent.  \n  \n\"Please,\" she begged softly. \"I give up. I want to go with you. Even if  \nyou're lying and you wanna trick me and throw me in the lake of fire, I'll still  \ngo with you.\"  \n  \nA heart-killing sob passed his lips and he threw his arms around her again,  \npeppering her tiny cheek with tender kisses. \"Oh sweetie... Oh little one... It  \nwon't be like that. It won't be like that. I promised, and I always keep my  \npromises. Always. There is no lake of fire. Nothing like you've been taught. It's  \nall lies. All filthy, dirty lies that horrible people use to hurt sweet,  \nbeautiful innocent children like you... Oh my dear sweet Marissa, please forgive  \nme. I never should have left you on your own...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; By now he was sobbing so hard his words were a mush of indistinguishable  \nregrets. He thought he'd prepared himself. Thought he'd seen the worst of what  \ncould be done to a child decades upon decades ago. But seeing it made flesh again  \nripped open his heart anew and drove home the hard, cruel, unforgiving fact that  \nhe must \\_never\\_ underestimate his enemies. \\_Never\\_.  \n  \nHe lifted the little bunny girl up in his arms and placed a loving kiss upon  \nher head. \"Whatever they did to you, it's over now. It's all over. You're safe  \nwith me, little one. Safe. I promise.\"  \n  \nShe nodded. She believed him. A week ago, she would never in a million years  \nhave guessed that she would soon trust the word of a demon from Hell who had come  \ninto her life through her bedroom closet. But now, after what they had done to  \nher... The people she trusted. The people she thought would protect her. They had  \nhurt her in ways Daddy never even \\_dreamed\\_ of. And Daddy had done things too.  \nDisgusting, ugly things that forced her to go limp and black out her mind and  \nhide deep, deep down within herself until it was all over and she was back in her  \nbed again.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; The choice was no choice at all.  \n  \nIt wasn't even hard to realize that she would rather die than spend one  \nsingle day longer in this house. It came to her as easily as deciding what to  \nwear in the morning.  \n  \nAfter an entire week of a Hell she had never been taught about in sunday  \nschool, she found herself now in the gentle arms of a batwinged demon from the  \nactual place itself. Surely, she thought, no matter what Hell was, it couldn't be  \nany worse than this.  \n  \nAnd if everything he'd said was true...  \n  \nShe dared not hope, for hope just brought greater pain when later it was  \nsmashed. But she wanted to hope. She wanted to trust him, because she believed  \nthat she could.  \n  \nRazielphustar bent down to lay her delicately upon her bed. He took the  \nsuitcase and set it aside. \"You won't be needing this,\" he told her.  \n  \nShe looked from the suitcase to him and back with disappointment plain on  \nher face. \"But my toys...\" They were all she had. She didn't want to lose them  \ntoo.  \n  \n\"Relax. Don't worry.\" He lightly tapped her forehead. \"Everything you want  \nto take with you is already in here. And everything you want to leave behind will  \nstay right where it is.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She nodded, feeling better about that. \"So what happens now?\" she asked.  \nReally meaning; 'How will you kill me?'  \n  \n\"Now,\" the demon said, \"I give you your last chance. Your last chance to  \nchange your mind. Although I have a feeling your mind is already made up.\"  \n  \nShe nodded again, vigorously. And was that just the tiniest trace of a  \nsmile, gone almost before he saw it?  \n  \n\"I see. Well then, little bunny. It is time to go.\"  \n  \nShe took a deep breath, trying to feel brave. She looked about her bedcovers  \nand spotted her favorite plushie; a rather battered little patchwork kitten whose  \ncolors had faded almost to a uniform grey. Holding the shabby but dearly loved  \nlittle bundle of stitches in her arms gave her confidence an incredible boost.  \n  \nThis time she did smile. She gave her kitten a squeeze. \"Okay.\"  \n  \n\"All ready?\"  \n  \n\"Uh huh.\" And could this feeling inside her really be excitement?  \n  \nRazielphustar gave her his warmest smile. \"Just close your eyes and relax.  \nThis won't hurt a bit. And unlike doctors with shots, I'm telling the truth.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Her smile widened a bit. Nowhere near a laugh, but offering hope that those  \nmight come with time.  \n  \nMarissa closed her eyes and held her plushie tight. She was too excited to  \nrelax.  \n  \nShe felt two soft squirrel paws press against her chest. And then they  \npassed through. She felt them cradle her heart like she cradled her kitten.  \n  \nShe felt them begin to squeeze.  \n  \nLightly at first, then with growing pressure.  \n  \nHe was right. It did not hurt.  \n  \nAnd soon, she felt her heart stop entirely.  \n  \nEverything stopped.  \n  \n'Gosh... So this is what dying is like.'  \n  \nThe cool, soothing feeling from before was nothing compared to this. Now,  \nshe felt as though her body had never even \\*known\\* pain. She felt perfectly new.  \nRefreshed and reborn.  \n  \n'Why was I ever afraid of this?'  \n  \nMarissa opened her eyes and found another pair looking right back at her.  \n\"Congratulations, sweetie. It's all over. You were very, very brave.\"  \n  \nShe felt peace fill her soul as the gentle demon lifted her up again into  \nhis arms, but this time he left half of her behind. She looked down and saw  \nherself lying there, eyes closed. Just like she was sleeping. Nothing sad or  \nscary about it at all. Not at all.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She saw the tattered toy wrapped up in the arms of her former husk, then  \nrealized she could still feel her beloved companion in her arms even now. She  \nheld up the plushie and gasped with happiness. \"Kitty!!\" She was brand new! Her  \ncolors were vibrant, her fabric was whole and untorn. And yet, she wasn't the  \nsame as she had been when she was first bought either. All the special little  \nthings that made her unique were still there. Just spiffed up a little bit.  \n  \nMarissa hugged her toy and tears, now of happiness, spilled down her cheeks.  \nIt was more than just her stuffed animal's transformation. This meant, in a way  \nshe could not place words to, that everything the demon had told her was true.  \nThere really was a world of wonder and joy waiting for her on the other side.  \n  \n\"Thank you!\" she cried, wrapping her arms around her new guardian's neck and  \nnuzzling his fur with unbounded love.  \n  \n\"You are more than welcome, little one,\" he whispered in her ear. \"Now, are  \nyou ready to go see your new home?\"  \n  \n\"Uh huh!\"  \n  \n\"That's terrific! Just hold on tight and we'll be there before you know it!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; She returned his jaunty smile. \"Okay!\"  \n  \nRazielphustar opened up the closet door and this time Marissa could see a  \nshimmering hole beyond it. A portal. To another world, just like he'd said.  \n  \nShe was ready.  \n  \nAs he closed the door and darkness silently surrounded them, she had one  \nlast thought. \"I'm kinda sad I'll never get to go to Heaven and see an angel.\"  \n  \nHe nuzzled her with his nose. \"Says who? It was all the fallen angels' help  \nthat let us demons get through to earth in the first place! There's a very nice  \nangel friend of mine waiting right on the other side of this closet keeping the  \nportal open. Her name's Llywyalla. She talks kinda funny but I'm sure you'll like  \nher.\"  \n  \n\"Wow!\" Marissa said. \"That's neat!\"  \n  \n\"And,\" he added, as the portal began to throb in octopus arm swirls all  \naround them, \"Guess who else you'll get to meet?\"  \n  \n\"The Devil?\" she guessed.  \n  \n\"Him too, if you like. But let's just say this; I'm sure Jesus really does  \nlove you, and that he'll be happy to tell you in person that not everything you  \nlearn in sunday school is a lie.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Marissa was struck dumb with astonishment as the portal swallowed her and  \nher demon friend up, whisking them away to a faraway land...  \n  \n...where dreams really do come true...  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThe End  \n...for now  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\n* * *\nAuthor's notes:  \n  \n  \nIf faith is simply believing without need of proof, then all beliefs are equally  \nunlikely, and all of them have an identical chance at being right or wrong.  \n  \nSo then, why can't I believe that maybe the afterlife is exactly like this? Why  \nnot?  \n  \nWhy not?  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Bartleby Tales","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/8471-all-you-can-eat.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/10091-hell-fights-back-prologue-hi-octane-mind-trip.json"}}