Midnight Mistake

Night, black and cold surrounded him as they mocked him. Each of the other boys circling him and laughing that he would believe in anything when it is so apparent to them there were no powers in the world and nothing supernatural existed. He took the beating. They punched him until he went down and they kicked him until he stopped screaming. That is the way with cruelty, it only continues as long as it entertains the cruel.
Kabe lay there in the dark ash circle waiting to die after the left. Wishing it. There is nothing worse in the world than to be beaten and miserably embarrassed at twelve. Death did not come, only the cold and he found the strength to stand up. His mouth tasted of blood and there wasn't a part of his body that did not hurt. He hated them for always picking on him. In a rage he screamed and then shivered against the cold. His busted lip broke open more, stinging, and he hung his head in defeat.
The wind picked up brushing through the corn fields making a threshing noise. It was the creepiest thing he'd heard in a long time. He got the the edge of his ash circle and put his shoes back on. He started moving toward home, his mother would be worried if he wasn't in bed by the morning.
"Is that it?" a voice asked aloud from the corn.
"Who is there?" he asked expecting on of the boys had come back to beat on him some more.
"Right boring end to that ain't it?" the voice answered, then continued to itself. "Can't say I've ever seen anything so dull in all my years. What's wrong with children today? They have no imagination anymore. I've seen a better demon summoning in a nun's knickers."
A chorus of laughter danced in the corn and he backed away from it fearful. A loud stomping came through the waving stalks and he turned to run.
"Where are you goin' boy?" fingers caught at his throat.
"I.. I.. I" Kabe stutters in fear about to piss himself.
"It's not nice to call a demon and run away." The whisper at his ear made him spin about but nothing is there. No body for the voice.
"Show yourself!" he yells wishing he had brought a flashlight.
"No." it answers.
"But you have to." he tells it. "I summoned you and you have to do what I say."
The corn weaves about as a different voice laughs. "He's got you there."
"He didn't bind me so I don't." the voice argues with the laughing one. "And shut up you fool or I will pull all your ears and eat them!"
The corn bends away. "Just try it, they're not ripe and you will regret it tomorrow."
"Balls of the Devil! How I detest the Corn God." the voice grumbles. "Why are you even here anyway?"
"Lad summoned me, though I don't think he knew it." as such laughter danced on the wind the stalks of corn rustling shook. "It's an old name and I think he mixed up the pronunciation. Kids can't read the old script these days. Soon enough things like us will be just the toys of ancient myth."
"Speak for yourself old one." The answer spat from close to Kabe.
"How do I bind you?" Kabe asked.
"Like I would tell you." A snort. "Ha! Too late for that and if you try I'll gut you like a rabbit."
"So what? You just want me to leave?" Kabe shouts to the air. "Fine!"
The corn laughs and laughs. "It'll be a long time little devil, it's late and the harvest will come before long."
"Screw you Maize brain fool!" The devil voice replies.
"What?" Kabe frowns. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Devil can't leave til you release it even if it ain't had any binding on it." the corn parts and out walks a wiry old man with cornsilk hair, weathered skin and a large smile.
The devil shrieks curses at the corn God.
"I like my fields, I like the quiet and the sun on me all day and if you leave a devil tied to this spot well things will go wrong around here faster than a dry stalk burns in the drought. Be nothing but rot and bad soil eventually."
"I will eat your ears and rip out your eyes old man." the demon hisses.
"Can't bind it now but if you can get it to agree to a bargain or a task you set it, that will free it to do the work you want and it will be happy to do the work to be free of you." the corn God
The demon quiet for a moment spoke up. "I could settle on that, but only one thing brat and no asking for more tasks."
"Like what?" Kabe wonders.
"Anything." the demon announces eagerly.
"Anything?" he wasn't sure he could trust the ilk of a demon.
"Anything boy!"
Kabe nods, thinking but knowing what he wants. "Teach me to be a Necromancer."
The corn God suddenly roars with laughter.
"Ah fuck." the Demon groans.