Demon Child

Aunty! Aunty! Look at what I caught!

Sweet little Cerise, smiling up at me.  I glanced down at her hands as they opened and revealed a glowing lightning-bug. I looked back at her face, and smiled.

“You must have been very fast to catch that, darling. My talented little niece.”

She beamed at me and threw her hands around my neck. I laughed as her shriek cut across the grounds. The lightning-bug she had forgotten about and let loose, had flown into her face. I watched as she commenced chasing it, dancing on her toes to recapture it. She is so happy. It’s as if she has forgotten her parents. I hope she has. I could remember the days, and weeks when she would cry constantly, asking over and over Why are mommy and daddy dead? Why? I had always just murmured soothing words, and rocked her in my arms.

She should never have known, some placating lie should have been made up. Instead, the authorities had informed me of my sisters’ and brother-in-laws’ death callously, not minding the child hiding behind my skirt. But maybe it was for the best. Now she knows with certainty that her parents will never come back. She wouldn’t ask even more heart-wrenching questions such as Why did mommy and daddy leave without saying goodbye? Didn’t they love me? I had spoken those words myself as a child. 

I too had lived with relatives since an early age. I had been sheltered, my grandmother had given me the kind of lie I wished for Cerise. Giselle, your parents went away to be together. They need a lot of time, but they’ll be back someday. I had always waited for them, awakening with hope and falling asleep in despair. It continued until I grew old enough to acknowledge the truth. They had both died, murdered by a madman while out visiting a friend.

“Aunty, I caught it again!”

Again Cerise held out her hands, loosening her laced fingers to allow me sight of the bug. I glanced up from her fingers and into her eyes. They glowed yellow. I drew in my breath sharply, a hiss escaping from me. Demon child. I glared at her, leaning back into my chair.

“Aunty? What’s wrong? Does the bug frighten you,” she stammered. Her eyes were normal now as I stared into them. They were a wide, frightened hazel. I relaxed my muscles, ashamed at my reaction.

“Yes, Cerise. It frightened me for a second but then I remembered- my talented little niece is holding it and wouldn’t let it hurt me.” I smiled at her again, and her face lit up in response. She went back to running across the grass.

What were you thinking? Cerise is innocent. Nothing like the man who murdered you’re parents... I had seen him briefly. My grandmother had taken me and my sister to see him before he was hung. “Take a good look at him. See his eyes? Yellow!” she whispered. “Possessed by a demon. Driven mad. Hate him, be glad he is dying today.” I had only cowered, trying to hide from the gaze of the man. He had stared at me, making evil noises until we left the jail cell.

~

Despite my conviction of her innocence, I watched Cerise closely the following days. I crept into her room at night to look down on her angelic features. Angelic. I had almost satisfied myself that she was nothing more than the sweet child she appeared to be.

That was until the morning she burst into the parlor, where I sat writing to a friend. She ran up to my side, snarling like an animal, her expression twisted into a horrific mask. I cried out, backing away as far as I could. She tossed her head back and laughed. The sun caught her eyes and they flashed red and then yellow.

“Aunty! I scared you didn’t I?” she crowed triumphantly. “I was a good monster wasn’t I? Just like from the story Cook just told me! I’m a demon from the fiery depths below the ground!” she declared joyfully and bared her teeth at me. Deceitful, demon child! Trying to cover up it’s true nature in a story! It ran out of the room, laughing once more. I sank to the ground, over come by the grief of realization. My little Cerise was gone, inhabited by a filthy creature. What havoc was it wreaking, as I sat here?

I stumbled to my feet and out of the room, following it’s terrible laughter. It was entrancing the kitchen servants with it’s wild act. My body turned cold as I saw it’s hold over them. I turned from the scene and ran to the porch. I bent over the railing, staring at the flowers reaching up to me. No one will believe me. How could they believe such a sweet thing to be evil? But it was, and it was up to me to end her- no...its stay in my house. She couldn’t be allowed to be around others! She might send evil beings like herself into them. Never would it happen! I let loose a laugh. It would be sorry it had invaded our lives.

~

I kept it locked in it’s room now. I instructed the servants to give me her food, so that I would bring it to its room. I would let none of them be exposed to it. They gave me odd looks, and whispered about a touch of madness.... Ha! If only they knew. I was saving them! And they would be grateful!

If any of them had seen her, they would be enticed by her brimming eyes, and pitiful cries. Aunty, why can’t I go outside? Why can’t I play? Why don’t you love me anymore? I just stared down at it, not believing that I had ever loved such a false thing. It took my Cerise away from me, and injected itself into her innocent body. It would pay. Dearly.
~

Matters changed severely when I found it in the kitchen. I had walked in to detail the meal I would have sent up to it, only to find it playing with one of the servant’s baby girl. I cried out in horror, looking around.

“You let this filthy beast, play with your children? How long? How long!” I screamed at them. I could feel the tears of rage streaming down my face. They looked at me as if I was the mad one! That little creature had turned them against me already.

They had endangered themselves, some may even be like the demon child already. Something must be done. I snatched the vile things hand and dragged it back to it’s room. I threw her in and spoke my warning.

“If you leave this room again, I shall tie you to your bed, you despicable monster.”

It sobbed, reaching out it’s arms to me. I slapped it across the face.

“Do not touch me! I shan’t be like you! Never, despite how you may try! I know it’s you who torments me in my sleep! It started the day I shut you in here!” I slapped her again. “ You sneak into my room and manipulate my dreams! Don’t deny it,” I screamed as it shook it’s head.

“You will be sorry for all you have done!”

~

I knew what had to be done. I knew the minute I left it sobbing on the floor. It would continue to sneak to the kitchen, or the servants, pityingly, would go to her. That must not happen. I knew what I had to do.

~

“Cerise, darling? Would you like to go out?” I said sweetly the next day.

“Aunty? What...” she trailed off, a confused look on her face.

“Come with me. I’m so very sorry for having treated you so terribly. Shall we take a ride together?” I inquired as I led her by the hand outside and towards the horse I had tied up. It’s eyes lit up at this gesture of kindness. Fool

“Aunty? Have you forgiven me for whatever it is I have done?”

“Yes I have,” I said, bestowing a smile upon the demon child.I could barely stomach the words, but I had to. It had to come with me, it had to feel that it had tricked me like the others. But it hadn’t! No, no, no.

“Aunty Giselle?” It looked up at me, frightened by the laugh I had let loose.

“Just a joke I thought of, my sweet.”

I boosted it up on the horse, and pulled myself up behind it. As we rode toward the coast, I made aimless chatter with it. I could feel it relaxing against me, snuggling in towards my warmth. I let it, despite the rolling feel of my stomach.

“I love you Aunty.” Hazel eyes looked up at me, and I had a flash of my dear Cerise. My Cerise before anything evil had taken over. Oh how it would pain me to do what I had to. To see the body of my niece...but no. If I thought of it that way, I couldn’t do what must be done! I would rid this world of evil.

“Me too.”

I pulled the horse to a stop. We were atop a cliff, that fell to the churning ocean below us. The beach was to our right, the sea to our left.

“What are we doing here Aunty?”

“Do no call me Aunty you horrid thing!” I flung it down to the ground where it cowered, tears forming in it’s lying eyes. It was confused by my sudden change. “You are here to pay for what you have done. I know, oh, I know your evil deeds!”

“Please tell me what I have done Au-” I slapped her across the face, a loud crack sounding.

“You have invaded my dear Cerise’s body! You have bewitched the servants. You have tormented me in my sleep, and terrorized me while awake. You-,” I paused, shocked as the realization dawned on me."You murdered your parents! Didn’t you? Didn’t you!”

Her eyes widened in practiced shock. “Mommy and daddy were killed?”

“Stop with the act demon child! I should have known! You took my beloved sister away from me! As you took her life away from me, I shall take yours from this earth!”

I grabbed a handful of its brown curls and began dragging it towards the edge of the cliff. It began to struggle and scream, finally understanding why I brought it here.

“No, Aunty please no! I love you. Don’t hurt me,” it sobbed. “I won’t do it again! I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!”

A laugh erupted out of me. It’s time had come and nothing it could say would stop me! When I reached the edge, I pulled it in front of me and bent down. I stroked it’s hair, thinking of Cerise. It would hurt me so much to see her body plummet into the waves. But I had to endure the pain.  I waited.
And when a glimmer of hope entered it’s eyes, I pushed it off the cliff.

~

Whispers above me.

Saying madness had consumed me. What other reason could there be that I laughed in triumph when they mentioned the death of “Cerise”?

Now I laugh at their stupidity. One day they would see how I saved everyone, despite the pain it caused me.

They back away from my bed, where I am tied.

She had been evil, and I-

I had done the right thing.