Once Upon an Empty Body

         Once upon a time, there was a lone demon spawn, lying in the dark, waiting. Every day, he waited for his chance to strike, his chance to live, his chance to be. One day, tragedy struck two parents of an ailing child in the Midwest. Their precious babe had passed away in the night. Because of that, the spawn drew near. It watched the little soul float off into the light, and when the body was cold and blue, he took it for his own. The babe drew breath. His cheeks pinked, as did the parents' when he let out a shrill cry. The demon spawn lived within the child for years, going about the daily grind that was life with great joy. Going to school, doing chores, being part of the local soccer team. Until finally, the day came when his parents wanted something he could not give them. They wanted him baptized and confirmed in their faith, a sure-fire cure for demonic infestation. He tried in vain to think of a good reason why not, to plead with his parents against it, but to no avail. He stood before the pool of blessed water and looked back on the great gift that had been his life. He dreaded the pain the parents would bear, completely unaware of what they had done, pain that he wouldn't be there to share. He gazed into the crystal-clear waters as the priest beckoned him in before the congregation, and as he stepped in, he prayed.