Demon Smile

Waking up this morning, her image hung over me like the “all knowing, all seeing... Great and Powerful Oz” from the 1920s movie. Floating, hovering... it was soon replaced with a different image; a darker image. The vision of a winged blackened demon; fangs bared and dripping. Claws ripping at my flesh... digging for my soul.

“You don’t want this one,” I tell the demon. “It’s damaged. Burned and broken.”

The demon smiles. I continue.

“This soul has been bought, sold and bargained with so many times it’s become a vintage piece of glass worn by a broken down whore in a purple slip dress. Chipped, cloudy, gawdy and dark with decades of dirt, sweat and tears. Once, there may have been sparkle, but you, the beholder will be left disillusioned and disappointed.”

The demon smiles.

“Maybe it was beautiful once; glowing gold and pure. Maybe. But time has had it’s way with it.

Might also have been nice for the divine to have attached this soul to a more quality brain and a grounded, less flighty heart. Instead this soul was left like an ignorant, amnesiatic, babe in the woods adopted by a bi-polar, masochistic she-wolf.

This soul didn’t have a chance.

Now, it sits here watching as the heart next to it is fileted open like a horror movie victim on a cold butcher’s table; watching each strand of flesh slowly and deliberately peeled away, absent of anesthesia.”

The demon smiles. I can feel the warmth of a tear escape my eye and run, racing down my flesh. I continue:

“What blood remains is frozen; chilled by the shrill screams of the identity dissolving within this mind; melting and vanishing in a barrel of acidic toxins where it’s been thrown. Flesh, bone, spirit and energy... all liquefied.”

Cowering, shivering as the demon draws closer. The demon smiles. I finish:

“I know what you desire. To consume this spirit and pour melted flesh into the mold of your choosing. Formed, cleaned and polished... displayed within a glass case like a porcelain doll. But this soul would welcome death as a relief; freedom from the pain. A final refuge. An end to it all... before it would give itself to you.”

The demon smiles.

And scrapes away the remains.