A Devil's Duel

I thought Jeremy was my friend. He was always a gentle human being. Never looking for trouble, soft spoken, sweet, well thought of. Everyone loved Jeremy including me until one day he had changed and I saw him for what he really was. I knew he was a “too good to be true” temptation, and just in the blink of an eye he turned from an angel to a devil. Actually the devil’s son he told me, but now I can’t be sure since I don’t know what to believe anymore. When it first happened, he came to me for help. He believed it was just a phase he was going through and trusted me to help him get through it, but after a while he soon grew to like his state of mind.1

The sweet and innocent boy I once knew became a vicious power hungry demon. We grew distant over the years until I no longer saw or heard him as he faded from my mind and the minds of others. Then one day I opened my eyes to realize that he had disappeared completely.2

It has been six years since his departure into nothingness.3

“Hey Tasha,” a voice called over the hallway commotion. My two best friends, Kara and Jamie, waved me down, “Come on, Tash, let’s go to lunch.”4

“I’m coming,” I put the last of my books away and rushed to keep up with my friends. “Is Leo coming?” I asked as we walked out the front doors and piled into Kara’s car. Leo was our very closet “guy” friend whom we teased all the time for looking like Elvis Presley, acting like him and listening to the star’s music.5

Kara shook her head, “if he is I’m not waiting for him. We don’t have the time.” She was right our lunch time had been cut back due to the new scheduling.6

Once we ate and were back in class, something strange happened. I was sitting one of my classes when my vision changed.7

I swore there were sparks of red and green lights as if someone had lit off some fireworks in the middle of the hallway. There was a small popping sound then all of a sudden it went dark. I closed my eyes then opened them again to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. When I opened them again, it was still dark. It was some sort of cave I had thought. Everything was still silent until I heard a whooshing sound behind me and a flash of red light. I turned only to face red gleaming eyes and a Cheshire cat smile.8

My breath caught in my throat. I had to gasp to breathe.9

“Tasha, it’s me,” the smile faded as a dark shadow loomed in the corner of my eyes. I backed up as a hand swept in front of my face. A whistle of air told me that the fingers attached to the hand missed.10

“Who are you and how do you know my name?” I let my breath that I was holding out.11

“Natasha, we went to school together,” the voice tried again, “don’t you remember?”12

My mind fogged just as I began searching my memory for any familiarity of this being.13

“Tasha, it’s me…Jeremy.”14

I backed up some more as he advanced closing the space between us if there was any. I couldn’t really tell. I hit a wall just as his hand cam up again and started to stroke my check. I smacked his hand away. He caught my hand then kissed it.15

“Stop that!” I snatched my hand back and looked around. “Where am I,” I demanded as my fear rose.16

“Oh sorry,” he whistled two high pitched notes and lights began to flicker on. “Welcome to Dawth Me Nan Allow, The Hollow of the Devil.”17

My eyes began to adjust to the light as the cave came to life. The dark walls were actually dirt walls; the floor was made of black marble. I looked up to make out the ceiling which was also black dirt and rocks. The ceiling was high for a cave.18

My eyes came back to the ruby colored stare that was watching me, “Why did you bring me here?” I glowered at him.19

His face tried to play dumb, but his voice was amused, “You aren’t glad to see me?”20

I ignored the question with one of my own, “Why did you bring me here?”21

He sighed then replied, “Fine. A good looking guy like myself could use a beautiful girl…like you.”22

“Sorry, but I’m way out of your league.”23

He grabbed my hand again, “Tasha, please, I miss you.”24

“Then why did you all of a sudden disappear?” my voice rose, startled by the sudden rush of anger.25

“I told you my state of things,” he remained calm as he spoke, “I didn’t want to hurt you with… you know….”26

“You didn’t want to hurt me?” my temper rose even further, “it hurt as we grew distant because you were so intent on being…”27

“Don’t say it,” he laid a finger on my lips. Jeremy sighed, “Tasha, I have no soul, but love is somehow still there.”28

I rolled my eyes, “love. You don’t even know the meaning of the word,” I said under my breath.29

There was a little bit of silence before I said, “Send me back.”30

He rolled his eyes as if he didn’t want to but he did anyway. Before either he or I could say more, he held out his hand and blew, but there was nothing in it, but wind. The gust of air was cold across my face.31

You will be mine! The words were a whisper in the air.32

I closed my eyes tightly, counted to three, and then opened them again. A jab of pain poked me in the forehead making me wish I hadn’t opened my eyes. I closed them again and waited for the pain to pass. When it had subsided, I opened them again. Shadows loomed over me as my eyes adjusted to the light that they were now blocking. Once my eyes were back to normal they fell upon the shadows and I was greeted with frowned faces.33

When I put a hand, which felt like lead, to my head, I realized I was lying on the floor. Jamie and Kara were pelting me with questions, but I just shook my head when I sat up. Hoping that what had just happened was a dream.34

DD35

High School passed more quickly then I had expected. It seemed like I passed through my classes in a daze, not quite remembering much of what was being taught. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of my senior class about to receive my high school diploma. The stands of parents and families went wild with cheers.36

I shook my head, coming out of my stupor. As I was being handed my diploma, I heard ringing in my ears and I knew he was summoning me again. I cursed him for being so persistent. I closed my eyes to avoid the dizziness. When I opened my eyes, I was in the dark cave again, but I was sitting on a throne like chair made of black marble. My back and arms rested strapped to the chair with black leather straps. I tried to move but found that I was held tightly to the chair. I tried move my feet, but soon realized that my legs were chained together.37

“Enjoying your commendations?” asked a mocking voice in the dark.38

“Jeremy! Let me go!” I demanded.39

Red lights burst into flames, lighting the cave and revealing Jeremy’s demonic smiling face. “I told you that you would be mine. I made sure of it.”40

“This is madness!” I said struggling to breathe considering the fact that the leather straps binding my chest pulled tighter around me. “You can’t force me to love you.”41

He kept his smile and calmly replied, “It’s more of a persuasion.” He pulled out a rolled up piece of paper with a crimson ribbon tied around it. “I will release you once you have signed this contract stating that you forfeit your life to me in matrimony.”42

“What if I refuse?”43

His eyes narrowed as he frowned, “then you can continue to sit there, but I must warn you my pets don’t like strangers,” he came over and lightly stroked my cheek. I cringed at his touch as he added, “even guests I favor.”44

He unrolled the document and produced a red pen from out of thin air. “So what will it be?”45

I glared up at him and growled, “Never.”46

The lights flickered and I noticed that Jeremy had his hands bawled up into fists and his eyes were wild. His hair flew up as a rush of cool air blew past him. His anger was rising, but I held my ground. He walked up to me slowly trying to contain his rage but I knew it was no use. “Too stubborn,” he said more to himself and shrugged, “suit yourself.”47

He fingered my cheek again, but this time I could feel the electricity of his power. His hand moved down my arm and reached my hand. He lingered on my fingers and an idea formed. If Jeremy was desperate to have me, then that was what I would give him, dead. I would never bow down to such a monster.48

I grabbed his wrist and the intensity of his power came alive inside of me. I could feel his power trying to consume me, but I fought it. He tried to pull away, but I held on and channeled his power against him. I pushed his power against him and instinctively he pushed back and both sides collided. We struggled against the other for some time before his power gave way in a burst of lights. Jeremy flew backwards and hit the far wall with a loud boom unmoving. I was flung back sideways still in the chair and hit the opposite wall. My body was screaming in pain. Black spots began to rapidly dot my vision before everything went black.