Misunderstandings By D.I. Jolly
Debra’s heart raced, filling her veins with burning panic as she felt the ropes pull tighter against her body. Hands moved over her face and she could hear the muffled sound of chanting begin to rise up around her. Suddenly the nylon bag that had been over her head seemed to disappear and she stared up at a nasty looking man dressed in dirty robes, ghost-white oily skin, thin as a skeleton and holding a curved dagger over his head screaming in a language she didn’t understand. It took her a moment before she realised she was completely naked, which caused another more intense wave of fear to hit her, locking her in place. All at once, the man brought the dagger down fast directly towards her heart. The voice in her head said scream but her lungs were frozen with fear and her vision obscured by images of her childhood. As the point of the dagger broke her skin, a column of fire erupted into the air, knocking the cultist back. The fire swirled and started to take the form of razor-sharp claws, then giant red arms, followed by a massive demonic face, with needle-sharp teeth and dark red flames for eyes, powerful legs and finally a long thick tail tipped with what looked like the head of a gigantic sledgehammer made of bone. The monster stood a full 40 feet flexed his muscles and stared down at the main cultist with the dagger. His voice seemed to come from the sky as if thunder had taken the shape of voice, sending a chill down the spine of all who could hear him.
“What is your bidding my master?”
The cultist blinked a few times then a smile rushed over his face.
“It worked, it worked! Yes I, Asmodeus have done it.’
He scrambled back up to his feet.
‘Now the world will cower at my feet and I will rule as the supreme leader!”
Asmodeus threw his head back and laughed triumphantly. Debra who had only lost a single drop of blood stared at up the monsters face, trying desperately to ignore the giant red penis that was hanging not far above her. As she desperately focused on any other details, she realised that the monster looked as though he was trying to stifle a laugh. Pushing his lips together hard and clenching his jaw. As hard as he tried though, he couldn’t keep himself together and a chuckle started to bubble up out of him. It was terrifying and genuine, and he staggered a little as he wiped tears from his eyes. Asmodeus stared up in confusion.
“I, I don’t understand.”
“The look, the look on your face… Heaven help me I’d forgotten how funny you all look.”
More flaming tears rolled down the monster’s face as he laughed and pointed at Asmodeus. Eventually, after a few more splutters and tears the monster wiped his face and took a deep calming breath, then looked down at Debra and cringing steps back.
“Oh my I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… hang over you like that. It’s Debra right?”
“H….How do you know my name?”
“Because you’re wearing a necklace that says, Debra.”
A slight blush brought the first sign of colour to her cheeks and the monster smiled, then reached down and gently cut her free. He then scanned his eyes over the cultists.
“Hands up, who’s wearing clothes under the robes?”
As a few hands went up the fire in the monster’s eyes seems to glow brighter and he settles his gaze on one man, a junior cultist, pointing a giant finger at him.
“You, give Debra your robes and get her out of here safely.”
The cultist swallowed hard then starts pulling at his robes, while the monster turned back to the girl.
“Now, when you get home, try and forget about all of this and just carry on, maybe take a couple of days off work, go have a spa day, treat yourself you know, you deserve it. Oh but, I’d get some disinfectant for that little cut, these type of people never wash those old dagger and you never know what’s on there.”
Suddenly Asmodeus’s voice cuts in,
“What the FUCK is going on here! You’re supposed to be my servant, the book says you must obey me!”
Rolling his eyes the monster turns back to face the cult leader.
“You humans always get that one wrong, the direct translation is ‘… as the great beast from the pit will appear from hell and do his master bidding.”
“Yes, and I am your master.”
The monster smiles again.
“Are you? Why? Because you summoned me? You might be their master,’
Pointing out at the gathered cultists.
‘but what does that have to do with me?”
A slight chill ran down Asmodeus’s back.
“Then, who is your master?”
“Lucifer, obviously.”
“And… and what is his bidding?”
“Guess.”
“Is it to destroy the world?”
Asmodeus’s voice was desperate but hopeful. The monster stepped over the altar and crouched down to get to eye level with him, and then smiled a broad horrifying smile.
“To punish the wicked.”
The cold realisation washed over Asmodeus then, and he somehow becomes even paler.
“Oh … balls.”