The Daemon

Chapter 2


Morning came with the cries of the birds outside and the sun shining in my eyes. I stretched, starting from the top with my neck and then pulling my arms over my head. I arched my back and felt the blood rushing to my limbs. My legs stretched out and my toes pointed to the wall across the way. Then I kicked my feet peddling a little before I jumped out of bed.

I was excited. Yesterday was the party for family and friends and today was just family. Because father worked so hard and mother tried to help him, I did not get to spend a lot of time with just family. My sisters were gone to school or helped in the stores as well so I was always left with someone else.

“Mama! Papa!” I raced out of my room, eager to spend the day with my favorite people.

The house was a little too silent as I raced down the stairs. The Kitchen and living areas were empty.

“Mama? Papa? Where… Kana… Airen?”

No one answered me and my heart started to stutter in fear. I looked toward the hall to the front of the building where the store stood. The shadowed walkway giving me a feeling of foreboding as I slowly work my way forward.

'Why isn’t anyone answering me? Mama…Papa…sisters…please.’

One step at a time, one foot in front of another and the tears start to flow. I know something is wrong. Terror filled my heart as I finally reach the door that separates me from the store.

“Ma…ma…” The door swung silently forward. “Pa…pa…”

The only light came in from the windows. The morning light dimly illuminated the counter. There were light sounds coming from the farthest corner in the back.

Dragging my feet I made my way into the main area of the shop. Items were strewn across the floor and drops of red here and there were scattered with them. I did not want to think about what it was.

“Mama…Papa…please…” I whispered my plea for them as I shuffled toward the back. There was a curtain that separated the dressing area and I reluctantly reached for it. My heart pounded in my ears so loud that I could not hear the previous noises anymore.

The curtain was pulled just a tiny bit out of the way so that I could peak inside. More tears flowed down my face as I noticed Kana on the floor, her hands tied, and unconscious. Blood seeped down her face and her skin was already purpling. Her clothes were ripped down her front.

Farther in the room, mom lay on dad and I could tell that she was dead. Her sightless eyes seemed to be staring straight at me. There was no spark, no smile in her eyes any longer. If mother was gone then so was father. He loved mother too much to allow any to harm her.

‘Where was Airen?’ My eyes frantically searched the room. There, on a pile of clothing and materials. My sister lay under a monster of a man. To my childish eyes, he was a giant ogre. The ugly look on his face, the stink I could smell from here and the growling sounds he made only made that impression more real.

Fear and uncertainty kept my feet from moving. I should have run for help. I should have found some way to help them. I felt too helpless. I want to save them. I don’t want to lose my sisters.

I think I let out a whimper. The man over my sister snapped his eyes in my direction. My feet finally moved. I started to run through the store and back into the living area.

In my panic I did not think to run out the door. Instead I ran back up the stairs and threw myself into my parent’s room. I swiftly crawled my way under the bed and curled up against the wall. It was not long before I heard someone or several some ones thumping their way up to the second floor.

A door crashed open down the hall making me jump and whimper a bit before stuffing my fist into my mouth.

“Where’d the little bastard go!?”

“Shut it you dumb shit. If you weren’t so caught up in having your fun you would’ve got the kid before he even woke up.”

The second voice made my eyes widen. I should’ve known that just one person would not have been able to take all of my family the way they were.

“Well find the kid already! You’ve fucked up enough as it is. We were only supposed to take the kid not take out the whole family.”

The guilt that flooded my mind at hearing that was almost too much.
‘Why would they want me?’

The tears that had stopped flowing due to fright now came out in a flood.

‘Does this mean that this is all my fault? Momma, poppa, and my sisters were hurt cause of me?’

I just curled in on myself more and hoped that everything was just a nightmare and that I would wake up to my momma soon.

I yelped as a large hand made a swipe for me.

“The little shit is just out of reach!”

All of a sudden the whole bed was thrown off from above me. The only thing I could do was screech and scream as I was roughly grabbed up by the back of the collar of my nightclothes. I tried to claw and bite as I twisted in the air.

“Quiet runt!” The slap to my face stunned me. I rarely had been hit or spanked in my short life.

“Take him downstairs. The boss wants him in one piece so no more smacking him around.”

“Yah, yah got it already, sheesh,” said the ugly ogre from before.

The other man was smaller and more weasel like. His eyes were small and spaced somewhat close. He had these really large buck teeth that overlapped his bottom lip. It was amazing that he spoke as clearly as he did. His skin was somewhat yellowish and he had horrible acne.

“Make sure he doesn’t get away.”

“Alright already,” grumbled the one holding me.

I was taken down to the room with my sisters. Airen was trussed up but unconscious. Her clothing ripped and her face was horribly bruised. Kana had regained consciousness but had a dazed look in her eyes. The blood had stopped flowing from her head wound.

The ogre took some of the trimming that was on the shelf and tied my hands behind my back. Then he tied my ankles together before tossing me toward the general direction of my sisters. Unfortunately I landed on my dead mother.

My eyes started to take in the wounds. I noticed the cold tackiness of not quite dry blood soaking into my clothes and I stared into eyes that once held so much life.

“M-m-momma…momma…MOMMA!”

Once the screaming started I don’t think I would have stopped if it weren’t for the fact that the ogre picked me up. He shook me and yelled at me but I could not help myself. Finally he lost his temper and hit me with closed fist. I saw a bright light and then nothing.