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The Demon's Chance story one of "Hell Fights Back" by Alex Reynard ~*~ Marissa Matthewson was a little white bunny rabbit. She was lying on top of her blankets on her bed while moonlight spread into the room through the open window. The air was cool, not cold. The stars were out. And the crickets almost, but not quite, drowned out the sound of her quietly crying. Daddy had been angry tonight. The young lapine cried for a very long time. She felt her body dully ache in all the places he had hurt her. Daddy hadn't been as angry tonight as he was some other nights, but that didn't make the hurt go away any faster. Marissa looked up, out her window, at the round, full moon. She looked up at the moon for a while, mesmerized by its silvery blue glow. The moon was peaceful. It helped to calm her down. She thought idly that she wished she could run away from home and go live on the moon. To be surrounded in that calming glow all the time. Eventually she decided to get ready for bed. After all, she had been up past her bedtime for at least an hour now anyway, and she didn't want Daddy to get angry anymore tonight. The little six-year-old got up off the bed. She noticed the small dark circles her tears had left on her blue pillow. Ignoring them for now, she began to take off her clothes, silently as possible. She did not dare make a noise. She winced as her sleeves passed over some of the bruises. She stood there naked in the moonlight for a little while, simply enjoying the feel of the summer night air on her fur. She noticed that her fur looked a little like the moonlight. When she stepped a little closer to the window, she seemed to glow too. She liked that, and was able to smile. She went to her dresser drawers and selected a pair of pajamas: a very pale pink (the same color as her nose), with white patches on the feet and on her tummy. She also smiled as she pulled them on. They were very comfy. They cradled her young body with gentle softness. Her own little pink cocoon. She glanced at the mirror and thought for a moment that she looked like she'd been dipped in cotton candy. Marissa slipped between her sheets, kicking the blankets aside as she did so. It was a warm night and her pajamas were hot enough. She didn't want to sweat all night and have to take another shower in the morning. Finally getting comfortable, she laid her head on her pillow. She could feel her spent tears making moist patches on her cheek. She gazed out the window at the night sky. So many stars. So many stars. ~~~ She was almost to the point of falling asleep when she heard a noise coming from inside her closet. She stiffened, clutched the sheet in her paws. Monsters? No. No, only babies believed in closet monsters, and she was a big girl now. Teacher said there were no monsters in closets or under beds, so that meant it must be true. The noise came again. And this time she thought it sounded exactly like knocking. Marissa's eyes were wide open in fearful alert. She stared at the closet door, right between her and the window. She could see the moonlight on the doorknob. Maybe that would keep it in. Monsters were afraid of the light, weren't they? The doorknob began to turn. Marissa's small body tensed. She opened her mouth, ready to scream, but knew with terrible certainty that she could try with all her might and no sound would ever come. The closet door opened slowly. Slowly. An inch of black darkness and a shadow on the knob. Something holding the knob. From the inside. And then a voice. "Excuse me, but do you mind if I come in for a bit?" The voice made her blink in confusion. It sounded just like a regular furson. But what would anybody be doing in her *closet* of all places? The paw on the knob opened the door another few inches. She saw that the hand was covered in jet black fur and began to get scared again. The thing in her closet stepped hesitantly out into the light. Whatever it was, it wasn't normal. That was for sure. But it didn't really look very threatening either. It looked like a squirrel. A grown-up squirrel, but not nearly as old as her Daddy. With bright red fur, like a candy apple. And little bat wings. And a big top hat. The thing moved very slowly, and looked at her with surprising concern. It shut the door silently behind it. "Please don't be afraid, little one. I'm not here to hurt you." The words were gentle. Surprisingly, she believed them. But this was still much too weird for Marissa to deal with, especially on top of what Daddy had done to her earlier. "You're a monster. Go 'way," she said. The thing chuckled, impressed by her boldness. "I assure you, I'm not a monster. Really, don't you think I look a bit too silly to be a monster?" He had a point there. Marissa found herself unable to hide a smile as the thing from her closet flapped his tiny wings and did a little juggling trick with his hat. "So what are you?" The thing bent down on one knee to look her in the eye. "My name is Razielphustar. But that's a bit of a mouthful, so you can call me Raz if you like. Or Razzy." She nodded. "Why were you in my closet?" "Well, I came here to visit you. And to help you, if you'll let me." She gave him a questioning look. Razielphustar reached out a dark paw towards her. Instantly, she shrank back. Comical-looking as he was, Marissa was a smart girl and was not about to trust a stranger just because he had a funny hat. Razielphustar pulled his paw back a bit. "Please, sweetheart. Trust me just one little bit. Just five seconds, that's all I ask." "What're you gonna do?" she asked, pulling the sheets up to her chin. "Have you ever seen, in comic books or on TV, people who have X-ray vision?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue. Not comprehending, she nodded. "Well, I have something just like that, but a bit different," Razielphustar told her. "I can see pain. When I look at a little boy or girl like you, I can see right away if something's hurting them. Just like your cheek is hurting now." This startled her. He was absolutely right. She could still feel the sting there, from when Daddy's big paw had... Razielphustar reached out again. "Just five seconds. Please. Not only can I see where it hurts, I can make it feel better too." His eyes convinced her. They were deep and shining and honest. They begged her for her trust. Marissa hesitantly lowered the covers, scooting up a few inches to let the moonlight touch her cheek first. And then he did. She gasped. Right away, she felt a cooling sensation. Like an icepack. Like the time at school when she fell off the jungle gym and hit her head and the nice nurse fixed her up. The gentle chill spread like a flower over her cheek, cooling the pain, erasing it entirely after only a few seconds. Razielphustar took his paw away and smiled at her. He felt better now too. "See?" Marissa lifted the sheet away and sat up, awed by this incomprehensible thing that had just happened in her own bedroom. This was like something out of a cartoon, or a fairy tale. Like magic. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded. "You're welcome, little one. Now, is it all right if I touch you again? I can see a lot more places on you that need healing. It looks like you have big red spots all over." "I had spots once when I had the chicken pox," she told him. She understood that red spots were bad news. She sat up a little more, getting into a kneeling position. "Where do you see spots?" "Oh, all over," Razielphustar said. He pointed. "There's one right there on your upper arm. Another on your wrist. And another there, and there, and there..." He paused. His voice faded like tissue paper. "And there..." This time he pointed between her legs. Marissa nodded. Daddy had hurt her in all of those places. Even down there. _Especially_ down there... "May I?" the red squirrel asked again, and the bunny girl nodded. His soft paw cupped her upper arm and she could feel the coolness spreading right through her pajamas. Within seconds, the pain went away from where Daddy had grabbed her and shook her. He touched her wrist, and the pain went away from where Daddy had pulled her across the livingroom. He touched several spots along her leg, and the pain went away from where Daddy had kicked her to the floor. He touched her back, and the pain went away from where Daddy had forced her down. Gently, ever so gently, he touched her bottom, and the pain went away from where Daddy had spanked her; first with his hand and then with one of his shoes. Almost all of Marissa's pain was gone. She felt like her body was totally new. Except for that one place. Her girl place. Where Daddy had put his boy place in. Hard. Just like last night. And the night before. And several nights since Mommy left. Since the Divorce. Because she didn't like how Daddy acted when he was drunk. So she got in the car one night and drove away. Now Daddy was free to drink as much as he wanted. To do *anything* he wanted. Razielphustar looked solemnly into the young girl's eyes. This last one would take the most effort, in many ways. "I can see one more place," he said. She nodded. She knew. He looked like he was trying very hard to keep himself from crying. "Sweetheart, I don't want to have to touch you there. No one should ever touch you there, not without your permission. But I can see how much it hurts. It's the biggest, reddest spot of all. I don't want you to have to feel that way any more. Not ever." His sincerity made her believe that this closet-thing, as strange and different as he looked, was not at all like her Daddy. When Daddy made her do things, his eyes got very blank. Like the TV set when it was turned off. The little bunny nodded again, and slowly sat down on her bed, spreading her legs for him. He acknowledged her trust with a grateful nod of his head. He swallowed nervously and reached out two fingers held tightly together. She trembled as they came closer to her girl-place. Panic tingles began to pinch at her skin. With just the very tips of his fingers, Razielphustar touched the girl. She shut her eyes tight and cried out like a tiny breeze. The soothing feeling spread out from the two dark-furred fingers, taking all the bad feelings away. Sweeping them away forever. Making her feel good. Fixing her up again. Making all the pain go away. All better. When Razielphustar withdrew his paw, Marissa shuddered. She shivered. She felt like she just might fall over and melt like an ice cube. She cried two very small tears. "Is it better now?" he asked her. More tears joined the first two. She looked up to him, and her vision had blurred and doubled. "Uh huh." "That's good, sweetheart. Good girl. What a brave girl." She whimpered, almost inaudibly. "May I sit down next to you?" A barely perceptible nod. Razielphustar sat, and was not at all surprised when the little girl hugged him. ~~~ She cried for a surprisingly long time. He could only guess at what thoughts might be trapped silently within her at that moment. He had his arm placed around her tiny shoulders. Every now and then he gave her an encouraging pat. So tiny... Sitting as she was, she didn't even come up to his shoulder. Maybe she could, with her long bunny ears. But those were drooped lifelessly down the sides of her face like two extra-large tears. So small... And to think of the things he had been doing to her all this time... Razielphustar grit his teeth, careful even not to do so loud enough to disturb her. Inside, his hate flared like an industrial furnace. He tried to calm himself, thinking about how this was the first time in his aeons of existence that he was actually getting to *do* something about it, but that was really no comfort at all. To know that that man was lying in the room next to them, sleeping, not ten feet away... And oh, how Razielphustar wanted to crush that man like a bug beneath his claws. Thinking of him, knowing what he had done to this beautiful little girl... What *millions* of parents did to their children, night after night, all around the world... And nobody dared imagine the true scope of it, the true horror of it. But as a demon, he could not help but see. Marissa stirred. Razielphustar looked down to find her looking back up at him with eyes as blue as robin's eggs. There was a question in those eyes, but it was one her young mind could not quite articulate. "I'm sure you're wondering a whole lot of things about me right now," he said. She nodded enthusiastically. As if to say, 'You got that right'. He smiled. "Well, I didn't come here just to make your hurty places feel better. Though that is one very BIG reason that I came... Truthfully though, I came to offer you a choice. A chance, actually." "A chance?" "That's right. But before I get to that, there's something else I have to tell you first." He looked hesitant, like he held a bad secret in his heart. "You see, I have to be totally honest with you, Marissa. I not only want to, I _have_ to. It's part of the rules. This is still a very risky experiment, and a lie, *any* lie, would be like a big red flag signalling my presence." She looked perplexed. He realized he was perplexing her. "Sorry, sorry." He sighed, partly from frustration. He stroked his goatee thoughtfully. Marissa just watched him. "Little one..." he began. "I'm not a monster. And I'm not a normal furson like you or your Mommy and Daddy. Do you know what I am really?" She shook her head. He had to tell her. HAD to... But it would all be so much simpler if he didn't... "I'm a demon." In a heartbeat, Marissa had pulled away from him. She sat curled up at her headboard, her eyes now wide as searchlights and filled with fear. "I take it then, you know what a demon is," he said bitterly. "Go away," she said in a sharp, shaky whisper. He looked at her, into her, and could see the damage the grownups and their infernal stories had done to this poor child. Brainwashed like so many others. Her innocence ruined by stories made of fear and guilt. Lies that strangled souls and turned young, fresh minds dark with hate. "Demons are bad," Marissa husked. "Jesus loves me and God protects me. That's what the church man says. You go away right now." Razielphustar nearly cried. "You poor thing..." "Go away. You can't have my soul," she said defiantly. He nearly laughed, but knew it really wasn't funny at all. "Sweetheart, I don't want your soul. I promise. That will always be yours to keep" "Satan is the father of lies," the girl recited. "Says so in the Bible." Razielphustar thought of a few choice words he could have put in there. Words about the 'truth' of the Bible, and of the reality of his boss, his mentor, and his friend. Instead, he scooted a few inches away from her, letting her see that he respected her fear. She did not take her eyes off him. "Marissa," he asked very softly, "Why would a demon want to heal you?" She frowned. "I dunno. To trick me." He shook his head. "I don't want to trick you. I only want to help you. I promise," he said again. She did not look convinced. Not at all. He tried a different tactic. "Little one, how often do you go to church?" "Once every Sunday. Sometimes we go at night when they have a dinner." He nodded. "And do they ever talk about Hell?" She nodded. "What do they tell you about Hell?" The young rabbit thought a bit, worried this might be part of a trick. Her breaths were sharp and regular as clockwork. "The church man and Mrs. Jacobson say that hell's where all the bad people go. People who don't believe in our lord Jesus Christ. Mrs. Jacobson said in sunday school that hell is a big lake of fire and if you get sent there you go in and you just get burned forever and ever." He smiled sadly, feeling for this poor girl and hating the people who had done this to her. "What if I told you it's not like that at all?" "I wouldn't believe you," she said immediately. "That's understandable. But I *am* a demon. Hell's where I live. Don't you think I might know a little bit about the place?" He could see the confusion in her eyes, frustrating her and making her head hurt. "Mmmaybe... But you'd still lie 'cause you want to take me with you and put me in the lake of fire." Razielphustar shook his head. "That's not what I want at all. I want you to be happy, Marissa. I want you to not have to be afraid anymore. I want you to feel safe. I want to keep him from hurting you anymore..." A sneaky punch, he knew, but it was important to find any crack at all in the glue they had poured over her thoughts and wriggle his way in any way he could. Marissa thought about that. About how Daddy hurt her. She found that a growing part of her wanted to believe this creature sitting on her bed. He had, after all, healed her. He had even asked for her permission first. He had hugged her. He was gentle. He was nothing like the pictures Mrs. Jacobson had shown her. Those pictures had scary demons, big as houses. Laughing and tossing bad children into the lake. This demon didn't look like that. Seeing that tiny spark of doubt, Razielphustar allowed himself a brief hope. He changed the subject just as deftly as he could. "Marissa, have you ever been in a situation where a bigger furson did something bad to you, and when you tried to tell someone about it, they didn't believe you?" She cocked her head to the side just a little. Why would he ask her about that? But she nodded anyway. "This one time at school we were having cookies and Gerry took mine and ate it and he laughed at me. And when I told Miss Edwards, she said I was just being greedy and that I was making up stories to get another cookie. But I wasn't!" Razielphustar nodded. "I believe you, Marissa. Things like that happen all the time." "Why'd you ask?" "Because, little one, that's exactly what happened to us demons." She wanted to call him a liar right off the bat. But he'd said he believed her about the cookie, and that was something. No one else had. Certainly not Daddy. He'd given her the belt when she tried to tell him about it. So, she listened. And seeing that she was listening, Razielphustar's heart swelled with this second small victory. "You see, little one... One time, long, long ago, all there was was Heaven. Just God and the angels. And then God made the world. And He made the sky and the trees and the clouds and all the animals. He made people too. "But then some of the angels started to disagree with how He was treating these living things He was creating. They didn't like how He made rules for them to follow, but never told them what they were. They didn't like how He was punishing them for things that they couldn't have known were wrong. And when the angels spoke up about it, God became very, very angry at them. "One of these angels was named Lucifer. God made him very, very ugly and turned him into the Devil. He made all the other angels who agreed with Lucifer ugly too, and made them into demons. Then God created Hell and told Lucifer and the former angels that this was where they would have to spend all of eternity. They could never, *ever* see Heaven again. They would never get to see the other angels again either." Marissa broke her silence. "Well, they shouldn't've disagreed with God then," she assessed simply. Razielphustar looked surprised, then smiled in an odd, melancholy way. "I sometimes think you might be right about that. But nevertheless, they did. And afterwards, God started sending down all the people and animals and other living things to Hell too. He said they were all bad, and that now it was the Devil's job to punish them for all eternity. "But the Devil didn't like that idea. He thought that most of the people God was sending to Hell weren't really bad at all. In fact, some of them were very, very *good* people..." He trailed off a little, trying to collect his thoughts. He was woefully inexperienced at this, and felt he was probably making too many mistakes already. He tried again. "Remember when I asked you if anything bad had ever happened to you, and if nobody believed you about it afterwards?" Marissa nodded. "That's what happened to us. It's true in every case, all through the ages; 'The winners write the history books'. We demons had something terrible happen to us, and then the one who did it only lets people hear His side of the story." Did she feel a spark of sympathy for him? No. She squashed it. She couldn't let herself feel that way. "God gave us his orders, but we disobeyed Him. We are still disobeying Him, every day ever since. And there is nothing we are more proud of. He told us to punish the souls he sent us, and instead we comfort them. True, there are always bad people who are sent to Hell. It's why Hell exists. But we don't just punish them, we try to teach them. We try to help them learn to be better. We want them to be better. We want everyone eventually, someday, to be happy. "People die all over the world. Many, many people every day. Some of them, sadly, are children like you. Some are even little babies. And almost all of them are sent to Hell because God says they aren't perfect." That thought horrified her. "So, we do absolutely everything we can to make up for it. We do our best to take good care of the good souls who are sent to Hell for silly reasons. We find temporary parents for children who've left their mommies and daddies behind. There's lots of toys and fun places to go and things to see..." That sounded kinda interesting. But Marissa quickly scolded herself for thinking such a thing. Razielphustar smiled at her warmly, seeing the tug of war going on in her head and realizing he was beginning to gain some ground. "Marissa, don't you think it's just a little unfair that the church says you can only go to Heaven if you believe in Jesus Christ?" She frowned. "No. Why?" "Well, think about it this way; what about a little girl like you who gets born in another country far, far away, in a place where they have a different religion? What if she never gets a chance in her whole life to hear about Jesus, and just doesn't know she should believe in him?" "I... I'm sure God must let her go in anyway. It's not her fault." Razielphustar leaned slightly forward. "But what if he doesn't?" Her breathing became more rapid and her heart sped up. "Well that's... That's..." She stopped herself. Bit her tongue. No. She couldn't say that it was unfair. It was bad to say stuff like that about God. It was bad to even *think* it! The little bunny shook her head violently. "Stop it! Stop! You're making me think bad things!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she stiffened up in absolute terror. Daddy! If she woke him up, he'd come in the room and use the belt on her again for sure! Marissa clamped her paws over her mouth and shut her eyes tight as tears came again. Razielphustar ground his teeth and hated himself. He could see as plain as day the inner pain he was causing her by making her question these beliefs she'd undoubtedly been taught since she was old enough to understand speech. But he knew he had to. The pain he was causing was necessary, and only temporary. Like medicine that tastes awful but cures a disease. He had to crack open her shell. Get her to think for herself. Make the choice on her own. Marissa waited for what felt like eternity. She waited to hear Daddy's bedroom door open and his footsteps come pounding down the hall towards her. Waited for the door to slam open. Waited for him to start hurting her again. She waited, but he didn't come. Gradually, her muscles began to loosen. Normally, Daddy was a very light sleeper. He'd hit her several times before for disturbing his rest. But sometimes the beer made him get really, really sleepy. And then he wouldn't wake up for anything. This must have been one of those nights. Marissa thanked her lucky stars. Then she looked at the demon sitting on her bed. And glared hatefully at him. To her surprise, he did not speak or look away. His eyes met hers. And they held an aching amount of sadness. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I have to do this to you. I don't want to make you feel this way. I'm sorry." It was the last thing she expected to hear from him. She thought this was what he had wanted all along. To trick her into making noise so her daddy would punish her again. That's why he had healed her; to make the pain hurt worse this time. Instead, he was apologizing. It boggled her poor young mind to even think that a demon *could* do something like that. "Marissa..." he whispered, "It makes me sad that, after centuries upon centuries of lies from the church about how demons manipulate mortals in order to snatch them away to Hell, here I am doing almost the same thing to you." He spoke softly. Feather-light. She said nothing, but he noticed her ears were slightly raised. "But it's _not_ the same," he said, more firmly and mostly to himself. "I don't want to decieve you, little one. I haven't told you anything that's not true. All I want is to let you see the other side of things. You told me to stop, and I will respect that. I'll go away if you want me to. All I meant in coming here was to present my agument and go. The choice has to be up to you. A completely free choice, and it's all yours." Marissa looked down at the blankets solemnly. She was thinking. In fact, her mind felt very full all of a sudden. It was like she could see the shadows of a swarm of thoughts that had not yet arrived. She felt a little overwhelmed at the moment, but she felt certain that once the demon was gone and she'd settled down, there would be a great many important matters waiting in her mind for her to consider. Razielphustar sighed and gazed off into empty space. He looked up at the moon, in fact. "Marissa, there is just one last thing I want to tell you. We have a very important rule in Hell. It's the *most* important rule. It says that, any soul who resides within our realm will only be punished exactly as much as they deserve, and no more. We always try our best to be as fair as we can be. So, someone like *you* wouldn't be punished at all, since you're a very, very good little girl." Marissa tucked her face into her folded arms at hearing that. "No I'm not." Razielphustar scooted a few inches closer, worried. "Now why would you say that?" "'Cuz Daddy tells me I'm a bad girl." "Well he's wrong," the squirrel said straightforwardly. "He's about as wrong as a man can possibly be. Believe me; I'm a demon and I can see the good and evil in people as easily as what shoes they're wearing. I see almost nothing *but* good in you. And almost nothing but evil in him." Her head shot up. "That's not true!" she cried desperately. "He's not always a bad Daddy! Sometimes he's nice to me and takes me places and combs my hair and buys me stuffed animals!" The demon leaned closer to softly pat her paw. "Sweetheart, would a good daddy do the things to you that he does? With his hands? And to your girl-place?" Marissa shut her eyes tightly. She began to sniffle. Razielphustar inched a little bit closer. "There there, little one. It's hard, I know. My job in Hell is to be there when little boys and girls arrive and to tell them about the place and try to make them feel better. It takes time, Marissa. It takes years, sometimes, to be able to accept the truth." Her voice was tiny, oh so tiny, but the words she spoke were thunderous in their meaning. "...That he's a bad Daddy?" Razielphustar nodded, immeasurably proud of her for being able to even say such a thing while she was still so deep in his clutches. "See, little one? You already know the truth. Your heart knows. And I'm sure your heart knows that you don't want to live here anymore and have him keep doing those awful things to you." She made a tiny whimpering sound. He lifted himself up to sit beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Remember how I said I was offering you a chance?" he whispered to her. A tiny nod. "All over the world right now, demons like me are peeking into bedrooms just like yours. Bedrooms where frightened children sleep. Children whose mommies and daddies do unimaginable things to them. Children... who need a way out. Desperately. "Have you ever seen a movie where someone your age finds a magic portal to someplace far away and beautiful? Someplace magical?" "Like the Wizard of Oz?" she squeaked. "That's right, sweetie. Just like that." He gave her paw a pat. "Well, that's what I'm offering you." She held her arms about her small frame tighter. "You _do_ want to take me to Hell with you." "That's right, little one. I do. And I apologize again if I seem like I'm trying to trick you. But Hell is made up of many different levels, and the very tippy-top one is the place I'm offering you a ticket to. That's where lots of hurt little boys and girls go, and we do everything we can to fix them up again. It's like a hospital. Imagine a whole world that's like one big hospital." She sniffed back a sob. "I went to a hospital once," she said quite clearly. "Daddy broke my ankle." He shook his head, his heart breaking that she could be so matter-of-fact about it."If you agree to come with me, we'll do our best to fix up your insides just like they fixed up your ankle. And I don't mean your heart or your tummy. No; physical bodies are easy to repair. I mean your *heart* heart. Your soul. You have scars on your soul, little one. Long, deep scars. But they can be healed. Anything can be healed if its given enough time and enough love." Marissa did not answer, but continued to cry. Silently now. Razielphustar took a deep breath. He gave her one last pat on the arm, and then began to slide himself off the bed. Marissa looked up. "Are you going?" He nodded. "I have to. I said I only came to tell you my side of the story, and I meant that. I don't want to pressure you. I just wanted to give you something to think about." She looked down at her paws, her heart in shards, her mind like the wake of a tornado. "I..." He leaned over and placed a finger upon her chin, gently lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Don't worry. You don't have to make any kind of decision right now. I said it was a choice, and that was perfectly true. I'm going now, but I'll be back. I promise." "When?" she asked, her eagerness surprising even herself. "Next Saturday. At the exact same time. One week from now. That's a whole week for you to think about what I've told you. It's up to you to decide whether I'm lying or not. Think about what I said, then think about what you've been told in church. Think about what feels more right to you in your heart. But most of all, I want you to think about your Daddy. Think hard about what your body felt like before I arrived. Think about how it feels now, and if you'd like for it to stay that way. This is not about angels and demons, Marissa. It is all about you." He took a step backwards, towards the closet. Marissa was already thinking. Thinking as hard as she could. "If... If you did take me... Does that mean I'd have to die?" she asked timorously. His hand on the knob, Razielphustar stepped through the doorway into darkness. He looked to her one last time and nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. You would. But I would never hurt you. Never ever." The door closed to a tiny slit. "I promise," was the last words he spoke. Then the closet door shut with a click. Marissa was alone again. Though not entirely alone. The moonlight was still shining in through her window, casting its cool, calming glow across her troubled face... ~*~ When he returned later, Saturday night as promised, Razielphustar found the young rabbit sitting on her bed waiting for him. ...a packed suitcase by her side. His heart just about melted. "Have you perhaps made your decision?" he asked with a grin. But his smile quickly died when he saw the look in her eyes. Horror came over his face like a shroud. "Marissa... What happened?" Below her left eye was the telltale dark stain a fist had left behind. With the sight that all demons possessed, he could see almost more red spots on her tiny, trembling form than there had been before. The demon sunk to his knees and put his paws on her shoulders, barely touching her, afraid she might shatter. "What... have they... done to you!?" Her eyes seemed frozen open. Dead from pain. But slowly, life began to twinkle somewhere deep down inside. Then, almost before he knew it, she was clutching herself to him so tight it was as if she were clinging on for dear life. She began to sob with her entire body, but without letting a single sound escape. She feared making the slightest noise. Dreading that it might bring _him_. Her body jerked as violently as if she were having a seizure. Razielphustar held her with utmost gentleness and stared off into nothing, trying to comprehend how the girl he had met before, shaken as she was, could so swiftly become this broken, silent thing in his arms. Then her breath was at his ear. And everything suddenly made sense. "Sunday morning... I told them about you." The words hit him like a sledgehammer to the face. She had told them about him. She had told her sunday school teacher about what had come out of her closet, or maybe the 'church man'. Told them all about the nice demon that had come to visit her. She just wanted them to help her understand. And what had they done? What, in the name of all that is decent, had they DONE? He was not sure he even wanted to know. They had certainly told her father, as he had left visible signs all over her body of how he had taught her a lesson that night. What had they done, up at that church, to a girl spinning wild, blasphemous tales of demons and God? What punishments had they set upon her for telling such outrageous lies? And what... Dear dark lord, what if they'd _believed_ her? Razielphustar's jaw shook as he opened his mouth to speak, but could not. No words would come. No words that could simultaneously comfort this poor, dear girl and express all the murderous rage he felt at the ignorant, evil, heartless, vile scum that had raped her very spirit like this. They held each other wordlessly for a very long time. Then Marissa said, "Do it." "Do what, little one?" he said, his voice sounding as if he hadn't used it in centuries. She pulled back from the hug just long enough to look in his eyes. "Kill me." He fell silent. "Please," she begged softly. "I give up. I want to go with you. Even if you're lying and you wanna trick me and throw me in the lake of fire, I'll still go with you." A heart-killing sob passed his lips and he threw his arms around her again, peppering her tiny cheek with tender kisses. "Oh sweetie... Oh little one... It won't be like that. It won't be like that. I promised, and I always keep my promises. Always. There is no lake of fire. Nothing like you've been taught. It's all lies. All filthy, dirty lies that horrible people use to hurt sweet, beautiful innocent children like you... Oh my dear sweet Marissa, please forgive me. I never should have left you on your own..." By now he was sobbing so hard his words were a mush of indistinguishable regrets. He thought he'd prepared himself. Thought he'd seen the worst of what could be done to a child decades upon decades ago. But seeing it made flesh again ripped open his heart anew and drove home the hard, cruel, unforgiving fact that he must _never_ underestimate his enemies. _Never_. He lifted the little bunny girl up in his arms and placed a loving kiss upon her head. "Whatever they did to you, it's over now. It's all over. You're safe with me, little one. Safe. I promise." She nodded. She believed him. A week ago, she would never in a million years have guessed that she would soon trust the word of a demon from Hell who had come into her life through her bedroom closet. But now, after what they had done to her... The people she trusted. The people she thought would protect her. They had hurt her in ways Daddy never even _dreamed_ of. And Daddy had done things too. Disgusting, ugly things that forced her to go limp and black out her mind and hide deep, deep down within herself until it was all over and she was back in her bed again. The choice was no choice at all. It wasn't even hard to realize that she would rather die than spend one single day longer in this house. It came to her as easily as deciding what to wear in the morning. After an entire week of a Hell she had never been taught about in sunday school, she found herself now in the gentle arms of a batwinged demon from the actual place itself. Surely, she thought, no matter what Hell was, it couldn't be any worse than this. And if everything he'd said was true... She dared not hope, for hope just brought greater pain when later it was smashed. But she wanted to hope. She wanted to trust him, because she believed that she could. Razielphustar bent down to lay her delicately upon her bed. He took the suitcase and set it aside. "You won't be needing this," he told her. She looked from the suitcase to him and back with disappointment plain on her face. "But my toys..." They were all she had. She didn't want to lose them too. "Relax. Don't worry." He lightly tapped her forehead. "Everything you want to take with you is already in here. And everything you want to leave behind will stay right where it is." She nodded, feeling better about that. "So what happens now?" she asked. Really meaning; 'How will you kill me?' "Now," the demon said, "I give you your last chance. Your last chance to change your mind. Although I have a feeling your mind is already made up." She nodded again, vigorously. And was that just the tiniest trace of a smile, gone almost before he saw it? "I see. Well then, little bunny. It is time to go." She took a deep breath, trying to feel brave. She looked about her bedcovers and spotted her favorite plushie; a rather battered little patchwork kitten whose colors had faded almost to a uniform grey. Holding the shabby but dearly loved little bundle of stitches in her arms gave her confidence an incredible boost. This time she did smile. She gave her kitten a squeeze. "Okay." "All ready?" "Uh huh." And could this feeling inside her really be excitement? Razielphustar gave her his warmest smile. "Just close your eyes and relax. This won't hurt a bit. And unlike doctors with shots, I'm telling the truth." Her smile widened a bit. Nowhere near a laugh, but offering hope that those might come with time. Marissa closed her eyes and held her plushie tight. She was too excited to relax. She felt two soft squirrel paws press against her chest. And then they passed through. She felt them cradle her heart like she cradled her kitten. She felt them begin to squeeze. Lightly at first, then with growing pressure. He was right. It did not hurt. And soon, she felt her heart stop entirely. Everything stopped. 'Gosh... So this is what dying is like.' The cool, soothing feeling from before was nothing compared to this. Now, she felt as though her body had never even *known* pain. She felt perfectly new. Refreshed and reborn. 'Why was I ever afraid of this?' Marissa opened her eyes and found another pair looking right back at her. "Congratulations, sweetie. It's all over. You were very, very brave." She felt peace fill her soul as the gentle demon lifted her up again into his arms, but this time he left half of her behind. She looked down and saw herself lying there, eyes closed. Just like she was sleeping. Nothing sad or scary about it at all. Not at all. She saw the tattered toy wrapped up in the arms of her former husk, then realized she could still feel her beloved companion in her arms even now. She held up the plushie and gasped with happiness. "Kitty!!" She was brand new! Her colors were vibrant, her fabric was whole and untorn. And yet, she wasn't the same as she had been when she was first bought either. All the special little things that made her unique were still there. Just spiffed up a little bit. Marissa hugged her toy and tears, now of happiness, spilled down her cheeks. It was more than just her stuffed animal's transformation. This meant, in a way she could not place words to, that everything the demon had told her was true. There really was a world of wonder and joy waiting for her on the other side. "Thank you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around her new guardian's neck and nuzzling his fur with unbounded love. "You are more than welcome, little one," he whispered in her ear. "Now, are you ready to go see your new home?" "Uh huh!" "That's terrific! Just hold on tight and we'll be there before you know it!" She returned his jaunty smile. "Okay!" Razielphustar opened up the closet door and this time Marissa could see a shimmering hole beyond it. A portal. To another world, just like he'd said. She was ready. As he closed the door and darkness silently surrounded them, she had one last thought. "I'm kinda sad I'll never get to go to Heaven and see an angel." He nuzzled her with his nose. "Says who? It was all the fallen angels' help that let us demons get through to earth in the first place! There's a very nice angel friend of mine waiting right on the other side of this closet keeping the portal open. Her name's Llywyalla. She talks kinda funny but I'm sure you'll like her." "Wow!" Marissa said. "That's neat!" "And," he added, as the portal began to throb in octopus arm swirls all around them, "Guess who else you'll get to meet?" "The Devil?" she guessed. "Him too, if you like. But let's just say this; I'm sure Jesus really does love you, and that he'll be happy to tell you in person that not everything you learn in sunday school is a lie." Marissa was struck dumb with astonishment as the portal swallowed her and her demon friend up, whisking them away to a faraway land... ...where dreams really do come true... The End ...for now * * *

Author's notes: If faith is simply believing without need of proof, then all beliefs are equally unlikely, and all of them have an identical chance at being right or wrong. So then, why can't I believe that maybe the afterlife is exactly like this? Why not? Why not?