《Demons are a Girl's Best Friend》


 A Summoning

    Once upon a time, in a village far far away from the world, there was a little boy who did not know how to smile. That boy''s name was Mephistopheles. He had suddenly appeared in the village and had been taken in out of the kindness of the residents there. From the very beginning, however, the little boy was very strange. He barely spoke, and only took to observing everyone with those big empty eyes. One day, another boy his age could no longer contain his curiosity and asked him:


    "Mephi, why don''t you ever smile?"


    Mephisopheles stiffly turned his head towards his friend''s direction. Then, with a barely audible voice, replied:


    "I do not know how to."


    The boy then showed him how to smile. "Just curve your lips upwards like this!" He said. "And let your teeth show."


    Although Mephistopheles did as instructed, his smile was not bright and innocent like his friend''s. It was a terrible, heart-wrenching grimace that made his friend scream and elope in horror.


    And the little Mephi was lonely ever since.


    Barely containing her sobs, she proceeded to light the candles with a neon green lighter. She threw the latter behind her, then sat herself on the giant summoning circle that she had just carved into her living room floor. The place was dark but for the candles surrounding her; and she had an open ominous book resting on her knees. Casting one last glance at the pages, Sylvia arched her head upwards, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes.


    "In shadows deep where secrets dwell,


    I chant this rhyme, the tale I tell.


    Mephistopheles, heed my call,


    Come forth from realms beyond the wall.


    With every word, your power bind,


    To cross the veil and realms unwind.


    Mephistopheles, ancient and wise,


    Answer now my fervent cries.


    From fiery depths to mortal plane,


    A fleeting glimpse, let your presence reign.


    Mephistopheles, I seek your sight,


    Guide me through the darkest night."


    Her voice was as loud as it was desperate. It reverberated across the silence of the room, then joined it in its quietness. Now Sylvia could only hear her racing heartbeats; she could only feel her fingers, tightly interlinked; she could only smell the burnt wax from the candles. This had to work. This was the only solution left. She could not do it herself, and she had no money to hire someone to do it for her. Suddenly, she felt the light disappear from behind her eyelids. Her heart jumped in simultaneous thrill and fear; she clasped her trembling hands tighter together.


    Now Sylvia could feel a presence with her in the room. It was a very heavy and sinister presence that she couldn''t deny even if she tried. With a gulp, she slowly opened her eyes, heart beating out of her chest. Towering above her kneeling figure was a tall ominous silhouette with vivid crimson eyes that slit through the looming darkness of the room. She instinctively pushed herself backwards, almost falling entirely on her back but for her arms supporting her.


    "Mortal, you have summoned me." A low sinuous voice emitted from the silhouette, making Sylvia flinch in response. "What is it that you desire?"


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It worked. She thought in the back of her head. She had successfully managed to summon a demon, and was finally going to have her heart''s deepest wish come true. Gulping, she gathered enough courage to speak:


    "C-can I see you first?" Her voice trembled. This inner instinctive fear was why she had to summon a whole demon in the first place, she told herself. "I wish to see the face that will bring an end to my pain."


    All of a sudden, the candles in the room were lit, making her gasp in surprise. Now with the place more illuminated, she could make out what the silhouette looked like. Contrary to her expectations, Mephistopheles was not a grotesque blend of humanoid and animal. In fact, disregarding his overwhelmingly oppressive presence, he appeared like a normal human male, a very beautiful one at that. A tall, chiseled and nude body stood gracefully in front of her. Long nightsky hair draped itself like silk across his broad shoulders. Dark lustrous skin, reddish lips, long defined neck. Indeed, these eerily human-like features alleviated a little bit of Sylvia''s tension and fear. However, the thick and pointy horns that curled above his scalp, along with the piercing crimson eyes that peered into her very soul served as an undeniable reminder that the man facing her was far from human.


    "You''re... You''re Mephistopheles, right?" Slowly, Sylvia managed to get up. The excitement was overpowering her fear.


    "Yes. Did you not know who you were summoning?" Although his remark was clearly sarcastic, his emotionless face indicated no such intention, which confused her a little.


    " I did! I did." She replied in protest. "I was just making sure." Her eyes followed the demon as he elegantly walked away from the summoning circle and sat on her sofa, crossing his legs. Seeing her perplexed face, he spoke:


    "I just thought this will be taking more time than it should, so I might as well, right?" He was leaning on his hand, which he had rested on the sofa''s arm. What struck Sylvia even more than how quickly he got comfortable, was the mocking smirk on his face.


    Granted, she might have summoned him with a very specific stereotype of a terrifying goat-man demon who will make her wet herself in fear before consuming her soul. But, all the same, wasn''t it reasonable not to expect the great Mephistopheles to be just a sarcastic douchebag? As she quickly processed this strange situation, she felt the oppressive atmosphere from earlier disappear altogether.


    "Haha." Mephistopheles chuckled. "It always gets to me, how you guys react."


    "You''re a demon right?" Sylvia commented, pointing at him.


    "Yup." His smirk rested itself persistently across his lips, revealing as it did sharp fangs. "Do you got a cig by any chance?"


    "I-I don''t smoke..." Sylvia stuttered in her confusion. "You... you don''t act like a demon at all."


    "Yeah I get that a lot. Would you prefer if I was all scary and cold like earlier?"


    "Actually, yeah I just might." She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.


    "Well too bad for you. I only act like that to scare you at first haha. It''s hilarious. But once you''re shitting your pants, it''s even more hilarious to switch like this and have your jaw dropping in confusion. Being scary all the time is too boring." Mephistopheles shrugged, as though it''s a hassle to have to explain all this every time.


    Sylvia took a few seconds to come to terms with the current situation, as absurd as it was. Sarcastic douchebag or not, he was still a demon. So there was no point getting all confused and curious about his attitude. Her wish was just within her grasp. Coughing slightly, she straightened herself and asked:


    "Now I just have to make my wish right? and you''ll grant it in exchange for my soul?"


    "Yup. Pretty simple, right?" The demon leaned back on the sofa, and some strands of hair fell across his bare chest. "So," he continued, "what is it you wish for?"


    "Death." Sylvia declared in a determined voice. "I want you to kill me."


    Mephistopheles frowned, as though confused himself. "Your wish is to die?" He placed one slender finger between his lips. Sylvia noticed that he had sharp black nails that were reminiscent of claws.


    "Yes. You can do anything right?"


    Mephistopheles seemed to think for a moment before replying: "I cannot do that. It''s forbidden."


    "What?" Having her last resort be so instantly blocked pushed her into a fit of anger. "What do you mean you can''t? Aren''t you a demon? Isn''t it your job to do as I say?"


    His smirk returned and he shrugged. "It''s not really up to me though? There are three wishes a demon can''t fulfill, and one of them is taking a human life, even if it''s the contractor''s. I cannot resurrect the dead either."


    "That''s! That''s ridiculous!" Sylvia shouted in frustration. "Whatcanyou do then?"


    "I dunno." Another shrug. "I can like, curse and stuff. Do you want me to curse you instead of taking your life?"


    Sylvia placed her palm on her forehead and let herself fall onto the floor. "No that''s useless. I am already cursed as it is."


    "Did a demon curse you? in that case, I can remove it if you wish for it."


    "Nah. Not a demon. My life itself is a curse, I just want to end it all."

 2- A Contract

    "Why don''t you just kill yourself then?" Mephistopheles asked casually.


    "I can''t... I get scared and stop half-way, and it just makes me feel worse." Sylvia brought her knees to her chest and hugged them, as though consoling herself.


    "Why don''t you get someone else to do it then? Humans love hurting each other after all."


    "I am broke."


    "You mean you need money to have someone kill you?" The demon seemed almost amused at that possibility.


    "If you want to die painlessly and with dignity, yes."


    "Damn, you humans get crazier by the day." He chuckled, then finally stood up from the sofa. Walking back towards the summoning circle, he added: "Welp, too bad but I can''t do anything for you. So I''ll just get going."


    "Not so fast!" Sylvia shouted, making him turn back to face her. "I went all the way to get you here; I am not letting you go back without gaining something that''s worth all the trouble."


    "Well, besides the human life thingie, I can grant pretty much every wish."


    Sylvia pursed her lips in frustration. So she could not die after all. Her cruse was having to stay alive against her will. Feeling tears swell in the corners of her eyes, she buried her face in her knees and sniffled. Even her own body won''t let her end her life and keeps interfering with all her attempts. It was as though she would lose control over it whenever its cooperation was most needed. She peaked at the demon and sniffled a second time. She had to pay a lot of money to get the summoning book from a credible source, thinking she won''t be needing anymore finances once she was in the underworld. Now she was not only forced to see another day, but also pretty much broke too. Maybe she could wish for a fortune, or she could wish to not feel anything anymore.


    "You sure are taking your time, huh?" Mephistopheles commented, seeing her deep in her train of thoughts.


    Maybe she could wish she wasn''t feeling sad anymore. But then she''d have to live like she was numb, which was no different from the effects of the medications she had been taking. Sylvia had always preferred feeling to not feeling, even if the former was nothing but pain and agony.


    "Well, I guess I got all day." The demon walked back to the sofa and took a seat.


    Finally, a decent wish idea crossed her mind. Besides death, there was something Sylvia wanted almost as much. Maybe if she had this wish granted, her life would become a little easier to bear. Oh well, she thought to herself, what''s the worst thing that could happen? Getting up, she walked towards the demon. His crimson eyes settled on hers curiously.


    "I wish for you to become my close friend." She stated, her hands curled in fists at her sides.


    "Elaborate."


    "My wish is for you to become someone I can constantly rely on, emotionally and otherwise. You have to be there for me when I need you, and to comfort me when I feel like shit. Though it probably will never happen, you also have to be happy for me when something good happens in this godforsaken hellhole called my life. Have I elaborated enough? Or do you need a written essay?"


    "... No, that''s enough." There was a hint of a frown across his eyebrows. "For how long do I gotta keep this up?"


    "Till I die. Then you can have my soul."


    "Fair enough." Mephistopheles sat up from the sofa, and was now standing just inches away from Sylvia. Seeing him so up close reminded her of how beautiful the demon was. She wondered if other people wished for him to become their lover. "So, how do we seal the contract?" She asked, somewhat excited to have her wish fulfilled.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "With a kiss, of course." Another smirk plastered itself across his lips. Sylvia found his smirk annoying and his answer even more so. "I am pretty sure it''s sealed with a blood pact." She commented, crossing her arms.


    "It depends on the demon, really. For me, I seal all my contracts with a kiss." He had his finger pressing his lower lip as he spoke, clearly bemused. Sighing hopelessly, Sylvia nodded and brushed her hair back away from her face, as if in preparation. Now with her hair out of the way, the smug Mephistopheles could get a better look at her features. His to-be contractor had big honey-colored eyes and plump cheeks that were peach shaped and ornamented with light brown freckles. gently, he placed his hands on them and brought her face close to his.


    "Your hands are really cold." She remarked, visibly upset that she had to undergo this process.


    "Well, I am a demon after all." He replied, entertained by her reaction. "Ready to seal the deal?" His breath brushed her skin as he spoke; and it made her shiver slightly. "Yes. Just do it." She nodded. Having her permission, Mephistopheles leaned in, caressing her lips with his. A little gasp escaped her at the contact, but she soon gave in and closed her eyes, though she held her fists up tensely. To her further surprise, the demon bit into her lower lip with his fangs, then sucked onto the ensuing blood. As he did, she felt the earlier sinister and oppressive presence re-emerge, and she found herself weak in the knees, both with shock and with the impeding sense of terror swelling inside her. Mephistopheles supported her back so she wouldn''t fall, while he kept kissing her fervently. Feeling utterly helpless, Sylvia surrendered to her plight, and relaxed all of her body.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was laying on her bed. The dawn was breaking, which she could tell by the window on her left. Sylvia stayed like that for a while, processing the earlier events. She wondered if it was all a dream, though the throbbing in her lower lip clearly indicated otherwise. Slowly, she sat herself up, knees to chest, and stared at the window. Her room was facing a tall building, and so she couldn''t even see the sky outside. With a deep sigh, she got out of her bed and wore her slippers. The reflection in the mirror was of a sleep-deprived girl with puffy cheeks, bed hair, and swollen lips. Noticing something red on her neck, she moved some bangs behind her shoulders, revealing a mark of some sort. Sylvia narrowed her eyes. Of course his demon mark would be just as ridiculous as he was. She had summoned the great Mephistopheles and made a sacred contract with him, and now she had a red and permanent winking emoji ";)" on her neck.


    "Hey. You here?" She spoke in annoyance.


    The demon swiftly appeared behind her. Seeing his face suddenly show in the reflection, Sylvia jumped a little. But she soon regained her composure and turned to face him.


    "What the fuck is this?" She asked, pointing at her neck.


    "That''s the mark." Mephistopheles casually replied, his usual smirk on his face.


    "This is a demon''s mark?" She scolded. "This is a 13 year old''s humor!" The demon in question shrugged. "I like it."


    "Well I hate it! You realize I am going to have this on my neck till I die, right?"


    "Yup."


    Seeing the nonchalance in his replies, Sylvia soon came to the understanding that there was no arguing with this person. Rubbing her temples, she left him and went down the stairs to the living room. To her shock, the place was completely organized and neatly cleaned. The candles from the summoning were repacked in their box, the carpet was back in its place. Her disheveled books were restored to their shelves and arranged by color and hue. The sofa no longer had the black spot from overuse. The circular dining table was perfectly centered with its two chairs tightly hugging it. The tiny chef-shaped salt and pepper shakers ornamented its surface nicely. With her mouth agape in awe, Sylvia quickly ran to the kitchen, and saw that it was also sparkling clean. Her tiny feet dashed to the bathroom next. All was glittering and white.


    "H-hey..." She muttered in a whisper. Mephistopheles instantly appeared behind her. "Yes?"


    "Did you do this?" She spoke with her big eyes still staring with amazement at the spotless bathtub. "Yup!" He replied with an accomplished face. "I am doing your bedroom now. Didn''t wanna clean it while you were asleep so I wouldn''t disturb you."


    When was the last time Sylvia had seen her house be so clean and organized? Probably back when... Feeling emotional at the gesture, she hid her face from the man and added: "You didn''t really... have to. Our contract entails that you gotta be my friend, not my maid."


    Mephistopheles tilted his head slightly. "Oh I didn''t do it for you. I just don''t like living in a messy environment." Sylvia took a few seconds to process his words. Turning towards him, she had a puzzled frown on her face:


    "What do you mean? You''re staying here?"


    "Of course! I gotta be with you at all times, right?"

 3- A Strange Weekend

    Not only did Sylvia seal a contract with a strangely ridiculous demon whose mark was an emoji, but that very demon also lives with her now. It''s been only two days since they had had their agreement; yet Mephistopheles was already pretty much at home. Besides taking the liberty to clean her whole house, he had managed to create a space for himself, that space being the living room''s pale pink sofa. He would always sit there and read one of her books whenever he was not being a clean freak. He also did all of this while very much naked, which made Sylvia feel even more conflicted about this whole thing. It wasn''t that she hated the sight, but she just could not get used to having a naked man, albeit a non-human one, walking comfortably around the house like it''s nobody''s business.


    "Have you considered not shoving your butt in my face all day and maybe wearing some pants?" When she said this, she was referring to him bending down to clean under the dining table. She had undeniably asked him to become her close friend, that is, someone who is always there for her. But she never meant to have him literally next to her at all times, and naked at that too.


    "I don''t see no pants to wear." His reply made her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Buttoning her blouse, she cast a quick glance at the hanging mirror. "Can''t you like manifest one or something?" She hissed back, fixing her bangs.


    "I am a demon sweetheart, not a magician. I only manifest what you wish for me to do. Besides that I can''t do anything that special." Having found a dirty spot by the corner of the table, he stopped to wipe it thoroughly, then continued, "Except maybe teleporting, and like, other demon stuff." His words earned him a long sigh from his contractor, who was now heading to the door.


    "Well, I am going to work now Mr. useless demon. So I''ll see you, I guess." Sylvia fixed her bag then left without waiting for his reply.


    Now at the bus station, she leaned back against the plastic bench and thought about how strange this weekend had been. Three days ago, she had thought she would be dead today, without needing to worry about working or eating. Today, she is as alive as ever; and now, she had to go back to work, otherwise she''d starve to death, which was not how she wanted to go. Then, she had an annoying demon to worry about. As Sylvia got on the bus, she wondered what he would be doing at home while she was gone.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Outside her house and everything that happened in it, life seemed to be going on as it always had, repetitive, boring, and difficult. Now at the caf¨¦, Sylvia greeted the manager and headed to the back. There, she saw her colleague, David, putting on his apron.


    "Morning, Sylvia." He said with a gentle smile.


    "Hey." She replied and opened her locker. Placing her phone and bag, she took out her own apron and put it on. Another day, another struggle, she told herself as she tightened it around her waist.


    "I like your blouse!" He commented, and she thanked him politely. Damon was a nice person, for the most part anyway, and so was her manager, who was now wiping the counter. But Sylvia still hated it here; she hated having to smile to rude customers; she hated seeing them look so happy and genuine. But what could she do? She had to earn some money; and since she quit college, she didn''t have a lot of employment choices. The manager hired her out of kindness even though she had had no prior experience, so she should just be thankful and do a proper job. The first customers came in, a couple of teenagers apparently stopping by before school. Sylvia sighed, then headed out to take them to their seats.


    Meanwhile, the great demon Mephistopheles was cleaning the hall. Having finished with all the rooms in the house, there was just the hall left. For a girl who didn''t seem like she had much, this was quite a decent house, both in terms of size and interior. Maybe she was the type of human who got suicidal over trivial things, like a broken heart or a failed task. As he wiped the floorboards, he noticed a curtain that was longer than those of the windows facing it. Curious, he pulled it so he could see the view from this side of the wall. To his surprise, however, behind the curtain laid not a window, but a door. Lifting an eyebrow, he placed his hand on the handle, only to find out that this door was locked.


    "Hmmm... What is she hiding here?"


    Shrugging, the demon teleported behind the door, finding himself in a completely dark room. His crimson eyes could see perfectly in the dark, so he did not need to switch on the light. It appeared to be some kind of a bedroom, a smaller one than Sylvia''s. Everything about it seemed ordinary, but for a familiar scent. This room reeked of death, Mephistopheles could tell. The scent was strongest by the window, which was shut with poorly nailed wood boards.


    "Oh well." Having his curiosity satiated, he soon returned to his earlier task. "I guess I have more cleaning to do."