It was a usual day for the Demon. Wake up, drink coffee, eat breakfast, go to work. He put on his brown hat and brown coat as he stepped outside. He looked up. Rain again, he thought. Perfect weather he said to himself. He drove to work.
He got to work and sat down at his desk. He sighed, and thought to himself. Today will be 20 years I have been doing this. Oh well, let’s get to it, he said out loud. He grabbed his notepad and pencil then hit the big red button to his right.
Machinery whirred and a conveyor belt in front of him sprang to life and began moving. He hit another red button on his left and the conveyor belt brought out the first victim. A man, dazed and confused appeared from the right being moved along by the conveyor belt. He saw the Demon and recoiled in horror. The Demon watched expressionless as the conveyor belt carried him along until it reached a point where the conveyor ended. It dropped off at the end. He watched the man reach the end, drop off the end of the conveyor belt and plummet to a lake of fire below where he was burned alive. Sounds of blood curdling screams filled the air. He took out his notepad and wrote down the details. He put down his notepad and pencil and hit the red button to his left.
It was like that all day for the Demon. Victim after victim. Screams, Horror, Agony, Misery, Begging to be released, Death. 20 years he thought. I wonder what the next 20 will be like. Oh well, next! He hit the button to his left.
He watched as a little girl appeared into view. She must have been 4 or 5 years old. She smiled at him. A smile? That’s strange he thought. He watched curiously as the conveyor moved along, she waved at him. Without realizing it he waved back. Their eyes locked, and he watched her as the conveyor moved along. Still smiling. It reached the end, and off she went down into the flames. He watched her plummet to the fire. He didn’t realize it but he instinctively stood up and looked for her as she reached the fire. Her eyes were still locked onto him and she was still smiling and as she disappeared under the fire he saw one of her hands reach out towards him.
He sat down and stared at the wall. That’s very strange he thought. Very very strange he thought. He sat there for a long time. He picked up his pencil and tried writing down the details, but he paused. He wrote a few words then stopped. I’ll finish that later he thought, he hit the red button to his left.
He went back to work, but every now and then his mind kept going back to the little girl. Work ended, he went home. He tried to sleep that night, but couldn’t. He just laid in bed and stared at his ceiling.
The next day he went back to work. Maybe some more screaming and agony will make me feel better he thought. It didn’t. He tried to get through the work day, but he couldn’t. His mind kept going back to the little girl, and part of him kept hoping he’d see her come through the conveyor belt again. What the hell is wrong with me he thought? He left work early, and went straight to a bar. He needed a drink.
He sat at the bar smoking and drinking for hours. The bartender came up to him. What’s wrong Demon? You’re not usually in here at this hour. Trouble at work said the Demon. The bartender furrowed his brow. You’ve never had trouble at work Demon said the Bartender. The Demon looked up at the Bartender. Oh wow you’re a mess Demon, he said. The Demon left the bar and went home.
That night he slept but his dreams were horrible, all he could see was the little girl and her smile. When he woke up he noticed one of his horns had fallen off. He didn’t go to work that day. He sat at home all day. No matter what he did, nothing seemed to make him feel better. He didn’t know what was happening to him.
Eventually, he decided the only thing he could do was go back to work. That night he drove back to work. He went to his desk and sat there for hours staring aimlessly at the belt. He got up out of his desk and sat on the conveyor belt. This is where she sat he thought. He smiled. His other horn fell off. He stared at it for what felt like ages. 20 years he thought. He reached out with his hand and pushed the button on the right. The conveyor belt whirred into life. It carried him along the path he had seen for 20 years. It reached the end, and the Demon plummeted into the lake of fire, smiling as he did so.
