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“Taking what’s not yours”, Opal looked down upon me from one of the flickering, late-night lanterns outside. It was swinging its legs back and forth from the dirty lamp. Chalky, desperate moths swirmed around the light, some of them landing on Opal’s pale, little legs. “Taking what’s not yours”, Opal repeated again, the creature’s voice cutting through the heavy night air, filled with the sounds of crickets. I didn’t want to respond to the demon, I didn’t want to indulge into conversation with it yet again. But Opal hasn’t left me alone lately, so I knew it would be futile. Dear God, help me to cleanse myself of the devil that follows me. I know that I am a sinner, but do not forsake me, for I too am your follower and I deserve your forgiveness. “Leave me alone, demon, you will not corrupt me”, My voice wavered slightly, unintentionally, but I told myself I wouldn’t give in, God was just testing me. “What were their names, father?”, Opal chuckled slightly, swinging its little legs from the lamp. Opal had these dark, glossy, freshly polished black mary janes. The perfect Sunday shoes, so clean and shiny that I might have seen my own reflexion in the black polish if not for the dark. The creamy, white socks with thin laces around them. Opal was a small creature, a child. Opal didn’t have eyes, but Opal had a mouth and a nose. Opal had semi-long, blonde hair, borderline white, that special type of white that children have, before it gets stained by the pain and hardships of life. Wolves in sheep’s clothing, the most innocent creatures are always the most evil ones. “What are you talking about right now? I do not know what you mean.”, I tried to stay stoic, I tried my best. “Oh, but you do know, padre, tell me, what was her name? Her age? What was her favourite color?”, Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Opal’s legs were swinging from the lamp. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Blonde strands swinging through the air. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Bruised, bloodied knees. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. “I do not know what you are talking about-!”, I cussed through gritted teeth, praying for the demon to leave me alone. Opal cut me off instantly, not even giving me time to explain: “What did she do in her free time? What did her parents do for work? What was her eye color?”, My hands twitched, I bit my tongue, irritation was rising within me, which I tried my best to suppress. “3? That’s what you lebeled her in your mind? What about me? What was my favourite color?” “Leave. Me. Alone. I am a child of God, in the name of the Lord. Leave. Me. Alone.” “She has a name, you know. She had one, before you took it away from her to evade me.”, The monster circled around me slowly in the same way in which predators circle around prey before an attack. Opal’s face glitched, its hair was slightly more brown than in the beginning of the conversation, eyes appeared on the eyeless muzzle. Still wearing the Sunday blouse, with the beautiful patterns on the collar, covered by a little navy cardigan, with a colourful, carefully crafted sewn on cat in the upper right corner. Opal changed, the demon had taken on the appearance of a little girl. A little missy from church, the biggest blue eyes and castanian hair. Trying to provoke me, to deceive me. My veins pumped with anger, disgust and fear, I was starting to let the irritation slip through my tone, through my gritted teeth. “Do not you dare to disrespect and mock me like that. You are using a literal child to torment me, you truly are a despicable creature”, My voice spat venom, because I knew I was right. “What is my name?”, The girl blinked at me, batting her long, beautiful eyelashes. She was so mature for her age, a smart girl. I couldn’t get it out of my mind how disturbing and disgusting it was of this demon to stain this innocent child with its image. “Get out! Leave!”, My voice rose and rose, I gritted my teeth further until they really clenched against each other, my tongue drawing blood. “What is my name, father?” The innocent expression on the demon’s face sent shivers down my spine, tormenting me. If I would answer the question, maybe it would leave me alone. Cold sweat drops ran down my spine, the tension built, the anger and the sadness rose. “Natalia. Here, happy? Her name is Natalia. Now stop this!”, I finally snapped, my voice was a borderline yell, turning hoarse. “What was mine?”, The demon simply asked, so apathetically, locking its blue orbs with mine, staring into my soul. There was nothing I could do, I begged for God’s forgiveness so many times, and I couldn’t change the past. I was his loyal follower so why did he have to keep punishing me? How many more times would I have to apologise before him for him to forgive me? “Leave me alone. I do not know what else to do, how to apologise before God enough for him to finally take you away from me.”, I said in an almost desperate yell. I couldn’t handle the mental torment of the demon constantly following me, constantly being around and constantly reminding me of my mistakes that are already so far in the past they’re insignificant! “God?”, The being sounded mad, for the first time a hint of emotion seeping through the apathy of its voice. Its dark brown hair laid on its shoulders. Irritation, annoyance, madness, like a hungry wolf circling arounnd an innocent sheep, “You want God’s forgiveness? Has your brilliant mind not arrived at the conclusion to ask for my forgiveness? Her forgiveness? Why are you running away like a coward and begging God to save you, instead of owning up to the things that you did and apologising to her? Apologising to me?” “I have nothing to apologise for to a demon like you!”, I snapped, started to ramble, stumbling over my words, spitting venom in sheer anger at its audacity, “I might have slipped up in the past, but I am just a human and even if I don’t deserve it, God is loving and he will forgive me. I might have made mistakes, but I am mortal, and you are an irredeemable monster, so why would you deserve an apology? Despite all I did, this girl is a good kid. She will go to heaven regardless so why does it matter? I have begged God to let her into heaven, so why do you keep showing up? Deuteronomy 22:28-29. It says that my actions, while wrong, can be forgiven. You are the only reason why I am constantly reminded of this verse. Yes, I made a mistake, but it is only human. And I do not deserve endless torment for a simple mistake!” My voice was loud and irritated, faster and faster. The audacity of this creature. The blasphemy. After my rant was over and I stood breathlessly on the cold, wet asphalt of the night street. I looked up, Opal was already gone, but I knew this wasn’t over, it never was. Opal will come back, Opal will keep coming back until I die. And even after my death, Opal still will keep coming back. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. The lamp slightly shook. The only aftermath of Opal’s presence. “Taking what’s not yours.”
Context that might be interesting for the story: -In many mythologies, the origins of the stone opal, are described as “eyes of the children who have fallen from heaven”. So children who have committed a sin and thus have lost the privelege of heaven, their eyes turn into the stones we call “opals”. -“Cheese” is a slang term used by pedophiles online to describe a young girl. -Deuteronomy 22:28-29 is a bible story in which God tells that a juste punishment for raping a virgin is to pay her father 50 in silver as compensation and to marry her. -The sentence “taking what’s not yours” is a title of a song by the group “TV girl”.
