Part 1
Lisa came home tired from work and locked the door behind her. It was already getting dark. Her son, six-year-old Daniel, had already turned on the lights in the house. Lisa, who left him home alone while she was at work, had shown him how to place a small stool under the light switch, climb up on it, and press the button whenever he wanted to turn on the lights.
Lisa took a quick look around the house before even putting down her things. She wanted to see if everything was in order. She nudged a picture frame on the side wall with the tip of her finger; it looked a little crooked to her. Then she called out to her son, who wasn’t in her line of sight. Daniel responded immediately, coming from another room and holding a tablet in his hand.
“Mom! Mom, look! With my six-fingered hand, I can type faster on the tablet! Check it out!” Daniel showed her how fast he could type characters on the touchscreen, since he already knew how to type his name.
“Good for you,” Lisa said curtly and began preparing her dinner.
“Mom, maybe I shouldn’t have the surgery to cut off my finger when I grow up? I’m not saying this because I’m scared, but because it’s useful to me,” said little Daniel.
“They’ll have to remove it, sweetheart, because it’s not normal to have six fingers on your hand. Everyone else has five.”
“So does that mean I’m unlucky?”
“Yes. But don’t worry, because modern medicine can treat all kinds of conditions now. So, you’ll find a cure for yourself one day too,” said Lisa. “But now go and move the stool from under the light switch. I told you not to leave it there. Mom works all day and doesn’t want to come home to a messy house—it makes her sad,” said Lisa in a stern tone.
“Okay, Mom,” said the little boy, and he ran toward the light switch. Before he could get there, the lights throughout the whole house went out suddenly!
Daniel let out a scream. And then he shouted, “Mom! Mom! Moloch is coming!”
“Come to me! Come to me quickly! I’m right here!” Lisa shouted, waving her arms so Daniel could see her. Mother and son huddled in the corner of a sofa as they heard the front door unlock and swing open.
“Don’t let him take me, Mom! Don’t let him take me!” the little boy whispered anxiously and fearfully.
“Shh… Shh,” Lisa whispered to him, her voice trembling. “I won’t let that happen.”
A figure wearing a black cloak entered the house. This figure was holding a lantern with a faint light. Thanks to this small flame, certain features of this being’s appearance could be made out. Its face was shadowed by a large, wide hood that fell over its head. But two red glimmers shone from deep within the hood, in what appeared to be the eye sockets. The creature’s hand was blue, aged, with skin that looked hard and rough. Its nails were black, large, and sharp. It held the lantern firmly, while its other hand hung at its side.
The creature walked slowly, as if searching for something. As if looking for someone. It did not turn its head to the right or left. It looked only straight ahead. It made a slow circuit around the living room table. When it passed in front of Lisa and Daniel, the two of them didn’t even blink, so as not to attract its attention. Lisa could feel her son’s body trembling. She could feel the pulse in his neck racing as she wrapped her arm around him to protect him.
The creature, after slowly circling the living room table once, left the house, closing the door behind it. A few seconds later, the lights in the house came back on. That was the signal that the family could relax and keep moving.
“Mom, I’ve found a way to escape from Moloch,” said little Daniel. “We’ll call the police.”
“The police can’t take on demons, Daniel,” said Lisa, as she got up from the couch and headed toward the kitchen. “There’s only one way to escape Moloch once you’ve gotten mixed up with him: don’t let him find any flaw in your home, any flaw in the behavior of your family members.”
“Mom, my grandma told me that Dad sometimes didn’t behave well. Could it be that he didn’t die, but that Moloch took him?”
“No, he wasn’t taken. Your dad was a very good and responsible man. Your dad died because he had a weak heart. His heart became sick after Moloch took your older brother from us. He couldn’t bear it. He tried to save him from the demon’s clutches, but the moment the demon touched him, your brother turned to smoke and vanished. No one knows where...”
“Mom, if Moloch tries to touch me, you have to attack him right away, without wasting a second. Okay?” said the little boy anxiously, running his thumbnail along the edges of his other fingernails.
“I’ll do everything I can to protect you. But you know what I want from you. Let’s not give him any reason to act out through our daily actions. Are you sure you won’t get into trouble while I’m away?”
“Yes. But I’m not causing any trouble at all…” Daniel stammered.
“But you left the stool down there under the switch. Luckily, Moloch didn’t notice it. We have to watch our every move, Daniel. You never know when you’ll lose control and cause damage. Moloch is always watching us. He’s keeping an eye on us. And when he pays his visit, he punishes us if necessary. That’s why you have to constantly remind yourself that being careful is what will save your life.”
“Okay… But what if Moloch makes a mistake and thinks I’m naughty when I’m actually well-behaved?”
“That demon is never wrong. Of all the families from which he’s taken people, they were indeed disorderly and incorrigible. Even your own brother. Do you remember how he used to run around in here and mess up the couches and the rug? Do you remember how he used to scream and cry for no reason?”
“Yes, Mom…” Daniel replied, his head bowed.
***
Lisa worked at a fertilizer manufacturing company. She worked in the company’s sales department, sharing an office with two other women: Angela and Rene. She didn’t like working in that position at all. She found it tiring, and the pay wasn’t good. She had to issue invoices, process orders, and frequently answer the phone. On top of that, she didn’t get along very well with her coworkers, especially Angela, who was the boss’s new favorite—his office was right next door. Lisa had been the boss’s previous favorite, and there had even been some sort of flirtation between them. In fact, Lisa had even invited him over for dinner at her house. But then, rather suddenly, he stopped all the frequent contact and compliments. He was no longer looking for excuses to spend time with her. Lisa thought that perhaps he was feeling guilty toward his wife. But now that she saw her boss courting Angela, she began to be overwhelmed by anger and jealousy.
One day, her boss called Lisa into his office and told her he was canceling her day off due to an increased workload at the company. Lisa was upset and suggested that he cancel another coworker’s day off instead, since she had plans with a friend. That wasn’t true, but she said it to make him jealous. He refused to reverse his decision. As Lisa was leaving his office, he asked her to tell Angela to come in. Lisa went outside but didn’t tell Angela. After a few minutes, the employer came out and said sharply to Angela, “Aren’t you coming in?” Angela replied curiously, “You didn’t tell me.” “I told Lisa to tell you to come in,” he replied. “She didn’t say anything to me,” Angela said. “I told you, but you probably didn’t hear me because you were on your cell phone,” Lisa said emphatically and imperiously. Angela rose from her chair with quick movements and walked toward her boss’s door. Rene, on the other hand, glanced in Lisa’s direction and soon lowered her gaze to her computer.
“He canceled your day off too, huh?” said Rene.
“Oh, did they cancel yours too?” asked Lisa.
“Yeah…”
“Let’s see if he’ll cancel the other one’s too,” Lisa said maliciously. “But I don’t think so. And something tells me that, just by chance, they’ll both get the day off on the same day. Not that I care, but it’s unfair for us to be saddled with so much work. As if we aren’t people with personal lives and obligations!”
“What can I say? I’m keeping my mouth shut so I don’t get into any trouble, Lisa… You know how things work around here…” said Rene slyly, without looking up.
“Oh, don’t I know? But let me tell you something, Rene. Let them do whatever they want—I don’t care. But they should also think about a woman like you who has to take care of a bedridden father and a mother with dementia! I mean, have some mercy! Don’t they fear God? I’m not asking them to think about me or feel sorry for me—a widowed mother with a young child who misses his mom! No! At least we’re in good health! But they should think about you, who have two sick people at home and are also suffering from back pain, sitting all day in this lousy office!”
“Thanks for acknowledging—even if it’s just you—that I’m in a tough spot. Even that is enough for me.”
“No, that shouldn’t be enough for you, Rene. You have to demand what’s rightfully yours. The right to take care of your sick parents every now and then! It’s really unfair to take away your day off, especially from you. Go demand it, and I’m sure all the employees will support you if necessary!” Lisa said firmly.
“Nah, I don’t speak up—that’s just how I am, a coward. That’s why, no matter what job I had, they did whatever they wanted with me. Here, at least, I’m okay… Elsewhere, it was much worse,” said Rene with a sigh.
“So what’s so great about it here, then?” Lisa said sarcastically. “Because he brings us cheese pies in the morning? Or because he tells us jokes and funny stories? Look, now that the holidays are coming up, he’ll buy each of us a gift again and feel like he’s done his duty as a good employer!”
