The Unseen Demon, S.R.Parker [good book club books .TXT] 📗

to her shelves and picked off a glass vile. “How did Cheshire do that to himself, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Verlise stiffened and her lips pulled into a purse. “A Soot Face got a hold of him at the fountain.”
The old lady quickly turned around. “Don’t you bring that sort of tongue into my home,” she scolded.
“I’m sorry,” his mother downcast her eyes like a child being punished.
“You’re forgiven, but it’s that hate between the races that brings injury to innocent.”
“Yes, Keliegh.”
Old Keliegh let out a huff and handed his mother the vile. “Give this to him before supper. I’ll have more of this tomorrow for him. So you come up here bright in the morning to fetch it.”
“Thank you again.”
“It’s nothing, but I meant to ask if I could borrow your husband next week to help me fix a few things around the house.”
“Of course.”
Cheshire hopped off the stool. He wrapped his one good arm around Keliegh in a half embrace. She patted him on the head. “Off you two go before it gets dark out.”
The pair waved good-bye as the Keliegh watched them leave from the threshold of her house. He held onto his mother’s hand while they carefully treaded down the hill. The sun was just barley setting. Its orange beams falling upon the rooftops of the village. Cheshire looked up to his mother and smiled. “It’s pretty.”
“What’s pretty?”
He pointed toward the sun. “That.”
“It is very pretty Cheshy.”
It was a moment when everything was beautiful. There wasn’t a worry in the world, just the two of them walking back to their home. Neither of them could’ve been happier.

******************************************************
Their house was sturdy and aging. Wreyn’s parents had given it to them as a wedding present. Its walls decorated with paintings of family portraits. Dimly lit lamps dangling down. A kitchen at the back of the house. A mantel was in the living room with a fur rug to sit on and warm the family in the winters.
His mother and him walked in to see that his father was already at work with getting dinner prepared. A pot was boiling on the stove and he was chopping greens. “You didn’t have to this Wreyn. You should be resting after work.”
“Yes, I did. I needed to make up for snapping at you earlier. I know it’s not your fault at what happened today.”
“Well thank you.” His mother stepped toward him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped an arm around her waist. Chesh couldn’t hear what he whispered to her, but it made his momma smile. “You get cleaned up. I’ll finish up here.”
His father chuckled. “Do I smell that bad?”
“Yes, now get out of here.”
**************************************************
Cheshire pushed his plate away and outstretched his arms. “All done,” he said as he hopped off his chair. He put his dirtied dishes in the sink.
“Cheshire does your arm feel any better?” his father asked as he caught him by his good arm.
“Ah huh the medicine Old Keliegh gave me made it all better.”
“Good that lady is a saint.”
“Oh, that reminds me she wanted me to ask if you can go help her next week.”
“I’ll stop by after work.”
While his parents’ continued to speak over supper he curled up on the fur rub. Before long he felt himself dosing. The fur was so soft, it was warm against his skin, and very quickly his eyes were lead.
He couldn’t see the wide grin that spread across his father’s face. Wreyn nudged Verlise and nodded toward their sleeping child. “I’ll carry him down to his room.” He quietly made his way over to the sleeping demon. His father picked him up in his arms and cradled him. “My little Chesh.”
Verlise followed him in to their son’s room. She watched as her husband tucked Cheshire in. the little demon stirred and woke up just barley. His small hand brushed against his father’s scruffy cheek. “Love you papa.” Verlise sat on the edge of his bed and kissed his cheek.
Softly, she began to sing him a lullaby.
“Hush now my baby please don’t cry
The storm’s rain is falling
The thunder passing by
But I’ll protect you for its wraith always
Ssshh my baby everything will be okay
The night is now calming
Its stars high in the sky where they’re always stay
You’re dreaming,
Sleep peacefully my baby.”
Once she was finished her husband took her hand and led her out of the room. Both of them gazed at him before they shut the room door, leaving just a crack of light because their son was scared of complete darkness. It was a beautiful night, nothing out of place in their home, a peaceful family. So full of love and hope.
**********************************************************
Violent coughs woke him from his sleep. He opened his eyes; the air was thick with smoke. It burned his eyes and made everything difficult to see. Cheshire stumbled out of bed. Crackles could be heard. A loud clash rang through the entire his house. Stomps trampled everywhere. He cried in fear. Suddenly his momma was barging into his room. Her face covered in blood, night gown torn, and completely panicked. “Cheshy, run. Get out of here.” A feral scream cut through air. Flames licked their way into his room. His mother gasped. She wrapped a blanket around him. “I need to be brav-“
“There’s that fucking whore.” A Fire Elemental snarled as he wielded flames behind him. His hair was crazy, face covered in soot, and blade dripping blood. His mother shield him as the flames licked up towards them burning her flesh. She screamed and hurled herself at the demon. He was caught off guard and stumbled back. “Baby run! Baby run. Don’t look back. I love you.” She yelled as she held down the other demon with everything she had. Tears streamed down his face as he run out of his room. The halls were burning and the fire enveloped the house relentlessly. Cheshire was just at the entrance to the living room, a beam collapsed behind him. His body was crushed by the weight of another demon. He cried out and vainly tried to get up. The body above him rolled off. It was his father. “Papa.” His father gripped his abdomen as blood gushed from it. He weakly held up his weapon and he crawled backward. Seven or so Fire Elementals surround them, bloodlust in their eyes.
“Cowards! You can have me, but there is no way in hell you are ever going to touch my son again!” he snarled. Wreyn used the strength he had left to hoist Chesh over his back. The other demons rushed at them. His father shattered the kitchen window and swung him outside. Cheshire held onto his hands. Blood covered his entire body. His father’s face was contorted by pain and sorrow as blade was stabbed into his back. “I love you….run.” Cheshire was frozen in place for a moment ‘til his father’s body slumped down and revealed the face of his killer. It was the demon from the fountain. The Fire Elemental snarled. “After the boy!”
Cheshire turned on his heels and bolted into the streets. He tripped as he made his way into a neighbor’s yard. He banged on the door, hoping they’d open up. They didn’t so he tried the next, he could hear the Fire Elementals heavy boot steps behind him. His heart was beating out of his chest and his stomach knotted. All he could think was he was going to die. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Suddenly the heavy boots stomped and a loud crash drew his eyes up. His home was crumbling to nothing. The Fire Elementals were scrambling and shouting at eachother. “Come on we have to get out of here, leave the boy!”
“Dammit.”
They disappeared into the night. The demons had spared him his life, but taking everything that he loved with them. He fell to his knees and watched the flames eat away greedily at every scrap of his home. The local demons gathered around him. Some tried to comfort him, but all he did was push them away. Nothing could bring back his parents.
It only enraged him that the whispers of folk where that his parents were murdered over the fact they were Water Elementals. That’s it, that hadn’t done anything wrong. He couldn’t understand why someone would do this simply because of their race.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched away from the touch, but that only made the demon wrap him in an embrace. He snapped around only to soften. It was Old Keliegh, tears were rolling down her aged face and her body was trembling. “I’m so sorry Chesh. I don’t know what to say to you.”
“They’re gone.”
“No, they’ll always be in your heart. Don’t you forget that they loved you.”
But they’re gone. If I would’ve been careful and not have gotten that demon’s boots wet this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Oh, this didn’t happen because of you. Don’t blame yourself. This is an act of hatred. It only this damn hate between the Elementals. This is what happens. I can only hope that you don’t become like them, but I couldn’t blame you if you did. This is a tragedy.”
Cheshire tightly embraced her and wept. He couldn’t help any of it in any longer. She rubbed his back and tried to comfort him the best she knew how, but in her heart she knew that nothing could ease the pain of the little demon.

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Publication Date: 12-22-2011

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