I snuggled with mom as she held me while we watched the screener for Incredibles 2. Turns out that worshipping Satan was a somewhat popular form of religion.
Which gave her odd friends in odd places. Like Disney for example. We regularly got copies of the movies in the mail. Which was sweet since Disney now owned like 2/3 of all media.
Unlike a lot of those tabloid hacks though, mom actually had some legit stuff. Tomes made from human skins. Vials of the blood of the innocent. Flasks of the tears of orphan children.
Heck, Wishbone was snuggled against me and she was only bones now. Her eyes stared into mine. It was unnerving for guests as they were flickering red flames.
She was held together by the best black magics we could summon. She was dumber than ever but so light that I could carry her wherever I went.
It was funny, I could hold her by the spine like a little suitcase. I could even hide things in her ribs. She was a lot of fun. The fact that she no longer needed to use the washroom was a bonus.
The section of lawn where we resurrected still has not recovered and I knew that next summer it would be up me to try more natural fertilizer. My jeans still smelled of horse poop. At least I didn’t need to clean up the yard of dog poop anymore.
Mom kissed me on the head for the millionth time. It was embarrassing but I didn’t mind it so long as it wasn’t in public. She always embarrassed me but it wasn’t that big of a deal in the end. I loved my mom.
“You ready for your big day tomorrow?” she asked. Her voice was cheerful, and I wasn’t sure how she was so excited.
“Yeah!” I cheered back. Mom had put in a lot of work again. More than usual.
“Honey,” she whispered. She must have heard it in my voice. I wasn’t excited at all. I had no friends. Not after the last parent’s day when parents were allowed to come to class.
Mom was nice. Mom was friendly. Mom also told everyone that we worshipped Satan. He who freed us from the heavy chains of Heaven. We gained freedom from his sacrifice. We gained the ability to choose.
Yeah. Turns out that we were the only Satanists in the school.
I suddenly had no one to talk to, apathetic teachers and no kids talked to me. Though bullying went up. It was all annoying.
“Don’t worry sweetheart. I invited the legions of hell to come. I am sure a few will show up and maybe you can make a few new friends,” she consoled me. She frowned as she knew about the bullies, but short of killing them, she wasn’t sure how to help.
I snuggled into her instead of saying anything.
I hated mom a lot. Since she was the reason I had no friends. But I also loved her. She and I always talked. As a single, modern parent, she always made time for me. The many books she owned all agreed on that.
After my last breakdown, where I cursed her at the top of my lungs. I never wanted to do that again. I regretted it after I calmed down.
Mom always said I was mature for my age. That night? Not my best moment. I nearly cried myself to sleep that night because I was afraid mom didn’t love me anymore. Instead, mom showed up and held me until I fell asleep.
I promised myself that I would be better, and everything went back to normal the day after. Because I wanted it to be normal. I apologized, but she would not have it. Emotions were the blessings we received from our lord. Heaven chained us as slaves. Fodder for their regime.
All hail Satan.
The movie was fun, but I sighed as mom was lightly snoring already. She worked very hard and I wanted to grow up right away. To make our lives better by working too.
Tonight, however?
I smiled, as I fell asleep in her arms. It was warm, and it was comfortable.
----------------------------------------
“Happy Birthday!” mom screamed as she pulled at half a dozen strings. The loud pops and explosion of confetti and streamers nearly ruptured my eardrums. Mom could be loud.
“Yeah!” I screamed back as I pulled at my own handful of four-party poppers. The gunpowder version was so much better than the air ones. Mom was a stickler for party planning. Which made sense since it was her day job after all.
The loud pop. The streams of strings and glittering shapes. A few of them were smoking and my heart stilled as I waited for something to ignite. For better, or worse, nothing did.
On the table was way too much food. Candy, cookies, a cake, and two extra-large stacks of soda. It was extra stock from mom’s work, but I didn’t care. I could eat, drink, and throw up as much I wanted!
Yeah!
I hugged mom. She laughed and hugged me back as she absently ground her foot on a still smoking star-shaped glittery thing.
[Ding Dong Deng] the doorbell chimed, making Mom and I stare at each other.
“Demons?” I asked.
“Totally the legion of the damned,” she confirmed.
We both lost it and laughter filled the townhouse. She let go and went to answer the door as I organized the spent party poppers. Recycling was important.
“OH MY GOSH!” a loud, female scream sounded out. It was definitely not mom and there was another squeal as feet stomped into the house. I heard mom grunt and something heavy slammed into the wall.
“Hahaha. Please, come on in! I wasn’t sure if you guys could make it, but I am sure Simon will be ever so pleased,” I heard mom and I was now very curious.
Guests. For me?
I made my way up. being polite was always important for mom. Her business was built on it, and she would be damned if she didn’t teach the darling of her life that fact.
As I made my up way, I saw a very pretty lady. Long hair swept over a shoulder on and she wore an amazing dress. It was entirely sheer in the front, while the sides were exposed. She was busty and fit.
I had only three seconds to see her before the lady screamed at the top of her lungs, and she instantly leaped forward. I was hugged and with vice-like arms.
She was soft. Warm. And so very strong as she crushed me into her body. I was lifted up and helpless as she shook me in her excitement.
Words like, cute. Baby. Long time. Adorable. Eat up. and more high pitched sounds were said. I barely heard them however as her enormous breasts were smooshed into the sides of my head.
I was both ecstatic to be here. And horrified at how much my bones could also make sounds.
“Pardon the intrusion,” a jovial, baritone voice interjected.
“Yes, thanks for the invite Matilda,” a softer voice agreed.
“It has been far too long!” the lady accused as she swung around. I moved with her as he was literally helpless.
“Well, Simon has been growing far too quickly. I need to make sure he grows up properly. Today’s society has too many pitfalls for a young man!” mom vented as I heard her opening the closet for coats.
“Lilly, please let him go before you suffocate the young man,” the baritone said as we all moved into the living room.
“It's fine. What young man wouldn’t want to die like that?” the slightly musical accent replied.
“What? I’ll have you know that the vast majority of humanity would go to war to experience even a fraction of the bliss Simon is getting right now!” Lilly defended as she eventually sat down.
I was half freed. The sweet air of the world filled my lungs. As well as her soft scent of oils and lotion. Like those spa days that mom and I sometimes went to.
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Lilly snuggled me and cooed at me with every fidget. She eventually intertwined her fingers with mine. I was stuck. Again.
“Hello Simon, and happy birthday. I am Aka Manah,” the man introduced with his smoky, baritone voice. He did a bow from his seat.
Aka was a chiseled man. Cut from muscles and bone, he sat straight and he smiled as we made eye contact. He wore a tailored suit, pinstripe, and had shiny cuffs and a matching tie clip.
“I’m Paimon,” the smooth voice responded as I looked at the other man in the room. He was slouched over, laying down on the loveseat. He had an arm dangling over the edge. He gave me a half-hearted wave.
I half hearted waved back. Lilly’s hands, soft as they were, made it hard to move.
Paimon was simply beautiful. He wore a dress shirt that had only a single button done up. His pants were like shorts, ending slightly below the knees.
Mom reappeared as she brought out a pitcher of lemonade. Since I was stuck, mom poured me a glass but left it on the table. It was my favorite blue cup!
I wanted some, but my arms were tied up. Sensing my intense desire for sugar water, Lilly let go of my arm. I didn’t get to move as Lilly simply leaned forward and grabbed it instead.
I wanted to say that was mine, but I let it go. Sure it was my birthday, but mom always said to be polite to guests. Sharing my favorite cup was being polite. Right?
Lilly had other ideas. She simply moved the cup before my lips and held it there. I looked up into her clear violet eyes and she smiled back.
“Service for the birthday boy!~” she cooed at me. Her other hand somehow how captured my freed one though. She happily squeezed my hands to show her happiness.
I tentatively took a sip, and she easily tipped the cup. Not too much, not too little. She was even able to tell when I was done and rested her hand and cup on my lap.
Mom tried it last winter, but I ended up chocking. I was bedridden, she was trying to be super mom, and sneezed when she was feeding me a cup of soup.
I coughed out a carrot that went down the wrong way.
“Thank you!” I said and gave her my brightest smile. Lilly was super nice!
Lilith stared at the young boy in her lap. His smile wasn’t the prettiest, but that missing tooth! His pure joy at her teasing service!
Lilly’s brain failed her. A ‘Grk!’ sound came from her mouth, but her heart went into overdrive. He. Is. So. Adorable.
I winced as suddenly aunt Lilly smooshed her check into mine and she tried to make sounds and talk at the same time. It was a garbled mess.
I look over to mom for support, but she was definitely laughing as she tried to look away. She did give me a thumbs up though. Traitor!
“Well Simon,” Aka began and immediately caught my attention. “I boy was once considered a young adult when he turned 12. A young man deserved a man’s gift!”
I blinked as Aka took out a box from inside his suit. I blinked again as the box was too large to easily fit in any pocket. Aka knew magic!
Aunt Lilly twisted her hand, and suddenly I was holding the box. I looked up and uncle Aka’s hands were empty.
It was a very fancy, black box. A vibrant ruby red ribbon tied it together and I tugged at it, eager to see my gift. Mom was the only one who bought me real presents before.
A few neighbors sometimes gave me cookies, but nothing that was a real gift.
The box was smooth and soft, the ribbon equally so. I took my time opening it. My first gift from someone who wasn’t mom.
The box slowly slid open. My heart pumped as I felt something from within.
My eye popped as I stared at the two things I never thought I would ever see outside of youtube videos.
Set on a purple cloth, rested two butterfly knives.
“The top one is the training one, made from buloke ironwood, it is very safe. Rounded edges, but properly weighted. Its design is actually functional rather than just aesthetically pleasing,” Aka explained as I gingerly lifted the knife.
The design was the straight edge style. It was heavy but firm in my hands. Like the online videos, it had fancy chromatic colors. The knife glowed under the light.
I tried to open it with a flick as I saw on the videos, but nothing happened.
“Don’t forget about the lock on the bottom,” aunt Lilly explained as she pointed out the small latch.
I opened the knife and blinked as I saw odd ends on the top and bottom of the handle. I saw them on old swords during that medieval documentary I saw last winter.
“Do practice daily with these, Simon. They could save your life one day,” Aka intoned as he watched me successfully flip the weapon open. The other hilt swung around and smacked my fingers.
I muttered an ‘ouch’ but aunt Lilly was just as quick to lift my hands and kiss my boo-boos goodbye. I grumbled. I was a young adult now! I didn’t need my boo-boos kissed!
My pout didn’t seem to deter aunt Lilly. If anything, her smile widened.
I gently placed the knife back in the box and lifted the other one. Unlike the first knife, this one was special. It was what I had felt when I first touched the box.
I was extra careful. I think mom said something but my heart was pounding too hard.
The handle was black. It seemed to absorb the light and I gingerly unlatched the safety. I used both hands to hold and open the knife to reveal a white blade.
“Do be careful, yes? Its made from elder dragon bone. Harvested from the sternum, the hardest bone in its body. The handle is the leftover ash from when it was forged in the purifying flames of Gehenna.” Aka explained with a pleased smile. What he didn’t say was that the knife would pass most forms of detection.
No metal to detect. And when folded, looked like a case for reading glasses if examined by something like a x-ray machine. Perfect to carry around for self-defense.
The elder's bone was also harder than diamond. He would be impressed if he managed to wreck the blade in his lifetime.
“Thanks, uncle Aka!” I exclaimed as I slowly closed the knife. I would practice all the time. I would train until I could do the neat tricks too!
“Now its time for my, King Paimon’s, gift!” uncle Paimon proclaimed as he sat up. In his hands was Wishbone.
I watched in with worry as Paimon rubbed Wishbone down. His hand caressed every bone and he would often mutter to himself.
Most of it was critical about its size. Its usefulness. And its lack of deadly anything.
“First we do the teeth! I harvested these form an elder Fenrir,” he exclaimed with a pointed look at uncle Aka. Uncle Paimon simply used his thumbs to gouge out the sharp bone. Mom had rounded them fore safety. Instead, Wishbone got larger, sharper fangs.
I looked over at mom. She wasn’t happy.
Uncle Paimon then broke apart the spine and started throwing the pieces onto the table.
“Then the spine! This beauty comes from a young Jormungandr. It will let her slither over anything, and bind the various bits together. Mainly the binding parts,” he explained as he aligned the sparkling purple spine.
Wishbone glowed and then started to wiggle as its spine settled in. The man deftly plucked off its legs and added odd ones.
“These wonderful legs are from a species of giant wasp, able to latch onto and eat large mammals. Giga Wasps can be quite dangerous,” uncle Paimon explained as he carefully wedged in the legs.
Once that was all done, the spine was sparkling something fierce as Wishbone started to move its 4 legs. Its head bobbed and it eventually was able to flip itself upright.
Uncle Paimon wasn’t finished yet. With a flourish, he unveiled his crown jewel of animal parts. A pair of white wings.
“From the artic world of Niflheim, lives the Helen Owls. They are assassins in the animal kingdom. Their wings are so soft that they even soften the sounds of the winds themselves,” he absently told everyone as he slowly touched the base of the mantle to the spine.
Paimon held it there, his eyes closed and the purple sparkles fused into a bright glow. With a flash, Paimon unleashed his primal voice of victory.
I had my hands over my eyes, and aunt Lilly had her hands over my ears. Uncle Paimon was loud. Louder then even aunt Lilly.
I looked out between my fingers. When the coast was clear, I stared as Uncle Paimon was pouring and rubbing oil into Wishbone. My pet not-a-dog.
“To finish, as a one time upgrade and perfect finish, Nephilim oil!” Paimon exclaimed as he emptied the flask and muttered a strange language.
The oil moved as if it was alive, covering every part of Wishbone. The then dried, settling into a pearlescent white.
My wolf-snake-beetle-owl-puppy.
Wishbone flourished his wings and with a beat, lifted itself up. She then glided to the floor. Her insect legs didn’t make a sound as she landed. Her white eyes stared at me as her tail wagged.
The super-long spine now also acted as a tail. Neat. I missed her tail. It was odd to have a dog without a tail.
Wishbone then tucked in her legs in order to slither over to me.
We all stared at that. Paimon even let out an ‘Uuuuhh…” as he watched his creation stop before my legs and then its claws on the end of each foot allowed it to climb up my jeans.
Wishbone nuzzles my face with her skull. I kinda wished that uncle Paimon included a tongue, but I wasn’t going to complain.
I half rubbed, half scratched its skull and wings. The bone was smooth and the wings so fluffy! Wishbone seemed to like it, shivering under my ministrations. That was new.
“She is perfect!” Paimon exclaimed as he saw my smile.
“Yes. So close. A solid and ‘perfect’ second place,” Aka congratulated with a set of soft claps.
Paimon glared over. His chimera were always a work of art. Fancier than an indulgently forged blade.
“If you had included, say a tongue, then I would concede defeat. A wonderful chimera. Just not perfect,” Aka explained slowly to Paimon. The other man slowly went pale and whipped his head over to his ‘perfect’ creation.
Paimon gasp, clutching at his heart. His face went red. White. Red. White. Then he keeled over, falling onto the couch in a dead faint.
“Oh! oh! OH!” aunt Lilly shouted as she adjusted me in her lap. “My Turn!~”
“Your beautiful, exceptional, loving, generous, self-sacrificing, thoughtful, and all-around incredible, Aunty, is going to give you something very special,” she proclaimed aloud but slowly settled into an intimate whisper in my ears.
I watched as she flourished her hand before me before she trailed it up to my chest, neck, face, and then plucked a feather from behind my ear.
A perfect. White. Feather.
I stared. Until this moment I never knew what the color white really was. Now I knew.
It wasn’t large. It was as long as my small hands were wide.
“Lilith!” Aka accused with a scream. He stood up in shock and anger. Even mom and Paimon were up in shock.
“Don’t worry. Simon will be safe. This I promise~” aunt Lilly half-heartedly explained to them before she reached around me and moved her arm inwards. It wasn’t a hug, but I wasn’t sure what she was doing.
When the arm came around again, the tip was stained red. I have seen enough rituals to recognize blood when I saw it. But she didn’t stab me with the tip.
“Lilly lets not be hasty here,” Paimon said as he used his hands to try to calm us down. Except we were already calm.
Her arm snaked under my shirt. The soft feather glided up my chest before it stopped. Right before my heart.
“A young feather from the morning star, for the new young feather from my most favored friend. Bound by the heart blood of the first Nephilim” aunt Lilly intoned as she stabbed me.
My body clenched and my vision blurred. It hurt. The fire was everywhere.
Aunt Lilly rubbed around the pinprick of white-hot fire. She whispered something but I didn’t hear it.
All I could hear was my senses blaring at me that there were problems. And the sounds of my heavy heartbeats, and the pulse of blood surging in my body.
Then everything began to sync. All sounds began to unify back into something I understood. The fire changed from consuming to considerate. I felt warm.
I muttered an ‘ow’, and the world went dark.