The screams.

Sounds of ripping flesh.

Cracking bones.

Daniel couldn’t do anything about the sounds that came from the garage.

He stayed in the living room. Raymond’s breathing stopped after a few minutes. He took a blanket from the closet, and draped it over Raymond’s body. Then he took a seat on the couch, as Raymond lay on the floor.

He didn’t want to leave Raymond alone there, so he stayed, sitting in the living room with the screams.

***

The screams stopped.

The garage door opened, and Patrick stepped out. The demon quickly closed the door behind him, walked into the living room, and stood over Raymond’s body. He turned around, and sat in the armchair across from Daniel. The clawed hands sat crossed on the bony legs of his lap. He leaned forward, and stared down at Raymond. His hideous face was blank. The demon was tired.

Daniel turned, and looked at the closed garage door. He tried not to think about what was on the other side.

“I’m sorry.” Patrick mumbled. Daniel turned. Patrick was looking down at Raymond. “It doesn’t change anything, but it’s true. I’m sorry.”

Patrick’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m sorry Raymond. I let you down and I’m so sorry.”

Patrick sobbed. Tears freely flowed down his hollow cheeks. He looked up at Daniel.

“He was the first person who was ever kind to me.” Patrick pointed to Raymond. “No one else; angels, humans, demons, none of them. But he…he loved me. I know he did. He believed in me.”

Patrick buried his head in his hands. His monstrous sobs were muffled by his clawed digits. The sounds reminded Daniel of a whimpering guard dog.

Patrick wiped the tears away. He got up from his chair, and sat on the ground next to Raymond. He bent down and kissed Raymond on the forehead. “They don’t have people like him in Hell. Maybe we don’t deserve them.”

“That’s not how Raymond saw it,” Daniel said.

“Maybe he was wrong,” Patrick said. He finally looked up at Daniel. “Even good people can be wrong.”

Patrick stood up, and walked over to the bookshelf on the wall. He scanned the shelf, until he spotted a particular book, and pulled it out. He brought it back to Daniel, and handed it to him. Daniel looked down, and saw that it was the ancient book that Raymond had used to summon Patrick.

The demon opened the book, and flipped to a page with an illustration of a demonic creature falling into a mystical portal. A portal to hell.

“Only a human can perform the ritual.” Patrick said.

Daniel shook his head. “Patrick I can’t,”

“This is what God would want. It’s why he put me in Hell in the first place.”

“Is it what you want?”

“Daniel please,” The tears had returned to Patrick’s face. “Please, let’s just get this over with.”

“No,” Daniel closed the book, and tossed it on the couch.

“This is a mistake. That man in the garage will just be the beginning.”

“So you want to kill more people?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why are you speaking as though that’s what you’re planning on doing?”

“I’m a demon!” Patrick cried. “It’s in my nature.”

“No one is born evil, not even demons.” Daniel said. “What happened in the underworld wasn’t your fault. You don’t have to let it define you.”

“I’ve already done too much.”

Daniel put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “Punishing yourself will never erase your sins. Learn from them. Use them to become a better person.”

The demon stared at him. “Do you really think I can do that?”

Daniel sat down on the couch, and gestured for Patrick to join him. “Sit down my son. Confess your sins.”

Patrick sat down, and cried into Daniel’s shoulder.

THE END