CHOOSE YOUR DEMON

On your 6th birthday you'll do just like all the other kids have done. Just like your parents, and just like the way I did way way back when. The old man was trying to prepare his only grandson for what was to come. It was winter, and they were sitting by a smoldering fire. The kid didn't know what to say about any of it so he sat in silence, staring up. The man seemed to take his queues on what to say next from the childs' facial expressions. Right now he looked as if he was perpetually seeing a ghost. Focused on his granddad with deep cut wrinkled features that looked as though they were becoming more ghoulish and he was getting closer to death by the second in the flickering fading fire light. If it'll make you feel any better son - I'll give you a glimpse at mine. The boy knew it was against the rules, but he also knew there were certain rules that could be bent for direct blood relatives. There were so many rules for simple things. The 5 year old child gave a slight nod. He was sick of the waiting, worrying, and wondering. Alright, now don't stare too long. He warned. These things are for the ones that chose them. With that the wise grandfather leaned back in his chair as far as he could go. He had been hunched over for so long you could have sworn you heard his back crack completely along the spine. From behind the chair the small boy saw the shadows start to change. The flat black darkness began to rip itself from the wall. The fireplace leapt to life with a few flames, but it didn't cast any more light on the scene. The darkness had gathered into a form behind his granddads chair and took a step forward into partial light. It was no longer just a shadow, but a fully formed demon. The boys first glimpse at what was in store for the rest of his days. A demon to call his own. His grandfathers demon was obviously ancient. He remembered hearing all the stories - the demon will age 17 times faster than you - the demon will go through countless phases in its own life cycles - the demon will only speak to you - the demon should only be seen by you or your blood relatives - etc etc etc. In a quiet rasp he then heard his grandfather speak to his nearly lifelong companion in a strange language. Znartoov karloz e bleezen - retlichz qa vvanetzz. The demon stepped further into the light and directly faced the child. In full view the kid saw a being double the size of his grandfather. Its skin looked like charcoal. A shimmering grey black coarseness throughout. Its eyes were piercing. A crimson glow. The mouth a sickly grin that opened to reveal teeth like broken glass, odd-shapen shards. The boy was captivated and only got such a brief description started when his grandpa snapped him out of it by shouting for him to look away. The boy immediately looked back into the fire. More foreign words. Xzarrch ul zeezhark. He heard a soft crumble and looked back to the scene. The demon was gone. The shadows had reformed to their normal positions. Now - that wasn't so bad, was it? With a forced smile full of dread the kid said it was not so bad. He did not want to spend his whole life with a demon. He wondered why it was like this - why has it always been? His grandfather said he was a good boy, and everything will be fine. Tomorrow he would choose his demon.