Lost To The Devil

Chapter 14: Moving on

The demon laughed, a sharp, broken sound that didn’t belong in any human throat. He screamed, loud and furious, guttural, his voice tearing through the room like something alive, like something clawing its way out of me.

He growled, low and animalistic, and yelled abuse and blasphemy; at one point he spat in Father Thomas’ face. I could feel the demon growing weaker, like he was being battered by another force. It felt like something powerful had entered the room, more powerful than the demon. His movements grew more frantic.

I realised it must be God after all and not just the priests. I shouted out for help from all the angels. I had always believed in spiritual stuff and remembered reading that you could ask angels for help too, that you had free will so they couldn’t help unless you asked first, so that's what I did. “Angels, please, if you can hear me, please help me.”

One minute the demon was fighting and yelling, and the next we flung back down on the bed, and I was suddenly seeing his memories.

He had huge gold wings like in my dream and was even more beautiful than in my dreams, that it almost hurt to look upon him. His skin glowed like golden sunlight, his platinum curls softly framed his face, catching the warmth of something divine. His green eyes were bright and alive, and they held no cruelty. He wasn't evil in this memory; he was pure and kind and in a place filled with only love and peace. I realised it was heaven.

He had been an angel once, and through his memories I saw the Archangel Michael and Satan himself before he fell. They were all so beautiful, but where the demon was pure in this memory, Satan had a darkness within him even then. It was small, but each day it grew and grew until eventually a war started in heaven.

Satan had gathered angels, including this one, with promises of freedom and to live on the earth with no master. The angels fell for his lies, so naive they were, and eventually fell from grace. I could hear the cries and screams of pain as they fell and were ripped of God’s love when they were banished to what we call hell.

I could feel the demon’s pain as though it were mine; his heart was broken, he cried inside for centuries, still loved, they all did but they dared not show anything outside, for Satan would condemn them to horrific t.orture, for he was now their leader, and he was consumed by darkness.

Eventually the demons became accustomed to this new existence and forgot about God and love to cope with their new tasks of horror and torment. But there was always this pain in the demon’s heart, and I knew without a doubt he would give anything to be back in Gods grace, for he still loved and adored him, perhaps even more so now because he knew how easy he had it back then, but I also knew he would never ask for forgiveness; none of them would; they were too terrified of Satan’s wrath.

Suddenly the vision was gone, and I felt a tremendous amount of pain throughout my body as I saw, and I mean literally saw, Archangel Michael looking just how he did in the demon’s vision as he stood by my side waiting for the priest’s next words. “Tell me your name, demon!” They both shouted.

He screamed in pure agony and rage, “Belial! My name is Belial!” With that, I watched as Archangel Michael ripped Belial from my body, and they both vanished into thin air.

I cried hysterically from exhaustion and pain, but mostly I cried for Belial and all those demons. He didn't look horrific like in the movies; he looked beautiful like in my dreams and the memory. They all did, and somehow I found that more scary— the thought that something so beautiful could be so cruel. It didn't seem right.

I cried and cried for him. The priests sent Mum in, who held me tightly. “I’m here, I’ve got you,” she cried too. I didn't feel bad crying for the demon who had caused us so much despair because when I saw Archangel Michael, I saw in his eyes how much he still loved his own brother and how it pained him to have to throw him back into hell.

A month had passed since the exorcism, and my bruises and injuries had all finally healed, but sometimes, at night, I still felt the echo of something watching, not him, just…memory. The demon Belial was really gone. We were packing everything up for the new place we would be moving into.

I made sure to do research on the place first this time, and when we moved in, Mum would be going back to work, and I would be starting my new job as a receptionist. It wasn't great, but it was a start to moving forward.

Shadow loved me again, no more hissing or hiding from me, just cuddles and catching up on lost time between us.

I was closer to God and the angels more than ever these days, and though what happened to me was horrific, I knew my heart would always break for those demons. I knew that the holy water didn't burn because they were evil; it was because the demons couldn't stand the touch of something blessed with God’s love and goodness because it was a constant reminder of what they lost and never again will they have, the chance to feel his grace, and that... that was their own hell.

The end.