Dream State

Prolouge

He paid no mind to the smell of stale beer and sweat that would have made anyone gag. The stale air mixed with the labored breathing of the thirty-year-old nobody. The sound of it could’ve driven anyone insane. Norman would make everyone pay. He waddled around the room setting up everything, and he had to make sure it was done by midnight.

Norman made his way toward his closet and pulled out the bucket of cow’s blood. He had Jerry get it for him from the slaughterhouse. Norman could still see the look on the foreman’s face when he had ordered it. He had to giggle at the thought of disgust on his face, but he still filled his order. Going toward the only wall in his apartment, he took a black marker from his holy jeans and went about making his first sigil. The copper smell filled his nostrils, making the room almost unbearable as he jammed his meaty fist into the bucket, spilling its blood on the floor. Norman made the four points with his fingertips. He muttered to himself that he had to make sure everything was right.

Norman drew his fingers across the wall connecting the square and sigil. He stopped for a second to admire the blood dripping down the wall as he began the chant. He almost reached out to taste the blood running down the wall, but something stopped him. The noise in Norman’s mind became louder and louder, making it harder to think or breathe. Punching himself in the head to quiet the voices, Norman finished the ritual that would bring the demon into this world for him to control.

A small rune sat by the tiny lamp in the room waiting to be added to the spell. He pulled out the piece of glass that had yellowed from age. In the middle of the glass was a perfect emerald stone. The spell called for the rune he stole and the glass to bring the demon forth. Placing them both on the floor, he took his pocket knife out and cut his hand. Norman watched as a few drops of his blood fell onto the rune and jeweled glass. He pulled out the plastic bag filled with god only knows what, and he sprinkled it over the bloody rune and glass piece. A black wisp of smoke appeared out of nowhere, causing him to smile.

“Come to thee, sight to thee”, Norman repeated, until he felt the room move and the wind picked up in the apartment. His eyes saw what he desired. Standing in front of Norman was a six-footed man with handsome eyes. The man was clothed in a dark-tailored suit without hair out of place. He stood there quiet for a second fixing the cuffs on his shirt with a look of annoyance.

Norman yelled out he wanted to start with Jeff. That is when Daniel began sweet-talking Norman. Daniel spoke to him like a wayward child, gathering him to his side and listening to every word that fell out of the rat’s mouth, as if it was the most important thing in the world. Norman’s eyes darted back and forth unsure of what to say next. “Master, what do I call you?” Without a blink of an eye, the demon said, “Call me Daniel.”

One thing Norman didn’t know was he had spoken a few words in Latin that had just sold his soul to the demon, making his days numbered. Daniel would enjoy every single minute of the upcoming torture he would inflict on the rat who called him forth. It wasn’t long before Daniel disappeared on Norman to carry out their agreed-upon plans.

Daniel knew where he had to head to, and he would enjoy every moment. The neighborhood was quiet, with the houses locked up tight. Weathered toys litter each yard in hopes of better days. Just outside the tree line, hiding eyes glowed as they crept around each tree searching for something. The thin lips peeled back in a devilish sneer as it could feel the power calling it. The best part was Daniel never knew to whom he was coming.

He took his time making sure his form was right for the moment. Some would see him as a six-foot man with deep emerald green eyes and a dazzling smile. Others would see him as a little boy with a missing tooth and dancing baby blue eyes. He even bounced a basketball. Daniel knew blending in was always crucial. He saw something on the sidewalk. It was an old man sitting in an alley just beyond the pavement. He was singing to his old pit bull curled up at his feet. He took a swig from the bottle he had wrapped in a plain brown bag.

“You there, what time is this?” The old man looked at Daniel, trying to focus his eyes. “It’s now.” Cackled the old man, taking another swig of the mystery bottle that smelled like dollar store moonshine.. Daniel looked at the dog that hadn’t moved a muscle. Daniel smirked as he took one step closer and snatched the old man by the throat, lifting him off his feet. “I asked you a question, you're a simpering wad of garbage. What year is it?”

The old man darted his eyes as he tried to remember the date. “It’s August 2018.” The old man stuttered. In disgust, Daniel dropped the human onto the sidewalk. “That’s wonderful. I am back in time to finish my plan.”

Daniel knew the fat old man was a sad excuse for a human, but a soul was a soul. Snapping his fingers, he took the old man. He waved his right hand, making the dog a pup again. Some say he had many names, but no one knew his real one. As he had told that toad of a man, Norman, he was to be called Daniel. It was one of the many names that came from the Bible that many humans were called. He knew when he went head-to-head with a human, he would weaken him with that name because it was the name of his father.