Storyteller's Universe // See Through
Unwanted Guest



I wheel in the gurney while my lead is trying to wriggle its way out of the shackles. I park it next to another gurney, that one holding a much calmer cadaver.

“I WILL TEAR YOU INTO MILLION FUCKING PIECES YOU TRAITOR.”

Whistling a tune, I turn around to a cupboard with a leather roll up tool pouch on it. I spread it out to reveal paraphernalia of various religions and beliefs from around the world, but also a few seemingly unrelated items - speaking of which, I grab a fistful of fast food ketchup packets from it.

“START PRAYING MONGREL, FOR I SHALL TEAR THAT HALF-BREED SOUL OUT OF YOUR BODY AND FUCK IT TILL IT BEGS FOR MORE”

Ignoring the possessed body, I bite into one of the ketchup packets and start squeezing it out onto the floor, trying my best to draw something at least resembling a circle.

“YOUR BONES WILL- what are you doing?”

“Protective circle.”

“That isn’t blood.”

“It’s red, that’s enough. I only get into kinky bloodplay with greater demons or better.”

“how fuCKING DARE YOU, I AM A POWERFUL DEMON AND PATHETIC WHELPS LIKE YOU SHALL TREAT ME AS THEIR MASTER WITH RESPECT.”

I grace the demon with no answer as I continue drawing. By the third packet I figured out how to keep a steady flow. As I reach for another one, I hear knocking on my door. Both of us turn our heads toward the noise, though the demon does it with a meaty snap of its host’s neck. If that just killed the guy I will personally exorcize this piece of shit.

I open the door and see a business casual gray fox.

“Asher Soboleski from Paranormal Events Research and Surveillance Agency. Mr. Wormwood?”

“Ariel is enough, Asher. You guys must be desperate if you’ve reached me again after what I did last time.”

“Precisely, can’t say you are our first choice.”

“PERSA finally sent an asshole! My prayers have been heard. The last guy was-”

“HELLO? I AM STILL HERE YOU SPAWN OF A LEPROUS WENCH, DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME. UNCHAIN ME AND I WILL ONLY CHEW ON HALF OF YOUR BONES.”

“Sorry Asher, as you can see I’m busy. Let me get back to it and free up my calendar for you. Take a seat and do nothing.”

I return to the screaming demon and finish the pentagram.

“We can do it the easy way or the hard way. Next to you is a body, it’s unbound, you can take it and you’re free to do whatever you like. Or I can pry you out of this body by force and I will punish you for making me do the work”

“YOU ARE MISTAKEN IF YOU THINK YOU CAN COMMAND ME TO POSSESS A ROTTING CARCASS.”

“No, I’m asking nicely.”

The demon burps a laugh before spitting half a dozen rusty nails at me. They harmlessly bounce off of my shirt.

“Last chance, don’t make me use your name.”

“YOU ARE LYING CLERGYMAN, NO MORTAL KNOWS MY NAME.”

“I’m not a priest, and I’m not mortal either.”

The body falls limp, in a blink of an eye there’s a half-burnt horned beast, with its face merely an inch from mine. I can feel and smell its brimstone breath. If not for the circle I’m sure it would attack.

“I SHALL REDUCE YOU TO A PILE OF MEAT AND SINEW.”

“Beast of the Sulphur Lake, Fear from the Imp Dens, The One Marked by Pride’s Hand and Slayer of Bone Serpents, I command thee to stay the fuck away by hundred kilometers or more. Don’t forget to fuck yourself too.”

There’s a flash of genuine fear on the demon’s face.

“HOW TH-”

Seemingly by an invisible force, the demon is dragged by its neck at a terrifying speed through the nearest exit, which happens to be one of the windows. The glass shatters outwards as the demon is gone in a blink, almost as fast as it appeared. Ketchup splatters half the wall around it.

I take a moment to look out the window. Dead of night, thankfully there was no one around to get showered with glass shards. I turn back to the guy on the gurney who was possessed just a moment ago. With a wave of my hand, the shackles rust away. Unconscious, but alive. Success.

“You done?”

The fox is playing tough, yet he looks like both his lunch and mind are racing to see which one can be lost first.

“I hope you recognize the sacrifice of me not seeing this guy’s reaction upon waking up? I have shit to do, let’s walk and talk.”

With a grunt Asher gets up from the chair and follows me out of the building.