CHAPTER 8
SATAN AND THE DEMONS left West chained to the podium of the satanic sanctum for days. When Satan finally returned to check on him, he was appalled at what he found. Not only did snow fall from the high stone ceiling but West sat on the steps of Satan’s sanctuary where he told a small group of young Imps about the recent news he knew from Heaven. As Satan crept down the strip, he discovered that West had used his long sharp Bat claws to carve the Ten Commandments all over the walls of the satanic cave church. Satan, so terribly vexed, trembled as he said, “You’ve desecrated my sanctuary! Why did you do this? Don’t you know your God and your Angel friends have forsaken you?”
“God will not forsake me!” West told the serpent of lies.
“But He already has! We are your new family now, and what a glorious family we are. We are strong. Can’t you feel the power in your rage? Don’t you see it is a beautiful thing? Yes, embrace your anger and grow stronger for it. You’re not a baby to pray your sniveling prayers to Jehovah. He doesn’t give power, He works His power through you, but I, I give power. Do I punish? Sure I punish, but does Jehovah not punish also? So what’s the difference? He wants you to be weak! I will make you strong! Grow up! And know the power can be yours. Now you’re here and we will rule together. It’s time for you to stop fighting me. I’m no longer your enemy, I’m your equal. Imagine all we can accomplish together.”
West felt the evil fester inside of him and his mind became clouded. ‘So help me! The words of the Devil are beginning to make sense!’ It wasn’t easy, but West recalled the images of his Angel friends; Joel, Roger, Starr, Taila, Wilson and Elana. Their faces weren’t easy to remember but as much as it didn’t make sense, he found the right words to speak, “As long as I exist… I will wait on the Lord... He will come through and I will endure to see that day!” After speaking these words, West experienced an odd sense of rationality wash over him and for a moment he was thinking with a sound mind again.
Electricity crackled from the claws of Satan as he began to growl, “Enough banter!” Satan roared as lightning bolt energy exploded into a tumbling ball of fire from his hands. The fireball hurtled toward West. Because of the limited freedom he had while chained up, West couldn’t dodge such a weapon and it shattered over him. Lava splashed over West, lighting him with flames. As he burned, Satan said, “I swear, if you don’t start seeing reason and join us, I’ll snuff out your eternal soul like the flame of a candle!”
These words gave West an idea. He leaped up and flapped his great wings. Stirring up the air, he created a wind torrent that extinguished his flames. While he continued to smolder and smoke, West gave Satan a vindictive look. The beast within him was hungry and above all West wanted to find his way out of Hell.
Pulling at his chains, West roared; his face hard and tight with anger. His eyes strained and locked on Satan. The Devil laughed as he watched the white of West’s eyes turn red. “Nice try, but you’re obviously not strong enough to break your chains, nor are you hostile enough to defeat me, but by all means, keep it up.” No one expected the anchor plates of West’s chains to break off the stone. Leaping at the Devil, West began to punch him. Fifteen repeated powerful blows to Satan’s snarling wolf-head, ending with a thunderous upper cut, left the Devil bedazzled to say the least. Such a bold attack attracted a lot of attention amongst the Demons.
The Devil stumbled backwards away from West. At the feet of West, he noticed a black spear. Lifting the weapon, West craved the temptation to use it, but he knew, the weapon of the enemy would only strengthen the enemy and he would lose some of his light. But he had no light anymore. Yes, now he was the enemy. Still, he clung to the uncertain hope that he would be saved from Hell one day. West let the spear fall from his hand as he decided not to use it.
A mini volcanic explosion erupted and lava sprayed up. Hell shook in a tremor of unrest when a few more mini explosions occurred.
Before Satan fell, West took a torch from an on looking Demon and thrusted the flaming end of it into the Devil’s scaly chest. Satan became rigid and howled at the ceiling. As his agonizing scream ended, smoke exhausted from his mouth then he went limp.
West tossed the spirit form of Satan to the side and scoffed at the Demon assembly. With the look of fear in their eyes they trembled at West’s might and breathed nervously. Rarely did someone stand up to Satan. One of the Demons nervously swallowed. Then West attacked the crowd of Demons like a giant smoking, rabid bat from Hell. Whipping the Demon crowd with the spiked chains of his wrists, the entire cavern erupted in chaos. Storming the fissure full of terrified Demons, West lashed out at them all with incredible speed and powerful force. Many of the Demons were bitten by West’s sharp fangs.
Breaking out of the fissure West came to the edge of a large chasm. A stairway connected the lower levels to stone columns that lead to upper stages. West wasn’t familiar where the labyrinth of tunnels would lead but he knew up was a logical direction. Drums of death and the chanting of doom began to echo throughout the walls of the dark realm. Taking to flight, West decided to by-pass the narrow stairs, but before he knew what was happening, Satan was upon him.
Latched to West’s back, Satan began pounding and scratching at him. Spinning and falling with the two sets of black leathery wings flapping in a confusing mess of pounding appendages, the two powerful creatures crashed onto the stairs. As they rolled down the stone steps they beat upon one another. Rolling out onto the landing at the top of a stone column, it was clear the Devil enjoyed the confrontation more than West. Satan laughed senselessly.
The Demons filled the area, clinging to the stone walls and flying through the spaces between in mass numbers. They laughed and cheered as Satan beat West’s face against the steps. Then West became rigid and quickly turned on Satan again. Flipping the Devil over, West began chopping his hand at the Devil’s shoulder.
“It’s as hot as hades in here and I hate it!” West shouted.
West just kept beating on Satan as Satan tried to speak through the pain, “Oof! - Yes, fill yourself with hatred. -Ouch!- It will make you stronger. -Whook!- I hate this place too, -Whoof- it is as hot as Hell in here!”
As West fought on and grew in strength with each thunderous blow, he said, “Verily, Devourer! Though you chide me and attempt to break me, my fighting heart spurns every thought of defeat! For my spirit, so determined, will never yield to one such as you!”
Suddenly, for all of West’s efforts, Satan’s arm detached. “Raaaaaahhhhhh!!!!” Hollered the Dark Lord. “Take him! Take him, now my Demonic insects! Prove your obedience to me!!!”
The Demons didn’t cheer with favor when West was triumphant. Rather, they charged in at him from all sides but West beat them off using Satan’s arm as a club. With such an impressive display of pure rage, West proved just how brutally strong and dangerous he was.
A large Demon who looked like a dinosaur Tyrannosaurus-zombie, opened its wide mouth of teeth to swallow West whole. Stuffing Satan’s arm into the gaping dino Demon’s jaws, he locked the tooth filled mouth open.
West tried to leap upward and lose the Demons when he phased into the rock, but a new Demon appeared in his path to stop him. West didn’t find the Demon to be particularly threatening due to its skinny frame but when he found it was an insect in humanoid form, he was on his guard. Just as West lashed out at the insect Demon with his spiked chains, the Demon reached out and caught the chain in the talons of its hands. Opening the mandibles of its mouth it hissed. This was a form of communication because a horde of various vicious insects of the dead came out from the Demon’s open wings and covered over West completely.
West fell with the insects in constant accumulation. They bit and stung him all over. Before the insect Demon watched West fall, he drew his long stinger sword and cut a few of the huge stalactites free. Falling passed the stairs and into a deep narrow shaft to a river of quick flowing magma, West splashed into the heated glow. Quickly purged of the determined insects, West found it made little
difference. The magma was an agony, far worse to have to endure.
Darting into the river around him came the stalactites. As West flailed about in the unbearable intensity, he found a broken stalactite floating next to him. Reaching out, West quickly climbed onto it to escape the torment of the magma river. Bright hands of tortured souls reached for West. They begged him to pull them out of the scorching hot mire, but when West tried to help them, they threatened to pull him in with them.
When the Demons saw West climb out of the red hot river, they had no intention of letting him get away so easily. West clung to the stalactite and let it carry him swiftly through the windy tunnels. Behind him, two Demons caught hold of the other floating stalactites and gave chase. As they came near on either side of West, West tried to fight them off. Lifting his chains to use them as weapons, he realized the magma had melted them right off. The tunnel ceiling began to close in tighter the further they went.
When the ceiling crowded in so low that it touched the surface of the magma flow, West and the Demons found themselves sucked down under the surface with the stalactites. They were then forced down the throat of a swirling whirlpool. Spewed out from the ceiling of a lower level of the caves, West was dropped along with the two Demons and the burning stalactites to an underground ocean of molten magma.
Souls of the damned screamed and reached for West to save them from their infernal turmoil, but West couldn’t help them for he was burning along with them. West had to work hard to free himself from the clinging hands clawing at him from the lake of Perdition’s Fire. He didn’t like it, but he had to pound and kick at the hopeless souls with all he had before he could launch himself out of the lake and take flight.
Turning to look back, West saw the other two Demons struggling to stay above the surface. When the glowing hot hands of the damned grasped the Demon’s faces and pulled them under the surface, he knew they would remain there for a very long time. Noticing the chamber was relatively empty except for the screaming souls of the glowing hot pool below him, West decided to make a break for freedom. Looking upward, he knew what direction he was determined to proceed and depart.
The power in his leathery wing extensions roared freedom. Bolting aloft and into the stone, he scuttled straight up. Striving effectively through his pain, with each vigorous beat of his wings, West rose higher and higher.
Then he flew into an unexpected barrier. It was a strange ceiling of solid stone that he couldn’t pass through. Trying frantically and systematically, West tested the ceiling to find a weakness, but he couldn’t find one. Trying to pound it and force his way through, West realized the integrity of the barrier was far too solid for him. The ceiling was an object he simply couldn’t pass through.
When West found an open pocket of space against the smooth surface of the ceiling, Satan was already there ahead of him; expecting him. The Dark Lord was still missing his arm. Demons crowded around the Dark Lord holding torches and chuckling. The flickering light and sharp shadows casted a deeper expression of evil upon the Demon’s faces.
“Having difficulty with your sense of direction?” Satan relished the moment. “Confused?! This is quite common here, in the center of the planet. Which way is up? Which way is down?” West couldn’t figure it out. “Know this, West; everyone is welcome to Hell, but no one leaves. So come one, come all!” The Devil threw his head back and laughed.
The crowd of Demons parted to let the tyrannosaurus zombie Demon pass through. When the T-Rex had made it way next to Satan, it spat out the Devil’s arm and it splattered to the ground. Satan looked down upon his chewed up arm and began to wail and despair.
West saw an opportunity in the situation and spoke to the Demons, “Look upon your abusive master, you Demons! He is weak! If ever you all were to start an uprising and defeat him, the time would be now!”
Satan bent down upon his knees where he lifted his severed arm and began to devour it like a ravaging dog.
A detestable female Demon, Nagrite agreed with West when she said, “Yes, he’s gone mad! After centuries of tortures and manipulative cruelty, our time has finally come! Today is the day! At last our moment has arrived! This; the moment of our revenge!!!” The Demons began to crowd in on the Dark Lord, bearing their claws and gnashing their sharpened teeth.
After eating his entire arm, Satan stood up and scowled at the Demons who threatened him, “You dare!?!” The green protective energy field reappeared around Satan. The Demons were shocked by the green energy and backed up a step as they trembled.
“Does he still wield power?!” a plump Demon asks fearfully.
Then the words of Satan exploded throughout the deep places of Hell. “Swine! Contest my might?! I think not! You would turn on the one who throws you the scraps of souls?... Should I be so generous? I give you power to torture and torment the deceased lackeys of the world above!” Spinning fire balls launched from Satan’s fists and exploded amongst the Demon horde like grenades. “Back I say!!!”
“Full retreat!” Shouted a Demon.
“Our hour of vengeance has passed!” Barked Nagrite.
“We saturate ourselves with shame in the shadow of your greatness, oh, mighty Satan!” Spoke a sniveling little rodent Demon.
When Satan saw the penitent worship of his Demon minions, his flaming anger began to subside.
West had never felt so defeated. Now he remembered; Hell was under guard of lock and key. It wasn’t easy to get out. The Devil knew the way out though, West was sure of it, but he wouldn’t reveal his secret.
Satan turned and looked back at West. Seeing he finally realized the truth, he wasn’t going to escape anytime soon, Satan rather pitied him. “Just look at West here and his despicable display of irritation. He doesn’t understand me. He doesn’t understand how to lace tolerance with my presence, but he will. And when he does, he’ll find, I’m really not so bad.”
Satan quickly tired of pitiful feelings and decided to prove to West and his Demons who was truly stronger. Over powering West and torturing him as punishment for his intolerable defiance. Satan bit West again filling him with his black venom, then he proceeded to beat him senselessly. Then West was burned under a great shower of a magma waterfall.
“Oh, what a beautiful sight.” The Devil commented. “It’s just such a romantic place for me.”
Finally, at the end of Satan’s toying with West, he had his Demons dismember him. Then Satan told the poor unfortunate soul, “To my deepest dungeon with you, West! For your poor choices to thwart me time and time again. I offered you a prestigious place at my side, but you threw it in my face. Now you will rot with an eternal waste of time! Go, now! I banish you to lick your wounds in solitude, without light and without love and best of all, you’ll be completely cut off from God. Where you go he will never find you!”
Magma seeped from the walls of West’s prison cell and ran across the floor. He needed to rest, but he couldn’t rest easily without getting burned.
When Jasper found time to himself at the end of the day, he was usually exhausted. Nevertheless, he would go to the barn to exercise. Within a few short weeks, Jasper could see changes in himself physically and spiritually. He was becoming strong.
The Angels were well pleased with Jasper, but they were careful to let him know when to draw the line between self-discipline and, self-punishment. The one thing Jasper knew for certain, after seeing his vision of Heaven, was he would do everything in his power to please God.
Jim; still very sad for the loss of his wife, would bear this weight to the end of his days. The only escape Jim found from his troubles was in the responsibilities of his farm. He thoroughly enjoyed managing the farm with Jasper and how the two of them were able to move the business out of its financial slump.
With every opportunity, Jim told family, friends and business acquaintances how prosperous the farm had become, thanks to his new friend, Jasper.
Jim’s daughter, Patricia would come out to the farm from time to time accompanied
by her husband. Patricia never felt comfortable around Jasper ever since the first moment she saw him peeking through the door of her mother’s bedroom. His eyes; ghostly white and deathly. She saw in Jasper a man who died and should have stayed dead. Suspecting Jasper of some deception or ulterior motive, Patricia would explain her apprehensions to her father in their moments alone, but Jim paid her no mind. He was an excellent judge of character and he kept Jasper on a very short leash.
If ever Patricia found herself in the company of Jasper, she became reserved and quiet. Jasper knew she wasn’t fond of him, though he wasn’t sure why. Because of this he kept his words few.
Anytime Patricia and her husband came out to the farm, they would stay to talk/argue with Jim in the house. When suppertime drew near, they mysteriously had to leave. Patricia knew her father would ask them to stay for a hearty meal, but if it meant they had to share a table with Jasper, she would simply have nothing to do with it.
Of course, Anita, on the other hand, Jim’s other daughter, was the complete opposite; so bubbly and care-free. Like the precision of clock-work, Patricia left just moments before Anita arrived.
Anita came to visit, always clinging to the arm of her husband, Kyle. Kyle worked at a bank and he was proud of what he did. Even his bright smile looked expensive.
Everyone shook hands as Jim invited them to stay for dinner. The young couple had so much respect for Jim. Anita shook Jasper’s hand with a playful twinkle in her eye and an ultra-cute smile. Kyle, however, regarded Jasper as nothing more than cheap labor. It couldn’t have been more obvious, by the way Kyle carried himself and spoke, he thought himself superior to Jasper.
From Jasper’s obscured perspective, he saw a dark cloud steam off Kyle’s shoulders and head. When Kyle looked at Jasper, his eyes were pure black but flashed for a brief moment with a red fire. More flames flashed through the darkened clouds that came up from the back of Kyle’s neck.
The cooking of the meal and the setting of the table was taken care of by Jasper, while Jim entertained his guests. Jasper invited everyone to take a seat and they did so. Praying for a blessing on the food and the evening, Jasper became quite good at it capturing an eloquent mood.
While everyone was enjoying the meal, Kyle asked Jim, “Are you going to be needing anymore help out here at the farm?”
Jim knew he was asking a lot from Jasper and it wasn’t fair at times that there wasn’t more help. Jasper worked hard, but Jim didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with Kyle or with the company of Jasper at the table for that matter.
“If you’re offering to help, Kyle, I’ll seriously consider it.” Jim replied trying to laugh the whole thing off.
“No-no.” Kyle came back defensively, “I can’t do this kind of thing; farming. I’m a banker. A good banker, but I’d never make a good farmer.”
“When you’re at a bank, you’re a banker.” Jasper said, “When you’re at the farm, you’re a farmer. There’s so much to do here. I think we could find a job or two you could handle.” A moment passed where no one ate a thing and Jasper had everyone’s attention. The sound of the Grandfather clock seemed to slow with time. ((-Tick - tock... Tick - - tock - -...)) Jasper had a good point and Kyle didn’t have a good comeback, for once.
“Well said, Jasper.” Jim chuckled. Nothing pleased Jim more than to see Kyle squirm uncomfortably. The man’s hands were just far too clean and soft for Jim’s liking. “So, how about it, Kyle? Perhaps we can get you to wash these dishes after we eat, or do you think you’re better than my blind worker.”
Kyle was frustrated. He finished chewing, then he took his tall glass of water and drank it all at once. Putting his glass down, he let out a breath of contentment. Kyle turned his attention to Jasper and did a poor job hiding his scowl. “So, tell me, Jasper, how much does Jim pay you?”
Jasper didn’t answer. Nor did he break eye contact with Kyle. Each word was rigged like poison with only one intent and that was to hurt someone.
“I’m sorry. Are you deaf also?” Kyle cocked his ear to hear Jasper’s response.
Anita elbowed Kyle. She couldn’t believe he could be so rude. “Kyle!” Then she smiled at everyone and began to laugh hoping the men would all just laugh it all off too, but they didn’t.
“W-we have a mutual agreement. An under the table agreement.” Jasper did his best to answer Kyle so to not dishonor the mood at the table with respect to Jim and his daughter Anita.
“Sounds illegal, are you trying to avoid paying taxes?” Kyle shot back. “Or is there something else you’re trying to hide?”
“Certainly not!” Jim’s temper piqued, “Jasper doesn’t work for money. He works for me, and in return, I provide shelter and food.” Jim’s answer was like a lifeline to save Jasper from getting entangled in Kyle’s web, but it was too late. The spider was already moving in for the kill.
“This sounds like slavery to me.” Kyle raised his voice.
Jim became defensive and a shouting match started between Kyle and himself.
“You’re heartless! Anyone can see, Jasper is happy working here!”
“You’re delusional!”
“Oh, I’m delusional?!”
“Why can’t you see, you’re too old to be a farmer!”
“And you’re a loud, egotistical bastard!”
“Good-grief, Jim! You can’t have one man come in here off the street and carry the load of the entire farm for you?! You need many workers, making decent wages! I told you before, but you always ignore me! Sell the farm!”
“Sell the farm?! You dare tell me how to run my business, boy? I’ve been doing this before you were born.”
“Well, you won’t be doing this when you’re dead!” Kyle became ferocious. Jasper couldn’t believe the Demons Kyle carried. They hid within him but now they were coming out!
The legs of Kyle’s Demons couldn’t be seen because they were fused right into Kyle’s shoulders and they wielded long black swords that they used to cut people down. The Angels flew around Kyle, locked in sword play. Something grievous was about to happen when Patricia came charging in through the front door with her husband holding a folded newspaper. The Angels backed away from Kyle and his Demons ducked back down into his shoulders.
Storming into the dining room, Patricia shouted. “Shut-up! All of you!”
“Patricia? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?” Jim asked quickly.
When Patricia had everyone’s attention, she began to explain what was so important. “On our way home, I needed to stop for gas. On the newspaper rack I saw this!” She slapped the newspaper down on the table in front of Jim. It had a photo on the front page. It was unmistakable. The photo was of Jasper and in large letters above the photo was the word, ‘MISSING.’
“A missing person’s ad?” Kyle asked, turning his head to peer down at Jasper.
Patricia continued to talk, “The ad kind’a goes on and on, but in short, it says; ‘Jasper is mentally unstable and dangerous!’” Patricia’s voice filled the room. “I’ve already called the police.” She looked at Jasper. “Don’t bother running. They’ll be here shortly to collect you.”
Jim stood up at the head of the table. His entire head turned beat red. Then he exploded, shouting. “Betrayed by my own family! This is my farm! You are in my house! You’re my guests!” Jim threw his water glass at the wall and it shattered to bits. He turned and pointed to his daughters and their husbands one by one. “Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!”
“Pa-pa!” Patricia shouted nervously. She had never seen her father so angry before. “We’re trying to help you. Jasper’s dangerous!”
“Get out! Get out! GET OUT!!!” Jim shouted as a vein popped out on his fore-head. Kyle wondered if Jim would collapse from a heart-attack on the spot. Jim continued to clear everyone out of his home waving his hands, then he slammed the door behind them before he marched back to the table.
With the family driven out, Jim sat back in his chair and put his hand over h
is heart. Jasper ran to him and gave him some water to drink.
Jim took a small sip of water, then he took some long deep breaths to settle himself down.
“I’m sorry, Jim. This is all my fault.” Jasper told him. “I should’ve seen it coming. Maybe we could’ve prevented the whole thing.”
“Don’t you go blaming yourself for anything, boy.” Jim weakened by the incident, told Jasper. “You were sent to me from the hand of God himself. Just look at how we conquered the impossible and saved the farm. They say you’re dangerous? Butter pickles!” Jim thought for a moment. Then he perked up again. “Come on, boy. They won’t nab you. I’ll make sure of that!” Jim rose from his chair and led Jasper out the back door.
The sun had slunk down behind the mountain and the sky was darkening. Jim, Jasper and the dog Rusty took the long path around to the barn. Silently, the Angels followed.
“Jim, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” Jasper whispered. “I’m already in so much trouble. They think I’m crazy. They want to lock me up. If I do this - try to escape - they might try to kill me.”
“Boy, if they take you now, your life will be over anyway. You think I don’t understand you? Oh, but I do. My whole life I’ve been misunderstood. My accusers, believing there was nothing left of me that was of any worth. But look at me now, boy. Just look at this old man. I’ve still got it. Live free, boy. Live free…”
“Listen to his advice, Jasper.” Wilson spoke with a sense of fore-knowledge.
Jasper picked up his Bible from the barn and followed Jim around to the back. In the distance they could hear the police cars and sirens enter down the long farm road.
Jim looked off to the distance at the forest of trees that climbed the distant mountain. As the sun set, rays of light stretched up from the crown of the mountain with spectacular radiance. The spectacle seemed symbolic somehow like there was a meaning behind it. “When I was a small boy growing up on this farm, I would imagine this very scenario; the police chasing after me to take me away, and I needed to escape. I used to run through those trees, across the field of corn and through the river to the base of that mountain. I would imagine climbing that mountain but I never actually did. It always seemed so mysterious to me.” Jim pointed to the monstrous silhouette of a great mountain peak jetting out into the skylight. “When I look at the mountain, I always feel safety. Now go, Jasper. There’s no more time.” Jim slapped Jasper on the back. “Come back in a few days when all of this fuss has passed.”
Jasper hugged Jim, “You are blessed, old man.”
“The Angels guided you to me. We’re both blessed, son.” Jim’s voice was warm with compassion.
The Angels began to glow brightly and float out ahead of Jasper. “Come on, Jasper! Now or never!” The words rang from Roger and echoed through the valley.
Jasper turned from Jim and disappeared into the forest. Jim turned away also returning along the path to the house.
Blindly following the Angels through the darkness, Jasper didn’t look back; not even once.