The Tumultuous World of A Demi-Demon

Chapter Three

Vocab to know:

* Porta Nigra Aperta -- Black door open

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Days at Demon Deliveries seemed to last forever. After spending a whole day doing cemetery maintenance under a sun that wanted to boil your skin off, nighttime would come, and I would mainly deliver packages to creeps who spent too much time on the dark web and the occasional demon or incubus who would stare at me as if I was an alien with a butt for a face. The whole ordeal was tedious and, almost a month in, I was close to losing my mind. That was the situational crisis until I received this massive parcel.

A nearby clock tower sang its midnight melody as my car pulled up to the last house on the street. A small cozy cottage with thick forestry as its neighbor stared at me as if expecting me. Without a second thought, I whipped out my pepper spray and demon-taser and stuffed them in my pocket. If there was one thing I had learned as a female courier, it didn't matter how safe the environment was, people took advantage of you, human or not.

With utmost caution, I made my way up the driveway. The closer I got to the building the less tense my body felt. It was hard to tell if it was the sweet scent of lavender and lilac or if there was an unnatural trance I was falling into. It was as if I was enchanted by the place. Upon reaching the front very brightly colored porch, I took a few breathes, knocked, and anxiously waited for what was beyond the towering teak door. To my surprise, a ridiculously tall bald man in a hot pink robe with a neon pink beard stepped out.

"Hello, may I help you?" queried the odd man with a curious eye. Before I get the chance to reply, he took notice of my package and instantly broke out into an excited grin. "What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect this for another three days. Come in, child. You must have been busy all day."

On normal occasions, I would have politely rejected his offer. However, he was the second last delivery for the night; he didn't look like much of a threat, and I needed the rest. So, I complied and followed him into what I guessed to be the lounge. Taking a seat on his fluffy yellow couch, he offered me some hibiscus lemon tea and some chocolate chip cookies. Despite being so delicious, they were so hot I almost burnt my tongue off.

"So, how's Sam doing nowadays?" he started as he pulled another tray from the oven.

"He's vibrant as ever," I replied before looking around and earning a genuine laugh out of him. Just like his porch, all the furniture was so brightly colored it felt as though I was trapped in a kaleidoscope. However, it was the rainbow-colored LGBTQ+ mug he drank from that caught my attention. "Hey, I have one just like that!"

He followed my gaze to his cup and smiled. "You are a fellow member of the Large Rapids LGBTQ+ club?"

"Of course, I'm bisexual," I added on.

His eyes sparkled with delight as he blurted, "I'm trans. What a coincidence. It's rare to bump into another member nowadays with the LGBTQ+ resistance in this town." I nodded in approval.

A small moment of silence fell between the two of us as we drank our beverages. However, it didn't last long.

"How rude of me. I don't think I have formally introduced myself. I'm Everett the warlock," the man stated while passing another plate of cookies. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name, young miss?"

I accepted his plate and announced, "My name is Julane, and I'm a demi-demon."

"Oh, aren't you a rare find. You probably get a lot of people staring from time to time."

"All the time, in fact."

"I understand, in the land of witchcraft, it's rare to find a trans male practicing nowadays. You can imagine how fun it gets at witch conventions or coven meetings." He sighed then took a sip of his tea. "However, for you, I can imagine it must be more difficult for you in the underworld."

"Actually, I wouldn't know. I have never been there," I confessed. I didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse. "My parents never told me anything about it either so yeah."

"I see," he seemed deep in thought.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I suppose you aren't aware of the seven great devil kings."

"Devil kings?" I don't know why the thought never crossed me. I was always surrounded by demons so that was all I knew.

"Yes, the rulers of the underworld," elaborated Everett. "Their existence sprouts from the original seven deadly sins."

"Which are?"

"Envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride sloth, and wrath." He explained further, "This then divides the underworld into seven kingdoms, and of the seven kingdoms is a hierarchy. The devil kings' families sit at the top, normal devils follow, and then there are demons, trolls, then humans are at the bottom of the food chain."

"There are humans in the underworld?"

"Just the ones that didn't qualify to enter the Heavens."

As the night grew old, Everett continued to educate me of the several wonders of the underworld. There was so much I didn't know. However, although my questions were endless, I had a job to do so I paid my respects and bid him farewell. He then said his house was always open to me if I needed anything and I thanked him for his invitation.

Walking back to the car, I couldn't help but reflect on the conversation I had with Everett. The underworld just seemed to be so intriguing. It was an entirely different world from the books I had read from libraries.

Before the night grew longer, I took out the last package and froze. This package looked nothing like the others.

Jet black like a moonless night, it bore a gold seal with some furious creature etched into it. The dark material had been like nothing I had ever seen before. It felt velvety but appeared to have a black fog swirling around it and in between my fingers. And upon turning the box upside-down, I discovered a note.

"Porta. Nigra. Aperta,*" I said aloud, baffled by what I had just read.

Out of the blue, something brushed against my ankle. I peeped down, and when I saw it, panic widened my eyes.

A boiling pool of black had formed under my legs. From it unfurled thin black fingers wrapping around my ankles.

Paralysis filled my veins. Its claws climbed past my calves into the depths of my skirt.

I wanted to react, but it was too late.

A sharp pain ripped across my belly, forcing me to lean forward and gurgle in agony. The blurry, long trickle of crimson red liquid kissing my heel was the last thing I witnessed before two black gates opened and swallowed me whole.