Gifted

Part 73: Despair

Casper floated in a pitch black. He finally found footing and stood facing the enormous demon that his heart wasn't ready to believe used to be Jordan Ark.

"Goddammit!" he cried. "What the hell is that thing?" he had never seen a demon like it before. It looked like a giant shadowy phantom that resembled a horrid representation of Jordan as a human. It had only one leg directly below its crotch and one arm in the center of its chest, but stood with perfect balance as if gravity did not affect it at all. The awful creature reached towards Casper with its one hand. Casper dodged it. He couldn't bring himself to touch the thing, not yet. He wanted Jordan back, the real Jordan, the cheery human girl that he had admired since the day he met her. She was the one who had broke Casper out of his shell, the one who had talked to him when everyone else seemed to have given up on him. She was the reason that Casper didn't spend his whole life alone. "You bitch!" Casper called, hoping that somewhere Alice would hear him. "What did you do to Jordan?"

Casper turned around when he heard someone else approach him. Mr. Matthews pushed Casper out of the way of another attack.

"Mr. Matthews!" Casper cried.

"Don't let her touch you. One touch and you will contract leprous. Take my hand!" he commanded. Casper grabbed his hand without a second thought.

"What are you talking about? Leprous?" Casper asked.

"Don't waste anymore time with questions!" Mr. Matthews said.

"But, what is that thing? What kind of demon is she?" Casper asked, ignoring Mr. Matthews demand.

"She transformed into an Alu, a leprous demon. If you touch her, then you will get the disease. She will aim for your chest, so be careful." Mr. Matthews explained. Casper gave him a questioning look. "I don't know why Jordan became such a demon. She never showed signs of leprous when she was a human. I suspect that if a human wishes to become a demon, and isn't specific about the species of demon, then the transformation is random."

"So, your saying that demon over there really was Jordan Ark?" Casper asked. His voice trembled.

"Yes. I'm afraid it's true. You recognize your friend, don't you? Even as a demon, she still has the same familiar likeness." Mr. Matthews said. Casper was silent.

"What do we do now? Do we run? Is there a way to escape this dreamworld?" Casper asked. He hoped it wouldn't come to having to execute his friend.

"Not alone, you can't, but with my help there might be a way." Mr. Matthews explained.

"Alright." said Casper taking Mr. Matthews hand. He blindly followed his teacher towards the portal which led them to the real world once again. They found themselves standing at the bus stop right outside the city. As soon as they entered the real world, the portal disappeared. A voice behind them broke their hearts.

"Jordan? Where are you?" I asked.

"Nora!" Casper cried.

"Where is Jordan? Do you know?" I asked him. "What about her soul? Do you at least have that?" Casper couldn't meet my eyes. Though he wasn't looking directly at me, it was impossible not to notice his pained expression. "Where is she? Jordan!" I called around me, hoping that somewhere she would hear me and appear. I knew deep down that she wouldn't but I kept calling her name desperately. Casper began to sob uncontrollably.

"Her soul has been consumed by Ala after her true wish was granted." Mr. Matthews explained. "After her soul was taken, she turned into a demon. That was what she wished for, and she abandoned all human emotions, and replaced them with demon instincts to kill and torture."

"That can't be true! Why would she wish for something so horrible?" I asked.

"It is true. A demon has the power to grant any desire. In exchange, they ask for your soul. Jordan had sunk so deeply in her own despair that she wished to be numb. She didn't want to feel pain anymore. That is a very human thing." Mr. Matthews said.

"So, you're saying that she would rather inflict pain on others? I don't believe that! Jordan wouldn't be that selfish! Jordan wanted to save this world from demons, not become one! All she ever did was think of others! She was a true hero!" I cried. "That's the only reason she made a contract in the first place! That's why she became a demon hunter!"

"Depression is a demon. When it is done torturing its own victim, it moves on to destroy everyone around them. It kills every relationship and forces the victim into isolation. When the loneliness becomes too much, the victim becomes desperate, believing that all hope is lost, the victim gives up on them self, and therefore transforms into their own demon, like a star becoming a black hole and sucking the life and light out of the universe that surrounds them. It is not entirely the world's fault that Jordan is no more, however, it is not entirely Jordan's fault either. She was cursed with being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong feelings that she could not shake, though deep down she knew that she would eventually have to if she was to move on. In the end it seems like she couldn't. Now she will live as a curse herself, destroying everyone around her and showing no mercy."

"So, there's no way that we can save her now?" I asked hopelessly.

Casper angrily approached Mr. Matthews. He grabbed Mr. Matthews shirt by the collar.

"You bastard! How can you say all of those things so calmly? What are you fighting for anyways, cause it's definitely not for the sake of humanity! The way you talk about people, like they're ticking time bombs! Jordan wasn't like that!" He yelled. Mr. Matthews remained disturbingly calm. "How do you know all of this anyways? I've never heard of a human wishing to become a demon before! Nora was Jordan's best friend! Since Nora's the only person you seem to care about, you should at least be more sympathetic for her loss instead of trying to make everything a teachable moment!"

I looked into Mr. Matthews' tearless eyes. Mine were running like faucets.

"All of this happened because all of you refused to listen to me." he said coldly. "It is difficult for me to summon even the slightest bit of sympathy." I fell to the ground and sobbed like a toddler. "You two should get as far away from here as possible in case the portal reappears." he said. He started to walk away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Casper shouted. "How can you say something like that and still call yourself a human?"

"I don't." Mr. Matthews said without stopping. "And you shouldn't either. We are demon hunters."

"Fuck you!" Casper called, but Mr. Matthews had already disappeared.