Unbinding the Demon

Weeping Winter Skies

A thick shroud of silvery grey clouds rested heavily in the awakening twilight sky, draping lowly over the valley like dolorous curtains of bleakness. Snowflakes softly flitted down upon the frostbitten land, catching on the window panes to frame the bottom of the frosty fogged glass in powdery white. The bedroom was dark and dreary, but as the winter dwelling birds began to sing their chirpy matins, the gloomy room was filled with a pleasant chiming melody.

I softly sighed as I stretched beneath the warm fluffy crimson coverlet, and gently fluttered my dry irritated eyes open. Sr. Pepper Paws was snuggled up against me, curled into a small ball with his precious little nose tucked into the crook of my neck. 

"Hey, Peps." I whispered while gently stroking his soft head and pointy ears.

He stretched his cute kitty paws, spreading them out before curling his tiny jellybean toes in towards himself. I plaintively blinked up at the crack on the ceiling a few times, second guessing if the events of last night had even been real or not. 

I couldn't remember how I had gotten into bed, so I figured that I must have passed out while still up on the cliff. My braid had been undone, setting my chestnut waves loose upon the pillow. The blood, soot, and grim had all been washed away, and I was wearing one of Azathoth's big black tee shirts.

I pried my weary eyes away from the ceiling to look over at Azathoth... Only, he wasn't there? The spot where he normally laid was a bit rumpled, but it looked like he had never actually come to bed.

With that sudden realization, I abruptly sat straight up. "Azathoth?" I meekly called out, but received no response. "Azathoth?" I called a little louder with a slight tremor of alarm.

Oh no... He didn't leave me and return back to Hell, did he!?

I began to panic and frantically jumped out of the bed. Sr. Pepper Paws mewed in annoyance, but I didn't pay it much mind. In my haste, I didn't notice that both the teloch axe and my swords were leaned up in the far corner of the room next to one of the dressers. If I had, I probably wouldn't have started to worry so much, but instead, I began internally freaking the fuck out. 

"Azathoth!?" My bare feet quickly pattered across the cold creaky floorboards as I hurried out of the room. Fear of abandonment gripped my heart. I didn't know what I would do if he had left me. I had just lost Lacey, and I didn't think that my heart could take it if I lost him too.

No, no, no! Where is he!?

My trembling hand froze just as I was reaching out to grab the railing on top of the stairwell. I heard Belzar's familiar bark faintly coming from out back, and relief filled my soul. My eyes watered and I quickly scurried down the shadowed hallway and into my art studio. As I rushed over to the large diamond paned windows, I accidently stumbled over a small easel with a painting of a chillaxed groovy elephant shrew, wearing sunglasses and a beret while jazzily playing the trombone.

Damn elephant shrew painting! 

My hands latched onto the cold wooden windowsill as I caught my balance. Like in the bedroom, the glass was frosty and fogged, so I used the side of my fist to wipe away a little circle. Tiny beads of water trickled down the glass from where I had cleared my view, while I curiously peeked out over the large yard towards the lake. 

Big fluffy snowflakes softy fell from the dismal sunken sky, and the ground was dressed in a chilling gown of glimmering white. Azathoth's large black frame stuck out dramatically against the dim wintery landscape. He stood by the water while throwing a large stick overhand. I watched Belzar enthusiastically chase after it like it was the greatest damn thing in the world.