Demons of the Rich and Famous (Demon Whisperer book 1)

Demon Whisperer chapter 4

Chapter 4

            One year on the inside felt like a lifetime.  When I was under, I thought I had been born and raised in that place.  I knew nothing else of my life except for what I could see and feel.  And I felt and saw a whole lot.  Things people shouldn’t have to experience.  Things that would drive any normal person psychotic.  Luckily I wasn’t all that normal.  At least that was what my dad had kept telling me.

            Inside.  That was my euphemism for the seven levels of hell.  That’s where I was during my coma.  In hell.  Trying to survive.  Trying not only to save my life but my soul as well.  But it wasn’t easy, believe me.

            There are a lot of temptations in hell.  Each level has its own perversions and horrors to offer.  After a few months, of witnessing souls being flayed open alive, screaming and writhing in agony, and the stench of boiling flesh and blood, I learned to stay on only certain floors.  Floors reserved for the main residents of hell—demons.  There are just some things that no human should see or hear or smell.  The smell of bacon frying induced my gag reflex to this day.

I still suffered from nightmares.  And I didn’t talk about it.  To anyone.  Not my dad and not even with Dan.  He already knew what I went through though.  He witnessed most of it.

            But no one else knew what I went through during my coma.  To everyone else, I was just asleep, and had no memories of those long twelve months.  They also didn’t know that during my trip to hell I learned to speak Demon.  I could understand and communicate with them in their own language.  It definitely gave me a leg up in my line of work.

Down in the seven levels they called me the Demon Whisperer.  This of course was a total gibe at my expense.  Like a pet name.  Although I could speak their language, the demons didn’t fear me, not in any real sense.  Maybe a little when I was in exorcist mode.  Because I could send their dirty black souls back to hell if I so chose.  But most of them enjoyed it there, so it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

It was what I threatened to do to them that gave most pause about attacking me out right.  Saving their souls and giving them the big send up.  Now that was what they feared the most.  None of them wanted to truly face the sins that they’d committed. 

If the I.O ever found out about my parlor trick though, they’d kick me out of the club, revoke my exorcist license and probably sue me for all the money I’d bilked from people over the last two years.  They wouldn’t care that we needed the money.  That since the accident my dad hadn’t been able to work at his trade.  He couldn’t perform exorcisms anymore.  That it had fallen on my shoulders to pay our rent, the bills, put food on the table.  It wasn’t as if Worker’s Compensation covered exorcists.  The I.O. certainly didn’t cover any of our expenses.  Some of the members, like Claudia, had chipped in to help my dad while I’d been in the coma.  But since I’d been out, all the responsibilities kind of landed on me.

I also didn’t want to disappoint my dad.  If he ever found out about what I’d been doing, it would kill him.  That was the one thing I didn’t think I could handle. The rest, I’d manage, but not that.  So, needless to say, my trip inside is not something I like to talk about.

            It’s also no wonder I don’t like to sleep now.  After finally waking two years ago, I found that going to sleep wasn’t something I liked to do too often anymore.  Luckily, I had found some inventive ways to stay awake over the months.  Eventually, I trained my body to need less and less sleep.  Now, I survived on maybe four to five hours a night.