The Demon Wish – Horror Flash Fiction

Another day of school, another day of bullies, another day of pain.

Sadie lies on her bed, sobbing as she clutches her knees to her chest. Her ribs hurt from the beatings given by her peers, her fingernails bloody, and knuckles bruised from trying to fight them off. 

“Why me?” She cries as she rocks slightly.

She’s the outcast; she’s different in every way – Pagan in a predominantly Christian school, without parents, poorer, shorter, and chubbier. Even her hair makes her stand out amongst the crowd, as orange as the autumn leaves.

As the sun sets and the night draws in, the full moon begins to shine in the night sky. Sadie opens her eyes and watches the rain trickle down her bedroom window. 

“I just want someone to protect me…” She whispers, her face damp from tears, her bottom lip trembling as she speaks.

Sadie sits up and moves to the edge of her bed, lighting her nightly incense on her makeshift altar on the windowsill, and looks up at the night sky through the raindrop-covered window. 

“Please send someone to protect me…”

As school resumes after the Autumn holiday, Sadie walks into the school grounds with worry. She will be grabbed again if she doesn’t make it to class before her bullies. 

She ducks and weaves through the crowd of students standing outside the entrance to the school building. Stepping in from the cold autumn air, she gasps – the warm air of the school hitting her in the face. Sadie keeps her head down as she makes quick time through the corridors of the old school, the floorboards creaking as she walks at pace.

“Sadie…” A voice sneers.

Sadie looks up from the floor, finding Jack in the empty corridor. His hands in his pockets, a broad grin on his face. He’s two years older than Sadie and nearly double her height. 

“Please,” she whispers. Begging – but not for him to leave her alone, but for her wish to be granted.

“Oh, come on, Witchy,” he scoffs. “I’m only doing what’s best for you – better than burning at the stake, right?” Jack takes a few steps forward, stopping just a foot away from Sadie. 

As he towers over her, Sadie closes her eyes. Please.

“The fuck are you doing, witch?” He growls, pushing the small girl. Sadie falls back, landing on the floor and hurting her wrist by bracing.

The lights of the corridor begin to buzz. Jack looks up questioningly, staring at the lights above their head. “What the…”

The lights grow louder, the buzz echoing in the Victorian school’s hallway.

Sadie slowly gets up from the floor as the lights begin to flicker.

Jack looks down at her, concern on his face. “What are you doing?” 

Seconds later, the lights go out. Sadie gasps as her face is sprayed with warm droplets. The lights flicker back on.

Jack’s mouth is hanging open, gurgling with blood as he stares down at her with his chest torn open.

As the lights flash, Sadie watches as a hand shimmers in and out of existence within his chest. The blood-covered shadow hand retracts, allowing Jack’s body to fall to the floor.

The lights dim as tears stream down Sadie’s face, and her saviour comes into existence, looming over her.

“You’re safe now,” the shadowed man rumbles, his voice sounding like thunder and echoes in the silent corridor.

“What have you done…” Sadie whispers.

The eight-foot figure crouches down, reaches for Sadie’s face with his blood-soaked hand and wipes away her tears – leaving bloody streaks on her cheeks. “I’ve come to protect you, as you asked.”

Sadie steps over the corpse lying between them, coming face to face with the demon in front of her. “I can’t stay here now…”

The demon’s face lights up, eyes glowing red and smile stretching from ear to ear. “You can come with me,” he snarls happily, wrapping his long arms around the small girl. As he grips her, his needle-like claws dig into her flesh.

Sadie cries in pain, turning her face away from the demon as he pulls her close.

“We shall be one.”