The word demon leaves a sour taste in your mouth, does it not?
It shouldn’t. Bear with me as I explain.
Demons are usually portrayed as an indiscriminate bunch that preys on the flesh and soul of man. They are savage spirits that writhe in pleasure when man experiences pain. If you believe this to be true then my case for why we don’t randomly flicker your lights or appear in your bathroom mirror during a 3AM tinkle isn’t worth stating. There are, of course, a few bad ones in the bunch, but the same can be said for those created in God’s image, such as animals and Angels. So don’t fret, or worry about saying your prayers and going to Church on Sunday. I’ll let you in on a little secret that the masters at the pulpit won’t tell you: It’s all useless. I’ll get you.
Demons are agents for evil. We have assignments. We get those assignments by the actions of those on earth. These assignments come in the form of vibrations and whispers-evil actions done by men that call us into play, not incantations and spells. For example, when a man murders another in the coldest of blood, demons swarm. We use the essence of our existence-carnal lust, rage, indulgence, and selfishness-in order to affect the outcome. As you condemn the murderer to mitigated banishment, we congratulate him for finally beginning life. He has given into his ultimate desire. We will soothe him, assure him in his time of trial, and ensure that all those watching will feel what he felt, feel what he feels, and perhaps, if we are successful in our emotional inducement, ignite a fire deep in the belly of the onlookers and others invested so that they too may begin to live. The word demon gets a bad rap because there is fear in true life.
But I digress.
Everyone interested in demons asks about demonic possession. The only real knowledge and understanding of possession you have is the one that comes from movies: A young, helpless girl becomes host to a vial presence that causes her skin to go pale and obscenities to spew from her mouth. A priest comes and drives the demon out, only to realize in that moment of triumph that evil still exists and this exorcism was only the beginning.
Come on.
If we were that blatant and vulgar in our mission the Vatican would order an army of exorcists on standby at all times. We are subtle. We possess and leave at will. We do not lay dormant because there are too many of you that call for us. We rarely twist bodies or break bones. Instead, we inspire people to live; to push their inhibitions to the side for a few moments and indulge. Then we leave so that they may have time to reflect.
I’ll share a mission with you: When I first heard Nancy’s whispers she was 33. She spent her days as a primary care doctor, seeing many patients, but coming home feeling empty. Her marriage was failing. So much work and so little play creates distance between lovers and ultimately those lovers get so distant it is impossible to reconnect beyond the superficial. Nancy craved change and excitement, so I entered her. Within a few days of feeling my presence she lashed out at her husband for being a “sexual bore” and called him a “functionally useless man with a functionally useless dick.” If a patient perturbed her she’d make it known. I chuckled when Nancy told the Percocet addict he should think of killing himself for being a drain on his family and tax dollars. She was too valuable for management to fire her, even though she desperately wanted to travel to France and take residence in an artist loft and paint portraits all day.
Demonic possession increases the heart rate and metabolism resulting in a loss of sleep and the intensification of pre-existing thoughts and feelings. She had fallen in love with a male surgeon a year ago. With inhibition gone she initiated the romance. Six months later they had moved from lunch time sex to divorce papers and a new house, all thanks to me. I left Nancy for a few weeks, to give her the chance to evaluate what she had done, and when I checked back in she was quite happy. A child was on the way and she’d quit her job to make money off her paintings which, while not my taste, will certainly make some eclectic collector happy.
Some of you mightsay, “Well, demon, had you not entered this girl she’d still be working. All marriages are difficult but can be worked on with time and effort.”
And I would respond with the explanation that I don’t drive or cause anyone to do anything. I simply inspire them to explore an alternate reality. You see, at any moment in time, Nancy or any other of my victims could’ve said stop. They could’ve said this is wrong. They could’ve apologized and had a moment of remorse. But a majority of my victims never utter the word stop; they have a whirlwind of emotions that they find to be irrational at first but then, as they experience the new reality, the whirlwind calms to a quaint, lovely breeze and they are at peace.
For now.
I’ll always have a job, thanks to the human condition and how you’ve set up society. You’re all fat, tired, cranky, and working miserable jobs. You stay married to one when you want to sleep with many and create a life around things that can be broken like twigs under the weight of a heavy boot. So I’ll enter your lives inspire you to live. And you’ll love me for it. You’ll say it an awakening, an epiphany, or divine intervention. But really it was just a demon.
I am a demon. Do not be afraid.
This is what I do.
________________________
©2013 Michael Pelosi
