Demon's Delight I love horror stories, they fill me with a sense of glee. In times past I would hover in the darkness as ancient people huddled from unnamed frights. I relished the fear of witches and evil spirits that led to inquisitions, but I have never known such delight as that of the silver screen. For a being such as me there is no better meal than that of panic. Despair, hatred, even anger, they will nourish, but only unbounded terror is truly a feast to savor. While hearts may quicken in the flicker of the projector, I learned that the lessons I take with me once the credits have rolled are far more valuable. Lesson One – Humans Are Divisive My most recent abode has come in the form of a ramshackle mansion. A series of unfortunate deaths have corrupted the name of this place, and, though all were of natural causes, an air of suspicion has developed around the building. All in all, the perfect spot to spend a century or two of respite. You see, unlike the big operations such as war and plague, the simplicity of a tainted edifice is a pleasurable diversion. Instead of cultivating the product for decades, even centuries, it is a package just waiting to be opened. All it takes are a few minor actions to turn a dilapidated structure into a haunted house, then the real fun begins. Humans like to be scared, and will seek out such places to both defy terror and prove bravery. The humans who have come tonight are no different. It is a group of college students, looking for something to end their summer vacation with. I pry into their minds, and run my tongue over my razor sharp teeth in anticipation. I have been given the standard assortment; a few jocks, a few geeks and the girls that form the cohesion between the groups. Step 1: Divide and Conquer I reach into the souls of two of the boys, still no more mature than children really. In the mind of the football player I water the seed of competition, in that of the geek I nourish the fruit of pride. Playful insults turn to challenges, and soon one group becomes two in a competition to determine which is the braver. Lesson Two – Humans Are Arrogant Females are uniquely social creatures. I know from experience that the girls will have little interest in the male competition, and will therefore roam unescorted to visit with their friends while the males plan their victory. The girlfriend of one of the jocks is the first to leave the safety of the group. Step 2: Fan the Flames A breeze to snuff a candle, or draining a battery from a flashlight is a relatively simple thing to do. Knocks and noises in the dark and the lone girl's heart races. She calls out, wondering who is playing tricks on her. I reach into her thoughts and induce a sense of claustrophobia. I let the fear build, savoring it's sweetness, then I appear as a shadow in the dark. She thinks she recognizes me before I strike. Her screams echo throughout the house. She isn't dead though, not yet. I have far more insidious plans for her. Both sides hear her cries. They have very different interpretations of its meaning. The prideful geeks convince themselves that the jocks are trying to scare them out, while their opponents in my game wonder what devious tricks the nerds are using in an attempt to cheat. The only ones not swayed by their own arrogance are the females who recognize the voice of their friend. Two more girls are lured away from the protection of the groups in search of the one who cried out. One I snatch quietly, devouring her terror as the life drains from her body in a pool of red. The other I allow to find the first, unconscious in a hall and with memories that could implicate one of the boys from either side. My first victim is lead to the side of the house that the geeks have taken up residence in. Her friend asks her questions, and through vague physical description the males are convinced that it is one of their counterparts that devised a trap. The girl is still scared, and wants to be with her boyfriend. She is escorted back to the other side of the house by two angry boys and her friend, where the males of each side accuse the other of foul play. It takes several minutes, but they all soon realize that one of the girls is still missing. Each too prideful to ask for assistance; they split up further to search. Picking off frightened humans in the dark is so easy when they refuse the help of others. I feast on fear and quench my thirst with blood. Eventually one of the surviving members will suggest that they need to move and work as a group, but by then the panic is so thick that only the tiniest nudge from me sends them into my clutches alone to either be the brave one, or from mind-numbing terror. At some point I allow my laughter to echo from the crumbling walls, they have played my game exactly as scripted. Lesson Three – One Person Always Escapes Eventually all of my playthings but one will be dead. In the past I would have toyed with this one the longest, savoring the sweetness for every last second of its life. But the horror movies tell me this above all else... One person always escapes, there is the lone survivor to tell the tale. Step 3: Wait Just like a good sequel, somebody will be back to test their courage in this house. Yes, I think I'll stay here for a while. ----------------------------------------------- Word Count: 980 My inspiration was that I wanted to take a different viewpoint of the lessons learned; how an intelligent monster could use them to its benefit.