Giving into the Demon's Temptation | Written Version

I'm back with another one~ I'm taking advantage of this newfound motivation for prose writing, so this is a written version of the demon audio I released not too long ago. I hope you enjoy!

Wake...wake up...awaken...awake now, awaken, awake...wake, wake...wake up, open your eyes, wake up...awaken, open your eyes, awaken, wake—wake up!

You drew in a sharp breath, and your eyes shot open. You were laying on your back, but instead of the ceiling of your bedroom, you stared at an all-black ceiling that—wasn't a ceiling at all, now that you looked a little closer. It was as if you were laying in a patch of grass gazing at a starless sky—but rather than soft and dewy, the ground you rested upon was cold and smooth, like a slab of marble. But it didn't look like marble—it didn't feel like it, either. Laying there, it felt solid, but when you pressed your hand into it, little waves pooled out around your hand. And yet not a single drop of liquid or hint of damp lay upon your skin.

Slowly, you brought yourself up to a sitting position and looked around. There were no walls, no boundaries of any kind. Just...space. Boundless, infinite space, stretching for miles on end with not a speck of light nor trace of a shape to be found.

But there was sound. A faint, low humming that seemed not to buzz in your ear but reverberate throughout your entire body. The air was still. You drew in a breath, and you held it there for a few moments, as if it were the last one you'd ever take. But slowly you exhaled, and the sound echoed all throughout your body, sending a shiver through your bones.

“Finally.”

You jumped and immediately froze. The voice felt like heavy, rolling thunder rumbling from deep within your ears. You whipped your head around, but no one was there. Just the vast expanse of black.

“Over here,” came the voice once more, though despite its words, you couldn't determine a direction. So you looked from side to side, then up, then down, then turned again, and practically jumped out of your tingling skin.

A man sat just a few feet away, perched upon a ledge that you couldn't quite perceive. He looked young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, with thick raven hair that fell to his waist in gentle waves juxtaposed against striking serpentine features. His piercing crimson eyes seemed to bore right through you, the thin slits as sharp as knives and the irises emitting a soft, eerie glow against the inky black sclera. Not a scrap of clothing covered him, but detailed, intricate tattoos covered the majority of his toned, pallid body, from the tips of his toes all the way up to his neck, from which the image of two large, thick snakes slithered to frame his penetrating gaze.

“I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up,” said the man. “Usually there is a bit of delay, but in your case it—”

“Who are you?” you interrupted. “What is this place? What is that noise, why is it—?”

“Ah, ah, ah, calm down, little human,” he said. The rumbling in your ears practically closed your mouth for you. “There's no need to fret. I was getting to the where and who and why. Did no one ever tell you that it's rude to interrupt? Even demons have manners, you know.”

He held up his hand, and a pipe appeared between his slender, clawed fingers. In the silence, your mouth managed to work itself open, and in a faint voice you whispered, “Demons...?”

“Yes, you heard that right. Demons.” He snapped his fingers, and a little flame sparked to light the end of his pipe. “I'll keep this short. We both have places to be, after all. I am Essuegar, and I am a demon. And this...” He used his free hand to gesture around. “...is the dead space between the human and Divine realms that we call the Rift—'Purgatory,' in your Christian terms.”

He slipped the pipe into his mouth, and the end began to glow. You could hear the faint crackle in one ear, and that was enough to open your mouth a little further.

“I...I don't understand.” You wanted to say more, but your teeth were so rattled that you couldn't find the words to speak. Demons, Divines, dead spaces—this was a dream. It had to be. Or would “nightmare” be more fitting? This definitely didn't feel right, and you were certainly shaken, yet you didn't feel scared or unsafe. It was eerie and unfamiliar, but this place, this Rift or Purgatory or whatever it was—it had a strange quality to it. Though bleak and black, it didn't feel cold, rather it was...quaint. Almost calming, in a way. The same was true for Essuegar. His voice was deep and eerie, but it was also mellifluous and musical, like a lullaby personified.

Essuegar withdrew the pipe from his mouth, and when he exhaled, you could hear the air whistle out of your other ear. A cloud of smoke drifted out from his mouth, but rather than dissipate, it floated around his body in a lazy stream.

“You're right to be skeptical. We demons are known to be quite deceptive—but I assure you, dear human, that this is no dream nor figment nor hallucination. It is real. I am real. Just as you are real.”

“It...doesn't feel real. You say you're a demon, and that this is some dead space void outside the boundaries of existence—and I'm just supposed to believe that? And even if I do, that doesn't explain why I'm here. I know I'm not dead—that means you had to have brought me here, right? So what was the purpose?”

Essuegar tapped his pointed fingertips against the stem his pipe and chuckled. “My, you're just full of questions tonight, aren't you? I suppose it's merited, though. Awakening in such a bleak place as this, your senses all thrown in a tizzy, with a ravishing creature such as I in your presence—it's  bound to rattle even the strongest of bones, and I know you are not of weak construction. But rest assured, if you stop interrupting, I promise that I'll explain everything to you. Just relax that pretty little head of yours, and let me do all the talking. How does that sound?”

Your muscles relaxed on their own, and his voice sent pleasant tingles up your spine. “Go...go ahead.”

“As you wish. You see, little human, I've been...watching you for quite some time now. Monitoring your thoughts, your actions—we demons can do that sort of thing. And in my doings, I have observed that you've been quite indulgent as of late, haven't you? Lust, greed, gluttony, sloth...” He let out a long sigh and smiled. “Oh, how it warms my lack of heart to see such sinful behavior. It makes me so proud.

“So, why have I been watching you? Well, to answer that I must explain a bit about my people. When a sinful human dies, they become a demon in the afterlife. We demons cannot naturally reproduce, so we are reliant on humans to keep our population growing. Therefore, when a human begins exhibiting sinful behaviors in excess, like you are, one of us is assigned to watch over your soul to ensure that it turns. Think of me as your...Guardian of Sin.”

He wasn't wrong. You always liked to treat yourself, but over the past few months, it had gotten much more excessive. You were going out more, whether to bars or clubs or parties, and while you were there, you were drinking and smoking and occasionally snorting. Your sex life had also grown much more adventurous as of late; you were exploring kinks and fetishes that you'd kept long-repressed, sometimes with just one partner and others with several. And your normal day-to-day life wasn't exactly innocent, either. All that late-night partying meant late-day sleeping, and there were times where you wouldn't wake up until well past noon. Being hungover of course meant that healthy home-cooking was the least of your concerns, so instead you ate whatever you wanted, and as a result you'd put on a good amount of weight over the past few months.

You knew in your heart that it was wrong, that it wasn't a good way to live, but at the same time, you were having so much fun in those moments. Besides, you were young, and part of being young is going out and having fun before time caught you in its clutches and dragged you down. Becoming a demon, however, was not been in your plans.

“I don't want to turn into a demon,” you whispered in a shaky voice.

Essuegar scoffed. “You say that as if you have any choice in the matter. Truly, at the rate you're going now, you don't even really need a Guardian watching over your soul. But you humans are a strange kind, and it's not unheard of for even the most sinful of souls to turn themselves around. You, however, are not going to turn yourself around.”

“How can you be so sure? I sill have my whole life ahead of me—I'm just...enjoying my youth, that's all. I mean, the world we live in is such a miserable place; surely there's nothing wrong with a bit of partying?”

“You're not incorrect. The human world is indeed a miserable place. But in your case, it's far more than just 'a bit of partying.' And do you know how I know that?” Essuegar hopped off of his ledge and approached you. Each step he took sent a shockwave of sensation through your body, particularly your chest, which burned with a soft, tender warmth that grew stronger as he drew nearer.

The demon knelt before you, the glow of his crimson eyes casting a faint light over your own, the ring of pipe smoke now encircling you as well. His serpentine mouth curled into a mischievous grin, revealing sharpened teeth and a pointed tongue.

“You have been oozinglust from the moment I started talking, and you're practically bursting at the seams right now. Not that I blame you, of course. I am a pleasure demon, after all, born of lust, so it's natural that I'd kindle arousal in your loins.”

The moment he said that, the warmth burning in your chest spread to your pelvis, and a faint blush crept across your cheeks as you felt yourself throb.

“You think you're afraid, think that you don't want to turn, but deep down, I know it excites you. Being bad, being sinful—it gives you a kind of rush that not even the strongest drug can provide. So no matter what you tell yourself, what empty promises you make, what frail resolutions you come to, it's only a matter of time before you come crawling back to the world of pleasure and indulgence—where you belong.”

Your insides were practically melting at this point, and your face was almost the same color as Essuegar's eyes. Your own began to glaze over; your mind began to race. But your lips refused to speak—they could only tremble.

“It's taking everything in my power not to pin you down and have my way with you right now,” Essuegar whispered. “But I'm afraid I can't do that—if we stay in the Rift for too long, our souls will stay here forever, and that is a fate far worse than any hellfire could bring. So I'm afraid I'll have to send you back soon—but not before I offer you a choice.

“There are two paths down which you can travel. Either A: You pretend this never happened, go back to living your life as you see fit, and I will simply observe you from afar, no direct interference. Or B...you only accept your fate to become one of us, but embrace it by allowing me to accompany you in the human realm and use my demonic powers to open your eyes to an entirely new world of pleasures. However, if you choose B, your lifespan will shorten considerably to just a few more years, perhaps five at the most, and you will absolutely become a demon once you pass. But I promise you that in those few years you will experience a level of ecstasy and eroticism that not even a thousand lifetimes could provide. All thanks to me—your Guardian. So what shall it be, little human? Option A...or Option B?”

You stared. Every single one of your senses had been thrown into overdrive, and it was heavenly. You wanted more—you needed more. Life was miserable—you work, you sleep, you die. You didn't want that. You didn't want to be a worker drone, bound with ball and chain to a life of labor and limitation—no, you wanted to be free. You wanted to enjoy life, to explore everything the world had to offer. And here you were, a pleasure demon at your service, ready to fulfill your every command...

There was no hesitation.

Essuegar chuckled and cupped your cheek with a gentle hand. “That's what I thought. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. The lure of pleasure is just too tempting. Believe me, I'd love to stay and lure you in further, but I'm afraid I have to send you back. All of this is fruitless if I lose your soul to the Rift.”

Essuegar's eyes grew brighter, and in an instant your body froze. Tingles enveloped your head, and invisible fingers slid your eyes closed. The humming grew louder, stronger, but through the reverberations you could hear Essuegar's mellifluous voice lilting in your ear.

“Fear not, little human—we'll meet again very soon. And when we do, I'll show you just how pleasurable a demon I can be.”