Facing her Demon
Before my eyes fluttered open, I could feel searing heat at my face threatening to burn it off. I felt uncomfortable as though someone or something had sentenced me to death and forced my soul to watch on without so much as a blink. My eyes opened. I found myself standing before two enormous dark wooden doors, cast iron fence trailing out from each side to as far as the eye could see. Behind the wooden doors and the foreboding cast iron fence, I could see the devilish dance of flames licking and crackling just at the edges. Occasionally, flames would jump out at me as though they were reaching out to pull me in. My keen hearing detected the bone crunching groans, screams, and agony of the damned behind the fence as they wandered about without purpose.
Was this my fate? All I had was a few drink. I was the most sober of them all, all five of them. It was all meant to be in compassion, to save a few lives.
I stared at the dark doors and then glanced over my shoulder at the blackness that seemed to be crowding me in from behind, pushing at me to move forward. I had no choice but to go forward and as I did, the wooden doors swung heavily on their hinges, groaning loudly at the weight of the doors. Searing flames instantly jumped out at me, pulling my through the doorway and into hell.
I heard the heavy resounding slam of the doors behind me and the crackle of flames ceased. I peered up carefully and looked around as suddenly an eerie silence filled my ears. It was as though the calm before the hurricane had arrived and I felt my skin prickle.
If only I had had more compassion, more sensitivity toward them all, maybe my fate wouldn't have been sealed.
To my left, heard the heavy sound of footsteps coming my way, to my right I heard threatening growls and snorts and straight ahead I heard a low moaning. My eyes darted left, right, then forward then repeating every second. All I wanted was to catch a glimpse of what had selected me to be its prey. My body shook as a whole and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the blood slamming in my ears. Then silence.
Straight ahead, coming out of the shadows of the blackness was the most terrifying demon I had ever seen. My imagination couldn't possibly had even created anything so horrifying. It loomed darkly in front of me, as tall as a six story building. Its body was bulging with muscles beneath its brown and bloodstained skin. I looked up at its face and saw teeth about seven inches long and as sharp as freshly sharpened swords. Its snout was wrinkled up in a snarl though no noise came from it. It red eyes stared at me and through me, threatening me.
As it rose up to its full height, puffing its chest out and opening its arms and flexing its fingers as though limbering them up, it opened its mouth and threw its head back. The whole darkness shook and trembled with fear as the demon let out an ear piercing roar which resounded through my whole being. Then it bent down quickly and thrust its enormous hands at me.
Suddenly, I looked again, this time into its threatening red eyes. No longer could I see power and dominance behind its eyes. What I saw was nothing I would have ever dreamed could be possible behind the thoughts of a demon such as the one facing me. I saw fear. I saw fear of being threatened by me. Little me, so puny in light of this enormous being. I saw and felt as though it were jealous of me, it felt it needed to dominate me, beat me down until I could no longer stand. And lastly, I saw compassion. Deep inside, behind those windows to the soul, I felt he was sorry for me, my fate.
Taking a deep breath, I kneeled and facing the demon who was threatening to crush me with one small squash of its immense being, I held out one small hand to it.
Snorting, it stopped in its tracks, claws hovering just above my head as though it still held me under its power even though I had made one small gesture of kindness. I looked up at the snarling face, staring into its glowing red eyes. I could feel the eyes of the other demons who stood around like spectators at a Roman's Christians verses the lions event. They all held their breath in anticipation, waiting to see what their master would do, whether he would crush me in light of my small gesture.
I held myself steady, staring deep into the eyes of the demon who threatened my soul. I kept my breathing equal and calm. I wanted it to know I wasn't threatening it. I wanted it to know someone, something, could feel for it, instead of hating or fearing it.
I saw a small quiver in its snarling mouth. It was minute, but it was there. It quickly regained its composure and bared its teeth and snarled angrily at me. I could feel the hot, searing breath on me, but I did not flinch. Its hand came closer to my body, daring me to retaliate.
Keeping my eyes fixed on the red eyes of the demon, I reached out ever so slowly with my outstretched hand and laid it gently onto one of its fingers. It pulled its hand away and growled, narrowing its eyes. I blinked and smiled a little. The demon cocked it enormous head, still keeping the threatening snarl on its muzzle.
"I won't hurt you," I whispered gently.
Slowly, as though he were in molasses, the demon edged its clawed hands toward the hand I held out to it, then scooped me up into its hand with lightning speed. I had to catch my breath as I sat in the demon's hand. It looked me over carefully as though trying to figure me out. I knew it was expecting me to be afraid of it, to run and hide, let on a good chase. I did none of that.
With my hand, I gently caressed a bit of its hand that I sat cradled in and I smiled. I still didn't know whether it was going to toss me down its throat, so I sat waiting and showing compassion.
Then I witnessed something amazing. I had to blink and rub my eyes. The threatening red eyes grew softer and less harsh and the muzzle relaxed out of its still snarl. Slowly, it brought my body still cradled gently in its hand toward its face. It stopped suddenly, not at its mouth, but at its cheek. I felt its chest rise and fall in a relaxed and clam breath and I was the red eye that was facing me close for a moment.
I reached out with both hands and laid them gently onto its cheek. It's face felt warm, but not hot like it had before. Slowly, I lay my body against its face, stroking its cheek softly. It seemed like forever had passed before it gently took its hand away from its face. I sat back down into its hand, feeling pleased with myself and warm in its gentle hand. It lowered me to the floor again and rolled me off of its hand.
I sat on the floor and stared at it. It seemed to have changed. No longer was it threatening to beat my soul down, no longer did it fear me. Its red eyes were soft with compassion and the snarl was gone from its muzzle. It took one deep breath then melted into the floor like a candle that had burned too long. I felt all of the eyes disappearing from the darkness, the demons in waiting had retreated away from me.
I closed my eyes, feeling sad that it was gone. I wanted, needed to show it that someone cared. Now, it was gone.
My eyes fluttered open and everything came to me in a blur. Lights, red and blue, flashed simultaneously around me. Sounds, muffled and run together, came to my ears. I couldn't move, but I could see people scurrying around.
I felt myself being lifted and a face appeared over me.
"You're lucky, miss," I heard a voice say, "the rate you were driving that car, you should be dead."
