The Baroness

Onyx stared out her window, watching her beloved hell fire spread from soul to soul. It was Tuesday, which meant her hellions tortured the lost souls that made their way to the Nine Hells. Always a grand show. At least it used to be. The smoke from the flames rose, casting a strong scent around her home. And yet…she felt nothing.

Her heart no longer raced at the sight of a tortured soul. Tears of joy were no longer shed over watching one of her hellions eat a nice dinner of former humans. After centuries of committing atrocities, Onyx’s day to day had become boring.

She heaved a long sigh: a small trail of fire exited her mouth as she did. Her body felt heavy with grief, for a loss of passion for something she’d always done. It’s what she’d been made to do. When she was first cast down to the hells, it was her one true passion. Torturing the wicked humans is all she ever wanted to do, it’s what she majored in.

“I’m hopeless. What am I gonna even do for the rest of eternity? What haven’t I tried? Do I go back to college? No, because then my parents will nag that they knew my first degree plan didn’t work. It’s always go into finance like your father,” she spat, “never what do you want with life, Onyx?” Her tail whipped around violently around her, and her horns ached. “Great. Another migraine. How the fuck am I gonna be the baroness of the 7th Hell with a migraine?”

She crossed to her bed, a rocky pit of lava and sharp objects, her weighted blanket made of bones quickly accompanying her. And she ached. Ached for a time she felt passion, or glory, or for a time she was happy. Was this not what she was meant to do? Onyx felt her body tremble, and she screamed into her pillow, which was made of congealed smoke from a plane fire.

“What am I going to do?” She wept.

It was then she found her answer. Onyx found herself dissipating: her physical form was disappearing. No. She was being summoned.

What creature dares to summon my presence? What being of immense power has use for me? Perhaps, this is where I find my new purpose. Or at least a fucking hobby.

Onyx consented, allowing her essence to be transported to wherever she was needed. The blanket dropped into the lava as she disappeared, creating a quick plop into the viscous liquid.

Soon, Onyx awoke in what looked like a human attic. The wood was old, and clearly not very cared for. There were boxes upon boxes up here, each labeled something like “”Kelsey: 1st grade” or “Books to Donate.” A large portrait of a family sat towards the back, half covered with a ratty blanket. Lifting the blanket, Onyx saw a family photo of a man, a woman, a young girl, and an atrociously hairless cat. The man’s eyes, presumably a father, were dead, and lifeless. The woman, a mother, looked tired. Her eyes were sunk in, and her hands which wrapped around her family, looked frail and brittle. The daughter, holding the hairless cat in her lap, was grinning ear to ear. The back of the photo dated December 30th: Pinkie’s First Family Christmas.

“Hope they knew about the upkeep of hairless cats: if not, straight to the 2nd level of hell with you.”

“Excuse me?” A soft voice asked. Onyx almost jumped, and turned around. Before her stood a young girl with ratty hair, and stained clothes. A bow was haphazardly placed in her hair in an attempt to hold it together. She clutched a large book in her hands, and her faithful cal, Pinky, stood beside her, standing proudly.

“You can see me?” Onyx asked. “Now, how can that be? You’re a baby. You shouldn’t be able to see me.”

“I’m not a baby! I’m 9.” Her voice trembled as she yelled her retort, the grip on her book tightening.

“Humans who don’t summon me, can’t see me. So, did you summon me young one?” Onyx laughed. Of course this child didn’t summon her. As a baroness, an immense amount of power was needed to summon her. She laughed and knelt down, the cat hissed and swatted at her.

“I did summon you! My name is Kelsey. I-I need your help.” She stood tall, despite her now violently shaking. “I’m not afraid of you, just so you know.”

Onyx tilted her head, examining the girl and her abomination of a pet. Kelsey looked unwell. Her eyes held the same tiredness as the woman from the painting. Her pale skin was covered in cuts and bruises, and her clothes were stained and ripped in various places.

“Well then, Kelsey. Consider my interest piqued.” Onyx snapped her fingers, and two chairs and a table appeared in front of them, and a small cushion for her cat. Two glasses appeared on the table: Onyx’s filled with plasma, and Kelsey’s filled with a root beer float. The child’s eyes went wide at the display. Setting her book down behind the chair, she hopped up and examined the drink. “It turns into your favorite thing to drink.” She explained. “So, what is it you summoned me for? I’ve only ever been summoned for wars, or plagues, or by powerful witches. Are you a witch, Kelsey?”

“My mom is.” She said, taking the glass of root beer in both her hands. After a long sip, she asked, “how many requests can I make of you?”

“Well, let’s start with what you need, and then we’ll see what I can do. What’s ailing you, child?”

“I’m getting bullied in school.” Her tired eyes gazed into her cup. “I’m getting bullied by a girl who’s freakishly tall, but still in my grade. Her name is Claire.”

“Shouldn’t you ask your mother for help? Or your father?”

“Daddy went off to live with Sharon. He said he doesn’t want to live with us anymore. And mommy is always working at the hospital. She’s always saving people from dying, and she doesn’t have time to save me from my school.” Her voice trembled, tears filling her eyes. She took a big gulp of her drink, trying to stop any crying.

“Who’s Sharon?”

“Mom says she’s the cunt who works as his secretary.”

“I see.” Onyx suppressed a laugh. “And your mother is a nurse?”

“Yeah. She works at Quiet Hills Hospital, and I never really see her. I miss her. I take the bus to school and home, and she gets home around 11. She makes dinner for us, puts it in the fridge, and that’s my food for the next day. So, I can’t tell her about Claire.” Her tiny hands shook so bad, some of her drink spilled. Onyx snapped her fingers and the mess vanished. “I just want Claire to go away. And I want my mom back.” She finally looked back up, her cheeks red, her eyes puffy and wet. Kelsey’s bright green eyes were red, her brow furrowed. Her hands gripped the drink like her life depended on it, her knuckles turning white. “Can you help me? Please?” She pleaded.

Onyx considered the child. She had been looking for something to do. For centuries she’d spent her time hurting people. Hell, she’d hurt people just like this girl’s father. Human suffering, normally so tasty and insignificant, felt different when it came from a terribly small and sad child. Her heart ached for this young Kelsey. Her own father, distant and horrid, and this child’s father, absent and awful, felt connected in their shittiness. She made a note to find this child’s father and make him shit himself during sex.

“I can help you Kelsey.” She sipped her Plasma, the bubbles going down nicely. “Both with your bully, and your mom. But, I’m going to need your help with it, okay?”

“What do I need to do? Will it hurt?”

“What- No. You’re a child. I don’t hurt kids. That’s not me.” She shook her head and chuckled. “No, what I need you to do is deliver a piece of paper to your mother, and a small bug to your bully.” She twirled her hands around, and a lottery ticket appeared in one hand, and a locust in the other. Onyx placed them on the table. “The paper will bring money. I will send her a message once used to take some time off for you, and to negotiate her time to have more time with you. And the locust will simply scare your bully. She will get a similar message. Does that sound okay with you?”

“Do you need something as payment? I read that demons need to trade something.”

“No, not from you. I’ll collect payment in my own way. Your loved ones will be unharmed.” She grinned. “Speaking of loved one’s, how do you feel about your father?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelsey came home from school, tired, but accomplished. The bug she’d placed in Claire’s locked had turned into a swarm of them, that chased her around the school. They chased her home once her mom picked her up. They presumably chased her inside the house.

Pinkie rubbed up against her leg, purring, smelling the uneaten turkey in her lunchbox.

“Okay, you can have a little. Mom isn’t home to tell me no.” She giggled.

“Kelsey? What are you feeding your cat while I’m not home?” Her mother, grinning ear to ear, peaked around the corner. Her clothes were normal, just jeans and a t-shirt. Not scrubs. Not food covered scrubs.

“Mommy!” She dropped everything, the turkey spilling out, a feast for Pinkie. Her little legs carried her into her mother’s arms, which embraced her into a warm hug. She picked her up, holding her daughter in her arms. Kelsey felt tears in her eyes, and she pushed her head into the crook of her mother’s neck.

“I’m here baby. And I will be for the foreseeable future.” She whispered. “I’m gonna start being here a lot more for you.”

“Wait, really?” She asked, straightening to look her mother in the eye. She was also crying, but looked happy.

“You betcha.” Mom twirled her around and laughed. “Mom found a lottery ticket that won us a whole lot of money. When I threatened to quit the hospital and go on vacation, they said they’d give me better shifts so I could see you more often.”

Kelsey screamed, tightening her arms around her mother’s neck, crying as she did. Her body shook with joy: Onyx came through. In every possible way.

“I can’t believe it, thank you. Thank you!” She cried, half talking to her mother, half talking to Onyx, even if she wasn’t there.

“Of course kiddo. Plus, in even better news, I heard your dad got diarrhea at an important event. So, I guess that’s what he gets for abandoning us.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, laughing loudly. Kelsey laughed along, knowing in her mind that that’s what Onyx took as payment.

“Here, let’s go celebrate. How do you feel about ice cream and mozzarella sticks?”

“Oh my- for dinner?!” Kelsey squealed. “Yes please!!!”

“Perfect.” She put her daughter down. “Let me go get my shoes and keys, and we’ll head out in a minute.” Her mom jogged out and up the stairs, humming as she did.

Kelsey was now in the kitchen again. Alone. Happy. Brimming with joy. The only noise came from her sniffing, and from Pinkie eating her turkey, slurping it up as he went.

“How’re you liking everything, kid?” Onyx appeared behind her, arms crossed, and leaning against the wall. “Everything how you wanted it?”

Kelsey jumped, and turned around to see her. She laughed, and ran at her, embracing her at her waist.

“You’re so warm. You’re like a furnace. Thank you, Onyx. Everything is perfect. How long does the swarm of locusts last?” Onyx straightened, patting the child on the shoulder, not entirely sure how to react. She cooled her body temperature, her flame pauldrons dimming significantly.

“Until she switches schools, or until you want me to stop it.”

“I never want it to stop.”

“Atta girl.” Onyx laughed. She kneeled in front of Kesley, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Listen little dude. Hell is boring after centuries of the same shit. Take this.” She produced a small necklace, with a pendant of a bright red ruby in the center. It shimmered in the late afternoon sun. “If you need me, I’m here. Or, if you ever want to develop your magic, I’m willing to lend a hand.”

“Wait- my magic?”

“Yeah girlie. You summoned something most highly trained witches, let alone children, can’t summon. You got a gift. I can help it flourish.” She stood back up, gazing outside.

“Alright Kelsey, I’m coming down! You ready?” Her mother called from above.

“I’m ready!” She called back. She ran towards the front door, her mother waiting there adjusting her shoe. When she looked back, Onyx was gone. A ray of bright sunlight filtered in where she once stood. “I’m so ready.” Kelsey whispered.