The Devil Doesn't Waste Time

Chlo- Hey on the way, what’s the word

Me- Words summon

Chlo- OH, spiritualistic!😉

Trv- Can be more specific, don’t understand any of this

Ben- Yeah stop going witchy on us

Soph- Maybe you should try and keep up Scholarship😛

Benj- 🙄

Me- I'll explain more soon enough. Midnight to be exact🌙

Soph- Oh spooky time, LOOOVE IIIIT🎵

Benj- I'm in, as long as there aren't any trains this time

Me- don’t worry big bro, can’t trust your sister?

Benj- Wellll😶

Trv- Did someone ask a question?

Soph- Do you remember that other time...

Chlo- HAHAHAHA! ALL love💗

“Hey kids were at the cabin! Time to hand in the devices” dad announces to the car. Mom digs out her PHONE JAIL collecting the rations, setting the locks date three days from now. No one protests, this weekend is about to be full of fun activities of swimming, water guns, stars, all squished together by s’mores.

We claim our rooms unpacking everything as the rest of the party arrives, once settled in everyone gathers in the kitchen cooking up our specialty of Camper Special. Potatoes, carrots, hamburger smothered in any and all my favorite spices; cooked over the fire in aluminum.

“Tell me, what activities do you wild children have planned this evening?” Mom looks up from sprinkling season salt on her entrée.

“The usual,” I say happy to talk for everyone, “night swimming, hide-n-seek, a little drinking.”

“A little tonight or is it going to be a lot? “My dad looks around at each of us, bouncing his eyes between Chloe and myself. “Last year if I recall one started face-first butt up in the toilet early in the AM, while the other decided to wait till noon.”

He receives approval with imitation of disgusting events, “I was not in the toilet, okay?!” Chloe protests looking into the back of her head, “It was a trash can alright, she was the one with her head in the bowl pretty much screaming for hell to take her.”

“Oh! I remember quite well; I couldn’t sleep for nights!” Lisa turns to me, grinning with spite hidden underneath, “I heard those screams every time I tried to sleep.”

“I wasn’t screaming, it was coming out like a stream,” sounds of groans fill the room, disturbing details always seem to shut down conversations I don’t want to discuss. “Anyways, maybe, but definitely not like that.”

“Well, I don’t mind what you do, as long as I hear some bedtime stories!” Mom begins to clap her in excitement drunk off some moonshine.

“Hell yeah, I would love to see Benjamin pee his pants again,” Trevor walks over and punches in his arm, ‘you little bed wetter.”

“I had too much to drink that night, her stories don’t affect me like that,” Benjamin shakes his head. “I do have to say, however, your stories can be terrifying lil sis.”

“I do have this one I’ve been cooking up; I haven’t figured out an ending but I know how to improvise.” I put my made-up camper special down on the pan ready to be cooked. I look up at the party, everyone is already intensely watching me I take that as my queue, “It all began on the second night at the cabin deep in the haunting woods...”

“You just don’t have any limits, do you?” Were all walking down a gravel pavement, each holding our flashlights to illuminate our path. “It's only the first night how will you top this story tomorrow?”

“Oh, you know I have some things up my sleeve,” I feel the triumph grab my shoulder in congrats to making an audience sit at the edge of their seats once again.

“You're too modest. You said you didn’t have an ending but you ended it with that demon demolishing that poor guy.”

“You think that guy was poor?! Not even a chance he got everything he had coming to him,” the crew starts to argue about the abilities the guy had before facing his doom “Just ask the author she obviously thought the guy owed what he got coming.”

“It wasn’t about whether the guy deserved what he got,” I start to explain, seeing how small-minded my companions are to literature. “The story is about how people, no matter the danger or warnings they receive physically and spiritually, will ignore it when desperation is following them.”

“Why do you always have to be so serious with these stories,” Sophie shines her light in my face. “Always leave me wondering if my morals and beliefs are in the correct order.”

“You shouldn’t worry about living right or if your life's correct, honey, because nobody knows how to live the ‘right’ way.” I drape my arm around her, “plus I don’t think that is what you should be worried about now. This is what you should be focusing on.”

I stop us at an intersection, the first one far enough away from any light besides the moon. I take off the backpack I’ve been carrying and open it up so everyone can see the candles, wine, and a speaker comfortable inside. “Why did you drag us out here far from the cabin just for us to drink and listen to music?”

“Come on Tucker, you should know better than to question when your sister brings out regular household utensils.” Chloe’s eyes shine understanding completely what ‘summoning’ meant for the night. “Time for you to meet an old friend buddy.”

“Who's that supposed to be, who is coming? You, Alyssa, need to stop always being so secretive until it's time for us to play. So, spit it out already who is coming?” Tucker looks around looking at Benjamin, who has been silent. “Do you know what’s about to happen?”

“Man, do not look at me, our sisters’ batshit crazy so it could be anyone.” Benjamin looks back into the bag. “I may be about to be a grad student but that doesn’t mean anything when it comes to her.”

I start setting up the candles at the corners of where each road connects, “God has one enemy, as the stories say, someone who wanted power just like him if not more. However, God wasn’t pleased; therefore, he banished the angle creating a soul snatching sex symbol.” Giggles of glee spark around. I continue, “Now for many of many centuries this powerful shapeshifter has been taunting around our world, playing with God’s creations in revenge.”

“Why are you looking so puzzled? The little creations can be rewarded after all if they play intuitively. However, don’t be fooled because if they should make a mix-up, they are sure to pay the price.” The candles are now lit; a soft upbeat stream of music begins to play from the speaker.

“I don’t know about this guy, but the hairs on my arm are already standing on end,” Benjamin worrisome presents his arm to anyone who will look. “I have a bad feeling about all you just sad. Remember when Grandma used to take me to us to Sunday Church? The devil means trouble.”

“Let’s go Stiff! You need to lighten up a bit, just play along.” Trevor takes a drink from the neck of the wine bottle.

“So, you're telling me you, my brother, is willing to sell his soul to Satan after twenty-five years of his life?” Benjamin frustratingly shouts shaking his arms in front of him. “I don’t believe this, how much have you smoked? Drank enough yet?”

“Actually, you don’t have to sell your soul exactly, you can give up anything, do something for him, create something in his name, all for him to give you something in return. Riches, fame, revenge, the list is forever in your favor,” Sophie imitates Effie Trinket explaining more of the rules. “Just make sure you're confident enough in this because it's not his first time being asked for things.”

I grin holding a candle to my face, feeling the adrenaline I crave each night. “Come hold my hands so we may begin.” Everyone walks overthinking before deciding, except Benjamin, he stood there looking around hesitantly, trying to not be seen.

“If your so unsure of yourself just say that you can observe,” I say to my paranoid big brother, always overly cautious of everything.

After a bit of battling himself, he finally says, “I'm not letting you do this without me. How many people can say they met the devil himself?” He joins his hands completing the circle, the wind around us picks up a bit whipping my hair around.

“Tonight, we gather to play a dangerous game, with a King who loves games and can’t turn down one. We welcome you to this clearing where we have set up music for your delight, wine for your thirst, and candles for us to see your true identity.” I shout out the words encouraging the demon to come out for some fun, more wind picks up around us. “The game will be quite simple, three statements are to be stated by each player, one is the truth while the two are lies you are to figure out our truth and we to you.”

“What an interesting game, usually it would be two truths and a lie but I like your twist,” A dark masculine voice picks up over by the speaker, I don’t dare to turn around yet, the wind is gone and my pals' eyes tell me everything. “Please continue, I’m delighted to hear how your game ends.”

I drop my hands and finally face the one who was summoned. Someone I didn’t imagine now stands shirtless, sharp face, scruffy mustache, dark daring eyes, a slender built bod. “You were not supposed to say anything till I was finished.”

“Oh, that’s how this goes, my apologies I couldn’t wait any longer,” he takes a sip from the neck of the bottle. “You see I’ve been watching you from over behind that tree, the sweet aroma...I couldn’t resist.”

He does a swift twirl swirling the bottle around his nose as if he was in love, I’m starting to believe this guy isn’t who I am calling for. “You were calling for me I could feel your auras you smell of curiosity, adrenaline, and fear. Now here I am, what shall you have me play with thee, two lies and one truth?”

My nerve shaken body goes numb from anger, who does this guy think he is just coming here to drink my alcohol and jeer at us about our aura? “Of course, that was the plan until you just came out here, unfortunately, I’m feeling bored now and it reeks of sniff..sniff...snifff...homeless.”

“Yeah, your right, I was already bored listening to your monotone voice and the fish smell that came from it,” He gives a wink and with a nod of his head, he turns the bottle still in hand.

“Hold on a second that’s it?” Benjamin who has obviously lost his fear shouts after him. “Don’t waste your time like that, nobody smells and...and I like games guys.”

His voice trails off a bit at the end embarrassed for standing up, the man however does stop letting his body hang in complete rest, head bowed, contemplating his next move. A few seconds pass before he lifts his arm up high, pointing a finger up as if he just had an epiphany, “I am not in no haste, therefore, on second thought the boy might be on to something. Let’s do play a game, maybe like what do ya’ll call it where you hide ’n someone’s hunting for you?”

“Are you seriously trying to say hide-n-seek? Everyone knows that game I would expect even a homeless man to know that.” With my anger came my ego if this man wants to try and deceive me, be my guest, I think, but just know the game already begun the minute you decided to put on a play for us.

Sophie and Chloe slowly shuffle their bodies over to me, “Hey, now don’t snap at me, but do you mind turning your tone down to like something more respectful, please?”

“Exactly he came out of nowhere and your first instinct is to call him homeless then leave, what are you think?” They both look at me with dumbfounded looks waiting for my explanation.

I huddle them closer so my voice doesn’t carry in anyway, “This guy’s a fraud, he saw the wine could hear me shout everything, I rest my case on homeless guy.”

“She has a point, but the possibility of him actually being the real guy is 50-50, because no one else has come out.” I shake my head with a sigh, resting my hand on my companions' shoulders.

“Don’t you see the summoning didn’t work and this guy just overheard us wanting to get drunk?” I give them an apologetic look knowing now that I had convinced them of the intruder. We all turn away gathering the guys with us, with the two explaining what happened, I turn around and shout, “We don’t have time for your hunting games.”

We head back to the cabin feeling cheated, but understanding that there would be other fun festivities inside with our parents. Once inside we are greeted by cheers and rounds of boozy hot chocolate. A long dreadful game of monopoly flourishes with the sound of laughter and jeers. The night wasn’t lost it was only the start of our weekend. We go to bed with the thoughts of hiking, four-wheelers, and swimming on our brains.

Late that night I awake quite suddenly; my tank and shorts are plastered to my body drenched in sweat. Classical music plays from the room next door, it takes me a few minutes to realize I am not in my room anymore. Instead, I am sitting at the head of the dining room table facing my captured screaming confused companions, each has a gage in their mouth, hands strapped to their chairs. I notice our parents are nowhere in sight, tears begin to stream down our faces. I can’t move my hands or feet; I look around trying to figure out what is going on. The room is empty other than the table and the five chairs.

“Look you're awake!” A familiar teasing voice comes from behind me, “We’ve been waiting for hours and finally we can play.”

The once empty table now has five decks of playing cards, the man continues “Life's worth full of chances don’t you think? Today you get to have your last chance, your last chance to fix walking away from me. Which nobody ever tells the tale about.”

I finally get a glimpse of the man in the woods; he no longer has ragged clothes on but has cleaned himself to a businessman finished with a gold watch. I stare at him tensely knowing my mistake has brought my friend and family to our situation.

“Don’t cry now you were so powerful earlier,” he takes a gloved hand wipes my tears away taking the cloth out of my mouth.

“Let them go, please” I can’t help begging for their release, “they don’t disserve this.”

“Oh, but they do, don’t they? If I remember your all in this together, therefore, they have to play.” He releases everyone else's mouth the other’s begging to let us all go. “Shush children, you're ruining the music, and the game is simple something you all are knowledgeable in war.”

He sings the last part, a game of war with cards is simple, maybe too simple but it does get the room to calm down. “You’re going to have us play war? And then we are set free?”

“Don’t be an idiot Trevor, look who you're talking to, this guy will not let us out of this that easily.” Chloe calmly looks at the decks trying to figure out the trick.

Satan walks over to her kneeling to be face-to-face, “Don’t be a vibe killer, if he wants to believe it’s that easy let him. Let’s start playing, on the count of three we start flipping cards. How about we only play nine rounds.”

“We can’t play with our hands strained,” I blatantly state, the cards each flip up on their own in response, a sixth card is flipped over for the host. The devil looks at me with a smirk standing up to get a look at the cards, king overpowers a two, seven, five, three, and an eight.

He claps his hands in delight. “Benji my boy you got the winning round, let’s continue,” the cards slide their way to Benjamin's side neatly into a new deck. Right away the cards flip again, this time Sophie wins. This continues on and on, each of my companions continuously winning, my deck of cards getting smaller and smaller.

The feel of fear settles in my stomach, wondering how I haven’t won once. Looking up I notice the kidnapper staring at me a smirk sitting on his face, I look away not wanting him to see the fear of not knowing what will happen if I am to run out.

More cards are flipped, classical music continues to play, for the first time in a while Sophie speaks up, “Wait a minute there is something off here. Why is it that four of us keep winning, but neither you nor ‘Alyssa’ has won once? What are you playing here?”

Placing his hands up in defense, he steps back from the table feeling offended from the accusation of no fair play “This is my game little Sophie, therefore, I will have you know that none of my games are created for cheaters. The game is based on chance; therefore, your friend and I just seem to have a bit of bad luck. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Bad luck doesn’t look good on you, in my opinion,” Trevor chimes in, “Besides the devil having bad luck definitely is a setup, the gigs up man what’s the real game?”

He slams his hand on the counter cards fly in the air, some shrieks from my friends who have been startled by the sudden outrage. I try my hardest to let them know I’m here, “It’s okay girls, it’ll be alright. We’ll get out of this!”

“Will you be alright though because as I see it, they don’t look so good, and can I also add that the Beetles seem to be tied to chairs right now?” The man taunts me in my face, I’m clueless completely in the dark.

They don’t look good, but I was just looking at them as if he could read my thoughts, his face moves showing what this night's true kink is. The room freezes as my body shifts on its own accord in horror, letting out a terrifying shriek from my mouth I want out of this contraction at the sight of my friends. Each of their eye's soulless, nails cracked and peeled from their beds, deep oozing slashes covering their arms, face, neck, and shoulders. Getting a grasp on myself, my vision gazes as blue, red, green, and white pool from their eyes, dripping on matching clothing. “Sophie! Chloe?! You guys say something, please what’s going on?!”

“You still don’t get it yet do you?” He drapes his arms around two of the chairs in ownership “You are strapped in this very cabin that you have been visiting since you were seven, but our connection began with a story about me who went against God. After the trip, you had to have more started with your own research, then crystals, alters, candles after scented candles. Begging for me to show myself, signing my songs, telling my stories, acting out the spells to not even let me talk. Y’all are dreadful, draining, asking for whatever you think you deserve.

Give me direction please, I want you to work with me and my alter, but you’re always running off, not anymore.” He opens his arms introducing his final act, my friends look over the table with intrigue, I look at my final card, a tiny indent I hadn’t noticed before. Without any final words, six cards flip over one last time, my heart starts to race as they move slowly. I study my card, the joker the highest card to play in the game of war. I look around taking in the others king of spades, six of hearts, nine of clubs, and the two of hearts sitting across from the biggest joke of them all.

The man's once smiling face falters a bit, a mistake too late to fix that hit him like a train, four men come in quickly grabbing him dragging him out the room screaming of how it could’ve happened to him. Instantly he Is gone and I’m back in my bed, sweat plastered tank top stuck to my body. I sit trying to take in air, I notice that it is still night outside my clock is nowhere to be seen.

"My breathing picks up in panic once again as the sound of classical music starts up once again, daring me to come out. The end,” I clap my hands as I look around at my family and friends enjoying the delight and terror on their faces of what they’ve been just told.

“Wait so the devil lost?! But he survived to play her again?” Benjamin crosses his arm swiping his toothpick left to right in deep reflection.

“I wouldn’t say it was your best but I feel like there is so much more to this tale of yours my dear,” My mom gets up clearing off the table, finishing off her wine. “I do have to say I will not be sleeping deeply tonight even after four glasses.”

“Are we ready to go play our midnight games, yet?” Chloe asks the gang, a flashlight already in hand.

“As long as we scratch all sort of summoning's off the list, I am totally in for in the fun,” Trevor gets up gathering jackets for everyone. I get up from the table proud of myself for another well-told story, ready to let the actual activities begin.