The Candyman
Benny knew evil didn't only exist in the dark and shadowed recesses of the world, it lived in the daylight too. It lived under his roof and in the next room. He knew evil could crawl up from the bottom of a brown glass bottle or drag its way home from a dead end job. But that kind of evil was easy to spot and usually easy to avoid by being somewhere where his father wasn't. There were other monsters that hid in plain sight.
There was one particular monster that Benny had noticed slinking around his neighborhood of late. Its mask of fair skin pulled tightly around its skeletal frame looking more like a deranged scarecrow than a man but its costume seemed to have fooled everyone else. Benny didn't understand how no one else couldn't have noticed, couldn't have sensed something off about this man. It was there in his smile when he saw the little ones running to his truck, a smile so maniacal it split his face in two as his large brown eyes combed his audience for prey. Benny recognized that look of hunger. He had been prey to that appetite before and now he had to watch others fall victim to this creep.
The other thing Benny knew about monsters was that no matter how scary or big one was there was always a larger, scarier monster out there, he just had to find it.
In a neighborhood like his there were no police, at least none willing to help. They were outnumbered by the criminals and the creatures and couldn't do anything to help until they witnessed the crime for themselves. Police were just fine and all Benny thought, but it takes a monster to hunt a monster. There were rumors of a devil roaming the abandoned buildings just outside of town and Benny knew if he could only find it he could persuade it to follow him back and to clean up his neighborhood. The rumors had said the devil would have to be called and that an offering would have to be made. Benny didn't know what kind of offering it would be expecting so he took one of his old man's liquor bottles, some of his mother's jewelry he didn't think she would miss, and a candy bar he had stopped to get on his walk over. He had waited until night when he knew his parents had fallen asleep and since it was going to be quite a long walk he had gotten a soda and candy bar for himself for the journey.
There was plenty of noise and light until he reached the edge of town. He saw those women his mother always scoffed at and his father always undressed with his eyes and he saw the men that drove by trying to find the least haggard of them to take around the block for a five dollar ride. It seemed totally appropriate to him that he should find a devil in this place. Finally he made it to the outskirts having gone relatively unnoticed and stood in the black of night unsure of how to call the demon to him.
He coughed breaking the silent night and said, "Demon, I know you're here. I've come to talk to you."
Nothing.
"I've brought you some things. I've got gold, a bottle of whiskey. I even brought you some chocolate."
Still nothing. Benny was starting to think that he had made a mistake. Maybe there wasn't anything here but rumors after all. The night was beginning to turn cold and he was ready to call it a night with such a long walk ahead of him.
"You've brought me chocolate? I do hope it has caramel."
Benny jumped at the nearness of the ancient voice. He wanted to flee but he stayed his feet, this was what he wanted after all. He fought the urge to piss in his pants and answered, "Y-yess it does."
"Delicious," it croaked.
Benny turned to look at the demon he had summoned but it hissed, "Stay where you are boy. You do not need to look upon evil."
"But I already have."
He shivered as a large, slimy hand ran its fingers through his windblown hair. "What you have seen is mere child's play to what I am. Which makes me wonder why you came searching for me tonight? Shouldn't you be in bed? Won't your parents miss you?"
"They won't know I'm gone," said Benny. "I came tonight for your help."
It seemed surprised at his answer. "Why not pray? Why seek out darkness for help?"
"I have prayed but it doesn't seem to be doing any good."
"It never does child."
"And besides, it takes a monster to kill another monster."
"Is that what you want boy?" it cooed. "Me to kill for you?"
"You could do that right? They are everywhere and they are ruining everything and I'm tired of being afraid." Benny could feel tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "It's not fair. They are bigger and stronger. I need you to help me."
"Have you ever thought of helping yourself, child? You could be the monster."
The hairs on the back of Benny's neck stood as the demon spoke and he tingled with wanting. He did want to be the monster. He had spent nights awake dreaming of what he would do to those he caught. "But I'm too small," he said.
"Size does not matter. I can't exact your revenge for you but together," Benny could hear the smile in the devil's voice, "together we can accomplish anything."
"Then let's go!" Benny was ready to race off and begin their quest of cleansing but the devil stopped him with long fingers and a stern voice.
"I'm afraid I can't leave this place."
Benny frowned. "Then how are you going to help me?"
"You're going to take me with you. Let's call it a piggy back ride."
"All right." He was uncertain this was going to work. The demon had to be at least twice as big as he but as long as the devil was going to help he was going to have to go along. "Jump on and let's get going."
It's laugh sent an icy chill up Benny's spine. "I'm too heavy for you to carry. My way will be much simpler."
He leaned down to Benny's ear, his rancid breath causing the pop and candy Benny had had on the way over to inch its way back up, and he whispered. Benny nodded. The devil's plan did sound a lot easier.
"That's all I have to do?"
"Yes."
Benny dropped the jewelry and the bottle and kept the candy bar in his pocket for later. "I invoke thee, Cielphas."
With a whooshing sound the demon disappeared and Benny soon felt a heavy weight pressing on him. It was overwhelming and undeniable and he knew that this was going to work. He was going to rid his town of the filth that had taken over. Together he and Cielphas were going to do great things.
It was done. It was such a small body to have squeezed into but Cielphas had done it. When he opened his eyes they were no longer the green of the boy's but black like the chasm of hell and they glinted with excitement. Indeed, he and the boy were going to do great things and it was going to be the most fun he had had in thousands of years. The thought of feeling flesh rending between his fingers excited him. He wanted to drink the blood they were going to spill. But first, he pulled the candy bar from the boys pocket and tore the wrapper free, he was going to eat his chocolate bar. It was a long walk back to town, after all.
There was one particular monster that Benny had noticed slinking around his neighborhood of late. Its mask of fair skin pulled tightly around its skeletal frame looking more like a deranged scarecrow than a man but its costume seemed to have fooled everyone else. Benny didn't understand how no one else couldn't have noticed, couldn't have sensed something off about this man. It was there in his smile when he saw the little ones running to his truck, a smile so maniacal it split his face in two as his large brown eyes combed his audience for prey. Benny recognized that look of hunger. He had been prey to that appetite before and now he had to watch others fall victim to this creep.
The other thing Benny knew about monsters was that no matter how scary or big one was there was always a larger, scarier monster out there, he just had to find it.
In a neighborhood like his there were no police, at least none willing to help. They were outnumbered by the criminals and the creatures and couldn't do anything to help until they witnessed the crime for themselves. Police were just fine and all Benny thought, but it takes a monster to hunt a monster. There were rumors of a devil roaming the abandoned buildings just outside of town and Benny knew if he could only find it he could persuade it to follow him back and to clean up his neighborhood. The rumors had said the devil would have to be called and that an offering would have to be made. Benny didn't know what kind of offering it would be expecting so he took one of his old man's liquor bottles, some of his mother's jewelry he didn't think she would miss, and a candy bar he had stopped to get on his walk over. He had waited until night when he knew his parents had fallen asleep and since it was going to be quite a long walk he had gotten a soda and candy bar for himself for the journey.
There was plenty of noise and light until he reached the edge of town. He saw those women his mother always scoffed at and his father always undressed with his eyes and he saw the men that drove by trying to find the least haggard of them to take around the block for a five dollar ride. It seemed totally appropriate to him that he should find a devil in this place. Finally he made it to the outskirts having gone relatively unnoticed and stood in the black of night unsure of how to call the demon to him.
He coughed breaking the silent night and said, "Demon, I know you're here. I've come to talk to you."
Nothing.
"I've brought you some things. I've got gold, a bottle of whiskey. I even brought you some chocolate."
Still nothing. Benny was starting to think that he had made a mistake. Maybe there wasn't anything here but rumors after all. The night was beginning to turn cold and he was ready to call it a night with such a long walk ahead of him.
"You've brought me chocolate? I do hope it has caramel."
Benny jumped at the nearness of the ancient voice. He wanted to flee but he stayed his feet, this was what he wanted after all. He fought the urge to piss in his pants and answered, "Y-yess it does."
"Delicious," it croaked.
Benny turned to look at the demon he had summoned but it hissed, "Stay where you are boy. You do not need to look upon evil."
"But I already have."
He shivered as a large, slimy hand ran its fingers through his windblown hair. "What you have seen is mere child's play to what I am. Which makes me wonder why you came searching for me tonight? Shouldn't you be in bed? Won't your parents miss you?"
"They won't know I'm gone," said Benny. "I came tonight for your help."
It seemed surprised at his answer. "Why not pray? Why seek out darkness for help?"
"I have prayed but it doesn't seem to be doing any good."
"It never does child."
"And besides, it takes a monster to kill another monster."
"Is that what you want boy?" it cooed. "Me to kill for you?"
"You could do that right? They are everywhere and they are ruining everything and I'm tired of being afraid." Benny could feel tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "It's not fair. They are bigger and stronger. I need you to help me."
"Have you ever thought of helping yourself, child? You could be the monster."
The hairs on the back of Benny's neck stood as the demon spoke and he tingled with wanting. He did want to be the monster. He had spent nights awake dreaming of what he would do to those he caught. "But I'm too small," he said.
"Size does not matter. I can't exact your revenge for you but together," Benny could hear the smile in the devil's voice, "together we can accomplish anything."
"Then let's go!" Benny was ready to race off and begin their quest of cleansing but the devil stopped him with long fingers and a stern voice.
"I'm afraid I can't leave this place."
Benny frowned. "Then how are you going to help me?"
"You're going to take me with you. Let's call it a piggy back ride."
"All right." He was uncertain this was going to work. The demon had to be at least twice as big as he but as long as the devil was going to help he was going to have to go along. "Jump on and let's get going."
It's laugh sent an icy chill up Benny's spine. "I'm too heavy for you to carry. My way will be much simpler."
He leaned down to Benny's ear, his rancid breath causing the pop and candy Benny had had on the way over to inch its way back up, and he whispered. Benny nodded. The devil's plan did sound a lot easier.
"That's all I have to do?"
"Yes."
Benny dropped the jewelry and the bottle and kept the candy bar in his pocket for later. "I invoke thee, Cielphas."
With a whooshing sound the demon disappeared and Benny soon felt a heavy weight pressing on him. It was overwhelming and undeniable and he knew that this was going to work. He was going to rid his town of the filth that had taken over. Together he and Cielphas were going to do great things.
It was done. It was such a small body to have squeezed into but Cielphas had done it. When he opened his eyes they were no longer the green of the boy's but black like the chasm of hell and they glinted with excitement. Indeed, he and the boy were going to do great things and it was going to be the most fun he had had in thousands of years. The thought of feeling flesh rending between his fingers excited him. He wanted to drink the blood they were going to spill. But first, he pulled the candy bar from the boys pocket and tore the wrapper free, he was going to eat his chocolate bar. It was a long walk back to town, after all.
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