Inner Evil

“Here’s our baby Sir,” Mike Tucker told his boss.

They entered a huge cylindrical building through big glass doors.

“This building’s just begging to be restored. It was a cinema, but it recently closed down. Picture this,” he said dramatically, climbing the wide spiral staircase. “A library, full of every book you can imagine.” He kept climbing to the second level. “Just look at these bookcases Sir!” He polished a section of one with his tie and made an obviously fake look of being overly impressed.

Mr Marcs didn’t look so bemused. He was an older man, with little tolerance.

“Library Tucker? Why does Whitton-Burn need a library?” he asked smugly.

“Because frankly Sir if I may speak freely?”

“No Tucker,” he replied.

“Very well Sir, we have a terrible library. Whitton-Burn needs a new one. I’m a bit of a bookworm myself Sir...”

“Really Mr Tucker? I couldn’t tell,” he said sarcastically.

“Well Sir,” Mike began, impatiently. “We desperately need...”

“Mr Tucker,” Marcs interrupted. “I am about to be late for a very important meeting. Can you convince me to lend you money for this building in three minutes?”

Mike sighed. “No Sir.”

Marcs smiled. “Well then. I will meet you same time next Friday.”

“But Sir...”

“Tucker. I’m being very gracious. Friday or never.”

“Friday it is Sir.”

Mr Marcs pushed rudely past a woman on the way out.

“Excuse you!” she called sorely after him.

She turned and saw Mike’s expression from his seat on the stairs. “Ouch,” she commented.

“Yeah,” Mike replied, downhearted.

“How’s it going Mike?”

“He’s gonna turn me down Lillian.”

“Oh come on,”

“No, really. He hates me!”

“Hey. Don’t you dare lose me this new librarian job Mike.”

“I won’t Lil. I promise.”

“For my ex-boyfriend, you’re pretty nice to me,”

“Well you dumped me. I still like you. I’m starting to think I have a medical condition where I can’t get mad at pretty girls.”

Lillian laughed. “I’m not that good-looking!”

“Sure you are. Long hair, blue eyes, freckles, beautiful smile…”

She blushed. “You’re sweet –but not sweet enough that I’d date you again,” she added before he could say anything.

He stared, open mouthed and started down the stairs, taking two at a time.

“Oh come on! I’m cute, funny, successful…”

“You’re short, annoying and stuck in a job you hate.”

“A job that pays good,” he retorted as he reached the ground floor. “Plus, you’re…” he searched for any possible insult. “Em… give me a minute, I’ll think of something.”

She shook her head, smiled and went over to dust the cash register behind the counter.

“Come back here! I can call you names too!”

“Go ahead.” She leaned expectantly across the counter, “Insult me.”

“What? Now?”

“Ugh! Come on!”

“Eh…em…”

“Try Mr Marcs.”

“Mr Marcs happens to be a very… gracious man!”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Really, he’s….no. I can’t do it. I hate him. I do. He’s an awful, awful, old, little man.”

“There you go!” she beamed.

Mike looked out of a huge dusty window.

“Getting dark out,”

“See you tomorrow then. We’re getting some books donated from around town.”

“Great. See ya Lil.”

“Bye!”

The streets of Whitton-Burn at night were a frightening place to be; forbidding and dark. Mike looked around uneasily. The dark velvet night had swallowed up the sky, penetrated only by a few stars and a thin crescent moon. The buildings seemed cold and sterile, and odd shapes and shadows stared at him from the darkness. He walked down a black back-alley to his apartment. A strange voice echoed towards him on the breeze.

“Hey, you, Mike Tucker…” it whispered.

Mike’s quickened breath came out in little white clouds.

The air cooled and rain began to drop from the dank looming clouds.

“Who’s there?” he called clearly.

“Your greatest dream,” As it spoke, a green mist floated out of no-where and took form. It was a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes. Mike stared into this stranger’s frightening eyes; it was as if there was nothing, blank and dark and hollow like the night sky.

“And…” The stranger’s voice was more solid as it stepped closer. It gripped Mike’s throat and lifted him up with one hand. As he choked and wheezed it whispered fiercely: “…your worst night mare.”

It let out an in-human roar and the green mist swam before Mike’s eyes. Mike fell to the wet ground as the rain fell heavier. Coughing and gasping, he was alone in the alley again.

He awoke in his apartment the next morning with what felt like a heavy hangover. He went about his daily routine, the night’s events dismissed as nothing more than a dream by his weary mind. He looked in the bathroom mirror once he was ready; grey suit, white shirt, and red tie as usual.

“O.K. Another day, another failing renovation job.” He stared at his reflection and sighed. “What am I gonna do?” he asked the depressed young face in the mirror.

The door moved in the reflection and he focused on it. It opened, then moved back. Mike turned and was frozen to the spot. The stranger from the alley stood there.

“Boo.” it whispered.

“Ah!” was Mike’s reaction. “Ah!” He jumped back, knocking stuff into the sink.

“Whoa! Calm down Tucker!” it urged.

“No! You’re a dream!”

“Dream? Oh no Tucker I’m very real, and you do need my help.”

“Help? What help? Help with what?” he gasped.

“Will you breathe, Tucker!”

On command, he took a deep breath in and let it out.

“What are you?”

“Hmm…” it pondered. “You read books right? Broad imagination for a human?”

“I guess,”

“Well… I suppose you could say, I’m a demon.”

“Demon?” Mike asked doubtfully.

“I am however all in your head. No one else can see me unless I let them.”

‘How convenient,’ Mike thought. “You said help?”

“I can help you get that building for a start. What were you gonna do with it? A library?”

“Yeah. How can you help?”

“I can offer you my services,” it said in a more hushed and secretive tone. It proceeded to examine a few items around the bath. “You know, I’ve never quite understood the insatiable human need to be clean.”

“Services?” Mike pushed on.

“Lets go to this future library of yours, I’ll explain on the way.”

“Hey!” Lil greeted as Mike came in, unbeknownst to her, with a demon.

“Hey,” Mike smiled back.

“Whoa.” the demon observed, seeing Lil.

It followed Mike up stairs to the second level. Mike started putting some donated books on a shelf marked: ‘non-fiction – G to H’

The demon meanwhile, leaned leisurely over the railing to get a better view of Lillian.

“Who’s the pretty girl?”

“You stay away from her.” Mike instructed.

“Now, now, I don’t bite –often.” It added with a smile. Mike found its humour distasteful at best. In this better light, from the surrounding gigantic windows on this level, he could make out more of it. It had pale skin, black clothes and even in daylight, its eyes seemed to be merely strange all-seeing slits in its face.

“Who is she Tucker?”

“Her name’s Lillian, she’s my ex.”

“Ex?” It turned around. “I take it she dumped you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well look at her, she’s beautiful.”

“Hey!” Mike was sure to keep his voice down so Lil didn’t hear. “Stay away from her!”

“Calm down, I’ll try,” The demon turned back to looking at Lillian, then faced Mike again, “No. Sorry. Gotta have a piece of that action.” It looked at Mike sincerely. “I can get her for you too.”

“Not interested.”

“You’re a fool. You think she’ll ask you to come back? Maybe once we’re done, I can get inside her mind, have some fun of my own .”

Mike grabbed its coat collar. It just laughed, but was silenced when it was leaned further over the banister.

“If you dare hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

It leaned in closer and smiled. “I know,” it whispered.

Mike released it and went back to the books.

By the time they left, it was getting dark.

“See ya Lil!”

“Thanks Mike!”

“Mm-m-m. She is something, isn’t she Tucker?”

Mike understood the question was rhetorical, and so didn’t answer.

“So you get me this building, then what?”

“Then you pay me.”

“Pay you?”

“Oh don’t worry, be a good boy and we’ll decide a payment you’ll be willing to make.”
“And if I’m not a ‘good boy’?”

“Well,” it considered. “I guess I’ll have to punish you,”
“Whoa,” Mike stopped dead in his tracks. “Time-out. Punish?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not particularly mean and I don’t have a short temper either. I’ll warn you if you start to rub me the wrong way.”

Mike looked it up and down, as if once more trying to assure himself of its existence while measuring its sincerity. They continued walking.

“Very good Mr Tucker! You’re a visionary!”

“You’re very kind Sir,”

Mr Marcs had agreed to lend Mike the money he needed and buy into the new library. Provided it was finished in three weeks, it was Mike’s, except for Mr Marcs’ small percentage of the profits gained in the first six months of business.

Once Marcs had left the building, Mike let out a yell of pain and collapsed into a chair. The green mist detached itself from him and the demon took form.

It shook itself off. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”

“You never mentioned the pain!” Mike croaked in anger.

“Oh don’t be such a baby Tucker!”

“Hey Mike!” Lil cried as she entered. He got up to hug her. “You got it?” she asked. He nodded. “Wow!”

She looked at the demon. “Who’s your friend?” she asked.

The demon took pleasure in watching the colour drain from Mike’s face.

“This is…” he struggled.

“Declan.” It answered. “But call me Dec.”

“Hi, I’m Lillian, but call me Lil.”

It took her hand as she reached out to shake its, and kissed the back.

“Lil,” it acknowledged charmingly. She blushed slightly as it released her hand.

“Dec and me have to go now.” Mike said sternly.

“Sure buddy.” The demon said, clapping Mike on the shoulder like a long lost friend.

Exiting through the glass doors, the demon laughed hysterically.

“You should have seen the look on your face!”

“How could she see you?”

“I let her see me,”

Mike glowered at it.

“Sorry Tucker, I couldn’t resist!”

A man passed them, then stopped and stared in disbelief.

“Hi Daniels,” the demon waved. The man hurried on.

“Old client.” It explained.

“O.K. Let’s talk payment,”

“That was it?”

“Just the building,”

“We’re just getting started!”

“Look! I want you gone!”

“That’s not nice Tucker.” It glared at him with its cold eyes. “However, I will go, once paid.”

“Fine.” Mike shrugged.

“A date, with her.”

“What?”

“That’s the price.”

“Your intentions are… honourable?”

“No, not that it’s any of your business, I’m the one making demands here.”

Mike thought of his options, or rather his lack of them. “O.K.” he agreed reluctantly.

“But if you do anything to discourage her, you’re introuble.”

“You’ll stay if I do?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then no discouraging, I promise.”

It looked at him warningly. “Watch your back.” It faded into a green mist.

“Really?” Lil asked. “He asked me out.”

“Yeah,” Mike replied.

They were directing a crew of workmen at the library the next day.

“What do you think of him?” she asked.

Mike remembered the demon’s threat. “He’s O.K.”

She studied him closely. “I know when you’re lying.”

“Lil, he’s a good guy,”

She paused. “Really?”

“He’s fine.”

She started up the stairs. “I don’t know, he sounds…suggestive.”

“Would I be begging like this if I didn’t think he was good for you?”

She turned. “O.K. Mike. Tell him yeah, and give him my number.”

Two days later, Lil was sporting her new outfit. It was still dark and cold outside, but warm and bright in the renovated library. She spun round several times; making sure Mike could admire the dress from every angle.

“What do you think?”

“It screams ‘take me off’,” he commented sourly.

“Come on,” she smiled, teasing out his real thoughts.

He gave in. “Alright. It’s perfect,” he beamed.

Lil and ‘Declan’ had a date. It had taken over Mike to call Lil, much to Mike’s discomfort.

“Are you sure?”

“You look phenomenal! Believe me!”

“Sorry, I just want to make sure you’re giving a real opinion.”

“No, it’s O.K. You’ve only asked a dozen times,”

She laughed. “You always make me laugh.”

“You have a vast sense of humour.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him, from what you said,”

Mike felt panic. “What?”

“Don’t think I don’t trust you, I just don’t trust him completely,”

The demon arrived. It and Lil headed out the door. She gave a little wave.

“Bye Lil,” he called.

“Bye Tucker,” it whispered, smiling wickedly as it shut the door.

A few hours later, they sat together at a bar-restaurant in town. She was really having a great time. They laughed together.

“You know Dec, I didn’t think I’d enjoy myself tonight.”

“Why?”

“It’s just… silly really, Mike made you sound so, suggestive.”

“Really? My old buddy said that?”

“He didn’t say it,” she laughed. “That’s just how it sounded.”

“Hmm…” it pondered. “Would it be suggestive of me to kiss you?”

“Not really, I guess,” she blushed shyly.

“Good.” It kissed her, and she kissed back.

Mike saw the demon the next day. It lounged in one of the chairs and bragged of its success.

“Oh, she had such a good time,”

“Well as long as she had fun.”

“Oh she had more fun than you know,” It said in a dissolutely guarded tone.

Mike looked up from the repair schedule. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The demon looked up and laughed. “I slept with her.”

A deep rage built up inside him, but the demon’s next sentence replaced it with fear.

“Despite your efforts to discourage her from doing so.”

“I-I didn’t,” he stammered.

“She told me herself. I warned you.” It got up. “So I’ll have to punish you,”

“How?” The word was a frightened whisper.

“By staying, forever.”

Mike didn’t go to work the next day, or the day after. On the third day, he was still at home. The demon was slowly robbing him of his sanity. Rather than fight the demon and the pain it caused, Mike had resorted unsuccessfully to suicide. After painfully slitting his wrists several times over the bathroom sink, and every time watching the wound close up with a wave of its hand, without even a drop of blood spilt, the demon spoke:

“Stop! It’s embarrassing!”

Shaking, Mike turned away from the mirror.

“Then what- would you- have me do?” He was gasping, tripping over the words.

The demon stared back from its seat on the edge of the bath.

“There’s only one way to die once I move in,” it said casually.

“And what- would that be?”

It laughed. “Do you think I’m gonna tell you?”

“Oh come on- you might get- a kick outta it!”

“Well, it’s not like you’d be able to pull it off, and even if you do it’ll be funny.” It thought. “You have to pierce every part of your body, simultaneously...” It laughed as if at an old joke.

Mike’s mind raced, then he found a solution. He ran out the door.

On the same day, Lil went looking for him. She checked his apartment and found the door unlocked. She checked every room, and while in the bathroom she found a bloodied knife in the sink. She ran back to the library to see if he was there. She knew something was wrong.

When she got there, it was dark. She fumbled for the switch, flicked it on and off, but nothing happened. She ventured forth, only the pale moon light as her guide.

“Mike?” she called.

No one answered. She looked over to the area in front of the counter and below the levels of balconies. There was a huge board- it must have been 8ft by 4ft- with sharp nails protruding from its surface.

“Lil, is that you?” Mike’s voice echoed from somewhere above.

“Where are you?”

“Go away.” His voice had changed location.

“Come out, this is crazy!”

“Like me,” He had suddenly gotten closer.

“You’re not crazy.”

She turned as he emerged. “How do you know, huh? How do you know I’ve not gone completely insane? …You should go.” He returned to the shadows, Lil followed.

Far ahead of her, he met the demon half way up the stairs. “She’s still here.” it stated.

“I know.”

“You’ll have to get rid of her.”

“I know.”

She followed Mike’s footfalls up the stairs, then paused to listen. She heard him on the next set of stairs and rushed across the second level. She went up the flight of stairs, then another, and another.

Lil reached the fifth level landing- the level that got the least light from the windows and called:

“Mike?”

“Lil? Go away!”

“No!”

She was shoved against the wall and a hand held her throat. It was Mike, she realised, but he wasn’t planning on hurting her, just scaring her. “Leave.” came his now dark, inhuman voice.

Rain started to batter the windows. He released her, and walked quickly to the railing, with her still following quietly. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness as she watched him climb onto the railing. She looked down to see the board of nails far below.

“No!” she cried.

He turned, surprised, as if waking from a dream. Unknown to her, the demon stood beside him.

“What are you waiting for? End this!” Mike stood still. “Do you want to hurt her Tucker?”

“No.”

“Mike, what’s going on?” she asked.

“You’ll hurt her if you stay. Come on, how long do you think you would last if I stuck around?”

“Did you sleep with Declan?” Mike asked her.

“No! Of course not!”

“She’s lying.” the demon dismissed.

“Mike, I think…” she hesitated, “I think, I still love you,”

“You still love me?” he asked disbelievingly at her startling revelation.

“Yeah. I just recently figured it out myself. Being with someone else felt wrong.”

“She’s lying,” it said again.

“You were right about him, I kissed him once, then he goes all ‘let’s go back to your place.’ I just left. All I could think about was how I wished you were there.”

Mike was silent in the darkness briefly before responding, “I love you too Lil.”

“This is ridiculous!” the demon cried.

“Declan?” she asked. The demon looked as shocked as she was.

“Where did you come from?” she asked.

“How can she see you?” Mike asked.

“I-I let her.”

“Now why would you do that?” Mike’s confidence was retuning.

“Look, just jump!” it demanded

“You know what buddy? Why don’t you go first?”

With one great push, the demon was pushed over the railing and sent down the five levels.

“No!” it cried before- crash! -it hit the board with a dieing gasp.

Mike jumped down to Lil and held her.

“Well done Mike; you got me, you figured it out,” It sighed as it turned into a green mist and faded away. “Watch your back,” it echoed.