She heard Amy ’ s angelic voice . “ Mommy . Mommy , wake up .” Small arms wrapped around her , squeezing her tightly . Mary opened her eyes . She almost thought she was dead , then her pupils focused and she saw her little girl . It was Amy hugging her . “ Amy . Is it really you ?” “ Yes , Mommy . Father Nicholas did it .” Laying together on the newly damaged bed , they grabbed hold of each other as if life depended on it . “ Praise God ,” Mary whispered , kissing Amy ’ s head .
The good Father watched this touching scene with a hint of regret . It was a successful endeavor , but it was over . Business was business and it was time for him to move on . He grabbed his bag and left in silence .
* * *
Strolling into the rectory , Father Nicholas played back the day ’ s events in his mind . The thought of Amy floundering about like a hyperventilating fish gave him a giggle . She played her part so well . He mulled over all the gibberish and nonsense he spoke . There was a time when he would ’ ve actually needed to know the Rite of Exorcism . The advent of technology eliminated that need . All he had to do now was keep up with the newest movie interpretations of an exorcism . He unloaded the contents of his bag onto his kitchen table . Shaking the flask , he heard a little holy water slosh around inside . He unscrewed the lid and gulped down what was left . “ Burns so good ,” he cracked before refilling it with his favorite vodka . There was a knock at the back door . He knew who it was . “ Come in , Amy .”
A humanoid of pure flame walked through the door . Old Nick produced two shot glasses to go with the bottle of vodka . “ Have a seat .” he commanded . She sat at the rickety table and watched him pour . “ I have questions ,” she said trepidatiously . “ I know you do . You will know what you need to know by the time I ’ m through ,” he answered , sliding one of the drinks over to her . She knocked back the shot , the bright red of her throat radiating a deep blue as the libation went down .
“ Another ?” Nick offered . Amy nodded , taking another shot . “ You were called upon because you are adept at manipulation , my fiery one . The perfect demon to aid me in this little experiment .” Amy ’ s cheeks brightened in a blush as Old Nick took his seat across the table from her . “ I discerned long ago that as time wore on , humans would eventually find their way away from us . When I expressed my disquiet , He dismissed my concerns out of hand citing ‘ free will ’. A narcissist , that one ,” he laughed bitterly , taking a shot himself . “ If His followers lost their way to Him then , by proxy , they would lose their way to me . There can be no belief in God ’ s fallen angel if there is no belief in the one true God ,” He chuckled again .
“ That could not happen . It ’ s only natural that beliefs change , as such so shall we . Over the centuries , I have enlisted the help of your brothers and sisters to inhabit human bodies , as you well know . Tales recounting the power of almighty God and evil Lucifer spread across the lands , instilling fear and faith so needed for us to survive .”
Amy exuded awe at the parable expanding before her . She poured herself another shot as Old Nick rolled on . “ Human possessions , ‘ deals with the Devil ,’ temptation , all of it got easier through the years as they learned to value items over all else . But that has not stopped belief from dying away altogether in large swaths . I blame the damn churches ; they are exactly perfect at mismanagement .”
Amy thought back to the day Old Nick summoned her . She , Avnas , the most feared “ President of Hell ,” as the lesser demons called her , was the chosen one . She couldn ’ t help but feel pride . She did everything as instructed , no questions asked . She watched the child even in the womb , became her invisible friend as a toddler . When the tiny human outgrew the need to babble to thin air , Avnas assumed the mantle of guardian angel ; whispering in her ear , meticulously massaging the adolescent ’ s psyche until the young human was open and ready . Together as one being , they burned the family ’ s bond from the inside out . The devastation they caused was so deep and catastrophic that she was unsure if the girl would be able to survive without the gentle embrace of Avnas in her cerebellum . The death of poor Joe was unfortunate . That wasn ’ t the plan , she regretted it the moment it occurred .
“ I know , kiddo ,” Nick ’ s satiny voice extracted her from her musing . “‘ The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry .’ You generated the intended outcome . Remorse is for the weak , never think on it again .” He traced a finger along the line of her lips , tiny sparks danced on his fingertips . “ I set up the circumstances when they first met . Fed their lust , greed , pride , but even that wasn ’ t enough , ‘ free will ’ being what it is . Then Mary got pregnant , not my doing . A happy accident . Their ambition and self-importance did the rest . The scheme formulated itself after that . That ’ s where you came in .”
Amy listened intently as she relished the tingling sensation , but she was bothered by something . “ If I may be candid , Father . This seems rather elaborate .”
Old Nick leaned back , weighing her words . “ You aren ’ t completely off base . I ’ ll admit , I was savoring the circumstances , taking pleasure in my work . But that does not negate the big picture , deary . I ’ m not converting good , faithful Christians to forsake their savior ; I ’ m fabricating faith where there was once absolutely none , shepherding the flock when the herdsman won ’ t .”
True revelation registered on Amy as Old Nick finished . “ You succeeded , Old Nick .”
“ Now you understand , my precious Avnas . It ’ s what they call a necessary evil .”
“ Indeed it is ,” she said , wonderstruck by her maker .
He poured another drink for them both . “ A toast . To Charles Baudelaire .”
They clinked glasses .