further developed itself.
“My…prize?” he questioned.
“The heart of the girl, you ignorant fool.
You are going to obtain the love of Jade. She
will be yours for the taking and nothing will stop
you…if, and only if, you follow my instructions
closely. Jade has made you aware of this other
man. Your enemy.”
These words rang multiple times in Alex’s
head. My enemy.
“You need to dispose of him like the waste
of space he is.” The demon continued. “Then,
and only then, will Jade be free. You don’t want
her to be sad in her relationship with this creaton,
do you? Being a part of you, I already know your
answer.”
“So what do you expect me to do? I can’t
just take her away from him!” Alex asked, standing up from the corner and wiping the sweat from
his brow.
“You’re going to kill him. Slaughter him
in cold blood. You will be delivering him the
fate he so rightly deserves.”
“That’s murder! I’m not going to commit
a homicide just for my well-being!”
“This isn’t murder. It’s delivering justice.
It’s taking the prize you so rightly deserve.”
Alex pondered the thought slowly, replaying the imagery of it in his mind over and over
again. This demon claims to be me. Therefore,
he must know what’s right for me. What will finally bring me the happiness I so rightfully deserve. I’ll do it. My enemy will be no more and I
will finally be happy. Jade will finally be happy.
We can be happy together and live out the rest of
our lives in peace. Hair covered the entire right
side of Alex’s face as he looked up at the demon
in the mirror. “I’ll do it. I’ll set you free and I’ll
claim my prize.”
The demon crafted the most evil smile any
creature had ever worn. “Excellent. You’ll need
some supplies. Get busy.”
Alex gently cradled the sharp knife his inner demon instructed him to purchase. This
would be the tool that would claim the life of his
enemy. This would be the weapon that would set
his demon free and finally grant him the happi-
31
ness that Jade could deliver. The night carried a
cool breeze, an odd weather pattern for a summer
night. A storm was approaching, the most severe that New York had seen in a few years.
“Tonight is perfect,” Alex said to himself. He
looked at the demon in the mirror with evil eyes.
The demon smirked, “Now just remember
the plan and follow it explicitly, step by step.
Jade is throwing a birthday party for your enemy
in her apartmen и