Niviene Larethian

Message About Mom

“Don’t worry kid, you’re mum's okay.” 

Korissa narrowed her eyes at the imp, “How do you know about momma?”

The demon snorted and rolled his eyes, “I got connections. Don’t you worry about that either missy. I was sent to tell you she’s safe and she is. So now I’m gonna go.”

The creature looked back at the little girl, cocking his head to the side as he peered at her, “You know, I kinda do see it. Man this is weird, seeing you like this.” he raised his clawed hand and pulled at the air, drawing energy into the beginnings of a portal. He paused, the dark gateway no larger than a window, and looked back at Korissa, “How old are kid, eight, nine?” He nodded before turning back to his task, “Yeah, I’ll be seeing you again in a year or two.”

The girl blinked, “What do you mean? When? Wait!”

But the imp was already gone, the only evidence of his visit was a slight scent of ozone in the air.

On the other side of the portal a heavily veiled woman waited, “Well?” she asked impatiently.

“It’s done Sunny.” The demon gave the woman a crooked smile. “She’s a cute one.Maybe a little slow on the uptake” he teased, “But I guess she gets better with age.”

“You didn’t tell her anything else did you? About me? About you?”

“Hey now. Don’t get your knickers in a bunch. You told me what to say and I said it. Nothin else.”

The imp turned his gaze to the side, ducking his head slightly. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, “Are you sure about that? You didn’t say anything else?”

The demon shook his head, “Naw, nothin that’ll make a difference anyway. It’s all good. Don’t you worry about it.”

Back at the Larethian house Korissa went to her seldom used toy box and emptied all the dolls to the floor. She glanced around the room, her eyes resting on the door and listening intently. Greeted by silence, the girl bent over the chest, she grasped a piece of fabric and pulled up the false bottom.

She lifted up an old, tattered book, taking it to the window seat where she flipped through the pages until she came to the one she was looking for. She read the page for what had to have been the hundredth time, her eyes occasionally straying to the empty space where the imp had disappeared.

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs Korissa quickly shoved the book beneath the cushions and darted to the toy box. She was putting the dolls back in when Venibeth stopped in the doorway, “Come on kiddo, it’s dinner time.”