My Dear Cousin

Notice from the Hamilton Police Department:

The HPD is currently giving a reward to anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Silvia Velazquez, who vanished from her residence in Bear Creek Avenue on January 4, 2017. We are also giving a reward for information on the murder of her husband Jorge Velazquez, who was brutally murdered in his home of the same address the day of his wife's disappearance. Silvia was last seen wearing a teal nightgown and teal slippers by her only son, Joseph, who claims she was abducted. The only evidence of Jorge's murder at the Velazquez residence was a 6-foot wide hole in the roof of the house. The rest of the evidence is classified. Joseph and the HPD are unaware of who is responsible for the abduction or the murder, but begs the people of Trenton County to cooperate in order to get his mother back home.

In case the search for my mother is not completed by me, my story will stay here only for the hope that my quest be continued. I hope the search goes on if I am to fail.

Dedicated to Silvia Velazquez, My Beautiful Mother. I Will Find You. J.V.

Driving buzzed is always a melodious activity, especially after you just had some the best sex you've ever had. Everything seemed brighter, the green lights always happened to illuminate the moment I got near a stoplight, even that horrendous radio music was tolerable. I drove right past three police officers on the way home, but they didn't seem to assume that a half-drunk seventeen year old would be driving across town in a 2016 Dodge Challenger. They, in all likelihood, reckoned the car as being driven by a moderately wealthy businessman who had a mildly average taste in motor vehicles. I still couldn't believe my dad let me borrow his prized possession though. Well, actually I do, I know he is fully aware of how much of a pussy magnet a fucking brand new car is. I'm still pondering on whether or not the Challenger was the stimulus which granted me access into Sophie's jeans. Ah, who cares. I got some.

I drove smoothly home, and as I turned the corner of the street, my extravagantly decorated abode was the first thing that caught my eye. Even though Christmas was long past, the decorations were still the spectacle of the avenue. Mother has always been holiday savvy, and implemented immense pressure on my father in having the best decor in the neighborhood. The tremendous inflatable Saint Nick was just one of the cornucopia of accessories which made the Velazquez residence shine from the rest. Rainbow-colored Christmas lights lined our house from the gutters to the outlines of each window. The electronic candy canes gave the swerving stone path to the front door a faint burgundy luminescence. The three reindeer on our lawn looked so life-like, the moveable heads pointed towards the grass swayed from side to side in a feeding fashion. My mother was always so extra with flaunting my father's wealth, I presume it's because of the all-Caucasian neighborhood we reside in and the excessively racist stereotype that describes every Hispanic as being an "illegal immigrant who crawled their way into this country in order to do whatever the white man tells them to no matter how little the pay." I feel as if she still leaves the decorations out about two weeks after a holiday to make it clear to all our neighbors just how "American" we can be. My father worked his ass off in the real estate industry to be where he is today, so I kind of agree with my mother whenever she wants to go all out just to prove a point.

I flashed a warm smile as I glanced at the large wreath infested with red bows and cute little acorns on our front door. A sense of pride flooded my being as I gazed upon the "Bienvenidos A La Casa Velazquez" wood carve on the top of the door before entering. It was probably the potpourri of me being the spawn of a successful real estate mogul who happened to be born in Mexico and how I just took down a white girl who seeme to be very into brown sugar. How do you like that, Trump?

"Why did you take so long? Your father let you use the car until nine. Do you know what time it is dumbass?"

My mom startled me, she was sitting in quietude on the living room sofa, completely covert in the gloom. She made it her mission to astound me once I opened the door, no matter how long she had to wait. It's funny how she always calls me dumbass or retard even though I'm a straight-A student. I also think it's kind of cute how mothers care so much for their offspring. Well it's kind of obvious why they do.

"Uhhhh.... I know it's late but you know how I said we were gonna go out to eat, her dad ended up concluding that was a bad idea and insisted that we stay with him to watch a movie at their place. How was I supposed to deny a request like that?"

Even though I downed two 40 oz. bottles of Olde English (I know, because of my race I'm supposed to have a native liking to brews like Corona or Modelo, but I've always enjoyed the taste of cheap malt liquor), my swift thinking was always there for me when I needed it most. I damn well would have made an excuse not to stay if her dad insisted on Sophie and I to watch movies at her place, there's no way I was going to stroll in there with a bunch of 40s and a pack of Trojans. In all truth we just spent all night in the Challenger, drinking and trying out some very peculiar positions which made me sweat like a pig on a treadmill and had her as satisfied as those women receiving a new blender on Oprah.

"Hmmmm, what did he ask you? I bet you were very nervous huh dummy," stated my mother while giving off a grin that reflected her dazzling beauty even as she was making fun of me.

"Regular dad stuff, I always had a good answer to every question though. I'm pretty sure he approves of me."

"That's my boy, stick it to those 'gueros' who think of us as nothing but their gardeners (Oh I stuck it to that 'guera' all right). Now go to sleep already before your dad wakes up and realizes how late it is."

"It's good mom, thanks. Love ya."

"Love you too mijo."

She then got up from the sofa and walked to the room, relieved that her only son was once again under the safety of their home. I was in the kitchen gulping a huge glass of water when I heard the door to my parent's room close. After chugging almost half of my body weight in thirst-quenching H2O, I proceeded towards my room. My shirt was still soaked in sweat and reeked of beer and sex, so I immediately removed it and made a three-pointer into my hamper. Exhaustion took its toll on my body, showering was put off until tomorrow morning. I was changing into more comfortable clothing for my long awaited slumber when someone suddenly opened my door.

I've never seen my mother's face so overwhelmed with dread in my life. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth was trying to muster up a sentence but it was a failed attempt every time she tried. Both fear and confusion were exhibited on her face. But what would cause her to change her expression so swiftly and quietly? I had heard no scream or noise of any nature. Her phone was in her right hand, and I knew something was wrong the second I saw that hand trembling. Finally, she regained composure and muttered one word.

"Angelica."

Okay for the sake of the backstory and your confusion, I shall explain who Angelica is and why she is so important and cherished by the whole Velazquez family.

Angelica Velazquez is my first cousin and the oldest daughter of my Uncle Rodrigo and my Aunt Leticia. When Angelica was four, her mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which took an immense toll on her whole family. She died when Angelica was seven, and that was an excruciatingly significant turning point in the way of her thinking and lifestyle. The young Angelica was already severely despondent from watching her mother go through the various waves of cancer. Seeing her mother in a casket was the icing on the cake on my cousin's road towards deep depression. The death of my aunt overwhelmed her with so much despair that a fragment of her very being left. Like literally abandoned her. Forsook her. That was the part of Angelica that would enable her to smile, to feel compassion. To feel joyful of any form. Two years after the death of her mother, Angelica got struck with some bad luck once again. A rare form of leukemia had made her body its host, and what was once a lost young lady desperately seeking a mother's warmth, was now an anorexic, frail shell of a human being with no emotions whatsoever.

The disease started progressing aggressively, making her nearly bedridden and on constant trips to the emergency room. But after a year, she mysteriously beat the disease. For months things were slowly getting better until it creeped up on her again. The second time she was diagnosed was like a reminder for her that the omnipotent being which she believed in didn't want her alive. Angelica became even more depressed and even suicidal, writing poems about her and her mother being together in the "afterlife" one day and even attempting to overdose on pills. At one point in her teenage lifetime, her father claimed that she started dabbling with satanism and the dark arts. He once caught her trying to execute a ritual or offering of some sort, and immediately stripped her of her internet access and cellphone. He found out that her online acquaintances who were going through the same hardships she endured encouraged her into such madness, so he cut her off from the outside world. After an extensive intervention with the entire Velazquez family, she finally realized that there was more to life than she once speculated. Even though she was still sick, she started to enjoy life more little by little. The remorse of her mother's death was fading day by day by the constant and never-ending love of her father, brother, little sister, and new step-mother.

Miraculously, she is 19 years old and doing well. By well I mean she is doing well for a young woman who has battled tremendous tribulations ever since she was a little girl.

In the setting of the story, Angelica is currently staying at our Uncle Romero and Aunt Sophia's house in California. Her parents were in Mexico because her step-mom's mother had fallen terribly ill, and Angelica was in no condition to travel. So my aunt stepped up and was tending to her every need until her parents got back. Anyways, now we get back to the story.

At first, I was a bit puzzled. Saying her name could have meant a bunch of possibilities. But whether she was kidnapped, killed, or in an accident, it inflicted great sorrow and astonishment upon my mother. There was also the possibility that she wanted to, or did, inflict harm upon herself.

"Wait, what about her?"

"R-r-read the messages."

I grabbed my mother's phone from her hands and immediately went to her inbox. The following messages shown below were photographed by my phone the same day of the incident.



(The first message translates to "help me please." The second message translates to "it's Angelica I'm going crazy." The last message translates to "call me.")

I stood there utterly flabbergasted. Even though I was bewildered, I was still concerned. But a chill so tingly raced down my spine, causing a similar facial expression to the one my mother had when she walked in the room. I couldn't make up what I just read even if it was right in front of me in plain text. How could my dear cousin be in any danger if she was under the constant supervision of my aunt and uncle? And her saying "I'm going crazy" filled my brain with many scenarios which I did not want to think about.

"Call her. Something is wrong, I can feel it," I told my mom who still in a low state of a shock.

"You're fucking retarded, I have her number saved from the weekend she visited and wanted Taco Bell. That's not her number."

"Even if it's not you got to call! Mom something can be happening to her right now! It has to be her, who else would text you with the same name begging for help? Call her!"

".......I can't."

I started to notice the terror in my mother's face. She was tensed up and was not looking forward to what was going to be said in that call. The prostration from the strange texts had her unable to reason.

Like the amazing son I am, I contemplated and decided that I should take matters into my own hands. Well either way I had no choice, it was either that or my cousin would fall into a dangerous dilemma of some sort.

My mother's phone is old, so old that it doesn't have the option to call the number straight from the inbox. I was too much in a hurry to endeavor remembering the number so my rapid thinking mobilized. I simply added the number into my mom's address book under the number two (it was just the closest and first character I saw on the keyboard).

I dubiously prepared myself for what was going to happen next. I hesitated. But every second I wasted could've meant more seconds of Angelica's predicament going into effect. I pressed "Call".

The phone began to ring, attempting to connect to the other mobile device. After about a minute, the call went to voicemail.

You know how the automated machine tells you, "Please leave a message for (insert name here)?" As I listened to muffled background sounds and peculiar random movements that replaced the name of the phone's owner, I received a text from "2." I cleared my throat. I clicked on it.

"10:20 Jan. 3 Can't talk now, what's up?" I was relieved that it wasn't another vaguely creepy message again, it was just one of the optional messages you send someone when they call you when you're busy. Then I thought to myself, "Why would she be pleading for help and asking my mother to call her if she d-"

The phone began to ring.

It was an incoming call from "2".

Moment of truth. I pressed answer. My mother was by my side, still spooked but zealous enough to listen.

"Uhh hello?"


 * silence*

"Angelica, is that you?"


 * 4 second pause*

"Yeah."

(Her voice was raspy and weak, like if she just finished doing something strenuous.)

"What's wrong?"


 * sliding noise in background, like a chair or table being moved*

"Oh nothing."

(I was confused, this countered her desperate messages that she had sent earlier.)

"Uhhhh, well how come you sent my mom those texts? You sure you good?"


 * muffled noises in background*

Her voice changed to a very low whisper. She started repeating a phrase which was too difficult to hear. My mom and I held the phone up closer to our ears in order to decipher what she kept repeating. Suddenly, I figured out what she was saying.

"Shut up."

"Shut up."

"Shut up."

She kept repeating this until the tenth time it was muttered. Then there was silence again. I couldn't decide whether to be scared or concerned. After a couple seconds of nothingness, she commenced a conversation with what seemed to be somebody in the background, but I was too affrighted about the phrase she kept repeating to make out what she said. But this time I could tell Angelica's voice tone changed from calm to frantic and frightened.

"Angelica, are you okay?" I asked her.

That's when the most bizarre part of the phone call began.

Loud heavy movements could be heard in the background, the constant rustling and shuffling of objects lasted for about ten seconds. The noise you hear when the other person is in a windy area was next, along with a low pitch of mumbling that I couldn't make out. That both bothered and scared me since Angelica can't be outside for long periods of time. It then became silent for a couple seconds.

Then..... then that fucking scream.

A blood-curdling scream that sounded like Angelica was heard from my mom's phone. It startled me so bad I almost dropped it on the floor. Every hair in the back of my neck pointed to the heavens. My mom was aghast. Her face exhibited pure horror. But that's when she stepped in. She immediately swiped the phone from my hands.

"MIJA?! MIJA WHERE ARE YOU WHERE ARE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE YELL FOR HELP YELL ANYTHING YELL FOR HELP PLEASE RUN TO THE SAFEST SPOT YOU CAN FIND," at this point my mom was near hyperventilating and in tears.

".........."

The complete silence after the scream made my mother so anxious that it seemed like she was gonna pass out.

"ANGELICA ANSWER ME!"

".............. "


 * ended call tone starts*

Whoever was on the other line hung up on my mother. Whoever had or was after her succeeded in their quest. Whatever vile human being that would be cruel enough to kidnap or harm an ill, out of shape young woman who was powerless and unable to protect herself shouldn't be allowed to walk the earth. They should be cleaning public bathrooms with their tongues. My mom and I just stood there. My mom was bawling her eyes out while I was paralyzed in shock, staring at nothing trying hard to process what just occurred. Mother and I then exchanged terrified glances.

She was the first one to react. Well of course it was, the oldest daughter of her former best friend and dear sister, my aunt Leticia, was in imminent danger. She opened her phone and hurriedly called my aunt who was supposed to be taking care of Angelica. My mom was desperate in aiding my cousin who was hundreds of miles away, the fact that she couldn't do anything about it just added on to her overflowing stress.

"Hello?"

"SOPHIA. GO TO ANGELICA'S ROOM NOW."

"Is that you Silvia? What's wrong? You sound scared."

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO CHECK ON ANGELICA."

"Okay okay but you better explain what's going on after I check on her."


 * walks to the room Angelica is currently staying in*

"She's fine, she's in her bed asleep. Now care to explain?"

Both my mom and I were even more perplexed as before, but also a rush of relief set us free from the colossal tension which was close to turning us mad. My mother then explained the situation to my aunt Sophia, who was just as baffled as we were but since she had clear evidence that Angelica was safe and sound, she came up with a rational explanation. A prank caller/texter must've sent my mom the messages to fuck with her. People these days really have no respect.

My mother, now crying from the satisfaction that her niece was alright, told me to go to sleep, she headed for her bedroom to do the same. I was tired. A lingering feeling of spookiness still inhabited my being. I stared at nothing once again replaying what just happened in my mind, over and over again. I was in bed already when it hit me.

If it was a prank caller, why did the culprit sound exactly like my cousin? If it was a prank caller, how in the world could they know Angelica, her contacts and that my mom only speaks Spanish? Also, why wouldn't the culprit message anyone other than my mom? Only the genuine Angelica would, since she trusts my mom more than anyone except her own father.

I was once again creeped the fuck out. Little bugs started crawling over my skin, but they were just goosebumps. Someone must have exceptional computer skills to extract that much intel from a cellular device. Some weirdo actually put that much effort just to get a good laugh from it. Trying to make rational sense of the events only made things more difficult in my head. I shook it in disgust. After giving up on my attempt to keep my myself from thinking about what happened, I tried my best to fall asleep, it took me a while to actually enter my smooth slumber. Tomorrow will be a better day.

I was woken up by a hand firmly holding my mouth, someone either didn't want me to either breathe or speak. My astonished reflexes kicked in, I tried to remove the hand that was immobilizing my speech but the grip held tight.

"Shhhhh."

It was my dad. He slowly removed his hand from my mouth while signaling me to stay quiet with his other one. I can see the silhouette of my mother behind him in the dark.

"What the hell is going on?"

"A noise woke me up. I think a broken window. I woke your mom up and grabbed the shotgun, and then your mom received some messages...."

Bafflement and despair started taking over my father's voice. He handed me my mother's phone, and I went directly to the inbox and clicked on "2."

(For your convenience and mine, instead of posting the pictures of the messages in Spanish I will just add the translations in message form.)

1:16 A.M.       Jan. 4 Help me please I beg you

1:16 A.M.       Jan. 4 It's me. Angelica I don't know what to do anymore....

1:17 A.M.       Jan. 4 I am in your house.

My body turned numb after reading that the message. My heart sank like an anchor floating into the abyss. My eyes widened to the equivalent of an owl's. The prankster is in our house. I started losing the feeling on the tips of my fingers. I thought it was just some joke which was created to kill time for this person, nothing more than 5 minutes of his/her time. But no. This person has a much bigger goal, whatever it is, it's in the house to reach it.

"Why, why us." My mother was sobbing rivers at this point, she was scared beyond belief, especially since it was her phone which was receiving the messages.

"Don't worry. We will be fine," Whispered my dad while holding his shotgun with an iron grip. He tried to ease my mother's fright, but her fear was inevitable.


 * thud*

A frying pan fell from its hook in the kitchen downstairs. I could also hear footsteps. However the footsteps were light and in short paces, unlike the common loud and long-paced steps you usually hear in a horror flick.

Then I heard the humming.

"You hear that?" My dad began to hear the humming too. We began to listen closely to it, in an attempt to determine more about the person who was in our house.

As I kept listening, the hum started to sound familiar....

My heart dropped once again. My skin ran cold. Holy shit.

The trespasser was humming the intro to "Clairvoyant Disease" by Avenged Sevenfold, one of my favorite bands. I only know one person who hums and sings that song since she thinks her leukemia will give her a supernatural ability in the future. It really was her. The blissfulness of her hum confirmed her identity and I was paralyzed on the spot. I started to lose the feelings in my fingers again.

Then the singing commenced.

"Dust begins to fall..... to the grooooounnnd"

"The air is cold and thiiiiiiinnnnnn..."

My parents automatically recognized that sweet, heart-warming voice. It was their beautiful niece. They looked at each other, speechless. Words couldn't describe this scenario even if they tried. My mother's face was pale. She was close to losing consciousness. My father looked at me and muttered the words, "what the fuck" with his lips, remaining silent.

"Thoughts surrounded meeeee...as I look aaarrrooouuundd..."

The footsteps moved from the kitchen to the living room. Her humming flooded my mind with memories of our childhood. She would always perform her routine when I would visit since I was the one who introduced her and her brother to the song. Movements so graceful, facial features so innocent when the melody was released from her lips. Right now, the tune is bringing my parents and I nothing but absolute terror. The fact that she was in California and three hours later she was in Virginia was beyond belief. My parents were aware of this too because they would've went downstairs to confront her a long time ago if they weren't. The awe was present in all of our facial expressions. The situation was so surreal that I even pinched myself just in case this was just a bad dream. My parents and I were stuck in our spots, trying our hardest not to emit any sound whatsoever. A flashlight my dad had in his drawer was our only source of light. My heart was beating with the speed of a gazelle. The constant pounding was literally the only thing other than the footsteps downstairs that was being heard.

But the footsteps came to a halt.

We waited silently, wondering what maniacal thing we were about to experience next.

"THIS WILL NEVER EEEENND, WHEN I BLEED FOREVEEERRRR."

That's the loudest she's ever been since she entered the house. It's like the sound waves ricocheted throughout the house like ping pong balls. My eardrums were close to exploding. The last line from the intro verse sent chills down to my very core. I could tell Angelica was smiling as she sang that part.

Then came the silence once again.

For a minute there I felt as if an extremely heavy presence has been lifted from me, from the house. Like if a veil that weighed a ton was risen from what it covered. My parents also felt the malevolent aura disappear. We were still inaudible, the quietness will soon be disturbed, we just don't know by what.

"Aunty? Uncle? Joey?"

It was Angelica. The actual Angelica.

"Someone help me please!"

" 'Gelica?! Is that you?!"

My mother knew it was the actual Angelica as well, so she responded.

"Tia (aunty)! Where are you?! help me please!"

My mom's motherly instincts kicked in, and she dashed downstairs and turned on all the lights. My dad quickly followed with his shotgun and I was last, but I didn't go downstairs until I grabbed the 9mm my dad got for my latest birthday. Since a couple of Hispanic teenagers were murdered by an extremist group of Caucasian adolescents that made their base in Hamilton, he felt I should be prepared if I were to fall in the same situation. I walked downstairs and gazed upon my cousin, it really was her. Her tiny physique looked battered and weak, her clothes were all worn down and some places were torn and stained. She looked absolutely dreadful, lifeless. My mom had her arms around her the minute she laid eyes upon her.

"Oh my goodness mija what happened to you," my mother asked while tearing up.

"I-I-I don't remember."

"Do you remember how you got here?"

"No....... just that after it was done all I was thinking about was you tia, since my mom is gone and you're like my second mom.... I was thinking about you guys and your lovely home...and I woke up right here in your living room."

The three of us were baffled by her words.

"W-Well at least you're okay, come sit down"

"Wait," my father interrupted their journey to the couch.

"After what was done?"

My dad noticed that part too. I was confused about it and was about to ask her myself as well. I had my right hand in my pocket, the 9mm was ready just in case.

My mom finally realized what she said in her statement.

"After what was done mija?"

Angelica's face transitioned from gloomy and confused to guilty and full of regret. I had a feeling her following words were gonna be the key to everything.

"......He appeared to me, one night in my dream, he said he can heal my sickness..... that he can make my lifelong misery stop.... that he can even bring my mom back...... all I had to do is perform a ritual that allowed him access to my body because he said he was going to heal me from the inside...."

My guts churned. Every one of my goosebumps was visible. I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"..............Sweetie, who's this 'he' you're talking about?"

"..............Baphomet."

That name struck a nerve in my being. Where did I know that name from? Last year in school we were learning about the Knights Templar, and they worshipped a demon deity named Baphomet. Baphomet resembled a winged woman (because it has breasts) with a goats head and legs. I always thought demons and angels were pure bullcrap. I only believed in what I saw. But after that day I realized that there are so much things out there which we are not aware of.

My mother and father's jaws were halfway open, unable to make words. My parents were hardcore Catholics, so even talking about dark forces was strictly prohibited and in their opinion, condoning them meant you were doomed for eternity. They just heard their niece say that she gave a an evil entity enter her body to do what it pleases, so imagine how they're feeling right now. My mom quickly started reciting various prayers over her, my dad took his rosary out and wrapped it around his shotgun, which was now aimed directly at Angelica's head.

Then I felt the weight return. The darkness which weighed an unusual amount was back. But what could it be.... I had a bad feeling about this. It kept getting stronger and stronger.....

There was a grotesque snapping sound.

Angelica's head was angled ninety degrees to her left, yet her neck was still pointing upward. It snapped. As if an invisible force grabbed her by the head and quickly shifted it ninety degrees to the left. The bone crunching was enough to make me vomit. I saw it with my own eyes. Then it took a millisecond for her cheek to meet her shoulder. My mother couldn't believe her eyes. Her favorite niece's spine was now completely destroyed and she couldn't fathom why. She immediately collapsed on the floor. My dad was also terrified but had to maintain his cool just in case something else happened. Angelica's face was expressionless, almost peaceful even though every neck bone she had was now broken.

Then her right arm started to make otherworldly movements, each move it would make broke another bone. The left arm followed. Then the legs and feet. These movements will forever remain as one of my worst nightmares. The way each forearm would rotate 180 or 90 while the bicep was still in place was absolutely rectifying. The movements also seemed to defy gravity, no limb fell to the floor due from the gravity. Even if every single bone, ligament, and tendon was ripped from its place, the limb stayed suspended in the air. The only thing that kept her limbs intact was skin. Her back was next. The invisible force folded her in half, the whole spine was probably broken after this. At this point I couldn't bare to watch, I only heard each crunching noise which made me wretched. My mom laid on the floor, unconscious, she couldn't take the horrors that were being inflicted upon her niece. My dad even threw up a couple times too, but still had his shotgun aimed and ready.

Suddenly, Angelica's spine snapped back into place. She was now sitting upright, except for one minor difference.

She was now smiling.

Almost every single one of her bones was broken, yet she was grinning like a schoolgirl on her first day. That's when I knew she wasn't Angelica anymore. The oddly angled head then started looking at both my father and I. My heart felt like bursting from my chest.

"So.... who do we have here? More of the Velazquez kin? How most convenient."

That was not Angelica's voice. It sounded like a distorted baby's voice, like if a toddler swallowed something similar to a duck whistle. It made my skin cold.

I realized I wasn't going to come out alive from this. It was already in my head and I was okay with it. Literally every scenario that has a head spinning, bone-breaking possessed person doesn't end well. All my hopes of coming out of this safely were now atrophied. That's when I got the courage to speak.

"You're Baphomet right?"

Angelica's head turned 180 degrees to the right. Her eyes made contact with mine. Yet I knew I was looking into the eyes of pure evil.

"That is I."

"Why'd you appear in Angelica's dream?"

"Ahhhhh. Joseph. Hmmm. You see, I am what you people nowadays call 'a scammer.' I appear in front of the most desperate of you humans offering hope, and once I get permission to enter them, I wreak havoc upon the earth. There are occasions when I grant that certain person's desire, and there are occasions where I don't. Some people who are aware of our existence sometimes even give us permission without a trade. You see, you humans and us abysmal entities, we hate being called demons by the way, are much alike."

I couldn't fathom the fact I was talking to Baphomet himself. A knight of hell, a place I once thought was make-believe. Every once in a while I'd feel woozy trying to comprehend the situation that I was in. I tried my hardest to maintain my level of courage and sanity.

"How so?"

Baphomet gave off a blood chilling chuckle. Way more realistic than the evil villains in cartoons. It sounded like thousands of people screaming when he laughed.

Baphomet used Angelica's mutilated hands to snap her head back into place.

"Much better. Anyways Joseph. Ahhh young Joseph. You see, much like you organic specimen, we get rather bored as well. There is simply nothing to do in this pitiful pebble of a planet anymore. Since most of the masses started collectively worshipping only a couple of deities, we forgotten entities must entertain ourselves somehow. Improvisation is our muse nowadays. You are aware of the airplane crash that ended the lives of almost a whole entire Brazilian sports team?"

I remembered that I watched that on the news a couple of weeks ago. Chapocoense, a Brazilian soccer team, was on their way to an important soccer match in Colombia when their plane allegedly ran out of fuel. The plane crashed into a mountainside, killing more than 70 people.

".... don't tell me that was you."

Angelica's grin widened to an unnatural length.

"I wish. Azazel got permission to possess the man who was in charge of that plane's fuel supply. He had stage two pancreatic cancer and was willing to do anything to get rid of it."

My mind exploded. These things literally use us as demolition derbies, what we call disasters, they call 50 points.

"Y-Y-You pieces of shit."

"Oh, someone has a potty mouth. Tssk tssk. But the list goes on my boy. Pope Alexander VI. Corrupt vicar of that wretched Christ was actually Eligos in the flesh. That Borgia did whatever it took to become pope. World War II's birth giver, Adolf Hitler. That fucking methhead had his top research team dabbling in the darker side of truths, and attracted my close friend Beleth. That German germ was more than willing to give himself to him, but Beleth turned out to be quite the conquerer. The Fukushima Power Plant Meltdown? None other than our beautiful yokai sister Kiyo Hime. Some beings even get bored of their native lands so they roam the planet in search for potential mayhem. The Columbine High School Massacre? Credited to Latin America's delinquent twins Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl. Oh and September 11, 2001. Baal himself. Some of his greatest work I must say. One of my colleagues, Astaroth, was just in Tucson a couple of days ago. That guy really needs to learn to conceal himself better though. Shall I list more?"

I was mind-boggled. The world's bloodiest events in history were just bored demons trying have a good laugh. I felt like he was lying, but his reasoning was too rational to be ignored. And after what I saw that night, there were no doubts in my mind. This was beyond my comprehension, but I was still angry.

"You scum, why don't you go cause a mass murder somewhere else instead of taking one defenseless girl's life away from her! You sorry excuse for a demon! I bet you're the lowest of the low."

Angelica's smile immediately changed to a frown in a fraction of a second. This made my father flinch and my hand even more prepared with my firearm.

"You measly maggot, I used to control the Knight Templars you know. You are but a pest in my radar. This skinny little cunt I'm in is but a molecule of dust to me. But you see, she was persistent. She caught the attention of many in the Realm ever since her mother died, and she got even more attention once she tried to contact us a couple years ago. I was pretty busy at the time though. I had a meeting with a promising young boy named Adam Lanza. I'm sure you've heard of him."

Yet another horrible massacre that went down as one of America's bloodiest days.

"It was you.... who killed all those children.... y-you monster."

Her eerie grin had returned.

"Guilty as charged. But enough chitchat, I must get busy before I spend all day here. Say Joseph, you do know why I'm here right?"

I've noticed that he hasn't spoken a word to my father since he revealed himself. Why is he only talking to me?

"No, I thought you came to kill us."

Baphomet chuckled hysterically.

"Of course not silly. There's no point in killing you, us abysmals are malevolent but not to that extent. You see, first little Angelica told me her biggest desire was to cure herself from her disease. But after test driving her I discovered that her desire was a lie. She has an even greater desire, one of the strongest I've seen in a while. And that is to one day be reunited with her mother in the realm of the living."

I was once again perplexed.

"W-well then why come here?"

"Good question. Leticia Velazquez died years ago, beyond the point in which I can reanimate the body. It is too decomposed. But I have another trick. I need someone who's soul socket is compatible with Leticia's soul. And guess who was the lucky winner?"

Angelica's eyes shifted at my mom, who has been passed out the whole time. Her smile widened even more.

My world began to collapse. Is he saying what I think he's trying to say? My legs started to go numb.

Meanwhile, my dad was listening to everything as well but stayed quiet, until now. He is smarter than I am, so he caught on a bit earlier than me.

"Oh no you don't. Not my Silvia you goat-headed motherfucker. Now in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, go back to wherever you came from."

He fired his twelve gauge twice straight at Angelica's heart. Her body flew backwards and blood began pouring from her chest area.

If everything I've watched and read on demons and deities is true, then my dad is one naive idiot for what he just did.

"Joey I think we-"

Baphomet's chuckle resonated throughout the living room once again. Angelica's body levitated until Baphomet was once again standing. He ripped Angelica's heart from her chest and began to eat it. I would've vomited if I didn't already throw up like everything that was in my stomach. Only bile spewed from my mouth now. Once Angelica finished chowing down her most vital organ, she gave off a burp.

"Scrumptious. This is to show you that anything you do is futile. You annoyed me Jorge, I was going to let you live your life happily and peacefully after this. Oh well."

Objects from Angelica's body suddenly started poking out from her skin. While the body was trembling, she kept a grin and a gaze at my dad's mortified face. I wanted to tell him to run, but I knew that would be pointless and it would only make the entity angrier. Flesh began tearing from Angelica's forehead, back, and feet.

I was dumbfounded at what Angelica became. She turned into pure evil itself. Her ten-foot wide wings stretched out and reached from one corner of the living room to the other. They were drizzled in blood and a mucus-like substance that hid the wings leathery exterior. Her goat hooves resembled the devil's hellish feet and the legs lengthened a bit, giving her three extra feet in height. The horns looked ancient, covered in the same substances as the wings. I didn't realize she grew a tail too until I saw its lion like, four foot long grace swaying back and forth. This was the true visualization of darkness. Of evil. Of hell. Of death. What was once my anorexic cousin with leukemia is now the queen of the underworld. Her frail little body was still intact, but the new features added to the horror. The gaping hole in her chest was still bleeding. My father and I had no words. We we facing the devil itself.

"Now I floss with your intestine."

Baphomet swung his left wing swiftly right through my father's neck. As his head fell to the floor, I saw the creature that was once my cousin grab the rest of the body with its tail, reach down into the open esophagus, and pull out one of my father's intestines.

Angelica's face remained expressionless through the whole thing. That's what creeped me out the most. I had no desire to live anymore. My dad was decapitated and my mother was going to get taken away from me.

After slurping the intestine like a spaghetti noodle, Baphomet wiped the blood with Angelica's extra small sweater sleeve.

"You should've warned him Joey."

I fell to my knees. My eyes were gushing. I just witnessed the death of my father in the most gruesome fashion possible. I had no desire to continue my life. I pulled out the 9mm and aimed it at my head. I saw the thing who ruined my life smile using my deceased relative's face one last time. I screamed the loudest I could and pulled the trigger.

There were no bullets in them. That was impossible, since I loaded the clip two days ago. I kept pressing the trigger. Still nothing. I checked the clip. It was fully loaded. I couldn't believe it. I screamed in agony and cursed the heavens and the abomination which was in front of me.

"Why can't you just kill me you fucking coward!? Do it! You took my dad and now you're gonna take my mom, why not me?! Why not me......" I began bursting into tears.

"It's not your time yet. You see Joey, you are what we abysmals call an "excelsior." I was destined to be your catalyst Joseph. I set ablaze the inferno inside your soul which will lead you to the path of glory. Today was meant to happen. You will see what I mean in the near future."

Baphomet's injured arms picked up my unconscious mother, and then threw her over his shoulders. Then he looked at me one more time using that familiar face I used to cherish so much.

"You will be a herald of the darkness one day. A knight of hell. An abysmal entity. A lord of the Other Side. But in order to do that, you must end your catalyst, the one who set you ablaze in the first place. That's why you and I will meet again in the distant future. I kindled your true self, and it is now your quest to end me. If you fail in killing me, you will meet the same fate as your father. Maybe even worse. Use the fire inside you to fight. Until our next encounter Joseph."

He flew straight through the roof, leaving a 6-foot hole in the ceiling. It was pouring outside, so the droplets began to wash the blood which stained most of the living room. The enormous silhouette of the definition of everything feared in this world peacefully flapped it's wings through the night. My mother on its shoulders. Kneeling in the rain, I was completely lost. Drained. I just experienced a night that no one would ever even imagine experiencing, even on their best day. I don't understand what he said about me becoming a knight of hell though, I'm a human being. That was probably just mischievous demon talk he was spewing. I also just experienced the greatest sorrow a human being can endure in such a short period of time. My family is now gone. Stripped from my hands. I am now alone. For the rest of my life.

One thing is for sure though. The blazing inferno inside me is indeed scolding and getting hotter by the minute.

Author's note: this story is a dramatization of true events. The picture of the messages is genuine and was the inspiration for the rest of the story. What you believe in is yours to decide.