Julius Rosenthal will make candy no more and other short stories by Nicholas Russell (young adult books to read .txt) 📗

The girl made not the tiniest step, not until Lucifer was behind her. Even then only a half step to the right putting Lucifer in sight, while leaving Samuel visible to her.

Samuel had seen Lucifer come for souls before, he devoured them quickly never speaking to those he looked down upon. But in all the time he had ferried souls across the planes, not once had he seen the Fiend speak as he was now. “He’s not a good man, and hardly any would call him nice.”

Lucifer stopped, placing the girl between Samuel and himself. “Your world is the birthplace of deception, child. The eyes that see him as a protector are clouded by that deception.”

Lucifer raised a charred hand and gently, with only the tips of the fingers, ran them across the Gatekeeper’s cheek. The cheek began to crumble to ash as she drug the finger across it. The tiny ashen speckles begin to float away pulled by an unseen wind. “He takes whatever pleases him, which is why I chose him as my gatekeeper. Many souls where sent my way by his hand Those to whom he professed love fared no better.”

The little girl brought a single finger to her lips and made a quiet shush, bringing a wrinkle to Lucifer’s brow. The girl began to move, she didn’t step away from the fiend but towards him. It took her short legs five steps to cross the distance and she found herself standing within grasp of Lucifer. She reached out and with a gentle touch pressed a finger to his stomach. Her touch transformed where she placed her finger. Instead of burned ash it was now a small dot of pink flesh.

The dot did not remain small for long. It began to spread across the fiend’s belly, causing an obvious and excruciating discomfort. The fiend jerks himself back, keeping itself out of the girls reach. But it is too late. Life and the warmth that accompany it have begun to spread across the body. With a sneer the fiend looks to Samuel and then the girl “Your power here is finite and when you have exhausted it I shall be waiting. I shall torture all who looked upon you with love.”

“You’re scared, you should leave her body, and you should flee this place and never come back.” Her voice held a confidence not often seen in a child, especially one in this place.

The fiend looked down and the warmth spread across its form. The pain grew with each passing moment, and Lucifer’s control of Liandra’s body grew weaker. “I am not afraid of you child, you think you are the first to try and challenge me? In all the generations of your race not one among you has sustained the power to control this place. I ruled before your people and I shall rule after.”

The warmth hit his lungs and with a violent gasp, he collapsed before the girl. The warmth continued to spread across Liandra’s form; her tattered and burned dress restoring its seams as her body was restored. Then it was done.

Samuel rose to his knees and started to crawl. The fight with the fiend and all that had come this day had exhausted his energy. He pushed aside the tattered remains of the room, and as he drew closer a wave of fear swept across him. Had the Fiend’s curse been broken? Could he run his fingers through and touch her hair? Could he feel her warm embrace without Lucifer’s burning rage engulfing her once more?

Her head moved and she rolled to her side. Her face had lost the torture and torment he had seen before, it was exhausted now. Her bloodshot eyes opened slowly and she looked about. She saw Samuel and the girl. Her eyes passed between the two before finally settling on the girl. Her gaze averted, Samuel noticed a frailty to her that he had never seen before.

“He’ll be back, he will find the smallest among his flock. He will thrust their nightmares upon them. He will feed on their tormented suffering and humiliation.” The little girl placed a hand on Liandra’s cheek as a flood of tears broke free. With both hands she gently brushed away the tears, and leaned forward kissing her on the forehead.

From across the room Samuel could not move, his love felt pain and turned not to him. The devastation swept across his soul. But no matter he could not look away, he watched the tiny lips kiss her fears away and from that instant her body held a faint glow. Liandra turned from the girl to Samuel and looked into his eyes as she smiled.

“I see now what I could not see before.” With those words she closed her eyes and faded from sight. The little girl stood and smothered her dress, before turning to Samuel. She waited a moment and walked over to him with an outstretched hand. Samuel took her hand and felt it’s warmth roll over him as she helped him to his feet. He looked about the room; it had changed so much from when he first stepped foot just a short while ago. He looked down to the girl; she stared up with an unwavering gaze.

“Who are you?”

The question was simple and for a moment he thought she had forgotten, as all who come to this place do. But then she smiled and said “I’m Sarah.”

The End

Hands Of Love

The room was small, just big enough for the table that Thomas sat at. Thomas was considered the baby among his circle of friends but they weren’t really his friends; they were Railynn’s. Rai, as she liked to be called, and Thomas had been married for two years. The first year had been wonderful; they slept late and took trips every weekend. That had slowly dwindled away and the marriage had turned cold. Rai thought it was her fault, that she wasn’t pretty enough or creative enough. That was why