The Good Mask

What do you do with your life once you have done everything that there is to do? That is the question I asked myself just a few months ago. I was just a demon living in Hell. I had done every bad thing you could think of and… well… it was getting boring. So what do you do when you have done the whole “being bad” thing? You try your hand at being good.

I figured a good place to start was with The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They are always doing such terribly good things. It used to make me sick… until it made me curious. Why were they doing good things? Does doing good things feel… good? I had to find out.

So, I became a nun the only way I knew how. I possessed a new postulant nun named Lucy. She was a pretty little thing with curly brown hair and bright hopeful blue eyes. I hoped I could do lots of amazing and good things while possessing her, maybe even help her progress from her postulancy training to her novitiate training.

Oh the things you learn in a convent. I used to never be able to set foot in one… or a church…or even touch a bible. But, I suppose, when you have good intentions rather than evil ones, the rules change a little bit. So far, however, being good has also been a little boring. I pray, work, and study. Prayer is a very boring. God hasn’t really taken the time to talk back to me. Work isn’t so bad. I kind of like working in the gardens and the kitchens. I have learned all about how to grow fruits and vegetables and how to cook. Those are things I never learned how to do in Hell. Healthy eating isn’t too important when you’re consuming the souls of the wicked on the daily.

I don’t mind reading the Good Book either. There are some pretty epic stories once you get past all the boring stuff. There are demons (of course), but also giants, epic battles, and beheadings. Jesus even chased some sinners around with a whip at one point. I didn’t know he was allowed to do that.

I am sitting reading the Bible when I overhear a word spoken between Mother Superior and another nun. I think her name is Sister Margarette, but I’m bad with names and everyone looks the same when wearing a habit.

“...Contract…”

My ears are instantly at attention. As a demon, there is one thing I know all about. Contracts.

“I just don’t know how we can get out of it,” Mother Superior is saying.

“God will provide a way,” Sister Margarette says reassuringly.

I stand, setting down the Bible on the seat I vacate. “I’m sorry, Sisters,” I say as I approach, “I couldn’t help, but to overhear. Are you having a problem? With a contract?” The two sisters share a look before Mother Superior nods.

“It is nothing to concern yourself with Lucy, but yes. It seems the Vatican has decided to sell this property. Vocations are down and they can’t justify keeping it when they could sell it for…” Mother Superior pauses before whispering an outrageous number. Sure the land is large and beautiful, but there is no way it could be worth that much out here in the middle of nowhere. “To build a ski resort,” She finishes. Or maybe it could be worth that much. People around here do love their outdoor sports.

I consider for a moment before saying. “Perhaps I could help,” I say, “I am quite good with legal jargon and I know a thing or two about contracts.”

Mother Superior frowns, but Sister Margarette touches her arm. “God will provide,” She says again.

Mother Superior nods after a long moment of consideration. “Very well Lucy,” She says, “We hired a young local lawyer to look over the documentation. He is a parishioner in town. Perhaps together you can discuss what can be done to keep this land with the Sisters.”

“I will do my best,” I say and the Sisters give me a small nod before turning and walking down the hall, their habits swaying behind them. I can’t help but to smile. Finally, some excitement around here.

The next morning, I catch a ride into town with a Nun heading to one of the local parishes to teach. She drops me off at a small legal office. The door reads Jonathan Langford and Sons. I open the front door and step inside. There is a small waiting area with no one in it and an empty desk where I assume a secretary would sit. If there were one. The desk is empty and bare. Maybe this practice is too small to have a secretary. This Jonathan Langford must not be a very successful lawyer. That's not a good sign.

“Hello?” I call out. I hear a rustling of papers and a man appears from the back office. He is young and attractive with dark hair that is shorter on the sides and longer on top. He looks at me with dark brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. His suit is nice and fits him well, but doesn’t look to be very expensive– probably mass produced rather than custom. “Jonathan Langford?” I ask.

He shakes his head, offering a hand out to me. “Jonathan Langford is my father. My name is Edward Langford.”

“Ah,” I say with a small smile, taking his hand and shaking it. “One of the sons then.” I suppose that makes more sense. If he were the father his sons would have to be very young. I almost laugh at the idea of two toddlers running around the office dressed in suits like little lawyers.

He gives me a quizzical look at the smile on my face, but doesn’t question it. “You must be Lucy,” he says instead. “I was told to expect you. Everything is set up in the conference room.” He turns and walks into the back of the office. I follow after him. There are only three doors in the short hallway. One on the left and two on the right. He walks into the one on the left and I follow after him. It is tiny for a conference room. It has a small wood table with 6 chairs surrounding it. They must not have very big meetings.

Papers cover every inch of the wooden surface. And my eyes widen. This could take all day. The idea sends a little thrill coursing through me. A whole day of looking through contracts with an attractive lawyer (one of the best professions a man can have in my demonic opinion) and I might even get to miss evening mass. It is like a dream come true.

I immediately sit down and begin to sift through the papers. Edward watches for a moment before sitting down across from me and going through the documents in front of him. We work in silence for several hours, reading through the contract and all the supporting documentation.

Around lunch, Edward stands and stretches. “Could I get you something to eat?” He asks.

“Sure, whatever you get is fine.” I say before adding, “thanks, Edward” with a small sweet smile. I’m trying to get better at my manners. He blushes.

“Eddie,” He corrects, “You can call me Eddie.” He then turns and walks from the room, presumably to get food from somewhere nearby. I continue to work while he is gone, picking up the ownership deed for the land. It is old and on it is the name of the Mother Superior who first came to the land where the convent now resides. I only recognize her name because she was a big deal. There is a shrine dedicated to her on top of the mountain by the convent for people to pray at. Pilgrims also come from all over to see the historical buildings that she and her sisters built over a hundred years ago.

My train of thought is interrupted by Eddie returning with two sandwiches. He hands one to me before taking his seat across from me once more. We eat in silence– me lost in thought and him reading over the contract for what has to be the billionth time.

“Eddie,” I say finally, “I know the Vatican has made this deal with the ski resort but… what gives them the authority?”

Eddie looks up at me. “What do you mean?” He asks.

“Well,” I say, setting down the sandwich and picking up the deed once more. “Everything I have seen puts the ownership of the land specifically in the hands of the Sisters, not the Vatican. And more than that, the land has belonged to them for hundreds of years. There are buildings there that are an important part of their history. I’m sure that the ski resort couldn’t just take ownership of the land and knock those down. No matter what the Vatican says.”

Eddie stares at me, dumbfounded. A small piece of lettuce hangs off the corner of his bottom lip. I lean forward and swipe it off with a finger. That seems to shake him out of his stupor. “You… You might be on to something.” He quickly shuffles through the papers again, looking for anything that gives the Vatican ownership of the land. I already know he won’t find anything. In my little demon heart, the contract is already broken. I found the hole. They can’t sell the land. My satisfaction is only dulled by the fact that it only took me till lunch to find the loophole. I won’t be missing evening mass after all.

Finally, Eddie sits back in his chair. “By God,” He whispers, “You’re right. They can’t sell the land unless the Sisters want it sold.” He stares at me for a moment before cracking a small smile. “You are an angel sent from Heaven.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Something like that.”

Together, we gather the documents and head to tell the Sisters the good news. When Eddie tells them that the land can’t be sold, Mother Superior gives him a huge smile and a hug. She then turns to me and does the same. My heart skips a beat. So this is what being good feels like? It doesn’t feel too bad. It was a fun thing to try once. But…I suppose it is time to give Lucy her body back. I look over to Eddie and find him watching me with a small warm smile on his lips. I smile back. If being a nun doesn’t work out for Lucy, she might have a future with a certain small town lawyer.

At last, I vacate Lucy’s body, letting the nun mask fall away and donning my demon mask once more. A demon I will remain, at least until I decide to give being good another chance.