Promise Kept

Esmer gazed at the ominous approaching storm. Lightning crackled, and a breeze whispered. Nature herself sensed the suffering Esmer nurtured inside. “Papi, I miss you.”

Esmer exhaled, feeling sadness over her father’s death. With his last breath, he pledged her a promise. He promised to always be with her, a silent angel in her life.

“I am tired of being alone, Papi.” Esmer said to the photograph in the living room’s bay window. The hammer and chisel brought back Christmas memories. She personalized them with his name, Checo, on the handles. Memories brought tears to her eyes. Esmer's lip trembled, and she bit it. She hugged herself for solace but found none.

It's 12 A.M., the AI device whispered. As she rose, she touched the hammer and chisel. “Buenas Noches, Papi.”

Loud thunder announced the storm. The windows shook with thunder. The gust made debris dance like evil gnomes feasting on victims. Tapping tree limbs reminded her of death at the window. Lightning struck, and everything turned dark. All right, Esmer, stay calm. Esmer covered herself with the photo and blanket for warmth.

She shivered as she heard a noise outside. A dark figure stood at her yard’s edge.

“It is just your imagination, Esmer,” she thought.

Nocturnal creatures plagued her thoughts. She imagined a twisted demon lurking outside her home. “Let’s just go to bed.”

The darkness amplified her creaking steps. The wind moaned like specters. emerging from the abyss. The lightning captured images of dancing phantoms.

Shadows tiptoed behind her. Her trembling fingers found their way to the bedroom. She turned the knob and made a dash for her bed.

She cried and jumped onto her bed, wrapping herself in her red comforter. Esmer curled into a fetal position.

“Papi.” Her body trembled as the storm calmed. She heard a faint sound in the silence. Thuds on the door followed the sound of splintering wood. Someone had kicked in the door.

Esmer reached out to grab her phone and realized it was still in the bay window. She tossed the comforter and hid under the bed. The rain intensified her fears on the metal rooftop.

Crash! Snap! The intruder's rummaging echoed through the house. Eyes closed, hoping for everything to vanish.

Find a serrated object. A voice whispered in her ears.

“I am imagining things.” Esmer said with terror in her voice.

He taught her self-defense, but she ignored it. She trusted her dad to always care for her. She wished she had listened. Esmer searched the bedstand for a knife. Her knuckles whitened, gripping the knife.

Breathe in, wait, then exhale. The voice whispered to her.

“Damn it, there must be valuables around here somewhere.” The intruder said.

“Oh, God.” She whimpered, “Who is there?”

A tall figure stood in the dark by the hutch. “Damn it!.” the voice boomed at her. “No witnesses!”

Her voice shook with fear. She swung the knife. “Go! Please, go.”

“You brought this on yourself!” The stranger caught her hand. “I am not leaving empty-handed.”

“Papi!” Thunder muffled her screams.

“Shut the hell up!” 

“You promised!”

A hand slammed into her mouth. The wall slam disoriented her and caused a throbbing headache. The lightning revealed a second figure in the room. Rage filled its blood-red eyes.

“What in the bloody hell?” The intruder noticed movement, like a montage of still images. The devil's claim on his soul sent shivers up his spine.

Esmer’s plea for help filled the silence of the house. Esmer shoved the intruder and dropped the scissors.

“Get back here, you hag.” He tried to grab her by the hair.

“Help!” She threw a cup sitting on the nightstand at him.

His hand deflected it and made a loud sound on the floor. The dark liquid soaked into the rug. “You are starting to piss me off.”

“Please, take whatever you want; just leave me alone.”

“No witnesses; I aint going back to jail, hag.”

The intruder grabbed her hair and threw her on the bed. She blocked the strike, but his fist hit hard. She passed out from repeated blows to her face.

The sound of a tree limb crashing filled the house through the broken window. The wind wailed like a vengeful spirit through the broken window. It gathered debris, forming a tornado of demons as it charged at him. He bolted from the bedroom as he yelled in fear.

She rose and stumbled toward the living room. Her weakened body fell onto a chair.

The intruder lay twelve feet away, with a phantom wielding a hammer on top. The hammer tore flesh and bone, splattering blood on the walls. Screams filled the night air, and the hammer dropped onto the floor. The phantom summoned a chisel from the broken bay window. Screams and banging feet echoed through the house.

“Ma’am.” A gentle voice filled with concern awoke her. “Ma’am, we need to get you to a hospital.”

“What happened?”

“Ma’am,” the officer stated, “we would like to know.”

“What?”

“It looks like the devil himself came through here.”

Tears welled up as the fearful events flooded her mind. “He is trying to kill me; help!”

“It is over; the man is dead.”

“Officer, what happened in there?” a nosy neighbor inquired.

“This is a crime scene, lady.” The officer raised his voice, causing Esmer to jump in fright.

“Hey, Delaney, close the damn door!”

The rookie shut the door and searched with his flashlight. He stepped back at the sight of the disfigured corpse. Blood pooled around it; footsteps stained the floor. They disappeared into the wall. He cast the light back onto the faceless body. Delaney stumbled back in shock. “Werner, you—you gotta see this.”

“What, Delaney, what?”

“The devil did pass through here tonight.’

“What are you blabbering about?”

Esmer raised her face to see Officer Werner’s jaw drop.

“What in the living hell?

"PROMISE KEPT!" was written on the door in blood, signed with a glistening handprint.

Esmer let out a scream.