A Light in the Dark Part Twenty-Two: A Nightmare of the Holidays.

Lily:

Sprinting through a black space, the Dark One had me in his trap. A blunt object smashed into the back of my head, a rough darkness stealing me away. 

Rubbing the back of my head as I sat up, my eyes scanned the room. The worn walls of my bedroom of my aunt’s home greeted me. Glancing down at my hands, the younger but human version of my hands blurred in my visions. Staring out the window, snow fluttered outside the pristine window. Knocks jerked me awake, every breath growing shorter. Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, this day had to be the worst Christmas that I had ever experienced. Knocks rattled the door once more, a lump forming in my throat. Tugging on the worn dress that I had worn that day, my eyes fell on my ruby stained pillow. Touching the space underneath my nose, dried blood crumbled to my lap. She had broken my nose last night, disgust scrunching up my nose at my messy hair. The door was kicked open, her bun bouncing with every stomp towards me. Digging her fingers into my hair, my fingers snatched my boots and winter jacket on the way out. Throwing me onto the snow, cracks echoed in my body the moment I rolled into a tree trunk. Sliding on my boots, the cold was nipping my cheeks. Tugging on my thin coat, my teeth clattered away. Watching my family pour into her house with bright smiles, death glares met me. Her message was clear, my presence wasn’t expected. Hiking towards town, shivers rattled my body with every visible breath. Looks of hatred and disgust fell on me with every step. Fear rounded my eyes at the closed gas station, irritated people marching towards me. Crunching into the forest, I found myself at Matty’s house. Staring in the window, his mother and him looked so happy. Silent tears stained my cheeks, the warmth coming off of his house had me wanting to go in. Pulling on my hood, it provided me with a little solace. Walking into the woods outside of his house, an abandoned cabin caught my attention. Sneaking into the creaking door, a new sense of loneliness came over me. Stoking the stove, flames flickered to life. This trap was a new kind of evil, my palms rubbing together. Feeling around for my scythe, a loud shit escaped my lips. The bastard had stolen me away before I could grab any weapons, my mind coursing through any possible plans. The worst part was still to come, dread bubbling in my gut. Curse this body so weak from frustration, bullets ringing out in my trees. Remembering that my uncle shot at me for sport, I had to put this fire out. Blowing it out, it was time to run again and get shot in the leg. Crunching through the snow, I had to get into the right spot. Black shadows darted around me, my attention faltering. A bullet struck my leg, my cry echoing in the air. Skidding across the snow, a trail of ruby left nothing to his imagination.  Clammy sweat drenched my skin, the color leaving my cheeks. Pressing the tip of his gun into my forehead, my fingers dug into the snow. The safety clicked, his finger tugging on the trigger. A pop echoing in the air had me closing my eyes, the sight of my old bedroom greeting me the moment they opened. Letting out an impatient huff, relief mixed with horror at her kicking the door open. Stomping over to me, something had to change. Going through the motions over and over again, each attempt had my temper flaring uncontrollably. Letting out a frustrated scream with the tenth attempt,  every slight alteration left me without a proper solution. Grabbing my warmest clothes, I lowered myself out the window. Silent tears spoke of the endless torture, my need to solve the problem preventing a panic attack. Sprinting straight towards Matty’s house, my rapid knocks rattled the door. My heart skipped a beat, a groggy teenage version of Matty answering the door. His colored hair reminded me of how he sacrificed his place in Heaven for me, his ruby eyes falling on me. Changing them back, an awkward silence hung between us. 

“I need you to change into a demon to help me out.” I whispered with my palms pressed together, panic widening his eyes at my request. A gust of wind blew my bloody hair around, his hand yanking me inside. Dragging me upstairs, disbelief twisted his features. Sitting me on the bed, he examined my repaired nose. Taking a step back, the color drained from his hair. 

“I am not going to ask you how you know but you must be from the future. This must be a trap or something. L-” He began, my passionate kiss giving him pause. Scarlet painted his cheeks, my lips pressing into a thin line. Laying back on his bed, his dark powers swirled around him. 

“You get married to me and we have a daughter in the future.” I blurted out oddly, a tender blush rising to my cheeks, the bed groaning as he plopped down next to me. Clutching me close to his chest, his scent had my muscles relaxing. 

“I believe you because this must be a time loop. I think that you need a little help killing the shadows keeping the damn thing alive. You are going to erase my memory after this.” He pointed out lovingly, his lips kissing the top of my head. “We need to keep the timeline the same. The kiss is really nice.” Blushing harder, we both said nothing for a minute. Wondering why I didn’t just come here in the first place, my heart broke at the missed chance. 

“We left you a present that you never picked up.” He admitted sheepishly, his hand taking mine. “I am going to call Lucifer to help.”  Shrugging my shoulders, my father would be a welcome sight in my honest opinion. A vibration shook the house, a cockier version of Lucifer appeared over us. His onyx velvet suit made him look like a Gothic king, his hair tickling my face. Panic twisted his pale face, both of us screaming on the inside. 

“She shouldn’t know yet.” He chastised Matty bitterly, landing at the end of his bed. “This must be a bit of a time loop. Did the Dark One have something to do with this? Let’s figure this out and straighten it all out after.” Shock rounded his eyes the moment I hugged him from behind, his presence making this all better. Holding my hands, a small bit of bliss illuminated his face. Letting him go, I placed my hands on my hips. Whispering a silent spell, my scythe appeared in my palms. A big grin lit up my face as the color drained from my hair, all of my powers returning. Leaping into the air with excitement, we stood a real chance. 

“To the woods!” I shouted with hope dripping in my voice, my scythe spinning in my palm. Both of their brows lifted as Lucifer ruffled the top of my head. Walking over to the ledge, they both cried out the moment I hit the snow. A cloud of snow swirled around me, every crunch giving me vigor. Skidding into the forest, the others had barely caught up. Summoning his dark energy, Lucifer raised a sleek black blade. Shadows popped from all directions, the Dark One whistling towards me. Blocking his claws, sparks danced in the air. Matty couldn’t help but to stare at me, his own blessed blade cutting them down. Knocking the Dark One into the sky, his hand took me with him. Erasing their memories as I was pulled out, we landed in a coal covered street. A shadow the height of a boy was running through the filthy snow, this part of Hell being the outskirts. Ruby eyes met ours, his tiny frame twitching with anger. A chill ran up my spine, the Dark Ones’ hand curling around my neck. His other hand rested on my head, his sheer strength forcing me to watch. The color drained from my face, immense energy shaking the ground, a quiet fear growing in my gut. Gripping my scythe tighter, his next words cemented my feelings in pure validation. 

“This is the Christmas that I love the most. I came into power and destroyed half of Hell.” He gloated jovially, his eyes twinkling like a happy child. “Stay and watch the show. I have to go so I don’t, you know, die.” Disappearing in a puff of smoke, I had to find shelter fast. Scanning my options, my eyes fell on a coal shoot. Leaping down it, a bright blast blinded me as it decimated everything around it. Metal came crashing down onto me, time winding forward to catch up. Curling into a ball, I had no choice but to ride it out. Waiting until the energy died down, one kick had me back into the light. Struggling to my feet, devastation lay all around me. One blackened mark spoke of his presence, my fingers tracing the loose dirt. Peeling off my coat, the temperature had me sweating bullets. A loud fuck escaped my lips at the river of magma blocking my only path home. Why did it have to be too wide to jump across? Staring at the scraps, something had to work. Think, you freaking idiot. Tapping my chin, a new boat caught my eyes. Watching the worn captain get out, a giant raven scooped him up. Swallowing him in one bite, nature had taken this over. Stealing his boat, my heart sank at it being open.  Allowing my inky bubbles to build, I leaned over the edge. 

“Release!” I ordered, the energy getting me close enough. Jumping onto the open plain, I could hear creatures of all kinds approaching me. Sprinting faster, my stamina won't keep up for much longer. Noting decaying buildings, I could at least get rid of the bigger ones. Changing course, clouds of sand hid where I was going. Cursing under my breath, a wall of them prevented me from my freedom.  Slamming the tip of my scythe into the sand, shrill shrieks of all kinds echoed in the air as I  landed hundreds of feet away from them. Crashing into the most solid building, eight ruby eyes met mine. Letting out a piercing scream, a blast of dark energy mixed with blessed energy destroyed them all. Matty popped up behind me, his arms placing me on his back. 

“I can enter Hell when I please, a gift surpassing your father. The only thing is that I have to get to his castle.” He explained sweetly, kissing the top of my hands. “I still remember what you did.” Embarrassment colored my cheeks, my bubbles building faster than before. Kissing me hungrily, all of it went away. Sneaking out into the open, a sharp whistle escaped his lips. The giant raven scooped us up, his large wings carrying us swiftly to Lucifer’s castle in a matter of minutes. Landing gracefully in front of the castle, his fingers ran through the feathers while it sang with joy. My hair floated down, my fingers feeling the dried blood underneath my nose. Carrying me inside, Lucifer welcomed us with open arms. Offering us tea, Matty set me down. Grabbing my wrist before I could go after my father, he clutched me close to his chest. 

“It took us a minute to figure out where you were but when you told me about the future I had an idea of when you would pop up.” He explained sweetly, lifting up my chin with his finger. Tears flooded from my eyes, his hands cupping my face. Wiping my tears away, we couldn’t stop touching each other to see if we were real. My father calling out tea canceled the tender moment, familiar cries having me rush in to see Life holding my baby girl in his arms. Scooping her up, her soft skin felt so smooth. Smothering her in kisses, my real smile never left my lips. Humming her a lullaby, her tiny yawn stole my heart. Matty held me from behind, his chin resting on my head. Rocking us back and forth, the cotton of his shirt smelled like him. Matty had always been home, his arms stealing away the darkness. Her snores echoed in the air, my old man asking me to take a seat. Pouring me a fresh cup of tea, he pushed it over to me. 

“I have to go get the cookies.” He announced adorably, leaving with his granddaughter. Fishing around his pocket as he sat down, Matty slid over a worn but wrapped box. A sad smile dawned on his lips, my fingers tracing the faded words. 

“This is what I wanted to give to you that day.” He choked out with love in his eyes, his throat clearing. “Please open it.” Tearing the paper off, a black velvet box greeted my quivering eyes. The box creaked open to reveal a single note, his cheeks growing redder by the minute. Opening the envelope carefully, his neat writing had my heart skipping a beat. 

“Dear Lily.” I read with a tear soaked voice, my fingers gripping the paper in response. “I love you with all of my heart and want to be your boyfriend. You bring the light into my life. Allow me to be your protector from the shadows. No more will the darkness devour you whole. Please make my Christmas miracle come true. Love, Matty.” Covering my mouth with the letter, it even smelled like him.  Setting it down on the table, his eyes refused to meet mine. 

“You never came around that day but you did. I was going to ask you that day but I kept chickening out after that. I loved you from that first day. I don’t know how to describe it but you brought life back into me after what my shithead father did.” He relented shyly, his wet eyes meeting mine the moment I let him pull me onto his lap. “You drew me in with that crazy smile and I couldn’t let it go. At least I am your husband and the father of your child.” Snuggling into his chest, my little demon began to wail in the other room. Life offered to go, my fingers intertwined with Matty’s. Lowering them to our sides, our foreheads pressed together. 

“I wouldn’t change what we have for the world.” I returned with a loving gaze, his hand sliding up to my hips. “You saved me when the shadows devoured me. Who harbored me when my aunt kicked me out? Who patched me up without questions? You may not have the horse or the armor for that matter but you captured the best prize of all.” Grinning crookedly in my direction, his lips brushed against my forehead.  

“What is that?” He whispered huskily, my thighs rubbing together. Cupping my cheek, my heart wished for this to never end. Pressing his lips against mine gently, my heart fluttered. Leaning back, his strong hand held me up. Shrugging my shoulders, I winked in his direction. 

“You have me and my golden heart.” I answered simply, his other hand sliding down to my waist. “You have the family you always wanted. We have our store and plenty of customers to boot.” Clutching me close to his chest, tears of joy stained his shirt. The wailing stopped, a sense of calm coming over the air. Happy to be in his arms again, he always had a way of disarming me. Letting total relaxation come over me, I couldn’t help but to melt into his arms. Lucifer came out with Selene, Life not far behind him. Death sauntered in, her hands on the hips of her sleek business suit. Holding a tray of cookies, she set them down as she sat down. Placing a cookie in her mouth, a conversation broke out. Listening to them all chat, my mind couldn’t help but to wander about the Dark One’s awakening.  Why did he relish the pain? Rising to my feet, I had to find something out. Excusing myself, I found myself in the library. Scanning the titles, my fingers gripped the spine of his book of existence. The leather rubbed together, the book having some heft to it. The binding creaked in protest, the book hitting the ground at the first line. Taking a step back, his very existence was created by God. His job was to destroy the world for him, my face falling. No wonder he was all powerful, a fresh rock of dread rolling around in my gut. Crouching down to the book, the pages fluttered as I landed on the only way to kill him. Groaning to myself, I would need to find God himself to get a bit of his blood. Cursing under my breath, the two of them were the last people I wanted to meet. Pondering on how one meets the big guy himself, my old man’s hand rested on my shoulder. 

“I can arrange a meeting.” He assured me with a gulp, true fear showing in his eyes. “Granted, we haven’t talked since I fell. Maybe I will go with you. Meet me at the oak tomorrow after work.” Helping me to my feet, his elbow hooked into mine. Knowing that I wasn’t alone, I had a grasp on this.