The Imp glared at me, it's child like mouth open wide enough to show off an impressive set of teeth. All pointy and sharp, like a sharks. "Awe there, there, don't worry I didn't forget about you." Lifting the small spoon, I dug into a lump of ice cream that somehow managed to escape my notice, and with a flick of my wrist, sent the gob of vanilla and and chocolate covered peanuts at the circle. As before, it hit the barrier with a loud "thwack" yet instead of falling off or melting against the heat, it slid through, pushed by my power on one side and pulled by the Imp's green from the other.
Demons don't like ice cream. They don't like anything that isn't flesh and blood. But the Imp dwelt in a place that was low on air conditioners and by all estimates the temperature rarely fell bellow triple digits. So as the bit of cool matter slid into the bubble of his world, the Imp pounced on it and devoured every last molecule with a noise that was a mix of delight at the tiny reprieve and rage that it wasn't better suited to his pallet. But he took what I gave him, he had no choice.
Summoning an Imp is easy. Childishly so. If you know the spell, have the right ingredients to make it work and have an inkling of power, summoning an Imp is a snap. Holding the Imp is considerably harder. The circle that keeps the entity contained is fueled purely by the summoner's power. The stronger the summoner, the stronger the circle the more time you have to deal with the demon, establish yourself as the one in control and force it to obey. If you're weak...The demon gets a warm meal and a one way trip home once its full. And I do mean It. Demons aren't male or female, despite what the Bible says...demons are an It. They can make themselves look like people if they are powerful enough, but those you generally don't summon as a rule. There's no circle strong enough to hold one, that's why when I will summon my master there will be no circle to worry about. It would kind of defeat the purpose of going through all the trouble to prepare the spell.
As I watched the Imp crawl on the floor, licking up every bit of moisture off the concrete, I smiled and cooed. "Awe sorry that was the last of it. Don't worry, I'll be sure to bring you something back later." The Imp made a noise like it understood. I am pretty sure that the Imps don't understand shit. They're like ants of the demon world. Small and mean. This one seems to like me if demons can feel things like that.
The Imp was small. Barely larger than a toddler. Its skin reminded me that of a lizard, sleek and dry at the same time. Its coloring always shifting from black to dark green. The head was small and round like an infant. Save for a set of droopy ears and wide eyes that were as black as night if I permit myself to be poetic here. The mouth was normal though, and filled with sharp little teeth, that perhaps wasn't nearly as disturbing as the way it moved. With the limbs skinny and bent at awkward angles like a Grasshopper, it could walk on all fours and upright. It was at it's creepiest when it flipped over on its back, belly up and twisted the head around so the point of view wasn't skewed that it truly looked unnatural. And despite that, I loved it. It belonged to the Master, it was one of his children as I was. And I knew completely that if I dropped the circle it would not only not kill me, but obey me because we both wanted the same thing.
I wasn't stupid enough to do it though. Not without something tasty for an offering. But it did make a lovely house mate when called. Right now, after licking up the moisture from the floor, it sat and stared at me while I lounged in a ripped up arm chair in my basement. The house itself was mall but the basement made-up for it. The large room had a cement floor. Which after a little warding was the perfect place to set a circle. I could summon and practice my craft in safety without the fear of being seen by nosy neighbors. The wards around the house took care of that. If a ghost or an echo remained behind from when I harvested certain ingredients, last thing I wanted or needed ws for them to trail me home.
For now I was safe in my home, with the Imp watching curiously as I cut out an article from the local newspaper. It told me nothing I didn't already know. Two bodies and no doubt the police were scratching their asses in deep thought while going over the evidence, motives, methods of execution, yada yada yada. It made me smile, since in a way I was making them work for their paychecks. Nothing breeds contempt like being idle, and by the time I was finished idleness anywhere would be a thing of the past.
Pulling a small scrapbook onto my lap. I promptly slid the freshly cut article under the cellophane cover. Flipping through some of the other pages as nostalgia reared it's sentimental head. Ah memories. A screech from the impatient Imp had me look up as the shields around the circle began to glow a hazy shade of red, black bubbles floating up from the floor as if the shields were boiling. Now that I thought about it, I did feel a little tired. Lifting my hand, I snapped my fingers, the word of power falling from my lips as the shields shook as the power ebbed away. The Imp shrieked some kind of indignity and vanished with a hiss as air imploded on the spot where only vacuum was left after the body that occupied that space, disappeared. I shut and placed the Scrapbook on the beat-up end table I got at a yard sale. I didn't need furniture here, but it was nice not to have to put everything on the floor. With a soft grunt I pushed myself out of the armchair and stood up, yawning as I glanced at the clock the owners left behind. It wasn't very late in the day...I still had time to shower, change and go shopping. I didn't have a lot left to gather, but I figure it'd be nice to have extras, just in case you know. After all, there's no such thing as "too" prepared.
