Devil on My Shoulder

It had always been there, sitting on my shoulder, watching my every move and whispering in my ear. Is it a who or a what? I have never asked. It appeared in different forms, sometimes with gnarled wings and curling horns, a flaming figure wreathed in smoke, or a grotesque shadow with glowing red eyes. One thing always remained the same, a twisted smirk that curled and stretched, occasionally showing pointed teeth and fangs. I never saw it in the mirror, but instead watched as it contorted my face into its signature grin. No one else ever comments on it and its ever-changing presence, but then, I have never seen any other like it clinging to their shoulders.

For a while, it was silent, content to lounge on my shoulder and stare out at the world. I didn’t know what it wanted, why it was there. I asked once when I was sure no one would hear, but all it did was grin manically, its red eyes seeming to gaze deep into me. Eventually, I ignored it, glancing once and a while to see if it was there, still content in its silence.

It was years later that it finally spoke, the voice floating from somewhere that was not its mouth. ‘Burn.’ The command made no sense, not with metal bridges spanning a bay the only things around. From then on, with nothing better to think of, I called it Burn and heard no complaints from it. At first it only spoke single words, then short phrases. At some point it began to speak in full sentences or even paragraphs. Eventually, it held entire conversations, though never without a reason or something to gain.

It wasn’t long after this that I learned what Burn was, the literal devil on my shoulder that so many jokingly referred to. Perhaps I should have realized sooner, what with its evil aura settled so conveniently on my shoulder. No one else seemed to have a devil whispering in their ear despite their many jokes. None of them paused to glance where the demon would sit, or started a conversation with no one in particular. Not one ever gazed into the distance, mind elsewhere, as if listening to someone only they could hear.

Burn didn’t like them, the ones who joked about its existence despite his presence. ‘Liar’ hissed out at the offenders whenever they did. But then again, Burn didn’t seem to like many and tolerated very few. It commented on people I passed as I walked school halls. Liar and fake became the norm, with a smattering of bully and thief.

One day as I walked the many twisting halls surrounded by the thieves and liars, Burn spoke, seemingly filling the air with malice. ‘They are all liars, traitors to themselves and society. What right do they have to deceive? No more, no more.’ Had I been anyone else then perhaps I would have jumped or noticeably acknowledged the devil when it spoke. Instead, I continued to walk as if nothing had happened, although still listening to the words only I could hear.

‘Who are they to lie? Take it away, no more, no more. Bring them, bring them where they belong. Burn, burn. Let them all burn.’ It was not the first time it had told me to bring someone, and I still didn’t know what it meant. It never elaborated during its rants, and whenever I asked afterward when I was alone, it wouldn’t reply. I never went through with its demands, only listening because I had no choice. How could I when I didn’t know what it meant?

Rumors began to spread about me, as rumors often will in high schools. And when they did, the devil grew louder in its constant commentary. 'Liar, liar! Kill, burn. No more, no more!' The shouts drowned out the people in the halls until it was all I could hear.

At night, Burn whispered about the liars to tell me what to do. It stole my face when I looked in the mirror, continuing to tell me to bring them where they belonged. Its grin stretched unnaturally across my face, the ends curling and almost reaching my ears. Red eyes glared back at me as malice radiated from the glass.

I didn’t listen at first. It was a devil who likely wished only to watch the world burn. That was what everyone said, and how could everyone be wrong about something? And so, I tried not to listen to its plans, to its whispers of no more. I walked through the halls trying to tune out the persistent cries from the demon. Avoiding mirrors seemed to become harder. Everywhere I looked were reflections, on door handles, in tinted windows, and the black puddles I fell in.

Its insistent voice grew louder, never-ending.

At first. But the words Burn spoke were the truth. The more it said, the more that it made sense. They judge others with no proof, torment them for the sake of entertainment, and laugh at their suffering. They are demons in disguise.

And there is only one place where demons are welcome.

School is the closest thing to where they belonged. It was already teeming with demons, liars, and thieves, but it was too nice, the chairs still intact, books bright and clean, the lights strong and not flickering. All I have to do is fix that, fix the school, then it will be perfect for them. Then they will be where they belong.

Burn soon stopped trying to convince me of its plans, sensing that I had finally agreed with it. Instead, it would murmur thoughts with excited glee. ‘Soon, soon they shall finally be where they belong. No more liars, no more traitors.’ Its grin became more wicked and I had to fight to suppress a grin of my own. Soon our plans would come to fruition. Soon it would all be over.

Their words never changed as I walked through the halls, but I’m no longer bothered by them. They are the fools, oblivious idiots who can’t see their own doom coming. It wouldn’t take long for the preparations, Burn assured me. It wouldn’t be long before we could end their charade, their deceit and lies. All would be clear and the truth would finally be known. I spent my days preparing for our plan, learning the set up of the school and gathering anything we could need.

The last thing I remember is the jeers and judgemental stares of my peers as they walked through the halls for the last time. They hadn’t known it at the time, but I had. Burn cackled on my shoulder, laughing at how soon they would be no more. I watched as slowly everyone filtered into their classes and I made no move to join them. I had a plan to execute.

When I came to, I was standing on the hill by the school, watching as it was engulfed in flames. I could barely hear the screams over the crackling flames. Black smoke billowed into the sky as sirens raced to put out the uncontrolled blaze. For once, as I stood there watching the devastation I had caused, Burn was nowhere to be seen.