The Student News Site of Fluvanna County High School

The Devil Child 

April 13, 2022

Why did this have to happen to me? I’m already stressed enough and now I have a child in a box. I put my hand over my head and let out a long sigh. I look over at the sleeping child. She appears to be three-years-old. Maybe four. She is sleeping quietly and barely moves. Maybe I should take her somewhere? I can’t afford taking care of a child. While looking at the sleeping child, I notice a piece of paper tucked behind her ear. I carefully take the paper, hoping I don’t wake the child. I unfold the paper and see that it’s a note. I begin reading to myself. 

“To Scarlett Smith, I hope this letter finds you well. I’m sorry, but I request a favor from you. In the box lies a child. Not just any child, mind you. She’s the daughter of Lucifer. Before you freak out, allow me to explain. Lucifer is currently busy and needs someone to take care of his daughter. Pandora isn’t a terrible child, so you should be fine. Obviously, you will be well-compensated for your task. If you manage to take care of her until next year, Lucifer himself shall grant any wish you desire. Good luck, Scarlett. 

Sincerely, Lilith.” 

You have to be joking. Surely this is a prank. Right? Before I can panic anymore, the letter bursts into flames. I yell out in pain and drop the letter. Great, a burning letter. As I’m clutching my hand in pain, I hear a yawn. I turn around and see the child–Pandora–get out of her box. She stares at me before suddenly growing.When I first saw her she looked to be about four, but now she’s at least 13 or 14. We just stare at each other for what feels like an eternity.

The silence is broken when she finally speaks. “Hello,” she says quietly. I fall face into the floor and pass out. 

I woke up with a jolt. I’m drenched in sweat and my breathing is heavy. I check my surroundings and notice that I’m on the couch. I instantly lie back down. Maybe it was all a dream. My eyes slowly begin to close. “What are you doing sleeping!” someone yells. 

“AHHH!” I scream and jump off the couch. I look behind me and see Pandora sitting on the couch. Great, not a dream. “Why did you do that?” I ask her. 

“I need you to take care of me,” she says matter of factly. 

“Take care of you?” I ask, confused by what she means. Oh. The letter. Ugh. “Why do I have to take care of you?” I ask, annoyed. “I’m not the only human alive.” “Listen, Scarlett, right?” Pandora asks. 

“Yeah,” I reply. 

“I’m the daughter of Lucifer, I do what I want,” she says while suddenly growing and towering over me. “All you have to do is give me what I want and you’ll be fine, okay?” I gulp. “Of course Pandora,” I quickly reply. 

“Good,” she says, shrinking back to her normal size, whatever that is. “I’m gonna need a lot of attention, so you better get started.” 

I stare at her as she plops herself back down on the couch. For some reason I’m just now noticing her appearance. She has blonde hair just about shoulder length. Two small horns on her head which fit I guess. Her red eyes seem nice at first glance, then she stares at you. Her eyes could break the spirit of any person. She wears a t-shirt with a small leather jacket. For her bottom half she wears just a simple pair of jeans and heels. As I look at her appearance, my eyes are slowly drawn to something else. A clock on the wall near the door. A clock that currently reads 5:50 pm.

Huh. That sounds familiar. 5:50? Hmm. Oh. Oh crap. MY JOB! I quickly grab my bag and head out the door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Pandora asks. 

“I’m sorry, Pandora, but I have a job to get to!” I say quickly. Before she can even respond, I’m out the door and running for my life. Luckily, I catch a bus nearby. I sit down and hope that the bus isn’t slow today. 

When I make it to the office, I can already hear the standard noises of an office. People talking and phones ringing. Before I can even make it to my cubicle, I’m quickly pulled away. I turn to the person who suddenly grabs my arm and see…my boss. Great.

“Do you wanna explain why you’re late Scarlett?” my boss asks with a hateful glare. Before I can even attempt to respond, he continues. “Don’t even bother,” he says, “you’re fired.” 

Fired? Fired? “I just started!” I quickly say. 

“I don’t really care. Pack your stuff and leave,” he says and walks off. I stand there for a second before quickly grabbing my stuff and leaving. When I reach the outside, I hear the sound of rain. I don’t care anymore. Even when someone offers an umbrella I ignore them and exit the building. The rain is no joke. I’m already drenched right as I stepped outside. I cover what I can and start my walk home. 

When I arrive at my apartment door, I’m drenched. It looks like I jumped in a pool on my way here. I unlock the door and quickly head inside. Pandora is there to greet me with a very nice tone. “What took you so long?” she asks in an annoyed tone. “You left me all alone. You kinda suck at this,” she says while waiting for my response. “Are you still alive, Scar–” She stops when she registers my appearance.

“Just leave me alone,” I say with barely any emotion and start walking towards my bedroom. 

“Wait a minute–” Her voice is quickly cut off as I shut the door. I drop my stuff and immediately change my clothes. When I’m in something comfortable, I plop down on my bed and instantly fall asleep. 

When I wake up, I can tell it’s morning. The birds outside sing and cars are humming. I slowly sit up. Why me? I have to take care of some devil child and now I lost my job. I thought sleep would help, but apparently not. I slowly get out of bed and head to the bathroom. I check the mirror. I’ve certainly looked better. My bright red hair is now dull and tangled. My once colorful blues are now gray and look dead. Great.

When I open the door to the living room, I’m shocked. Everything is so… clean. Did Pandora do this? 

“Of course I did,” she says. I turn around and see her standing there. “Who else could clean this good?” she says. 

“B-but why?” I question her. 

She grabs my hand gently and pulls me to the couch. “I could tell you had a rough day and I wanted to help,” she says. “I know I’m not the nicest person in the world, but we’re stuck together,” she tells me. 

I’m surprised. She’s being really nice for some reason. “I-I, thank you, Pandora,” I say while smiling at her. 

“It’s not like I like you or anything,” she quickly says and hides her face. I laugh. I laugh for the first time in a while. “Still, I appreciate it,” I tell her. “You still look down, though,” she tells me while examining my face. 

“I just lost my job, so taking care of you might be a pickle,” I tell her.

Pandora quickly stands up. “Don’t worry about that,” she says, “I’ll handle it.” “How will–” Before I can even finish she’s already out the door.

Huh. Maybe taking care of Lucifer’s daughter won’t be that bad.

Leave a Comment

The Fluco Beat • Copyright 2024 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNOLog in

Comments (0)

All The Fluco Beat Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *