learn more about the full length novel featuring Tronaugh, The Demon of Petty Disturbances
rough draft of The Demon of Petty Disturbances
page 6
by K. Kylyra Ameringer
He closed the book with a snap and cleared his throat. "Come forth, demon! I call you here to serve me," he said in the deepest voice he could muster. "Come forth to me! I command it! Come forth and be my servant!"
In the silence he heard a cricket begin chirping off in the bushes. He looked around a bit hesitantly. Nothing. He felt like an idiot. He picked up the massive book high over his head and threw it to the ground with all his pent-up rage. "Damn it!" he shouted. He kicked savagely at the book.
When he looked up he found he wasn't alone. There was an old woman in the circle with a child peering out at him from behind her skirts.
W"Hello, dearie," the old woman said in a pleasant voice.
"He-Hello," Dick replied.
She waited a moment, as if she expected something. "Well, to whom am I speaking?" she finally asked.
"W-What?"
"What's your name, young man?"
"Dick Digger," he replied automatically, then winced. "Richard. Richard Digger," he corrected himself.
"Oh ... Dick Digger," she said delightedly. "Dick Dick Dick Dick Dick Dick Dick!" She and the child began some sort of odd capering dance as she continued to repeat his name.
"Don't call me Dick!" he shouted at her. They stopped their dance and silently regarded him. "Who are you?" he asked.
The old woman cackled and behind her the child made some braying noise that Dick took to be laughter. "I am Tronaugh, mother to a pack of weasely brats that gave birth to another pack of weasely brats, wise woman of the world, and demon at your service," she said, bowing slightly.
"Demon?" Dick asked incredulously. "What kind of demon are you?"
"I am The Demon of Petty Disturbances," Tronaugh replied calmly.
"The Demon of Petty Disturbances? What the hell is that?"
"Oh, a very coveted role. A very vital and necessary role in the grand scheme of things. You'll see! You'll see how important I can be to you!" she cackled again.
Dick didn't move from his spot. "Well-l-l?" Tronaugh asked finally, "Do you have the knife?"
"Huh?"
"The knife!" she spat out, becoming impatient. "I assume you summoned me to use me as your servant and do your bidding."
Dick shook his head. "You're nuts, lady."
"Oh! Maybe so, maybe so. Does that mean you release me from my bond of servitude to you? I'm free to go?"
Dick's mind was churning. She wasn't a demon. He couldn't have summoned a demon. But there was something odd about these two. The old woman looked like an old woman, but there was something altogether un-old-womanish about her. And the child! It seemed oddly shaped, maybe even deformed, and there appeared to be something wrong with its mind. It did little more than scamper around the old woman's skirts and gurgle unintelligibly. He decided to avoid her question for now.
"Is that one of your grandchildren?" he asked instead, indicating her companion.
"Who? DT?" Tronaugh asked, looking behind her. "No."
"What's his name? Petey?"
"No, DT." Tronaugh said precisely. "Capital D period capital T period. Short for Demon in Training. He's my charge," she said, brutally kicking the smaller demon out of the way.
rough draft of The Demon of Petty Disturbances by K. Kylyra Ameringer
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learn more about the full length novel featuring Tronaugh, The Demon of Petty Disturbances
