The Black Satanist

He pushed himself up from the floor and stepped back a bit to fully see his work. A geometrically perfect pentagram was emblazoned on the floor. Tobias winced slightly, having been forced to use school chalk instead of baby blood. In the center of the demonic circle, a rag bunny lay, completely defenseless, staring at his tormentor with glassy eyes.

Tobias's face twisted into a cruel smile, foreshadowing suffering.

"Finally..." he whispered ominously, savoring the sight. "Finally, the entire school will know the power of Tobias Toski, when he unleashes unspeakable evil..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife, on which three sixes had been hastily scratched. He licked his lips, giving the bunny a lustful look. He knelt over him in the center of the circle and raised the blade above his head. He closed his eyes, searching his heart for pure evil.

"Hear me, Satan," he whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. "O-lord of the infernal depths, O-wicked tempter of the innocent, O-disgusting..."

A murmur.

He immediately stopped his chanting when he heard a sound outside the door. He froze, his hands still raised, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't recall any of the cleaning ladies venturing into the school basements so remote, forgotten by the teaching staff. The murmur crept to the door, causing Tobias's insides to twist, but after a moment it began to subside. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had managed to survive such an ordeal. He wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers and then slipped back into a trance.

"O-lord of devils' spawn, you who fuel hatred, you who guard the journals and all manner of school corruption, COME!"

In the escalation of his chant, he plunged his ceremonial knife deep into the rabbit's chest, easily piercing the material. He tore open the victim's abdomen in pure ecstasy, then sank his mouth into the warm fluff. He savored the taste like a vampire drinking sweet blood, basking wholeheartedly in this act of wickedness.

And then he felt a pulsing beneath him.

The pentagram began to pulsate red, and pieces of chalk began to peel from its surface. Tobias pulled his mouth away from the rabbit's entrails and, seeing the glowing floor, jumped back in panic. He clung to the far wall and curled up, barely catching his breath. He let out a strangled squeal as the battered rag rose under its own power, casting a vast, diabolical shadow, shrouded in a bloody glow, on the wall.

- Pure mockery - squealed the bunny, picking up the fluff scattered on the floor and packing it back inside - Are you mocking me!?

Tobias, shaking with fear, asked in a trembling voice - Who are you...?

The rag bunny shook her head as if looking at an idiot.

"I'm a manifestation of Satan, you fool. And don't expect anything more, you bungler!" He shook his paw at Tobias, holding a ball of fluff. "A pentagram drawn in chalk!?" He snorted in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? What world do you live in? You could at least leave milk and cookies...

" "I thought Santa liked milk and cookies..." he dared to interject, a little confused

. "Of course Santa!" the bunny burst out, scattering almost all the fluff he'd managed to pack. "You think I'm a fool!? This is for Him."

Tobias's face was frozen in disbelief and utter bewilderment, which the bunny manifestation of Satan responded with a contemptuous shake of his head.

"Grandpa keeps killing me," he blurted out reproachfully. "I have to bring him milk and cookies after every ritual.

" "But Santa... Where did he...?

" "In hell?" "The bunny finished for him. "So what if he was kind and generous with gifts? As for gluttony, no mercy!" Suddenly, the rag woman's shrill voice turned into a diabolical cackle that echoed through the building.

"Well, we've talked, and now it's time to get lost. Soon there will be a shipment of Azerbaijani terrorists.

" "Wait," Tobias shouted, extending a trembling hand. "I have so many questions...

" "Really?" he feigned surprise. "You shouldn't have botched that ritual. Besides," he waved his paw carelessly. "In a few years, we'll have a lot of time for all sorts of conversations."

In an instant, the glow faded, and the bunny fell limply to the floor.

It took Tobias a long moment to force himself to get up. He scratched his head with his still-trembling hand and walked around the bunny at a respectful distance.

"Don't screw up..." he repeated Satan's words, frowning. "I wonder what he meant..."

He was suddenly brought out of his deep reverie by Mrs. Frania, who appeared in the doorway of the dramatically opened door. Tobias's face hardened with embarrassment.

"What are you doing, brat!?" she exhaled cigarette smoke. "You're littering!"

Without a second thought, Tobias grabbed the rag and pushed past Mrs. Frania, disappearing instantly around the corner. Mrs. Frania routinely dipped her mop in the bucket and began washing away the chalky scribbles, shaking her head.

"Damn brats..."