“Sir,” asked the demon who was tiny but had a large voice.
“What do YOU want,” demanded the demon in charge whose name escapes me.
“I found someone I can dominate. I’m sure of it. Look.” The tiny demon with the large voice pointed at a man sitting in a comfy chair. The man was starring at his phone. Life swirled around him unnoticed.
“Fine. He’s practically lost anyway. Go,” shouted the demon in charge whose name escapes me.
Demon #2, who was tiny but had a large voice, shrank away, excited to show the demon in charge his moves. He had just learned some new tactics. This man seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Demon #2 crept up to the man who was starring at his phone while life swirled around without him.
Whispering into his ear, demon #2 reminded the man of his failures, disappointments, and poor life choices. Causing the man to become uncomfortable, he suggested a snack even though the man had recently eaten.
The man shuffled to the refrigerator, pulling out some food. Balancing the food with his hands and phone, which he never put down, demon #2 startled the boy who immediately began running into the kitchen, knocking into the man. Food went everywhere. The phone went flying.
The man who usually starred at his phone while life swirled around him found himself yelling at the boy. The boy, who was only four and looked up to the man, began to cry. Instead of comforting his son, the man tried to find his phone. Finding it under the table, the man picked it up and gasped. The screen was broken.
The man who usually starred at his phone while life swirled around him swore as he began cleaning up the mess from the boy.
After cleaning up the mess, the man sank back into his chair, looking at his phone. Thankfully, he realized it really wasn’t broken at all. It was merely scratched. All was well. Demon #2 suggested the man did not need to apologize for yelling at his son. After all, his son was in the wrong!
The man sighed, agreeing with demon #2. Forgetting all about his snack, the man settled his focus once again onto his phone. Life continued to swirl around without him.
Demon #2 found the boy crying in his room. All alone, demon #2 began to whisper lies, confirming the thoughts the boy was having. “Your dad doesn’t really love you. He cares more about his phone than you. He ignores you because you’re boring. You’re not worth his time. You’re so clumsy anyway. You should stay away from him.” The boy sniffled as he listened to the lies from demon #2.
Checking back in on the family later, the woman wondered aloud to the man why the boy was so upset. The man didn’t have any idea, although he barely heard her as he was still on his phone while life swirled around without him. The woman left the room wondering what she had done to the man. The boy continued to feel unloved. The man continued watching his phone as life swirled around without him.
Demon #2 reported back to the demon in charge, whose name escapes me. “Sir,” began demon #2 who was tiny but had a large voice. “I influenced not only the man, confirming his previous believed lies, but I successfully planted new lies into the boy and woman, confirming them with actions from the man.”
Putting down his paper, the demon in charge whose name escapes me, looked up in surprise. “Well, that’s more like it,” he replied. “Maybe you’ll work out down here after all.”
Grinning, the tiny demon with a large voice said, “Yes, sir! Looking forward to more torment, sir!”
Demon #2, the tiny demon with a large voice, revisited that family many times. Over the years, he repeated the unloving lies into the boy, who was now becoming a man. This was almost too easy…
Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalm 119:133
Photos by Johannes Plenio, Marjan Grabowski, Arifur Rahman, & Gianfranco Grenar on Unsplash
Amy Linnea 
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