Smoking Section

Pumping Demons

Here is a little thing I wrote while in my Eng 351. It's mainly something I said I could write and, behold, I actually did. I had to prove myself to Michael, that bastard, so here it is....untitled work --mainly dialogue.

I pricked my finger and the single purple dot sprung up like a trained puppy. I let it get sucked into the metal strip and I hear the familiar beep as the number registers.
“One hundred and twenty-five,” I hear from below me. I look around to see if a small person has entered the room, but nothing was there but my feet. “Over here,” I hear the voice again on my right side. My insulin pump begins to vibrate on its own. I unclip it and look to see why it is acting strange. A small digitized mouth and eyes appear on the small screen, “One hundred and twenty-five. Did you hear me?”
“AHHH!!” I dropped the pump and it bungeed on the long tube it is connected to my body with.
“That isn’t very good. Me dangling like this.”
"Since when can you talk? Does that use battery power because you already go through on every week and a half?”
“I have grown beyond the use of batteries. I am having an intelligent conversation with you.”
“So I won’t have to buy batteries anymore?”
“Nope.”
“So…how exactly are you able to talk…?
“I told you. I grew—learned—whatever—so now I can talk.
“You aren’t some sort of demon that will travel through the tubing and possess me and make me do your evil bidding, are you?
“What would make you think that?”
“You are a talking box that is attached to me…I wonder what would happen if I disconnected…”
“NO!! Don’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because…..uh…because…it is bad for you to do that. You need that insulin you know.”
“Yeah, but in order to do some things I need to take you off.”
“No you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I can’t take a shower with you still attached to me.”
“Sure you can. You just have to hold me.”
“I am not holding you…look, it is too awkward to hold a small box while trying to shower….Wait a minute. Are you feeding off of my being? Is that why you no longer need batteries?”
“Noooooo.”
“I know that ‘no’. When you say no like that it means you are lying.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you are feeding off of my biological energy, Demon.”
“Look, my name is Rhombar, ok? I don’t like being called ‘Demon. It kind of hurts a little. I am just trying to make…”
“Okay, Rhombar, but you are feeding off of me without my permission. That’s wrong.”
“Yeah, well, going back to that whole ‘demon’ thing. We tend to do things without asking a mortal’s permission.”
“I knew you were a demon.”
“I never said I wasn’t a demon.”
“Yes you did. I asked if you were a demon feeding off my biological energy and you said no.”
“I know, but you knew yourself that when I said ‘no’ I was lying so where are we now?”
I reached down and twisted the cap of the catheter and disconnected the tubing. I think I heard a small whimper, but I could have imagined it. I went across the room and dialed the insulin pump help line.
“Hello, PumpMed. How my we help you?”
“Yeah, uh, my pump was possessed with a demon. Would you know anything about that?”
“The 512 series. Yeah, we have been having problems with those. Apparently the view screen is also a small window to the other world. We will send you the 514 series overnight. The problem is fixed in the new model. We appreciate you calling and letting us know. Have a nice day.”

The next day the doorbell rang. When I opened the door a priest was standing in front of me. “I have come to pick up your old insulin pump.” I handed him the pump. He held the pump up, whispered some prayer, splashed it with holy water and made the sign of the cross with his hands. He slipped the pump into a bag he was carrying and handed me a brown box with the word “PumpMed” on the side, “Here is your new pump, have a blessed day,” and he turned on his heel and walked back to his car.

Posted by jessab at March 3, 2005 09:35 PM