Demon Stories

Cheol: Goldfish, 1998, Japan

Cheol

Goldfish

1998, Japan

"Come here little one... Isn't that tasty? Yes, tasty fish..."

I craned my head from my paperwork and looked at Violette. My brow creased. "What did you just say to that fish?" 

"I said, 'isn't that tasty'." She gave me her innocent child look. The one that makes adults melt and give her anything she wants, but it wouldn't work on me.

"No, you said 'tasty fish'."

"I said 'isn't that tasty'."

My brow crease thickened. As I got up from my chair, Violette looked back at her goldfish. She had named him "Nori". And now she was looking at Nori like he was food.

"I didn't buy you that fish so you could eat him," I told her sternly, observing the large koi swimming around in the tank on the floor. "He was very expensive."

"I won't eat him," she said, looking at him hungerily.

"If you want food, I can make you a hamburger," I said, tilting my head. Then I paused. A feeling of disquiet began to grow.

What about that fish looked so tasty? He was all white with a red dot on his head. Maybe the dot reminded us of blood? What was it?

She just stared at him, not speaking. Now I was staring at him not speaking. I felt very uneasy, like a spell was being cast on me. Suddenly I wanted to eat him, too.

"I feel strange," I said quietly. 

"Of course you do. Don't you know demons come from fishes like these," she said evilly.

My brow crease was back. "What did you say?" I asked in a breath, still staring at the fish swimming around in circles. He looked so innocent, so unassuming. What did she mean?

"The fish had wings, though. Flying fish."

My breath was staring to come fast, sweat was forming on my body. I couldn't look at this fish any longer but something deep inside wanted to keep looking at this fish. Something deep inside wanted to eat this fish, and now. But the human part was confused. Utterly.

"Beau thinks the fish was a god. We ate a god."

I gasped and looked at her. She looked at me like nothing at all was the matter. Like she hadn't just said the most powerful thing on earth. The room was completely silent for a moment, not even the fish making a sound in his continuous movement.

She crouched down to the tank, and slowly took him in her hands as if loving him. Then she kissed him on his red spot and down he went into her throat. 

We stared together at the empty water, and somewhere deep inside felt a complete loss, all consuming like she had just swallowed me down her throat instead. 

"The fish represents the desire to repeat the act. Much like Adam and Eve with the apple. The more you avoid it, the more you will want it. Or rather, the demon will want it. You can not avoid it, so instead be covetous of it," she said like nothing had happened again. I felt such rage at her for acting like nothing was going on. I wanted to hurt her and couldn't figure out why. 

"Or maybe Beau was lying. He's so old, he doesn't remember anything," she said seriously as ever.

With no change in her expression, she left me to go into the living room. The sound of the TV coming on startled me. I crouched down in front of the tank like she had. A fearful feeling consumed me, and I became like a child myself, scared of the unknown. 

Maybe it wasn't true. But this feeling in my body. If it wasn't true, what was this feeling in my body?