Brimstone

Christmas was drawing near, and my daughter, Ella, was asking me for a pony. I told her to write to Santa for it, saying that it wasn’t something I could get her. I wished I could, but ever since my husband passed away, I’ve been struggling to cover the expenses as a single parent. Ella had only recently started to regain interest in playing with her toys, so I didn’t want to say no to her directly. I thought I’d leave her a note as Santa, promising to give her a pony when she’s older.

One evening, I overheard her talking to two of her favourite animal toys, telling them that she would soon have a pet pony. My heart sank, seeing the joy in her eyes. When Christmas finally dawned, Ella rushed to the living room first thing in the morning, and there, to my disbelief, stood an otherworldly creature that resembled a pony. The animal was relatively larger, but what was strange about it was that its skin was crimson and its eyes glowed as if they were set aflame.

There was a letter on the table next to the sofa where it stood. I quickly pulled Ella away from the creature and grabbed the letter. I couldn’t believe what I read next:

Dear Ella,

I am thrilled to see a child such as you asking me for a gift. This kind of request is rare in all the aeons I have been down here. You have brought joy to my heart for the first time in a long time. Thank you. Here is your pony: her name is Brimstone. I hope you two have fun.

Love,

Satan

Satan? Was this really happening? Did we really have a pony from hell in our house? I tried to hold Ella back, but she forced herself out of my grip and ran towards Brimstone. The pony bent down and let her hop on before galloping out of the house. I ran after them, but they escaped into the woods near our house. I grabbed a pair of boots and ventured into the forest; after an hour of searching, I decided to call the cops. As a search party swept through the woods, I returned home and waited impatiently, hoping that Ella would return to me. I couldn’t lose her as well.

The rest of the day passed at a gruelling pace, but I passed out on the living room sofa some time after 2:00 a.m. By the time I woke up the next morning, Ella was already sitting next to me. I wrapped my arms around her at once and held her tight for a minute as tears fled my eyes. I told Ella to never do that again. I then asked her how she got back, and whether the cops had found her, but she shook her head and pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

My eyes widened as I watched Brimstone enter the living room while huffing out smoke—its eyes gleaming brighter than before.