Brom

“Back, devil! Return thee to Hell!"The beast rolled its eyes. "I am not a devil, fool. Do you ever wonder why you seek the Devil with such vigor? I shall tell you. Because you cannot face your own wickedness. The truth is there is no Devil making you torture, rape, murder, and sodomize one another, or making you destroy the very land that feeds you. There is only you. So look at yourself, for you are the only devil in this room.”

“Krampus's voice trailed off, he glanced at Jesse. Jesse's head lay on his shoulder, his eyes closed; there came no sign of breath."It appears I am talking to myself." Krampus crossed his arms atop his chest and grunted.”

“Krampus reached over and wiggled one of the nails protruding from Jesse's leg. "Ow, fuck!" Jesse cried. "Watch it. Goddamn, what's wrong with you?""You still live.""Yeah... I still live. Lucky me.”

“Jesse couldn't picture a more desolate setting to meet his end. He watched the water drops gather and slide down the windshield, remembered how as a child he'd pretend they were eating each other, tried to pretend he was sitting in the back of his daddy's car now heading over to Grandma's for dinner.”

“Just be careful what you say. Don't upset him.""You mean the Grumpus guy?""It's Krampus.”

“The truth is there is no Devil making you torture, rape, murder, and sodomize one another, or making you destroy the very land that feeds you. There is only you.”

“How will I make a people who do not understand the power of belief believe? And without their belief Mother Earth will wither and Yuletide will fade...and so, too will I...like all the spirits and gods before me.”

“You can never be done with music. No more than you can be done with breathing. The day you quit is the day you die.”

“Burn? Smite? Punish? Why is your god so intolerant? So jealous? Why must there be only one god? Why is there not room for many?”

“Free your spirit.”

“Then let us go and be terrible.”

“Your dreams are your spirit, your soul, and without them you are dead.”

“Death has come to cut your throats and drink your blood!”

“I am your forest, your earth, your eternity. I am your life. I am your death. I am all things forever and always. Love me. Love me. Forever love me.”

“If the girl could only have spoken to the other boys and girls, the ones that had followed the golden-eyed boy before her, she would have known that there is always something left to lose.”

“If by weirdo he meant that Nick didn’t play grab-ass with the wannabes on the street corner, didn’t yank at his crotch and call girls bitches, didn’t wear oversized jerseys and pretend to be a gangsta all day, then yeah, Nick had to agree.”

“Peter had two short swords strapped on his back, the belts crisscrossing his chest bandito style. A black splash of war paint covered his face, and his golden eyes gleamed out from the paint. He pulled his swords free, clanged them together, and all the Devils lined up on either side of him. (the Child Thief)”

“Peter didn't answer. He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them, and put his chin on his knees. Ever the contradiction, Tanngnost thought. One moment a cold-hearted killer, the next a sentimental boy, always the eternal optimist despite a lifetime of tragedy. Of course, that's his glamour. The very thing that draws the children to him, makes them love him despite so many contradictions. (The Child Thief)”

“Christians. They’re determined to rid the land of any who worship the Horned One. Murdering all the druids, burning the temples, sometimes whole villages, and knocking over the standing stones.” The Lady’s face hardened. “This god of peace and love certainly likes to bathe the land in blood.”

“Men-kind shared this world for but a blink, then, sadly, they became enlightened, found science and religion. The new world of men left little room for magic or the magical creatures of old. Earth’s first children were driven into the shadows by flame and cold iron, by man’s insatiable need of conquest.”

“Everything comes with a price. Everything. Some things just cost more than others.”

“The darkness is calling. A little danger, a little risk. Feel your heart race. Listen to it. That’s the sound of being alive. It’s your time, Nick. Your one chance to have fun before it’s all stolen by them, the adults, with their cruelty and endless rules, their can’t-do-this, and can’t-do-that’s, their have-tos, and better-dos, their little boxes and cages all designed to break your spirit, to kill your magic.”

“My name's Peter. Can I play too?”

“For Peter's smile is a most contagious thing.”

“But he was sick of this charade. Sick of watching people lose a little more of their humanity each day, and sick to death of seeing people tortured in the name of God. What had happened to these people?”

“Peter stood up and let a wicked smile slide across his face. "Time to play.”

“Did he dare trust this insane boy?”

“Enough talk," Peter said, and his eyes flashed. "It's time to turn you three into killers.”

“My tale doesn't end there, for the end has yet to be written.”

“Children like yourselves are full of magic, but the men have turned, they've lost their magic to the fear and hatred they harbor for all that they can't explain, control, or understand.”

“Go and play. Run around. Build something. Break something. Climb a tree. Get dirty. Get in some trouble. Have some fun.”

“But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one another.”

“Peter finds the lost, the left-behind, the abused.”

“Peter finds the lost, the left-behind, the abused. Is that not why you are here? Did Peter not save you?”

“Mama," Peter cried. She didn't look up. The door shut.”

“How much blood will it take to make them stop? How many more children must die?”

“What will happen, will happen.”

“I bring fresh blood," Peter said and grinned.”

“Let's play," Peter said.”

“Peter wore a grin from ear to ear. "You did great!”

“Steady," Peter said, not losing a step. "Have to keep steady or all is lost.”

“Peter kept walking.”

“Don't let them win. Don't let them beat you. Don't let them steal your magic.”

“The boy planted his hands on his hips and a broad smile lit his face. "My name's Peter. Can I play too?”

“There is always something left to lose.”

“Men who fear demons see demons everywhere.”

“Peter's face clouded. "Everything comes at a price. Or have you not learned that yet?”

“If you don't learn to laugh at life it'll surely kill you, that I know.”

“Had not enough gone wrong?”

“And Peter laughed, and when he did, all the Devils grinned, because Peter's laugh was a most contagious thing.”