Once upon a time, there was a little red demon with a plump belly and a flaming tail. It lived in the ruins of an old castle. The little red demon lured adventurous tourists towards the castle with patterns made by the swishing of its tail. The little red demon lived on cracked toe nails and split ends from humans.
Over time, fewer and fewer adventurous tourists visited the dry, rocky hills where the little red demon lived. The little red demon could not fathom why anyone would stay away from such beautiful scenery. Hunger began to dim the little red demon's tail flame. Even when the little red demon detected adventurous tourists, they rarely noticed the enticing patterns of its swishing tail.
The little red demon could not remember how it had gotten through life without the comforting shelter of the broken castle. A clear view from the top of a beautiful dry hill and piles of old wall were no longer helpful to the little red demon. It tried to remember another way to hunt for cracked toe nails and split ends.
The little red demon realized that it needed to be near humans to survive, and that humans had become scarce in its rocky paradise. Anxious thoughts blocked the little red demon from venturing beyond its majestic hill top. The unknown lands past the last dry hill had done something to the humans. Whatever had caused the population of adventurous tourists to dwindle was formidable. The cracked toe nail and split end hunt required cunning and strength and skill. No ordinary force could disappear more than a few nails and hairs.
The light of the little red demon's tail grew calmer. Gone were the uncounted years of chaotically dancing flame. The tip of the little red demon's tail glowed dark red, like day-old coal embers.
The light of the little red demon's tail began to attract tiny black winged insects. Desperation convinced the little red demon to swallow a clump of tiny black winged insects. A swirling pain twisted through the little red demon's body. The tiny black winged insects were far too sploshy and sticky for the little red demon's sensitive system.
Despair settled into the little red demon's head, then branched out to the little red demon's collar and protruding shoulder blades. The little red demon's tail could not stay aglow consistently. The tip of the little red demon's tail pulsed red then black then red. The tiny black winged flies knew better than to waste their wing beats on the little red demon's tail.
Despair made its way past the little red demon's sagging belly skin and branched further towards the little red demon's powerless knees and down the slope of its quiet tail. Settling into the little red demon's cloven feet, despair continued along its long and curvy tail.
Blackness won out at the tip of the little red demon's tail. The little red demon could see the snaggled castle tower from where it lay. The little red demon knew that it would not be in the dry old castle for much longer. It did have long enough to appreciate the sheltered hunting ground that the castle had provided for so long. The little red demon became dryer and dryer still.
Bits of wind sifted through the little dried out demon. Each bit of it settled into the cracks between the castle stones and the fractures inside the stones. The little dried out demon no longer had the hunt for cracked toe nails and split ends, but it would always have the broken castle on the dry hill.
