The Witchstone

by Henry H. Neff

“Is this when you tell me you’ve got something against demons?” “Don’t most people?” “Not the smart ones,” said Laszlo. “Not the ones who understand that we’re just independent thinkers who didn’t like being ordered around. Really, demons are no different than the Pilgrims, and you celebrate those stiffs every Thanksgiving.

“Hell has paperwork?” “Hell is paperwork.”

“Laws punishing natural instincts; governments and churches forcing people to be things they’re not. It’s hilarious, really. Billions of self-hating fools trudging through life believing their very existence is a sin. Everything’s just another loyalty test to satisfy the demands of some touchy, all-powerful authority.

Call me crazy, but God seems to have a lot in common with your average Mean Girl.”

“They’re all the same. Every church, big or small. And the people who run ’em? They act like they’ve got all the answers. And if you don’t toe the line or fit the mold, then it’s ‘Fuck you, sinner. You’re gonna burn . . .’”