The vaporous, nebulous...thing holds its floundering, kicking, clawing victim by the throat, said victims legs dangle in the air, as he continuously paws at a black, insubstantial arm, that yields to his attacks, only to reform immediately, as if from burning, acrid smoke.

The street around them is devastated. Cars are thrown about, and men lay on the ground, unconscious, or worse. Buildings burn and a heavy fog fills the air that the street lights barely diffuse.

The dark things face is hooded and hidden, but at times a gleaming skull can be seen beneath the hood, and at other times only blackness as dark as the pit. A cloak of black smoke covers its back, falling to the floor and continuously dissipating as if it were rotting away, only to reappear instantly.

In a voice filled with a vile, wet gurgling the creature finally speaks to its victim. “So tell me little Etrigan, what is it that a demon fears?”

Earlier that evening, Jason Blood, demonologist returns from the airport and a trip to Romania to view some artifacts that had been discovered there. He exits a cab, luggage in hand and enters the lobby of his apartment building. He makes his way up the elevator, then through the door of his home to be instantly accosted by a familiar voice once inside.

“Hey Jason! About time you got back here.” Harry Matthews greets his friend. Seated next to Harry is Randhu Singh, the third member of their group of friends.

“Hello Harry, Randhu. I see you both have made yourselves at home once again. Is all well here in Gotham?”

“Indeed it is my friend. Nothing of a metaphysical nature has happened that would require your- or your ‘friends’ attention.” Randhu replies.

Jason fills a glass with scotch and offers one to each of his friends as well. Only Harry accepts. Then he sits with them on the couch and they begin to discuss his recent foray into the unknown.

“So nuthin’ happened in Europe? What’d ya find there Jase?”

“A few old antiquities dating back about five hundred years. It looks like Dracula’s true castle and lair may in deed have been found this time.”

“Was there no sign of the vampire himself?” Randhu inquires.

“No, no of course not. There has been no sign of him in many years. If he does show his face in this modern world of heroes, I’m sure he would be dealt with quickly. And if not, well I can always call on my ‘friend’ to do the job.”

“And how is Etrigan these days? Has he been talkative?”

“No Randhu, he’s been quiet. Not wanting to come out and play I suppose. He seems almost tired, or maybe afraid.”

“Etrigan is afraid? Of what? What could make a Demon know fear?”

“Don’t misunderstand Harry, I said he could be afraid, not that he was. I just don’t know. For all I know he could be planning something diabolical.”

“I doubt the Demon is afraid, Jason. Perhaps he is merely anticipating his favorite night of the year, Halloween.” Randhu offers.

“No Randhu, I do not think so. Etrigan is me, and I am he or some such thing. I know Etrigan as well as I know myself. He definitely does not like Halloween. He considers it an amateur hour of sorts. Its’ not his favorite night of the year, to be sure.” Jason states simply while stirring his drink, before taking a sip of it.

Then he walks across his parlors’ floor, in front of his two friends who sit in his plush chairs, while he sips his drink some more, contemplating the strangeness of the situation.

Outside, rain begins to spatter against his window as he walks over to it and begins to stare out onto Gotham City.

“This city never changes does it?”

“Cities come and go, my friend. But you Jason Blood, you are eternal.”

“I know Randhu. That’s part of my problem. Do you know how many lives I’ve lived? How many women I’ve loved? Do either of you realize that a hundred years from now I’ll still be here, but everyone else, everyone including yourselves will go the way of Glenda, dear sweet Glenda.”

He stirs his drink some more and takes a hard pull of it.

“Yeah it’s a year already since Glenda died. Maybe that’s why Etrigan is so quiet. He shared your feelings for her.”*

*See last years Halloween special.

“I know Harry. Feelings I should have acted on. I should have fought to get her back in my life. I should have married her.”

“Jason, you know that you did the correct thing with Glenda. You let her go. It is not your fault that her wedding was overrun by terrorists who were looking to make a political statement. You had nothing to do with her death.”

“Maybe so Randhu, but if I had let Etrigan free earlier she would still be here. Instead I waited and kept him bottled up. I should have let him free right then and there, in front of everyone.”

“You speak madness, Jason Blood. Etrigan rained unholy retribution on those responsible for Glenda’s death. That is all one could ask for.”

“Is it? Randhu? Is it? I don’t believe so. I should have acted sooner. I should have done something. Damn my double identity to hell, I should have let Etrigan free.”

“Hey buddy, if you did the whole world would know that Jason Blood, world famous demon hunter is really a Demon himself. Not cool. You can do a whole lot of good this way and you and Etrigan both know it.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself, Harry. But sometimes it isn’t enough. Especially not lately.” He finishes his drink and walks back to his bar to pour another when a crack of thunder shakes the room and a bolt of lightning lights up the street outside his window.

“That’s funny I don’t remember anything about rain tonight.”

“That is because it was not supposed to rain Harry.” Randhu answers.

Another crack of lightning and the street is lit up once again, Jason drinks deeply but out of the corner of his eye he sees something on the building roof across the way, something ominous.

“What the hell? He stammers aloud as he makes his way across the room to spread the curtains wide and stare out at the roof cornice across the street from his window.

“What is it Jason?” Randhu asks.

“I-I thought I saw Etrigan perched on the roof’s edge, like a stone gargoyle.

“I think you had one too many tonight ol’ buddy.” Harry Matthew’s answers as he removes the glass from Jason’s hand.

“No, no I did see something, I’m not saying it was Etrigan, but it was someone or something that at least looked something like him.”

“There is nothing there now.” Randhu offers.

“I know, but something was there, I-I’m sure of it.”

“Jason, you are sweating, no, you are afraid. What is the matter my friend?”

“I-I’m not sure. What I saw there, just from the brief eye contact I made with it, i-it filled me with overwhelming dread. I can’t explain it, but I’m actually beginning to shake.”

“Sit down Jason.” Harry helps Jason to a seat, as Blood begins to quake uncontrollably from fright.

Jason and Harry exchange nervous glances, both are worried now.

Then a bone chilling sound fills the air, as throughout the building, and on the street below people begin to shriek in fear!

“Randhu, what is it?”

“All I can sense Harry is overwhelming, fear, from everyone crying out.”

“Randhu, How come we’re not affected?”

“I believe it is because we did not stare out the window when the lightning struck.”

“So like we didn’t see this thing? So it didn’t affect us?”

“Exactly Harry. But Jason did make eye contact.”

“I-I k-know w-what it i-is.” Jason stammers while violently shaking.

“What?” Both men ask in almost perfect unison.

“I-it’s a-a f-fear D-demon. W-we see w-what it i-is w-we fear m-most.”

“So eye contact is the key Jason?”

“Y-yes Randhu. I-it must have e-escaped f-from some n-nether region a-and is t-terrorizing m-mortals for h-halloween.”

As they speak suddenly the lights flicker and go out.

“Great now we lost power the whole cities blacked out.”

Harry turns back to Jason, “Well let’s get Etrigan out here and have him send this thing packin’”

“N-no.”

“Huh? What do you mean ‘no’ buddy? Now’s the time to free the Demon and have him kick this thing’s butt. Let’s do it.”

“No. I don’t want him t-to get f-free. E-ever a-again.”

“Is that what you fear Jason? You fear letting him free and him hurting someone?”

“N-no. I-I fear l-letting him f-free, and h-him not l-letting m-me back o-out.”

“Man you been around for centuries, and you always get back out.”

“Y-yes b-but sometimes I w-wake up i-in hell.”

Both men stop in their tracks at that one. The comment freezes them. Both gulp back hard as the reality of what Jason Blood has just said begins to slowly overwhelm them both, like a slowly pooling puddle of blood on the floor.

“My God. I-I can’t even imagine...”

“Nor can I Harry, nor can I.”

Randhu pauses for a second, beckons Harry to him and then continues once they are out of earshot of Jason.

“We must convince Jason to release Etrigan.”

“I know Randhu, but how are we going to do that?”

“We can force the transformation by performing the spell ourselves that always works.”

“Yes, but is that fair to Jason?”

“Randhu, look outside, do we have a choice?”

“My friend, my eyes are barely healed as it is, you know that. But besides that point, to betray our friend in this manner...”

“Think back to last year and Glenda’s death, and look how it still affects Jason now. He still blames himself. Now if half of Gotham dies from this things rampage and he could have stopped it, how do you think he’ll feel later?”

“B-both of you s-stop it.”

Both men turn towards the sound of Jason’s voice. Jason himself is standing there shaking in the doorway of the hall. Trembling like a man immersed in ice. But it is not from cold he trembles, it is from fear.

“I k-know what I have to do.” He steels himself, and begins to chant.

“Fall, fall form of man, arise the demon, ETRIGAN!”

In a sulfurous burst of fire and brimstone Etrigan appears, but not in his usual loud boisterous manner filled with demonic laughter. No this Etrigan is silent and...afraid.

“Why am I here?” He asks quietly.

Both men look to each other then back at the Demon.
“You are here because a great evil has ensnared the city. Jason called it a fear Demon, and it is loose here. We need you to send it back to hell.”

The Demon looks to them both, then turns away uncharacteristically. “I cannot help you.”

“What? Why? What’s wrong with you?” Harry shouts, taking a step forwards into the Demons face.

“I-I would normally tear your arms off for speaking to me thusly Harry Matthews, but I cannot do even that at the moment.”

“He’s under the fear spell, like Jason was.”

“Yes Harry it does make sense. They do share the same corporeal shell.”

“So whatever’s affecting Jason affects Etrigan as well. Great what do we do now?”

Outside an explosion rocks the neighborhood, as fires flare brighter amidst the falling rain.

“We have to do something!” Harry shouts in anger.

“No, you mortals stay here I will go.” The Demon almost whispers, steeling himself.

With a flourish, the Demon opens the window and leaps through it, falling the five floors to the street below!

He lands in a crouch, snarling like a beast.

With false bravado the Demon shouts “Where are you, fear monger? Show yourself, so I can send you back to the pit like so much carrion.”

Then a voice like broken glass being ground by massive gears answers him “Look at you, the mighty Etrigan, brought low by my fear power. The powerful and dreaded Demon, barely able to stand on his own two paws, hahahhaha!”

Etrigan looks around him, trying to find the source of the voice that permeates everything on the street. All about the street, buildings burn, cars are overturned and likewise engulfed in flame. Then suddenly a roiling, smoking mass appears before Etrigan. Then that mass slowly coalesces into a form. All about him, Etrigan hears shrieks of fear and agony filling the streets. The form finally becomes somewhat substantial, a black hooded thing that grabs Etrigan by the throat quickly and raises him above the street by one arm.

Up in the apartment, Harry and Randhu confer on what to do.

“Should we look out? What’s goin’ on out there Randhu?”

“I believe we must chance it Harry. If we do not, and Etrigan requires help we may not be able to give him what he requires.”

Both men stare out the window and see The Demon being held up in the air as he struggles to break free.

“Oh man this is not good.”

“No Harry it is not, but I have an idea. The creature did not make eye contact with either of us, so we are safe. Jason must have something here that will affect it.”

“I got it, get his suitcase I know he has ta have this with him, especially where he just came from.”

The men tear open Jason Blood’s suitcase, and rummaging through its confines Harry pulls out a small metal container. “This’ll do it, let’s go.”

They run down the stairs, avoiding the elevator, using flashlights in the now powerless halls.

Out onto the street they run, shielding their eyes from looking at the creature, just following the sounds of hideous laughter and Etrigan struggling until...

“Hey ugly, take a bath!” The horrific hellion turns towards Harry Matthews as he opens the metal flask and hurls its contents into the things face! It shrieks instantly as smoke and steam pour from its face!

“Arrggghh Holy Water? I will eat your soul little human!”

“No, eat HELLFIRE!” Etrigan shouts, his anger and indignation finally overcoming any fear he felt! He opens his mouth and spews hot flames, enveloping the creature’s head!

The fear demon stumbles backwards, clawing at its head as Etrigan now approaches. Crouched low and growling, the Demon leaps and attacks, his claws shred the things suddenly substantial flesh with two powerful swipes then he grasps it by the neck and leg, raises it above his head and slams it down over his knee with a sickening crack, before throwing it like a broken toy twenty feet into a destroyed car.

Etrigan approaches the fear demon, as he swipes the holy water flask from Harry’s hand as he passes both men.

The creature shakes on the ground, trembling in pain as Etrigan approaches. Its face still a miasma of blackness.

“Now you tell me,” Etrigan roars, “little fear demon, what is it that YOU fear???”

Instantly the creatures featureless face mirrors Etrigans own, becoming the Demons reflection, as Etrigan laughs hideously, he forces the things jaws open and shoves the holy water, flask and all into the creatures mouth. “Tell them all, all your brethren, not to come up here again, because I will be waiting. HAHAHAHHAHAHA!”

The creatures head explodes then as the Holy water finds its mark and the monstrosity fades into nothingness in a blast of sulfur and brimstone!

“You two.” The Demon turns towards Harry and Randhu and speaks. “You have done well.” He begins to walk away then stops and turns with his back to them and his head slightly over his broad shoulder and ads “For mortal dogs.”

Then he leaps up the closest building’s facade and disappears into the night, leaping away across the city rooftops.

“Did Etrigan just thank us?”

“I believe he did Harry Matthews.”

“So I gotta ask, what does Etrigan fear? Did you see what that things face turned into when it asked him?”

“No, but I believe I already know.”

“You gonna share?”

“He fears being trapped as Jason Blood forever. He fears not being allowed out to ‘play’.”

“An’ tonight’s the biggest play time of all for him.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Indeed. I pray he finds no more willing playmates, for their sakes.” Randhu concludes as both men walk back towards the apartment building. As the do lights begin to go back on around them.