"What are you doing, honey?" Her mother asked with alarm.

"I don't have a playmate and I want one!" the small brunette child cried out. "Mommy, go away!"

Her mother stepped back, confused as to how and why the floor was glowing red. "Honey, maybe you should..."

"Arise!" the girl screamed. "Serve me!"

-_-

The demon that appeared, in a puff of sulfur, was quite impressive. Red skin, black horns, immodestly hung, a fearsome amalgam of bull, human man, and all demon. It looked at its summoner, the little girl, and said simply, "Aw, shit."

-_-

Rebecca loved her new monster. He played with her, checked for monsters under the bed, secured her closet, and even warmed her food for her. And laying on him... he was so warm, she didn't even need blankets. She'd begun foregoing sleeping in her bed, he was so soft and nice.

Her mother had had problems with him initially, but once they'd talked it over (rather loudly and with strange screams, over the course of several hours) she'd strangely acquiesced to his presence. All she asked for him to stay around, was for him to periodically "discuss" her health with her, in her bedroom, with the door locked, for a few hours.

Which Rebecca didn't care about because, why would she? That just meant she could watch cartoons for that much longer. But the demon was great! She slept so much better, and even her mother seemed happier with him around. Truly, summoning him was the best idea ever!

-_-

Kevin had never been so torn. He'd not been a good man in life; being offered to be a demon (rather than roasting forever for his crimes) was a no-brainer. But his job was to make bad deals, and to take the souls of his victims back with him.

But this time, his summoner was a little girl.

A little girl not much older than his little girl had been.

Back before he'd drank too much, wrecked the car, and killed her, thus earning his position in the hot place.

So when little Rebecca summoned him, he'd not poked all the loopholes of her child's contract in order to take her immediately to the hot place. He'd instead played with her, guarded her, and... loved her, as he'd not been able or willing to do with his little girl Lenora. He warded Rebecca for years, and her (lonely, desperate) mother permitted him his guardianship, until she was to go off to college.

Ten years, during which his pseudo-daughter thrived, knowing she had a fiery red protector waiting for her at home. And when she went off to college, when she escaped and released him of his summoning, it was only then that he returned to the hot place, and was punished for wasting so much time while failing to procure a soul. He lost his status, his powers, and was cast into the lake of fire.

And as he burned, he thought of little Rebecca, all grown up. And then he thought of his little Lenora, who would never grow up, thanks to him. And he murmured two words, just two words, before his lips burnt off of his face:

"Worth it."