by Sasha Pruett
Chapter Thirty
For thou hast trusted... thy wisdom and thy knowledge,... Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.
Isaiah 47:10-11
The ride back to Susanne Marshall’s was quiet and ominous. The only sound came from the rain pattering on the car and the rhythmic beat of the wipers which heightened their sense of doom. Gary drove cautiously through the streets of town, each unconsciously searching the darkness for any sign of Michael or the monster he may have become.
When the cruiser slowed to a halt in front of the Marshall family home, the men strained their eyes for any sign of movement, but the falling drizzle worked as a perfect cover for anyone; or anything, that may be lurking just beyond the sedan. The windows began to steam, blinding them entirely to the outside world. It was now or never. Jonathan fumbled with his keys in the dark, feeling for the one that would let them inside the home, inside safety. When he had it, Gary cautiously stepped from the vehicle and unsnapped his holster, using every sense God had given him to assess the area; he was still an officer and responsible for the others. It took them less than a minute to get into the house and bolt the door behind them, a lock that would get continual use from that day on. The house was comfortable and inviting, but the three tread as though death could be around the next corner.
“I know the chest Sue was talking about. You can just wait down here, I shouldn’t be long.”
“I respect that this was your home, Jonathan, but I’m the one with the badge and the gun. We stay together. If that talisman, or whatever it is, is as powerful as Wendy says it is than we may not be the only one after it.”
“Good point Gary, lead the way.”
One by one, with Gary in the lead, they made their way to the attic, each one peering over their shoulders as if the devil was on their heels. Gary put his hand to the door handle leading to the third floor attic room; and froze. There was more than just the sound of the falling rain coming from the other side, and shadows danced in the light from under the door. Something was in the attic, and it hadn’t been invited. Gary put a finger to his lips,
“Shhh..., stay here.” It was crunch time; does he shoot the monster that’s really a boy? Could he avoid it? Would a leg shot have any effect on a creature from the bowels of Hell? He held his breath as he turned the handle, trying desperately not to make a sound. Did it know they were there, hiding, lying in wait, crouched for an attack? Or was it distracted by its own search for the mysterious medallion?
Few could imagine how fiercely the heart thundered in the breast of an officer who had never faced more than the occasional drunken brawl, or B & E, let alone an ancient evil of this magnitude. Gary lunged into the home’s apex, swinging his weapon from corner to corner, side to side, up and down, expecting anything and everything, but what he got.... A lone, naked, light bulb, swaying in the breeze from the recently broken window. This time there had been no monster in the closet.
“Okay Jonathan, all clear, but it looks like Susie’ll have you puttin’ in a new window when all this is over. Let’s get what we came here for and get moving.”
Jonathan wasted little time locating the trunk; he knew what he was after, but.... He dug through the cedar time capsule, unearthing decades of dust and history until his fingers came upon a small metallic disc strung with a faded leather band. His digits tingled as he held the talisman in his hands, chills raced up his arm and exploded throughout his whole body, each hair standing on end. What was this thing and who made it, but more importantly; just what side were the mysterious makers on?
“Everything alright in there Jonathan?” Gary’s question broke through the moment, bringing him upright and to the door where they were waiting.
“Here you go. It’s all yours.” There was something in Jonathan’s voice that unnerved him. Was it the lightness in a serious situation, uneasiness, or was his own nerves reading too much into things. Gary sighed, either way he had possession of the fated necklace, now what?