“If you think I’ve come in here to give your money, then you’re gravely mistaken. Unlike your daughter, I have not an ounce of compassion in me. People like you turn my stomach. You’re the lowest form of life and the purest form of evil. Well, let me tell you something not many people know.”
I lean forward and summon the darkness. I watch the terror in their eyes as I unleash the fires of hell around them. All around the fire burns. Feeding off their fear and burning their soul.
They start to shake as I say darkly. “Not many people know that I have the power to claim your soul and keep it as a trophy for eternity. Not many people know that all your sins count for something in the afterlife. Not many people know that I walk on this earth to claim the evil souls who will burn in hell forever. And not many people know my name. But you are special because only a select few get to understand just what they face before they burn in Hell. Call me Satan, call me Lucifer or call me the Devil. Take your pick because I am one and the same. I prefer to go by Devlin Knight these days but my role in life is the same. I want your souls to feed the fires of Hell and keep you away from all that is good.”
I pull back as they sink to their knees. Their cries fill the wooden house as their terrified souls realize what’s about to happen. But their time isn’t now. They haven’t suffered nearly enough. I have no time for petty revenge, it’s not my call to make. But they don’t know that. They will live with the nightmares and they will turn mad because of it. Then, when their time is up, I will return for them personally and take great delight in sending them to the hottest part of Hell reserved for my own personal guests.
With one final look at the pitiful sight of Luna’s past, I head toward my future.
Luna
I feel numb as I wait for Dev in the car. I don’t register anything but the sound of my mom ringing in my ears. She hates me and always has. I didn’t deserve any of that. I always tried to be a loving daughter even though I got nothing back in return. How can two parents be so different? Sly was everything, where she is nothing.
My thoughts are interrupted as the car starts. I look up in confusion and tap on the window that separates the driver from me. “Excuse me, but Dev isn’t here yet. We can’t go anywhere.”
I feel the car moving off and shout, “Stop, he’s not here yet.”
There is silence, so I try the door handle. Something isn’t right. What’s happening? I try to open the door but it’s locked and I look around me wildly and try to open the window. That’s locked too.
I watch the house disappearing from view and shout for Dev. Surely, he will hear me, but as we turn the corner the partition comes down and I stare into the cold, dead eyes of Carlos Vincenzi.
I scream as loudly as I can but he just laughs. Shaking his head, he says darkly, “Tut, Tut, Luna, is that any way to greet a long-lost friend?”
I say fearfully, “What do you want from me?”
He laughs again and his eyes flash.
“I want what was promised to me all those years ago. I want you; Luna Williams and you know I always get what I want in the end.”
I start to tremble with fear as I see the promise in his eyes and I look around for anything I can use to help me out of this but he just looks amused.
“There’s no escape from your destiny, Luna. You were always mine. I watched you grow into a fine woman and I happen to like fine things. Nobody ever came close to you and even though you ran from me all those years ago, I never stopped looking. Look at you now. Beautiful and all mine, at last.”
I sink back into the seat and shake my head. “No, I was never yours. I never agreed to anything, it was my mom who promised me to you. I would never agree.”
His eyes narrow and I balk at the sight of his scarred face staring at me with anger.
“That’s of no consequence. You don’t get a say in it. If you won’t come willingly, then you will be made to understand. Let’s just say, I like a girl with a bit of spirit and will enjoy knocking yours out of you. Now sit back, darlin’, because I’m taking you home.”
I shake my head and cry, “I’m not here alone. He’ll find me and you’ll pay the price.”
Carlos just laughs bitterly.
“He won’t make it out of that flea pit you once called home. Let’s just say, I left a little insurance policy behind. The only way to clean up the dirt is to burn it down. Say goodbye to your hopes and dreams, darlin’, because they just went up in smoke.”
He snaps the partition shut and leaves me to deal with the horror he’s described. The tears run down my face as I think of Dev and the fate waiting for him. I can think of nobody but him. I love him with all my heart and once again because of me, someone I love will die. It’s hopeless, I can’t escape. All I can do is sit tight and wait until we stop. If I can, I will fight to the death because what’s left for me to live for?
~ 23 ~
Luna
I try to stop the fear taking hold. I need to think about this because the only one who can save me from a fate worse than death is me. I can’t think about Dev, I’ll deal with that pain when I’m safe. If there’s a small chance I can get to him, I’ll take it.
As the car speeds toward my worst nightmare, I think fast. The only chance I’ll get is when the car stops. As soon as he gets me into his house, I know I won’t escape.
I try not to think of Dev but the tears fall thick and fast and the thought of what could be happening to him now is too much to bear. I almost can’t think straight as he is all I can think of. I don’t even grieve for my mom. She made her decision and the look she gave me will stay with me forever. She never loved me that much was painfully obvious. No, the only two people who ever have are now dead because of it.
All of a sudden, the car stops abruptly and I hear the sound of the car door opening. This is it; I will need to act fast. If I can just run, I can hide. I have to try at least.
The warm air hits me as soon as the door is flung open. The light blinds me and I feel a strong hand grab hold of my arm and pull me from the car.
As my eyes adjust, I feel something cold and hard pressed to my head and an evil voice says darkly, “You’re mine now, darlin’. Say hi to your new home.”
I shiver in terror as I look into the eyes of evil. Carlos is grinning at me with the cold, hard, promise of what’s to come as he holds a gun to my head. My knees shake as I see the house in front of me. A fortress for the damned. Wealth and opulence surround this place mixed with the blood of the people who paid the price for it and I’d rather he shoots me now than be one of them.
Roughly, he pulls me toward the house and the steel against my head warns me not to struggle. I fight back the tears as he drags me into the house, his grip like a vise.
The temperature changes as we go inside and I shiver as the cool air-conditioning hits me. He doesn’t lower the gun for a moment as he drags me upstairs.
I’m conscious that his men are everywhere. They guard every door and every exit and their cold, dead eyes follow me with interest. There’s no way out of this but death and if I have to take that option I will. It’s only the thought that somehow Dev may have survived that keeps me going. I must escape and find out; I have to know for sure.
We soon arrive at a door at the end of the passageway and he kicks it open and pulls me inside. It appears to be a large bedroom and as I see the look in his eye, I know he isn’t going to wait a moment more than he has to before claiming his prize.
He drags me over to the bed and presses the gun to my head just a little harder. “Sit on the bed and don’t move.”
I do as he says because there is no choice and the tears run down my face as he takes a chain and fastens a cuff to my wrist. Then he does the same to my ankle and steps back with satisfaction.
“There, you are now safely secured and at my mercy. Just how I like them.”
He lowers the gun and stands back, looking at me with satisfaction. “You know, darlin’, this needn’t be this way. You will soon
realize that life’s a lot more comfortable when you play along. Who knows, you may even enjoy it, many do. The trouble with me is I get bored easily. It’s in your interest to keep me happy because when I’m bored, I dispose of my belongings. I hope you understand your situation, Luna because there’s no way out of it. Now, all that driving has made me thirsty. I have some business to sort out before I can enjoy my latest toy. There’s some water on the table beside you, I suggest you drink it.”
He squats down before me and reaches out and touches my face lightly. I watch the desire spark in his eyes as he lowers his lips to mine. I turn my head and keep my lips tightly shut, and he laughs softly.
“It won’t be long before you are mine, Luna. We both know it, so think about that while I take care of things.”
He jumps up and walks toward the door and as he opens it, I see a man standing guard outside. Carlos laughs darkly. “As you can see there’s no way out of here. So, enjoy the brief time you have left before you become mine once and for.”
As the door slams shut behind him, the tears come thick and fast. There is no escaping my fate, short of a miracle.
Devlin
As soon as I turn my back on the vile creatures shivering on the floor, I know. I see it coming. The smell of smoke and the heat of the flame greet me as I enter the small hallway. All around me the house is burning. The house is so old and dry it will go up like a rocket. The smell of the acrid smoke fills my lungs and I take a moment to savor it. Fire feeds my soul, not destroy it. I hear the two people start screaming as they realize the danger and feel irritated. Impatiently, I turn toward them and with one swift move, grab one under each arm. I’m not finished with them yet. They don’t get off this easily. I want them to live a long life of pain and regret before their souls are mine. So, I drag them from the burning house and gain satisfaction in their cries of pain as the fire sears their flesh.
As soon as we are outside, I know. Luna has gone and as I close my eyes, I see the man responsible. Throwing the two people who disgust me in every way to the floor, I start to walk away. They are about to lose everything and I couldn’t care less. They will keep only one thing, their miserable lives.
As I walk, I search for Luna in my mind. Nothing! Absolutely nothing again. This is not happening. How can I not see her? She is everything to me and the one I want the most and yet she’s the only person I cannot see when I search. So, I search for the second person I want the most. Carlos Vincenzi.
As his features come to me, I feel the anger burning brightly within me. He’s about to discover who I am and this time he gets no second chance. So, as I walk, I walk toward the man in my mind. My body can’t keep up as the demon inside me leaves it behind. I leave the man to catch up as I power toward my prize. Demons can move at the speed of light if necessary and Carlos Vincenzi is about to discover I’m coming for him.
I reach his house in no time at all. The anger is building as I go and fuels my rage. The furnace is roaring within my soul and the fire becomes me. Hell, and fury combine as I taste the evil in my sight. I hear the cries of Hell accompany me as they sense a new recruit is on its way and I relish the sounds of damnation as I arrive at my destination.
The guards don’t even see me as I pass them. They won’t until I want them to. There is only one man I need and he’s not gonna like what he sees.
I move toward him purposefully and then he comes into view. He is leaving the room he’s imprisoned the only one I love and is about to discover what that’s cost him.
Just as the door closes, he looks up and I see the uncertainty in his eyes as he looks toward me. He jumps back and says something to the man guarding the door but the man looks but doesn’t see. He looks puzzled as Carlos starts pointing and shouting and shakes his head as Carlos turns and heads back the way he came.
I follow him in.
~ 24 ~
Devlin
There she is, the woman I love, chained to the bed like a dog. She looks destroyed and my anger increases. She can’t see me, only he can. He backs up and holds the gun in front of him as he says with fear. “Keep away, I’ll shoot! Leave now while you still can.”
I laugh and fix him with the devil’s eyes and he starts to shake and I watch as Luna looks at him with shock. She can’t see anything but the man backing toward her waving the gun at thin air. His voice shakes as he shouts, “I’ve warned you, keep away!”
He fires the gun, and the bullet passes through me. I laugh as he fires again and then I see the fear in Luna’s eyes as she contemplates the madman in front of her. Her eyes are wide and she is trembling with fear. He turns toward her and shouts, “You see him, don’t you? He’s here for me, I know it. Please say you see him.”
She shakes her head. “There’s nothing there, Carlos, you’re a madman. Let me go, please, I’m begging you.”
He looks at us both, his eyes mad with fear and I say darkly. “Do as she says, Carlos. You have no other choice. Luna will never be yours; you’re just making things even worse for yourself the longer you keep her.”
Carlos starts to fold before my eyes as they all do. He can taste the fear and it’s consuming him. He looks at us again and then the madness in him takes possession of his soul and he says shakily, “If I can’t have her, nobody will.”
Then before I know what’s happening, he turns to Luna and aims the gun at her head.
Terror fills her eyes and I roar as the gun fires.
One second is all it took as her lifeless body falls to the bed. Executed in front of my eyes and because of me. As Luna’s blood stains the sheets - I explode.
The pain hits me hard. It consumes me and chokes me with grief. Never before have I felt this feeling of pure helplessness and the pain twists my soul.
As Carlos turns toward me, I shoot up in flames. I am the fire and the fire surrounds me. My eyes stare at the man who knows his fate as he sinks to his knees because the devil stands before him burning with rage.
The fire burns all around us as I summon the guardians of Hell and almost immediately, I hear their gentle whispering approach. The moans and the screams intensify as they are summoned to serve.
Carlos hears them too, and the life drains from his body. Reaching out, I grab hold of him and relish the screams as his body turns to dust in my hand. His soul remains and feels the pain even more than his physical body.
The demons approach and I say nothing to the man who hears his fate approaching and he starts to shake as the fire consumes him. He screams in agony but there will be no respite. He will scream for eternity because I have no mercy. He has taken the one thing I want more than anything and will pay a heavy price.
His soul burns in my hand as the demons arrive. I throw him to them and they descend on it like a pack of hungry wolves. He screams in agony as they consume him. They chain him to an everlasting purgatory and he will never be free. The fire of Hell rages as my heart breaks inside. It burns but doesn’t consume. This is a fire that will never die. This is a force that can’t be explained and is only visible to the damned.
Carlos’ body will be discovered and he will have killed himself. Nobody will ever know what took place here today and as I look at the lifeless body of the woman I love, I know what I have to do.
As the demons remove Carlos’s soul to Hell, I walk over to the shell of the woman who gave me so much. The pain hits me as I look down at the results of her death. A large bullet through the brain spares nobody and now I must get her back.
I close my eyes and go where I never go. I will do anything and I think of nothing but her. As my soul goes to the place I avoid at all costs, I follow her where I’ve been only a handful of times before. This time it’s different. This time I won’t leave alone.
I walk toward the light. The fire in me looks out of place in the serenity all around me. There is no evil here, and the fire is burning because of the pain that fuels it. I walk with purpose and need. Luna is worth the sacrifice I’m making and they know it. I laugh bitterl
y. Who knew this would happen? I’ve got to hand it to them, they know how to get what they want.
Then I see them watching me approach with interest. Shapes made up of all that is good in the heavens and earth. Pure souls that shape mankind and life itself. My family.
The prodigal son returns with only one aim in mind.
I watch as a shape walks toward me and smiles kindly.
“Devlin. How lovely to see you. How long has it been? Too long.”
She laughs and the sound of it douses the fire in me -just a little.
“So, you don’t call, you don’t write and I hear nothing for decades. Now here you are and I expect it’s not to say ‘hi’ to your family.”
I grin despite myself as another shape comes into view.
“Good to see you, bro. You’re looking… um… well hot if I’m honest.”
I nod toward Elspeth, my sister. An Angel with the purest soul and my own personal favorite. “You’re looking good, Ellie.”
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, you know, I do my best.”
She winks and a little more of the fire diminishes.
Then they all come. My family. As families go, they don’t get more special than mine. All of us have an important job to do. Locked into our fate by who our parents are. Much like my children really. We can’t escape our calling and deal with it the best we can.
As the eldest, I was given the short straw. Defender of good against evil. Fighting to keep the balance in life and keeping the tainted souls from heaven. It’s a lonely path I tread and a necessary one. We all have a job to do in life, but the others have it a little easier than I do. I suppose I’ve always resented them a little for it. It’s why I never come here. Until now.
Luna Page 11