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by Charles W Jones

  Next, he bent, pulling his boots off, then stood at least an inch shorter than he’d been, but still taller than her. Instantly, his hands moved to his belt then buttons of his jeans, which he allowed to slump around his waist but didn’t remove them. She traced from his broad shoulder and strong arms to his defined chest and down his abdomen to the treasure still hiding behind the denim.

  Her hand darted to the opened jeans, wanting to see what would soon be filling her. Before reaching its target, he took her wrist; coolness tingled her skin from his touch. She looked back to his joviality. Her grin formed, knowing what he wanted without a word passing from his lips.

  The blouse she wore had a single button at the back of her neck, and her hand moved fluidly to it, unleashing it from its loop. Her hand came back down, caressing her breast in its descent.

  At the hem, her fingers took hold, pulling the blouse over her head, then releasing it to float to the floor. His face sparkled with delight, seeing her covered by the thin bra holding back her breasts. Her hands moved behind her to the clasp. As he had done with his jeans, she did not remove it. His hand reached for bra hiding her riches, and she didn’t stop him.

  Icy fingers guided a strap from her right shoulder down her arm. A shiver jolted her. Their peeking at the other stopped as his other hand found the remaining strap, mimicking what the other had done. With each strap free, the bra dropped to the floor between them, creating a line they would soon cross.

  Again, the voice inside her screamed to leave. She ignored it, and her hands slipped the skirt and panties from around her waist to join the other clothing on the floor.

  She stepped out of her three-inch heels, then her fingers gripped his jeans, pulling them down to his thighs. She turned from him, making her way to the bed as he stumbled out of his jeans.

  Their gazes locked as the passion between them erupted. Once their lovemaking was over, he lay a tender kiss on her forehead. She didn’t realize he was dressing until she heard the clank of his belt.

  As she sat up, he opened the door without looking back and entered the hall. Tears fell, running trails through her smeared makeup. She gasped deeply, coming awake. Familiar faces looked down at her, but why were they in room three at the Shanley?

  “You ok, honey?” Nathan said, brushing the tears from her cheek. “What was the call about?”

  “Wayne,” she answered, staring up at Jen, who had turned red at the mention of his name; she hadn’t told the others about their encounter, but the pity in Leona’s expression told her the woman knew. “They’re threatening to take Bergen.”

  A cross expression took Bergen’s face; something that rarely happened. Even the child was unsure whether they could make good on the threat. And being part of them to a point, mixed with Principality and human, anything was possible.

  The thin line of the child’s mouth turned white. Bergen stared at Leona, unsettling the woman standing with Nathan’s help. She hoped Bergen now saw the danger of returning to the theater where they’d be vulnerable to any attack from the collected souls residing below.

  “We still need to go,” Bergen said when Leona was sitting in a kitchen chair.

  “Absolutely not!” Nathan said with a raised voice. “When Eli and Cody call or show up, we’ll tell them there’s a change of plan. We’ll have to figure out something else, but it won’t involve either of you.”

  “Father,” Bergen replied, taking his hand. “We must. We can’t leave them to fend for themselves.” He glared back at the child, knowing it was the truth. “It is how it must be.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

  Mark 9:7, KJV

  The vow of silence returned as they drove into town. Children laughed on the school’s playground as they passed. The car turned on to Third Street toward City Park. At Main, the car sputtered, then died, no longer wanting to return to the parking lot at the side of the Top Hat.

  Eli grunted his disapproval, glancing at the fuel needle pointing to E; the journey across the country had used more gasoline than he’d expected. Too bad it hadn’t happened outside of town and not give Cody enough time to return for his performance.

  “At least it’s only a block we have to walk,” Cody said as though reading Eli’s mind.

  In the daylight, the church looked as daunting as it did at night. Eli tried not to look at it as they walked down the street, but it caught Cody’s attention, stopping him in front of the park entrance.

  The coolness coming from the building was noticeable, like someone had turned on the air conditioner full blast, and opened the door to cool the outdoors. He glanced around the exterior. Hector grabbed his wrist, hoping the meager intervention stopped him from what she knew he was going to do.

  “Don’t,” Hector said, but he ignored her warning.

  “You don’t want to go over there,” Eli chimed in.

  “Why? Who lives there?” Cody asked, crossing the street.

  The weeds had been cut down, but the trees and bushes that ran along the house hadn’t been trimmed; they scratched the siding as a strong breeze blew through them. He stopped at the heaving sidewalk leading to the front door. The rank smell of squalor wafted from the building. His mind found a memory of the house—his mother had told Tyler and him to never knock at the door, and reminded them every Halloween. She did not explain, and they had never disobeyed the request.

  “I’m not sure if anyone lives there.” Eli caught up to Cody to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “It’s not a nice place. Never has been as far as I know.”

  “My mom didn’t allow us to Trick-or-Treat there.”

  “Come on. We should go.” Eli didn’t want to explain what he’d learned about the place, and started walking away. He noticed Cody didn’t follow and turned back. “Cody, what are you doing?”

  Cody moved to the side of the building, holding back branches of the overgrown shrubs, trying to see the back. The stench was stronger here than it had been standing in front of the house.

  Ducking, he passed along the wall to the backyard. His stomach lurched as he stepped out of the branches. Lying on the ground near the center of the yard were layers of feces drying in the sun. Flies happily swarmed the ground, feeding on the waste. His hand covered his mouth and nose, hoping to block the odor from filling his nostrils.

  The bushes behind him shook with Eli forcing himself through the tangle. Gasping from the deluge of vileness filling the air, he came to stand next to Cody. When he’d ventured here nights ago, it had been cool out, and he hadn’t noticed the smell, but now in the late afternoon heat, it was thick and rotten.

  “Why…” Cody’s voice trailed off. There were no words to describe what he wanted to know. Never in his life had he seen anything so disgusting as this.

  “It’s a ritual site for Belphegor,” Eli said quietly, seeing no way around the topic now. “They—”

  “Unfortunately, I can imagine the details.”

  Cody’s stomach jolted with revulsion, giving him the cue it was time to leave. Turning, he took Eli’s hand, leading him back through the brush to the street. Eli hadn’t discussed anything with him since they had left Carrie’s, giving him no insight on what they had planned for the evening if anything. They seemed to be running around with no set goal, except to stop Belphegor from whatever he was scheming.

  Standing at the corner, facing the Shanley, Cody asked, “What are you going to do?”

  Eli had been waiting for the question all day, which he hadn’t had an answer when they strolled the beach or drove across the prairie, and didn’t have one now.

  Unless something had changed since he had left Nathan’s, the only plan was to go to the theater. Forcing the words from his mouth, he said, “Come and support you. We don’t know what else to do.”

  Cody hadn’t expected the answer but was relieved he didn’t have to go forward alone
. However, he didn’t want his friends and brother to put themselves at risk for him. He’d agreed to do what Belphegor had requested, though his intentions were unclear. Thinking back to the conversation he had had with the Fallen Angel while Tyler sat catatonic in a chair, he’d known he had heard the truth; he didn’t want to bring the apocalypse but wanted a meeting with God.

  Why did he need Cody? If he wanted an audience with God, it seemed there had to be better ways to force his plans into fruition. Why go through the trouble of possessing Tyler and Jen? Besides using them as bait, had Cody decided not to return to Shoshoni willingly. He didn’t need Tyler to be the foreman restoring the block; Belphegor had the power to do anything with a thought. Did he plan to use them as nourishment for the beast, trapping their souls in the basement?

  The monster was another thing not fitting; it obviously was not one of the prophesized beasts in either Daniel or Revelation—it was taller than a telephone pole, and wider than a car. A lion’s head with billowing mane sat on its thick neck. At the end of the moose body, a lion’s tail flowed behind the beast. It glared like the night sky sparkling with stars. Sharp, silver cloven-hooves formed the end of long, nimble legs. Sprouting from its back were six wings (three on each side) with six eyes on each, matching the ones in its head.

  “We have to kill it,” Cody muttered, as they remained across the street.

  “How do you suggest we kill it? It stayed too much in the shadows when it chased us last night, which means it isn’t strong enough to be in the light. I don’t think we can trick it to come outside. And I’m not going down there, neither are you.”

  “Why? I’ve been down there with it.”

  “And from what I hear, it tried to eat you one time. The other time, it was busy devouring the woman I had hired.”

  At the far end of the block, a kid ran across the street, touched the theater wall, and then darted back to the park. Laughter echoed toward them, followed by the voice of a woman shrilly reprimanding him. They knew the voice drifting toward them, and crossed the street diagonally toward the park. Carrie sat on the bench, her foot shook, dangling at the end of her leg crossed over the other.

  “Where’s your car?” she demanded.

  “It ran out of gas by the park. Why?” Eli replied.

  Two children ran around the swing set, laughing. “Where the fuck have you been? I’ve waited here all fucking afternoon.” They winced at her escalating language. “I thought you were going to the fucking ranch.”

  “We decided it wasn’t a good idea,” Cody answered. “We drove to the lake, then your mom—”

  “I know,” she interrupted. “She called me.” She dangled her cellphone in front of her. “I wish you hadn’t bothered her.” Her tone had become soft and nonabrasive. “She doesn’t need to be involved in this.” She faced Cody, but her eyes fluttered up showing the whites as she continued, “Only you can sever his binding. If it’s what you want to do.”

  “I do, but I don’t know how,” Cody said, startled by her change.

  “Sure you do,” she replied, her focus returned to him. She continued in her usual tone, “It’s the same bullshit you’ve been spewing in there the last few nights.” She stood, turning to her children. “Mason, Miranda, come on we need to get home.” Waiting for her children to scurry to her side as they moaned their disapproval of having to leave, she said to Eli, “I’ll have Eric put gas in your car, and put in the lot. I have a feeling you’re gonna need it.”

  “Thanks.” He blushed.

  Walking briskly to the corner with the kids in tow, she shook her head. The car sputtered to life, then made a U-turn, to take Carrie and her kids the few blocks to the safety of her home. Watching her leave, it occurred to Eli he hadn’t seen Cody’s car for at least a month; the one Tyler and Jen used was parked in the alley behind the building next to the hotel.

  “Where’s your car? Did Mark take it?”

  Cody sighed. “I haven’t even thought about it since I got here. Why would Mark have it?”

  “Because he’s Belphegor’s errand boy. Well, we’ll worry about your car later.”

  A string of cars came down the street to park—unseen by either Eli or Cody, Nathan parked the truck a block away near the strange building called the Different Place—none of the inhabitants exiting the cars noticed Cody or Eli.

  Soon the theater would be open, for all to hear the revolutionary words to change and heal their lives. A news van with a big blue ‘9’ on the side slowed but continued to the end of the street where it turned in to the parking lot next to the Top Hat. People emptying from the cars either waited outside the Shoshone or wandered down the street and around the corner to the hotel.

  As more cars filled the street, Eli and Cody decided to leave the park and wait behind the theater. At the other end of the block, Leona and Bergen continued down the street to the hotel entrance as Nathan, Tyler, and Jen turned toward the theater. The crowd’s excitement filled the air with happy words and cheer, not knowing what lurked inside.

  Behind the theater, anxiety-filled Eli and Cody as they waited, sitting for a moment, then jumping to their feet to pace the brick paved patio. Cody pondered what Carrie had said about doing what he preached. Was it as easy as looking inside to sever ties with Belphegor?

  Becoming still, Cody stood in the center of the sitting area, closing his eyes. He dismissed thought coming forward to beg for his attention. Things he’d hidden away from himself and the world blocked the passage to the core of his being. He acknowledged his prejudices, vowing to leave them to the power before him.

  The loneliness haunting him withered at his approach; it had been created by him when he had kept people at a distance, so they didn’t find the truth. His fears attempted to give him visions to chase him from his destination, but finding his strength, and they stepped aside.

  Light bloomed around him, stopping him from moving farther. It buzzed and snapped, brightening; had he physically seen the way it shone, he would have been blinded. It caressed him with warmth. He didn’t shy from the light but allowed it to fill him in complete surrender. The power surged through him, and filled him with peace. Serenity he’d dreamed of finding, wrapped around him.

  He emerged on the other side of the veil free of what had rotted him. He’d never felt so clean; though his body was slick with sweat, inside he was pure. Cody had given all his fears and pain and hate to the light. Gratefully it took his undesired pieces into its folds, stripping the darkness from each, and releasing them as light equal to its brightness.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

  Isaiah 48:18, KJV

  Leona hadn’t understood why Bergen insisted on going inside the hotel to see Carol. There had to have been more, but the child, as usual, didn’t give more information.

  The lobby was crowded with people hoping to be fortunate enough to land a room for the night; since the Shanley didn’t accept reservations, it was every man for himself.

  Slyly, Leona eased along the windows to the desk without catching anyone’s attention; had they noticed they would have persecuted her for cutting in line.

  Bergen hadn’t followed her. Instead, the child had moved toward the area leading to the stairs. The child glanced through the crowd to Leona, helpless against the throng of people to stop the child from descending into the basement.

  Bergen didn’t attempt to be quiet on the journey into the bowels of the hotel. No glances were made to the end of the room at the bottom of the steps, the child focused on the washroom, and crossed into it.

  The door to the boiler room stood closed. Deceiving Leona wasn’t what the child had wanted to do, but Bergen didn’t have a better idea to get her into the basement alone, especially after the threat.

  The child’s pale hand pushed the door open, assessing the gloom. The boiler hissed, burning gas to keep the water in its tank
s hot.

  The inhabitants watched her from the shadowy corners; they hadn’t expected anyone until much later, and certainly not this guest.

  Bergen passed the door leading into the tunnel, but paid the dark chamber no attention; what the child sought was beyond the boiler.

  The child found it rising from its slumber on the stained mattress. The size Jen had given was exaggerated as Bergen had known; it had a distorted perspective as it delivered fear to the observer.

  Its actual size was no larger than an adult Great Dane. Though the beast’s correct size was not as grand as Jen had seen, the power it wielded was not to be taken for granted. The feral scent of it wasn’t as repellent as she anticipated; it was more of how a wild animal smelled than of shit and rot. It growled and shook its head at Bergen’s approach.

  The trapped souls observed Bergen’s slow approach to Belphegor’s pet, reaching a hand to it. Neither child nor beast wished the other harm, so why had this hybrid come into their domain? A twitching man with an evil smile approached, rubbing his erection.

  “I know you little one. And the man who raises you, too. He left with only a small payment. Are you here to make good on his debts?”

  “No.” Bergen looked at the specter with amusement. “No, he’s paid enough already.”

  “You can’t kill it,” a slender woman with round oozing wounds in her arms said.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Bergen replied. “It’s beautiful.” Attention returned to the beast which had become more comfortable with the child’s presence, it came closer, sniffing. “There are more important things to discuss. Are all here?”