The Soul Healer

by B. Groves

  “The hunters are coming to pick us up,” Miguel interrupted Kyle.

  Kyle turned back to Carter. The two men stared and Carter gave a slight nod. Kyle could tell by the look on Carter’s face he was done with this shit and so was Kyle.

  Chapter 49

  Alison checked her phone. It wouldn’t be long before Samuel took the stage to speak and Kyle would distract him. That’s when Miguel planned to meet her, take Olivia, so she could get to Emma and find out where the rest of the missing people were hidden.

  She sensed the dark souls watching her every move. She couldn’t pinpoint how many were surrounding her, but they were lurking on the outskirts of the festival.

  Simon was restless from the crowd. He kept trying to lead her off the street while she struggled to keep him calm.

  Alison questioned bringing Simon because she hated placing him in these situations. He was never good with crowds, but she needed him to send a message to those who would harm her and Olivia.

  “How much longer?” Olivia asked.

  “Not long.”

  “May I play a game?”

  Alison checked the time on her phone and nodded. “We have time for a few games.”

  Olivia grinned and ran over to a booth where you throw darts at balloons. Alison followed her and checked her surroundings. Most people were walking by and not paying them any mind.

  Alison handed Olivia some cash and the vendor passed her some darts while Alison kept her position diagonal to watch the crowd moving along the street.

  Olivia missed every balloon and sulked.

  Alison smiled and said, “How about we try another game?”

  They moved to two more booths before Alison had to stop them from playing the games.

  She placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “It’s almost time to meet your dad, so let’s get something to drink before we do.”

  Olivia nodded and they moved through the crowd of people.

  Alison turned towards the stage and saw Samuel getting ready to speak. She wanted to approach the stage. She wanted to take him out to show the crowd what he was, but she held back from the impulse. They had a plan and if they didn’t stick to it, many things could go wrong and innocent people could get hurt.

  Alison averted her eyes away from the stage in disgust and concentrated on buying Olivia a drink before they met up with Miguel.

  One thing that made Alison smile was watching Emma talking to people at the church’s booth. Emma looked distracted and she’d never know what hit her once Alison pounced on her.

  Alison couldn’t wait. She despised people like Emma and never felt an ounce of guilt when they were punished like criminals.

  They stood in line and Olivia spotted some toys for sale in the next booth.

  “May I go look at those?”

  Alison sighed. She wanted to say no, but the girl deserved some fun.

  Alison debated it and said, “Here take Simon with you. Remember, he’ll listen to you. Make sure you keep control and make sure you stay close.”

  Olivia took Simon’s leash and nodded. “I will.”

  Alison thought she made a mistake, but Olivia was only six feet away and she could keep an eye on her.

  She watched Olivia as she talked to the booth operator while Simon sniffed at some boxes.

  Alison moved closer to order at the small window while she kept checking her phone, hoping Miguel would text her.

  She moved up in line again, waiting for the server to acknowledge her.

  She glanced to her left. Her eyes searched the next booth, but she didn’t see Olivia or Simon browsing the booth.

  Alison’s eyes darted around as she searched for the little girl and Simon.

  “Ma’am?”

  Fear crept over Alison as she ignored the server and walked out of the line. Her breathing became shallow as stepped over to the booth. She circled it twice hoping she’d find Olivia browsing at some jewelry.

  The woman who ran the booth was following Alison around and asked, “Can I help ya?”

  Alison turned to stare at the older woman in desperation. “There was a little girl here, only a minute ago.” Alison raised her hand to her waist. “This high, dark hair. She was with a dog—a German Shepherd. Which way did she go?”

  The woman looked skeptical at first but nodded when she realized Alison was shaking.

  “Yeah, she went that way.” The woman pointed into the crowd. “Her phone rang, and she said somethin’ about meetin’ her daddy and to bring the dog.”

  Alison’s mind reeled. She thanked the woman and turned to walk into the crowd. She had to push her way through since people were filing the opposite way to listen to Samuel’s speech, making it difficult to move through the crowd.

  Had Miguel called Olivia?

  Alison kept checking her phone as she called out for the little girl. The city had speakers set up throughout the street and Alison heard Carter’s voice coming through them as he introduced Mayor Manes.

  “Olivia!”

  Alison raced through the throngs of people, ignoring the annoyed remarks of people she was pushing out of the way.

  Her heart pounded against her chest, her blood was cold with fear thinking Olivia could be in danger.

  Miguel would have never called his daughter away from Alison.

  Alison reached the end of the festival where the police had more barricades set up.

  She did a 360-degree turn trying to spot Olivia or Simon among the crowd.

  Tears burned her eyes and guilt-ravaged her insides. She only turned away for a second, a fucking second.

  “Simon!” Alison cried out in desperation.

  Some people stopped to stare, but others moved along the crowd, ignoring her.

  Alison held up her phone and was about to call Miguel when the darkness settled around her. The whispers, the cries of despair reached her ears, the smell of sulfur made her want to gag.

  “This way, Miss Stark,” a voice said behind her.

  Alison’s body froze.

  “Turn around, slowly,” the voice said.

  Alison was about to press Miguel’s name on the phone when the demon spoke up. “Don’t. We’ll kill her if you make that call.”

  People had moved away from this part of the festival, and even if Alison cried out for help, the demons would kill Olivia and Simon.

  “It’s me you want,” Alison said as she faced the demon. “Let her and my dog go.”

  It was the same man who Alison met when Samuel Manes wanted to speak with her. The man opened his mouth and the black smoke poured out and wrapped itself around the man’s chest.

  Alison wanted to cover her ears from the screams and cries of despair that echoed through her ears, but she knew even that simple gesture wouldn’t make them go away.

  “I said this way, Miss Stark.” The man’s voice had turned from a normal human into a low hiss.

  The man had pointed into the alley.

  Alison scanned the crowd for any signs of people she might know, whether it was Kyle, Miguel, or the team of hunters, but no one moved. They were waiting for the dedication.

  Alison stared at the man and turned to walk down the alley. He yanked her phone from her hand and crushed it beneath his boot.

  As they entered the dark alley, Alison waited for her chance.

  She stopped and placed her hand on a cool brick wall.

  “Why are you stopped?” He asked.

  “I need to catch my breath,” Alison said.

  The man stepped in front of her. The shadows turned his eyes into black pits and cast his face in shadows.

  “You seemed fine a moment ago,” the man commented.

  Alison reached into the deepest depths of her soul. The power washed over her.

  Her glowing eyes cut through the darkness and cast itself onto the demon’s face.

  “You’re right. I’m fine.”

  Before the man could move, Alison grabbed him by the head with both hands.

&nbs
p; The man tried to scream and struggled to push her away.

  Alison’s power coursed through her veins and into her fingertips. Her mind opened up into the human’s mind. She ran down the path to the cage and found it empty. No sliver of his soul remained.

  Alison turned away from the cage and rushed back down the path out of the human’s mind and into the present.

  The man grunted and groaned until his body went limp next to her. He flopped to the ground and opened his mouth.

  The black smoke came shooting out and surrounded her.

  It disintegrated right before her eyes. She had removed the demon.

  Alison leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She glanced down to the ground and found the man staring into the night sky without blinking.

  Alison wanted to burst into tears, but there was no time. The man would forever be a shell until he drew his last breath.

  Alison turned to stumble down the rest of the alley, exhausted from the exorcism.

  She exited the alley and found herself on a deserted street with only the sound of Samuel’s voice echoing in the distance.

  “Olivia!” Alison called out.

  Headlights turned on, blinding her.

  Alison moved her arm over her face as her eyes adjusted to the light.

  Three figures moved into the light along with a smaller person and Simon.

  Simon growled and barked, but the man pulled at his fur making him whimper.

  Alison recognized the group right away as they came into focus. It was the teenagers from the convenience store from her first day in town. She remembered the leader’s name was Justin.

  “There she is,” Justin said. “We were wondering what took so long.”

  “She exorcised Rodney,” the girl holding Olivia spoke up. “I felt it.”

  A gun cocked on her left. “Well, Rodney was expendable. No big loss.”

  “Listen, it’s me you want,” Alison began. “You can take me, but leave the girl and the dog.”

  “Oh, no, hunter,” Justin answered, “you’re all coming with us.”

  The woman of the group held Olivia by her shoulders.

  Alison walked towards the trio of demons. She ignored the whispers and screams rolling around in her head while she moved closer.

  “This child has been through enough—”

  “Yeah, she sliced her mom’s throat to the bone,” the woman said with a laugh.

  Olivia’s face fell at the comment. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, but her expression changed from one of fear to one of disgust and anger.

  Alison continued to creep forward, but her eyes were on Olivia.

  Olivia sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth.

  Alison thought the little girl would scream, instead, she bit down on the hand of the female demon. The woman’s face turned from shock to sheer pain because Olivia wouldn’t let go even when she tried to pull her hand away.

  “Oh, shit,” Justin exclaimed.

  Olivia let go of the woman’s hand, her lips covered in blood. The woman grabbed her hand and turned to Olivia, slapping her across the face which made Olivia fall to the ground.

  Alison had to make a choice. Justin argued with the woman about slapping Olivia, while the other man held onto a struggling Simon.

  Olivia sat up sobbing while the woman and Justin continued to argue. They were too close to her for Alison to move in.

  Alison inhaled and ran over to the man holding Simon. Before the man could react, Alison held out her hands and placed them over the top of his head.

  Her powers rushed over her as the man screamed in pain. Simon yelped as all three fell to the ground but before Alison entered the man’s mind to release the demon, she saw the leash drop from the man’s hand.

  “Simon, go find Kyle,” Alison ordered.

  Simon growled and barked at the other two demons. He turned back to Alison when he heard her order.

  Alison didn’t have time for Simon to hesitate. “Go! Go find Reverend Ellis! Run!”

  Simon turned to gaze at his owner one more time before running off into the night as she told him to do.

  Alison turned her concentration back to the demon.

  She ran down the path and found the cage, but again, found the cage empty. She turned around and to face the demon, ordering it to leave the body it inhabited. The demon wanted a fight, but Alison’s powers were too strong and she forced the demon out of the body.

  Alison exited the body, and smoke rose from the person’s mouth.

  Someone pulled Alison away from the man and shoved her into the asphalt. Her head hit the ground, and stars formed in front of her eyes.

  A fist came down hard on across her cheek. She heard Olivia in the background struggling to scream, but her screams were muffled as if someone covered her mouth.

  “Get the little bitch into the fucking car,” Justin ordered.

  “But the dog—”

  “Fuck the dog,” the man said. “Go put the little bitch into the car.”

  Alison’s vision was returning but not fast enough. Justin leaned over her and grinned.

  “Your dog is useless,” he sneered. “I thought it would attack us or something.”

  Alison smiled at him. “Don’t worry, that dog will take care of you, eventually.”

  Another hard hit sent pain shooting through Alison’s head and down her shoulder. Her vision became blurry, and waves of dizziness washed over as Justin pulled her off the ground and dragged her to the SUV.

  Justin shoved her into the backseat alongside a sobbing Olivia. Alison tried to straighten herself up in the seat, but she was too dizzy to move. Instead, someone straightened her up and her hands were pulled to her back.

  She moaned in pain as Justin locked handcuffs over her wrists.

  He pushed Alison back into an upright position and slammed the door on her left side.

  She slumped against the window, inhaling the fresh air, and trying to keep conscious while Olivia sobbed on her right.

  “Olivia, I need you to stay calm, okay,” Alison whispered. She tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. “The woman didn’t hurt you, did she?”

  “No,” Olivia sniffed. “But why did Simon run away?”

  “Because I told him to,” Alison answered. “He wouldn’t have run unless I gave him the order.”

  Olivia quieted down and Alison heard arguing outside of the truck. Justin got in cursing under his breath, but he didn’t start the car, he only rolled down Alison’s window.

  Alison fought the dizziness and turned her head to the window. There she spotted Samuel Manes and the woman standing over the body of the man Alison released.

  “Are we gonna leave him here?” She asked.

  Samuel shrugged and said, “What are we going to do for them? They’re vegetables now.”

  Samuel turned around and shook his head. “I swear I work with morons.” He glanced at Alison and made his way over. His annoyed expression changed to a smile.

  “There she is,” he started. “That was quite a show Reverend Ellis put on, it’s a shame you missed it. I almost fell for it, I’ll admit. I thought the poor soul was losing his mind.” Samuel laughed to himself. “Well, I think he is, but who knows. The vandalism on the statue was a nice touch. I’d figured some teenagers were being assholes until the Reverend spoke up.” He laughed again. “Shame on me. Now, let’s get you home and cleaned up so we can await your team.”

  “Where is home?” Alison asked.

  “I’m a good host. I’m taking you to my home and you can meet more of my friends.”

  The woman got into the truck’s passenger seat and Alison was forced to move her head when the man rolled up the window.

  The truck fired up and they took off.

  Alison turned to check on Olivia. She seemed fine physically.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Alison whispered.

  Olivia never glanced her way but nodded.

  “That little bitch drew blood,” the
woman said, holding her hand up for the man to see.