by L. J. Sealey
“Hey, Mike. Wait up,” he heard his buddy call out as he placed his hand on the door handle. Dread hummed through every inch of Michael’s body yet he didn’t know why. All he knew was that something terrible waited for him on the other side of that door.
“Uh. I’m not so sure that’s a good−”
He didn’t wait for Evo to finish. He turned the handle and opened the door but as he did, the realisation of where he was nearly had him face planting on the ground. He grabbed hold of the door jamb for a second before catching his breath. Then he noticed something on top of the burnt bed over the other end of the room. In the next second he heard a pained roar rip through the room and soon realised it was coming from his own lungs.
“NO!” he screamed as he ran towards the bed where the charred remains of a female form lay upon the blackened mattress. He grabbed the body and cradled it knowing exactly who it was.
“Michael. No! Don’t touch it.”
It was Lacy’s house they were in. That’s why it was so familiar. Only it wasn’t the same neatly decorated place he was comfortable in−the place he’d had a hard job leaving before he’d done the ritual−no, there wasn’t a thing that hadn’t been destroyed by fire, including. . . NO! Not while she’d slept.
“Lacy. Please, God. No. . . NO!” he heard himself say as he rocked back and forth with her burnt body in his arms.
She was dead. Lacy was dead.
Her precious, soft, alabaster skin was now black and blistered.
He felt something trying to pull him away from her, strong arms trying to pry his own from her body.
“Michael, you have to let go of her. It’s not real. . . None of this is real.”
He heard his friend’s words but couldn’t process them; didn’t matter. He didn’t care. All he knew in that moment was heartache. His Lacy had died in such a horrific way and he hadn’t been there to save her. Oh, no. NO!. Why didn’t I just stay with her? I could have saved her. A distant voice pulled him from his inner torment and he realised he was crying. Shit. Why her?
“Michael. . . Michael. Listen to me. Hey.” He managed to lift his eyes to his friend who was now leaning over Lacy’s body and had gotten right up in his face. “This is not real,” Evo said again. Michael just stared into his hazel eyes which were now frantically piercing his own. “You have to let go of her. Now!”
When Michael looked back down at Lacy he tried to will what little strength he had to believe what his friend was saying. But she was real. He held her tightly to him. She felt as real as. . .
He couldn’t fathom what happened next.
Lacy’s head slowly turned towards him. Her eyes suddenly opened wide, shocking the hell out of him as she looked directly at him. “Fuck!” he yelled as he threw her body away from him and jumped up from the bed.
He heard Evo’s gasp.
Completely dumbfounded at what he was witnessing, Michael began to back away at the same time that the charred body rose up onto its knees and began to crawl towards the end of the bed. She reached out one arm to him. “Michael. Help me!” she rasped.
Evo was right. This wasn’t Lacy. He continued to walk backwards; joining his friend−whose mouth was now hanging wide open−over the other side of the room.
She slowly climbed down from the bed and straightened, bright white eyes−a stark contrast to her blackened skin−bore into his as she walked towards them.
“Jesus. Fucking. Christ.” Evo said in a shaky voice beside him. “We have to get out of here.”
They both turned towards the door but as Michael grabbed for the handle he was grabbed by his arm. He turned his head to see the corpse had latched onto him and was trying to drag him backwards. It was working too. He tried to prize her away but she was strong and continued to pull. Her grip got harder and she managed to tug his body back a few feet. Just as he thought his flesh would be pulled from his arm, Evo swung something at her head, connecting with it and nearly knocking it clean off her shoulders. The body lost its grip on Michael and slumped to the floor.
“Weird, crispy bitch!” Evo growled as he threw the now broken lamp base to the floor. “Let’s go.”
This time they both made it out of the door and as Michael began to pull it closed he paused and looked back catching sight of the body trying to drag itself across the floor towards the exit. He slammed it shut and they both leaned against the wall across from each other gasping for breath. Michael looked at Evo whose look of disbelief must have mirrored his own. “What the. . . ” he swallowed hard “what the fuck just happened?”
It took a minute for Evo to reply as he crouched over, both hands on the tops of his thighs, fighting for breath. “It’s this place fucking with us.”
“Yeah? No shit.”
“I’ve got a feeling that won’t be the only time something like that happens.”
As Michael tried to shift the disturbing vision of what he’d first thought was Lacy from his mind, something began to happen. Their surroundings switched from the dingy burnt out hallway to the seeping walls of the cave that they’d been in prior to their altercation. Evo leapt up from his lean against the wall. A quick shiver ran through him as he looked back over his shoulder with disgust at what had returned. “Let’s go,” was all he said, brushing both of his shoulders as he walked off towards the darkness.
* * *
One thing Michael realised was that in Hell there was no sense of time. He had no idea how long it had taken him and Evo to get from the tedious caverns of the mountain to where they were now, but what he did know was the fire he could see lighting up the crimson sky ahead couldn’t mean anything good. The mountain was now long behind them and thankfully so was that awful nightmare they’d found themselves in. They were out in the open now, walking through a clearing that was surrounded by tall blackened trees, the dark woodland seemingly out of place amongst the crimson landscape. Every so often Michael would notice, through his peripheral, things moving through the underbrush.
He knew they were getting closer to danger as the demonic cries that filled the air began to sting his ears once again as they increased in volume. He felt a profound disquiet wash over him as he began to imagine the cause of those screams, knowing that at one time his voice would have carried through the air in extreme agony just as those were now. He pushed it aside, refusing to let the memories from that time overcome him, locking them away deep into his subconscious just like he always did.
He couldn’t afford any distractions at a time like this. No matter how tough his recollections were, nor how vivid those memories became, he had to stay focused for both of their sakes.
A deep, ear-splitting howl pulled him back from his thoughts and he immediately saw Evo’s body stiffen; the big guy’s sudden change in stance said he was on high alert as he too must have sensed that something was about to happen.
Michael could feel the ground begin to vibrate and his eyes darted around trying to get a visual on whatever it was that was about to attack them. Shit! The noise was coming from all around them: one minute to their left, the next in front, then from behind. Whatever it was was moving fast, toying with them, and all the while keeping out of view.
Suddenly a dark, formless shape rushed by Michael causing him to duck down low. He saw Evo do the same as another flew by him, but he wasn’t quick enough. “Shit!” Evo exclaimed as his hand went to a fresh wound on his cheek. It didn’t look like it had sliced him but. . . was that a burn? “What the f−”
Michael noticed more heading straight towards them. As soon as one of the black demons got close, on instinct Evo sliced at it with his knife. The demon squealed and sparks flew off it as soon as the blade connected. Evo raised his eyebrows at Michael, clearly surprised by the fact that he’d wounded it, all be it temporary. But temporary was better than nothing right now. Then Michael remembered the ring. Alethia’s ring was supposed to capture demons somehow. He felt a small whisper of hope at the thought of maybe getting out of this situation.
&n
bsp; “Evo, the ring.”
His friend threw a smirk his way after Michael had reminded him that he probably held the key to ending the onslaught, but when Evo looked back at Michael his face had paled and he had an odd expression. “Evo. What’s the delay? Use the ring.”
“That might be a little difficult,” he shot back just before ducking out of the way of a demon.
“What are you talking about?”
He raised his hand to Michael and wiggled his pinky finger. “I don’t have it.” As it didn’t resize like it had for Alethia, the only finger that had been small enough to wear it was empty.
The ring was gone.
Shit! Not only were they screwed right now, but even if they did somehow manage to survive the attack he wasn’t sure Evo would survive Alethia when she found out he’d lost the damn thing.
It was Michael’s turn to duck out of the way this time and when he looked back at his friend, who was now in a panic, eyes scanning the dusty floor, he. . .
“EVO!” Michael cried, warning him just in time. A demon was heading straight for him and two more were on its tail. Evo managed to slice that one too but Michael had no such knife and watched as the other two demons changed course and were now headed straight for him instead. Oh, fuck!
Evo darted in front of him, slicing one of the demons before rolling on the ground but the other went straight after Michael. Knowing that the knives he had would do nothing, he put his arm up to protect himself and cursed out loud as the demon connected and flew off as quickly.
“Fuck! That burns,” he gasped, surprised by the pain as he quickly inspected his arm. He could see his pink flesh under his coat where the demon had burned right through. He made a quick mental note not to let one of those things touch him again as he was now aware that he could feel physical pain down here.
The demons were playing with them. He knew that they could attack properly whenever they wanted to and then neither of them stood a chance.
Evo must have read his mind. “We haven’t a hope of defeating these things Mike,” he shouted between slices. Michael continued to duck out of the way by his side. “My knife seems to be stunning them momentarily but that’s about it. We’re screwed here, buddy.”
He knew Evo was right. Michael couldn’t see a way out of this. Evo was managing to keep the demons away from both of them at the moment but for how long?
“Uh. . . Mike?”
Shit. Three more had just joined the party.
Instead of swooping down on them like the others were, the new additions begun to fly around them and to their surprise the rest joined them. The five demons circled them in the air. Now Michael was able to see them properly, noticing their skull-like features and the black mist that represented their bodies just like the demon he’d seen at the university, the one which had possessed Nina and then moved on to Jake.
They began to move faster until they appeared to merge into one, forming a black ring around them as they stood as prey in the centre.
“I don’t like this.” Evo shouted over the wind that was now hurtling around them. “What do we do now? Can’t you do that shit you did at Lacy’s house−whatever the hell that was−and get us out of this?”
“I don’t even know what happened let alone how to make it happen again.”
“Well. . . great. We’re going to die. I mean, I am anyway. You’re already dead.”
“I don’t need a reminder.”
Just then, a deafening screech tore through the air and immediately the demons began to scatter, leaving Evo and Michael perplexed in the silence. Only the silence didn’t last long.
Another screech. Closer this time.
Michael and Evo now stood back to back in the middle of the clearing, both with weapons held out in front of them, ready for anything. At least he thought they were until what he saw emerge from the black trees right in front of him made him think again. He took an unnecessary deep breath in anticipation of what was about to happen.
“Uh. . . ok, more trouble,” his friend said. Michael threw a quick glance over his shoulder to see that Evo was facing the same thing. Then he heard a movement off to the side and saw another of the large beings, dressed in black robes and on horseback, stalking towards them.
The horses let out a loud screech.
“We mean no trouble.” Michael shouted to the robed figure in front of him. “We’re here to speak with Lucifer.”
A deep laugh resonated right through to Michael’s very core. “You”−he looked at Evo−“secured trouble when you trespassed into this realm.” The horseman then turned his gaze to Michael. “You, however, should never have left.”
Michael swallowed hard at the horseman’s recognition, but all he could do was hold out his knives and, keeping his gaze fixed onto the one who seemed to be in charge, he slowly crouched to the floor letting the horsemen know that he didn’t want any trouble. He nodded to Evo to do the same but his stubborn friend didn’t look too impressed about it. He knew Evo wouldn’t be happy letting go of his knife−hell, he was so fond of the thing he’d all but given it a name−but they needed to show that they weren’t the aggressor. He lay both weapons down on the dusty floor and returned to his position just as slowly.
He saw Evo eyeballing his blade on the floor, ready to grab it at any chance he got should shit start to go down. Good job the horseman didn’t know what that knife could do, their lack of concern over it showed that they had no idea, or else the chances of Evo retrieving it would have been slim to none.
The demon in front of him began to look impatient.
“We’re here to speak with Lucifer.” Michael repeated.
All they got back in reply was a deep wheezy laugh.
“We have information for him about a mutual enemy. I think he would be interested in what we have to propose.” The fact that a proposition didn’t actually exist, and that Michael and Evo had no idea what they were going to say to the powerful fallen angel, remained unsaid.
Michael saw Evo change his stance so that his legs were wider apart; so wide, in fact, that he looked quite uncomfortable. His face was stoic but Michael sensed something was off with him.
The demon was silent as it assessed them both. It glanced at the weapons on the floor. “You may retrieve your metal; they are of little use to you down here.
Michael didn’t agree.
As both men crouched to grab their knives, the reason for Evo’s strange behaviour was revealed: After he’d picked up his knife, pulled up his trouser leg and replaced it into his ankle strap, Michael saw him retrieve something from under his boot. Evo clamped his fist tight then his mouth curled up slightly at one side in a grin meant only for Michael’s eyes.
He’d found the ring.
No sooner had they stood up than they both found themselves restrained by two horsemen who had dismounted their horses and now had each of them in a tight headlock facing their leader awaiting instructions.
The demon remained silent, black eyes bearing into them in turn as it seemed like it was deciding on a course of action. Michael stared at the demon whose face was almost skeleton-like. Its pasty diaphanous skin was almost nonexistent over the bones that it covered. Michael’s composure began to dissipate the longer they faced the creature as he sensed something bad was about to happen. Was it now that he would finally meet his fate? Was this the end of the road for him and Evo?
When the horseman began to move towards them, Michael slowly closed his eyes. A vision flashed in his mind, Lacy, almost as clear as if she were standing in front of him. He held on to it for a moment before inhaling a deep breath and opening his eyes again. When he did, a large, black robed, skeletal hand came crashing down towards him. Just before it made contact, Michael flashed a look to his friend who was calling out his name with a look of sheer terror on his face. When the horseman struck, it was the last thing Michael remembered before everything went black.
* * *
A deep laugh penetrated Michael’s ears as he
roused from unconsciousness. Feeling like he’d been the unfortunate one at the bottom of a huddle during a football game, he managed to open his eyes to see his friend lying unconscious−at least, that’s what he hoped he was−on the rocky ground next to him. As well as Evo, Michael was also on his stomach. He began to pull his body up and when he was on his knees he got a good look at his surroundings.
Black.
All around him was black: black clouds in a black sky, black rock underneath them which led to a cliff face to his right and what he guessed was a sheer drop to his left. They were on the edge of a mountain, wind howling through the air, sending piercing chills right through Michael’s skin. He was about to assist his friend when he froze, sensing something powerful. They weren’t alone, there was something behind him and he almost didn’t want to turn around. But he did.
Slowly.
Then, what Michael saw was inconceivable.
Impossible!
It had to be his mind playing tricks on him again; pushing him into a memory from his life in order to confuse him. But, like the vision of Lacy’s chard body, the female standing in front of him looked very real.
She couldn’t be real.
Could she?
“Jessica?”
The brown haired woman whom he once knew was being flanked by two of the horsemen. Not being able to judge their size while they’d surrounded him and Evo earlier, he was surprised to see the sheer magnitude of the demons as they faced him now minus their horses.
“Ah yes, about that. . . not my real name.”
“Where’s Lucifer? It was him I requested to speak with.”
The woman’s mouth turned up at the side as she leered at him with dark brown eyes. “He’s unavailable right now. And will be for the foreseeable future.”