Eventually, Char released the knife, leaving it buried in her father's chest. Turning to face her once again his forgotten smile had turned to blinding rage. "You little bitch!"
Sarah scrambled backwards, kicking at the carpet, hysterically crawling with her elbows. Thankfully, Char did not pick up either knife as he crawled after her on the knees of his pleated pin stripe suit pants. She didn't know if the plan to keep her alive was still intact after the trouble and injury she had caused. He was awfully angry at being cut. Seeing the blood flowing from his arm he took a moment to tie a piece of cloth above his elbow, pulling it tight enough to slow the bleeding. Sarah recognized the fabric from her father's torn shirt.
Seeing the possible opportunity to escape she rolled onto her hands and knees to make better speed. But Char was on her quickly, pinning her legs motionless to the floor. Clawing savagely at the carpet did no good. She was stuck. When he grabbed her by the hair she screamed out profanities appropriately reserved for the occasion. He then used her hair to pull her head back as far as her neck and back would allow, before sending it crashing forward to strike the floor with her face. The carpet and padding absorbed much of the blow so he punched her in the back of the head twice while she laid there to obtain the desired effect, rendering her nearly unconscious.
Sarah was almost completely numb as she heard Char rip her sweater apart, and raise her chest to remove her bra as well. Then she perceived his fingernails digging into the flesh of her ass when he tugged her tights and panties down her legs and over her feet, removing the insulated socks in the process. Roughly flipping her over to face him, he creepily eyed her flesh. She had never been naked in front of a man before. Not since she was a toddler when her father bathed her. Even her gynecologist was female. Still, her nudeness barely phased her. She had just seen her father killed right before her eyes. Now she was about to be raped by a demon, then maybe killed afterwards. And there was plainly nothing she could do about it.
Char positioned her body to his liking, knocking each bare leg to the side as his depraved eyes took in her girlish form. "You are your mother's daughter," he said as he leaned in to grotesquely lick her cheek. Then suddenly, his face contorted in pain as his shoulders flung backward.
CHAPTER TWENTY: HUMAN
Swift could not stomach what he saw transpiring below him. The time-consuming demon attack on Watcher now made perfect sense. They were meant to keep his coworker busy so he could not protect Sarah and her father from a separate incursion. They timed the multi-faceted campaign perfectly while Swift was away. Now Colton Hutchins appeared to be dead on the living room floor of their home. His body was completely motionless and the bloody hilt of a knife rose monstrously out of his chest. Swift sensed that there may be a tiny remnant of life force still within him, but probably not enough to be able to revive him to consciousness. Besides, Swift was badly needed elsewhere in the room.
His beautiful Sarah lay nude on the floor, nearly unconscious and in a precarious situation. A strange man was on top of her, beginning to lick her face. He was still fully clothed in a black suit, so there apparently was no sexual act committed, as yet. Rage like he had never experienced before boiled up inside of him. This wonderful young lady was much more than just his assignment for protection. She was the best friend he had ever had, possibly even more.
In an instant, Swift sent a red-hot poker of energy into the stranger’s back while simultaneously yanking on his shoulders to pull him off his human friend. He could see that the man experienced the intended pain, yet he could not be physically removed from Sarah's bare-skinned body. He was much too strong, somehow. It was at that moment that Swift realized the rapist was actually the despised demon Char, only in human flesh. He had returned just as Colton said he would. Undoubtedly, he had killed his long-time nemesis here in the physical realm.
Colton Hutchins would never live again, as spirit or human. His life force was snuffed out. Sarah would forever be without her father, assuming she survived Char's remaining attack. It did not appear, though, that Char intended to kill Sarah at this time. His obvious plan was to rape her first. So many demons of old took human form for such a detestable purpose. Swift himself could not imagine what a sick soul it would take to push an angelic creature to such an act. It was beyond repulsive. To be clear, he was beginning to understand why angels had lusted after human women. He could feel the draw of their beauty and sexuality. Despite his fatherly instincts toward Sarah he could feel a passionate desire building in him to get close to her in that way. In part, it was because he could feel her desire to do the same. However, non-consensual sexual relation was an entirely different mentality and set of emotions.
Swift used his energy to pull and slap at Char repeatedly, but to no avail. The demon had apparently saved some energy for Swift's inevitable attack. He was only delaying Char's efforts to rape his favorite person in the history of the world, not preventing it. Swift then grabbed objects from the room and systematically propelled them at Char's face. Some bounced off, leaving a rewarding painful grimace. Others were blocked entirely with Char's demonic defensive energy. He appeared to be quite prepared to deal with this scenario.
"Get up!" Swift pleaded with Sarah. She looked so groggy like she hardly knew what was going on. "You need to run, Sarah! I can't pull him off you!" He saw recognition flutter in her eyes. She heard him. She knew what she had to do. But she did not possess the required energy to pull herself free from the demon's strength. She was, after all, easily the weakest of the three involved.
Swift then varied his attack. He tugged at Char's legs to remove him from on top of Sarah, while viciously poking his eyes with the hottest energy he could muster. He also used a force to pull on Sarah from under the arms, hoping to get her free so she could escape on her own. If he could just separate the two of them he could turn his full attention to defeating Char and not have to worry about Sarah receiving any of the violence. Yet still, it did not work. He could not pull her free.
Transferring some green energy to provide Sarah some much needed strength, he called out to Watcher. Why hadn't his friend already assisted him? Possibly, he considered, the two demons returned after Swift departed. Watcher was quite likely detained and unable to help in his battle to free Sarah from this terrible fate. They might have even brought more spirits against Watcher. He could not possibly know if his spirit buddy was fighting for his life or not. As much as he respected and appreciated Watcher, his first priority had to be Sarah.
Swift's figurative heart then exploded within him. If he was human, he would be crying his eyes out. The futility of his efforts was maddening. He had never felt anything like this in all his centuries. Could it be? Had he actually fallen in love with this girl? Is that what the humans felt? He had witnessed many of men and women demonstrating what was now going on inside himself. It must be then. He loved Sarah and could not let her be assaulted by this evil monster. Regrettably, as a spirit creature, his attacks were too easily deflected.
Char was then released from spiritual attack for a brief instance. He used that moment to brutally smack Sarah again to keep her from fighting to get free, negating the effects of Swift’s energy transfer. He then reached to undo his belt and pants. Appallingly, he was going to proceed with the sexual assault plan. Did he really think that Swift had totally given up? Did he believe that his victim’s sworn protector had nothing left to fight with? Had he not been paying close attention to the relationship that had blossomed between this lonely angel and incredible girl? His disgusting fiendish rage and sexual urge must have blinded him to reality. Happily, it was short lived.
Swift had never before taken physical form. He knew how it was done, the process was not beyond his capacity. He had even witnessed angels in the old times make the transformation. For weeks, he had already been shaping his aura and projected figuration to resemble a human form. So, he just needed to complete the physical transition to match this visible identity. To him, it was a painfully slow p
rocedure. But eventually it happened. Swift became a real human male. A healthy, well exercised adult male, dressed in jeans, a plain t-shirt and light jacket. And sneakers. Fortunately for Sarah, it only took a single shallow breath in her time.
The broken lamp was closest, so he grabbed it and cracked the evil assailant up aside the head with it. Char's surprise was priceless. Swift then grabbed him tightly from behind, in what wrestlers called a rear naked choke, and tried to use this maneuver to pry Char from Sarah's inoperative body. The demon looked back at him in shock for an instant, then regained his colossal strength. He broke free of the hold with a mighty elbow to Swift's ribs. The angel had never experienced physical pain before, and it took him by surprise. His delayed recovery allowed Char the time to stand up and launch a bombardment of strikes at him, throwing punches and kicks in a blur. Swift back pedaled in his limited defense, relieved that Sarah could be seen crawling away over Char's shoulder. Sadly, though, she wouldn't get far if Swift did not win this fight.
Swift quickly dropped to one knee to avoid a series of punches from the aggressive demon. He then used the position to punch Char in his privates. He knew in the human world this would be considered fighting dirty. But he did not care. To Swift's surprise the man before him did not crumble in excruciating pain. It simply stunned him momentarily. So, he rose from the floor and launched his own attack of punches and kicks.
Swift had witnessed enough Kung Fu movies and martial arts matches to grasp the concept of hand to hand combat. Though, he had never thought it was a skill he could possibly ever need. His talent was no match for Char. If he had known this day would come, he would have studied karate and other techniques more diligently.
It wasn't long before Char was dominating the struggle again. It was then that Swift noticed Sarah crawling fiercely on her knees, not away from Char but toward him. She held the large knife like it was a medieval long sword, much too heavy for her to carry. Yet, that did not stop her from plodding along, knees dragging abrasively across the carpet fibers. Again, an intense pang of love went out for this girl. She clearly should have taken the open opportunity to escape, then find her mother. The family will need her help to recover after the death of her father. Instead, she came back to save her spirit companion, even though she was obviously in no condition to help anyone. Additionally, she was still completely naked.
Swift maneuvered the battle so he could get closer to the delirious knife toting girl. The shift was intended both to protect her and in hopes of grabbing the lethal weapon. As he desperately reached for the knife Char let one of his overpowered punches fly toward Sarah. The blow to her forehead knocked her out cold, sending her body collapsing to the carpet. However, before her nude, limp form landed Swift hurriedly swung the big knife at his foe, succeeding in cutting open the demon's fleshly neck. Char was bewildered, both that Swift had managed to do him such damage, as well as the extensive amount of bright red blood spurting from his wound. In the sudden silence of the moment, Swift then heard Sarah's body finally strike the floor. It gave him renewed rage. Continuing to swing the knife in madness, it was apparent that Char's human body was dead as it dropped slowly to the carpet beside Sarah’s. Swift scrutinized the corpse as it fell to confirm that the demon did not have his spirit escape the body before it's grisly defeat. So finally, someone put an end to the existence of this hideous evil creature. And that someone was Swift, the otherwise worthless angel, along with the help of a mere human teenage girl.
Instantly, it finally sank in at that moment that Swift had gone way too far. No angel could take human form and then return to being an angel. The same scenario happened to Shielder, who became Sarah's father, Colton. Just as it will happen to Swift as well. He sacrificed everything to save Sarah. As he looked upon her battered exposed flesh on the floor, all he could think about was hoping that she was going to be alright. Bruises and broken bones would mend. Even the emotional trauma could be overcome in time. He could sense that she was alive, but he did not know if that last vicious blow to the head caused any permanent damage.
Forgetting his own plight, Swift knelt beside her and cried real, human tears. The pain, the sorrow, it all felt relatively the way he had imagined it. At least in that way, it felt good. He had always wondered what it was like to be a man. Though the few minutes of his human existence were much less than ideal, unquestionably, it did allow him to feel the fascinating extreme emotions of which angels were incapable. As he cradled Sarah's bruised head in his arms he felt another strong feeling, relief. Sarah opened her eyes.
"Swift," Sarah mumbled, through probable broken teeth. "Is that really you? I can feel your chest against my face, your arms around my body. I must be beyond numb. What happened?"
Swift kissed her gently on the forehead and replied, "You are safe, my dear Sarah. That's what matters right now." He did not know if getting her some rest was the right solution for her physical condition. He had heard people say before that in cases of head trauma it was best to keep the person awake, alert. Nonetheless, his instincts indicated that she needed her sleep. So, he gingerly carried her to her room. He physically toted her body in his arms, up the stairs and through her bedroom door. Though it was a bit challenging for him, it felt so rewarding to be able to care for her in that way.
After reaching her bed, Swift could not bear to see the delicate young woman that he loved bare naked and bruised before him, so he helped her into a night gown. That was a difficult task since she was falling asleep in the process. He rested her gently on her mattress and collected a few minutes to watch her sleep. He had seen her slumbering many times as an angel. Somehow it was better with human eyes. It was a much more emotional experience. Perhaps some of that had to do with the ordeal they had just been through together.
Swift gently planted a soft kiss on Sarah's lips and whispered, "I love you." Then he reached for the phone to call 911.
"I love you too, Swift," Sarah whispered, her eyes remaining closed. Then, she promptly fell asleep as Swift left the room. He kept walking, down the stairs, past the two corpses in the living room. Through the dining room where those family meals and conversations took place. Out the back door and through the yard, past the old tire swing where Swift first communicated with Sarah. Tears streamed down his recently acquired human face as he continued to walk, out of Damascus, and through the next two towns, too. He kept walking.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: DETAINED
Swift had been correct after all, regarding his partner, Watcher. The demon force had returned with reinforcements immediately after Swift swooped down into the Hutchins home to save the girl. Luckily, Watcher survived the offensive. Eventually the four demons that attacked him gave up and retreated. Though, by the time he arrived at the Hutchins home to help Swift it was far too late. A medical tarp had been laid over two corpses in the living room. He did not need to see them to know who they were. The first, Colton Hutchins. A former guardian angel. A good man, and a tremendous loss to the Hutchins family. The second, the wicked, relentless Char. Reportedly, both died of knife wounds. He knew the police would have an impossible task identifying Char. It was unlikely that he had registered his human body with anyway government agency since his recent earthly arrival.
Watcher overheard two detectives debating, "So, the two men fought each other. One killed the other, then the girl killed him. Or, the girl killed both?"
The second detective then said, "Why would the girl kill both of them? It looks more like she killed this poor mutilated guy after he killed her father. He was hacked up in rage while the other was precisely stabbed through the heart."
Then the first detective replied, "Well the girl definitely killed at least one of them. Did you hear the 911 call? Her voice was so calm. And then she puts on her night gown and goes to bed? They’ll be checking for evidence of rape. I’m betting it was at least attempted. I think the father came to her aid and got himself murdered. Then she killed the rapist. Fingerprints on the knives should help with that
."
"And her testimony," said the other detective. "If there is anything useful there. First reaction to what she has said so far indicates possible mental illness, maybe schizophrenia."
"Yeah," detective one responded. "But it's also possible that a boyfriend, or some other guy came to her rescue and killed the second guy. Again, fingerprints will help with that scenario. Let's get her dressed and back to the precinct so we can start getting some real answers."
The neighborhood was swarming with cops, all looking for an eye witness to people departing or arriving at the Hutchins home. Watcher could also hear them asking about a boy or man named Swift. Apparently, Sarah did not have the good sense to leave him out of it. That would only end up discrediting her account.
Watcher speculated on where Swift might have gone. He had not yet reported to Hover since the fight. Watcher was astonished that he wasn't continuing to watch over the girl, despite the ordeal being over. She was clearly going to be arrested for murder. Seems like a lousy time for him to fly off. And completely out of character.
Swift of Spirit Page 13