Demon Seer

by Kurtis Eckstein

  ❖ ❖ ❖

  A light flickered in the darkness, rapidly descending towards him. It came upon him, consuming the emptiness, stopping just as it reached his body. He felt like he was laying on the surface of the sun. Unable to see into the light, he turned his head to see the fissure between it and the darkness behind.

  Like the edge of the ocean, a sea of life met a shore of shadows. Yet the shadows were empty, whereas the life seemed full. There was nothing in the shadows. There was everything in the life – it had a presence, whereas the shadow was the absence of that presence.

  Abruptly, the light pressed into him, forcing his chest inward, causing him pain. He tried to fall away, to sink into the empty darkness, but it reached out and hit him again. And again. With every push away, it paradoxically pulled him closer towards it. He struggled to free himself from its grasp, but then he heard a voice deep within the light, unseen by his eyes.

  “No! Stay back!”

  While he heard words, he couldn’t comprehend their meaning. As if they were from a language he didn’t understand. The light hit him again, and then again, more forcibly each time. It grew hotter and brighter. It was burning him, consuming him. The voice called out again. Why did it seem so familiar? Why was it so afraid?

  “I said stay back!”

  The pounding continued, and then he saw the fear. Deep inside the light, a small shadow had invaded. It didn’t belong there, it was tormenting the voice.

  Angered, he reached out towards the shadow, but it was too far away. It infuriated him. He hated the shadow for causing pain. For causing her pain.

  The anger drew something out of him he hadn’t known was there. A deep energy caged up unable to free itself. He called on it, willed it to be, but he couldn’t direct it towards the shadow. He could only direct it out.

  So he did.

  Michael’s eyes abruptly opened to bolts of blue electricity firing everywhere in long arches. There was screaming – lots of screaming, from the chaos all around him. The lightning was ricocheting all along the metal fence, yet it didn’t seem to touch anyone who was inside it. It appeared a handful of people were within the metal walls now, trying to escape.

  Miriam’s red eyes glowed brightly above him, starkly contrasted against their bright azure surroundings. She was sitting on top of him, straddling his waist, her hands on his chest.

  Confused briefly, he realized he was on his back beneath her. It was daylight, but the clouds in the sky were covering the sun, causing the already dim sunlight to seem even more darkened by the bright light around them.

  Miriam looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, barely maintaining her composure. Carefully, he reached up to touch her face, to comfort her. And then he saw it. His hand was glowing – he was glowing. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest, sending arches of energy out of his body with each powerful beat.

  Miriam moved her hands to his face, holding him as tears slipped from her eyes. “Let’s go, love. You’ll be okay now.”

  She immediately got off his waist, quickly scooping him up in her arms. She then stood, flaring her wings out, and without warning they were instantly thousands of feet in the air.

  Blue arches of energy continued to burst from him in an endless stream throughout the clouds, as the ground rapidly disappeared beneath them. Miriam was flying much quicker than she had before, seemingly unaffected by the lightning firing out of him.

  Miriam?! He wondered frantically. What is this?! How do I make it stop?!

  It’s electromagnetic energy. She explained, being much more knowledgeable about the subject than she had been a few days ago. That’s how I’m flying without moving my wings. We all can harness it – I suspect we absorb it and use it without thinking. But it seems you’re using it differently…

  Michael was shocked by her thoughts. You’ve never seen this before?! No one’s ever done this?!

  No. She glanced at him. Although, I have heard of a demon projecting a beam of energy originating from between their horns, but the description of it was nothing like this.

  Finally beginning to calm down, he wondered, Maybe it’s because I don’t have horns yet?

  He reached up to confirm what he already knew – he still looked completely normal. No horns, no wings, no tail. Granted, he knew his metamorphosis wasn’t done yet anyway, because his body still felt like it was on fire. Not to mention it had been no more than twelve hours in a two-day process.

  Except now, it also looked like he was on fire, with bolts of electricity still shooting in every direction. He was surprised his clothes hadn’t burst into flames. It was as if the energy contained no heat, or maybe it just wouldn’t transfer heat, being controlled by his mind subconsciously.

  He tried to calm himself down more, realizing he felt escalated, as if he had just escaped the physical clutches of death itself.

  Wait! He said urgently. Did I die?!

  Suddenly, in response to his question, he could feel the sorrow she had experienced only moments ago. He had died, and she had tried to restart his heart by pressing on his chest.

  I’m sorry… He reached his mind out to her apologetically. I’m sorry I left you, even for a moment.

  Abruptly, she leaned her face towards him and passionately pressed her lips against his. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again.

  Then, after a few moments, she pulled away to look at him, the wind whipping at her black hair. Your heart stopped, but you didn’t leave me. Not entirely. I could still feel you, but you felt very far away…I would have continued to try to revive you no matter what, but it gave me hope that I could still sense you.

  Michael suddenly recalled something, like a dream he couldn’t quite remember hidden deep away. Miriam, were the humans trying to help you? He surprised himself by referring to them as if he already wasn’t one.

  A pointless effort, she scoffed. My muscles don’t fatigue, and your body is already too durable to allow them to properly press on your heart.

  Oh. He thought more to himself than speaking to her. Maybe it’s the thought that counts?

  She glanced at him but didn’t respond to his comment. Then after a few more seconds of silence she spoke again. Ready to land?

  He looked around to see that his body was no longer producing the blue energy. Time spent talking with Miriam had helped him calm down enough to stop. But he had no clue as to their location. Where are we?

  Unexpectedly, she grinned at him, before abruptly dropping from the sky straight down. Unlike the first time that she had descended in this manner, he didn’t feel sick. This time he felt excited, thrilled by the rush. The positive feeling was a nice break from his ongoing internal torment in hell.

  Miriam slowed just before reaching the ground and landed in the backyard of his father’s house. Surprised, he tried to get down, but she kept him in her arms.

  Resigning himself to do what she wanted, he placed his hands back around her neck.

  “Why are we here?” He wondered out loud. “Won’t they come looking for me?” He then peered into the trees behind them, concerned that there might still be humans investigating the area.

  Miriam answered his glance. “No one’s back there, love.” She then continued once he returned her gaze. “I thought you might prefer being someplace familiar. You seem to be handling the pain well, but I can tell how much you struggle to ignore it. Little comforts like this can help.”

  Michael indicated he understood, and then she rapidly approached the house to enter his bedroom through the window. It was closed but unlocked, so she was able to get it open easily without breaking it. She then had him climb in before carefully following, pulling her wings together tighter than he thought possible.

  Once inside, she gently forced him on the bed and instructed him to rest. “You should still avoid moving around too much. I don’t want you dying on me again.”

  “Where are you going?” He wondered, but she just held her finger to her lips and
winked at him. She then disappeared out his bedroom door into the hallway, closing it behind her. Shocked, he realized his father and sister must not be home, which made him wonder where they had gone.

  He recalled that they had been at the police station when Miriam had kidnapped him. Furthermore, he knew his sister at least knew what was going on, because Miriam had told her. However, his dad would be oblivious to the real situation. Would he have still gone to work after finding out his son was missing? Surely the police would have told him, wouldn’t they? Or had Amelia come up with some excuse that convinced her father he was alright?

  While Michael wondered about the situation, he unexpectedly realized that he seemed to be able to detect Miriam’s location in the house, although he wasn’t sure how. It reminded him of when she had said his life was like a beacon to her. Now, he could understand what she meant. It was as if there was a soft glow in his mind coming from Miriam, allowing him to spatially have an idea of where she was.

  He waited patiently for her to return, feeling like she was taking forever while he tried to ignore the on-going burning inside him. She had gone to Amelia’s room and had remained there for a while, until finally he could feel her returning.

  As the door opened, he expected to see Miriam walk through, but it was his sister, instead, who entered the room first. Miriam was close behind her, quietly closing the door after herself.

  Michael just stared at the two of them, stunned that Miriam had brought Amelia to see him while he was in this tormented state.

  Chapter 16: Demon Kings

  Amelia didn’t say anything when she saw him, instead pausing after taking only a few steps. She was in pink pajamas but looked tired like she hadn’t slept much. He could tell that she had been crying and was still on the verge of tears. Her face was red and buffy around the eyes.

  Michael realized Miriam must have told her. Otherwise her behavior didn’t make sense. Amelia had just found out she was losing her brother forever.

  He waited patiently for her to say something, but when she didn’t speak he found himself wishing she was alright. Amelia, I’m sorry I’ve worried you so much.

  She abruptly looked at him confused. Michael?

  Yes? He asked, just as confused now. But then it hit him – neither of them had spoken out loud.

  Amelia abruptly closed the gap between them and jumped next to him on the bed to hug him. I can’t believe this! She exclaimed. I can hear you! And…and you can hear me!

  Yes, he responded hesitantly, slowly wrapping his arms around her. He was also excited by this development, but he couldn’t help feeling reserved about it as well. After all, he wasn’t sure what she knew. He was about to ask Miriam silently, when Amelia inadvertently answered his question.

  She pushed herself off him to look at his expression better. But at what price? She wondered. Are you sure this is what you wanted?

  Well, he began honestly, I didn’t really have a choice. It was either this or death, but… He realized he might offend Miriam with his comment, glancing at her to see if she was, but she seemed to be staying out of it. But yes, I would have chosen this had I known it was an option. This is the only way I can be with her.

  Amelia seemed to have already accepted the fact that he was hopelessly in love with Miriam, so she resigned herself to his decision. She clung to his shirt as she spoke again. Michael…Am I going to ever see you again?

  He could tell she suspected the answer was no. He glanced at Miriam as he replied. Well…I’m not sure if it will be safe for me to be around you. I might make you sick, like I was.

  Miriam decided to chime in then, being able to overhear the mental conversation they were having. Your sister doesn’t appear to be affected by the radiation we produce. Possibly her mind is able to protect her, so it might be possible if that’s something you wish to do. But it wouldn’t be safe for anyone else.

  Michael nodded in acknowledgement, looking back at his sister. So, maybe I can visit you occasionally? Really, it’s not much different than me leaving for college. It’s just a year early is all.

  Amelia didn’t seem to find his words very comforting. “But you’re my anchor,” she whispered out loud. “My only anchor…”

  He desperately wanted to reassure her, but he wasn’t sure how. You still have Riley…and Grayson, for what it’s worth.

  Amelia just shook her head, tears beginning to flow again. “It’s not the same,” she whispered. “It won’t be the same, not without you. I’ll be the only one who knows. They’ll all think you ran away…or died…”

  He realized that her knowing his secret was isolating her again, in the same way that her own secret already had. Being able to finally share her abilities with him had caused her to finally feel free of her subtle loneliness, but now she was being forced into it again by losing him.

  Michael slowly reached up and pulled her back down into his embrace. He then looked towards Miriam again, desperate to make his sister stop crying, having no idea what his new life had in store for him.

  Already knowing what his unspoken question was, she answered softly. All that matters to me is being with you, love. If you want to stay in the human world, so you can see your sister regularly, that’s fine with me. As long as we are together, I don’t care where we are. She then paused momentarily before continuing, suddenly intense. Michael, you are my world.

  Miriam was then mentally silent, at least externally, but Michael could see deep inside her what she didn’t want to say openly. She had already suspected this is what he would want – to still be able to see his sister. Which is the real reason why she had brought him back home, as well as why she had patiently explained to Amelia what was happening with him.

  Miriam could have just taken him away. However, while she knew he had already chosen her and would go willingly, she didn’t want to force him to choose between her and his sister.

  So, then it’s decided. Michael said to Amelia. We’ll stay around here and try to see you as often as possible. Possibly every day even.

  “Really?!” Amelia exclaimed as she hugged him tightly. Miriam abruptly shushed her, and his sister immediately apologized. “Oops, sorry.”

  Then, when Michael looked at them confused, Amelia explained. Both mom and dad are here. Mom came over when she found out you had disappeared, and they were up all night worried about you. They’re both asleep now – mom is on the couch. I told them I’d keep an eye out for you, although to be honest I haven’t slept much either. But we definitely don’t want to wake them up.

  Right. Michael agreed. Their father and mother couldn’t know about any of this. He did feel bad that he was still leaving his parents and friends behind, but at least he wouldn’t have to keep his sister in the dark.

  Not only was he an anchor for her, but in many ways she had been an anchor for him. He was a lot closer to her than most siblings were, and if he was being honest it wasn’t Riley and Grayson who were his true ‘best’ friends – it was her. She came first, and there was no one he was closer to. They shared almost everything with each other, so he was glad he could share this with her too.

  He looked over at Miriam again, silently thanking her for this. She was right – he would have gone with her willingly, but in an ideal world he would want to remain a part of his sister’s life too. She needed him, and the truth was he needed her too.

  Unexpectedly, a pain suddenly shot up his spine and radiated in his skull causing him to lose focus and grab his head. He gritted his teeth trying not to scream, but a groan managed to escape. Miriam was immediately kneeling before him with her hands covering his, holding his head.

  Her expression was deeply concerned. Love, what’s wrong?! She said urgently. He could sense her searching his mind for what he was experiencing – confirming that what he was feeling wasn’t normal. Amelia was there too, at the edge of his consciousness, trying unsuccessfully to see beyond his spoken thoughts.

  Then, the pain slowly began to subside, and he felt himse
lf relax despite the ongoing burning sensation. A deep sigh escaped his chest, and his eyes unfocused as he stared at the ceiling, beginning to see beyond the ceiling, as if the world before his eyes wasn’t really there.

  Michael was suddenly standing in a barren field surrounded by pillars. Three were on his left, three were on his right. Abruptly a fourth pillar began rising from the ground on his left. However, just before it was half as tall as the others, a pillar on the right split down the middle, sending a shockwave that forced the growing pillar to crumble to pieces. It fell to the ground, leaving a gaping hole that began to widen, rapidly approaching him. He tried to turn to run, but it was too late. He fell into an endless pit of emptiness, finding himself suspended in space.

  Far away, he saw a figure in the darkness with him, rapidly getting closer. A man with tan skin and black hair sat on a wooden floor cross-legged in front of a short table. Suddenly, Michael found himself standing behind the man. He could see that before them on the table were small wooden disks with unfamiliar symbols. Peering over the man’s shoulder for a closer look, he saw that all of the pieces had been moved to the side except seven. Five had the same symbol, two were different.

  As he watched, the man separated out the pieces, three and three. He then began moving a fourth piece towards the left, but then abruptly flicked it away with his finger. The piece hit a wall that hadn’t been there before, exploding into a thousand splinters. From the corner of his eye, he saw the man turn towards him as if seeing who was looking over his shoulder.

  A pair of red eyes grinned at him, and the man’s skin turned coal black. Frightened by the sudden monster before him, he tried to scream but someone quickly grabbed him from behind and began suffocating him.

  Michael! A familiar voice called out.

  He abruptly blinked to see a pair of crimson eyes beneath a furrowed brow, full of concern, peering down at him. Her hand was on his mouth, clasping it shut tightly.

  I can’t breathe! He pleaded.

  Miriam sighed as she cautiously released her grip. Her tone was briefly teasing. You have a nose, silly. But then she was serious again. You tried to scream, love. I had to stop you. But I understand why you would. That frightening even me. I wasn’t expecting that.