by Joshua Brown
Lee-Anne looked at me, sort of pleased by the response I gave. All the beauty the Earth Mother bestowed on her stripped common sense right out of Lee-Anne’s head. Sure, I gave her no reason not to believe me, but her eagerness to listen and accept my word as gospel dumbfounded me.
Lee-Anne lifted my hand to her lips and kissed my fingers. We sat in a booth chair beside a window in Hopewell’s Diner. It overlooked High Street and the few cars venturing out wherever they headed. Why Lee-Anne chose to have dinner there was beyond me, considering she spent all day tending the tables.
“You sure you can’t make it tonight?” Lee-Anne asked, a sheepish grin only her face could produce. Puppy dog eyes, a nervous glimmer twinkling in those gray orbs. “I was thinking we could have ourselves a little fun. Y’know? Practice our baby-making.”
I laughed. That was funny; practice our baby-making. Like me, she was human too, I supposed. Like my mother, she was the perfect vessel to deliver another savior into this world. I considered it on many an occasion yet never went through with the deal. I wasn’t father material, not yet. I had too much to learn so that someday I might teach.
But when that day came, I’d not waste my precious seed on anyone in this town, not even Lee-Anne. I reserved myself for the Earth Mother. Someday, I’d give her a physical form, be it Lee-Anne or anyone else. She would be my companion throughout life.
For now, though I felt her presence, I knew the Earth Mother wasn’t tangible. No matter what she inspired in me, the sensations that soothed my aching soul.
The Earth Mother was life, love, liberty, and all the other feelings we feel—but she had no physical form. But how perfect would it be to have her standing before me? And that’s where Lee-Anne came into my grand scheme. I’d been nurturing this relationship for so long now in order to someday replace her. I had no love in my heart, no care in the world, for Lee-Anne Jefferson.
She was a tool, one I’d happily use.
The idea tickled me, though it took some preparation to reach fruition. Lee-Anne’s body would have to be vacated to allow room for the Earth Mother to enter. But it would require energy and power that the Earth Mother did not currently wield. I knew of only one way to feed her, too: dealing with the heathens and sinners, demons in disguise. They’d produce the perfect life force for the Earth Mother to consume.
“That’s a good one,” I said, once the chuckling subsided. “But nah, I don’t think I can tonight. Been a long one, and I don’t know if I’d be able to stand on my own two feet, let alone see to anyone’s needs.”
A lie, one that pained me to tell. Had I not had a job to do that night, I’d have gone with Lee-Anne in a heartbeat. But my duty to cure the aching world of depravity came before my own wants and desires.
I saw a glimmer of sadness in Lee-Anne’s eyes at my decline. She shrugged, gave a humph, and nodded at my response. “Well, alright then. Suit yourself. Suppose my ma wouldn’t be happy with you coming over anyway, on account of what happened last time.”
Lee-Anne took it in her stride and giggled at the embarrassment that must’ve flashed on my face. She was referring to an incident where her momma walked in on me naked in the kitchen, drinking a glass of milk.
“You told me she wouldn’t be in town for the week,” I replied, shaking my head. “It’s not my fault she came home a day early.”
“You probably scarred that old woman for life,” Lee-Anne couldn’t contain herself. “It’s a good thing she likes you, or she might’ve kicked your ass to the curb right then and there.”
My eagerness to replace Lee-Anne with the Earth Mother only amplified as she mocked me.
“Well, looky, she probably should’ve kicked me out. But we all know I ain’t so bad,” my smile turned to a smug grin.
“You’ve got me hooked,” Lee-Anne leaned over the table and pressed her lips against mine. “I’m guessing you really can’t be.”
I paid for the meal, our milkshake, and a banana split before walking Lee-Anne home. She didn’t live far from Hopewell’s, about ten minutes by foot. Nothing was all that far apart in this little town of ours. She lived in a small house, two floors, painted a bright baby blue. No fence or gate surrounded the property, but everyone knew everyone here, and there wasn’t much reason to fear crime.
The longer I spent in her company, the more tempted I was to join her for the evening. One more night of avoiding the Inquisitors wouldn’t harm the Earth Mother, that much I knew.
They were feebleminded and weak, for the time being, and didn’t know I was on their tail. The Inquisition would toil on foolishly, believing their schemes would go on without a hitch. Their twisted end goal is to burn down the last remaining Goddess and begin their reign of terror.
But as the thoughts played through my mind, I got consumed by an annoyance at myself. One more night meant their hold would strengthen on Priest River. It was easy to think them weak when they did not know of my threat, but every misspent second allowed them to grow.
If their corruption was already strong enough to get me off my path, if only in thought, but even for a second, I was underestimating my threat.
“Will you at least come by for dinner tomorrow night?” Lee-Anne asked when we stopped at her door. She took both my hands in hers, taking one of the three steps above to look me dead in the eyes.
“Sure thing, sugar. Tell me a time, and I’ll be here,” I replied.
“How about five-thirty? Nice and early, so’s we can get a little more time together,” she said, squeezing my fingertips.
“Nice and early. I’ll be here,” I replied.
With what I had planned for the evening ahead, a night off sounded delightful. Though my goals were to destroy the fiends who attempted to break the Earth Mother, I had to be smart. If I acted too hastily, the Inquisition might scatter and return in greater force. Too many of theirs falling in quick succession would send waves through their operation.
One at a time, all apart, giving them false hope.
Yes, that’s how I’d deliver my message. Send them back to the depths of hell with a warning for Lucifer, Beelzebub, Belial, and all the other demons that wish to claim our world: it’s not for the taking.
Lee-Anne leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. I returned one, but on her lips.
“I love you,” she said. It wasn’t the first time she used those words, but every time she did, I became more uneasy. I had no feelings of love for her, only lust. My desires were carnal; my heart belonged to the Earth Mother.
“I love you,” I said anyway. To keep Lee-Anne hooked, I had to make sure she was in the palm of my hand. I would not settle for anyone other than the best. And there wasn’t a woman in Priest River who even half-measured up to Lee-Anne Jefferson.
She broke her grip on my hands and entered her family’s home. I waited outside a moment longer. I geared myself mentally for the mission I was about to undertake. No more hiding in obscurity, no more allowing darkness to rule this world.
Today marked my first strike, bringing strength back to those who lost it.
I was the All-Father, fighting a crusade for my Goddess.
And nothing would stop my righteous fury.
~
What is a worthy sacrifice to she who created everything? When the sprawling mass of life around is her doing, would she even want anything in return?
I believed not, in the traditional sense, anyway.
Since the vile Inquisition entered Priest River, I followed them. I learned their habits, mannerism, mealtimes, and mating calls. They’d been in and out of town many times, always returning with plots and plans and promises of how they’d change this town. Their desperate wish to blind the sheep who resided there, leaving only the pure to see through their bullshit.
I heard the cry of distant thunder, the looming dark shadows hanging over my head. I stood alone, cloaked by darkness, in the street overlooking a motel. Soon, Earth Mother would weep tears of joy in celebration of my well-doing. This blessed land
, the realm of gods and kings, is ours once more.
Few lights shone through motel windows, barely illuminating the night. With the impending rain came a thick fog. A natural cloak and disguise from the Goddess to complete my task. I felt her presence all around me. She empowered me as I walked up to the room where the Inquisitor lived.
She was the first of many devils I’d rid from this kingdom.
I knew her name; Lynne Sawyer, her favorite meal was avocado on toast, and she enjoyed Strawberry Daiquiris. She was a typical big city girl, the kind you see on social media, posting pictures of the natural world, only to tear it down with pollution. From various online sources, I knew she was a divorced mother. The father won custody of the children, and she showed no signs of remorse at her loss.
A power-hungry fool that put no life before her own.
I walked through the motel parking lot, eyeing the various rooms and making sure no one looked out. Not that I thought anyone could see me through the thick fog anyway, but caution and prevention were easier than explanation.
A few others of her band of misfits stayed in the same motel. All in separate rooms, none with partners. Perhaps that’s why caution was paramount. I was in their devil’s nest, a lone fighter.
I’d seen on more than one occasion how they’d bring girls from Priest Church in, only to give them a handful of cash and sending them off hours later.
Lust, greed, gluttony, pride–these sick freaks were all embodiments of sin.
I stopped outside Lynne’s door and gave a knock.
“Just a second,” she shouted. This ignorance and carelessness would be her downfall.
Though her light was off, a silver/blue haze clung to the curtain, no doubt from the tv box. I clutched the bag on my side, hung from a shoulder strap containing my equipment for the night. Sliding my hand inside, I drew a short steak knife.
A sly giddiness overwhelmed me, listening to Lynne Sawyer shuffle inside. She hummed a tune until she arrived at the door, clearing her throat and opening it wide.
“So, you decided to take me up on my…” she paused as she caught sight of me.
She was by no means an ugly woman, though I’d place her as average. Long brown hair, a round face, large breasts, and a small waist. She donned a thin, red, transparent silk negligee. It barely covered anything at all and gave me a view of her naked body beneath.
Lee-Anne wasn’t the only one feeling frisky that evening, it seemed. Perhaps it was these devils and their corruption that tainted the minds of my people. Their poisonous demon tongues, whispering sin into the ears of the innocent, guiding them to an eternity of hell.
“Oh, Jesus,” Lynne said, covering her body up. “Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing here?”
She demanded answers she’d never hear, recoiling a few steps back. She reached over for a nightgown resting on a thin wooden chair. I watched her panic, saw the fear in her eyes, knowledge of her doom freely displayed in those green orbs.
Before she could speak again, I covered her mouth with a hand and buried the steak knife between her breasts. Muffled bellowing came out against my grip, though no strength remained inside her to fight me off.
I held her there, watching as her tainted soul escaped this human vessel and returned to the fiery pits of hell. A calm serenity engulfed me as though Earth Mother, my Goddess, wrapped her healing touch around me. Her warmth, light, and radiance engulfed me whole, acknowledging the sacrifice, pleased by my work.
And though I claimed a minor victory here, my night’s work had only just begun. I had to purify the husk of Lynne Sawyer and ensure there’d be no return for her. I’d leave my mark on Priest River, and by morning, the citizens would open their eyes to the turning tide.
All those who stood against it were destined to suffer the same fate as Lynne Sawyer.
And those few brave souls who took up arms would forever join Earth Mother and me in eternal glory.
Chapter 5
Jack
I woke the following morning to the sound of a plane flying overhead. It rumbled and shook the very foundation of the small, separated room I stayed in. After coffee, a walk around the river, and a small breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast, I got into my rental Camaro and ventured out.
Driving over the dilapidated streets the town offered, I felt lost in this place. The derelict remains of homes filled with people left an undesirable sting in my chest. Crumbling buildings, rusted, decaying vehicles, roads that turned to dirt—a sobering reminder of how the world had moved on.
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here; the saying was never truer for a place like Priest River.
I avoided Rivenes Avenue at every opportunity. I was here now, home, but I couldn’t muster the strength to face my childhood house or the family that resided within.
The town was small enough that I circled through it a handful of times within the few hours I stayed on the road. I don’t even know what I was doing out there. Aimlessly moving from place to place, hoping I might find some familiarity, and there was. Every new turn I took brought back some haunting memory.
Bullies, beatings from my father, cast away from the church—the longer I drove, the realization struck that this town never wanted me. Even in youth, I was an outsider destined for more, and they could tell.
When I finally built up the nerve to take on my reason for being here, I pulled into a strip mall, drew my phone, and called Valentina Shelby. She answered immediately.
“Jack? Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind,” what a strange thing to say. I tried remembering our phone call the previous day, wondering if I let slip I didn’t want to come. Perhaps it was her own nerves that she might never find her son again, giving her reason to question me.
“No, Miss Shelby,” I sighed. It wasn’t too late, I knew. She didn’t know I was in town, and if I wanted to, I could turn my car around and drive back to the airport. Back to New York City and burn this from memory, like all the other distant recollections that burdened me.
But how could I do that to Valentina? A hopeless mother in desperate need to find her child.
“I’m in town. It was a long trip, got here last night, wasn’t up to seeing anyone. I’m parked outside the Mexican place; thought we could meet there. Don’t feel much up to seeing my folk’s place just yet,” I said.
After all, Valentina’s home was only a few houses over from my parent’s.
I guess that’s how they always knew I’d return after scampering off all those years ago. Never too far away from their scorn. And by running, I just added fuel to their fire of hateful wrath.
“Oh, Jack, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy you’ve made it. I’ll come right away. Won’t keep you waiting long, no I won’t.”
Valentina hung up the phone, and I got out of my car and made my way into the restaurant. It was a quaint little joint, looked old, but it wasn’t here when I left. I guess knowing the poison that spread through Priest River, it could’ve been built yesterday and still looked like an ancient relic of some forgotten past.
I found a table, ordered a drink and lit a cigarette. Unlike New York, it seemed no one really cared all that much for rules and regulations towards public smoking. And if the sheriff’s department was as bad as Valentina made it out to be, why would anyone bother following the rules?
I cracked open my phone, typed in Priest River, and opened up a map of the town. Little had changed in the way of new construction, but from the street view alone, I’d be able to suss out any criminal hotspots. At least, that was the intention. Instead, further avenues of unexplored history awaited me.
Some were fine, I suppose. Traveling down Cemetery Road, looking at the small plot of deceased—I remembered my first kiss with Natalie Benson. There beside some tombstone with a black eye and swollen lip, she kissed me nervously before running on back home.
Just like that, I found enough joy in the place to make it a little less painful to be there. One good thing can wash away a lot
of bad if it has to.
But all of that was soon about to come crashing down, anyway.
“Jack Mercer, as I live and breath,” someone said, distracting me from my phone.
Word must’ve spread that I was coming to town, with old Freddy Cochran recognizing me so easily.
“Fred,” I didn’t bother shaking his hand. He was the son-of-a-bitch that turned me away all the times I came to him for help. He wasn’t much of a sheriff back then, and it seems he wasn’t much of anything now. Just an old man, in a tattered button-up shirt, so worn I could almost see his skin beneath.
Freddy lacked all the features of a hardened cop. He was soft around the edges, too cheery to have seen any real crime or sinister intent. His eyes held no weight of those he helped and those he harmed in failure.
How the hell did I choose the one eatery he’d be in?
“God damn, you’ve grown up, haven’t you?” Freddy snickered. “Not the scrawny boy that used to run into my office and scream blue murder anymore, are ya?”
“That was thirty years ago,” I said.
“Thirty? My good lord, how time flies. I heard about your pa, I guess that’s why you’re back in town? My sincerest apologies….”
“I’m here to investigate the disappearance of Donald Shelby,” I cut him off. Whatever he was going to say about my father meant little to me. I was in town to do a job and move on. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Disappearance of Donald? What you going on about, boy?” Freddy let out a wheezy chuckle, slapping his knee. “Donald’s down at the station mopping floors.”
“What?” I turned to him, my eyes narrowing in absolute annoyance.
“There ain’t no need for a big city detective down here, son. Whoever told you Donald’s gone missing was feeding you stories,” he added. “The sheriff’s and deputies at the station, they’ve got this city under control. Just like I used to, that’s for sure.”