A Patch of Darkness

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  I wanted to holler in horror but I couldn’t speak.

  Everything froze around me and my body stiffened. An alien sensation swept through me.

  I lowered my hands from my ears to find silence engulfing me. I still felt rigid, and my pores pumped out a terrified sweat I could feel drip from my chin, neck and back.

  Every silent drop hit the floor with a muted thump.

  The demon was still there, but we weren’t in someone’s kitchen anymore. We were enveloped by darkness, trapped together in a place I couldn’t identify but recognized as other.

  Only one of us would make it out alive and the odds were stacked against me.

  The warm white light I’d heard so much about in retellings of near-death experiences shone behind me, encouraging me to turn towards it and give up the fight.

  “Surrender to total peace,” a soothing voice whispered. “There’s no further need for confrontations and pain. Leave it all behind.”

  I gritted my teeth, determined to keep my back to the light. Turning to face it wasn’t an option. It wasn’t my time yet. I could feel it in the depths of my soul. To accept the glow of the afterlife now would be to surrender prematurely.

  Fighting for my life was the only answer. I’d never battled a demonic entity before but have a good track record of dealing with difficult ghosts. Most give in once they’re cornered, but not all.

  The demon was circling me, confident in this dark place, ready to add me to the menu before returning to the house, filled with evil intentions of carrying out whatever it wanted to do. For all I knew, it could allow other, worse things to cross into the Prevette home if I didn’t at least try to finish this.

  I was there for a reason. And right now, that was to put an end to this monster.

  He moved soundlessly around me.

  I stood my ground, frozen to the spot, shoes pressed hard against the nothingness somehow keeping me upright. Aware it would take the first available opportunity to attack.

  A claw swiped at me, and I dodged it just in time.

  The demon drew back its black tongue and the claw disappeared down its gaping mouth. I dropped to the invisible floor in the endless darkness, surprised at how soft it felt, and then rolled onto my back to glare at the creature.

  There were no facial features giving away emotion but I was pretty sure it was confused. Unsure of why it hadn’t nailed me yet. Two hollow orbs scrutinized me.

  My heart beat fast against my chest, but I could only feel it. All sound was gone.

  The demon bowed its head towards mine. I didn’t move an inch and actually dared to meet those horrid eyes. Horrors no human should ever be forced to see were lost inside. The dark, harsh patch this creature came from was worse than any vision of hell humans conjured up. Boiling lakes of lava merged with rivers of blood, kept flowing by the tormented human souls imprisoned for all eternity.

  Tears slid down my face, blurring the vision.

  I closed my eyes, trying to place an invisible shield between myself and the creature responsible for setting up such savage, eternal torments. The imagery raced inside my head long after my eyes were shielded, fast-forwarding through countless humans stupid enough to tempt fate by sitting inside magically charged circles and pentagrams, in hopes of conjuring such monsters.

  Since I couldn’t completely close my eyes to everything, I shut my mind, cutting off the obscenities the demonic creature spewed.

  I’d never tried anything like this before. If anything, this would guarantee my demise, but I couldn’t bear to see more people butchered and taken below. I needed to get rid of this thing before further damage was done to the world, or to my sanity.

  As I shut myself off from everything, including my own corporeal body, I sensed my soul floating away from my shell until I towered above the demon while it continued to circle me, unaware of what was going on.

  Its thoughts were running through my head—confusion, intrigue and the determination to turn me into another useless carcass.

  It thought of me as a challenge, though I hadn’t challenged anyone. I couldn’t be held responsible for leading us here, could I? I didn’t possess this kind of power. Then again, I was outside my own body. Something I’d often achieved during sleep, but never in my awakened reality.

  I willed my soul to descend, surprised at how easily I was able to maneuver myself in this state, until I was close enough to lay both hands on the demon’s shiny, crimson skin. Its blobby head looked up, but surprisingly didn’t seem to see me. The demonic frame underneath my touch quivered, rippled from side-to-side like a river caught in a current tearing itself apart. The harder I pushed my palms into the mounds of hardened hide, the more ripples erupted.

  The quivering became so frantic I removed my hands in fear of losing them. I moved back and watched as the rippling intensified and then burst, tearing the demon’s huge frame apart.

  I was suddenly sucked back into my body. A rush of oxygen forced me to draw a breath so quickly I choked. A coughing fit took over my system as I sat up, catching a glimpse of the darkness around us as it quickly disintegrated.

  We were back in the Prevette kitchen.

  No, I was back. The demon hadn’t come back with me.

  My coughing echoed around the room, making my ears pop as I kneeled forward and held myself up by pressing both hands against the tiles.

  I lifted my face, surprised to see Father Luke lying in a fetal position on the other side of the kitchen. He was covered in some sort of green slime but was still alive. I watched the rise and fall of his chest for a few seconds to make sure he was still breathing.

  How had he returned with me? I hadn’t seen him in the darkness, and the demon had swallowed him whole. It didn’t make any sense…unless he’d been regurgitated. However unlikely it seemed, that was the only plausible explanation.

  I cleared my throat, still feeling disoriented. “Looks like you made it out of the belly of the beast, Father.”

  Ebony pushed past the door and raced into the kitchen, glaring wide-eyed at the scene in front of her. The kitchen knives tumbled to the floor, making her jump.

  Mrs. Prevette stood just inside the doorway.

  “What the hell’s all that crap over everything?” Ebony stared at the priest. “Oops, sorry, Father. I mean, what happened and what’s with the slimy stuff?”

  “It looks like the demon’s gone.” I lifted my hands off the slippery floor and sat back with my head pressed against the kitchen cabinets. “Can you still feel a presence, Mrs. Prevette?”

  She collected herself enough to step into the kitchen, looking around with a horrified expression. “No.”

  “Great.” At least the slime had only stained my palms. It covered the cabinets, floor and most of the walls and appliances, though. “Then it looks like we got the job done.”

  “Yes,” Mrs. Prevette whispered, anxiously. “I think we’re going to have to hire a new cleaner though.”

  “Oh, which reminds me, we only accept cash.” I said, a little breathless. “And we donate a nice round figure to the Church from the amount. To thank Father Luke for his services in expelling the demon,” I said with a shrug.

  The confused priest didn’t move but he opened his eyes. “But I didn’t—”

  I cut him off. “Could you please sort it out with Ebony? I need to use your bathroom.”

  The older woman pointed a thumb over her shoulder. “Yes, it’s just through that door.”

  I avoided her questioning eyes and headed out of the kitchen in search of the bathroom before any of them noticed the dribble of blood pouring down my nose.

  Mrs. Prevette’s instructions had been lacking, but I found my way and locked myself into the bathroom. I needed a few minutes to compose myself.

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened in the kitchen?”

  I kept my eyes on the road, trying to ignore Ebony. She’d kept her mouth shut for the last half hour, but I’d suspected it was just a matter of time before
she decided to shatter the bliss of silence. I’d been enjoying it too. The silence and the driving were ideal distractions to keep my mind off what happened at the Prevette house. Keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel kept them from shaking.

  “Sierra, I’m talking to you.”

  “And you’re starting to sound like my mother. That’s what she used to say to me all the time,” I snapped. Nothing nice ever came out of my mother’s mouth. Well, she had plenty of nice things to say, but none were ever about me. She loved to talk about the countless number of men who waltzed in and out of her life after my parents divorced, but I never listened long enough to care. Not even when she eventually found herself another victim to place in the role of husband.

  “Quit trying to change the subject. How am I going to learn anything if you keep withholding information from me?” Ebony asked.

  I peered at her from the corner of my eye. She was actually pouting. I couldn’t help but smile. Ebony was so easy to tease and annoy. Dangle a tiny piece of carrot in front of her and you could bait her for hours.

  “I’m not withholding anything.”

  “Right,” Ebony grunted. “Father Luke has been exorcising demonic things for over twenty years, and the person left behind on that kitchen floor wasn’t him. He’s usually got something to say about everything. Yet this time he looked like a puppy, unable to find his way home. Did you notice his hands were still shaking when he got into his car?”

  I stopped at a red light, clutching the wheel tighter. She didn’t need to see mine were shaking too. “I didn’t know you spent so much time with him.”

  “Sure, I’ve already told you. My parents used to leave me at church with him all the time. They were hoping his holy influence would turn me into the normal daughter they always wished for. Instead of a tainted girl with a curse they believed to be evil.” She pressed her head back against the headrest.

  I whistled. “That’s harsh.”

  “Yeah, you should know how it feels to have less-than-enthusiastic parents.” She paused for a breath, never taking her eyes off me when I snuck a look her way. “But anyway, stop changing the damn subject. What did you do in there?”

  “I don’t know. The religious relics must have exorcised it.” I turned back to face the road.

  “No way, Sierra, that’s not even an answer. That demon was forced out—you obliterated it into gunk! There was so much slime the Prevettes are gonna need a cleaner to stay around for a week. Gunk’s gonna keep showing up in that kitchen for months. Man, if I was them, I’d just sell the place. How could they live with a demon for so long and only start suffering the consequences now?”

  “You know, you’re right. Why now? She said they’d felt it for years but only suffered mild temperature changes. Didn’t she call the kitchen serene?”

  “Sure did.”

  “And now the demon decides to attack its hosts. I mean, most people would’ve called someone right away. This family didn’t make any enquiries until the disturbance became physically violent. There’s got to be some sort of explanation.” I took a left into Ebony’s street. “Something isn’t right.”

  “Something’s definitely not right and you’re still avoiding my question. What did you do to that demon?”

  I lowered my foot onto the brakes a little too abruptly and turned to look at her. “I’m telling you the truth. I have no idea what happened back there. The only thing I can answer is that yes, I somehow got rid of that thing. But you’ve got to believe me when I tell you I have no idea how I did it.”

  She looked into my eyes for several silent seconds before she stared past me. “But you remember what happened, right?”

  “Sure I do, I’m just not ready to talk about it yet. I need some time to figure out why I was able to do anything against a demonic presence. I’m a registered spook catcher. I don’t know the first thing about dealing with demons.”

  Her warm hand pressed down on one of mine. In my haste to confront her, my left hand had fallen to my lap.

  She offered a small smile. “Your hands are shaking too. Are you sure you’re all right, Sierra?”

  I nodded, turning away from her sympathy as I dragged my hand away from hers.

  She sighed. “Well, it turns out you do know a bit about demons. And when you’re ready, I’d really love to hear all about what happened. Hopefully I can learn from thee, wise one.”

  “Sure.”

  “Why are we here anyway?” Ebony gestured out the window towards her apartment block.

  “I think we deserve the rest of the day off, don’t you?” I was exhausted, shaky and still very confused. I desperately wanted to be alone for a while.

  “Well, I suppose we did make enough out of this one field trip for several weeks. Even if we don’t get another job for a month, we’ll be just fine.” She winked.

  “Ah, have you forgotten about the large pile of manila folders you placed on my desk this morning?” I coughed. Or the debt I’m still paying off?

  “We’ll get there.”

  “Of course we will. I expect to see you in the office bright and early tomorrow morning. And please make sure you get your nails sorted out before getting in this time.” I returned the wink so she’d know I wasn’t really annoyed.

  “It was worth it. Check out this color.” She wiggled her fingers to show off the dark shade, which glinted red from one angle and black from the other. “Here’s the money.” She pulled out the white envelope from her bag.

  I held up a hand. “Listen, I know I said you can have the rest of the afternoon off, but would you mind going to the bank before it closes to deposit the money into our business account?”

  “No problem. The deposit book’s back at the office, but I have the account number with me.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good thing…”

  Ebony climbed out of the car, but popped her head back in before shutting the door. “It’s a great thing because I’m the best personal assistant slash apprentice you could ever hope for. Besides, I’d never touch a penny of the money in the account. As long as I’m getting paid every week, I don’t care what you do with the rest of it.” She took a step back, prepared to shut the door, but hesitated before ducking her head back in. “Though y’know, using some of it on some new office furniture could be cool.”

  “Look, I hear ya. It’s just not the right time yet.” With my debt, I doubted it would ever be the right time. “I suppose it’s a good thing I’m the only one who can withdraw money from the account.”

  Ebony flashed me a toothy grin. “I’m still working on that.”

  Chapter Three

  With the lights off and the sun setting behind the blinds, the office cooled down dramatically. The old fan between the two desks whirled softly as I took a sip of coffee and almost choked when a knock on the door made me jump.

  “Shit!” So much for relaxing.

  All the research I’d been trying to do slipped from my mind. My heart thumped faster as I surveyed the damage of my spill. Luckily, only a few valuable drops of coffee had scattered onto the desk. Nothing was ruined. But who could be at the door now? I wasn’t expecting any visitors, and prospective clients didn’t usually drop in without an appointment.

  I was about to call out “Come in!” but hesitated. For all I knew, it could be a psycho waiting just outside the door. The shakes hadn’t completely faded, so I was feeling suspicious and a little scared.

  Another knock echoed louder than it should have.

  I pushed my chair back and stood, almost peeing myself when it squeaked.

  The shuffle of feet outside my door stopped. A shadow moved past the other side of the glass panel with my name and occupation printed on it in black block letters. The dark lump disappeared for a second, moved in front again and then vanished from sight.

  Who the hell was out there?

  I scanned the desk for a weapon but doubted a hole puncher would do much damage. Where was the stapler or letter opener when I need
ed them? Sometimes Ebony’s neatness drove me crazy.

  Footsteps faded against the wooden floorboards on the corridor outside the office. They seemed to be retreating, probably headed for the staircase.

  I took a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. As if I wasn’t freaked out enough already—first by a kitchen demon and now a phantom knocker. I ended up frozen behind my desk for another ten minutes. Enough time for the sun to completely disappear and swamp the office with total darkness.

  I felt an odd chill, suddenly realizing that my last-minute decision of stopping by the office to clear my head hadn’t been one of my best. It would’ve been smarter to head home for a relaxing evening, instead of being stuck debating whether or not to go see if the owner of the shadow was waiting for me.

  If someone was out there, maybe opening the door would give them a clear shot to knock me out and leave me for dead. As far as I knew, there was no one else around at the moment. Maybe I could call Ebony or Jonathan before checking outside the office door? That way someone would know of my last whereabouts.

  I leaned forward, hand reaching for the phone on the corner of the desk. I wrapped my fingers around the receiver and even started dialing Jonathan’s bookstore, but hung up with a sigh.

  What is wrong with you, why are you so jumpy all of a sudden? You’re acting like a wimp.

  But it wasn’t all of a sudden. This uneasy feeling had been hounding me for several months now. Something was undeniably itching away at my skin. The memories of my childhood were pouring in too thick and fast, mostly in the form of nightmares and always with my grandparents lost amongst the danger lurking in the gloom.

  Something was creeping closer without detection, but I had no idea what and if it meant anything.

  You’re being silly and paranoid. Now head on over to the damn door.

  I took a deep breath and reached the door before I had enough time to change my mind. Overanalyzing never did me any favors.