Demon Hunters

by JKMelby74

  As I carried on through my day, I created many possible theories as to how the message came to my door. Maybe someone posted bail for Sam and he just found my address in some database, or he spied it on a file back at the police station. Maybe I had told him my address and just forgot about it. After that trick he did with the fire, I figured anything was possible. I was pretty impressed with it. I could have told him and totally forgotten.

  The day pushed on and my thoughts left Sam and returned to reality. I began my new campaign to save up enough money for a decent meal and was intent on finding a new method to carry my money. The people seemed to be a bit more generous than normal, and I began to think I could probably save enough to buy a wallet. It was getting late and I had accumulated a good sum, so I began counting my take when a large shadow passed over me. I looked up and saw Ivar towering over me.

  “What do you want?” I asked as I returned my attention to my money.

  “Have you spoken with Sam Abaddon?”

  “Are you stalking me or something?”

  “I know you were arrested yesterday and I also know Sam had been arrested. I just want to know if you spoke with him.”

  “What makes you think I did?” Ivar then held out a copy of the front page of the daily newspaper. The big story of the day was about a bloody prison break the previous night. It described the successful escape of Sam Abaddon. Three guards were eviscerated, a couple of cops coming off duty lost their heads and a cleaning guy had his heart torn out.

  “Sam was clearly very intent on leaving his cell last night and I can only imagine how excited he would be to get his hands on someone like you. He must have smelled blood in the water. Did you speak with him?”

  “Yeah. He offered to help me.”

  “What kind of help did he offer?”

  “He said he could get rid of the demon.”

  “What did you say to him?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I left it kind of open.”

  “Whatever it was clearly triggered something.”

  “Are you saying those murders are my fault?” I leapt to my feet.

  “That’s the least of my concern at this point. Sam is out and it’s a good bet he’s going to be coming for you.”

  “He doesn’t know where I live.” Just then the note came back into my head, but I wasn’t going to share that with Ivar.

  “He’ll find you.”

  “So what if he does find me? At least he wants to help me. He wasn’t following me around and hoping to learn some great cosmic secret from me. He understands that I didn’t ask for this and I don’t want it! If he can help me get rid of this thing, I’m all for it!”

  “I want to help you too, Jake, but this isn’t the way! You can’t discard who you are and what you are meant to be because it’s an inconvenience for you!”

  “The Hell I can’t! I know it’s easy for you to talk about destiny and duty and all that shit, but from my end of things, I’d rather just be free and happy. Sam can do that for me.”

  “For a price.”

  “A price I will gladly pay! This thing has taken everything from me! Do you understand that? Everything! I think maybe the time has come for me to get a little something back.”

  “It isn’t that simple.”

  “For me, it is. Thanks for the concern. I’m going home now.” I turned on my heel and stormed away from Ivar.

  As I was walking home, I pulled out the note I had found on my door. I looked at the writing. The red was bold and eye catching and the strokes were jagged and rough. It didn’t look like ink exactly. Some parts were beginning to grow brown. I scratched at it gently and it began to flake off the page. Blood.

  I folded the paper away and dismissed it. Sam could free me and that was all that I cared about. It was dark when I arrived home and everything appeared as normal as ever. When I came to my door, I could sense something nearby. I pushed the door open and I saw Sam standing before me. His hair was wet and streaked down straight along the side of his face.

  “I took a shower while I waited. I hope you don’t mind.” I stood frozen on my spot. For some reason I was as relieved to see him as I was shocked. The note was enough of a warning that he was intending to visit me, but I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.

  “No. Did anyone follow you?”

  “It’s all right. No one knows I’m here.”

  “I read about your break out.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I just knew how badly you needed my help and I couldn’t bear the thought of you waiting too long.”

  “You really killed all those people?”

  “Do you want to stand here and dredge up old stories about people who don’t really matter, or do you want to take the first step to living your life for the first time?”

  “You murdered six people! Five of which were cops. The whole city is going to be looking for you.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? Trust me; it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and I saw his eyes again. Still crazy, but with what I had learned, there was something else I saw. Something worse.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to help of course! What we talked about, remember?”

  “I know, but how did you know where I lived?”

  “Meaningless details. I came here so that we could divest you from that demon of yours. Have you changed your mind?”

  “No. I haven’t.”

  “I suggest we get started as soon as possible then.”

  Chapter 4

  The Ritual

  Sam led me to his car. I wasn’t sure it was his car, but it was the one he had a key for. As I got in, I noticed a baby seat in the back with what looked like fresh blood stains covering it.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Don’t worry about that. I have a special place where I like to perform certain rites. A quiet little place downtown where we won’t be disturbed, and for what we need to do, we are going to need absolute silence.”

  He drove with the headlights off. Careening down dark, empty streets. I had lived in Los Angeles most of my life, and I was seeing neighborhoods I hadn’t known existed. I had a million questions nagging at me, but every time I looked to Sam, they left me. I could only think of all the things he had done to be there with me. The lives lost.

  “You killed all those people.”

  “What?”

  “When you broke out.”

  “Yes. I believe we’ve already discussed this.”

  “I know, but it’s really starting to hit me. You took innocent lives like they were nothing. How could you do that?” Sam looked over at me with a puzzled look on his face, as though he was surprised I had even asked the question.

  “You and I aren’t like them, Jake. We exist on a different level. The fates of a few unremarkable souls are of very little consequence in the face of our goals. You have been burdened with a terrible curse and I see now that it is my obligation to help you. Don’t let the little things distract you.”

  “Little things. Killing six innocent people is a little thing?” I looked over at Sam and there was no reaction. He just kept his eyes focused on the road and his expression was as still as stone. My uneasiness with the whole affair was beginning to grow, but I was seeing there wasn’t much chance of backing out.

  We finally reached the downtown area. As we were driving along a particularly bumpy road, I could hear a distinct thumping coming from the trunk.

  “Don’t mind that.” I wasn’t well acquainted with the sensation of fear, but that was the only way I could describe how I felt. I had to be free, though. Anything and everything was worth being free from the monstrosity that dwelled in my soul. I didn’t much like how I had to go about it, but I couldn’t worry about that. I was too close.

  The car finally stopped in a parking lot of a large building. It looked like some warehouse.

  “Is this it?”

  “My little home away from ho
me, yes.”

  “It looks condemned.”

  “It has been. Come.” Sam headed toward the building. The faint sound of the freeway nearby could be heard as we got closer. I could also hear the flutter of helicopters in surrounding neighborhoods. I looked around and saw one just a few blocks away shining its light down on the buildings below.

  “You sure no one is going to notice us here?”

  “No one comes around here anymore.” We walked along the side of the building and found a small door on the side. It was even darker. Sam pulled the door open and motioned for me to enter. The inside was about as nice as the outside. The floor was covered in dirt and dust, the walls were cracked, and the beams holding the place up looked like they were about to break.

  “How old is this place?”

  “It was built in the forties. It used to be a clothing warehouse but the city closed it down in eighty-three. It’s been vacant since.”

  “And no one comes out here anymore?”

  “Everyone is all about the pretty new buildings on the other side of the boulevard. I’m not sure if they’ll even get around to demolishing this old wreck.” Sam began lighting candles all along the floor. I could see a large pentagram drawn on the floor. My blood began to heat up, but I knew it was the demon.

  “So, we’re just going to do this?”

  “You’d like a glass of wine and some foreplay first?”

  “No. It’s just this is really happening.”

  “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

  “It is. I just never thought it would happen.”

  “It’s happening. Now, we need to get this done as soon as possible. Take your place on the floor.”

  “Wait!”

  “What?” I noted a shade of irritation.

  “Can we even do this now? Don’t we need to wait for a certain night or cycle of the moon or something?”

  “That won’t be required for this procedure. You’ve got the demon and I am simply going to extract it. Now take your place.”

  “Okay. Where is my place?”

  “Wow. You are really green, aren’t you? Just lay down on the pentagram with your legs together and arms spread wide.”

  “You had all this ready?” I asked as I got down on the floor.

  “I’ve had that on the floor for years. Most of what I do requires it so I just left it. Saves a lot of time.” Sam turned to me. He held a large knife in his hand.

  “What’s that?”

  “The first part of this rite.” Sam knelt beside me. He pinned my arm down and stabbed the knife into my arm, drawing blood. It didn’t hurt, but I was a bit surprised.

  “What’s that for?”

  “We need to introduce you and the demon to the circle,” Sam dripped my blood along the pentagram. “Every ceremony is unique. There’s no room for any generality,” I looked over and saw the cut begin to heal before my eyes. “You may miss that.”

  “Maybe.”

  The light of the candles was flickering along the walls, casting long shadows all across the room. I heard no sounds from outside. Sam produced a book from a dark corner and took his place before me. He began to speak. I felt a cool breeze blow past me. I could hear the jingle of chains from high above. A low moan started to permeate through the walls. Sam’s chanting grew louder and louder. The breeze became more intense. I felt my skin grow cold, but my blood was heating up. I felt an unbearable burning tear through my body. My muscles tensed and I felt sharp pains in my legs and arms.

  “This doesn’t feel right!” I shouted, but Sam persisted with his chants. A stabbing pain shot through my chest. I clenched my hands tightly. I felt something come up from my stomach and fill my mouth. My eyes burned and the sensation of a thousand hooks clawing at my intestines came over me. I turned my head away and my mouth opened and let loose a torrent of black liquid. It poured out of me so fast I couldn’t control it. I felt as though the bile was pushing out every organ in my body. My stomach seized into my body and I grew stiff. A hard gust of cold air blew through and extinguished the candles. Sam’s voice went silent. I could only hear the gentle chatter of the chains high above us. A soft orange light filled the room and I could hear a low, heavy breath.

  “Jake?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re alive?”

  “Yes.” I heard a loud, fleshy slap, like a giant bare foot stomping against concrete. I tried to sit up, but my torso seized up and I fell back. An inhuman growl rumbled from the shadows. I struggled to turn on my side and I looked to where I heard the growl come from. It was just darkness. I stared into the blank void until I began to see it. Some sort of lumbering form just beyond sight was lurking. Then, I saw two eyes, glowing low. I felt the warmth of its breath as it shot past me.

  “How do you feel?” Sam’s voice was coming from seemingly nowhere.

  “I feel empty.” The weight of the demon was off of me, but what I used to feel inside, I could then feel outside of my body. It was there; right before me. The pain began to ease and I started to feel my legs again. I turned on my back and felt my body unfold into a normal position. I got to my feet with some effort. I looked around but the faint light of the candle did not allow me to spot Sam, or the demon.

  Suddenly, a loud, shrill bang of metal shook the space. Dust came pouring down from above. Another loud bang and shattered glass rained down just before me. The walls began to shake and the floor became unsteady. I turned, but before I could see anything, I felt something like knives brush against me. I fell back and as I got my bearings, I realized I had three long slashes across my chest. I looked up and a large, hulking form hung above me from the ceiling, drool dripping from its mouth. Its eyes were brighter. I heard the sound of large claws scratching against metal. By instinct, I rolled away and as I did, something big and heavy hit the floor and tore through it. I got up and still couldn’t see Sam anywhere. A huge roar blared out and my ears began to burn. I bolted for the door I had entered from and as I hit it, it burst open.

  I scrambled across the parking lot. I saw Sam’s car sitting alone, but I ran past it and climbed over the chain link fence that penned in the entire property. I kept running until I put at least five blocks between me and the demon. I sat down at a bus stop and I was able to calm down and that’s when I could really feel the difference. It was quiet and I wasn’t hearing any voices. My body felt at least a hundred pounds lighter. I looked down and then noticed the three cuts along my chest had not healed and the blood was spreading. I pulled my shirt together to hide as much as I could and then I heard a roar in the direction I had just been coming from. I got up and started running again, but I failed to look ahead and I felt a car slide into my hips and I tumbled forward. Cars screeched to sudden stops all around me, and soon a crowd of onlookers surrounded me. I heard some guy apologizing to me for not seeing me and several others asking if I was all right. I tried to speak, but couldn’t find my breath. I felt my eyes grow heavy and then I heard some guy notice my bleeding scars and yelled out for someone to call nine one one.

  Chapter 5

  Buyer Beware

  I woke up some time later in a hospital bed with bandages stretched across my chest. I looked around and it seemed to be a busy night in the emergency room. My head was spinning, but I felt my strength returning. I sat up and felt a sharp sting all over my body. I saw my shirt, torn and tattered, draped on a nearby chair.

  “Take it easy.” A familiar voice said. I turned and saw Ivar.

  “What the Hell?”

  “Don’t ask. It’s just what I do.” Ivar found a chair and sat down before me.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Some might argue that I’m saving your life. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. I am now one hundred percent demon free.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yup. Sam did his Voodoo and this body is clean.”

  “Fascinating. No side effects?”

  “Other than feeling great? No.”
r />   “Those are some nasty scratches.”

  “I guess I don’t heal as fast, but that’s fine. I’ll just be more careful.”

  “How’d you get them?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see it.”

  “It.”

  “Yeah.” Ivar grabbed the curtain next to my bed and pulled it closed.

  “The demon.”

  “I guess. It’s out of me and ruining someone else’s life now.”

  “You’re sure of that.”

  “I guess.”

  “And where’s Sam?”

  “I didn’t see him. For all I know the demon gobbled him up.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “Do you have something to say?”

  “If Sam did to you what I think he did, you are free from the demon, but not completely.”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s gone.”

  “Yes, but Sam was not the one who bonded it to you originally. He was unable to fully sever the connection between you both. Only the person who cursed you with the demon would be able to do that.”

  “I feel pretty separated.” Ivar’s eyes found mine and I felt his gaze drill into me.

  “Do you? You don’t feel some little tingle in the back of your head, maybe?”

  “A little headache. It’s nothing.”

  “Did you have it before?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t really conscious of it.”

  “Has it gotten worse?”

  “Not by much. Are you going somewhere with this?”

  “The demon is still feeding off of your life force. The longer it is free, the stronger it will become and the stronger it gets, the weaker you get.”

  A nurse pulled the curtain surrounding my bed open. Ivar looked over his shoulder as the young woman went about her duty. She set a small silver tray upon the small table next to me. There were a couple rolls of gauze, some pills and other medical tools. I became a little nervous until she picked up the pills and looked over to me.

  “Just a little something to take the edge off.” She said.