Demon Hunters

by JKMelby74

“But it also says there are millions of lots to choose from. I’ve seen this place and it’s no bigger than one city block. There’s no way they can cram millions of homes in there.”

  “And why is this any of my business?” Gwen sat down and I could see her determination was sincere.

  “What was that you told me about Heaven a few days ago? You said it could be big or small or something. That it’s boundless on the inside.”

  “Yeah. That’s what Aldo told me. And you think the only way this development could promise millions of homes would be,”

  “If it were Heaven! Right!” She said, completing my thought. A smile came over her face as if she had cracked the case wide open. I looked back down at the flyer. “This could be the best real estate scam ever! They can’t oversell or over develop it.”

  “And they can charge through the nose because who wouldn’t pay top dollar to live in Heaven? It would explain a lot, but I have to check this out first. Can you get me in there?”

  “That’s the only problem. Mr. Bertram won’t let anyone else handle these properties and he’d never show to you.”

  “Why not?”

  “You really think he’ll believe you can afford a six million dollar house? He’s seen your office. He usually only shows to people he knows can afford it. Usually couples.”

  “Then how about you and I take a look around?”

  “He knows me. He knows how much I make. We need to get you in there and make him believe you’re worth a lot.”

  “I’m open to suggestions.” Suddenly Ivar walked in and took his seat. He looked over at Gwen briefly and nodded.

  “Gwen.” He said cordially.

  “Hi, Ivar.” She said and then looked over at me. I could hear the wheels turning in her head.

  “What?”

  “I’ve never really noticed what a cute couple you and Ivar make.”

  The next day, Gwen drove me and Ivar out to Heavenly Meadows in her car. We were in the back while Gwen was alone up front.

  “Why do we have to ride like this?”

  “Because you’re a loving gay couple, that’s why! You can’t stand spending a moment apart.”

  “Why do we have to be gay?”

  “Is there another reason two grown men want to buy a house together?”

  “Business partners.”

  “Who want to live together?”

  “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Remember to put on a show for Mr. Bertram. I told him you were a deeply committed couple anxious to start your lives here in Heavenly Meadows.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Ivar said as he squeezed my hand. I looked at him.

  “When we get there, man. When we get there,” I said as I pulled my hand away. “I had a thought, dear. Bertram has met Ivar. He knows he’s my partner. Won’t he think we’re both low income?”

  “I told him Ivar was heir to some big fortune. I think I told him his father invented Starbucks or something.”

  We were driving up north up into Ventura County. We got off the freeway at a rather rural area. There were large, grass covered hills on either side of the highway with small wire fences outlining the borders of each parcel. We drove deep into a hilly meadow area until I could no longer even hear the noise of the highway. We came upon a small nest of a community. A couple strip malls and a sizable section of homes shunted to the back. We drove by all of that and found a pristine street that led to a dead end, but as we got closer, I was able to see a large and ornate gate ahead of us. The car slid to a stop and Gwen got out. Ivar and I followed.

  “Why are we stopping here?”

  “This is as far as I’m allowed to go. Mr. Bertram will take you the rest of the way. Here he comes” I looked ahead and saw a large shiny car cruising down the street toward us. It stopped suddenly and Bertram got out. Ivar quickly took my hand and I stepped closer to him.

  “Good morning, Mr. Corba,” As he approached, I released Ivar’s hand and took Bertram’s in a friendly shake. “When Ms. Thorne told me about your situation, I must say, I was surprised.”

  “My situation? Oh! Yes. A lot of people are usually rather shocked, but you know, we’re everywhere.” Ivar took my hand again and pulled me closer to him yet.

  “We’re very excited about this, Mr. Bertram. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been trying to get this one to just settle down.” Ivar said with surprising character and energy.

  “Well, I’m just glad you chose Heavenly Meadows. I think you’ll be very happy with what you find inside,” He looked over to Gwen, holding his friendly expression. “That will be all, Ms. Thorne. I will call you when we’re done.”

  “Yes, sir.” Gwen got back into her car and drove off. I watched as her car disappeared down the road.

  “Now, if we may begin?”

  “Yes! Let’s get started!” Ivar said.

  “This way then.” Bertram said as he led us back to his car. Ivar held my hand in his tightly as we followed behind.

  “Your hands are very soft.” Ivar whispered to me.

  “Not helpful.”

  As we approached Bertram’s car, he held the front passenger side door open, but I declined as Ivar pulled open the back seat door.

  “I’m sorry, but we’d prefer to sit together.” I said. Bertram merely smiled and gently closed his door.

  “Not at all. I understand.” He hurried to the other side and got in.

  We got into the car and Bertram turned us around and headed back the way he had arrived. The gates ahead were even more intricate than I had thought at first. The closer we got, I could see they were shining brilliantly with complex designs sculpted between the bars. They shined with a hue of gold and silver and despite everything I knew, I could have sworn I heard a silvery echo resonate from my ears as we approached. I looked over to Ivar who seemed transfixed to the gate as we passed. I had never seen such a dazed expression on his face before.

  “Impressive, isn’t it?” Bertram said.

  “Yes. Very. Where ever did you find something like that?”

  “Custom made. Everything here at Heavenly Meadows is custom made.”

  “Not everything.”

  “Of course. The residents here expect nothing less than the absolute best and we proudly supply that to them.”

  “Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.” I said.

  “Prepare to believe.” Bertram stopped the car and pressed a button on his console. The gate before us slowly began to open and light poured down over us. The silvery echo I had been hearing soon became a booming roar in my ears.

  “Ahh!” I winced as I grabbed my ears. It was like daggers pushing into my ear canals.

  “All right back there?”

  “I’m fine. Light just got in my eyes.” Ivar slowly turned to me.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.”

  We drove through the gate and after passing through the light, our eyes focused and we found ourselves on a lovely tree lined street. It was like something out of a brochure. Blue sky above us and green lawns on either side. Husbands lazily mowing their lawns as devoted wives came out with lemonade. Children playing quietly with each other and birds flying overhead, whistling a strange melodic symphony. A scene so idyllic, I believe Norman Rockwell would have committed suicide upon seeing it himself.

  I watched intently as we drove down the street, but suddenly I felt a twinge in my gut. I thought nothing of it for a moment and banished it away. It quickly came back with a vengeance. I buckled under the pain.

  “Jake!”

  “Is there a problem?” Bertram asked, peering at us from the rear view mirror.

  “No,” I said through a wave of pain. “I’m fine.”

  “The demon?” Ivar asked under his breath.

  “Oh, yeah.” Another torrent of pain ripped through my body. It was like scalding hot, razor tipped talons were digging through my guts and scraping at my skin from the inside. I could at least affirm we were in Heaven
. Ivar quickly wrapped his arm around me and squeezed me tightly. The pain began to subside. I looked up at him curiously.

  “Another old trick I learned. I can give you my strength to suppress for now, but it won’t last.”

  “I know. I can feel it resisting.”

  “The deeper we go, the stronger it’s going to get.”

  “I can handle it.” Ivar helped hold the demon in check, but Bertram kept pestering him for information about his rich relatives, breaking his concentration and allowing the demon to strike at me. Bertram kept needling Ivar for details about his family fortune and his vast trust fund. Ivar finally sloughed off Bertram’s questions by telling him about some family tragedy that he was unable to deal with yet. That seemed to do the trick and we enjoyed a nice quiet ride from that point on.

  We turned at a corner and it was like the whole world opened in front of us. We saw rolling hills spreading before us complete with forests and lakes. The homes appeared to be getting more elaborate as we progressed. We drove by one house that looked like a mansion with large banners bearing Swastikas on them. As we passed by, I saw a small man with dark hair and a tiny moustache over his lip step out with his wife hanging on his arm. It was Hitler. Not a psycho who liked dressing up like him or an unfortunate soul who happened share a striking similarity. It was the genuine article. It was Adolf Hitler and he was dressed in full military uniform. He looked out on his backyard as though he were considering his own empire.

  A few doors down, we came by a large castle. At first I thought it was just meant to look like a castle, but as we got closer, I could see the stones that it was made of were real and so was the moat and drawbridge. Bloody heads on pikes were lined across the front wall and I could hear screams coming from inside.

  “A colorful batch of neighbors, no?” Bertram said jovially. The demon roiled in my stomach, stabbing and biting in frustration.

  “First Hitler, now this? What the Hell is going on here?”

  We came around another corner and the car came to a slow stop. We climbed out quickly and I stepped aside and held my stomach as tightly as I could. The demon was going berserk in my body. I could feel it pulling and struggling inside, screaming in a language I had never heard before.

  “Now, as much as I would love to show you two around myself, I am now going to hand you over to my two partners.” Bertram said as he led us from the car and toward a humble looking office that sat on a rather plain lot. Nothing unusual. It looked like a typical tract home with a few green shrubs and a small lawn in front.

  “Partners?” I forced myself upright.

  “Yes, I’d love to take credit for all of this, but you must know that a paradise such as this is the product of good teamwork. My partners are much better suited to show you the full benefits of living here in Heavenly Meadows.” Bertram said as he held the door to the office open for us.

  We walked in and my pain quickly vanished. I almost thought for a moment a sensation of pleasure was beginning to overtake me. As though the demon was happy to be there. As we walked in, Ivar and I had to stop a moment and take in the decor. The exterior completely betrayed what we found on the inside. The floor was covered in pure ivory tile and the ceiling reached high above us, with sunlight pouring in. Fresh flowers, the likes of which I had never seen, clung to elaborately decorated columns lining the walls. The flowers on the vines were large bulbs colored red and black with orange and purple leaves sprouting underneath them. Their sweet perfume was thick in the air as Bertram led us deeper within. Music began to play. Light, instrumental tones accented the calm air. Bertram took us to a small alcove off the main chamber where there was a plump sofa sitting behind a table with a gourmet buffet laid out.

  “Please have a seat here for a moment.” Bertram said as he hurried away through a door on the other side of the room.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s some kind of pocket reality,” Ivar explained. “It doesn’t seem to be in Heaven, but outside of it. The demon isn’t bothering you anymore is it?”

  “No. It’s quieted down a bit, but this? This isn’t possible! It’s a palace in here.”

  “It’s something like a tesseract, similar to Heaven.”

  “I think it’s also definite proof of a demonic influence.” I said. Suddenly we heard a door open and we turned to see Bertram walking toward us followed by two other people. One was a pretty girl in a sharp business suit. Her hair was short and she put out a very professional demeanor as she strode toward us with a small envelope tucked under her arm. Next to her was a square jawed man in an equally impressive suit. His hair was also cut short and sharp and a friendly smile adorned his face.

  “Mr. Corba, this is Melissa and Jefferson. Mel, Jeff, this is Jake Corba and his partner, Ivar. They are interested in purchasing their dream home here.” Bertram said sweetly. Melissa and Jeff looked at us and beamed with friendly warmth.

  “So good to meet you, Mr. Corba,” Melissa said as she took my hand. The moment she touched me, I could feel the demon react. There was no pain. It was actually a warm, pleasant sensation. It knew it was near one of its own kind. As I took Jeff’s hand, I felt the same way. I studied their features as best I could without arousing attention, but they looked perfectly human to me. Melissa then looked over to Ivar quickly and took his hand. “And you as well Mr...” Melissa began but stopped, as we hadn’t referred to Ivar’s last name.

  “Corba. I decided to take his name.”

  “Oh. How progressive. I like it.” Melissa said.

  “Could we just take the tour?”

  “Well, someone’s an eager beaver!” Jeff said. “Fine. Let’s get started.”

  We walked out and the demon’s fits returned. I fought the pain back as best I could and followed closely behind Ivar. I think my pain was rather obvious. Ivar quickly took my hand and squeezed it. The pain quickly calmed, but was still there.

  “Now, we want to walk you through some of the more basic floor plans, but remember, you can change or alter anything at any time.” Jeff said as he corralled us down the street. We turned the corner and saw a line of model homes on either side of us. The first home had a sign that read Plan One and the one on the right had a sign that said Plan Three Hundred and Seventeen. We walked toward the first one, which looked rather plain and unremarkable. The economy model, I suspected.

  “Now, what Melissa and I would first like to establish is that we know the prices for these homes may seem outlandish, but we are selling more than just a few walls, a floor and a ceiling. We are offering you so much more. Living here in Heavenly Meadows is more a lifestyle than anything else. You just don’t unload your belongings and never see your neighbors for years on end. We are building a community here. We reach out to one another. We believe your house isn’t your home. Your community is. We don’t want you to live here. We want you to thrive here. Now, with that said, let’s begin. Our first home here is our basic model. From this, you can build anything from a magnificent mansion to a humble cottage. Let me show you the bonus room.” Jeff said as he opened the door and ushered us in.

  It seemed like an eternity as Melissa and Jeff walked us through each model home, pointing out all the amenities along the way. They talked about daily trash collection, free gardening services and an annual block party held at the end of every summer. As we started back toward Bertram’s car, I noticed it looked to be the same time as when we arrived.

  “I hope we were able to answer any questions you had in your minds.” Melissa said and flashed us an ivory smile.

  “You did. Really,” I felt the demon beginning to kick at my kidneys. “We just need to sit down and think about all of this.”

  “Of course. Think all you want,” Melissa then handed me a card. “Just call us when you’ve made your choice.”

  “We will.” Ivar and I piled back into the car quickly and Bertram drove around back the way we came. As the car passed out of the gates, my whole body went limp and a wave of relief washed over
me. It was as though every muscle in my body tensed at once and was finally relaxed simultaneously. We drove up the road a bit and finally stopped. I looked over and saw Gwen standing by her car.

  “Ah, right on time.” Bertram said as he got out of the car. Ivar pushed the door open and slid out. I followed behind him, but as I stood, I felt even more relief as I stretched out my legs. It was nearly orgasmic how good it felt. I danced over to Ivar who was talking with Bertram.

  “Thank you so much for the tour.” Ivar said as I ran into him.

  “Easy, babe. I’m sorry. I guess he’s a little more excited about this than I realized.”

  “Who wouldn’t be? This is one of the most exclusive housing developments in the state. If you can get in, I suggest you do it.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind. Honey? I think it’s time to go home.” Ivar said to me as he clasped me in his arms.

  “Sure.” I was feeling so good, I could barely think straight.

  “We’ll be in touch.” Ivar said as he dragged me over to Gwen.

  “How’d it go?” She asked as we approached her.

  “We found out what we needed to find out.” Gwen looked at me and I could see the concern in her eyes.

  “What happened to him?”

  “The demon didn’t like being in Heaven.” I leaned against the car, reveling in the bliss of not being torn to shreds from the inside. Gwen and Ivar quickly helped me stretch out in the backseat as they took to the front. I felt the light jostle of the car as it started up and the easy movement as it pulled forward and turned back toward the highway.

  “It’s Heaven. We know that much.”

  “Wait!” I said as I bolted up. “I thought Vyra and Pyre would be ugly as sin. They looked great in there.”

  “Melissa and Jeff may not be demons.”

  “No, they’re demons. When I shook her hand, my demon really mellowed. Like it was among its own kind or something. If they aren’t Vyra and Pyre, they’re some other two demons.”

  “You can’t go accusing people of being demons.” Gwen added.

  “We won’t. We’ll confirm,” I slurred. “But first.” I said but trailed off as I began to lose consciousness.