Demon Hunters

by JKMelby74

  “Wow.” I say, despite myself.

  “It’s nice, right?”

  “This is bigger than my own apartment.”

  “Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll see you in the morning.” Dad says as he leaves, closing the door behind him. I fight every urge to enjoy it, but I can’t. In a fit of glee, I leap up onto the bed and it’s like falling onto a cloud. I writhe around, soaking up every luxurious moment. I sit up quickly and notice a phone by the bed. I grab it and quickly dial Mike.

  “Hello?” He says in his sleepy voice.

  “Hi. Did I wake you?”

  “Larissa? Is that you?”

  “Yes. I just wanted to call and let you know I’m okay.”

  “Where are you?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Just know that I’m safe.”

  “Okay. Can I see you?”

  “Not tonight, but tomorrow. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Get back to sleep. I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay. Good night.” He hangs up and I fall back into a large pillow.

  I wake up the next morning and I hear some noise outside. I walk out and see my father sorting through some gear.

  “What’s all that?”

  “Just some stuff for the boat trip.” He says. The scent of bacon and eggs is evident in the air. I follow it down to the kitchen. He walks up behind me.

  “Sleep well?”

  “I hate to say it, but I think I haven’t slept that well in years. I feel great.” I say as I help myself to the breakfast cooking on the stove.

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  “So why are you doing all this? Shouldn’t Damon or Morgan be dealing with boat stuff?”

  “I don’t see why. I’m going to be aboard too.”

  “You’re coming?”

  “Of course. You don’t think something like this is about to happen and I’d sit it out. I have to be there.” He says as he goes back to the boat gear. I see some life jackets, something that looks like some kind of radar device. It all looks way too high tech to be part of a religious experience.

  After breakfast, Morgan and Damon come by and we start loading the equipment into a truck downstairs. We all pile in and drive down to the pier. Damon drives the truck down to a private slip where a large, very elaborate sea craft is waiting.

  “That’s not a boat.” I say.

  “Well, technically, no. It’s not. It’s a hydrofoil. Much faster and energy efficient.” Damon explains. “Why don’t you and your father go aboard and get comfortable? Morgan and I can unload all of this ourselves.” I acquiesce to his suggestion. I follow dad onto the ship and it feels more like coming aboard a spaceship than a boat. I can see that it’s made mostly of metal. The bridge is in a small room that stands high over the entire ship. Dad bypasses it and goes below deck to a very posh living area. There’s a sunken conversation pit in the middle of the room with a small kitchenette to the right and a little game room to the left. I climb down and sit upon the round sofa and just take in the opulence.

  “How did you manage to pay for all this?”

  “Donations to the church.”

  “You paid for this with people’s donations?”

  “They knew what we were going to use the money for. We have been honest and forthright with our congregation from day one.”

  “I just can’t believe this. You could live on this thing.”

  “Ideally, yes, but with the weather as it is, living here is quite impossible. In fact, I just hope we’ll be able to get out of this slip in time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The state has restricted boat travel during this storm. Severely restricted. We aren’t actually cleared to leave, but we must. That’s why we chose this hydrofoil. We are certain it can escape any other ship on the sea. The captain has orders to disregard any police actions.”

  “This is just getting better and better.” I say. Just then, Morgan joins us and sits next to me.

  “Are we feeling all right?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine.”

  “Good. Here are the cards for you.” Morgan says as she hands me a set of large index cards. The writing on them is large and easy to read. “I spelled it all out phonetically for your convenience.”

  “Thanks.” I say. I start to read the cards, but Morgan quickly slaps her hand to my mouth.

  “Not before we get there! Please! These words carry much power. If you speak these words before we reach the holy destination, it could be disastrous.”

  “Okay. Sorry.” I say. Damon comes down and takes his seat next to my father.

  “We should be getting underway in a few minutes. There’s a hard cell of storm clouds clearing out of our way now. Once we’re out on the water, you can move freely about the ship. For now, the captain requests we belt ourselves in.” I look down and discover a small seatbelt on my right side. I pull it over and click it into place. Moments later, a low humming sound starts and I can feel the whole ship rising up. My stomach feels a bit disoriented.

  “What’s going on?” I ask as Morgan takes my hand.

  “The ship actually runs just above the water. The hydrofoils raise the hull out of the sea. This helps it to run faster.”

  “Okay.” I say and then I feel a sudden pull as the ship shoots out of the slip.

  “It’s okay. It can startle you the first time around.” She says.

  Chapter 55

  The Trap Is Sprung

  I’m actually getting sick of hanging out below the deck, but I’m too scared to actually go up and see the ocean. I look up the stairs that lead to the upper deck and I can only see the darkening sky. My curiosity is getting too great. I take a breath and trudge up the stairs. The wind hits me like a brick wall. We’re going so fast, the falling rain is hitting me like little daggers of ice. I clasp my coat together and hunch over. I make it over to the rail on the side of the boat and look out. The sea is dark and choppy as we zoom by. I see lots of white foam over dark, black waters. We’re so far out; I can’t see the city anymore. It almost feels like we’re nowhere. Nothing behind us. Nothing ahead. I see my father looking out at the front of the boat. I make my way towards him. He seems lost in himself.

  “Hey.” I say as I touch his arm. He looks over to me and smiles.

  “How you holding up?”

  “I’m okay. It’s just a little cold. Pretty smooth ride.”

  “It should be. Any other ship would be tossed around like a piece of paper in this water.”

  “How much further?”

  “Not too much longer. Now, you can’t stand out here and see all this and still tell me you don’t believe any of this.” He says. I feel a gurgle in my stomach and suddenly I feel something rise up to my mouth.

  “Maybe I do.”

  “You do?”

  “I said maybe, all right. I guess there’s a part of me that really almost wishes it could all be true. At least, I did when I was a kid.”

  “That’s right. I used to tell you about my cases back then. I censored out the more bloody aspects. I just figured you’d forget about them when you got older.”

  “I did, for the most part. Mom kept reminding me though.”

  “She did?”

  “Yeah. She always had a Jake story at the drop of a hat. I used to be so mad at her for loving you like she did after you left, but there was a part of me that wished that I could find the same thing someday.”

  “I guess I’ve done a good job at making your life a lot more complicated than it has to be. So, if you did believe, even a little, why were you so resistant? Why did you fight me?”

  “Because I don’t want to be like you!” I blurt out. Dad just looks at me. I kind of thought he’d look away, but he seems more curious to hear more. “Mom always told me how much I reminded her of you. In fact, everyone has told me that all my life. There was a time that would have made me proud, but after you left, there couldn’t be a more vicious insult in my book. I want
ed to push every bit of you out of my life forever. I never wanted to follow your path and when I came to see you and you asked me to do this, I suddenly saw it all just happening right before my eyes. A life carefully planned in order to not follow the same patterns as you, all gone to Hell. I couldn’t let you drag me into this. Not after I spent so much time hating you.” I look over and dad is still watching me. I notice a silvery dot just below his eye. I wipe it away gently and notice it’s a tear. He looks away quickly.

  “I didn’t give you much reason to be proud of me. Even less reason to want to be anything like me. All I can say is I completely understand.”

  “You do?”

  “Do you honestly think I wanted my life for you? I wanted you to be happy. Unfettered by this ugly side of our family. I guess that’s why I didn’t do everything I could to get back into your life. I guess I knew you were better off without me, even if it meant you would hate me forever.” I feel a tear form in my eye.

  “Dad.” I say. I touch his shoulder but he stiffens. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “How could you? I never told you. I never told your mother either. It was just easier for you two to hate me than to have me around, ruining your life.” I grab him again but manage to pull him around to me.

  “How could you ever think we were better off without you? You were the love of mom’s life! You were my father! We loved you! We still do.”

  “You do?” He asks. I feel a bit surprised myself.

  “Of course.” I say with a smile. I quickly scoop him in my arms and hug him tightly. He uses the same aftershave he used when I was a kid. The smell sends me reeling back to my childhood. I remember he would act out his best cases for me as he shaved while he got ready for work each day. As a child, I found it odd every case ended with a kiss for daddy, but I didn’t mind.

  “Savior! We are approaching the platform!” Damon calls out from above. Dad steps away and composes himself quickly.

  “Very good.” He says. I look out at the horizon and I can see something coming out of the thick fog. It’s huge. It’s a very industrial looking construction just sitting in the middle of the ocean. It looks like four towers connected by very large walkways in a square pattern. The ship veers around the base of one of the towers. When we pass I can see a large platform extending out from the towers into the middle, like some kind of stage dead center. The hydrofoil comes to a stop at a small dock near the furthest tower.

  “This is it.” Dad says as he looks around.

  “This is unbelievable.”

  “We’ve been planning for this day a long time.” He says with great pride. I can see even he is in awe of all this. I reach into my coat pocket and locate the cards Morgan gave me. He looks to me. “Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  We all get off the ship and go up to the top of the tower. Inside, there’s a very comfortable observation deck that looks out at the stage below. A long couch is set in the middle and is raised; affording a perfect view outside to the small metal stage that hangs below. It’s warm and quiet, which is a novelty as the storm rages outside. The water is crashing violently and the rain is coming down even harder. I can hear the sharp moan of the metal as the platform sways slightly to the gusting winds.

  “All right. Larissa, please come with me. Savior? Make yourself comfortable.” Morgan says. She leads me to a door that opens up to a large stairwell that leads down to the suspended stage. I can hear the wires swaying in the wind. I grab the rail tightly. “Don’t worry, Larissa! I’ll be right there with you! You’ll be perfectly safe.” Morgan assures. I nod and proceed.

  The further we go, the louder everything gets. The wind is screeching in my ears. I can see Morgan’s mouth moving, but I don’t hear her words. We finally make it down to the stage and we reach a calm spot. It’s like the eye of the storm. The wind and rain and noise swirling around us.

  “Now?” I ask.

  “Yes. Now.”

  I pull out the cards and begin speaking. The words come out of my mouth as easy as anything but I don’t think anything is happening. I notice the water below us begins to churn oddly.

  “Keep reading!” Morgan urges. I keep reading and with every word, the sea below becomes more unsettled. It starts swirling around into a cone. The water is black and shifts and churns madly. I look down and I can see the ocean floor from my vantage point.

  “You’re doing it! Keep reading!” I’m down to the last word on the last card. As soon as I utter it, a light appears at the ocean floor. A bright, white light shines up from the swirling waters. The whole platform shudders violently. I drop the cards and they float down to whatever is down there. I turn to Morgan.

  “Is this right?”

  “Yes!” She shouts, but I don’t feel right. I look over the edge of the stage and through the light, I see a shadow. It quickly grows larger and soon, a figure comes flying up. I fall to my knees as I see what can only be described as an angel floating over us. It has a beautiful body, sculpted and symmetrical. He holds a large sword in his hand, and I notice he only has one wing, and bandages cover his face, revealing only one eye. He pounds his single wing powerfully as he hovers over us.

  “You have summoned me. I have come.” It says.

  “Yes, Lethar!” Morgan calls out. “This world is ready to be cleansed! Heal it! Heal this world!” His gaze lowers to us. He seems to notice me. He lowers himself to our level and he looks at me directly.

  “I know you.” It says.

  “Uh, no. I don’t think you do.”

  “It is her father you know, Lethar.” Morgan adds. “Jake Corba.”

  “Corba!” He says with some recognition. “The one who stripped me of my wing! The one who has condemned me to this lowly station!” He grows more intense. I’m starting to worry. This wasn’t what I was imagining would happen. I run to the foot of the stairs. Lethar swings his sword around, scraping the surface of the platform. The howl his blade creates stabs my ears like knives. I fall to my knees. “This world will bathe in the blood of Sanctum!” He screams and he then produces a large horn from a bag that’s slung around his shoulder. He blows it and I shudder at the booming noise again. I look down and I see a great shadow eclipse the light. Then a large, disfigured claw rises up and stabs down into the earth. It’s a gnarled limb of twisted, bleeding flesh with a long silver claw stretching out from the tip. The stench of Hell, or what I assume is the stench of Hell, rises up and I can barely keep my stomach from lurching. The storm above grows more intense and the wind howls. I run over to Morgan.

  “Is this really going to save the world?”

  “No. It’s going to kill every living thing on it and then we shall create a new level of Hell!”

  “What?”

  “Sanctum! The eater of worlds has come and when he has finished his meal, Earth will be the new domain for the king of lies! And I shall be its queen, as I was destined to be!”

  “What about the Church of Corba?”

  “What about it? There is so much you don’t know little girl, but that’s all right. Your time is over.” Morgan then grabs my throat and begins pressing down on my larynx. I can hear a horrible roar come from below as I fall to my knees under Morgan’s pressure. I manage to force my finger into her eye and she falls back, screaming. I run up the stairs but I can hear her right behind me. She grabs my foot and I fall onto the first landing. Before I can move, she’s on me.

  “Normally, I would hang you upside down and cut you up the middle to let the blood drain out. There’s nothing like the warm, luscious blood of the living, but I suppose this time the blood of a dead girl will do. Did he ever tell you about how he destroyed me? How he prevented my resurrection? In another time, I was Morgan Sanguine and I was to be the queen of Hell, but because of your father I spent years as nothing but a pitiable puddle of dark sludge. My soul alive, but my flesh rotted and useless. I spent years barely surviving, searching for a vessel to take and fill with my power. Then I found this one a
nd I was able to rebirth myself. For years I was lost, trying to find some way to exact my revenge on him. That’s when I met Damon.” Another unearthly howl from below. I can see three more claws pulling at the ground. Whatever they’re connected to is big and hungry. I slide my leg up and push Morgan back off of me. I get up quickly and run for the next set of stairs. I trip forward and as I do, Morgan grabs me. I hold onto the rail tightly. As she pulls on me, it comes loose and I pivot around, running the rail through Morgan’s chest. She looks at me with a dazed sense of shock. With no more thought than that, I grab her and throw her over. I watch as her lifeless body falls to an unknown fate. I hurry back up to the observation deck. I push the door open and find Damon with his hand holding my father’s neck.

  “Thanks, Larissa. We couldn’t have done this without you.” Damon says as he chokes my father.

  “What are you talking about? Let him go!”

  “As you wish.” Damon says and throws dad against the window, cracking it. He falls to the floor, bloody. I run to him.

  “What are you doing? What have I done?”

  “The culmination of a lifetime of revenge is happening! When your father was struck by that energy wave all those years ago, he thought it cured him. He thought the demon within his body was gone, but he was very wrong. I had actually taken him over completely!” I looked over at Damon.

  “You? You are the demon?”

  “Yes! For years I rotted away in that prison of flesh, but when he was struck by that energy, I was given a chance to finally escape. I was about to, but then I saw the future. I saw this very moment and I realized a perfect way to get my revenge on him. To take him away from his family, making his life miserable and then just as he is about to breathe his last, he shall see his own daughter bring about the end of the world!”

  “I don’t understand this!”

  “When he returned from being hit by the energy wave, I had actually consumed his soul. I pretended at his life for as long as I could stomach it. I was the little voice that directed Jake’s every choice. When they approached him about the church, he said yes because I told him to. He left you and his precious wife at my suggestion. He followed my every order like a good little dog!”