A Very Paranormal Holiday

by J. T. Bock

  Eventually, the two women broke apart and Tricia led them to a small room at the end of the hallway. An assortment of toys were stacked neatly on shelves and in boxes against the wall by the door. On the opposite end stood a twin size bed holding a pale boy with a bald head. A stack of pillows behind him propped him up.

  He was watching a small flat screen television bolted to the wall. An odd movie with mechanical creatures destroying a city played on it. What could the boy possibly find appealing about that?

  “Hey, Edan,” Melena said, smiling when the kid turned his head. “I’m the woman who you talked to on the phone yesterday. Do you remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” He ran gaze ran around the room and his brows furrowed.

  Kerbasi wondered what the kid was looking for.

  “Are you going to be okay with Melena here until your aunt Sabine gets home?” Tricia asked, giving her son a worried look.

  He rolled his eyes. “Mom, I’ll be fine. Go.”

  “Okay, but don’t give Melena a hard time.” She gave him a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back later tonight.”

  After a few whispered reassurances in Edan’s ear she had no idea the other occupants in the room could easily hear with their enhanced auditory abilities, she left.

  “So where’s the guy you told me about?” the boy asked as soon as his mom had made it out the front door.

  “You spoke to him about me?” Kerbasi gave Melena an incredulous look.

  She had planned this out far more than he’d thought.

  “Of course I did. Now show yourself.”

  Scowling at her, he came back to full visibility. Edan’s eyes rounded at the same time. Kerbasi knew what the boy saw. A large man with light olive skin, black hair falling well past his shoulders, and swirling silver eyes. He didn’t bother to soften the harsh features of his face since Melena hadn’t said he should, but his wings remained hidden.

  “Edan this is Kerbasi.” She waved a hand at him. “He’s going to sit with you until your aunt gets here, but I won’t be far so just shout if you need me.”

  The boy picked up his remote control and paused the movie. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

  “You’re sure?” Melena asked.

  Before Edan could answer Kerbasi grabbed Melena’s arm. He really didn’t like touching people, but he had to stop her. She was asking too much of him.

  “You can’t leave me alone with this child. I do not know what to do!”

  She smiled. “All you have to do is talk to him. It’s not that hard.”

  Edan giggled. “I think he’s scared of me.”

  That got Kerbasi’s attention. He let go of Melena and straightened his shoulders.

  “I’m afraid of no one, especially not a small boy.”

  “Then prove it,” Melena said.

  She walked out the door.

  Chapter 2

  Kerbasi turned around to find Edan staring at him .

  What could he possibly say? The closest he’d come to dealing with a young human was Emily—a sixteen-year-old Melena had adopted. She was old enough that he could somewhat handle her, but this boy was far beyond his experience. There were no children in Purgatory.

  “I don’t bite, you know,” Edan said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  Such a frail child shouldn’t have been intimidating. Kerbasi could probably sneeze too hard and break him, but that wasn’t the real problem. He wasn’t one to be gentle with his words and this was a case where he’d have to reign in his usual behavior. How to do that?

  “It is not the biting that concerns me,” Kerbasi said, lowering his body onto a chair across from the bed.

  He folded his hands in his lap, decided that might be too proper for the occasion, and moved them to rest on the arms of the chair. How he wished he could go back to his shack where he could be alone.

  Edan frowned. “They told me I’m not contagious.”

  “It would hardly matter if you were.” Kerbasi straightened his black button-up shirt. Sitting always left wrinkles.

  “So you’re just scared to talk to a kid?” Edan’s lips twitched.

  “Of course I’m not scared. I simply do not know what we could possibly talk about or do until your aunt arrives. Melena expects too much.” He glanced at the door longingly, wishing she would come back and tell him it was all a cruel joke. That he could leave now.

  “There’s lots of stuff to talk about. Like…what’s your favorite movie?”

  “My favorite movie?” Kerbasi had to think that one over for a moment. Melena had very few movies he considered worthy of interest. “Perhaps Van Helsing. It was entertaining enough.”

  “That one was good.” Edan’s eyes lit up. “When I’m bigger I wanna kill vampires and werewolves. That’d be cool.”

  “Perhaps you will.”

  Now this was something Kerbasi could appreciate in the boy. A desire to kill earth’s supernatural creatures. If the guardian was allowed, that’s what he would do.

  Edan’s shoulders slumped and he looked down at his hands. “But I won’t get to cuz I’m gonna die.”

  “Die? But you’re…” Kerbasi stopped. He’d nearly forgotten the boy was sick since he seemed animated enough at the moment.

  He shifted in his seat, unsure what to say. This was one of those times where Melena would know the right words, but comforting others wasn’t one of his strong points. He preferred to cowl and frighten them.

  Torture. That he could do with little effort. Comfort? Never.

  “Hey.” The sound of Edan’s voice brought Kerbasi’s head up. “Can I see your wings?”

  “Wings?” Kerbasi’s back twitched.

  “Yeah, your wings. Melena said to ask about your wings.”

  That wretched woman. He’d have to sneak some salt into her tea tonight.

  “I do not have wings,” Kerbasi lied.

  “She said you’d say that.”

  He was going to sing off-key songs all the way home. Kerbasi had recently discovered she hated that.

  “Well, she was mistaken.”

  “So you’re saying you don’t have wings? But I really wanted to see them.” Edan’s face fell.

  Kerbasi wasn’t familiar enough with children to know if his reaction was genuine. He could have infiltrated the boy’s mind to see if he was being manipulated, but he preferred not to resort to such measures with Edan. It could be painful with him already in a weak physical state.

  “If I had wings,” Kerbasi paused and leaned forward, “do you think I’d be allowed to show them to you?”

  Edan cocked his head. “I guess not. It’s supposed to be super secret, right?”

  “Yes. It is a secret. One must earn the right to see a man’s wings.” There. That should put the boy off.

  “What would I have to do to see yours?”

  Or not.

  “I dare not say. One must figure it out for themselves, though most never do.” Let the kid find a way around that.

  “Maybe we could have a contest and if I win then you have to show them,” Edan suggested.

  Kerbasi snorted. “A simple contest will not make you worthy. It must be something far more important than that.”

  “Like what heroes do?”

  Did all children ask this many questions? The guardian was wearing quickly from coming up with answers. How much time had passed? He glanced at his watch and found he’d only been there twenty minutes. This was going to take forever and Melena expected him to endure more visits? He’d have to find a compelling excuse to get out of it.

  “It would depend on the hero, I suppose,” Kerbasi said, trying for a vague answer.

  Edan sighed. “I’m not much of a hero. I can’t even get out of my bed by myself.”

  Something that felt suspiciously like regret touched Kerbasi. It was a foreign emotion. He didn’t know what to tell the child, but it was clear he’d made him sad. Now he had to find a way to fix it.

  “Not all heroic acts require physical st
rength. Valor can come in many forms. If you think hard enough you may come to a solution.” It was true, though he’d never considered it until now.

  Edan tapped his chin. “I’m going to figure something out.”

  Good. He’d mollified the child enough for now. If only he could get through the rest of the visit without causing any more distress. A few minutes of silence passed as each of them let their gazes wander about the room.

  “Wanna play a game?” Edan asked.

  “What sort of game?” Kerbasi narrowed his eyes.

  “A fun one.”

  “If I lose, I will not show you my wings.” The boy wasn’t tricking him no matter what he tried.

  “No.” Edan shook his head. “Just get me that notebook on the top shelf over there.”

  Kerbasi went to grab the blue spiral notebook from where the boy had pointed, wondering if there was some kind of trickery involved with this game. He didn’t trust humans—not even the little ones.

  “What will we be doing with this paper?”

  “Chewing it up and spitting it through a straw,” Edan said, taking a sip of water from a glass on his nightstand.

  Kerbasi stopped halfway to the bed. “You cannot be serious.”

  “Give me the notebook. I’ll show you.” He reached his thin arm out.

  This was ridiculous. Kerbasi had been the head guardian for an entire section of Purgatory. A servant of heaven who always maintained his dignity and respect. It was bad enough he’d lowered himself to some of earth’s pleasures—tasty food and comfortable clothes in particular—since he’d come to Fairbanks. He could not possibly play a game involving spitting pieces of paper.

  “You may do it. I will observe.” He handed the notebook over.

  Edan said nothing as he tore a page out and ripped it into smaller pieces. He wadded one up and put it into his mouth. Then he reached over and took a straw from his drinking glass. Kerbasi watched in fascination as the boy prepared himself for the game. It was clear he took it very seriously.

  “Now watch,” Edan instructed.

  He put one end of the straw to his lips and aimed it toward the trashcan a few feet from where Kerbasi sat. The urge to get up and move out of the way was strong, but he forced himself to stay still. It would be cowardice to relocate now. He’d simply have to hope for the best.

  Edan’s cheeks puffed as he blew and the tiny wad of paper zoomed toward the trashcan. It hit the wall just above it, but fell straight down into the container. He hadn’t been sure the boy could do it.

  “That was…impressive.” In an odd sort of way.

  “Now you try.” Edan grabbed a new straw from his nightstand and one of the unused pieces of paper.

  “I could not.”

  A devious glint came over his eyes. “If you don’t, I’ll aim for your eyes next.”

  Kerbasi let his silver eyes swirl faster. Perhaps he could intimidate the boy into rethinking his plans.

  “That won’t work,” Edan said, preparing his next shot.

  “Oh, very well.” He took the extra set of straw and paper. Later, he’d have to threaten Melena to tell no one, considering she hovered in the hallway listening to them.

  “Now stand over there.” Edan directed him to a spot across the room.

  “But that’s farther than you had to shoot,” Kerbasi protested.

  “You’re bigger and stronger.”

  “Perhaps, but I’ve never tried this before.”

  Edan once again took up his paper and straw.

  Kerbasi moved to the corner where the boy had directed, unwilling to have a spitball shot at him. The kid had apparently learned the art of threatening others at an early age. This might be a silly game, but he’d play along to save himself. Later he could tell Melena he’d done his best and that he couldn’t possibly be expected to come back. His sacrifice today should be more than enough to prove he’d learned his lesson.

  He crumpled the paper into a ball and put it in his mouth, doing his best to chew and wet it. There was nothing appetizing about parchment. What psychotic person had developed this game? He put the straw to his lips and nudged the wad with his tongue toward the cylinder. This was more than strange.

  It took a minute to get it inside the cylinder, but then he blew. The paper shot through the air and struck the side of the trashcan, missing the opening by several inches. How embarrassing. He couldn’t even get a game as simple as this right.

  “That’s great for a first try.” Edan clapped his hands. “I bet you’ll get it in no time. Try again.”

  He handed Kerbasi another piece of paper.

  “Very well.” Feeling more confident after the boy’s praise, he took it. The guardian could hardly let things stand with that horrible first shot.

  He aimed a little higher this time and managed to get the spit ball into the trashcan. Just barely, but it counted. They both let out a cry of victory. He’d done it. Perhaps the game wasn’t quite as silly as he’d first thought. Acquiring such a skill could be useful while staying at Melena’s house where her teenage ward often got mouthy with him.

  “Wanna do some more?” Edan asked.

  “I believe I do.”

  Edan blew a shot, hitting it directly into the trashcan. Kerbasi’s next one hit the rim, but managed to fall inside.

  By the time Melena came to announce Edan’s aunt Sabine was pulling up, they’d landed dozens of wads into the container. Only a few had missed. Mostly Kerbasi’s, but he didn’t let that take away from his enjoyment.

  “Looks like you two had fun,” Melena observed.

  Kerbasi brushed the stray spitballs out of sight with his shoes. “Perhaps a little.”

  “Uh huh.” She snorted. “We’ll come back in a couple days when Edan’s mom needs us here again. Until then, make sure you get some rest. Alright, Edan?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

  Kerbasi winked at the boy before turning invisible. He and Melena headed for the door, but something made him look back just before going around the corner. Edan had slumped into the bed and closed his eyes. He’d been exhausted, but he’d hid it well until it was time for the guardian to go.

  It was hard to imagine a simple activity could take all of a person’s energy. Kerbasi had always enjoyed good health as an immortal. It was only now that he realized how lucky he was to not have been born human. A part of him wanted to question why Edan must be made to suffer at such a young age, but he pushed it aside. It was not his place to interfere. He’d just have to find a way not to come back so the disturbing thoughts would not creep up again.

  Chapter 3

  The heathens had put a tree in the corner of the living room.

  A beautiful spruce that had once stood proudly in the snow not far from their house. Now it would die a slow and ignoble death indoors, away from its natural environment. Kerbasi almost wept at the thought of it. He might not deal with people all that well, but he appreciated the beautiful flora of earth after thousands of years without it in Purgatory.

  What were they thinking? Clearly, nothing sensible.

  He crossed his arms and watched as two teenagers pulled out an assortment of colorful ornaments from several boxes. Melena’s adopted daughter, Emily, had a gleam in her eyes. She was making a mess of the living room with her trinkets and baubles. Her boyfriend Hunter, a werewolf who should never have been allowed in the house, took every piece she gave him and obediently put it wherever she instructed. Like a dog currying its master’s favor.

  “Here,” Emily said, holding out her hand in Kerbasi’s direction. “Take this tinsel and hang it on the branches of the tree.”

  He narrowed his eyes at the odd silver string. “Why on earth would I do such a thing? Have you not done enough to this tree already? Now you must belittle it further by putting odd decorations on it? I refuse to contribute to this atrocity.”

  He shook his head and took a step back. Of all the human customs he’d seen, this was one of the worst. He could not comprehen
d what purpose it served or what relation it had to a holy holiday. Not that he and his brethren had ever celebrated much of anything in Purgatory. Each day was much like the last one there.

  Emily flung her brown hair back with her free hand. “Quit being such a Scrooge and just do it.”

  “I’m certain this is not covered in my contract.” He lifted his gaze to the ceiling. Why had the archangels forced him to live with this wretched family? No one deserved this sort of punishment. Certainly not him.

  “Kerbasi, do as she says.” Melena came toward him, holding two glasses with some sort of creamy liquid inside.

  He didn’t look at her. “I will not.”

  “If you want to find your humanity, you have to learn to work with others. Discover joy in the little things. You’re never going to understand that if you don’t participate in basic human activities.” She spoke in an even tone.

  He wasn’t fooled. Kerbasi might not be able to sense emotions the way she could, but he suspected that behind her carefully crafted mask she hid a healthy amount of frustration. Help him find his humanity? It would never work. They both knew they’d never be rid of each other. The silver armbands they wore would bind them together forever.

  “Try this.” She handed him one of the glasses she held.

  He sniffed at the contents. “What is it?”

  “Eggnog.” She jutted her chin. “Now try it.”

  Kerbasi would never admit it aloud, but Melena had excellent taste in food and drinks—as long as her cooking skills weren’t involved. If she believed the eggnog to be good it most likely was. Still, he couldn’t appear too enthusiastic or she might find a way to use it against him.

  He took a small sip.

  It slid across his tongue, thick and sweet, but not overly so. It reminded him a little of vanilla ice cream, except the taste was richer. Resisting the urge to drink more, he forced himself to lower his glass and scowl.

  “I’ve had worse,” he said, keeping his voice neutral.