Unliving Love

by Jason A Grimm

  Chapter 32

  The God of Warren Montgomery

  Tracy lunged forward and picked up her bag. She reached inside and pulled out two little brown packages and two vials of clear liquid. “Jen help me.” She kneeled down in front of the small wooden box and began to open one of the packages.

  Jen ran over and fell to her knees and opened the other one. She was unable to see the two thrashing around in front of her but she knew they were in with them and could tell from Tracy’s manic state that they needed to hurry.

  Mike was struggling to keep Warren in his arms. Catching him by surprise gave him the upper hand but Warren was stronger than he had ever imagined he would be. His hands that were keeping his arms locked around Warren began to loosen as he thrashed about trying to free himself. “It’s over Warren you can’t get out of here.” He could feel his grip continue to loosen even more.

  Warren managed to loosen himself enough for him to raise his arm up enough to drive his elbow into Mike’s side. Feeling Mike’s grip loosen even more from around him, he raised his arm again and drove his elbow as hard as he could down into Mike’s side. This shot was enough to allow him to break free of the grip entirely. He spun around grabbed Mike lifted him up and slammed him against the ground. He did it again and again. Warren lowered himself so his mouth was right beside Mike’s ear. “How about we let your little girl friend watch as I tear you apart limb from limb?”

  The room filled with a blood curdling scream that was enough to make your heart stop and fall into your stomach. Jen launched herself back away from the two men that now appeared in front of her.

  “This is going to be fun.” He whispered into Mike’s ear then began to laugh.

  “Mike.” Jen was now back by Mike’s still body, her knees against her chest as she began to rock back and forth.

  Warren lifted Mike off the ground and threw him against the wall of mirrors. A loud thud rang through the enclosed area. It sounded more as is if he had been thrown against a concrete wall as opposed to a thin wall of mirrors. “Oh don’t you worry your pretty little self I will take good care of him.” He began to walk towards Mike who was slumped on the floor but stopped halfway there as Tracy began to speak.

  Tracy crumbled up a dried red rose and sprinkled the leaves in the small mirrored lined wooden box. “Thou demon presence be no more.” She emptied the other package onto a little tray in front of her revealing thirteen dried rose thorns. She moved one to a small shallow bowl made of stone and then began to crush it with an oblong rock. She emptied the crushed thorn into the box. “Thou demon presence be no more.”

  Warren’s hesitation was long enough to allow Mike to get to his feet. He took off full force and drove his shoulder into Warren driving him back against the opposite wall of mirrors, then wrapped his arms around his waist, lifted him up, and slammed him as hard as he could against the ground.

  Jen had managed to pull herself together and was now back by Tracy’s side. “We need to hurry.”

  “I know it takes time though.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  Tracy finished grinding up another thorn. “Grab a thorn and crush it up and then just do what I’m doing.” She emptied the crushed thorn into the box. “Thou demon presence be no more.”

  Jen grabbed one of the thorns and began to cut it up with her nail in her palm. “Is this good?” She showed the crushed and torn up thorn to Tracy who nodded her approval. She emptied it into the box. “Thou demon presence be no more.”

  Mike was now on top of Warren punching and elbowing as much and as hard as he could, trying to keep him pinned to the ground. The view looked like a demonic MMA match. This lasted long enough for Tracy and Jen to get about seven of the thirteen thorns crushed and put into the box.

  Warren managed to catch Mike’s left arm as he brought it down. “You persistent little shit.” He began to squeeze and Mike began to yell in pain.

  Jen’s head flung up as she heard the scream from Mike. She started to shake and nearly dropped the thorn that was half done in her palm.

  “Jen!” Tracy yelled. “Jen we have to finish this.” She emptied her crushed thorn into the box “Thou demon presence be no more.” She picked up another thorn and scooted the tray with the last one on it in front of Jen.

  Jen nodded her head and shakily finished the thorn that was in her palm.

  Warren had managed to twist Mike off of him and now was having his turn of throwing punches and elbows. “You don’t know how to stay down boy.” He wrapped his hands around Mike’s throat and began to bash his head off the ground. “But I’ll teach you, don’t you worry.” He raised him off the ground again and drove him with all his might slamming his head off the floor.

  Mike’s vision began to fade in and out. The back of his head felt as though it had been smashed in but once again there was no warm pooling of blood that there should have been. He tried to raise his arms to fight Warren off but they wouldn’t move. He saw Warren smiling as he raised his fist in the air and brought it straight down across his nose. His ears began to ring and his fading vision began to darken even more.

  Tracy was now emptying one of the clear liquids into the box. “Jen reach into that bag, there is a knife, get it and give it to me.” Tracy opened the other vial and poured its contents into the small box. She took the small knife from Jen and pulled it out of its sheath. The knife looked ancient. The handle was made of a simple piece of wood but had intricate little carvings all over it. The blade had a dull finish that comes to metal with old age and a lot of use. She placed the blade across her palm, pressed, and pulled. A steady stream of blood began to trickle out of her closed palm. She let it drip into the mixture in the box and began to swirl the bloody knife around mixing the contents. She pulled the knife out and spun the box around so the open end was facing Warren. “Thou demon presence be no more! By thy blood, thy blessed water, and tears from our mother earth. I denounce your presence in our world and command you to spend the rest of eternity coffined in this prison to gaze upon only yourself! Thou demon presence be no more!”

  Mike was still trying to fight back but was unable to do anything. What remained of his vision was very blurry. He could see just enough that he saw Warren take his arm back for another punch. Warren brought it down but it froze inches from impact.

  They did it… thank god they did it. Mike thought to himself.

  Warren tried and tried to move his arm but it was no use. He turned his head towards Tracy and Jen and saw the small open box. Mike followed suit and saw a trail of black smoky mist slowly being pulled into the box and knew exactly what it was before he followed the trail it left that led to Warren.

  Mike tried to move his arm but all he got was a wiggling finger. He could feel his vision coming back now that Warren wasn’t pummeling him and a few seconds later he was able to lift his arm off the ground, though he knew moving would still be difficult. As he looked down to see the cloud of dark smoky mist that was still being pulled into the small box he noticed that there was a form inside the cloud. As the mist was slowly pulled off and into the box the figure came more and more visible and when he began to make out what it was, a feeling of dread overtook him.

  The box closed as the last of the smoky black mist was pulled into it. The sight that remained in its place was more terrifying than what had been there before. The enormity of the being was not fully known as it was hunched over but as it stood the full view of its seven foot grey spiked and scaly flesh covered frame, it’s long muscular arms and legs, its face that very much resembled a rabid disfigured wolf with four horns protruding from it, and its blood red eyes that appeared to be more like pools of blood that dripped down its face than eyes.

  The scream let out by Jen pierced Mike’s ears. He knew he had seen this figure before, they both had. It was the first time he had been in the house since he was a teen. The day on the hidden stairwell when Jen picked up the small figure that sat dust covered in the cubby of the stai
rwell wall.

  “Did you think I would be that easy to get rid of?” It spoke in the beastly growling voice that was the undertone that came when Warren spoke. It turned to face Tracy and Jen who were now huddling together in the back of the enclosure near Mike’s body. It reached down, picked up the small wooden box, and threw it behind him. It clashed against the mirror then fell to the ground. “I owe you a bit of thanks for freeing me from that insufferable being.” It was now standing a few feet in front of them and began to kneel down. “I had to attach myself to that pathetic human’s soul in order to come back to this realm and I have been waiting to be freed from him for some time now.”

  Its foul hot breath was hot against their faces. The intense smell of rotten flesh began to turn their stomachs. They tried scooting back more but there was no place to go so they sat fearing what the foul creature had planned for them. It was now a foot away and it began to slowly move its hand in their direction.

  Tracy held up the small knife she had in her hand ready to fight it off with whatever she had. “Stay away!” She yelled.

  Its face turned up in a gruesome smile revealing its long sharp yellowed teeth. “Oh look here.” It let out a small laugh. “The little witch is going to cut me.” It shot out its left hand grabbing her arm that held the knife and began to squeeze. “Me!? A GOD!?” Its smile grew as a loud cracking sound came from under its hand and Tracy screamed out in pain as the knife hit the floor.

  Jen shot out her leg to try and kick it but missed. She began to reach for the knife but was met with a powerful whack from the back of its free hand.

  All the air that was in her lungs was forced out on impact and it left her grabbing her chest as she laid on the floor in pain.

  “Time to die little bitch.” It whispered its hot foul breath beating against Tracy’s face as it began to raise her off of the ground.

  “I know who you are.” She said through gritted teeth. “You’re no god. I looked up your picture in my books. You’re just a simple demon aren’t you…” A small defiant smile crossed her face. “Magnor.”

  As Tracy braced for another bone cracking squeeze there was a shatter from behind them. The Mirrors that Jen put in place to enclose the trap fell to the ground shattering sending glass in all directions. Grant stood in the doorway with Emily and Wes behind him on either side. “Tracy!” He yelled as he stepped into the mirror enclosure.

  Emily and Wes ran forward lunging at the large demon. Emily was hit and propelled against the side of the enclosure but Wes managed to leap up and wrap his arms around its neck and began to squeeze. It released its grip on Tracy’s hand and she collapsed to the floor clutching her now shattered right hand.

  Grant ran to her side and helped her into a sitting position and then turned to check on Jen who was just now starting to catch her breath. “What?” Is all he managed to get out before the demon let out a defining howl as Emily drove her finger into its eye.

  Mike had finally managed to bring himself to his hands and knees and was attempting to get to his feet. “Emily! Wes!” Now on his feet, he began stumbling towards the creature.

  “Stay back!” Wes yelled as he was fighting to keep his grip around its neck.

  “Tracy.” Emily was now kneeling next her. “You need to banish it.”

  Tracy sat there her head turning between Emily and Mike. “What about you two?” She asked her.

  “There is no choice we can’t let this thing stay it’ll kill everyone in here.” She stood up and hurried across the room and picked up Tracy’s large book of spells and brought it to her. “Hurry please.”

  Tracy began to flip through the book stopping on a marked page and then sat it on the ground.

  “Wait!” Mike yelled

  “No time… I have to.” Tracy said back as she slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  Emily turned towards him. “I am so sorry for all of this. I love you.” Then she turned her gaze to Jen. “Take care of him for me.” After receiving a nod from Jen she went back towards the demon.

  Mike fell to his knees shaking his head knowing that there was no other choice. “I love you too.” He turned to Wes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there man.”

  Wes smiled “You’re forgiven. Now Hurry!”

  Tracy got to her feet with help from Grant and took a step towards the demon. “The presence that stands upon the stairs… The unseen hands that move the chairs... The lights that play across the wall. The stains that stay, the plates that fall.”

  The creature became enraged as Tracy began to utter the words. It managed to grab hold of Wes and throw him to the floor with as much force as it had. Without the restraint of Wes’s arms wrapped around its neck it swung it’s arm slamming it into Emily and flinging her into the far side of mirrors. It began to turn its gaze on Tracy and started to advance.

  “No!” Mike yelled. He instinctively grabbed for the knife that had fallen out of Tracy’s hand and to his surprise he felt it as he wrapped his hands around the handle. He lifted it off the ground and lunged with all his might towards the enraged demon driving himself at its body. The blade of the knife connected with the hard grey flesh of the creature and stopped on contact. He began to push with all his might but it failed to pierce it. “You son of a bitch!” He gathered up the last of his strength and pushed.

  The blade finally pierced the creature’s chest as Wes had pulled himself up and jumped towards the two and was able to place his hands on Mike’s and help him drive the blade in. The impact managed to unbalance the demon and the three collapsed to the ground.

  The creature let out a scream from pain as blood that smelled of rotting carcasses began to pour out of it.

  Tracy resumed her spell, after being temporarily stopped from the approaching demon. “The mist, the chill, the wandering secrets. This, my spell must speed them hence. Quick or dead, thou art fed. Cease to grieve and take thy leave!”

  The creature let out another even more horrifying scream. It began to thrash about throwing Mike and Wes to opposite sides of the mirrored trap. The flames on the candles that were still burning intensified and burst up into the air. The inside of the mirrors became as bright as if you were looking directly into the sun and the heat they produced felt as if it was about to burn their skin. The creature let out one more horrifying yell and then the light and heat vanished leaving the room pitch black.

  When Mike opened his eyes he knew he was back in his body as he felt someone, he assumed Jen lying against his body holding his hand. “Hello?” He felt the hand squeeze harder around his.

  The darkness was broken as Grant lit a lighter and began lighting each of the candles. The new found light revealed that Mike, Jen, and Tracy were the only other people he could see in there with him. “Everyone ok?” He asked and each took their turn responding. He made his way back to Tracy’s side. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

  Mike attempted to sit up but collapsed back to the ground as pain began to spread through his body gradually intensifying. He felt a trickle of blood start from his nose and even began to get the metallic taste of it in his mouth. He began to cough and could feel the warm droplets of blood spatter on himself and drip down his chin. He turned his head and could feel it seep through his lips.

  “Oh my god.” Jen was now kneeling by his head and gently lifted him out of a laying position and propped his head against her lap. “You’re bleeding.” She pulled his shirt up from his waist and wiped the blood from his mouth and nose. She saw his revealed chest was one giant bruise with several lacerations throughout it.

  “Go get the lights.” Tracy said to Grant as she now noticed Mikes condition.

  Grant took off and began to turn the lights on throughout the house. When he came back he joined them beside Mike. “Can we get him up?”

  “I don’t know.” Jen said as she dabbed the blood away again. “We need to do something they need to get to the hospital.”

  “Yeah.” Grant got behind Mike and put his
arms underneath him and began to lift him up into a full sitting position. “Can you stand with help?” He asked.

  “I think.” Mike’s voice was weak and cracked.

  “Ok on three.” Grant slid his arms under Mike’s and wrapped them around his chest. “One, two, and three.” Grant lifted and to his relief Mike was able to help lift a little with his own legs. “Ok Jen Help Tracy.”

  “I’m fine.” Tracy said waving off the help. “You just help Mike.”

  Jen nodded and began to help Grant walk Mike out of the room and carefully down the stairs.

  “Emily?” Mike tried to turn back towards the room but the pain prevented it. He was able to turn his head enough to see Jen’s head which she was shaking. Through all the pain that he felt none compared to the feeling he now felt knowing Emily and Wes were gone. “No.” He straightened his head as it fell forward his vision fading as darkness began to close in. He tried to keep his eyes open but wasn’t able to. His eyelids shut as his legs gave out.