It stepped through the shattered doorway and stopped. The place was empty. That was disappointing. Especially since it’d killed the woman too quickly. It would destroy this place though, so no one could ever return to it.
It stepped forward down the aisle leading to the altar, and it recognized the hated sign, the sign of the cross. It had memories of that sign, when it had last walked the earth. Many of those who had sent it back had carried that sign. It felt wrath and rage burn from within it like a furnace. There was an alcove in the back of the church, with an open door leading to the altar, and glass windows making up the top section of the way on each side. It strode forward and smashed his fist through the middle section of windows. Glass flew everywhere, splintering and shredding into a billion pieces that embedded themselves on the floor, on the walls, and even in the ceiling. The sound was like music to it. The thing that had been its human contact woke up on his neck and looked at it in puzzlement, wondering why the endless burning had ceased. But now the demon Wrath wanted to make it more personal, more hands on, at least for now.
It walked through the glass wall, shattering the waist-high wood and plaster wall and walking right through several rows of pews. It looked at the cross at the back of the altar. That was its prize.
But as the demon stepped forward to pluck its prize, it felt a sudden barrier, weak at first, but definitely there. It stopped and probed ahead with its mind and its powers. There was no life. But power. Definitely power. It let out a deep, throaty grunt that sounded like fires churning from deep inside a volcano.
It stepped forward again, ruining another row of pews. The force was stronger now. It pushed back harder.
The demon growled once again. From deep inside, it relit the fire within itself. Time to put this place to the torch. The fire grew slowly, and the demon’s fires ignited. Its solid, black form turned orange, and became fluid. The human twin on its neck began to scream once again, and the demon laughed. Its body turned into a living volcano of superheated lava. It looked at the cross on the church’s altar and shot its hand forward. A piece of fire flew forward, like a meteor.
It all happened so quickly that an ordinary human eye wouldn’t have seen what happened. But the demon saw. Before it had traveled the fifty feet or so to the altar, the fireball had cooled, become solid, and turned into a rock-solid cube of black ice. The crystal stopped just inches from the cross, stopped dead in its tracks. It hung suspended in the air for several seconds, then dropped to the floor and shattered into a thousand harmless pieces each no larger than a grain of salt.
The demon stood in stunned silence. Even its human attachment stopped screaming, though the fires still burned at him. It felt its rage and wrath burn within itself, heating to a crescendo. Then, the tiny ice crystals reassembled themselves, magically, into a rock solid shape, the ice cold shape of a cross. The demon roared but could not find the strength to move forward. The cross then shot across the room and fastened onto what would have been the demon’s chest. The cherry-red fire turned white in the shape of the cross, and went out, cooling the area around it. Within seconds the demon had returned back to the black volcanic rock it had come in with. Only this time the transition wasn’t of its own choosing.
The cross burned it with the ironic fire of ice, an upside down cross that melted into its very chest like the cross of an ancient crusader, and a poet’s words lingered in its mind. “Some say the world will end in fire, and some say of ice.” The demon had courted fire. This new scenario had caught it by surprise.
It snarled in anger and found that it could not break any more pews. Its body had become cold and lethargic. Its will was even going.
“No!” it screamed. “Hellfire and brimstone will win. But for now the ice will suffice.”
Furious, it walked out of the church. This place was too strong. At least for now. And he had other things to attend to. But he would come back and mess this place up when he became stronger. And each new life made him strong. So now he would go and kill some more. He’d kill children. And he’d take that baby that was just about to be born.
3
Once he had left the church behind, Erik did not look back. He knew that the thing could be just inches behind him, waiting to destroy him and his family in some steaming wreckage. He wasn’t going to let that happen, though. He was going to go home, meet the others, and figure out what to do.
Vickie’s contractions were becoming worrisome now. Though her due date was a couple of weeks away, Erik knew that nature was very unpredictable. He also believed in all of Murphy’s Laws and their corollaries that basically said that things went wrong and usually at the worst possible time.
His breathing and heartbeat didn’t even begin to slow down until they were turning onto Farmington Road.
“Is everyone all right?” he finally asked.
Vickie nodded rapidly, fighting off a contraction.
“Yeah, Dad,” Todd said softly. “We’re fine.”
Erik passed the shopping center and noticed a few National Guard soldiers in the parking lot. He sped past before they could flag him down. He noticed a smoldering ruin where Dovecrest’s cabin had been. He could only assume that Mark had called after the place had been destroyed and that they hadn’t been already killed.
Finally, he saw the comforting sight of his home ahead on the left. Though this new home hadn’t been much comfort, he thought. The tiny place where they’d lived in the city was looking better and better now.
He pulled his car into the driveway behind Vickie’s SUV, then just sat back in the front seat for a long moment to catch his breath. He looked up and saw Mark and Dovecrest running over to meet them.
“Thank God you’re all right!” Mark said.
“It was headed for the church. Did everyone get out in time?”
Erik shook his head. “It got Vera. I don’t know what happened after that.”
The two men were silent. “Poor Vera. She was a good woman,” Mark said, finally.
“So what do we do now?” Erik asked. “I’m sure this thing’s rampage isn’t over. It’s not going to just go away, is it?”
Dovecrest shook his head. “It gains power with each life it takes.”
“I still say it cannot stand up to God!” Mark said. “We must stand and fight it.”
“You are right, Pastor. It cannot stand up to God. But it can stand up to men. We cannot fight it alone. We need to have God on our side.”
“He is on our side,” Mark insisted. “God will not allow evil to rule over the earth. We must cast it out in his son’s name.”
“Perhaps we can cast it out. But then we must destroy it. To do that we must first arm ourselves.”
“How do we do that?” Erik asked.
“We arm ourselves with God’s wisdom and power. We ask his guidance and his help. And we join together, the three of us, through Him and his strength. If our faith is not strong enough, the demon will prevail. Like all evil, it will find the smallest chink in our armor and invade.”
“Then let us arm ourselves in His name,” Mark said.
Erik led them back into the house so they could prepare.
CHAPTER TWENTY
1
The icy upside-down image of the cross had burned itself into the demon like a fossil embedded into hard rock. At first the cross had burned like frostbite, sinking deep into its rock-like body. Then it had become accustomed to the pain-after all, its entire existence had consisted of pain, the all-consuming agony of anger and wrath that could never be cooled. The pain was always there, whether the demon was imprisoned and unable to reek vengeance, or whether it was in the process of inflicting pain and suffering of its own. It was an addiction, a curse, a disease that had been inflicted upon it by the evil one himself. The suffering of others gave it meaning, existence, and life itself.
As it left the church it decided to remain in solid form rather than revert back to the flames. The cross had hurt it more than it cared to admit, and its pain
was easier to bear in solid form. The flames wouldn’t burn where it was embedded-it knew that-and this would cause more pain and expose its weakness. Instead, it grew a set of leathery bat-like wings on its back, gargoyle style. It knew that humans feared demons with horns and wings, so why not look the part. The remnants of Seti were also getting tiresome. He’d handle that as well, very soon.
With a single flap of the wings it propelled itself into the air, like a medieval dragon, of sorts, only this one made of stone. The effect completely defied physics, but that made it all the more interesting for the monster.
The ground shrunk beneath it as it flapped again and drifted higher. It could see the church in the distance-it was not finished with that yet-and in the other direction a small shopping plaza. It recalled it from earlier when it had been part of the human, instead of the other way around. The shopping center-the woman with the unborn child had been there. And that was where its previous coven had been interred. It had a special curse for this place.
It swooped down closer and buzzed by the place. About two dozen soldiers were lined up in the parking lot, herding people into a yellow bus. They thought they were going to safety. This was perfect. The soldiers pointed up at the monster and shouldered their weapons, while people hurried into the bus. This was even better than it had hoped for.
It felt the telltale “pling” of bullets flying past it. A couple hit it on the chest and ricocheted off. Another went through its wing, which immediately patched itself, as if nothing had happened. The soldiers were tenacious; apparently they felt that if they peppered it with enough bullets it would have to die. They obviously didn’t know what they were in for. But they would find out.
The demon swooped down and landed just in front of the soldiers. It stood tall for a moment, letting them shoot it at point blank range. It watched in amused fascination as their eyes widened in surprise and terror as they saw that their attack had no effect. One man threw down his rifle and ran in terror. Another stood frozen, as if turned to stone. Another charged forward and tried to stick a bayonet into the demon.
The winged monster watched in amusement as the bayonet snapped in half. Then it grabbed the soldier by the arm, ripping the appendage from its socket and twisting it off at the shoulder. The man stepped back and stared at the bleeding stump as if it belonged to someone else, than passed out on the pavement.
As if on cue, the skirmish line scattered and ran for their lives. The demon was in no hurry to pursue them. There were plenty to go around. It lowered its head and skewered a pair of retreating soldiers, one on each of its obsidian horns. It ripped out another man’s throat with its onyx teeth and spit the windpipe on the ground. Blood splattered into Seti’s eyes, blinding what was left of the cult leader. Seti wailed in pain and the demon sent a jolt of agony into the remnants of the human’s brain. This burden would be removed very soon.
The soldiers had given up trying to fight. One called desperately for help on his radio until the demon crushed the man’s hand and the walkie-talkie, turning them both into pulp. As the soldier tried desperately to pull away, the mangled hand snapped off at the wrist. Blood shot out as if from a faucet. Then the demon raked its stone claws down the man’s back splitting him open from shoulder to rump.
The monster heard the bus gunning its engine. But there was no hurry. With its new wings, it could outrun the bus. It flapped its wings and took off after another soldier who was running back inside the shopping center. It caught him just outside the door of the convenience store and they both crashed through the thick glass. The soldier’s face was a bloody mess-the demon raked his eyes out of the sockets and left him there, where he dropped to his knees and sobbed like a baby.
Then it crashed through the adjacent wall and into the antique shop. The air from its wings spread antiques and merchandise everywhere. It spotted the old lady who ran the place huddling in a corner; apparently, she hadn’t had a chance to get on the bus. It leaped across the store and grabbed her by the hair. A huge clump of gray hair and scalp ripped off in the demon’s claw as the woman pulled away. She crawfished away, holding her hands out in front of her to ward off the monster.
“I banish you in the name of God!” the woman sneered, holding her hands out to make the sign of the cross.
The demon felt a moment of fear, but just a moment. This cross held no power. The woman lacked strength and faith. She didn’t believe in what she was doing.
“Your God can’t help you,” the demon roared in a voice that was only barely comprehensible. Then he smashed his claws into her chest and pulled out her still pulsating heart.
2
After they were safely inside the house, Erik grabbed the remote and motioned to put on the television.
“No,” Dovecrest said. “That won’t help. Where it is now and what it’s doing doesn’t matter. We’ve got to think ahead.”
Erik nodded and put the remote down. Vickie sat back on the couch with Todd next to her. Her contractions, for the moment, had stopped.
“I need to get my family out of here,” Erik said. “This thing could be here any minute.”
Dovecrest nodded. “I know,” he said. “But we need you here. We need the three. Six would be better, or twelve even better still. But three is enough.”
“Let me take them to the city and then come back….”
“There isn’t time.”
“I’d rather stay here,” Vickie said.
“No. You can’t. It isn’t safe here anymore. Think about Todd. And the baby.”
Vickie looked at him for a long moment.
“Ok,” she said finally. “But I can drive myself.”
“Hon, you’re about to go into labor-if you aren’t already there…. You can’t drive.”
“I’m going to have to. Either that or I’m staying here.”
“Listen,” Erik said. “The National Guard was at the plaza. Suppose I take you and Todd there and have them drive you out?”
“Erik, we really don’t have time,” Dovecrest said.
“I can at least drive myself a half mile up the road,” Vickie said.
Erik shook his head. “I don’t like it. I hate it. I need to be with my family.”
“The best way you can protect your family is by hitting this thing where it lives,” Dovecrest said. “And we need you here for that.”
Erik looked at Mark. “Pastor, what do you think?”
“I think that no matter what we do, it’s in God’s hands,” he said. “But I think God-and we-could work better knowing that your family was safe. I’ll bet they’d send in a chopper for a woman in labor.”
Erik thought for a moment. He hated the idea of separating from Vickie and Todd. The idea frightened him. But he couldn’t bring them with him to do what had to be done. He’d be too worried about them to play his role.
This just wasn’t right, he thought. He wasn’t supposed to be a hero. He was a teacher and a writer. He wrote about characters that did heroic things. He didn’t actually do them. More than anything he just wanted to get in the car with his family and drive to safety, where he could let the people who were supposed to protect them take care of this thing. This was a job for the police and the army-and maybe even the pastor, he thought. But it wasn’t a job for a schoolteacher who wrote science fiction stories. He didn’t want any part of this hero stuff.
Yet what choice did he have? If he didn’t do it, who would? Maybe Mark could call some clergy together, but how long would it take? And Dovecrest was the only one who really knew what to do. What if the demon killed him?
“All right,” he said finally. “I don’t like it, but I don’t have a better idea.”
Vickie nodded. “Then I’d better get moving while things are still quiet.”
Erik was silent. He didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to her. In the background, he heard Dovecrest asking the Pastor to come help him bring in something from outside. He knew they were giving him some time alone with his wife and so
n.
He knelt down and looked into Todd’s eyes.
“You’re going to go with your Mom and help her, ok, Sport?”
“Why can’t you come, Dad?”
“Because I’ve got to help kill this thing that’s gotten loose. Before it hurts anyone else.”
“I could help kill it, too. It tried to get me but I wouldn’t let it.”
“I know. That’s why I need you to go with your Mom. You need to take care of her.”
He hugged his son hard. Then Todd broke away from the embrace.
“Ok, Dad. But I’ve got to get my geologist’s hammer. Just in case I need it again.”
“Ok, Todd. You do that. Then come right back down, you hear.”
The boy nodded and ran off to his room.
Erik took his wife in his arms and hugged her tight, then kissed her deeply. “Vic, I don’t want to be away from you,” he said.
“I don’t want to be away from you either,” she said. Tears streaked down her face. “I’d rather stay here with you. Or go together.”
“I know. But we can’t.”
She nodded. “Do me a favor,” she said.
“Anything.”
“You kill this thing that’s been causing us so much pain. You kill it. And then you come back to me.”
“You’ve got it,” he replied.
3
The demon let the bus get about fifty feet down the road, just to make things interesting. Then it pounced on it like a cat on a toy mouse. It flew above the bus, then landed on the roof with a thud that jolted the vehicle, almost sending it off the road. It knelt down on the bus, then stuck a jagged, rock-like claw through the metal roof, peeling it back as easily as if it were opening a sardine can. The people inside began to scream, which was music to its ears.
The bus swerved back and forth-apparently the driver was trying to shake the demon off. It reached inside and grabbed a teenage boy by the shoulders, pulling him through the opening in the roof. It held him up and looked into his eyes for a moment, savoring his terror. Then it took his face into its mouth and clamped its solid jaws shut, literally ripping the boy’s face off with its indestructible teeth. The boy gagged on his own blood, then slumped back. The monster tossed him off the bus and onto the road.
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