Dark Calling

by McIntyre, Cheryl

  She and Nick make their way around the room to where they began. Meet up with Dustin and Lila.

  “Did you see anything?” Nick and Dustin stand very close to one another as they yell back and forth. Keely releases her fingers from Nick. They throb. He reaches back instantly and takes her hand.

  Keely looks around the room again. She knows he’s here. Probably just waiting for the perfect moment. She checks the time on her cell phone. It is just now eight o’clock. The phone vibrates in her hand causing her to jump. Nick pulls her closer.

  “What is it?”

  “A text.” She positions her phone so he can see. “It’s just Dana. She’s here. I forgot I originally agreed to come here with her. One of her friend’s boyfriend is in the band.”

  Nick nods. He remembers. A second later, Dana is beside him.

  “Hey, you made it. This band is pretty good, right?”

  Keely nods. Now that she allows herself to actually pay attention, she realizes they are good. Nick seems annoyed with Dana’s presence as she moves closer to him. “Where’s Bryon?”

  Nick tells her he doesn’t know. She moves closer as if she can’t hear him and that’s when all hell breaks loose.

  There is a moment when everything moves so fast, Keely can’t keep up. The music is too loud suddenly. The room is too dark. People push into each other, pushing into Keely. She loses Nick’s hand as she is thrown to the floor. Everyone is screaming, but the music goes on. Plays louder. Her ears hurt. The guitar screeches louder. Someone trips over her. Another someone steps on her leg. She tries to scream in pain, but she isn’t sure if anything comes out.

  It’s all too fast. Where is Nick? Dustin? Lila? Dana?

  Hands pull at her. At first she fights against them. Hitting, kicking. “Keely!” Dana blocks a hit. “Get up,” she yells.

  Keely takes her hand and they are smashing their way through screaming kids. Keely finds an opening and tugs Dana through behind her. People are pushing her again. She doesn’t resist this time. Moves with it. She is in a hall. Everyone is going right. Dana pulls her left.

  “Come on, we can get out this way.”

  Keely hesitates. Looks at the crowd of panicked people. Dana pulls her hand. They move left and run.

  “What happened in there? What caused all that panic?” Keely asks breathlessly. They come to another hallway and Dana pauses. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t remember which way.” Dana’s eyes are huge, frightened. “I think it’s this way, but I’m not sure.” She takes a step to the right. Behind her a shadow moves along the wall. Keely grabs Dana’s hand and they run left.

  “Go, faster.” Keely looks back, a man, a very large and very dead looking man moves down the hall behind them. He is bloated and gray. His eyes are lifeless, pale and creamy. He’s in dirty jean overalls like her gramps used to wear when he worked in the garden. He’s balding like her gramps too, but he isn’t her gramps. There is a cruel expression on his face, one her grandfather never wore. His feet do not touch the ground, do not move, yet he is just a pace behind them.

  At the next hall they do not hesitate. They turn right and at the end of this hall is a door. Keely pushes Dana forward. “Go, go.”

  Dana slams into the door sending it flying open. She turns back to Keely, sees the man following them and freezes. Screams rip from her throat. Keely pulls her through the door and they’re running again. They have to make it to the front of the building now where the parking lot is. They should have stayed with the crowd. Safety in numbers.

  As they run, Keely pulls the mace from her pocket. Flips the cap back. Readies her fingers.

  “There’s my car,” Dana pants as they round the corner. She is already searching her pocket for her keys. Keely risks a look behind her now. The man is too close. They aren’t going to make it into the car.

  “Is it locked?”

  “Yes.”

  They slide across the gravel, coming to a stop beside Dana’s car. Keely turns quickly and starts spraying. The mist hits its target before her eyes even find him. He shrinks back. She sprays again and he retreats, moving backwards toward the building.

  Dana gets the door open and Keely dives across the seat. “Come on, hurry.” Once they are both inside with doors locked, Dana turns to Keely.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “I will explain as much as I can. Just go. We need to get to Nick. Do you have your phone? I lost mine.”

  Dana feels her pockets. “No,” she cries.

  Keely looks out the window trying to spot Nick in the dark lot. It’s empty, no one in sight. She doesn’t even see the freaky old guy. “Where are all the people?”

  “What?”

  “There are no people. Nobody’s trying to leave. I don’t see anybody.” Keely puts her hand on the dashboard, pulls herself forward for a better look. Her hand slips on something. Without thinking, she picks it up and keeps looking. “That’s weird. Should we go back? They might be trapped or something.”

  “I am not going back in there. We can drive to the gas station down the road and get help.”

  Keely nods. “O.K. That sounds like a good idea.”

  Dana starts the car. Keely sits back and looks down at the item in her hand. A gray beanie. Her mouths opens, her brow crinkles. She lifts it to her nose and smells it.

  “You said you didn’t see him. You said Bryon never showed,” Keely murmurs. She tries to remember the last time she saw Bryon. Yes, he was wearing his stupid gray beanie even though it was much too hot for it. He wore it as he begged her for a second chance. She remembers looking down at it as he kissed her shoe, then again when they pushed their desks together in Giordano’s class.

  “What?”

  Keely holds the hat out accusingly. “Why did you lie?”

  Dana bites her lip. “Well, hell. You were not supposed to find that.”

  Sixteen:

  For a heartbeat, Keely stares at Dana. Watches her face pass from confusion to annoyance to anger in less than a second.

  Keely grabs for the door handle deciding she has stayed a second too long. Dana grips her wrist tightly. The pain comes instantly. Her other hand searches across the seat for the special mace.

  “Uh-uh-uh. We don’t want to spray this in the car.” Dana plucks up the small bottle just as Keely’s fingers graze it.

  “Why are you doing this? Who are you?”

  “Why are you doing this?” Dana mocks in a whiny voice. She makes a face and pretends to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. “Do you know how sick I am of you? I mean, I cannot wait until this is over.”

  Keely reaches for the handle again and is once again stopped. Dana snatches a handful of Keely’s hair, pulls her towards her. Squeezes her cheeks, trying to open her mouth. Nails cut into Keely’s skin; she tastes blood on her tongue. She tries to pull away. Hits at Dana, but she only exerts more pressure and Keely’s lips pucker open.

  Keely is unable to turn her head, but from her peripheral she sees black smoke rising from the floor on the driver’s side. As it snakes up toward her, she realizes it’s not smoke. What did Nick call it?

  Leech Demon.

  The thick black gelatin slithers in the air in front of her. Moves closer and closer to her face. Keely squirms and thrashes out. A sound bubbles in her throat. She is already gagging on the thought of that thing shoving its way down her throat. Fisting her hand, she punches out at Dana’s face. It slips through with a wet squishy resonance, comes back black and gooey.

  Keely screams and reaches for the door handle. Jiggles it repeatedly. It’s still locked.

  Something hits the car with a thud. Another thud. Glass breaks. Dana squeals and shrieks. Releases Keely. And then she is left alone in the car. White sand covers the seat where Dana sat a moment ago.

  “You gonna sit there all night? Shake your t
ail feather.”

  “Coach? Wh-what are you doing here? How did you know? What…?” Keely trails off as she takes in the thick rusted piece of piping in her gym teacher’s hand. She pinches some sand off the seat, runs it between her fingers. It’s salt...

  “Time is a luxury we don’t have right now. Move it.”

  Keely fumbles with the lock and stumbles out of the car obediently. “Who are you?”

  Coach gives a half smile. “I’m a friend. Let’s move.” She gestures with her head and Keely starts walking, unsure where they’re going or if she should really trust the coach. “I’m parked on the street. We need to get you somewhere safe. I’ve never seen so many Demons in one place at one time. You are a very wanted young lady.”

  “But my parents-”

  “Are fine for now. It’s you I’m worried about. Where’s your Guardian?”

  Keely shrugs. “I don’t know. We got separated.”

  “Carelessness.” She stops beside an older gold Volvo. “Get in.”

  “I think I want to find Nick first. Do you have a phone?”

  Coach sighs heavily. “We don’t have time for this. Get in. You can call on the way.” She opens the passenger side door. Keely takes a step back.

  “Nick never told me about you. I need to talk to him before I go anywhere.”

  Coach stares at her for a long time before smiling. “You’re a smart one. You have spunk too. I like that.” She reaches into her pocket. Keely holds her breath anticipating a weapon, but she produces a small black cell phone. Holds it out.

  Footsteps thunder across the ground. Keely jumps, startled. Coach doesn’t flinch.

  “Keely,” Dustin calls breathlessly. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He stops a few feet from the women, forming an awkward triangle. “Coach? What are you doing here?”

  “Hierarchy sent me to save your butts.”

  Keely meets Dustin’s gaze. Questions him with her eyes. “Keely, come here.” He reaches out his hand to her.

  “What are you doing?” Coach asks confused.

  “Come on, Keels. We’re going to go find Nick.”

  Keely moves sideways to Dustin, afraid to turn her back on Coach. He grips her hand in his and pulls her close to him. They back away slowly.

  “We need to get her someplace safe. This is not protocol.”

  “Screw protocol,” Dustin spits.

  “Dustin, don’t do this. Keely, please, you need to come with me,” Coach shouts. Keely shivers. It was only a few days ago she was in this very same scenario. She didn’t choose door number one or door number two. She was saved by a third option. Where was Bryon now? God she hoped he wasn’t dead. She looks up at Dustin then back at Coach. Nick trusts Dustin. Lila trusts Dustin. Nobody ever told her about Coach.

  Keely shakes her head. “I’m going to find Nick.”

  Coach moves surprisingly fast. Rushes at Dustin like a quarter back. Dustin barely sidesteps in time. Coach rolls across the ground, jumps to her feet. She can move for an old lady.

  “Run Keely. Go back inside,” Dustin yells at her. She turns and runs, pumps her legs as hard as she can. She doesn’t need to be told twice. All she wants is to find Nick. She stumbles to the door, pulls it open. It’s dark; very few blue lights still shine. It’s quiet. All she can hear is the pounding of her heart, the panting of her breath. She isn’t even winded, it’s just because she is so insanely scared. She wants to call out for Nick, but is too afraid of who else may hear her. Moving slowly down the hall, she makes her way to the main room where the band played earlier. At first she doesn’t see anyone. Her eyes are too busy focusing on the blood trails across the floors. Eyes following the bizarre path. Stopping on the large puddles. Continue on to the smudges and smears. The handprints. Her lips tremble. Fear seizes her as she wonders if any of this blood belongs to Nick and before she knows what she’s doing, she screams his name.

  That’s when she sees them.

  All of them.

  Apophis stands in the center of the stage. He’s dressed in an immaculate white suit, legs shoulder width apart. Arms crossed in front of his chest, hair combed neatly to the side. Down on the floor in front of him stand twenty or so people. Kids. Like Keely. All turned to face her now that she has drawn attention to herself by screaming.

  Their eyes are wrong. All of them. She can tell even from where she stands. They are no longer whoever they were before they came here tonight. No control of themselves. Something behind their faces flickers or shimmers, making them hard to see for a moment before her eyes settle back on their black eyes.

  “You’re late,” Apophis calls. His gaze falls lazily on her. “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  Keely is frozen, gripped with dread and anticipation. “Where are my mom and dad?”

  “They’re here.” He shrugs as if he’s already bored.

  “Well, so am I. You need to let them go. That was the deal.”

  “The deal? The deal was you come alone. The deal was eight o’clock. You didn’t exactly hold up your end.” He slides his leg. Moves to the steps. “Why should I worry about holding up mine?”

  Keely can’t think. All those people just stand there, staring like statues. She backs up, one step. Then two. “Just wait.” She puts her hands up, palms out. “I was here. Something happened so I went outside, but I never left.” She licks her lips nervously. “And I’m alone now. Let them go, please.”

  “You’re not alone.” He steps on the first stair. It creaks under his weight.

  “I am. I have no one. I don’t know where anybody is.” She takes another step backwards.

  Apophis descends another step. Points his finger at Keely. “Then who is that?”

  Keely takes another step back right into someone. She feels a solid chest against her back. Hands rest on her shoulders. She turns her head slowly.

  “Dustin.”

  “It’s all right, Keels.”

  “The deal is null and void,” Apophis sings. He clears the final step.

  “No. Please.”

  “Do you want to renegotiate?” He moves closer to her. Step, slide. “What are you willing to give me? My price has gone up. After all, there are two parents and only one you. Who else are you willing to give up to save your parents?”

  Keely is shaking her head. She can’t stop. This can’t be real. It just can’t be. This is not how it’s supposed to happen. This is all wrong. “I can’t give you anybody else. Just me. You can’t own people.”

  He laughs, rolls his eyes dramatically. “Sure I can. I mean, you maybe can’t…” He spreads his hands out, palms up. “But I can and I do.” He snaps his fingers and the kids turn their heads from Keely to him. Turn their bodies in unison to face him. Their feet thunder like drums. They remind her of an army. A Demon army.

  Keely pushes back against Dustin, urging him to move with the pressure of her body. He holds firm in place. “It’s O.k. Keely. It will all be over soon. I’m sorry.” His grip presses into her shoulders firmly. She doesn’t try to look back at him. Doesn’t try to get away. She just stands there, too weak, too defeated to do anything.

  “I thought you were one of the good guys,” she whispers. His fingers dig into her skin silencing her.

  “There are no good guys left beautiful little sister,” Apophis says as he slides up in front of her, his army of possessed flanking him. “Deep down, we are all monsters. You just need to know how to bring the darkness to the surface.” He winks at Dustin. Keely feels him stiffen behind her. “If you’re dealing with a mother, just threaten her child. A child, her parents.” He smiles at her. “A man, his woman.” He shifts his mocking gaze to Dustin.

  He turns away, staring out at his blind followers. “Take your dear friend, Dustin, here. It was so simple. He turned quicker than I have ever seen. He sold you out like that.” He snaps his fing
ers, flicking his index finger out at Keely. Turns to face her again. “I just snatched up his pretty little pink haired angel. That’s all it took.”

  Dustin squeezes her shoulders.

  “Now just imagine who you would be willing to sell out if I had your parents and your friend. And your boyfriend.” His eyes lock onto Keely’s.

  “I don’t believe you. You don’t have Nick. You probably don’t even have Lila. You’re a liar.” She squirms under Dustin’s grasp.

  Apophis laughs loudly. “I never said I had Nick. But it would be easy to retrieve him. Especially now that I have you. Threaten a man his woman, he will come running. For. You.” He bops her nose with the tip of his finger. Keely turns her face away. Glares at the wall.

  She slides her hand slowly to her back pocket hoping Dustin doesn’t notice what she’s doing. She pulls out the small dagger. “Not if I’m already dead,” she says calmly.

  It’s the calmness that alerts Apophis. He glides back to her in one big step and slaps the dagger out of her hand. Punches her in the cheek. Keely sees nothing but a flash of white before everything goes black.

  ***

  Before she has even opened her eyes, Keely knows she is dream visiting again. Her face hurts. She can only imagine what she looks like between Dana squeezing her face off and Apophis punching her. That’s the least of her problems right now though.

  “I know you are awake. I can tell by the way your breathing has changed,” Asmoday says quietly. “What happened to you now?”

  Keely opens her eyes, squints at her brother. “Apophis happened. I thought you guys were going to be there to stop him.”

  “The Demon King went. I did not.”

  “Really?” She spits sarcastically.

  Asmoday sits back in the chair next to the bed and chuckles. Everything is always funny to him. “You are not afraid of me at all, are you?”

  Keely swallows. She is, but at this point, what does she have to lose? “No, I’m not. Irritated, infuriated, disgusted, yes. But afraid? No.”