by A. J. Norris
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The ground shook beneath her feet and the leaves over her head doused her with water. A shadow materialized. Julia squinted into the dark. The rain splashed off the black outline. She backed up, gagged by the smell of rotten eggs. She pulled the collar of her shirt up over her nose.
“Oh…God. What—”
“Not even close.”
The voice startled her and before she could react, a dark figure stepped further out of the shadows next the building. An ebony skinned horror show. The ice blue eyes appeared to glow against the blackened flesh. It pawed at the sidewalk, slowly scratching the toes of a cloven-hoof on the cement. The beast snorted and tendrils of steam rose from its nose.
Julia took another step backward and tripped over her own corpse. A blow-horn of a scream permeated the air. Two strides and Julia lifted off the ground by a viselike grip on her biceps. Her legs flailed as she struggled to loosen the grip. It was at this point she realized the beast was here for her. Heaven hadn’t awaited her; Hell had. She gulped for oxygen.
He chuckled and hot breath blew in her face.
“Let me go!” she yelled and began forming a loogy in the back of her throat.
Its head shook. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Yeah. Why not!” Julia yelled but found herself not being able to look at him in the eyes.
“Julia Dunham, you—”
“How do you know my name?” Julia kicked him. Her foot connected with one of his thighs.
He snorted with an oh please tone. The kick to his leg hadn’t registered. “I’ve been waiting here for you. Aza’zel has pleased me once again.”
“Who? What? What are you talking about?”
“It’s unfortunate about the amulet but such is life.”
The doors to the Center squealed as the director hit the paddle on the way outside. The beast turned Julia so her back was to his front and covered her mouth. It backed them up until they were concealed in the shadows under the eaves of the Center. The beast’s body heat made her sweat. The rotten egg stench had disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared.
Frederica gasped. “Jules! Oh God.”
Julia willed the woman to look in her direction but she didn’t look up. Freddie approached the body with caution, her hand to her mouth. The woman’s eyes went rounder the closer she came. “Oh, no. Oh, no…”
Freddie swallowed loudly enough for Julia to hear. The beast seemed to stop breathing behind her, although the death grip didn’t yield. Her lungs couldn’t fully expand and her eyes drooped.
“Stay awake,” the freak whispered.
His iron bar prison eased but not enough for her to break free.
Julia watched full on panic. The woman’s screams caught the attention of the nighttime custodian right before she fainted in a heap on the grass next to Julia’s cadaver.
The beast sighed in her ear and mumbled “Fucking humans” under his breath. The janitor felt Freddie’s wrist for a pulse. He ran back inside and re-emerged with his cell up to his ear. He stooped next to Julia’s dead body. The man didn’t bother checking for any vitals. Clearly, no signs of life were present.
“Poor thing,” he said and shook his head. “Who killed you?”
Bryant the fucktard, Julia thought. And the murdering punk and his Frankenstein monster had stolen her necklace. Life sucked, even after death. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook the thought away. However, since she was still on this Earth, maybe there was a chance she could get the pendant back somehow. She’d need help though. Okay, there was also a bigger problem directly behind her. Julia told herself to remain calm, figuring screaming would only get her on a faster track to Hell. The longer she stayed on the Earth’s surface, the chances of walking away from this situation increased. Hopefully.
The familiar wails of emergency response sirens resounded and the custodian walked to the entrance of the parking lot to await their arrival. The lights came around the street corner. Red and blue strobes tinted the brick buildings across the road as the dispatched vehicles sped toward the Senior Center.
Unfortunately, all the noise masked any sound the beast uttered. He flipped her around and panted into the crook of her neck. “As I was saying, I’ve been waiting for you.”
To die?
The first of the emergency vehicles turned onto the driveway.
“You said that already, but you didn’t tell me why—”
He smashed his oversized lips to hers. A slimy snake pushed into her mouth.
She recoiled her head and a saliva thread hung between their lips. Her diaphragm had a spasm and her tongue pushed forward. She coughed. “Oh…Gawd,” Julia whispered.
He covered her mouth with a clawed hand. The nails dug into her cheek. “What is with you humans and this absurd relationship with God? He isn’t what you ingrates believe the deity to be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He whisked her under his arm, carried her around to the back of the building, and set his back to the brick, covering her mouth again. When a police radio squawked close by, Julia thought she may be saved from whatever this monster had planned for her.
Two cops came around the building with their guns drawn, darting their flashlights back and forth. She whimpered when one of the beams missed them by only a foot. The light returned and lit her and the beast.
“Oh, my God! What is that?” One of the officers bumped into the other as he stepped backward.
“Shit!” The other cop recoiled. “Um…ah…f-fu-fuck…”
The cops held their guns out straight, their hands trembling. Julia wanted to tell them to get a hold of themselves, that she needed protection right about now. They didn’t seem to notice her, or at least they paid no attention to her. Was she invisible? Made sense; she was a ghost of some sort.
The horned beast set her down on the ground. She tried to get up and run except her wrists were shackled to her ankles. “Wha…nooooo—” Her body bounced up and down while she struggled.
Julia looked up. Her face paled. The beast had both the officers dangling by their throats. With a quick flick of its wrists, the creature tossed them to the ground and stalked toward her.
“Nooo! Nooo! Please, no!” she cried.
The shoulder radio sputtered again, and without an answer, more cops would join them out back. With any luck. Why didn’t those guys shoot the giant freak-show?
“I will not harm you, Julia.”
“J-Just l-like you didn’t harm them.”
He chuckled. “They’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
How? They were dead. “W-Who said I was w-worried?”
More cops rounded the corner shouting and aiming their weapons at the deadly monster.
“No! Get out of here! He’ll kill you all!” she shouted at them. They ignored her warning.
The beast crouched down and sprung into the air. There was something fluid and beautiful in its movements until it landed on a couple of the closest cops. Blood flew through the air. Bullets dinged off the wall of the Center. The beast roared as the slugs bombarded him and bounced off. Shaking, Julia watched with her mouth open.
Rain poured down, giving the cops the disadvantage. Julia searched her surroundings for the nearest and safest place to hide. She spotted the dumpster corral. The fact that she was already dead eluded her thoughts. She needed shelter. This wasn’t going to end well. She scooted backward across the pavement, constantly glancing over her shoulder to check her trajectory. The cement scraped her palms, grinding gravel into the slices. Her ass felt raw through her jeans. The dumpster looked further away, not closer.
Come on. Come on.
The dumpster pad was only ten feet away when she started. Sweat dampened the back of her shirt and collected under her breasts. She increased her shuffles then gave up and rolled, her elbows scraping against the unforgiving cement. A cop fell in front of her and blocked her path. She glanced at the man�
��s red shield. Police badges weren’t supposed to be red. That was his blood. He didn’t have a head.
“Oh, God!”
Clink!
Clink!
Bullets pinged the dumpster. Julia didn’t want to be responsible for more death; she’d seen too much and been a party to one too many. She felt sixteen again. Her best friend screamed in agony as she hung upside down by her seatbelt. The accident was all Julia’s fault. If only she hadn’t had that last drink she’d be able to look at herself in the mirror.
Julia pulled her head out of the past and prayed. “Please, God…protect me.” She switched her momentum and rolled toward the beast’s cloven hooves. She imagined she was a bowling pin and would knock the bastard over. The beast didn’t fall over but flinched and looked down.
“Stop it!” she cried. “I’m who you want! Take me!”
The beast chuckled and the four standing cops used the distraction to swarm the creature. A hand yanked her out of the way. Bullets pelted his hide and were absorbed. It spoke over their heads. “Such a hero, my Julia. Too bad.” It winked. “You’ll come crawling back, they always do.”
Doubtful.
Tears streamed down her face. The iron cuffs faded then disappeared. Julia rubbed her wrists and got up. She picked her way through the five dying cops and paused to look behind her before she fled.
The beast roared and dropped to its knees in the middle of the huddle. Awful smelling black smog expanded out from the center of the cops. She ran to the only place she knew nobody would think to search for her.
CHAPTER FOUR
Amalya
This was supposed to be a wedding? Okay, mating ritual, but that was the same thing. Right? Amalya stood in the center of a domed structure, called a Place to Honor, floating high above the other buildings and towers in Arcadia, the home realm of angels. Actually, she’d learned the temple didn’t have a name, but angels referred to it that way. Her hands covered her breasts and sex. She envisioned a beautiful, off the shoulder, white gown with crystal beading and train, with a matching veil for her big day. Elliott the Redeemer, her soon to be mate, told her to trust him when she asked about a dress.
“You’ll be adorned as our customs dictate,” he’d said. “Don’t worry.”
What a line of bullshit. She looked down her body at the…adornments. A string of shiny what she assumed were blue and white diamonds encircled her waist. The end hung low off her hip and was finished with a diamond the size of a small plum that swung like a pendulum every time she moved. Platinum upper arm bracelets with more diamonds strung from them wrapped her biceps. A multi-layered necklace draped around her neck and over her shoulders. All diamonds, of course, though this beauty incorporated some champagne diamonds. The final touch; little crystals were adhered to her skin around her navel and nipples. Really? She blushed, thinking about how unnerving it was to have a half dozen angels decorate her. At least they were all female.
A breeze drifted inside the temple and warmed her backside when the doors opened. She refused to turn around in case the visitor was someone besides Elliott. Amalya breathed deeply. Her male’s familiar lavender and lemony scent filled her lungs. His light glowed and cast a shadow of himself on the floor in front of her.
“You look very smart in that outfit,” he said next to her ear.
“What outfit? I thought I’d be wearing a dress. Or maybe a scrap of clothing at least.” She flared her wings and reached behind to cup his bottom, expecting to feel skin. He wasn’t naked. She turned and pushed him backward with a wing.
Elliott chuckled and splayed his hands. “What?”
She eyed his stark white hair. The front had been pulled back, leaving the rest falling over his shoulders. His dark eyebrows twitched.
“Don’t ‘what’ me. How come I’m the only one bare-assed naked?”
“And a lovely ass it is.”
“Please. I’m bony and my hips stick out.”
“What are you talking about? You’re the most beautiful female I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
She turned red as he neared her. “Are you sure?”
His black as tar eyes searched her face like they always had. Her soul belonged to him and his to her. “How can you question that?”
With a finger pressed to her lips, she shrugged. “Please tell me we’re the only guests. I really don’t want to be naked in front of a bunch of people.”
“Just one more,” a voice came out of nowhere and echoed around the room. Elliott spun around and knelt. Amalya curled her wings around her.
“Hey, get down!” Elliott whispered.
An average height gray-haired man in a white suit with silver buttons stood before them. His pleasant face reminded her of a grandfather, only someone else’s, not hers. Grandpa Rivers had a non-approachable appearance to him. She never liked the guy.
Oh, it’s Deus.
“You need not bow before me.” Elliott began to rise. “Not you. Stay down.” Yeah, she liked this guy already. “Do not fret over your bareness. I am not a man, but an energy. This body before you isn’t real.”
She folded her wings at her back but kept her arms crossed over her breasts.
“You’ll understand in time. Now, shall we begin the ritual?”
“Please,” Amalya said.
Elliott started to get up again. “Stay down, angel. You are to remain on your knees and don’t look at her. Excellent. Amalya the Redeemer, stand here.” Deus indicated the spot directly in front of her angel. His eyes wandered up her body. “Eyes on the floor, Elliott the Redeemer. You’ve never followed directions well.”
“Sorry.”
“Do you have any questions before we begin?” Deus asked.
Amalya raised her hand. “Um, I have one. What should I call you? I mean, how should I address you?”
“Any way you wish. Formalities aren’t required.”
“Okay. Deus then?”
“This would please me.” He stayed silent for a moment. “No more questions? All right.”
The Creator placed a hand on Elliott’s shoulder. He started glowing until he was enveloped in brilliant light. The effect caused his facial features to look washed out. Ribbons of light emerged, weaving themselves around her legs, arms then the rest of her body. The diamonds sparkled. Heat flooded to her lower belly; the sensation caused an erotic tightening of muscles at the apex of her legs. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back and enjoyed the feeling.
Oh, God.
What was happening? Who cared?
Curious to know the expression on Elliott’s face, she brought her head upright and opened her eyes. She had to look down to see him. She was suspended about ten feet off the floor. Her wings spread wide.
He was looking at the floor, Deus by his side, still in the same position as before. How long was this supposed to last? Her body turned a vertical flip. The jewelry jangled. She pushed her arms straight out. This whole thing was weird, but she liked it.
Amalya floated down. The light ribbons released and retreated inside Elliott. She smiled at him even though he couldn’t see her face.
Deus spoke for the first time since the ritual started. “Amalya, you’re unfamiliar with the Arcadian language, so I’ll shall speak the supplication in English. Dearly beloved, we are gathered—just kidding.” Amalya giggled. Deus cleared his throat. “Elliott the Redeemer, do you wish to pledge your love to this female, bring forth with her the gift of life, and be not her equal.”
What? Be not her equal? Um…
“I do,” Elliott said.
I’ll bet.
“Amalya the Redeemer, do you wish to pledge your love to this male, bring forth with him the gift of life, and accept his unyielding surrender.”
“Um…okay,” she laughed. “I do, I mean.”
“Excellent.” The deity slammed a book closed, one that he hadn’t been holding the entire time, transformed into a ball of light, and shrunk until he disappeared. Elliott sprung off the floor.
“Surrender?” She raised an eyebrow.
He rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Don’t rub it in.” Her mate sauntered toward her. He grabbed the end of her waist jewelry, reined her in, and kissed her.
“Does this mean you’re my bitch now?” she said against his mouth.
He sighed. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean I’ll kiss your sweet behind all the time.”
She pursed her lips and looked at him out of the corner of an eye. “How about right now?”
With low lidded eyes he said, “Oh. Yeaaah.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Aza’zel
Aza’zel, found himself inside a dank place that stunk of human excrement. He’d concentrated on the human, Julia, like Deus had told him and reappeared in a ruined structure. The ceiling above was cracked and leaked water. He crinkled his nose. An ammonia smell was also present. His eyes watered.
What is this hellhole?
The odor reminded him of the Void in Netherworld.
He inhaled. Julia was definitely there; he knew her scent, not by name, but aroma. How could he forget what she smelled like? He’d thought of her often ever since meeting her. When he first saw her, she’d been an innocent child. Their last encounter occurred after she’d become an adult. She captivated him. He’d never been the same since.
“Julia?” he said, peering into the dim lighting. She didn’t answer but he heard the rustling of clothing. “I know you’re here.”
“Get away from me.”
“No. I’m—” He inhaled deeply. Julia wouldn’t recognize his real name. “I’m Pan and—”
“I said get away from—wait, what did you say your name was?”
“You called me Pan.”
“This night just keeps getting weirder.” She leaned forward in her crouching position against the wall. “Holy shit. Wow. You look different. But I can still kind of see the resemblance.”
Aza’zel looked at her sharply. “You can?” He stepped toward her. A single bare bulb dangled in his path. He batted at the fixture, suspended from a cord attached to the partially rotted out ceiling. He grumbled under his breath and ducked as the bulb came back at him. Again, the light returned and conked him on the back of the head. “What the fuck,” he snarled and caught the cord.