The Reaping: Language of the Liar

by Angella Graff

  “It ain’t bad, kid,” Dash called. “Kind of like a flat fizzy drink.”

  The kid pulled the top off and gave it a sniff. “Smells like skittles.”

  “Should be easy then, right?” his mom goaded, her voice trembling with nerves.

  With a sigh, the kid tipped the bottle to his lips and sucked it down in one go. He gave a little shiver, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth, before he sat back and let the bottle fall on his lap. “So you do all this too? This dream doctor stuff?”

  Dorian shrugged. “Sort of. My situation’s a little more complicated.”

  The kid gave a hum, and his eyes began to droop. “I feel kind of funky. What’s your name, lady?”

  “Dorian.”

  His sleepy eyes flared wide for a second and he leaned forward. “Oh. Oh no. I’ve heard about you. They talk about you. They say…” His words stopped and he slumped back, his eyes falling shut.

  Heart racing, Dorian lunged forward, taking his head into her hands and she felt for a pulse. It was there, just under her fingers, strong and fast. “What the hell did you give him?”

  “Relax.” Dash, who was directly behind her now, put his hand on her shoulder. “Just a light sedative with the potion. We’re going to have to rip the doorway wide open before we can close it for good, and it’s best when they’re asleep. Especially this young. It’s not something he’ll want to remember.”

  Beth, who was still in the kitchen, looked like she was near vomiting. “What now? What do you do next?”

  Lennox stood up, his arms full of their supplies, one bag slung over his shoulder. “Now we exorcise him. Can you show us to his room?”

  Beth led the way as Dash carried the unconscious boy in a cradle hold, and they went up the stairs, down a short hall, and into his room. It was decorated like a typical pre-teen. Monster posters, a few toys here and there, a television in the corner with another gaming system. The bed was unmade, some clothes on the floor, but otherwise it was tidy.

  Dash set the boy down on top of the sheets, shoving the blankets to the side, and Lennox set his supplies down on the bed. Turning to Beth, he put his hand out as she tried to step further into the room. “We’re going to need a lot of quiet, and it’s safer if you wait downstairs.”

  “But…”

  Dash quickly cut in, stepping in between Lennox and Beth. “I swear your son is going to be fine. This is a relatively simple ritual and he won’t remember a thing. He’ll wake up a brand new kid tomorrow with no more nightmares, no more anxiety. Nothing. You have our word.”

  Beth’s face went tense, then relaxed and she let out a breath. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll be downstairs.”

  Dash shut the door after her, and twisted the small lock. “That was easier than I thought. A lot of the parents fight us when we ask them to leave.”

  “Two strange dudes performing strange rituals on their kids?” Dorian asked, a hint of sarcasm coloring her tone. “I can’t imagine why.”

  “Ouch,” Dash said with a wink as he went over to the desk and pulled out one of the larger vials of red liquid. He handed the second one over to Lennox who picked up one of the wider brushes, and the pair began to paint symbols all along the room. With each one, the air in the room seemed a little thinner and a little hotter, and by the time they got to the closet, Dorian was holding her middle, leaning heavily on the kid’s desk.

  “What’s happening?” she asked, her head swimming. “I feel… off.”

  “These are part of the spell. It’s bound to make you uneasy. They exist to open the doorways, and your amulet is trying to keep yours shut. I promise it won’t last long. Everything will fade out once the exorcism is finished.”

  She took in a few breaths, trying to ignore the persistent burning on her wrist, and instead paid attention to what the boys were doing. At first glance, the symbols seemed pointless. Strange scribbles placed haphazardly on open spaces along the wall. But after a little while, she noticed a pattern. As Lennox and Dash would reach a clear space, they’d hover their brushes until their arm twitched. Then they’d paint and move on.

  “Is what you told her true?” Dorian asked when the guys put their stuff down on the desk. “Is this totally safe?”

  They exchanged a dark look and Lennox shook his head. “There are always risks. Especially when you’re dealing with other worlds. Usually, if a person hasn’t been possessed, there’s nothing there to fight the exorcism. But occasionally we’ll hit the ritual as one of the demons is using the body to cross dimensions and… there can be complications.”

  “Meaning the person being exorcised can die.”

  “Amongst other things,” Lennox said. He turned away from Dorian, digging in the bag until he found a black satchel full of a grey, ash-like powder. He began to rub the symbols with it, whispering something under his breath, and each one began to glow and shimmer.

  “Can other people see that?” Dorian asked in a near whisper.

  Dash, who was at her elbow, shook his head. “Only people like us. Exorcists, Reapers. Possessed girls with excessive sarcasm.”

  Dorian’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, I was just…”

  “Joking love, really,” he amended. “Just pointing out I appreciate you’ve got a sense of humor buried deep in that mess of tangled issues.”

  She swallowed thickly, turning her face away, and felt a mixture of insulted and flattered. “Is this kid going to die?”

  “Likely not. But as I said, if you see anything strange, feel anything strange, any presence…” he trailed off.

  “I’ll let you know. Yeah.” She sat down in the rolling desk chair and pushed herself away as Lennox and Dash took their places by the boy’s bed. The room got a bit hotter as they began, their hands hovered over his body, low but not quite touching his skin. Lennox had the ash and a bit of the red potion on his fingers, and he started to draw symbols on the boy’s arms and forehead. Dash was chanting, and at first Dorian thought it was Latin, but as the ritual went on, she realized it was no language she’d ever heard before.

  It was guttural, rough, sharp on the edges, spoken in a way she was sure she could never get her tongue to move. It was a language she’d heard come out of the demon’s mouth. It sent shivers down her spine, and she backed up until the chair legs hit the wall.

  The room began to shiver as the boys continued their work. Around them, a hot ball of energy started to form, encompassing both the Exorcists and the boy on the bed. Dorian felt her head start to spin a little, like vertigo. She fixed her gaze on one still point, a depression in the wall, just above the boy’s head.

  As the ritual continued, Dorian could feel it. She could feel the incantation reaching into the boy’s head, ripping at the doorway inside. She was rising to her feet, unable to stop herself, and she crossed the room to stand between Lennox and Dash. The Exorcists paid her no mind, their eyes shut, brows sweating as they worked. As Dorian stood there, a wave of energy hit her. The boy’s eyes flared wide open, yellow and glowing, and they captured her. She was ripped into his head, into the entrance to the doorway, and she could see hundreds of thousands of doorways sitting across a vast emptiness. Each one opened to worlds both glorious and terrible, filled with the souls of billions upon billions of beings using the human highway.

  Suddenly, without warning, she was thrown back. A shock of heat overwhelmed her and she hit the floor, knocking the wind out of her as everything in the room shivered and went still. The boy was still on the bed, a trickle of dark blood flowing from his ear, and as Dorian stood up, struggling to get her breath, she saw Lennox bleeding from his right nostril.

  Dash was quick on his feet as Lennox mopped himself up, kneeling to help her up, and he steadied her as she gasped for breath. “You okay, love? You shouldn’t have gotten that close.”

  Dorian let out a cough, bracing herself on his arm, and she shook her head. “I couldn’t help it. I… I saw… there were so many. So many…” Her voice came out a bare whisper, and it was shakin
g. Her throat tightened and tears welled in her eyes as she thought about it. It was vast, infinite, too much for her mind to handle and as Dash’s arms came around her, she lost her hold and began to cry.

  Body giving out, Dorian sank to the carpet, Dash right along with her. It felt strange, crying into the chest of this total stranger, but it was the most comfort she’d felt in a long, long time. His arms were tight, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head as everything let loose.

  “It’s okay,” he said quietly as her sobs died down. “This is normal. It happens to everyone.”

  Embarrassed, Dorian swiped the back of her hand under her nose and shook her head. “Even you?”

  Lennox threw his head back with a laugh, and turned to point at his boyfriend. “This pathetic fool cried for three bloody days after his first exorcism. And he was wearing nine amulets to protect him. So yes, lass, it happens to everyone. You’re not alone, and you’re in good company.”

  Taking in another shaking breath, Dorian climbed to her feet. She glanced over at the boy who was sleeping, and her brow furrowed when she saw the blood. “Is that normal?”

  Lennox’s mouth turned down, then he shrugged. “Not always. His doorway put up a bit of a fight, but he’s good. Permanently closed off. Might have some residual hearing loss, but better than having a demon taking over your mind.”

  Dorian winced and Dash smacked Lennox on the shoulder. “Have a bit of sympathy for the girl.”

  “He’s not wrong,” Dorian said after a second. “It is better. I think I’d trade half my senses if it meant I wouldn’t be freaking crazy all the time.”

  Lennox winced, and Dash put his arm back around her. “You aren’t crazy, love. Just very unfortunate. But we might be able to fix that.”

  Chapter Twelve

  It took Dorian a while to calm down, and she was surprised to learn the exorcism had taken the entire afternoon. They were able to clean up in minutes, and as the boys had promised, the symbols on the walls had disappeared when the doorway shut. She helped them gather up their supplies, and stood by as they explained to the boy’s mother everything that happened and what possible repercussions there might be.

  She seemed unfazed by the potential hearing loss, but that was probably because Lennox assured her there was a good chance it was temporary. She paid them a hefty wad of cash, and within a few minutes, they were back on the road.

  “Is it temporary? The hearing loss?” Dorian was leaning between the seats, her head resting on the passenger side as she stared at Dash.

  “Probably not, but it’ll help her feel better about the whole thing. False hope isn’t always so bad. Eventually you get numb to the trauma and accept whatever it is.”

  Dorian let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I get that. Too well.”

  The silence in the car for the rest of the drive was tense, and Dorian was only just managing to control the shaking in her limbs. The entire thing had been surreal, terrifying, and the images of the infinite worlds were burned into her mind.

  When they got back to the apartment it was almost dusk, and the boys beckoned her upstairs. “It’s best if you stay with us, love. We’ve got a few more things to work out before we get your situation sorted.” Lennox beckoned her inside, and she didn’t fight him.

  “We’ve just gotta ring up the lads and give them our report. Be out in two shakes.” Dash reached out and tangled his fingers with Lennox, dragging him to the back room as Dorian sank onto the couch.

  She felt a momentary wave of jealousy that those two had each other. Anything that went wrong, they had automatic comfort. Dorian had all-but forgotten what that could feel like until Dash had hugged her while she cried, and though the comfort had been nice in the moment, it only served to remind her how alone she was.

  Putting her face in her hands, she took a few breaths to calm herself. A noise off to her right startled her, and she sat up straight, her eyes wide as Briar walked into the room. She looked more comfortable now, dressed down in a jogging outfit, her hair out of the tie and full. She was holding two mugs in her hands, and offered one to Dorian as she sat.

  “I figured you could use a little something after all that mess,” she said, her voice low and rough. “I remember my first, and it wasn’t fun.”

  Dorian took the mug and gave it a sniff. “Is there alcohol in this?”

  “It’s a Hot Toddy. Those two jokers taught me that recipe when I was assigned here. Only good thing to come from them, I swear.” Briar’s eyes narrowed and then she asked, “You old enough to drink?”

  Dorian glanced down at the muddy liquid in her mug, then back up at Briar and let out a small laugh. “Would it matter to you if I wasn’t?”

  Briar’s face went hard, then she nudged Dorian with her elbow. “Drink up. Trust me, it’ll help with the shakes and all that other junk going around in your head.”

  Taking a small sip, she was surprised to find the taste rich, heavy with spice and lemon, and the after-burn of whiskey which immediately warmed her stomach. Within a few sips, the shakes tapered off and she felt her entire body go relaxed.

  “Wow, thank you. Wish I’d had this remedy years ago.”

  Briar winked and leaned back, turning sideways a little to better look at Dorian. “Don’t you worry, I have three dozen remedies to help with the crap we go through.” There was a pause before she asked, “This was your first exorcism, right?”

  Dorian gave her a miserable nod. “Yeah. I met Lennox and Dash a few days ago. Kind of got…”

  “Thrown into the deep end and no idea how to swim?” Briar offered, then laughed. “Trust me, I get it. You’re lucky too, because they might be a couple of jokers but they know what they’re doing. The Exorcists who found me were some of the worst. Died a month after I became a Reaper.”

  Dorian’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious?” She looked down at her mug again. “Were you like me? You know…”

  “Crazy?” Briar gave a half-shrug. “I had rough times before the Exorcists found me. They didn’t think I’d make it, either. I was far gone. The thing that had me had his claws in deep. I went a few months without waking up from the possession. But I was strong. Like you.”

  Dorian choked on her drink a little, shaking her head. “Oh. No, I’m not strong. I mean seriously, I’m a mess.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short, kid. You’ve been living with a demon possession all your life, and the fact that you can still string words together to make sentences is a miracle. Believe me, you get into this life, you see some shit. People so far gone that when the demons aren’t in them, their bodies are nothing more than a drooling mess. It’s not fun, and it’s not pretty. But people like us, we stand out. We can do some good.”

  Dorian’s mouth quirked up. “Is this like your motivational speech to get me to agree to the exorcism?”

  “Maybe.” She winked at Dorian and then let out a small sigh. “Truth is, there are alternatives, but they’re temporary, and you won’t like them. You’ll hurt all the time, and those demons won’t let go. They’ll have at you until you crack and you’ll either kill yourself, or another set of Exorcists will find you and exorcise you whether you like it or not.”

  The thought gave Dorian chills. “Is it going to be like that kid I watched today? They put me to sleep and I wake up half-deaf and cured? No more demons, no more nightmares?”

  Briar sipped on her drink for a moment before she answered. “No. People like us, the possessed ones, it’s harder. You have to be conscious, you have to work with the Exorcists to fight the demons back as they try to shut your door. It hurts. It’s agony. Feels like you’re being ripped apart from the inside. And sometimes the demons win. Sometimes they drag your ass through the door with them and your body dies.”

  Dorian’s head swam and she grabbed on to the arm of the couch to try and steady herself. Briar reached over, urging Dorian’s arm up to take a drink of the liquor, which she did. Several gulps later and it was enough to calm her back down and take the
edge off the panic.

  “I don’t want to die.”

  “I know. But living possessed is worse. You’ll see. I lined up a post-possession exorcism for tonight.” When Dorian opened her mouth to argue, Briar held up her hand. “You need to see this, kid. You have to know what you’re in for and what you’re up against. You know the doorways you saw? The infinite universes?”

  Dorian gave a miserable nod as she wrapped her hands around the mug. “Yeah. That was… intense.”

  “Well I see that every day. Every time I look at a human with an open doorway in their mind. It’s part of our gift. Reapers are the go-between for the Exorcists and the demons. We can see them, interact with them even if they’re not in this realm. We can draw them out if we need to, and we can use our powers to shove them back while the boys are working their magic.”

  Rubbing a hand down her face, Dorian let her head fall back against the couch cushions. “So I’m never going to be free of this life. Even if I survive and decide not to work as a Reaper.”

  “You’ll always see it. There’s no magic spell to turn it off.” Briar paused, then leaned closer to her. “We have potions that’ll kill you, if you want that option. You just go to sleep and you don’t wake up.”

  “Jesus!” Dorian’s eyes flared wide and she sat back up. “Seriously? Suicide?”

  “Some people can’t handle it. It’s a fact of life. In some cases, it’s more humane. Like I said, this whole thing isn’t pretty.” With that, she stood up and brushed her hands down the front of her leggings. “Those two yahoos should be done fucking soon. Then we can be on our way.”

  Dorian almost choked again on the last sip of her drink. “They said they were calling the lads, or whatever.”

  Briar snorted. “Yeah. Their code words are pathetic. They always get all hot and bothered after exorcisms. It’s better to let them have at it, trust me. They’re more focused and way less cranky after they’ve gotten off.” She tipped Dorian a wink, then ambled off to her room.