Almost Demon (The Sigil Cycle)

by AJ Salem

  “Fine.”

  “Let’s just go to the lake. My dad always keeps the garage unlocked. We can grab a few kayaks,” Jenny interjected.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Brian added. ”What about Matt?”

  “Well, this had started out as a girls’ only kind of day,” Mimi said.

  “The lake it is,” I said reluctantly. I had hoped to get a little birthday shopping done since it was always so hard picking something out for Brian and keeping it a secret. Pushing it off until the week before didn’t seem like such a good idea now with him throwing a big fat wrench into my plans.

  “But no boyfriends today. Or girlfriends. Agreed?” Jenny said.

  “Yeah sure, fine,” I said.

  “Yay,” Mimi squeaked, her straight black bob swaying back and forth with glee.

  “This is going to be a beautiful day, Gem,” Brian said as he put one arm around my shoulder and pulled my head in for a noogie.

  And it was.

  “Gem, you mind if I sit next to you?” My daydream was cut short.

  I looked up and nodded, relieved to see Charlotte.

  “You think you can even sit through this? I mean, if you just want to bail and go get a slice, I am one hundred percent with you.”

  If I left, it would look even worse, I thought. I would just have to bear it despite the nest of snakes swirling around my stomach.

  “Thanks, but I think I can manage,” I replied.

  “Meanwhile, did you see Allison? Barf; crying crocodile tears all through math. She is definitely milking this. O’Brian already exempted her from any work in the foreseeable future.”

  “Listen,” I said. “She was Brian’s girlfriend. She obviously is having trouble dealing with it.”

  “Yeah. She sure is heartbroken.”

  Charlotte nodded her head to the left where Allison was seated with her crew. She gave me a pert smile. We were never friends, but we were at least friendly. The overhead lights dimmed, followed by the sound of a throat clearing over the auditorium speakers.

  “Students, faculty.” Principal Kelly never came off as an ordinary principal. The best way I could describe her was a hippie. Her thick black hair was secured to the back of her head with oriental hair combs and her eyes had an uncanny way of letting you know they were green from across the room. They almost glowed. The rest of her was hidden between layers of mismatched floral prints and Bakelite bangles. Today’s ensemble looked straight out of Past & Presents, one of a string of throwback shops that liked to sell anything second-hand and call it antique.

  “Today we have come together to cast light on these bright souls.” I watched as the fringes on her suede vest swayed back and forth in perfect sync. I had to suppress an inappropriate chuckle as I watched the audience, enraptured by her clichéd speech. The light on the rear projector went on and thus began the torture. “The best way we can keep them alive is by keeping Brian, Mimi and Jenny close in our thoughts.” The click of the remote echoed through the room while the hum of machinery drowned out any other noise.

  “Let’s journey through the last few years and let these photos tell their story.”

  “Is she serious?” Charlotte whispered in my ear.

  All I could do was shrug my shoulders as I watched each jumbo Megatron-sized photo fade into the next. Static poses from three of the most important people in my life on display.

  “Why do I feel like she’s showing naked photos of me up there?” I said.

  My fingers gripped the armrests and I looked down to watch my knuckles go white instead of the fiasco happening on stage.

  “Screw this, I can’t watch.” I kept my voice low.

  I bolted out of my seat and mumbled a string of Excuse me’s as I made my way down the row and out of the auditorium. I shut the door behind me and tried to forget all the negative looks as I made my way out of the choking situation. I leaned my head on the cool steel door and closed my eyes, trying to control the heat creeping up my neck. My temper ran hot and cold these days. I tried to push my mind back to the empty feeling I get while running but all I could see were the happy smiles staring back at me from those sterile school pictures.

  I was beginning to forget what Brian sounded like. The way his hands and feet looked. Things absent from photos. One measly video on my phone was all I had. I started looking through my bag, desperate for the comfort of seeing Brian alive on the tiny screen as I held back the flood of tears desperate to break through the wall of steel I had erected around my feelings.

  The thud of the door slamming rang through my ears. I was expecting to see Charlotte. Instead, I was face to face with Allison.

  “Nice job.”

  “Hey.” I managed to squeak out.

  “I can’t even begin to tell you how much you’ve royally effed up my life,” she started. Her face was uncomfortably close to mine. “I think it’s about time I started messing up yours.”

  “Allison, I understand you’re angry with me.”

  “Brian and I had plans. We were applying to Cornell together. We were going to get an apartment and date through college until we got married. We were going to have two kids.” The words were dripping from her mouth. “You ruined it. If he wasn’t always trying to make sure you were okay then he would still be here. Poor Gem, he would tell me, she’s so lonely.”

  “Allison, I don’t really know what to say.”

  “All you had to do was tell him no. You had to be a codependent sniveling baby and drag him around with you that day. Did you know that we had plans that night?” She had worked herself up to the point where her shrill voice was clawing it’s way into my head.

  That’s when she starting using her fists. A shove of my shoulder, a palm to my chin, a knee between my legs to keep me from running. Just take it. I’m tired of beating myself up, maybe it was time someone else took over for a change.

  I braced myself for more impact but the punch never came. From the corner of my eye, I watched as a pillar of black smoke took human form, save for its face, which bulged and elongated until it reminded me of the man in The Scream. It drew up its arm trailing wispy tendrils of fog across the floor, and at the end of this mystical rope was Allison, who was now walking away from me and making her way to the row of lockers opposite me.

  “Hey!” I yelled.

  Just then, the apparition aimed its other arm at me and the air burst out from my lungs. All that was left was the silence. It spread its inky hand across my chest and held me in place.

  I felt like I was back in my dreams, trying to scream for help but nothing would come out. I tried harder and pushed with all my strength until tears were streaming down my face from the force and the realization that I was helpless. It whipped its other arm around and Allison spun on a dime like a puppet. The locker behind her was open and in her hand, I saw a jump rope.

  “Poor, poor, Gemma.”

  Allison waved the rope back and forth as she looped the other end through into a noose. A gray mist began filling the entire hallway until all that was left were our two faces, the ghostly friend and the orange handle in Allison’s hand that shone like a beacon.

  Is this the part where I started praying? Our family stopped going to church the day my mother walked out the door and never came back. If I gave in, it would all go away. Everything would stop, including the pain, and I wouldn’t have to figure out what came next.

  The small voice in the back of my head that always sounded like Brian told me to get over it. There was no way I was giving up. That’s when my instincts kicked in. Allison was inching her way towards me. Picturing Brian’s face, I gathered up all of my remaining strength and released the mournful dirge that had been bottled up inside me. I kept the stream going until the being’s grip was loosened, freeing my arms. The steady drone of my voice filled my ears and I wrestled out of the spirit’s hold.

  The dark ghost refocused its attention on Allison. She picked up her pace as the fog around her grew thicker. I huddled closer to the grou
nd, away from the battering wind that was surrounding her.

  I kept screaming, hoping someone would come to help but it continued to swirl, creating a vortex of endless energy. With every spin, it delved deeper into Allison’s body. And then everything stopped. The haze cleared and the air settled. The spirit was no longer standing in the hallway but peering at me from behind Allison’s eyes, which had turned from hazel to a black as thick as ink.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” A voice came from down the hall. Someone was coming.

  I watched as the newly-possessed Allison flung the jump rope onto her shoulder.

  “Hey there, hot stuff,” she replied. “Just showing Gem here some moves. Since her leg is all messed up.”

  When he turned the corner, I got my first look at the mystery guy and was relieved. His board shorts hung low on his lean waist and the slight tan coupled with his azure eyes conjured images of sand and surf. I watched as he ran a hand through his black hair.

  “Hey,” he said, tilting his head towards me. His biceps flexed beneath his white tee.

  “Hey, yourself,” Allison smoothed down the front of her gray crepe blouse and did a signature flip of her long auburn hair. “You’re new.” The corner of her lip turned up in a half smile and I watched the shadow in her eyes dissipate. As Allison walked away, I felt the tension in the air release. I gripped the sides of my arms and massaged the cold dread that had me pinned to the wall only seconds ago.

  “I couldn’t help noticing you and your friend there.” he answered.

  “Right, friend.” I watched as Allison walked her fingers across his forearm. “I’m Allison.

  He pulled back and I caught his gaze. “Ian.” His eyes softened.

  Before I could form a coherent thought, Allison, obviously in search of my brother’s replacement, threaded her arm through Ian’s and spun him around, leading him away. He looked back over his shoulder but continued walking while Allison blabbed about the town and her upcoming back-to-school party. I made no move to follow them. This was the first time I had seen the blackness do anything other than sit on its proverbial behind and, for now, I was staying very far away from Allison.

  Slowly, I peeled myself off the concrete wall and checked the hallway. Empty. The school bell rang, followed by the usual bustle of students out into the hallway. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and jumped. Books went flying from my arms, including a math textbook, which made contact with my ankle. I knelt down to rub the tender spot.

  “Are you okay, Gem?”

  I looked up and saw Charlotte, who immediately knelt down to help collect my things, including my AP English workbook that I had left on the seat next to her.

  “Thanks, Char.”

  “Are you sure you’re alright, Gem? You’re definitely on edge. I worry.”

  We both stood up and I tried to chase the fear out of my voice. “I’m fine. Really. Where are you next period?”

  “Well, I was trying to keep it a secret but in this town that’s close to impossible. I’m joining the Drama Troupe. I know. Doesn’t really fit with my image but I decided that if anyone is going to take my dream of being an actress seriously, I’d have to bite the bullet and join the geeks.”

  “Real sensitive. I wouldn’t call them that to their faces.” I adjusted the strap of my bag and started walking down the corridor with Charlotte by my side.

  “So I’m going to just come out and say it. Are you coming to practice?”

  I thought about the uniform I had refused to put on this morning. “I don’t know.”

  “No pressure. You have a spot on the team whenever you’re ready. Whatever I say goes. I’m captain now.” She smiled and I envied her for the ease with which she could see the good things in life. It was easy to assume that everything was fine and dandy at the Harris home. It was anything but. I could count the number of times I’d been to her house on one hand. She kept everyone away from her bickering parents: her father the Senator and her mother the drunk, and the reason why Charlotte wasn’t with us the day of the crash.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said.

  “We’d get to spend more time together.” There was a flatness to her voice that someone else would miss, but not me. I tried to get the courage to push away all the reasons I didn’t want to show up on the football field ever again and try to be normal again. I just couldn’t.

  “Like I said, I’ll think about it. I have to check what days I’m going to be at the library.”

  “Why do you insist on working for free?”

  “It’s better than sitting in an empty house,” I said.

  “Yeah, but I told you that I’d come hang out. Plus, I’m sure Senator Harris would love to pay you to make his coffee.”

  “Sorry, Charlotte, but a paycheck cannot make spending time with your Dad any more enticing," I said, patting her on the back.

  We both laughed and it seemed for a moment that everything just might go back to normal.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Charlotte!” I called out, waving out the passenger side window of Mimi’s Prius. There was no room to park the car in the large circular driveway in front of her palatial home. There were cars parked everywhere, even on the lawn. She was waiting near the wrought-iron gate at the front of the property, wearing something that could only be referred to as a frock.

  “What are you wearing?” Jenny called out.

  After smoothing her hand on the crisp cotton of her dress, Charlotte pushed off the wall and approached the car, walking gracefully in heeled sandals over gravel.

  “I’m sorry, guys. I can’t come.”

  “Why?” I asked. “I thought you cleared it with your parents already.”

  “Last minute fund raiser. Dutiful daughter must attend.” Her voice cracked from the sarcasm and I could only guess what was going on between her parents at home to have gotten her this upset. Charlotte never wanted to be the reason that they were at each other’s throats. I kept telling her she might as well be, that would mean she was at least living life the way she wanted to.

  “Are you sure?” I asked, reaching out to tug the hem of her bright cornflower blue skirt.

  “I’m just trying to get through the summer. As soon as school starts, they won’t even notice when I’m out of the house. You know how it is. Don’t worry, go have fun without me. We’ll catch up later. My flight isn’t until ten.”

  “Will you be joining us today, Miss Pope?”

  “Uh, sorry?” I turned to face Mr. Flynn and was immediately struck by how attractive he was, and confused at how I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

  Must have been distracted.

  “AP English. Will you be joining?” He had one hand on the doorknob and motioned me in with the other. I don’t recall actually walking to my seat but there I was, in the front row again.

  “Tick tock,” Mr. Flynn said, glancing at the clock and tapping the white board a few times. “We are here to wax poetic about Shakespeare and Chaucer and let’s throw an American in there for good show, Fitzgerald.”

  As he passed out the syllabus, I scanned the reading list and groaned. My entire course load had been scheduled at the end of last year under the expectation that I would have Brian helping me. So much for plans.

  “Excuse me.”

  The temporary bedlam in the classroom drowned out my voice. Now would be the perfect time to sneak out. I gathered my things, my intentions fully focused on trying to get out of this advanced English class and into something better suited for me.

  Mr. Flynn stopped me mid-stride and blocked my exit.

  “I think I’m in the wrong class,” I whispered, pleading with my eyes.

  He stared back unwavering and replied, “That is where you’re wrong, Miss Pope. I am pretty confident that I saw your name on the roll.”

  “Oh don’t worry, Mr. Flynn, nobody would mind if Gemma wasn’t here.” Allison’s voice carried across the room. “Or if she fell off the face of the planet.”

  I resisted t
he urge to respond amidst the half-concealed giggles and mumbles that followed her comment. “Well, you see, I just don’t think I’ll be needing the credits so I’ll just go settle it with the office.”

  “One day. Just give me a chance. I’m not too horrible.” His smile was warm and disarming in its imperfection, one front tooth protruding slightly in front of the other.

  I settled back into my chair and for the rest of the period kept my focus on note taking. With fifteen minutes left to the class, and only three spitballs to pull out of my hair, I was relieved to find that I enjoyed listening to Mr. Flynn’s enthusiasm for old books.

  My gaze wandered to the door. There was no one there but I couldn’t shake off the sense that someone had been staring into the classroom. I rubbed my eyes and checked the clock. Fourteen minutes to freedom.

  Looking back at the door again, I caught the slow movement of black tendrils creeping in from the spaces along the jambs. I inhaled with an audible gasp.

  “Is everything alright there, Miss Pope?” Mr. Flynn asked.

  The black pillar now clung to the corner of the room and remained motionless. The pain in my hands called me back to myself and I watched as blood erupted from the surface of my palms in the shape of four crescents each. I looked back up and saw that the entity was still there and had taken on a more opaque blackness. The muscles in my neck coiled with tension and I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed the strange creature.

  Just then, the door slammed open, hitting the wall behind it in the process.

  It was Ian.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” He gave Mr. Flynn a meek smile.

  “Fascinating.” Mr. Flynn nodded towards the empty seat to my left. “Just don’t make it a habit.”

  Ian sidled right in. “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.” My mind was spinning between the black spirits and the hottie sitting next to me.

  It had started after the crash. The doctors insisted that the only injury I had sustained was to my leg but they had run the gamut of tests to check for any damage to the brain.