Twisted Tales

by Edward Grey

  That night, Kevin woke drenched in sweat, bleary and disoriented. It was obvious God wanted to make it clear to Kevin that if he disobeyed again, his soul would burn. Therefore, without hesitation, he turned to his sleeping wife and strangled her.

  Now, on the anniversary her death, he was preparing himself for a new demon. It was time for him to finish the celebration and plan its demise.

  Kevin stood from a handmade rocking chair. He had taken it as a souvenir from one of his favorite demons named June. She was the wife of a pastor in the church just outside of town. When he found out she was a demon, he knew he needed to act quickly before she could corrupt the church. When Kevin finally cast her from earth, her husband attempted to throw the chair away because of the pain of memory. Kevin offered to take it off his hands, but didn’t mention it was payment for saving the church.

  When he entered the house, he stepped around tarp that covered up parts of his floor that was under construction. He recently hired contractors to change the house from its original western design to something more contemporary. He replaced all the wooden walls with drywall and all the oak flooring with carpet. The kitchen received onyx marble and chromed steel with a generous balance of white overtones.

  He walked into the kitchen, stopped at the sink, and opened a nearby cabinet. He obtained a small black kettle from the shelf and filled it with just over a cup of water. He preferred to brew his tea and coffee naturally. Taking the human element out of either felt wrong and he couldn’t bring himself to consume something so false.

  After putting the kettle on the stove over medium heat, he gathered a few loose tealeaves, four nuggets of bark, and a white mug. Though he was aware that the bark offered nothing to nurture the body or soul, to him the natural flavor was marvelous.

  When the steam was sufficiently strong enough to cause a soft whistle, he carefully poured the boiling water into the mug over the herbal mixture.

  While he waited for the water to blend with the leaves, Kevin looked up and peered into the window. The cool fluorescent light cast a reflection of him against the glass. He admired his strong features. He had a thin face with a jaw line that cut sharp and narrowed to his chin. His firm nose led to perfectly positioned brown eyes. He also had a three-day stubble that made him feel dangerous.

  As he moved closer to the glass to approve of his perfect hairline, something from within the woods caught his eye. He tried to look through his likeness, but the image was too intense.

  He reached across the counter and flicked a switch. When the lights doused, the reflection vanished as well. He was able to see the mysterious light hiding among the trees. Two small sapphire orbs floated among the brush, watching him with stone-like perseverance.

  For a moment, he considered the wildlife in the area. Bears and wolves were both very common and sometimes bold enough to tread close to humans. They were usually hungry or inquisitive, never cold, accusatory. These eyes seemed to be searching within the deep fathoms of his soul, diving deeper and deeper still for a profound truth not revealed upon his surface.

  Unable to blink or look away, he started to feel guilty. He didn’t know why he would ever feel guilt since he’d never done a thing wrong in his life. Still, he lost control of his emotions, causing his eyes to burn with boiling tears.

  When his vision blurred, he was able to break eye contact. He wanted to look back and challenge them again, but immense apprehension stayed his false audacity.

  Using his peripheral vision, he monitored the eyes as he removed the stir from his mug. He brought the tea to his lips and took a sip. When the brew entered his mouth, however, he immediately spit in into the sink. Not only did the tea smell and taste rotten, but it was also ice cold.

  As revulsion crawled up his neck—taunting him to heave—he started to pour the beverage down the drain. As the tea escaped the mug, steam snaked into the air. He quickly paused and looked into the cup. The tea had spores forming at the surface and it still smelled as though it had been sitting out for days. He poured the rest out and watched in disbelief as steam bellowed from the liquid.

  Kevin put the mug aside as a soft shiver climbed the rungs of his spine. The chill wasn’t that of anything otherworldly or ethereal, but instead his body felt icy as though he’d just stepped into an arctic climate.

  He walked to the wall and examined the control system for his air conditioning. The temperature read seventy-five degrees, more than twice how he felt. In addition, he just replaced the heater with a new model. There was something else causing him to feel bitter and he was almost positive it had to do with the mysterious eyes in the forest.

  When he returned to the window and looked through it, they still observed him from the dark woodland. The more he stared into the deep chasms of the blue crystalline eyes, the colder his body became. His fingers gradually turned icy, and despite the warm air surrounding him, soft clouds of breathe formed as he exhaled.

  Unlike before, the eyes engaged him less so he was able to look away. However, something else commanded his attention; from deeper within the forest a woman watched him. It could have been a neighbor, but with no other discernible characteristics, he wasn’t able to tell.

  There was nothing scary or strange about a couple of eyes in the forest, so he was able to handle them. However, coupling that with the shivers and a ghostly woman truly panicked him. A violent tremor coursed through his body like a vicious earthquake terrorizing a city.

  He knew the only thing that would calm him was his den. Working made things easier to forget. Besides, it was important for him to get his planning finished before the big night.

  2

  The den was his war room. Each time he had a new target, he would plan everything there.

  Kevin wasn’t always so efficient, however. The first time he killed a demon it was sloppy. Not only did he make a bloody mess, but there were also at least a dozen potential witnesses. As a result, he realized he needed to take better care with subsequent kills.

  Now, he typically spent days tailing the potential demon learning all he could about their habits. Once he found a behavioral pattern, he used it against them.

  The newest demon was one of the most impressive. It found a way to survive for over seventy years without so much as a hint she was evil. In fact, she was the interior designer that aided him in the reconstruction of his home and her identity remained hidden even from him for some time.

  The demon finally made a mistake, however, when Kevin witnessed her in the middle of the street deliriously shouting about the end of the world. Some would say it was only a mental condition, but he knew different, because the same night he received a very special message to eradicate the old demon before its power grew too strong.

  At his desk, he turned on a halogen lamp. Kevin opened a manila folder to look through the information one last time. He often double-checked to make sure he didn’t miss anything. The last thing he wanted was the police breathing down his neck because he wasn’t paying enough attention. If he went to jail, the world would quickly perish.

  As he read, he reached into the top drawer of the large oak desk and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. He put one of them into his mouth, held it in place with his lips, and torched the end with a lighter. Each inhale was both satisfying and wrong. He knew that it was damaging his lungs, but the buzz was incredibly relaxing.

  He read about how Karla spent the early morning coaching a children’s swim team. He could strike then, but he didn’t want the children to see her die. He may be cruel to demons, but he couldn’t willingly corrupt a young mind.

  Later in the day, however, she often goes to the theater to catch one of the new releases. It was the perfect time to kill. The room would be dark and most people’s attention would be on the screen rather than others around them. All he needed was a well-placed knife to her back or neck to complete the job.

  As he daydreamed about how he would make sure to get a seat behind her and the ways in which he could get the
body back to his house, thoughts of the mysterious happenings in the forest abated his train of thought. He tried hard to focus on his task, but it was too difficult.

  Kevin leaned the leather executive style chair back and put his feet upon the desk. With each drag, he blew clouds into the air. He watched the sinuous streams of smoke slither from the end of the cigarette and collect at the ceiling. Each winding, twirling, slithering by-product of the burning tobacco made different and fascinating shapes in the air.

  Then, one particular formation stood from the rest. It appeared to be a face. Though surely just trickery of his imagination, he was still puzzled by it for detailed within the lithe smoke were eyes, a mouth, the soft features of a woman’s jaw line, and long hair. He leaned closer to it, and then the mouth moved uttering a soft whisper that echoed through the room as if coming from all directions.

  “Kevin.”

  Frightened, he quickly pushed himself away from the desk, hard. His reaction disturbed the air, erasing the image from the smoke.

  He stood from the chair and looked around. He was hoping to find a good answer for the voice—a cracked window, a creaking door, the cell phone—all very good excuses, but none of them made any sense. The room was in the middle of the house surrounded by four solid walls. Besides, he always made sure to shut and lock the door before starting work.

  Kevin extinguished the cigarette, blotted his hands on his jeans, and looked around. He was positive there was an explanation, but the answer escaped him.

  Suddenly, his mind’s eye went rampant with thoughts of his own slaughter that were so grotesque he felt nauseous. He leaned against the desk and positioned his head above a small wastebasket. He tried hard to focus on the wads of crumpled paper at the bottom, but nothing would stop the horrific scenes.

  He sat back down and pushed everything off his desk. He put his head against the cold, polished grains of oak. After a moment of attempting to ignore it, the images slowly declined in ferocity and then faded altogether.

  Kevin lifted his head. He felt cold and used, as though his body was at the peak of a massive viral infection. He grabbed the box of tissues from the floor and dried his forehead.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Slowly, he regained his energy. He reached back down and returned the information regarding Karla to the table. He needed to get back to work and keep his mind busy so he could avoid another episode.

  After opening the folder again, he shuffled the papers together and checked his list. The only thing left for him to do was to go to the holy ground and dig a special place for her.

  3

  Halfway to the burial ground he wished he’d grabbed a jacket. During the day, walking through the forest was morbidly humid; it was like taking a stroll through a boiler room. But at night, the sunless humidity and muddied earth made for a frigid environment.

  Thankfully, he remembered to bring the other vital items. He brought a shovel, a flashlight, and—more importantly—a knife. He argued that he needed it in case a large animal decided to attack him. Deep down inside, however, he feared what may lay in wait for him.

  About fifty feet ahead, he saw his destination. He was making good time until he heard something that made him pause. He surveyed the night with his flashlight, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Along with the murky malodorous fog, the only thing he could see was trees, leaves, and bugs.

  Kevin shuddered, turned, and was about to continue walking when he heard a woman softly singing a sweet melodic tune. It was faint, but he could tell it was there.

  He recognized the song, but couldn’t quite place where he’d heard it. As the voice increased in volume, a small glow appeared at the burial ground. At first glance, it looked like it might have been the eyes, but upon further examination the glow was instead white with a cherry hue.

  He started walking faster and faster. If the light turned out to be the flashlight of an intruder, he would need to turn them away or worse.

  As he neared his destination, what originally was just a glow started to take form. Inside the foggy mist, tendrils of vines and leaves snaked their way up the slick side of a tree. Forming among the leaves were bright, radiant red roses.

  He wondered what kind of strange magic the evil spirits were using to create such a fantastic image of roses. The more he thought about it, the closer he came to recognizing the song in the air. Then, it hit him. When his wife clipped the roses in the front garden, she would hum the song repeatedly.

  Kevin backed away from the thorny bush, but instantly stopped when he heard a soft hiss behind him. He turned and saw a large serpent. It was black, with a red stripe trailing its back like a spine. Thin slivers of yellow branched out from the red. It was like nothing he’d ever seen, but its body didn’t terrify him as much as its eyes. They were glowing sapphire blue.

  Then a voice that sounded like Kim whispered from the darkness, “Kevin.”

  He dropped the shovel and searched the night for her. He knew she was dead, but there was no mistaking the clarity of her musical tone. “Kim?”

  “There’s no escape from your fate.” A new voice added. He recognized it as June, the pastor’s wife.

  More demons, he thought to himself, they’ve come to kill me.

  “How can you sit in the rocking chair knowing what you did to me?” June asked.

  “I take comfort in knowing you’re evil won’t infect the world.”

  Kim said, “You’re the one that’s evil, Kevin.”

  “I’m evil?” He smirked, “that’s funny coming from a demon.”

  “But you kill innocent people.” Kim said.

  “Innocent? Is that how you see yourself?”

  “We lived normal lives until you murdered us.” June said.

  The snake hissed and slithered to him. He pulled his knife from its sheath and held it tightly. He watched the snake lick the air repeatedly, and then it softly formed words with a hiss, “They are not demons.”

  “Bullshit!” He screamed, “How can you expect me to believe that when you’re sole purpose is deceit?”

  The snake only replied with a slither of its tongue.

  Kevin closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He held the blade strong and wished for God to help him rid the world of the demons for the last time.

  “Praying will do you no good; your evil soul will be forever burdened by murder.” Kim said.

  He only sneered and continued to pray as if to imply that he would kill her soon enough.

  “Heaven is no place for your evil, just look at you.” June said.

  “She’s right.” The snake hissed.

  “Tell me, Kevin,” Kim said, “What evil did I commit?”

  He said, “It’s not what you committed, but what you would have done.”

  “I loved you, wanted to have kids with you. I was a doctor that saved lives.”

  He sought strength through prayer, but when he heard and felt nothing, confusion settled in his mind. For years, he was certain that everything he did was with His blessing, but the more he thought about what she said, the more perplexed he became.

  During the full year that they were married, he never once saw the demonic side of her. He searched his mind for something, anything that could have reaffirmed his beliefs, but there was nothing.

  His mind raced. He wanted to argue, but he couldn’t deny the possibility she was right. He was angry that his own mind betrayed him and saddened that everything he ever knew might be nothing more than visions from a twisted imagination.

  Kevin dropped to his knees, and worked hard to lift the heavy weight of doubt from his mind. He was no match for its intolerable crushing force.

  He whispered with broken spirit, “What have I done?”

  “You’ve killed innocent people, and those dreams of yours are nothing but sick fantasies of a warped mind.” Kim said.

  His eyes welled with hot tears. He tried hard not to believe her, but the guilt he felt earlier that night returned. As the tears
rolled down his icy face, he said, “This can’t be true…”

  “Believe.” They said in unison, and then suddenly grotesque pictures flooded his mind again. This time they were of the murders he committed. Following them was a foray of imagery recounting the life of the two most recent demons he killed.

  First, June: she was a pastor’s wife, loving mother, and faithful to the church. Then, Kim: a beautiful, loving wife who did nothing but save lives.

  Kevin dropped the knife and brought his hands to his head to force the images away, but they remained. “Stop it, stop it!”

  As the visions slowly subsided, he looked down at his hands. He recalled the many times he’d cleaned the blood from them, watching each one of their lives pool and disappear into the drain.

  “You know what you need to do to save the world.” Kim said as she eyed the knife on the ground.

  He looked at the blade. “What?”

  “Kill true evil.” The snake hissed.

  He picked up the knife. The dark unnerving world reflected from its polished surface, but more than that was the frightening image of his reflection. His eyes were sunken and his skin was pale. He looked gaunt and the stubble on his face only added to the sickly image of a man. A man that would soon kill again if given the chance to live.

  He whispered in a soft tormented voice, “Okay.”

  With the knife, Kevin cut deep into his wrist. Blood traced the fine lines of his skin, down his hand, and dripped from his fingertips. The pain was intolerable, but through blinding anger over what he did to them, he felt it was justified.

  “I don’t think that’ll be enough,” Kim said, “The other one.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” He cried through blurring tears.

  “You will if you want to save innocent lives.” June urged.

  He looked away as he put the blade in his other hand. Since he didn’t damage any of the tendons in his left hand, he was able to grip the hilt of the knife with no problem. He hesitated, but then pressed hard and cut deep into his arm.