[Anthology] The Paranormal 13- now With a Bonus 14th Novel!

by Dima Zales

  I weakly tried to say, “Strike,” but she wrapped those cold fingers around my throat and squeezed.

  “In action how like an angel,” Mulciber purred as she choked the life out of me bit by bit. “In apprehension how like a god; the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals.”

  I clawed at her arms, her face, getting blood and skin beneath my fingernails. My legs thrashed beneath me, trying to shove me upward, but I couldn’t get out of her grip.

  “Goodbye, sweet Jordan.”

  Darkness ate my vision and the last thing I heard was the sound of Michael calling my name.

  25

  I stood in a field of pure white that seemed to have no end, with nothing inhabiting it except for me and the two people standing in front of me. To the right, there was a tall man with black hair and azure eyes that met my gaze with a strange sort of serenity. My eyes followed the pattern of several faded scars that marred the right side of his neck and one that bisected his right eyebrow.

  The woman beside him was much more familiar—about 5’8’’, skin the color of coffee with cream, shoulder-length black hair that fell in curly waves about her oval face and chocolate eyes.

  My mouth went dry. “It’s you.”

  Catalina Amador and Andrew Bethsaida smiled at me then, speaking at the same time.

  “Hello, mi hija.”

  “Hey, kid.”

  I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut—I couldn’t seem to breathe or form words. Every part of me had wanted to see them again. There were so many nights when I thought of what I would say if I ever saw my mother or Andrew again. The only problem was that the words piled up in my tightened throat, jumbling like cars in a wreck on the highway. I swallowed hard and pushed past the lump in my throat.

  “There are…so many things I’ve wanted to tell you…” I began, but my mother shook her head, a soft smile gracing her lips.

  “We know what you’re thinking, mi hija. We know you’ve missed us.”

  “More than you can imagine,” I mumbled.

  She reached out and wrapped her arms around me, solid, warm, comforting. Tears burned in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks in rivulets as I hugged her back, breathing in her scent, afraid that she’d disappear again. After a moment, she drew away. I turned my attention to the Seer by her side.

  “Andrew, I—”

  He shook his head when he saw the wounded expression on my face, removing his hands from the pockets of his black slacks.

  “It’s alright. I’m not angry with you.”

  My voice came out a near whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

  He sighed, giving me a look as if I were hopeless. “It wasn’t your fault. You were young, and in danger.”

  “But—”

  Andrew laid a gentle hand on my head, stroking my hair. “I forgave you a long time ago, Jordan. It’s about time you did the same.”

  His words somehow jolted me back to realize our strange surroundings. “Oh, God. Am I dead…again?”

  Andrew chuckled before answering me. “No, you’re not dead.”

  A great exhale escaped my lungs. “Where are we, then?”

  My mother answered instead. “Think of it as a world between worlds—a space suspended from time. We thought you could use some help, so we brought you here.”

  They started walking and I followed, wondering where we were going. The ground felt solid beneath me, but it didn’t have a texture. It was like being inside a snow globe.

  Just as I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, they stopped. I nearly tripped when I realized we’d reached a cliff of some kind, where the ground gave way to an enormous gorge. I could only stare in awe.

  There were millions of spirits, wispy and grey, floating through the chasm below us. The stream of ghosts stretched from as far as I could see in both directions. Some were holding hands, others gliding past alone with expressions of wonderment. No one seemed to be in a hurry; they all crossed my vision leisurely. No soul traffic. Good to know.

  “What is this place?”

  “This is where the dead cross over to Heaven for final judgment. Think the River Styx, but a little more pleasant,” Andrew said.

  I nodded, trying to wrap my head around the concept. “Why did you bring me here?”

  They both turned to face me with mirrored serious expressions, so exact that they seemed as if they were one with each other. “There are quite a few people down there that you’ve helped,” my mother said. “You’re far more important than you think, Jordan. Seers are rare, and that makes you a very valuable woman.”

  “So there aren’t others like me?”

  “There are some, but they don’t surface until their abilities have matured.”

  “Like you?” I asked.

  “Yes. I had the same ability as you, though you were probably too small to remember.”

  “I thought so. Look, all of this is a relief to know, but shouldn’t I be getting back? There’s a war going on and we’re not doing so well.”

  Andrew glanced at my mother and she nodded slightly in response. He squared his shoulders, the pleasant smile evaporating. I immediately missed it.

  “Before we get to that, there’s something we need to tell you. We wanted to wait until you were strong enough to handle it.”

  I swallowed, heart fluttering in my chest. “About what?”

  My mother spoke in a gentle voice. “How I died.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself and averted my eyes to control the wave of loss that rolled up my body. No. I could handle it. This was the goal of my journey—to find out the truth. I needed to know what she had gone through for me, for herself, for the security of the world. I needed to know what they had sacrificed in the fight against evil because soon I would have to do the same.

  Finally, I took a deep, shaky breath.

  “Tell me.”

  Time had run out.

  He knew how insane his plan sounded, but he had no other options. Tonight or never. With this in mind, he squared his shoulders and turned to face the door. Showtime.

  The closet door opened and he walked into the long, white hallway of the psychiatric hospital. He’d never liked this place. It felt like being trapped inside a doctor’s pocket; oddly appropriate imagery in itself. Straightening his grey duster, he made sure there weren’t any spectators before walking over to the Fire Alarm on the wall, slipping on a rubber glove from one of his pockets. He yanked it hard and a bright blue ink sprayed onto his gloved palm, which would have identified him as the culprit had he not known it would happen. Immediately, a near deafening ringing sound filled the air. He tossed the glove in a nearby wastebasket and slipped back inside the closet seconds before the hospital personnel began pouring out of the patients’ rooms. He had started a fire downstairs, hoping to set the alarm off earlier, but the building was old. He had little time and needed the place evacuated as soon as possible.

  Soon, the hallway was filled with employees questioning one another about the nature of the alarm and heading towards the supervisor’s office to find out what was going on.

  “Are all the patients accounted for on this floor?” One male doctor asked the nurse by his side.

  “I’ll do a head count.” She disappeared down the hallway. A couple of the other employees who had gone to Dr. Vulcan’s office came back with news.

  “She says there’s a fire in the kitchen downstairs. The Fire department is on its way. We’re going to have to evacuate.”

  The male doctor heaved a sigh. “Great. It’ll be Pandemonium. Let’s go.”

  The hospital personnel dispersed, giving him a chance to slip out of the closet.

  “Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were off today,” one of the nurses said as he approached.

  He flashed her a sheepish smile. “Had some last minute files to complete. What’s with all the noise?”

  She knocked on the reinforced metal door to Room P82, alerting the security inside to her presence, shakin
g her head and raking a hand through her curly brown hair. “There’s a bit of a fire downstairs so we’re gonna have to evacuate until the fire marshal shows up. I’m just glad this didn’t happen during visiting hours.”

  “Yeah. Bad luck, I guess. Need any help?”

  She paused. “Well, sure. You know Ms. Amador better than anyone here. Guess it wouldn’t hurt for you to be the voice of reason while we get everyone out.”

  The door to the room opened and a tall blond man in white stepped out, light eyebrows lifted in question as the ringing alarm reached his ears.

  “I thought I heard some racket out here. What’s going on?”

  “We gotta get everyone out of the building. Escort Ms. Amador outside. He’ll accompany you.”

  The guard sighed, going back into the room for a moment. “Roger that.”

  His breath caught as Catalina Amador walked out into the harsh luminescent lighting of the hallway, highlighting her midnight hair and coffee skin. Even with tousled hair and bags under her eyes, she radiated pride and loveliness. Those entrancing brown eyes locked with his and widened in surprise. He managed a somewhat genuine smile in return.

  “Hey, Cat.”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprise evident even beneath her warm Spanish accent. The guard didn’t allow him to reply; instead he nudged her forward with a large, pale hand. “Walk and talk, please.”

  She bristled and reluctantly complied, following the shuffling masses towards the short flight of stairs leading outside.

  Andrew placed a gentle hand on the small of her back, leaning in slightly. “When we get outside, follow my lead.”

  Catalina’s spine stiffened. “You can’t do this. It’s not going to work. It’s too late for me.”

  His jaw clenched. “Don’t say that. This isn’t over yet.”

  They fell silent as the sound of feet on metal reverberated through the staircase. His pulse quickened as they reached the door and stepped into the cool night breeze. For a fleeting second, he almost forgot about the plan as he felt the New Jersey air closing in around them like a comforting blanket. This city always seemed more alive at night, at least in his eyes. Still, he steeled himself and reached down, strong fingers wrapping around Catalina’s slender wrist.

  In an instant, they were gone.

  His hand on hers was rough and callused, squeezing to almost the breaking point as he pulled her after him. She nearly stumbled and fell on the damp grass, but kept running. They had only moments before the guards would notice their disappearance, and the security cameras would already be notified on the disturbance. At last they reached the wall that encompassed the entire facility, pressing their backs to it as they caught their breath.

  Andrew reached into his duster and withdrew a folded up tarp, shaking it open and tossing it over the barbwire on top. He cupped his hands and she stepped into them, grabbing onto the top of the wall as he lifted her. She crawled on top and offered him her hands in return, straining as she hauled him up with her. She spotted the guard who had been monitoring her running towards them in the darkness with his taser raised.

  “Freeze!”

  Andrew grabbed her hand, shouting, “Jump!”

  They leapt from the wall just as he fired, missing them by mere inches. They hit the ground and rolled down the grassy hill that led to a single street where an unmarked car was already parked, the engine running.

  Andrew helped Catalina to her feet, ushering her inside the car before climbing in himself. The driver slammed on the gas the second their door closed, gunning it down the narrow passageway to the gate of the psychiatric hospital, where the guards had already been knocked out and the divider lifted.

  “Where’s Gabriel?” Andrew asked, turning around in his seat to look out the back windshield.

  “He’s waiting for us two blocks down the way at the helicopter pad.”

  “Fantastic,” the Seer said with biting sarcasm, withdrawing the gun holstered on his waist and taking the safety off.

  “That gives us roughly five minutes to get the hell outta dodge before the demons bring down the hammer.”

  A long howl cut through the air, raising the hairs on their arms with its chilling sound. The car screeched to a stop, throwing both passengers against their seats. Catalina struggled upright first, looking out to see what had stopped them. There, at the bottom of the street leading onto the city block, was a throng of hellhounds—each of them over six feet long and four feet tall, with steam pouring off their shaggy, matted fur.

  The driver glanced back at Andrew with an apprehensive expression. “You were saying?”

  “Well, no one ever said this was gonna be easy,” he replied, counting the number of hellhounds and calculating how many shots he had in his magazine.

  The driver nodded to the spot beside him. “Lift up the seat.”

  Andrew handed Catalina his gun and tore off the removable leather interior on the right side of the backseat, pleased to find two automatic shotguns and a box of shells in a secret compartment. He took them both out, handing one to Catalina and opening the box of ammo.

  “You know how to use one of these?”

  “I’m acquainted with handguns, not shotguns, but I’m a fast learner,” she said, holding her hand out for the shells.

  He smiled, though it was grim at the edges, and handed them to her. “Aim for their heads. Don’t hesitate. Shoot straight, Cat.”

  She nodded. “I shall.”

  “Ready?” The driver asked.

  Andrew readied his first shot, nodding to him with a determined smirk.

  “Let’s get some.”

  The car lurched forward at maddening speed. Both passengers rolled down their windows, taking careful aim. The hellhounds raced towards them, mouths open, fangs glistening, their roars slicing through the air. When they were only feet from the car, the Seers opened fire, immediately taking out the closest two beasts. The blessed bullets ripped through their furry hides. The beasts exploded into black ash.

  One jumped up on the hood and the driver swerved, making the creature slide off and hit the pavement. Andrew whirled and shot at the ones closing in from behind, taking out another three. Catalina focused on the ones ahead of them, wounding two and killing another. Both seers took aim at the final two blocking the street as the car barreled closer. Just as they fired, the car hit a pothole, making them miss. Only one hellhound went down. The other dove for the front tires, puncturing one before the car ran it over.

  “Shit!” The driver made a hard right onto the street. The entire car began to shake violently from the ruined tire.

  “We can’t make it there like this. I can probably get you one more block, but that’s not a promise.”

  “I’ve got a back-up car waiting not far from here. Think you can get us there?”

  The driver nodded, weaving in between cars. “Or die trying.”

  “Perfect choice of words there, Mr. Sunshine,” the Seer said, reloading his shotgun as best as he could in the wildly swerving vehicle. Already he could hear the distant wail of sirens. He prayed that they were sending human policemen and not one of the fallen angels. He was armed for bear, not demon.

  “Stop right up here, we can cut through the alleyway to the other car.” Andrew pointed to an empty space just outside of a barbershop.

  The driver raced through another intersection and screeched to a halt. Catalina opened her door and got out while Andrew paused to give further instructions.

  “Now unless you want to be Alpo, I suggest you arm yourself and get the hell out of here. Thanks for your help,” Andrew said.

  “No problem.”

  The Seer slung the shotgun across his back and climbed out. Once again, he took Catalina’s hand and lead her into the alley, which swallowed them in darkness.

  “How far to the helicopter from here?”

  “Not far. Gabe’s got friends in high places, no pun intended,” he answered in between breathless pants.

  �
��Why couldn’t he land the helicopter outside of the psychiatric hospital?”

  Andrew shook his head. “Not enough space to land.”

  “What about my daughter?”

  “Once we’re at the next safe point, we’ll send someone in to bring her to you.” He tossed a grin over his shoulder at her.

  “Didn’t think I’d leave the munchkin hanging, did you?”

  They both stopped at the end of the alley, waiting to cross the street to the next one.

  “I don’t recall you being very fond of children,” Catalina said.

  He chuckled, watching for cars. “Maybe so, but if she’s anything like you, I suppose I could take a liking to her.”

  The comment made her pause, realizing the gravity of what he had done for her. “Andrew, I—”

  He shook his head. “Don’t get soft on me now, Cat. We’re not outta this yet.”

  “I know, but—”

  “Hey,” he whispered, cupping one side of her face in his large hand and meeting her dark eyes with a determined look. “You don’t have to thank me for this, ever. I’ve spent my whole life fighting for people who will never know I even exist. You’re the only thing I have left to believe in—you and that little angel waiting for us. Okay?”

  She nodded once. “Okay.”

  She pulled him closer by the lapel of his grey duster and kissed him with abandon, allowing herself to be lost in him, if only temporarily. He kissed her back with equal passion, only pulling away when he was sure that she knew exactly how he felt about her. Then he grabbed her hand and led her across the street to the next alley.

  They ran faster as the sirens got closer, filling the alley with a shrill shrieking that sounded almost as demonic as their pursuers. At last, they came up on the last turn that would spill them into a side street where the car and its driver were waiting.

  “C’mon, it’s just around the corner!” He went around it first, but stopped dead in his tracks, making her stumble as she ran into his back. At the end of the alley stood a tall blond man, holding their driver above his head by the throat. He turned his head slowly, looking at the pair with lifeless blue eyes.