by J. D. Lander
“I did it, Alice! Haha! Do you believe me now?!” Connor screeched as he looked up where his hands should be. Alice’s face grew pale and she stood frozen for a moment before awakening to the current situation.
“Yes! I believe you, but, Connor, how are you going to get down?”
Connor’s arms began to weaken and shake. He spun his head in every direction looking for a place to land. He suddenly wished he practiced pull-ups in gym so could pull his weight up into the portal. Struggling, he reached his left hand further into the portal and felt around. He felt something rope-like but slippery and pulled on it. The momentum from the pull sent him falling toward the shallow pool below the waterfall. He was still gripping whatever it was inside the portal. Suddenly, his body jerked as whatever he was holding braced him for a second. Then he felt it snap, sending him crashing into the water. The landing did not feel soft like he imagined water would be. All of his muscles were suddenly tight and the water knocked his head forward. Was this shock? Was this death? The frigid water raced past his face. He kept his eyes closed to feel the ache and chill of the moment.
Alice quickly arrived splashing and dragged him from the water. They both lay next to the pool of water, huffing and puffing from exhaustion.
“Do you believe me now?” Connor managed to ask.
“Yes, that was insane! Are you ok?”
Connor moved his arms and legs and checked for damage.
“I think I’ll be fine. Something slowed my fall.”
“It was a vine. It’s over there in the water.”
Connor walked over to the vine. It looked normal besides having abnormally large tear drop-shaped leaves on it. He got down on his hands and knees in the mud, dug a hole with both hands, and buried the vine.
“Don’t mention this to Adam. I wasn’t supposed to tell.”
He felt elated that he proved to Alice that he was telling the truth but shortly after felt guilty for betraying Adam’s trust. Adam was the first boy he had ever kissed and he didn’t want him to disappear from his life.
CHAPTER 9
The Truck Driver
A short distance on the highway south of Willow Grove there was a small bar called Leland’s Pub. The pub looked like a run down shack and the inside was dark despite the windows being covered in fluorescent lights provided by the beer companies. No one from town ever ventured to the pub, it was mainly a place truckers stopped to grab a beer. On this night the pub received its first visitor to come directly from Willow Grove.
The Devil appeared outside of the pub and stared into the window, searching for something. He knew what he was looking for and it wasn’t in his nature to rush. His face expressionless, he stood motionless until an old, black 18-wheeler pulled into the parking lot. The truck parked and the door slammed as the trucker began walking toward the pub. The trucker was tired and hadn’t showered in two days. His skin looked greasy and he hid his hair with a worn, black baseball cap. His boots scrapped against the pavement as he approached the building. The Devil slowly turned and stared at the trucker. As the trucker passed him the Devil turned and followed in his footsteps. The trucker opened the door and entered the pub along with the Devil.
The trucker ordered a beer from the middle-aged woman behind the bar. He began to relax once he started to drink the cold beer. The Devil didn’t wait; he had found what he was looking for. He stepped directly into the trucker’s body as the trucker convulsed for a second, shaking beer from his mug onto the counter. The bartender asked if he was alright but received no reply. The Devil was now in the trucker’s body and could feel the cold mug in his hand. He could taste the beer on his lips. He had senses that he couldn’t experience in his true form. He loved the feeling of using a body like a puppet, not caring about its fate. When the beer was finished he stood up from the bar stool and walked out without paying. He could hear the bartender call after him “you have to pay for that!” and the rest was cut short by the door closing behind him. He admired the black 18-wheeler before he climbed in. A picture of a little girl was stuck to the dashboard. The Devil grabbed the picture in his hands and crumpled it before dropping it to the floor. The truck pulled out of the parking lot and headed north toward Willow Grove.
The Devil drove to the high school. Doors and alarms were no obstacles for him as he seemingly phased right through them until he entered the biology classroom. Immediately, he walked over to Connor’s seat and sniffed the air. He followed the scent to Connor’s locker. Then out of the high school and down the block. He came to Connor’s house and could see a blue-green light in the upstairs window. He retrieved his truck, parked it across the street, and waited. Soon a car pulled up to the house. The front door opened revealing a blonde girl with a minor green glow. She walked out to the car and got in. The car pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. The black truck followed.
The next morning, Adam emerged from the woods and rang Connor’s doorbell. Connor’s parents were out to breakfast so he was still sleeping. A woman was pushing a stroller slowly passed the house, otherwise, he could have easily entered without issue. The doorbell started to frantically ring. Connor climbed out of bed and opened the door. Adam stood before him, shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Connor asked.
“It’s not safe to talk here.”
They both headed upstairs. As Connor approached his room he felt guilty about telling Alice everything. He knew that he had been caught. Why hadn’t he found Adam instead of seeking shelter in Alice? How was he supposed to contact Adam? Connor closed the door. Adam stood in the center of the room and slowly turned to face Connor.
“I’ve put you in danger.”
“What do you mean?” Connor replied.
“He’s here. The Architect told me about him but I thought the world is so big he would never find me. Why would he even look for me?”
“Are you talking about the Devil?”
“Yes! Last night, I came to check on you but I never made it out of the woods. I saw red light emitting from a man on the sidewalk. He was outside your house, Connor!”
“I saw him yesterday…”
“What do you mean you saw him?!”
“He came into my classroom. I only saw him when I had the glasses on. We went into the woods to look for you. I had to tell Alice, I was scared and needed someone to understand so I knew I wasn’t going crazy.”
“It’s okay that you told her, I understand it's a big burden and you shouldn’t have to keep any more secrets. Connor, the Devil can’t hurt me physically. I’m not made the same as you are. I saw him as a man last night, not in his true form. When he is in his true form he can’t hurt people directly, but now that he has possessed someone he can have direct influence on anything. This means he must be planning on hurting you to get to me…”
Connor’s face paled as he heard those words.
“Don’t leave my side until I figure this out,” Adam commanded, seeming brave for the first time. Connor was afraid, but in this moment he was more attracted to Adam than ever. He texted Alice to make sure she was safe and shared what he had learned, with Adam’s permission.
CHAPTER 10
A Beautiful Day for a Party
Alice peaked through her eyelids the very same morning to find that her mother had laid out her brand-new blue party dress for her. Today was her cousin Melanie’s birthday brunch. This year was special because Melanie had just finished her first year at college and was finally home. Everyone attending was getting dressed fancy. Alice loved having an excuse to feel pretty. Her cousin’s family was one of the wealthiest in town and their parties seemed to be a reminder. Their stark white home had a circular driveway much like Lydia’s, but it sat on a large piece of property nestled in the privacy of the woods.
When everyone in Alice’s house was ready, her parents and her three-year-old brother Ben headed into the car. They arrived at the house to find valets parking cars in a field in front of the house. Entering the house her parents
each grabbed a glass of champagne from a black vested waiter and they headed out through the back door. The backyard was full of tents and tables covered in white linen. Servers in their penguin suits were buzzing between tables, making certain everyone was pampered. Alice took Ben by the hand and walked him over to where the other toddlers were playing in the grass. A young woman took his hand from Alice and explained that she was hired to watch the children. Alice smiled watching Ben giggling as he ran in the grass chasing after a little girl with ribbons in her hair.
Alice headed over to a buffet table and filled a plate with foods she couldn’t name. Then she walked toward her cousin’s table and took a seat next to her. Time flew by as she chatted with her cousin about college, boys, and clothing. She always enjoyed her time with her cousin. In many ways they were the same and no matter how much time passed between their meetings it was as if none had passed at all. Melanie’s boyfriend from college eventually arrived and introductions to the family were in order. Alice sat alone sipping on Melanie’s champagne for a while before she decided to check on Ben.
As she started to walk away from the tables and through the field where the children were now playing, she noticed a man approaching and stopped. Her eyes met his and she stared into them. She felt a cold chill on her skin and she suddenly remembered everything that Connor had told her. The greasy man kept walking toward her. On her left was the party, on her right the children, in front of her the man, and behind her the woods. The man could intersect her path if she moved right or left so she chose to enter the woods and draw him away from her family. She had no idea what he was capable of.
She swiftly ran, weaving through the trees like a needle through cloth. Her hands clutched her dress, pulling it above her ankles. The twigs crunched below the brand new, baby blue shoes she had bought to match her dress. The dress she fell in love with at the store her mom took her to. The dress she believed she could meet prince charming in. If she had only known then that this dress would slow her down while she was being chased through foreign woods by something she could not possibly outmatch but maybe, just maybe, out run.
Her breath became rhythmic as she ran and ran. Her heart pounded in her chest as if trying to escape from the chamber it had been locked away in for eternity. She knew she had to run. If she stopped, life would be over. If she stopped, she would have to face the evil from her nightmares. The evil that people imagined existed only in fairy tales and large books. Somehow this evil had become real and chosen her, of all people, to hunt down. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tired. Her legs slowed like a locomotive pulling into a station.
A root suddenly hooked her right foot, causing her to meet the ground like a fallen tree. Suddenly, the world seemed quiet. There were no leaves rustling or birds chirping. The sun’s rays struggled to pierce through the thick canopy overhead.
She took in a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. She turned with all her might, ready to fight. In her mind, her strength would come from nowhere and she would defeat this evil. Her body would suddenly know what to do to defend itself and she would be victorious as if her animal instincts would surface. She would survive.
He arrived. The skinny, greasy man had arrived. He didn’t seem tired. He sneered as if knowing he would win. He clenched a knife like a painter clutches a brush, ready to color his canvas.
She balled her fists up and ran at him. He would not make the first move. He would not have a chance to think. He would not hunt her down. She would hunt him. This would not be the end of her.
He stood there like a bullfighter. Her charge did not stir him in the least. He stood his ground. She swung her fist with all her might. This hit would have all her strength and will. The energy from her body would flow into this hit and take him down with one blow.
His knife sank into her abdomen before her fist made contact with his greasy skin. She stepped back and grabbed his hand. He was too strong. He twisted his knife and she knew it was over. She did not cry. She slowly sank to the ground and lay in the leaves. The treetops blanketed the red sky. She could not hear anything. She did not know where the man had gone. She felt stuck in a moment of extreme pain. She laid, waiting for the sky to darken, for the angels to descend on her to take her hand and guide her to the light. If the Devil was real how could angels not be?
But it was not quick. The warm blood slowly seeped over her baby blue dress and crawled onto the leaves around her. She began to think of her mother, her father, and her little brother. Their life would change. She would not be there to help them, to protect them. She could no longer make her family laugh with her or be proud of her. Soon she would be the cause of all of their sadness as they laid her to rest. Her brother was too young and wouldn’t remember her. She would be a photograph, a story, and a faint memory.
Adam appeared. His body mirrored hers, floating like a blue angel above her inches from her face. He was there to grab her hand. He was there to take her. She whispered, “I’m ready.”
He did not speak or tell her it would be all right. She lifted her hand towards him and the world turned to blue light. Alice had come to the ending of her story in this world.
Connor was left alone when Adam suddenly disappeared during their conversation. He was abandoned, confused, and scared. Adam stated earlier that he wouldn’t leave him until everything was figured out, yet he was now alone. Connor didn’t have time to be amazed by Adam’s disappearing act. The only emotion he felt was fear. He immediately jumped from the chair he was sitting on and started running toward the school. He could see the track team practicing outside, meaning the school was unlocked. He ran in and headed straight to his locker. The locker creaked open and Connor was pleased to find his glasses. A sigh of relief was let out as the glasses settled on his face.
Connor spun in a circle looking for red light or evidence that it had been there. Watching his back the whole way he headed back home. He arrived home to find his parents in the living room watching television. While his father barely looked up from the paper, his mother noticed the glasses immediately.
“Why do you have glasses on?” she questioned.
“They help me read. I just forgot to take them off.”
“Oh, well remind me to make you an appointment to see the eye doctor so we can get you a real prescription.”
She had believed the lie. Connor was proud of his quick thinking and for a moment he forgot about the impending danger. He opened the door to his room to find Adam lying on his bed with a desolate look on his face.
“Come lay down,” Adam ordered, patting the bed. They had never cuddled before or gone beyond a kiss. Adam’s facial expression and eagerness to get him close meant only one thing: bad news. Connor lay down slowly after removing his shoes. The bed creaked as he climbed onto it. He took his glasses off, placing them on the nightstand. Then he lay down next to Adam before turning sideways to cuddle with him. Finally, he gently lowered his head onto Adam’s chest. Adam’s heartbeat was audible and fast beneath his ear.
“What is it?” Connor mumbled.
“The one you call the Devil, he went after Alice today. Connor, Alice is gone.” Adam wrapped his arms around Connor and pulled him closer. He kissed the top of his head and again whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Connor’s eyes welled up with tears. He felt like he couldn’t breath, like something was sitting on his chest. He buried his face further into Adam’s chest. His young and beautiful best friend was dead. Recently, he discovered God was real, but the elation was quickly followed by fear of the Devil. Adam lay there silently, not knowing what to say. Connor began to audibly sob against Adam’s warm body. After enough time had passed for Connor to transition from devastation to sadness to numb inside, he stood up, placed the glasses on his face, and approached the mirror above his dresser.
His cheeks were bright red, eyes bloodshot, but something else was different that took a second to notice. His light was not purely green anymore but a combination of blue and green. What
had happened? What in him had changed? Blue was Adam’s color…
“What happened to my light?”
“I noticed it the other day. I think it slowly changed as we grew closer and became connected somehow. I didn’t know it was possible and it’s what put you in danger. The Devil saw your light and noticed it was different.”
“Was Alice’s light different? Is that how he found her?”
Adam paused before answering. “No.”
Connor took the glasses off and noticed Adam stayed covered in blue light. He looked around and could see blue and green-lighted footprints where they had walked. He looked to Adam for an answer.
“What is it?” Adam asked, noticing confusion on Connor’s face.
“I don’t need my glasses anymore…”
“See if you can turn it off.”
Connor let the desire to see the colored lights slip from him and they disappeared. When he let the desire return he decided not to include footprints, so they did not reappear. The ability to see the lights was something completely in his control.
“Yes, I can control it. It’s like a filter I can vary in setting. Is that a good or bad thing?”
“I think it's a good thing because you can see if the Devil is coming and run if you need to.”
“I wish Alice could have seen him.”
“She did.”
Connor came back over to the bed and sat on the edge. He looked directly into Adam’s eyes. “I need to know what happened to Alice.”
“I thought he would come after you. I should have protected her. The other day, I noticed your light was changing and it made me happy that we were growing closer, but it exposed you. The blue light is not from this world. The Devil must have sensed my presence here and came to find me. I wasn’t here though, you were and he found a way to find me. He must have seen Alice with you.”