Penchant for Darkness

by J Elizaga

  But she was completely unaware of who truly held her body. It was not the man she married. She closed her eyes and sighed, while a version of her husband touched her, and listened and watched. It was waiting for her moment, for it was going to be Lucifer’s moment too. He would finally get a glimpse of what he had not seen in a million years.

  Suddenly, a man’s voice boomed and Miles was thrown to the floor.

  “Get off my wife!”

  Richelle sat up on the bed, staring between two versions of her husband, instantly warped into confusion. The Miles she was kissing was naked on the hardwood floor. The other Miles stood a few feet away from the bed. Wearing only beach shorts, his body was dripping wet, like he had hurriedly stepped out of the shower and rushed upstairs to the penthouse floor.

  Suddenly, the real husband and wife saw the version of Miles on the hardwood floor mutate and turn into an indescribable slithering monster. Richelle started screaming. The real Miles froze, shocked to see what lay in front of them. But before his mind could think, his feet sprang forward to run to his wife.

  Except the slithering monster grabbed his leg and Miles fell on the floor and landed beside the horrible being. Meanwhile, the monster disappeared from Richelle’s sight as Lucifer resumed its control.

  “Did you see that, did you see what I saw, what was that, Miles? Miles!” screamed his terrorized wife.

  “It’s still there, Chelie! There!” He pointed across the floor from where he lay.

  “I don’t see anything!”

  Miles realized there was another voice above his wife’s screams and the monster’s hissing. It sounded as though the monster had two voices, one guttural and one slightly mechanical.

  “Well, this is interesting. You can still see me,” the voice remarked.

  “Yes, I—I can see you!” Miles shouted back while Richelle covered her mouth, reeling with disgust and fear that she was intimate with something obviously malevolent.

  And with his admission, Miles Penchant became more interesting to Lucifer.

  “Stay away from my wife!”

  Lucifer sighed loudly. “I mean your wife no harm. I simply want to experience her moment of extreme pleasure.”

  Miles stood up quickly, trying to disguise his trembling knees. “Like Hell you will.”

  He heard the monster laugh. But just as he started to wonder what it found funny, it quickly grabbed him again. But Miles connected with a kick before heading towards Richelle. Still he did not reach her. He was elevated off the ground and thrown across the room. He landed hard on the floor, partially dislocating his right arm out of its socket. He spat saliva and scrambled to breathe.

  Miles felt useless as Richelle alternated between sobbing and screaming. He saw that she tried to move out of the bed but could not.

  While he lay on the floor, the morbid presence hovered above him, continually mutating as the mechanical voice spoke. “I have an idea that will stop this fighting. I will stay away from your wife, if you let me get inside your mind. I want to be there when you two fuck.”

  The monster moved closer to him.

  “In return, I will give you what you want most,” Lucifer whispered. “I know what it is. You long for a child.”

  The word “child” sent a chill down his spine before sudden anger bubbled up to his chest. Without thinking, his free arm grabbed the malevolent being and squeezed as hard as he could. The two spirits wailed, filling the room with unearthly sounds.

  Miles was airborne again. His damaged shoulder hung limp while the rest of his body felt the extreme pain of the first fall. He heard the entity growl but lost his thoughts from the impact of falling on bare floor a second time. He was thrown near the bed where his wife lay. He gasped for air loudly, struggling to breathe as his vision blurred. Fearing he was about to pass out, he dragged himself and lay across her body, protecting her. He wanted one deep breath but there was only stabbing pain each time he attempted to inhale. Saliva continued to drip from his mouth. His vision spun and his eyes fluttered. He saw the poltergeist angrily looking down at him. It had raised a limb theatrically, about to strike him with one final blow.

  His last thought was Richelle.

  But as soon as Miles closed his eyes, the monster was violently flung back to the farthest wall in the room where it split back into the two spirits. The force shook the building and created tiny sparks of fire.

  CHAPTER 13

  No work of art had depicted Hell as a solitary planet of darkness in another universe, afire with unquantified masses of angry, cruel, immoral and greedy energies whose atoms constantly collided with each other producing a never-ending supply of heat and noise. Memories transferred in and out of spirits, causing more chaos, confusion and anger.

  The deepest trench in Hell was filled by an ocean of solid and ancient ice. At the center of the dark pit, one solitary figure was trapped with half of his body encased in the ice. His arms were outstretched unevenly, held in place by a tangle of thick cables of an unknown alloy. The cables seemed to appear out of the darkness. Actually, they originated outside of Hell, from the universe where the Magna lived.

  A fraction of Lucifer’s systems was damaged after his defeat. And without a source of celestial light, Lucifer would not have any power to continue his mission. But he found a weak alternative; the energy emanating from the damned souls doomed to join him.

  Michael descended to face his nemesis. He knew that Lucifer had not registered his presence. He could see some processors were lit on one part of his head. He knew the devil was focused on Miles and Richelle on Earth. Michael released a tiny disabler. It quickly attached itself to Lucifer’s body, causing a momentary hack of his systems before disintegrating. The disabler allowed Gabriel to control the poltergeist and ended Lucifer’s fun with harming Miles.

  The devil rotated his head. “You remain a killjoy, Michael.”

  Michael hovered in front of him. “As time passes, Lucifer, the ideas you concoct have become less and less impressive and more borne out of fantasy. Did you really think you would get a glimpse of our abode from someone’s orgasm? You have better odds of experiencing their heaven by hiking the Kashmir.”

  “Stop mocking me! Obviously, I will never know. Because you stood in my way! That little disabler is nothing more than a nuisance and quite archaic. Still don’t have the heart to kill me, archangel?”

  “I don’t have a heart where you are concerned. I placed you here, remember?” Michael hit back.

  “Then end my existence,” Lucifer countered.

  “The Magna wishes that you witness the triumphant evolution of his beloved humans.”

  The archangel heard the devil hiss with anger. And he was prepared for movement. The cables rattled. A spirit came out of nowhere and lunged.

  Michael countered with a strike.

  “Please do not hit me again,” the spirit begged.

  “Shut up!” Lucifer shouted at the spirit before turning his attention back to the archangel. “I want a glimpse of home. I want to speak with the Magna.”

  Michael’s wrist glowed. He received word that the spirits terrorizing Miles and Richelle were neutralized. He changed his avionic direction from hovering to ascending, without responding to Lucifer.

  “Don’t ignore me! I am not finished talking!”

  The archangel moved higher and farther away from him.

  “I swear, when I get out of here—”

  “You won’t,” Michael interjected before he disappeared through a slice in the darkness and returned to Earth.

  CHAPTER 14

  Miles thought that help had arrived. He heard people speaking, but he had been drifting between pain and semi-consciousness and could not understand their exchange. Michael arrived after Gabrielle and Rafael were in the hotel room where the husband and wife were attacked.

  Miles did not sense becoming airborne in supine position as Rafael assessed his injuries. He was certain that his wife needed help. He squinted one eye open, but it wa
s not a good enough peek at who was in the room. He felt a presence close to him so he reached out and happened to grab Rafael’s arm as he coughed out, “Please, my wife was attacked by a monster.”

  Rafael froze, expecting Miles to disintegrate after making contact with his arm. But Miles remained unharmed.

  This human is an Anomaly.

  The three immediately produced their earthly covering. Gabrielle responded to Miles in his native Tagalog language. “Help is on the way.”

  “Help her first,” Miles pleaded.

  Miles floated and transferred to the sofa while Rafael and Michael moved to Richelle, whose body continued to tremble. Michael placed his hands over her ears without touching her. He appeared in her dreams as her mother consoling her. Meanwhile, Rafael hovered his arm over her torso, moving slowly while his wrist pulsated with warm red light.

  There is a second heartbeat.

  Michael looked at Rafael to acknowledge his unspoken message.

  Gabrielle remained with Miles. “Can you hear me?” she asked.

  He nodded yes. He remained in agony, still trying to take that one deep breath but every time he tried, a sharp pain seared through his body.

  Miles sensed someone near him again. It was Rafael, who returned to attend to his injuries. As the angel hovered his hand above Miles’ chest, Miles attempted to get up from the sofa so that Rafael’s hand pressed squarely and firmly on his chest, surprising the healer a second time.

  The Magna’s creation of humans started with a template based on attributes he extracted from himself and his citizens. The head was atop the body and ruled processing information for the entire form. The limbs stuck out of the torso for movement and social engagement. And the heart processed the energy of the body. The template was sanitized, until all possible traces of their individual characteristics were removed. The result was the human being.

  But Nature on Earth ruled its own course and exceptions occurred as the population grew. A few humans began revealing abilities that were not in their original design. The most common anomaly went to the seers, who had the ability to see the energy from dead humans called spirits.

  Rafael addressed Miles. “You have a broken rib and a dislocated shoulder.” Miles began to feel heat on his chest and shoulder. He squirmed some more. It became so intense that he was ready to scream until suddenly, his shoulder popped and he was able to take a deep breath with much relief. Both the pain and heat dissipated.

  “I think you are well enough to sit up,” a friendly voice invited. Miles opened his eyes and saw the beautiful face of Gabrielle.

  “I’m Gabrielle. What is your name?”

  “Miles, Miles Penchant.” He quickly followed up with, “My wife—”

  “She is okay for now,” the archangel of communication replied.

  Miles looked around. Aside from Gabrielle, he saw two men who stood sideways to him. He blinked a few more times, letting his eyes adjust. The three seemed out of place at a tropical resort. They looked neither Filipino, or tourists, or emergency personnel. And from where he sat, they looked much taller than his own six-foot frame. Suddenly, the memory of Mamie Rosa flashed through his mind with such ferocity that it brought chills all over his body.

  Gabrielle seemed to read his mind. “Do not be afraid. We saw the monster too.”

  Miles slid out of the sofa and ran to the bed where Richelle lay unmoving. He tried waking her up. She stirred briefly but did not wake up. Miles immediately scanned the room for the door. He thought of snatching his wife and making a dash to get out. But before he could move, one of the men spoke.

  “She is sleeping. She will need to rest her mind,” said Rafael.

  Their strangely calm demeanor heightened his fear which turned to panic when suddenly, the three switched places without walking.

  Ghosts!

  Gabrielle saw his expression and raised her hand, flicking it gently. “We are not ghosts. Be still and hear my words.”

  Miles found himself seated on the side of the bed unable to move. All three faced him. While Gabrielle looked sincere and curious, Rafael remained stoic and Michael looked stern.

  Gabrielle spoke again. “We came from far away to help. As you can tell, we are not human. We are not of your world. On occasion, we intervene when an extraordinary event occurs.”

  We are not human. The words echoed in Miles’ head.

  “Your fight with the monster alerted us. Though we did not expect to discover your ability.”

  The word “monster” brought his wife front and center in his mind. At the same time, he was still processing Gabrielle’s admission. In a moment of frustrated confusion, Miles blurted out, “My ability—what the hell are you talking about?”

  Michael hissed. “You would not dress your speech with that word if you knew what Hell truly was.”

  But Gabrielle looked at the two men, signaling that she would speak with the human. “Take a moment to breathe, Miles. You and your wife are safe.”

  She resumed talking after Miles lowered his gaze and nodded. “You’ve known for a while that you can see beyond what ordinary humans see. You can see the energy of those who are no longer living. And you can also touch them.”

  Miles immediately thought of Mamie Rosa. “An old woman said that when I was boy. She said it was a gift but I forgot about it—”

  Michael’s nose flared while Gabrielle kept talking. “The old woman who discovered part of your ability was a seer. But I would not call it a gift. We call it an anomaly. You possess one that will need strength to endure and live with, as you experienced a few moments ago.”

  “My wife saw the horrible monster too.”

  Miles caught Rafael discreetly move his hand over his chest as Gabrielle replied, “They were two spirits combined into one malevolent creature.”

  “I heard another voice.” Miles suddenly remembered.

  “It was,” Gabrielle gave the briefest pause, “A being from another universe who controlled the two spirits. Your wife witnessed a lapse in control. It disappeared from her vision but you continued to see it. And you fought with it.”

  “It was after my wife,” Miles growled.

  “It was neutralized,” Gabrielle stated. “But your wife went through an extraordinary event. We advise you to take extra care of her. She will be haunted by what she experienced. But she will be less fearful knowing she is not alone.”

  Miles felt a lump in his throat as he nodded his acknowledgement. “Thank you—”

  “Can you see them?” Michael suddenly asked him, his voice tinged with impatience.

  Miles stared at Michael, unsure how to respond to his question.

  “You did not see your grandfather’s spirit when he warned you about the power line that snapped near the resort?” Gabrielle added.

  “Can you see them?” Michael asked again, as the archangel turned and looked at the farthest wall in the room. Miles followed his gaze. He stared at the wall without an idea what he was supposed to see, until his gut sent that familiar tug.

  And then he saw two shadows on the floor. He stood up and cautiously walked nearer without taking his eyes off them. The shadows lightened until they changed into faintly limbed human forms. He leaned closer to one of them and saw the outline of a face inside the translucent form. The face was grotesque, contorted with what to him looked like suffering, fear, pain, misery and regret.

  Miles nodded his head again.

  Gabrielle explained, “It will take some getting used to, but this ability to see spirits is part of your anomaly. It will not be easy on your eyes.”

  A swirl of questions tumbled that his temples started throbbing. How does one begin to parse what he just saw and heard to come up with one articulate question?

  But Miles did not get the opportunity to ask, for Gabrielle ended their conversation.

  “There will be another time for us to delve into your newly-discovered anomaly. For now, we advise you to take care of your family, Miles Penchant.”


  The room began turning dark, like a lamp dimming in the dead of night. Before Miles knew it, he passed out on the bed beside his wife.

  At the same moment Miles closed his eyes, the penthouse doors flung open. Laura, the hotel manager, nearly tripped as she rushed into the room with two other hotel employees. Immediately, they saw the curtains on the French doors were on fire. Smoke began to fill the room. The ceiling sprinklers blew water as a fire alarm echoed throughout the floor.

  One of the assistants exclaimed, “I told you, Miss Laura. Lightning hit our building when we heard that loud boom!”

  But the hotel manager did not pay attention to him. She ran out of the room, grabbed a fire extinguisher from the hallway and came back to extinguish the curtains. Then she flung the patio doors open. The backdraft of fresh air sounded almost like an intake of breath as three unseen beings disappeared with the smoke.

  The three employees found the unconscious bodies of Miles and Richelle.

  “Please don’t be dead,” she murmured repeatedly until her mobile phone beeped. It was one of hotel executives.

  “We found two guests in this room, Mr. Blake.” Laura reported. Then her eyes gleamed with relief when Miles moved. “They’re breathing!”

  She hung up on her boss and called 911. “There are two victims. Send an ambulance now!”

  CHAPTER15

  The municipal hospital at the small island was ill-equipped to receive emergencies that included possible electrocution and hysterical psychosis. Richelle was placed on an emergency room bed while Miles, who remained conscious and alert, was sent to the information desk.

  About to be interviewed by the triage nurse, Miles did not quite know what information to share. Should he tell the truth? A poltergeist attacked him and his wife, and they were saved by three strangers who said they were from another world, and who told him he had an ability to see and fight with spirits. Who would believe such a tale in a medical facility, without committing him for mental evaluation?