Eater of Souls

by Erik Lynd

"No, but I'm the one who’s running away and hiding while that thing is out there. Yeah, yeah, I know even if I did confront it, I wouldn't last long. This was never meant for me. I should have never read the fucking Book."

  "But you did, didn't you?" Dark Eris said. Christopher could see the darkness sweep over her eyes. "You opened it, and now you are what you are. You think this all a mistake, well maybe it is, you probably aren't cut out for this. Maybe you just got lucky on Rath, beginner’s luck, and maybe now it’s only a matter of time."

  "Jesus, do you take career coaching lessons from a tall, dark librarian?" Christopher asked.

  "Or maybe not," Dark Eris went on. "Maybe despite all evidence to the contrary, you are up for this. Maybe third time’s a charm, and in your next battle with it you will send it scouring back to Hell. I would assume at this point it is suffering from over confidence anyway. The point is, you'll never know for sure until you try."

  "I think what she’s trying to say, to paraphrase a movie, is that you aren't the hero that the world deserves or even needs, you are the one it is stuck with," Hamlin said.

  "I was never cut out to be a hero," Christopher whispered.

  "Nobody is kid, not at first," Hamlin said. "Remember when this all started? You had your chance to run, but you didn't. Maybe it was the hunger for vengeance or some level of understanding of what this power means to you and everybody else. I don't know, but you didn't run then. And you aren't running now. We are just trying to figure all this shit out."

  Christopher nodded. "Then let’s go to the zoo and try to figure this shit out before it kills any more people."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "You’re sure the door is in here?" Dark Eris said.

  They were standing outside the park on the corner of 180th and Boston road. It was close to dusk and the sun stretched the shadows around them. Strangely peaceful considering what they were looking for. The smell of the river and fresh air was strong here, like an oasis in the middle of the densely packed city. The soft roar of the small waterfall just inside the park came through during lulls in traffic noise. Not so long ago, Christopher might have been spent a sunny afternoon like this one walking around the park looking for a nice place to sit by the water, not searching for the lair of the Beast of Hell.

  The stink of sinful souls fouled up his sense of smell. It was as though even a place as nice as this had the stench of corruption about it. Of all his gifts, this was the one he hated the most. It took the hope of joy away from him. Everywhere he went, he was surrounded by the putrid smell of sin and evil.

  "That's what the Librarian told me. Hidden somewhere in the park," Christopher said. Even as he said it, he gripped the small book in his pocket. It had taken the form of a small reference bible. It seemed the Book had a sense of irony.

  "Well, they shut the gates around dusk, so we should get to work finding this thing," Hamlin said.

  Christopher nodded and they went inside. Christopher caught Dark Eris' arm to get her attention and held her back briefly as Hamlin walked ahead.

  "We don't have time right now, but don't do your disappearing act anytime soon. We need to talk."

  She pulled her arm from his grip, but nodded. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

  The park was emptying, the last few stragglers wandering slowly out of the gates. He guessed they had thirty minutes or so before somebody would do a security sweep, and they would be asked to leave.

  "Should we spread out or something?" asked Hamlin when they walked up next to him. "Although, I’m not sure what I should be looking for."

  "Wouldn't do any good. It’s hidden with some power that apparently only I can detect," Christopher said.

  "What kind of power? I mean, is it invisible, or just disguised as something else?" Dark Eris asked.

  "No idea. The Librarian seemed to think I could use my abilities to hunt it down."

  "Then lead, on guy with the golden nose," she said with a flourish of her hand.

  Christopher stepped forward, but he was not quite sure how to even begin. He started by testing the air with his nose. He blocked out the mundane scents and honed in on the supernatural ones. He could smell the taint of Dark Eris and the much fainter corruption on Hamlin's soul. He had expected that. What he had not expected, though, was the absence of the almost constant evil oppression he felt most places in the city.

  Normally he felt it all around him, like a slimy film left over everything. The residue of the evil in all men's souls, thinned only by the goodness that could be found in most people. It was like being constantly around the smell of death, eventually you start to adapt, to ignore it. It takes a toll of course, adapting to something like that, turning it into the new normal, but it’s what he had to do. There was no choice.

  Here though…here things were a little different. Christopher reached out his hand and moved it through the air, trying to feel more, to sense more. He could feel that darkness of course, but it was less in here and was growing calmer as more people left the park. From the direction of the zoo he could sense the animals or rather, he could sense the absence of souls in the living creatures. They did not have souls, just pure animal instinct.

  "I think I know why he made a home here, under the zoo," Christopher said. "The animals have no souls, they have no corruption inside of them, at least not naturally. Just instinct. Here he could breathe easier, literally, the stench of human evil is faint when the visitors are gone. It’s an oasis for him."

  "Great, but we need a door. Does this clarity give you some indication of where that might be?" Hamlin asked.

  As they walked around the park, Christopher let his awareness spread outward. He had no idea what he was doing, but let instinct take over. The Hell-power inside of him flared up and then radiated outward. It was as though all his senses except sight spread over the ground around him. Touching, tasting, and smelling every surface. But it wasn't the mundane world he was sensing, it was the hidden. The realm of souls and the supernatural, the world of power and miracles.

  Hamlin took a step back as though it suddenly made him nervous to stand next to Christopher. Christopher didn't think Hamlin could see what he was doing. But he might be able to feel it or at lease sense a change in his demeanor. Dark Eris watched him intently, but she did not step back as he expanded his awareness. She seemed to be enjoying his display of power.

  Once he felt confident, he pushed his awareness even further. He could taste Hamlin's soul. It contained that same taint of sin that he had tasted before. So far, Christopher's experience had shown him that all humans, even the kindest, have some level of darkness in them, it was the balance that made the difference.

  Dark Eris was much more complex. He could see and smell the shifting shades of dark as they flowed through her aura, mixing with Eris' cleaner purity. For a moment, Christopher had thought the shades looked less distinct, the dark less black and the purity a little less clear. He wanted to touch that sin and see what secrets Dark Eris held, but he did not have time, and he knew that it would be a violation of her. He had read the secret sins of Hamlin's soul once before, out of necessity, but it was not a thing he wanted to repeat with those he considered friends. A demon friend though, that might warrant a deeper look when he could.

  As his supernatural awareness washed over the park, he felt it weakening, like it was being spread thin. So there were limits to this sensing. He felt the souls of the last of the stragglers leaving the park and of the homeless looking for a place out of the way that they could hide and rest until the gates opened in the morning.

  He touched upon the evil in their souls, but he did not investigate. Now was not the time to hunt mortals. He felt the weapon in his pocket cry out for souls as he tasted each one faintly. But he held it in check, even as he felt its fury grow with each taste.

  Suddenly, the spread of his sense stopped as though they had hit a wall, and the Hell-power inside of him seemed to sputter. The wound the werehound had given him flared with pain as though in mou
rning for a lost piece of himself. He fell to his knees and sucked air in through his teeth with a hiss.

  Hamlin and Dark Eris rushed forward, catching him so that he did not fall forward. "Are you okay? What happened?"

  "Something’s wrong," Christopher said. "The bite, it hurts."

  But that wasn't really it, Christopher knew. The pain of the bite wound was just a physical manifestation of the damage done inside. Something linked with the Hell-power inside him was damaged. Something was missing and it was weakening his power. But he wasn't sure how to articulate this to the others.

  "It seems I may have found some limits to my power," Christopher said and pulled the awareness back in a little. Instantly it became more comfortable. "Help me up."

  They hoisted him up and, after making sure he was steady on his feet, let him stand on his own.

  "It doesn't seem like that bite has healed right. You sure you're up for this, kid?" Hamlin asked.

  "Does it matter?" Christopher asked back, maybe a little harshly. "I don't have much choice. Eventually that thing will be after us."

  Hamlin just nodded and stood back.

  "We’ll have to move around, apparently my range isn't what it used to be," Christopher said. He smiled when he said it, but no one returned it. For a brief moment he thought he saw concern on Dark Eris' face but then the familiar half-smirk returned. He thought he might have imagined it. Dark Eris wasn't one for showing concern.

  Avoiding the few remaining people as best they could, they made their way around the park, Christopher gently searching as they did. Then, there was something.

  Or rather it was nothing. Near the waterfall his awareness suddenly slid over an area that wasn't there. That was the only way he could describe it. It was like a gap in the world, at least the supernatural one. One moment he was sensing both the good and bad around him and then, as his attention lingered near the stairs by the waterfall, he sensed an absence.

  "I've found something over by the waterfall," Christopher said as he shifted focus back to the physical world. He was a little disoriented.

  Hamlin grabbed his arm and steered him toward the river. "The stairs to the waterfall are just ahead."

  The stairs started just above the water fall and went down along the shore a few feet. The waterfall itself was a small one, maybe ten or fifteen feet tall, but the roar was enough to drown out almost all other sounds. The short fence that separated the stairs from the short drop to the river shore had several signs warning against swimming and that the area beyond the small fence was off limits.

  At the top of the stairs they stopped again and Christopher reached out with his power, looking for that same gap in the world. He felt it again, just below him. He looked over the edge. About fifteen feet below, the landing structure they were standing on met the rocky shore of the river. Whatever it was, it was down there.

  Christopher looked around the park, it was deserted from what he could see and sense. Satisfied they were alone, he pulled the shadows to him, forming his hooded coat of shifting darkness.

  "Trouble?" Hamlin asked, suddenly on guard.

  "No. I thought it was best to be safe. The entrance is down there by the shore somewhere. I guess I could carry you down..." he said.

  "Hell no. I can manage the climb and still maintain my dignity," Hamlin said.

  "Suit yourself."

  He turned to Dark Eris and held out his hand.

  She smiled, and at first he thought he would get some scathing retort. But then she chuckled and jumped into his arms. He sprang over the edge and landed silently on the shore below. He set Dark Eris down on her feet and for a moment their faces were close, their bodies were close. The smile on Dark Eris’ face dropped for just a moment and something like fear flickered to life. He was still in his heightened awareness, and he felt something reaching out between the two of them. It was a brief sensation of warmth that quickly turned into a scalding burn. She jerked away, scowling as though he had somehow insulted her.

  He would never understand women, especially demonic ones. But he did not have time to ponder his ignorance regarding females, supernatural or otherwise.

  He reached out with his power and instantly sensed the nothingness. It was a part of the natural rock wall that supported the stairs. He placed his hand against it, but felt only hard stone.

  Hamlin landed next to him and dusted dirt off his hands and clothes from the climb. "Find anything?"

  "Yeah, there’s something odd with this wall," Christopher said.

  Hamlin reached out and tapped the rock. "Seems pretty solid. Are we looking for a secret lever or something?"

  "I don't know. I suppose we could look," Christopher said.

  "Or maybe there's a key? Something only the Beast, or in this case you, might have in his possession?" Dark Eris asked.

  Christopher looked at Hamlin who just shrugged his shoulders.

  "He didn't give me key or anything like that...Oh wait, gotcha!"

  Christopher pulled out the Book and Weapon.

  "Not sure how you guys made it as far as you did without me. Not the brightest pair are you?"

  Wisely, Christopher thought, they both ignored her. The Weapon remained a pocket knife. Maybe it has a key that pops out like the saw or tiny scissors? Just then the book twisted in his hand to become a metal plate covered with runes.

  "Looks Aramaic," Dark Eris said from over his shoulder.

  "You read Aramaic?" Christopher asked. Not that he even knew what that was, other than a really old language mentioned in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

  "No... I just... I don't know how I know. It just seemed to click," she said and stepped away from him towards the shore of the river. "Just open the door already."

  Christopher held the plate out in front of him, looking for some sort of key hole that would fit the thing. Then there was a crack that they felt rather than heard over the roar of the falls. The stone face in front of him shimmered as though he was looking at it under water.

  "Did you see that?" he asked.

  "Felt something—like someone dropping a boulder on the ground, but didn't see anything," Hamlin said.

  When Christopher looked at her, Dark Eris just nodded. "Yeah, same for me."

  He reached his hand out to touch the now wavy surface of the stone. For a moment he felt a rush of power as he touched it, then he was sucked in.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  He stumbled to the ground as though he had been yanked forward. He got to his feet quickly and spun around. He was in a tunnel lit by a string of faint light bulbs. It smelled of wet concrete and dirt. Behind him, the way he had come was a black wall swirling with shadows.

  What was it with all the weird doorways with this guy? Christopher thought. Between this and the Library it would be nice to just find one that opens with a handle.

  A moment later Hamlin came through. Christopher caught him before he could fall.

  "Jesus Christ, kid. What the Hell was that?" Hamlin asked.

  "I suspect that was moving through several feet of stone without actually passing through it," Christopher said.

  "Well, I hope there’s a normal door out of this place. I don't want to try that again."

  Dark Eris came through next, stepping gracefully over the threshold.

  "What?" She asked, noticing their looks.

  They made their way down the hall. It looked like an old service tunnel. A couple of pipes carrying water or wires ran down the length. Weak, bare light bulbs were strung down its length.

  "Question: who do you think changes these bulbs when they burn out?" Dark Eris asked.

  There was only one turn before they found a door. A normal, steel door complete with handle.

  "How far do you think we've come?" Christopher asked.

  "Maybe four or five hundred feet. I'd imagine we’re under the zoo proper at this point," Hamlin said.

  Christopher opened the door and was immediately greeted by a musty scent. This door hadn't been op
en in a long time, and the air had gone stale. The room beyond was dark except for a faint glow from across the room, as well as a couple of blinking colored lights. He felt along the inside wall until he found a large switch that turned on the lights. The room was a large circle topped with a domed ceiling and walls made of concrete. There were no windows, so the only light came from the large light fixtures hanging from the high ceiling.

  The room was large enough to house a family of elephants comfortably, but obviously it wasn’t used for the animals. Against one wall was a bed and table. Nearby was a desk and a large safe. There was what looked like a kitchen area off to one side. Somebody had lived here, obviously it had been his predecessor.

  The faint light he had seen earlier was coming from a wall of monitors on stands near the middle of the rooms. The blinking colored lights had come from the server rack that stood nearby. Below the monitor wall was a large desk. It looked like an IT guy’s dream setup.

  "Congratulations," Hamlin said. "You have your own bat cave."

  Christopher walked over to the computer rack.

  "Why do you think he had all this?" Hamlin mused aloud.

  "Well if I had to guess, I would say he was taking advantage of modern conveniences to help hunt down his prey," Christopher said. "I've been starting to worry that we've been thinking too small. So far everything we’ve had to deal with is in New York. But as much as I love the city, I don't think that every escaped soul from Hell ends up in just this place. It's got to be a worldwide thing. If we go on the assumption that he was the only Hunter on duty, he would need a way to monitor the whole world. The internet would be a useful tool."

  "Okay sure, he sets up a Facebook page and sends friend requests to all his Hell-spawn pals. Gives a whole new meaning to catfishing, but whatever. He would’ve had to have some way to travel quickly around the world, and if your abilities are any indication he couldn't fly. That's a lot of air miles to rack up."

  "The other question is, how did he set this all up?" Christopher said and sat down the in the chair. He started flipping on the machines. "I mean, this isn't the movies. I could be wrong, but he didn't seem like the type to have a lot of assistants, and he didn't seem like the tech-savvy type when I met him. More of the kill-them-all-and-let-Hell-sort-it-out type. So how did he build such a high tech lair?"