Ingress

by Mary Ann Poll

  He pushed up to his feet and grabbed her shoulders. “Really?”

  “Really, you big dolt. We’ll work out the details later. Right now I need to get to Grandma’s and go over this list with her and the others.”

  “Can’t we at least celebrate—some time alone, maybe at your place?” He looked at her with a twinkling hope in his eyes.

  “Not that kind of celebrating. We aren’t going to celebrate in that way until we are married.”

  Disappointment descended over Ken’s features like the final curtain in a play.

  “Oh, for goodness sake, you are such a baby.” She smacked him again—on the arm this time. “I’m old-fashioned and happen to believe in waiting until we are married.” She confronted his disappointment with a firm look.

  “Okay, so a cup of coffee, then?”

  “One to go and you have a deal.”

  They crossed the street and walked into Jo’s. Ken grabbed a straw, tore off the top and blew. The paper landed on the sparkling counter.

  Jo closed the cash register. “Want a few more straws or can I get you something to go with the one you just claimed?”

  “A mocha and a …” Kat looked to her side and then down. Ken was on his knee.

  “Get up!” A rosy flush crept up Kat’s neck. “Get up!” she hissed. “You’re making a scene.”

  Ignoring her heightened discomfort and the instantaneous quiet, Ken stayed on one knee. He held up a paper ring.

  “Katrina Agnes Tovslosky, will you marry me?” He lifted his arm and the ring.

  “We’re waiting here,” Jo said from behind the counter.

  Kat looked at Jo, then at Ken, a foolish lopsided grin on his face, still holding the paper ring toward her. She shook her head, a smile of resignation on her face.

  “Yes, you big idiot, I’ll marry you.” She held out her left ring finger until Ken slipped it on.

  He stood up and she kissed him hard on the lips.

  Applause broke out around the room.

  “I always said you were a pushover.” Wendy stood behind Kat, arms crossed and her right foot tapping.

  “You always have said that. Guess you’re right.”

  Wendy gave Kat a disapproving look. Then her face broke into a wide smile. She threw her arms around Kat with enough force to push her into the counter.

  Wendy turned disapproving eyes to Ken. “She could have done better, you know. You high tale it out of Kat’s life again and you will definitely be answering to me.”

  Before she could say another word, Ken grabbed her and gave her a big hug. “I love you, too.”

  Wendy recovered and gave him a sheepish smile, then went straight-faced. “I mean it, Melbourne.”

  “I know you do. I’m not planning on messing it up this time.”

  “Good. Well, I need to go let everyone know.”

  “Well, hope you didn’t want it to be a secret engagement,” Kat said as she watched Wendy duck into the store next to Jo’s.

  “I don’t want it to be. Otherwise, I’d have proposed in the woods.”

  “These are on me.” Jo beamed as she placed the mocha and a latte laced with cinnamon on the counter. Ken looked at her, surprised she remembered.

  “Don’t look so startled, Mr. Melbourne, it’s what I do.”

  He shrugged. Her memory seemed wasted in this small town. He and Kat left hand in hand, leaning close. Kat’s heart was soaring and her joy was hard to contain. She sobered.

  “Grandma is still upset, you know.”

  “I know.”

  “I should have asked before I said yes.”

  “We’ll go ask her now. I’ve got to get her lecture over with anyway. No time like the present.”

  Kat wrapped her arms around Ken’s waist. Ken put his arm around her and they walked north on Main just enjoying the time together, not needing to say a thing.

  Brandon McGill watched them from the library window. A look of determination settled over his handsome features.

  “Okay, Ken, the game is on. May the best man win.”

  By the time Kat and Ken reached Grandma Bricken’s tidy house, they were giggling and messing around like teenagers. Ken grabbed Kat on each side and dug his fingers into her ribs. She wiggled out, almost slipping on the stoop. He grabbed her, held her close for a moment, and then let go.

  “Better get this over with.”

  “I’ve got your back if you get into real trouble.”

  Ken shot a rankling look at Kat. “I think I can handle myself with your Grandma.”

  Kat smiled. “We’ll see, tough guy, we’ll see.”

  She opened the door, gave Ken a quick kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the house. The smell of onions and meat greeted her.

  “That you, precious one?” Alese Bricken called from the kitchen.

  “Yep, Gram, and you have a visitor.”

  Gram came out of the kitchen wiping her hands down her apron. Her radiant smile turned into a menacing frown.

  “I see.” She turned back to the kitchen.

  Ken planted his feet in the entry, feeling less welcome than he’d been on his first visit. “Maybe I’d better go.”

  “What happened to, ‘I think I can handle myself?’” Kat grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her. “It’s now or never. If you leave, you have no chance of winning her back.”

  “I’d rather get a tooth pulled.” Ken turned back around but made no move toward the kitchen.

  Kat whispered into his broad shoulders, “I’ve got your back, Tough Guy” then snickered into his shirt. Ken stiffened and walked in.

  Grandma’s back was to him. She pushed a heaping mound of vegetables into a pot of stew.

  Josiah looked up and smiled. “Well, look what the Kat dragged in.”

  “Funny, Mr. Williams, very funny.” Ken lingered at the kitchen door. He took a hesitant step toward the large, welcoming table.

  Alese Bricken whirled around. The rapid movement sent him back into the doorway.

  “How dare you not call to even let us know you were alive, Kenneth Melbourne. How dare you! You were part of my heart. I thought I was part of yours. You not only broke her heart, which was sin enough, you broke mine.” She whirled back to the stove, a slight sniff the only indication of her sadness.

  Remorse and guilt flooded Ken. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bricken.”

  She stirred with frenzy and stayed silent.

  “I am truly sorry.”

  She laid the spoon on the counter and turned back around. Sad and unforgiving eyes locked onto his remorseful blue ones.

  “Sorry doesn’t fix everything. I wish it did.” The hurt was evident in her soft tone. “When I take someone into my heart, as I did you, and then I am as rejected as I was by you, I am not able to easily forgive or forget.”

  Kat watched the exchange. She strolled to the cabinet and retrieved two coffee cups when the dialogue came to a very loud pause. Ken and Grandma were looking into each other’s eyes. Kat returned to the table and set the cups in front of two empty chairs.

  Josiah reached over and squeezed her hand. He graced her with a tender smile and broke the silence. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven.”

  Alese’s straight back relaxed. She wiped her hands, came to the table and sat down. Kat grabbed another cup and set it before her grandmother. Alese motioned Ken to sit. He took a chair directly across from her.

  “Josiah is right. I forgot that truth. I am sorry I did not accept your apology, I do now. I am still hurt but I will pray for deliverance.”

  “I didn’t know that I was so important to you. I thought if Kat and I weren’t together, then I shouldn’t contact you, either.”

  “You were wrong.” Grandma searched Kenneth’s face until he was squirming like a kid. “But, I believe you. We won’t speak of it again.”

  Kat’s eyes
sparkled above a relaxed smile. Ken smiled back at her. Her look was one of deep love and respect. Why do I want and need that from you, my KittyKat?

  Kat remembered the paper she had in her coat pocket. She kissed Ken on the cheek, jumped up and trotted into the entry hall to retrieve it.

  “Hey. Where you been?”

  “Some of us have to work. You seen Melbourne?” Bart was not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

  “In here.”

  Bart looked at Kat. She smiled. He looked at her finger as she held the coat with her left hand and rummaged through the pocket until she found the paper.

  “Started paper jewelry as a sideline? I realize Ravens Cove’s boring in February but I didn’t think I’d ever see you stoop this low.” A smile played on his lips.

  Kat looked down then gave him a sheepish grin. “Ken made it.”

  Bart’s eyebrows shot up. “Ken Melbourne made it?”

  She walked to Bart and gave him a big bear hug, stood back and whispered, “we’re engaged.” She threw her hand over Bart’s mouth right before he yelled.

  “Shhh. I haven’t told Gram yet.”

  “I can’t let you out of my sight for a minute.”

  “You should have heard Wendy at Jo’s.”

  “Now that’s romantic, a proposal at Jo’s.”

  “Pretty romantic—and he spared no expense.” She wiggled left hand fingers to highlight the paper band.

  “We better get the duct tape if you’re going to keep that expensive thing on much longer.” They laughed and headed to the kitchen. Kat placed the papers in the middle of the table and Grandma took them. She started to read aloud.

  A more sinister type of planning meeting was taking place in Old Town. A dark fog seeped under the walls then settled in the mansion’s attic. A red light within the fog throbbed on and off like an old hotel sign. A dark figure was outlined with each pulse of light. Four small, cloven-hoofed beings faced the black, angry mist.

  “You had the men and they got away. You were in that horrid child of God’s bedroom and you couldn’t take her,” a voice boomed from within.

  The Kumrandes stood stock-still and silent.

  “Answer!”

  “They had lights. Blue lights that pierced our eyes and made us blind,” Nihilist answered.

  “The animal of that woman would not obey and challenged me.”

  “You are cowards. There are still three more portals to open. I don’t care how, but you find and destroy the old man and the rest of those who are a threat to our plan. And do not fail this time!” Atramentous exhaled in the Kumrandes’ direction; a gale-force wind picked them up and blew them in balls toward the door. The door flew open by itself and they tumbled down the attic stairs and the stairs of the mansion.

  Kal the bartender saw four small, grey balls blow through the old house’s door, down the steps and into the courtyard. The door blew shut with a loud bang. He watched as the four balls unwound themselves and stood up. He realized what he was seeing and turned to run. It was too late. They ran him down and pulled him to the skull rock, pushed, and it opened. They dragged the unconscious man into the depths below.

  A few short hours later, the body lay in front of the cannery. The chest was open and so was his throat. He began to deflate like a balloon as his insides disintegrated. Maggots wiggled out from his chest and neck, covering him like a sick winter coat. The portal in the cannery had burst into the upstairs office with such force, it blew out the glass windows separating the office from the hallway in front.

  This portal’s light did not pulse. It was a steady, sick yellow. Gambogian walked through the opening and smiled. “It’s good to be back.”

  “It is indeed.” Caitiff, the small shadow figure, walked out behind him.

  “You find out what the Six knows. I’m going to locate Iconoclast’s lost friend.”

  Caitiff dove into the floorboards to the underground and traveled toward Ravens Cove. Gambogian set off to find a small church and the man who chose to minister from it.

  Reverend Lucas stood at the podium in the new home church that the city council had gifted to him after some of Ravens Cove’s finest citizens had burned down his old one. His notes for the Wednesday service lay before him.

  “Come home for some dinner.” Tanya called from the back of the church.

  “Not hungry.”

  “You need to eat. Come home, just for thirty minutes.”

  Paul looked up at his beautiful blessing of a wife and nodded. He walked down the rough steps that led to the podium and took her hand. They continued out the small door and down the steps.

  He felt a sharp pain, released Tanya’s hand and grabbed his left arm. The pain turned to a stinging throb.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Feels like something bit me.” Another sharp pain hit his right arm. The sting became an unrelenting fire. He grabbed it. Weakness overcame him and he dropped to the icy ground.

  Tanya clutched his arm, draped it around her shoulders and lifted him off the ground. She walked him to the church steps. Paul yelled and doubled over from an invisible punch. He perceived a sick, yellow light glowing from his shirt, then it was gone. Tanya tried to get him to sit on the steps. He refused.

  Gambogian screamed into her mind, “You’re next, daughter of Eden.”

  Gambogian’s ochre aura grew dim. Weakness overtook him. He had not calculated the loss of strength from opening the ingress. “We’re not finished yet,” he screeched and flew to the cannery.

  “Get me into the church.”

  Tanya threw Paul’s right arm over her shoulders. She leaned him against the church door, holding him steady with her body and struggled with the knob until she heard the click of the latch. The door opened and they both fell through. Paul stayed on the floor.

  He tried to get up and fell back to the floor. “Sorry, sweetheart, can’t manage my muscles.” His words slurred and his eyes were half-closed.

  “I’ll call Doc Billings.” Tanya ran for the door mentally kicking herself for not insisting on getting a phone put in the church.

  “Get Grandma Bricken.” Paul’s voice whispered after her.

  “You need a doctor.”

  “I need the Great Physician, not Doc Billings.” He pulled up his shirt and a large scratch materialized. As Tanya watched, more scratches appeared and turned a fiery red.

  “Oh no.” Panic laced her voice.

  “Call Grandma.”

  She nodded and ran. She loped across snowdrifts, threw open the front door, ran to the kitchen phone and dialed.

  “Please be there. Please.”

  The phone trilled at Alese Bricken’s home. Grandma was concentrating so hard on the ledger Kat had brought from the library, she had blocked out anything happening around her.

  Kat smiled at Ken, rose and walked to the small table. “Good evening,” she answered.

  “Kat?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Tanya Lucas. Something’s happened to Paul. He’s asking for Grandma Bricken.”

  “Is he ill?”

  “He’s in the small church. He is in great pain and asked me to call Alese.”

  “Not to state the obvious, but have you called Doc Billings?”

  “He wants Grandma. I saw the wounds that came out of nowhere mind you. This is a demonic attack.”

  Of course it is. We couldn’t just have a run of the mill illness in Ravens Cove. What good would that be?

  “Hold on.”

  Kat walked to the kitchen door.

  “Tanya Lucas needs to talk to you, Grandma.”

  Grandma looked at Kat. “Excuse me?”

  “Paul’s wife is asking for you. It’s urgent.”

  A minute later Grandma put her head back in the kitchen door. “I need to get to the church.”

  The small troop stood in unison.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Paul lay on the floor of the church.

  Tanya looked at
Alese Bricken through wet eyes. “He lost consciousness before I got back here.” Tanya ran her hand over Paul’s feverish cheek. She dipped a rag into a bucket of water and placed it on his forehead. Paul responded with a body jerk and a sharp, ragged breath. The small group encircled Paul and linked their hands together.

  “Precious Jesus, our dear brother is in agony. We ask for Your healing touch and mercy for his body, mind and soul. Restore his health, merciful Lord, as only You can. In Your powerful name.” Josiah bowed his head.

  Tanya’s silent tears became sobs. “How could he be attacked by evil? He is a man of God. How could God allow this?”

  “I don’t know God’s mind but I know His power,” Grandma said.

  “Please, precious Jesus, fight for this man. He loves you and believes in you. His will to fight has been stolen, O God. Revive his soul. Your will be done, gracious and wonderful One.”

  “This is not helping. He needs a doctor.” Kat pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

  Doc Billings arrived out of breath and disheveled.

  “Sorry to get you out so late.”

  “My job. Now back up so I can take a look at him.” Kat and Ken stepped away from Paul.

  “He has a temperature of 103 and these abrasions are oozing.” Billings yanked the gloves off his hands. “What happened to him? And how long has he been ill? He should have been in a hospital days ago.” He frowned then looked at Tanya.

  Tanya hung her head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I explained.”

  Ken looked at his watch then cleared his throat. “To answer your question, he’s had this disease for about an hour.”

  “Maybe that’s your sick idea of a joke. It would have taken much longer for this to be so advanced.”

  Doc grabbed a syringe and a gold liquid from his bag. “This stuff will help if we are not too late. We need to get him to the hospital in Clayton.” He shot the liquid into Paul’s arm.

  “This was a demonic attack, why didn’t he respond to prayer?” Tanya Lucas covered her face and wept.

  “Madam, this is a staph infection and an aggressive one at that. This man is going to die if we don’t get him to a hospital. Now, help me get him into the car.”

  A soft voice sighed past Kat’s ear, pray. Now. The fear of embarrassment yelled, don’t do it! You’ll be labeled a fanatic! The soothing tone of the first speaker murmured encouragement. She put an arm on Doc’s. He looked down at her.