Stars and Satellites

by Terry Reid

  “You do not belong here.” The boy warned, in a deeply chilling voice. But Alex knew it was not he who was speaking.

  “Neither do you.” Alex replied, taking a step towards the stairs.

  A loud roar blasted outward from the walls – shaking the house to the very foundations. The tremor was swiftly followed by a blast of air that flung Alex backwards through the wall with a mighty crash. The peace of the night was shattered by what sounded like a herd of elephants crashing through a wall. Something did crash through the wall – but it wasn’t a herd of elephants.

  Alex tumbled out into the front garden accompanied by a shower of bricks and mortar.

  Hayley was shocked by what she had just seen. Part of her wanted to run to her fallen angel, but spying the Alex beside her, she stayed rooted to the spot. “Are you ok?” she asked, grasping his arm.

  He seemed offended that she was even asking. “I’m fine.” He shrugged. “He just caught me off guard...that’s all.” He insisted.

  The other Alex that lay in the garden suddenly staggered upright, a film of dust falling from him. Appearing to be uninjured, he dusted himself off before running headlong back into the house via the newly-made hole in the wall.

  Hayley found herself laughing at his misfortune. “So much for being so powerful, I guess being an angel is not all it’s cracked up to be?”

  “Huh, I haven’t even got started yet. Just you wait. I’ll have this demon wrapped up in no time.” He assured her...right before his clone was sent hurtling upwards through the roof. He came crashing back to earth, this time landing in the middle of the road amidst a shower of rendering and roof tiles.

  Hayley glanced down at the one lying flat on his face and then back to the original and said: “Yeah, you boys really seem to know what you are doing.”

  The second Alex picked himself. He was a little dirty but there was not a scratch on him. “Are you saying that your own guardian can’t handle a demon?” He asked, as he dusted himself off again.

  “I think she is.” The original Alex agreed.

  “Always doubted me even when you were little.” His clone echoed. He folded his arms and gave Hayley a huffy look.

  “Maybe because all you have managed to do so far is ruin some poor person’s house and attract the neighbour’s attention.” Hayley replied, gazing down the street. Both Alex’s looked in the same direction. Down the far end of the road, a few faces had begun to emerge from behind doors and dark windows.

  “I think it’s time to go.” Alex decided, taking a hold of Hayley’s hand.

  “I think so too.” His clone agreed.

  Hayley was about to say something but found herself stunned to silence as she realised that they were back in the flat. She had not blinked once and the scenery had changed completely. It took her a few moments to realise that they were back in the living room, sitting on the sofa. “What just happened?” she asked, looking at Alex uneasily.

  “You are a little slow sometimes. We’re home.”

  “Now what do we do?”

  Alex shrugged. “Well we can’t go back to that house it will be crawling with police in a few minutes.”

  “Wait, what about the demon? Won’t it kill them or something?” Hayley said worriedly.

  “Oh don’t worry it will be gone by the time the police and the neighbours appear. If it tried to pick someone off for a meal it would definitely be seen.”

  Hayley was surprised by his lack of concern. “If it could throw you about so easily, why would it be scared to attack a few dozen regular people? It could kill them...”

  Alex gave her a reassuring look. “That’s something that you have to remember. Demons may be the nastiest, coldest beings in existence and they would kill you in a heart beat but they are also extremely shy...well, most of them. They prefer lurking in the shadows, that way their victims remain scared. They know something’s there but they don’t know what. The fear and anticipation is what drives them, they love to torment their prey and then kill them without causing a scene or a fuss.”

  “Yeah, but shouldn’t we be doing something about it?” Hayley asked, beginning to grow desperate by the gravity of the situation.

  Alex hesitated to answer her. Finally with difficulty, he replied: “My first priority is to keep you safe. Willingly putting you into a situation which could turn dangerous seriously infringes that. I’m sorry, but I misjudged the situation earlier. I shouldn’t have taken you there.”

  Hayley was shocked by his sudden change of heart. Pondering what to do next, she bravely said, “But what if I went then? You’d have to follow, you said so yourself.”

  Alex shook his head heavily. “I’m not supposed to stop you from going wherever you want, that’s another rule. But I can if absolutely necessary.”

  “You’re not my Dad.” Hayley said boldly, rising to her feet.

  “No I am not, but I won’t let you endanger your life. This is not our fight anymore.”

  She shook her head in disbelief at his sudden lack of concern. “Then who else is going to stop it? That thing’s on the loose! It’s clearly already killed people...” she suddenly trailed off her rant and clasped her hands over her face. “Oh god.” She mumbled. “I’m talking like this sort of thing happens every day.”

  “It does for me, but it shouldn’t have to for you. It isn’t fair.” Alex replied.

  Hayley sighed tiredly, slumping into the sofa next to him. “I know you’re only trying to look out for me.” She muttered, staring at the ceiling. “I could always try knocking you out with a vase again and make a break for it.” She added, looking back at Alex. He started laughing.

  “Come on Alex, I’m really scared. I don’t like the idea of it killing anyone else.” She confessed, looking at him with pleading eyes. Alex gazed back at her dubiously, heavily reluctant to oblige to her request.

  Twenty minutes later the two of them found themselves heading down the back streets of the city. No longer walking under the safety of the overhanging street lights, Alex and Hayley had truly entered the narrow, dark and forbidding alleyways of Glasgow. These streets had a bad reputation for rapes and murders and those prospects were even scarier to Hayley than the notion of a demon jumping out at them. Despite Alex’s protection and undeniable power, his presence did nothing to comfort her.

  “Are you alright?” He asked, looking at her with grave concern.

  “Yeah, just a little bit cold...” Hayley replied, rubbing her gloves together frantically.

  “Would you like my jacket?” He offered as they trudged onwards through the dark back street.

  “Nah, I’ll be fine.” She insisted, continuing to dither from the chill.

  Alex took a hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly. He gave her a reassuring smile before saying, “If you’re sure.”

  Hayley smiled back at him, feeling a little more at ease.

  “So how are we going to find this demon?” she asked out of curiosity.

  “I’m following its energy trail...” He replied, somewhat preoccupied.

  “Oh that makes a lot of sense...”

  Alex didn’t reply, he was too busy concentrating on what he was doing.

  “So what does a demon actually look like?” Hayley asked.

  Alex took his time in answering her. Finally, he said somewhat distractedly, “There are lots of different kinds...most of them look nothing alike...”

  “No red horns and pitchforks then?”

  “That’s a common misconception, yes...the one I am after is known as a Joseg...”

  “Joseg? And they are dangerous?”

  Alex suddenly looked at her for the first time in a while. “All demons are dangerous. That is their purpose.”

  “I meant on a scale of one to ten, how dangerous? I’m not stupid you know. Are they like one of the worst kinds you can get?” she reiterated, growing tired of his vague answers.

  “They’re not that dangerous. They are quite common in certain places and they are not v
ery smart. They haven’t got many abilities either, so it shouldn’t take long for me to dispose of it.”

  “It can’t be that much of a pushover judging by the way it kicked you around earlier.”

  Alex was up in arms. “I told you, he caught me off guard, that’s all.” He muttered bitterly.

  “Hmm...that will be right.”

  Alex looked at her furiously. “You’ll be much more supportive once things get dirty. Then you’ll be screaming for me to save you.” He warned.

  Hayley smiled naively and cockily replied, “Yeah, whatever you say Alex.”

  In a nearby nightclub the party hard atmosphere was going down a storm like it did every night with the drinkers and the dancers. The dance floor was heaving with rocking bodies, dancing hypnotically to the repetitive blaring beats.

  A hooded figure weaved his way through the packed club. Spying a lone corner close to the bar, he carefully made his way through the rocking masses to reach it. Pressing his back against the wall, he began to carefully survey the dance floor. From where he was, he could see the entire club and everyone who moved on and off the dance floor. But that was not why he was there.

  It was not long before another over intoxicated youth staggered into the men’s toilets. Spotting his next meal, the hooded figure made his move to follow.

  On entering the toilets, the black hoodie caught a glimpse of his prey disappearing into a cubicle at the far end. Treading soundlessly across the black and white tiles, he paused outside the door. Quickly and quietly he reached for his hood and pulled it back, revealing his white and sickly pale flesh. His black hollow eyes glistened intensely in the light as he prepared himself for the kill. He kicked the door in.

  “Hello.” said a familiar voice right before the possessed hoodie was struck by a blinding flash of white lightning. He was sent crashing through the wall, leaving tumbling bricks and debris in his wake.

  Alex emerged from the cubicle, closely followed behind by Hayley. Hayley nervously peered round his side at the mess. Alex held out his arm to prevent her from getting to close. “Stay behind me.”

  His attention was drawn forward again by the sound of shifting rubble. From within the deep, dusty crater came the loud bellowing roars of a formidable foe. The noise was horrendous enough to make Hayley flinch.

  The air was so thick with dirt that it was impossible to see what was now running toward them. But the noise its heavy feet made on the shattered tiles gave a clear indication of its sheer size.

  Alex readied himself, standing firm...

  Hayley did not even see the beast emerge from the hole in the wall - it was moving that fast. Alex however did and had been anticipating the monster’s move for several seconds. To him a moment was an eternity and he had just used only a handful to calculate his next move - as well as his opponents. Alex swung his fist, catching the snarling beast in the side of the head. The blow sent it flying off to the right. It crashed into the far wall, causing another horrendous noise as bricks and mortar reigned down about it.

  Rearing onto its hind legs, the black fleshed beast raised itself to its fully height – ten feet of snarling, ugly, stinking, beast. It let out a hideous, piercing shriek which made Hayley cover her ears. As it flexed its large, elongated jaw, it revealed row after row of black teeth – the longest larger than a grown man’s elbow.

  Hayley could see it clearly for the first time now. Its fur appeared to be almost like skin, it was so fine and glossy and as dark as the night. Its snout was long like a dog’s – but its mouth ran almost all the way back to the start of its neck. The Joseg’s forelimbs were heavily built, with its paws rounded off with large, curved claws. Behind it the only part that resembled anything remotely like how Hayley had envisioned a demon to be like was the long, narrow, diamond-tipped tail. The rest of it in reality defied even the greatest of imagination.

  “Why are you here?” Alex asked as his hands began to glow with intense power.

  The Joseg roared and charged him again. Alex fired another bolt of lightning at the beast – but this time it managed to cut its way up through it. As it fell through the air, Hayley narrowly avoided being squashed as it landed on top of Alex.

  Pinning the angel flat against the floor, the Joseg leaned forward and snarled in his face – its flesh-tearing teeth dripping with saliva as they hung within inches of his head.

  The beast flinched and yelped suddenly as it was clipped in the head with half a brick. It looked up to see where the projectile had come from.

  “Come on then!” Hayley shouted, waving her hands towards herself as she taunted the beast.

  The demon grunted uninterestedly and turned its attention back to Alex – but he was gone. Roaring furiously it turned its attention back to Hayley and began thundering towards her at an incredible pace.

  “Oh shit...” muttered Hayley, turning and running.

  Alex materialised in front of her and with a swift twist of the body jump-kicked the beast down to the floor. Alex leapt onto its back and gathering his fists together – slammed them into the beast. The Joseg released a hideous shriek as it began to disintegrate. It strained and struggled as its skin began to crack and shatter. It fractured like brittle glass as fine shafts of light seeped through the cracks which appeared all over its body. Then, it exploded into a cloud of ashes.

  Alex straightened himself up and turned back to look at Hayley -- grey bits of ash floated and fluttered by him. She could only stare with astonishment. He smiled at her warmly and winked.

  A cubicle door swung open with a bang. A dazed young man staggered out of it. Steadying himself by grabbing hold of the door post, he gazed bewilderedly at the disastrous bomb site that lay about him. He may have been disorientated and nearly unable to stand but if it had not been for Alex, he would not have been given the chance to stand at all.

  Alex turned back to Hayley. “Maybe we should get out of here before the manager shows up.” He suggested.

  “Yeah...” Hayley mumbled, mesmerized by the mess. Alex gently turned her around and guided her in direction of the door.

  On the return to the flat Hayley could not believe the time. It was nearly four in the morning. The night had been so shocking and eventful that she had not stopped once to even glance at her watch.

  “I had no idea that it was so late...” she said, a little beside herself.

  “Or this early...” Alex cheekily added, handing her a fresh cup of tea. Hayley glanced down at the hot refreshment. “Not in the mood for boiling the kettle then?”

  “I’m too lazy and too tired to do that at this time of night.” He replied, taking up his own cup, which seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

  Hayley took a seat at the table. She slumped back into the chair, realising for the first time just how tired she really was. “Any idea where that thing came from?” she asked.

  “I can’t say for certain in all honesty.” He replied thoughtfully. “It may have followed me back through to this world the other day...”

  “Why?”

  “Sometimes if there’s movement on one side, the other gets suspicious and sends a scout through to investigate, so to say.” He said vaguely, more interested in drinking his tea than answering her question.

  “Any chance we’ll see anymore of those things?” Hayley continued, hoping not.

  Alex sat down at the far end of the table and leant back in his chair. “Nah, I don’t think so. If there were any others they would have sensed the death of the one that I just disposed of. They’ll know I’m a threat and will stay away.”

  “Hmm.” Hayley said, running her finger along the edge of her cup. “You still haven’t told me why you left...”

  Alex looked at her, but did not answer. Lowering his gaze he drank his tea.

  “You really did kick that thing in though.” Hayley said, deciding it best to change the subject.

  Alex smiled at her suspiciously. “Is that a compliment?” He inquired dubiously.

  “You know
it was.”

  Alex’s smile broadened. “I think that deserves a hug.” He said.

  “Yeah, alright.” Hayley agreed, getting up out of her seat. Alex embraced her, lifting her off the ground.

  “Alex...”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re crushing me...”

  “Sorry.” He apologised, letting go of her.

  Hayley re-inflated her lungs with a deep breath. She glanced back at her watch again and at the time. “It looks like I won’t be going into work again...” she added.

  Alex folded his arms. “I thought you said you were going to quit?” he asked.

  Hayley smiled at him and shook her head. “It’s not that simple. How am I going to pay the rent and things?”

  “Hello? I can split myself into two. I don’t mind working.”

  “Are you allowed to do things like that?”

  Alex smirked smugly. “You know me I’m a bit of a rogue.” He bragged, taking another drink of his tea.

  “And what am I suppose to do everyday then?”

  Alex shrugged. “Go out and enjoy yourself. Try to get into college again.” He said.

  Hayley nodded thoughtfully at his suggestion. Slumping back into her chair, she finished the last of her tea and then retired to bed.

  Chapter 3

  The day started like any other. John came down to have breakfast with the rest of his family. John was your average average fifteen year old; he had spiky brown hair, wore baggy trousers and felt indifferent towards most things.

  As he stepped into the kitchen, his gaze was met by the bright, eccentric smile of his mother.

  “Good morning John! How are you this morning?” she asked, clearly in high spirits.

  “Fine.” John answered bluntly. Averting his gaze, he went straight to the cupboard to get some cereal.

  “Oh...” she said disappointedly. “I take it you did not see any of our visitors again last night then?” She looked at him expectantly. Her optimism was met by John’s bored expression. He turned back to the cupboard without word and pulled out the box of cornflakes.