by Dan Farris
“It really happened then? I had sex…with a ghost?”
“Huh, yeah you did. Wanna go again?”
Sean sat down on his bed next to her.
“God, I had sex with a ghost. I had sex with a ghost?!”
“Yep, and it sure was good. Wanna go again?”
“Wait, let me think a minute. This is all too much.”
“What’s your name again? The living aren’t supposed to be able to touch the dead, let alone have sex with them.”
“I’m nobody. Just a foster kid that’s been haunted by spirits his whole life.”
“No, no, you are definitely something. Plenty of the living can sense spirits. But you, you’re different.”
“It doesn’t matter now. That demon that we summoned, it’s going to kill me soon and drag me to Hell.”
“You summoned a demon? Why would you do something like that?”
“I didn’t mean to. I was looking for answers. I wanted to know why spirits come to me when I sleep. Now, people are dead because of me. Why didn’t they go to Heaven? Why didn’t you go to Heaven?”
“I’m damned. So are your friends, apparently. Only the damned souls go to The Darkness. But, eventually, we all get caught and taken to Hell. Though, some have been running in The Darkness for thousands of years.”
“I don’t want that to happen to me. I don’t want to go to Hell or join you in that place, whatever it’s called. What do I do? Can you help me?”
“Pray. Ask God to forgive you.”
“God has abandoned me.”
“I don’t know what you are, but I sense something in you, something I can’t explain.”
Sean’s cellphone was ringing, it was Persephone. “Sean! Sean! Kevin and Diana are dead!”
“God, no, the demon got them.”
“Sean, I’m so scared. I don’t want to be alone. Can I come over, please?”
“You should run. I have to leave now,” said Mary Ann.
“What… why?”
“A demon is here with us!”
Chapter 11-Sean
Sean stood in his bedroom. “Mary Ann, Mary Ann, are you still there? Mary Ann!” Sean rushed toward the bedroom door, but it quickly shut. Sean turned around and saw a large, dark shadow.
“I’ve found you. Such power. I haven’t felt such power since I was in the presence of my father and older brothers,” said the shadow. “You’re the demon from last night. You killed Luke and the others! Have you come for me?” God, please forgive me, please accept me into your kingdom if this is the end. Please forgive me.
“I was looking for you. They were nothing. You, you’re coming with me.”
“Screw you, you dick! I’m not going anywhere with you. You assholes have been tormenting me my whole life. Kill me if you want, but you can’t have my soul. You can go back to Hell where you came from.”
The shadow moved toward Sean, and Sean fell on the floor. He felt his life slipping away. “This is it, God, don’t let this thing take me. Please, don’t let it have my soul. Forgive me for all my sins and accept me into your kingdom.” Sean closed his eyes.
When he awoke, he was lying in his bed. He looked over and saw Persephone sitting in the bed with him.
“What? Did it get us? Are we dead?” Sean asked.
“You’re up. Thank God. You slept the whole day. We’re still alive.”
“Wait, what happened? The demon from last night was here, it had me. I felt it, it was killing me….”
“I heard you over the phone. You were yelling for some person named Mary Ann, and I could hear you were afraid, so I drove over as fast as I could. Your front door was unlocked, and when I came in, you were on the floor. I thought you were dead at first. Thank God you’re alive, Sean.”
Sean sat up in his bed.
“I don’t understand, why didn’t it take me? Why didn’t it kill me? Why would it just leave like that?”
“I don’t know. I’m just glad it did. Everyone else is dead, it’s just me and you now. We have to stick together. I’m so scared.… Who is Mary Ann, by the way?”
“What? Nobody, I don’t know what I was saying. You’re right, we should stick together. Figure out what to do next.”
“Great, I brought some of my things, so I can spend the night, if you don’t mind. I just couldn’t imagine being alone, after everything that has happened.”
“You sure you want to be around me? You know there’s a demon after me, right?”
“Last I checked, it has killed everyone that summoned it. It’s after me too. So, I’ll take my chances with you. Let me fix you something to eat, you must be starving.”
“Thanks.”
After they had dinner, Persephone sat on his couch while Sean sat on the floor in his living room.
“I can’t explain this, any of this. The night terrors, sleep paralysis, those people dying, the demon. It was after me. For power? I don’t know what that means. It could have killed me, I felt it. I have no power, it could have killed me just like the others. Why is it still after me?”
“I wish I had the answers. What about your family?”
“What about them? I’m a foster kid, I have no family.”
“You’ve never tried to find your father or mother? Maybe they will have some answers.”
Sean looked off into the distance. “I have no family.”
“Looks like you need some time alone. Guess I’ll go to bed. If you need anything, just let me know.” Persephone got up and headed to the bedroom. I need to get in touch with Mary Ann.
The next morning when Sean awoke, he went to a nearby lakea and sat down in the long stretch of grass that overlooked the lake. It’s always so peaceful out here, so calm. This demon is going to keep coming for me, and I can’t stop it. I should just accept my fate.
As Sean looked at the lake, he saw the water moving at a particular spot. What the hell is that? Sean looked closer, and a woman emerged from the water, completely naked. She walked on the water toward Sean. Her eyes were hazel; her physique was a mixture of curvaceous and leanness, her skin was a mixture of green and brown, and her hair was pure blue, stopping at her shoulders. Perfect. Sean jumped up in disbelief.
“Who are you? How’d you do that?”
Once the woman reached the shores, she walked toward Sean, pushed him on the ground and got on top of him. “What are you? Are you a demon?”
“I felt you,” said the woman.
“What? What the Hell are you talking about?”
“I haven’t felt power like this in a long time.”
“Did the demon send you? What does he want with me?”
The woman leaned down and kissed Sean.
“Who are you?”
The woman kissed Sean again, but longer this time. “What...who...what’s happening?”
“I want you to come find me.”
“Find you? I don’t understand.”
The woman then started to take off Sean’s pants.
“What are you doing? Stop that! Who are you?”
“You don’t want me to stop.… Come find me… come find me…”
Sean awoke and realized he was still at the lake, but had been dreaming. That seemed so real. What a crazy dream. God, am I losing my mind now?
“Hello handsome. Why the sad face?” asked Mary Ann. Sean looked up.
“Mary Ann? You’re okay. I thought the demon captured you.”
“Nah. Besides, it wasn’t after me. It’s good to see you’re still alive. Oh, about that demon! I’ve been asking around and apparently, it’s a low-level demon. Like way low on the totem pole. I haven’t got a name yet, but it’s been looking for you since you summoned it.”
“Low-level demon? This is too much…. Before my brain explodes, could we go see a movie first?”
“A movie date? Why yes. Ooh, what movie?”
“Something by Pixar. I love their movies.”
After leaving a movie theater, Sean and Mary Ann got in his car.
; “I don’t understand. How can a wolf fall in love with a pig? Don’t wolves eat pigs?” Asked Mary Ann.
“I think it was making a point about loving someone despite their outer appearances. Besides, it’s an animated film, you have to cut it some slack. Now tell me more about this demon that’s after me.”
“Oh yeah! So, it’s a low-level demon.”
“Stop right there. Explain that. Low-level, what does that mean?”
“There’s a hierarchy. Some demons are stronger and more powerful than others. The more powerful demons send the lesser ones to capture souls for them. That’s the type of demon that you summoned. He captures souls for the more powerful demons.”
“That’s a lot to digest.”
“Yep, but I don’t think that he told his boss about you.”
“What makes you say that?” “If the other demons sense what I sense in you, then they would have come for you by now. I think the one that you summoned has somehow blocked you from being discovered by other demons.”
“Why didn’t he kill me yesterday then? He had me. Why did he stop? What is he waiting for now?”
“I don’t know, but ever since yesterday, even the other souls can’t see the bright light that radiates from you.”
“Then how can you still sense me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we had sex?”
Sean laughed.
“Yeah, maybe. I can’t believe all of this is happening. Can’t believe any of this is real. What does this demon want with me?”
“There is something special about you, you just have to find out what that is.”
“Yesterday, the demon said he hadn’t felt such power since he was in the presence of his father. Any idea what that means? I think he was talking about the devil.”
“Could be. Thank goodness he hasn’t told the devil about you. You would definitely be dead by now.”
God, please forgive me for what I’ve done.
Sean leaned in to kiss Mary Ann when someone knocked on his car door. Mary Ann vanished, and when Sean looked over, it was Persephone. Sean opened the door.
“Where have you been? Didn’t you check your phone? I’ve been calling you all day. You left this morning without telling me. I was so worried! I thought you were dead!”
“Calm down, calm down. I’m sorry I left this morning without telling you. With everything that’s happened, I ended up at the lake to clear my head. It calms me. I totally forgot about my phone; it’s been off all day. There, it’s on now. By the way, how’d you know I was here?”
“I didn’t! I was driving by and recognized your car, thank God! Did you forget that there is a demon after us? How could you leave me alone all day like that? We were supposed to stick together, remember!”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry. Forgive me.”
“Of course I forgive you. Just don’t do it again. What were you doing out here in the car by yourself? I could’ve sworn you were talking to someone.”
“I was praying, asking God for guidance. You hungry? Let’s go get something to eat. Get in your car and trail me. We’re going to the best restaurant in town.” Sean and Persephone headed to Sean’s favorite restaurant.
“This is what you had in mind? Olive Garden?” Persephone said.
“Isn’t this place great?”
“Sean, you’re so…dapper.”
“Thanks. It’s a heavy burden, but someone has to do it.” “I just realized that I don’t really know that much about you. How does a beautiful woman end up owning a bar in Northwest Louisiana?”
“Well, I grew up in San Diego.”
“I assumed you were from South America or somewhere like that.”
“My grandparents are from Peru, but my parents were born in the states. I was the only child; my parents were awesome. Dad was a lawyer, like you. Mom was a real estate agent. Life was perfect, until I was fifteen. My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer, and the doctors said it was in the late stages, so they couldn’t do anything. She died a little bit after that, and my dad eventually remarried. He had more kids with my stepmother, who hated me. Soon as I turned eighteen, I left.”
“Where did you go?”
“I traveled the world: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, everywhere.”
“How’d you afford that? Your dad?”
“My mother left me a massive insurance policy. In hindsight, I should have gone to school or invested it or something, but then again, I had some amazing experiences. All those people, all those cultures… I’ll never forget those memories.”
“I envy you; I’d love to travel someday. After we figure out this whole demon thing.”
“Don’t be jealous just yet. You still haven’t heard how I came to be here. I was in my mid-twenties, still not knowing what I was going to do with my life, when I met a guy when I was backpacking through Europe. He was American like me, and he was on vacation. We fell in love, just like in the movies, except there was no happily ever after. It happened so fast, crazy fast. He asked me to follow him back home, move in with him.”
“Let me guess, he was from Louisiana.”
“And he was a bartender. He always had plans of owning his own bar. I followed him back to here, moved in with him, and he broke up with me a few months later.”
“Asshole.”
“Later, I realized that he’s one of those people who easily fall in and out of love. Luckily, I still had some money left over from the insurance policy, and decided to open my own bar. That’s my story.”
“Quite a life you’ve had there. One last question: Lions? How’d you chose that name for a bar?”
“That was easy. The lion is the most powerful creature in the wild. I’d like to consider myself a little bit of a lion. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Okay, fair enough. Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
“Let me ask you a question. Why don’t you have any friends?”
“Friends? I don’t need friends. I don’t need anybody. People will always let you down. I just need God, that’s it. Nobody. As long as I know that God loves me, I’m good. Now, let’s eat.” Nobody but you, God, you’re all I need.
After Sean and Persephone had dinner, Sean started driving back to his house and got a call from Father Adams.
“Sean? Hello, is this Sean?”
“Father Adams?”
“God bless you, thank Christ you’re alive. After what happened the other day in my office, I feared for the worst.”
“Still here, Father, still here.”
“Look, we have to do something about this. I’ve never experienced anything like what happened in my office. I think I know someone who can help. It’s against protocol; I’m supposed to call someone from the Church. But you’re not Catholic, and when faced with such evil, we must act with haste. He’s a preacher from South Louisiana. A Baptist, but a good man. I’ve heard of the things he’s done in the rural parishes for years, and we’ve met a few times. His name is Brother Boudreaux. He’s quite a character. I told him what happened, and he’s agreed to help you.”
“He can help me?”
“He has gifts, Sean, spiritual gifts like you. He also can sense the forces of evil. He’s already on his way up here; will you meet with us tomorrow?”
“Of course. I need all the help I can get at this point.”
“Great. I’ll call you as soon as he arrives. Be safe, and may God bless you and keep you.”
“Thank you, Father. Thank you so much!” God, you have answered my prayers! I knew you wouldn’t abandon me! Thank you God.
Chapter 12-Samael
Samael stood in the throne room of a large palace. It was bigger and more splendid than any palace ever created on Earth. Its’ architecture was a combination of every human civilization that ever lived, from the Bronze Age to modern times. In the middle of the room were two large magnificent chairs, right next to each other.
A beautiful woman, wearing fine jewelry and an elegant dress, walked t
hrough one of the many passages leading into the throne room. She took a long look at Samael before she sat down in one of the magnificent chairs.
“And you are?” asked the woman.
“Who I am doesn’t concern you. Where is my brother? I need to speak with him. Go fetch him, now.”
“Wrong. If you want to see Lucifer, it does concern me who you are. I am Hime, Lucifer’s companion.”
“Lucifer has a companion? A human in Hell?”
“All demons too. This surprises you?” Father casts them to Hell and they get companions?
“Where is he?”
“Why don’t you play nice and tell me who you are.”
“Samael.”
“The mighty Samael. What are you doing in Hell?”
“You know of me? How?”
“Lucifer told me everything. He told me about the Rebellion, and each of his brothers. He even told me what it was like before the Rebellion.”
I’ve never shared such information with Zethera. Now she’s gone. What a fool I was.
“Is something wrong?”
“Tell him I’m here.”
“I’ll make sure he gets the message, but unfortunately, he’s not here.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s on Earth.”
“What is he doing there? Plotting another doomed rebellion?”
“Quite the opposite. He’s overseeing our kingdom in the darkness.”
“The what?”
“On Earth, there exists a world unseen to the living: the darkness.”
“Is he not King of Hell? Can’t he send someone to tend to his minor affairs?”
“Sorry to disappoint again, but he is not the King of Hell.”
“Nonsense, he led the rebellion! The others followed him.”
“Let me clarify. He is a king, but so are others. He is a king of a… part of Hell.”
“Who are these other so-called kings? Commanders?”
“Yes…. except for Pursan.”
“Pursan the bookkeeper?”
“Pursan the cunning- he is the most powerful creature in Hell. Don’t tell Lucifer I told you this, but Pursan’s kingdom, army, and influence have no rival.”
“That weakling. He is nothing.”