The Demon Within

by Robert L. Bryan

  “Don’t be a smartass. Where are you going? As if I didn’t know.”

  Finn yelled up the stairs, “If you already know – don’t ask!”

  “Have a drink for me,” Gladys shot back.

  The pub was empty, cool, and quiet. Just the way Finn liked it. Kevin emerged from the basement stairway door holding two fresh bottles of Irish whiskey. “Top of the morning to you, Finbar.”

  Finn hopped up on a stool. “Hey, Kev.”

  Kevin put the bottles on the top shelf behind the bar. “So, what’s new in the private eye world?”

  Finn smiled. “Actually, I’m glad you asked. You know how you said you always wanted to do some work for me.”

  “Yeah,” Kevin responded. “But apparently, I’m not good enough to work with the hero private eye.”

  Finn shook his head. “That was just a big misunderstanding, buddy. I would love to have you work with me. In fact, I need you to work with me.”

  Kevin leaned on the bar, his eyes squinting. “What’s the catch?”

  Finn waved his hands. “No catch. I just have a case I need help with and you’d be perfect for it.”

  Kevin was still squinting. “Why would I be perfect for the case?”

  “Because you know how to talk to people,” Finn responded.

  “Who would I be talking to?”

  “Some people you already met. I need you to introduce me.”

  Kevin stood up straight and scratched his head. “You’re losing me here.”

  “Why don’t we have a shot of Buca?” Finn suggested.

  “You want a shot?” Kevin was amazed. “This has to be some introduction,” he remarked as he poured the shots.

  Kevin made short work of the shot. “Now, who do you want an introduction to?”

  Finn took a moment to catch his breath from the drink. He took a deep breath and finally broke the news. “I need you to get me into that Church of Satan you went to.”

  Kevin threw his hands in the air and walked to the opposite side of the bar. “No way. You are out of your mind. I told you what happened to me in that place. There is no way I am going back there.”

  “Just calm yourself,” Finn cautioned. “I only need you to bring me there once. Once I’m introduced you can run away and hide.”

  “They won’t let me back in, anyway. I told you I ran out of there last time.”

  “Call the girl. Get her to take you back there and bring me along for the ride.”

  “Ask me anything else, Finbar.”

  “I’m not asking anything else,” Finn clarified. “I’m asking this. I have to get inside that church for this murder case I’m working.”

  “What case?” Kevin asked

  “Remember the other day, we saw in the paper that it was the second anniversary of the Demon Murders in Alley Pond Park?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “So, I was hired by the mother of the kid who was convicted of those murders. She’s convinced he didn’t do it, and she just found a business card from the Church of Satan in her purse. She thinks her son must have had the card, and that the church is somehow involved with the murders.”

  “They found that kid sitting with the bodies, holding the knife, covered with blood,” Kevin said. “He told the police the demons flew in and killed his friends. No one believed him – no one except you, apparently.”

  “I don’t know what I believe, but I told his mother I would look into the church, and that’s what I intend to do.”

  “So, go look into the church,” Kevin suggested. “You don’t need me for that.”

  “I wish I could,” Finn shrugged. “I called and the person that answered the phone said new people are only permitted in the church when accompanied by a member.”

  Kevin smiled and held his arms outstretched. “I wish I could help, my friend, but I’m not a member.”

  “Like I said,” Finn responded. “Call the girl.”

  Kevin stared out the window to Woodhaven Boulevard while Finn continued. “Look. I don’t care if you set me up alone to go with the girl. I just thought it would make more sense for you to call her and tell her that you were sorry about how the last visit turned out, and that you really wanted to see her again as well as the church.”

  Kevin finished Finns thought. “Oh, and by the way, I’m bring a friend along.”

  “Something like that,” Finn smiled.

  Kevin resumed leaning on the bar. “Look, I’ll try to do this once, and only once. I don’t like that place.”

  “Perfectly understandable,” Finn said.

  “If I reach out to this girl,” Kevin continued, “And she will bring me back there, once I get you in you’re on your own. Don’t look for me because I’ll likely make the same running exit I made the first time.”

  Finn held up the empty shot glass. “You’re a true friend.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Kevin poured himself another shot and quickly devoured it. “Save your bullshit. You owe me for life if I can pull this off.”

  May 6th

  Finn found Kevin's broad smile somewhat disturbing. "What are you so happy about?", he asked.

  Despite no muscular development anywhere on his large, rather soft body, Kevin struck a traditional front double bicep pose. "Who's the man?" he declared.

  "I guess you are," Finn chuckled. "But I wouldn't brag too much about those guns."

  Kevin switched to a single bicep pose. "You're just jealous of my pythons."

  Finn rolled his eyes. "Whatever, now why are you the man?"

  Kevin placed two shot glasses on the bar, but Finn quickly placed his hand over the glass closest to him.

  "No problem," Kevin said as he poured a shot of Sambuca. "I prefer drinking alone."

  Kevin wiped his mouth with his hand and took a deep, satisfied breath. "That was good," he nodded. "Now, as far as me being the man, I must be the man because Carmen could not resist me."

  For a brief moment, Finn was lost - Carmen? Who was Carmen? Before Kevin could say a word, awareness set in. "Is she the girl from the church?" Finn asked excitedly.

  Kevin basked in his moment. "That's right, my boy. She just couldn't resist the big guy's charm"

  Finn ignored his friend's inflated ego. "So, what happened?"

  "I told her I really liked her and that I was really embarrassed about what I did."

  "That was it?"

  "Yup. She was the one who suggested going back to the church. I guess so I can do my penance."

  "Did you mention......."

  Kevin cut Finn off. "She said it was no problem for me to bring a friend."

  Finn slapped the bar. "That's great. There's no catch?"

  Kevin tilted his head slightly. "Welllll," he said, drawing out the word unnaturally.

  Finn momentarily put his head down on the bar. "I knew it was too good to be true." He lifted his head and stared at Kevin. "OK, what?"

  "Not a big deal," Kevin reassured. "We just have to join the church."

  "What does that involve?" Finn asked.

  "We just have to fill out the application and pay the membership fee."

  "How much is the fee?"

  "Two hundred."

  "Two hundred dollars?" The tone of Finn's voice reflected his shock.

  "That's right," Kevin responded. "Well, actually, its four hundred because you are paying my fee, right, pal?"

  Finn grit his teeth. "I guess I am. Now where is the application?"

  "Carmen gave me the website." Kevin pulled a business card from his wallet and offered it to Finn. Finn glanced at the handwritten web address and then flipped the card over. It was the same Church of Satan card Nancy Mills used for her shopping list.

  Finn entered the web address into his phone and waited for the site to load. He scanned page one of the application. “This doesn’t look so bad,” Finn shrugged. “It’s just the usual basic personal information.” He continued to page two. “Wait a minute,” he cautioned. “There’s a bunch of questions we have to a
nswer.”

  “Like what?” Kevin asked.

  “What is your impression of the Satanic Bible?”

  “I don’t do impressions,” Kevin exclaimed.

  Finn looked up from his phone. “For once in your life,” he snapped, “can you not be a jerk.”

  “I thought that was pretty good,” Kevin countered. “Give me another one.”

  Finn’s eyes returned to his phone. “What is your attitude towards animals?”

  There was uncertainty in Kevin’s voice. “You mean, like for sacrificing them?”

  “OK,” Finn declared. “On to the next one. What is your personal definition of magic?”

  “Oh, that’s an easy one,” Kevin smiled. “It’s when the babes fall under the spell of my magic wand.”

  Finn did not look up or acknowledge the response. He just kept pressing forward. “Wow, these questions get better and better,” he commented. “Tell your favorite joke.”

  Kevin gushed with excitement. “I have a great joke, especially for this application. Ready?”

  Finn rolled his eyes. “I can’t wait.”

  Kevin cleared his throat. “So, three guys die in car accident and wind up in hell. They realize where they are at and find the devil. They plead with him, ‘Please let us go to heaven!’ The devil comes up with an idea. He points at a huge escalator with some of the most beautiful, hottest women you have ever seen! He points to the escalator and tells them if they can make it up to heaven without engaging in any sexual activities with any of these women, then they will be free to go. But if they do the nasty with any of them, then he is going to do to them something that their job on earth is related to. So, the first guy goes and has sex with the first girl he sees, so the devil asks what his job was. ‘A mechanic,’ he replies. So, the devil rips his penis off with pliers. The second guy goes and has sex the chick in the middle. ‘A carpenter,’ he states, so the devil saws his penis off. The final guy goes and makes it to the very top when he screws the last girl. The devil asks, ‘Well, you know the drill, what was your job?’ and the guy just starts laughing his ass off! Furious, the devil asks him why he is laughing and the guy replies ‘I'm a blow pop tester!’"

  Finn closed the web page. “I guess we’ve had enough,” he sighed. “Just fill out the application and I’ll give you the money.”

  “Whatever you say, Finbar, but my answers were great.”

  May 10th

  The dirty window provided an appropriate filter to the passing street scenes of mostly industrial Queens neighborhoods. In the morning, the railroad was a seething mass of humanity. Everyone from every walk of life was shoulder to shoulder, in each other's faces, no personal space, no exceptions. But now in the evening there was space between the people and somehow that made it all the more awkward. Finn was forced to choose between focusing on the unattractive Queens landscape provided by the Long Island Railroad or the equally unattractive show taking place in the seats across from him. From the moment she emerged from her apartment building, Carmen had been all over Kevin, to an extent that caught even Kevin by surprise. Finn found the dilapidated factories and junkyards preferable to the kanoodling between Kevin and his new girl.

  Every once in a while, Finn would catch a glance at the giggling, snuggling couple. It was disgusting, or maybe Finn was just jealous. After all, Carmen was a beautiful woman, but Finn’s intuition told him that the great beauty may only be on the outside. Finn smirked. Obviously, she was highly practiced at seduction. With her Latin looks and high cheek bones it was all too simple. Nothing so pretty could possibly harm you, right? It was only seconds before her new target was jumping through hoops to please her. Her face and some cleavage rendered Kevin grossly overmatched. At some point, Finn made eye contact with Kevin, who responded with a wink and wry smile. Finn resumed his scan of the street scenery. He wondered how a girl like Carmen would handle rejection, especially since it had likely never happened to her.

  It was mid-evening, but the platform of the subway station looked like a murder scene before the crime. There was no one there but Finn and the giggling couple three steps in front of him. The quiet chilled Finn. The New York City subway is not synonymous with quiet, but for this one instant, silence ruled. Finn held out his hand to feel the movement of air that precedes the imminent arrival of a train. The quiet moment vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

  Kevin had not broken contact with Carmen’s hand since they climbed out of the subway. Finn silently trailed the happy couple, taking note of the Grammercy Park surroundings. Local residents casually walked dogs, people laughed and drank at a sidewalk café, and mothers pushed strollers along the sidewalk – everything that would be expected on East 22nd Street on an unseasonably mild spring evening. So, why was Finn so surprised. He shook his head and slightly chuckled. What was he expecting? Flashes of lighting and the rumble of thunder accompanied by eerie organ music. Maybe some bats and owls would make him feel better. Finn chuckled again. His walking tour was interrupted when Kevin turned his head. “We’re here.”

  At the top of the Brownstone’s front stoop, Kevin turned and nodded toward the right side of the door. He wanted Finn to notice the Church of Satan sign as evidence of his past experience.

  Uncomfortably large – those two words best expressed Finn’s first impression. It reminded him of a hotel foyer, not just in the space but in the artwork too. He scanned for a personal touch, or at least something satanic - nothing. The floor was highly polished hardwood, the walls white and the furniture probably from a high-end Scandinavian designer. It was a beautiful room, yet cold in its tranquility. The soft jazz background music somehow made it even less personal. Finn felt like he just stepped into the mall. There were no personal or thematic photographs, like the place was staged for sale. This was the antithesis of the scene Kevin had described in his prior visit.

  There were probably thirty to forty people spread throughout the room, huddled in small circles of conversation. Two traditionally dressed waiters circulated with hors d'oeuvre trays, while a bartender worked behind a small rolling bar in one corner. There were no masks, no robes, no satanic chanting – nothing. Finn put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder and leaned in so that a whisper would be audible. “What the hell are you trying to pull here?”

  Kevin opened his mouth, but before any words came out Carmen yanked his hand. “Come here, quick,” she gasped. “There’s the high priest. I want you to meet him.”

  Finn tagged along to the southwest corner of the room, and stopped when he heard Carmen’s greeting. “Good evening Anton.”

  “Good evening, Carmen. Who are your friends?”

  Carmen maintained her grip on Kevin’s hand and used her other hand as a pointer. “This is Kevin, and this is Finn.”

  Anton made no move toward a handshake. Instead, he cautiously studied Carmen’s friends. Finn returned the stare. Anton definitely did not meet his expectation of what the high priest of the Church of Satan should look like. He was not facing Lucifer, Beelzebub, the Antichrist, or the Prince of Darkness. Anton looked more like his dad’s insurance agent.

  “So, gentlemen, what do you think the Church of Satan is all about?”

  Finn and Kevin glanced at each other. Finn raised his eyebrows and gave a quick nod indicating he expected Kevin to field the question.

  Kevin shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “Well, I guess you do supernatural stuff here.”

  Anton looked at Carmen and laughed heartily, causing her to laugh with equal vigor. The chain reaction continued with Kevin and Finn joining the hilarity despite the fact they had no idea what was funny.

  Anton regained his composure and addressed Kevin’s statement. “My real feeling is that anybody who believes in supernatural entities on some level is insane. Whether they believe in The Devil or God, they are abdicating reason. Anyone who believes in some kind of existence in deity or spirits or anything that intervenes in their life is not somebody I hold in any kind of esteem.”

&
nbsp; “But you believe in Satan, don’t you?” Finn responded.

  Anton smiled and nodded. “Satan is a model or a mode of behavior. Satan in Hebrew means one who questions. Since we generally are skeptical atheists, we question all spirituality. We stand against eastern and western religions that promote fictions, according to our perspectives. Satan to us is an exemplar.

  Anton waited for another question, but Finn and Kevin stood quietly, each hoping the other would speak. Finally, Anton bailed them out. “I know this is hard for you to understand. Satanism begins with atheism. We begin with the universe and say there’s no God and there’s no Devil. So, you then have to make a decision that places yourself at the center of your own subjective universe. But it also requires responsibility, since you are taking on for yourself the complete onus for your personal success or failure. You can't be praying to a god or blaming a devil, or anyone else, for that matter, for what happens to you. It’s on your own head. That’s a challenge for most people.”

  Finn shrugged. “I don’t know about that. There are an awful lot of people in this world who believe in God.”

  Anton nodded. “I think it’s natural to them. I don't think it is something developmental, but that it’s just part of their own nature. They feel a need for something above them, whether it be human or supernatural. And they can't get away from that.” He spread his arms to indicate he was talking about his congregation. “"We Satanists look at the universe in this wonderful context of that’s what we are part of and that’s really exciting. The idea of God comes from the oppressors, and it’s a way of controlling folks, by saying, ‘I have communication with this authority figure but you can't. I’m special.’”

  Before Finn could follow up with any more questions, Anton held up his right hand. “Excuse me, gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, but I have other responsibilities to take care of. I hope to see you again.” Anton turned to Carmen. “Can you join me for a moment?”

  “Of course, Anton?”

  As soon as they were alone, Finn turned to Kevin. “What’s wrong with you? Were you drunk when you were here?” Finn waved his arm in a sweeping motion. “Where are all the demons floating through the air? This looks more like a meeting at the Elk’s Lodge.”