by Jay Bower
He walked wide of the path everyone else was taking, hoping to make his way carefully under cover. About fifty feet into the trees, he heard a familiar sound. The growls were low and menacing. He scanned the forest around him and saw them. To his right, a pair of golden eyes stared at him. A large snarling mouth with vicious fangs gaped at him.
“Come on,” he said quietly, “bring your stupid fangs over here. I’ve got a present for you.” He spoke more to himself than the beast. It lunged through the brush, jaws snapping and large claws reaching for him. He stepped back and drew the dagger. He slammed it in the back of its neck, twisting as it howled in pain. He raised it again as it tried to snap at him and slammed it home through its skull, instantly silencing the great beast. Its loud screams blew his cover. He ran off in the direction from where it had come, which lead him farther away from the path to the ceremonial grounds.
***
SARA AND LEANN WERE caught mid-sentence by the screams of the beast in the woods. Sara knew the familiar sound, as did most everyone there. A few other faces turned toward the woods, but as they listened for more howls, they heard nothing. Leann talked idly about things Sara didn’t care about, and she wasn’t paying attention. She feared the Evil One or one of his many minions was lurking around. The sacrifice couldn’t come soon enough for her.
***
“DAMN DOG,” PATRICK CURSED to himself. He came to think of the beasts as hellhounds. Fortunately, he had a holy dagger to fend them off. He would’ve kissed Virgil if the old man was still alive. He slid among the brush, trying to be as quiet as possible. So far, he hadn’t seen anyone else. He moved to the right of the action. Silently creeping among the trees, he came to a small clearing and waited at the edge to spy anyone or anything that might catch him there. When he was certain he was alone, he crossed the clearing, his heart beating fast in his chest. When he reached the other side, he found himself surrounded by a dark mist.
“He’s ours. You cannot change it. The boy belongs to us,” the mist spoke to him. Patrick opened his mouth and the mist seeped in, preventing his reply. “You have had your chance to learn, but you are ignorant and unwilling to bend your knee. You will pay. He is ours. He’s always been ours,” it whispered in his ears. It sounded like thousands of voices in unison. Patrick felt the mist crushing his head, though his body was free. He pulled the dagger from his waist and swung it wildly in the air. “Where did you get that?” the mist called. It seemed scared. Patrick waved the blade.
“You will not win. You are nothing. We are legion. We are eternal,” the mist taunted. He saw the mist slowly dissipate where he’d thrust the blade. Patrick swung it, trying to free himself. As his blade slashed, flames cut through the darkness. Frantically, he sliced the blade wildly in all directions to clear a path of escape. The thousands of voices went silent and finally melted away into nothing.
Patrick stared in awe at the innocuous blade in his hand.
“Thank you, Virg,” he said out loud. He knew he must be getting closer to Noah. The Evil One’s tricks were coming quickly.
He moved closer to the bonfire. The time for games had long since passed. His son’s life lay in the balance, demon or no demon.
Patrick crept closer to the hay bales, and to his right saw his son. Noah followed Benny and Chief Wayne from the side of the clearing toward a large tree trunk in the center of a circle of stones. It had a strange combination of shackles on either side of it. The men led Noah to the trunk. Noah voluntarily laid down on the trunk and they restrained him, securing the wrist straps tightly. Anger burned within Patrick. He couldn’t believe they were letting this happen. Against his training and good judgment, he tore off from the trees into the center of the stones.
“Stop! This isn’t real! You don’t need to do this!”
Benny and Chief Wayne turned toward him in horror. “Damn you, Patty, what are you doing?” Benny yelled at him. A gasp rose from the gathered participants.
“Benny, step aside. That’s my boy laying there, and he will not be sacrificed!” Patrick yelled, pointing at Noah with the dagger.
“Where did you get that?” Benny hissed, fear visible on his face. Chief Wayne pulled his gun and aimed at Patrick.
“Now, boy, put that down before you do something stupid. We all know what must be done; even your boy understands. Back away and let things be,” the Chief said.
“You can shoot me if you want, you crazy bastard. I will not allow this.” He moved closer to Noah. Chief Wayne followed his movements with his gun.
“I said step away from the boy and let things be, Patrick. I swear, I’ll shoot. You don’t want me to do that, do you?”
Meagan ran and stood between Patrick and Chief Wayne. “No!” she cried, “Don’t shoot him. He just doesn’t know. He’ll see.” She turned to Patrick for affirmation.
“I’m sorry, Meagan, but I don’t agree with this at all. How can you do this to your own son? Your own flesh and blood?” She hung her head and took in a long, deep breath. He heard the click of Chief Wayne’s pistol as he took off the safety.
A gale-force wind blew into the clearing, knocking everyone outside the circle back several feet. The gun flew from Chief Wayne’s hands and he landed violently on the ground. The wind swirled around them, searching and probing. Suddenly, the clearing was enclosed in a wall of blood, separating the outside from those within. Terrified, Noah cried as he lay on the wooden stump. Patrick ran to him, looking for the release. Freed, the boy hugged him tightly. Meagan, Benny, and Chief Wayne, lifeless on the grass, remained inside the red wall. Meagan ran to Patrick and Noah, embracing her son.
“Patrick, I’m so sorry,” Meagan said through her tears. “But Noah must do this. Don’t you see? We must save ourselves.” She motioned toward the surrounding red wall. “This is the work of the Evil One. You’ve angered him by your actions.”
“Meagan, how can you say that? This is our son!” Patrick cried. He searched for a way out. “Over there,” he said, pointing toward what looked like a breach in the wall. Meagan hesitated, and he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her with him. Noah followed close.
“Don’t think you’re gonna get away with this, Patty,” Benny said from behind him. Patrick turned quickly to see Benny standing with his gun raised, ready to shoot.
“You’ve done enough damage, Patty. Now, it’s time you die.”
Patrick pulled his gun from its holster and fired at Benny right before Benny pulled his trigger. Patrick’s shot found its way through Benny’s heart. The old man fell backwards onto the ground. His legs twitched. He moved his lips to say something, but he was too far away for Patrick to hear. Benny’s shot grazed Patrick on the arm. He dropped his gun and bent over in pain, covering the wound with his hand. He pulled his hand away to reveal a deep scratch, but nothing serious. “Damn, Benny, why did you make me do that?” he yelled over the swirling wind. Pity and fear and anger rose within Patrick.
“Enough of this!” a deep voice boomed. The voice surrounded them. Noah clung to his father’s leg. Meagan looked frightened. “It’s him,” she whispered.
About five feet in front of Patrick materialized a man dressed in a black suit, his blood red eyes taking everything in. “What a mess you’ve made of this, Patty,” the man hissed. His grayish skin glowed from the blood red wall. “This boy is mine, you worthless bag of skin and bones. He belongs to me.” Patrick cocked his head, the voice of the man familiar.
The preservation of his family boiling inside him, Patrick had enough. He would die right here if it meant his boy would live. “You’re a fool. He’s my son and no one is going to harm him. You’ll have to kill me to get to him.” Patrick pointed his finger at the man in black.
“I needed one of these people to kill him for me. That’s part of the bargain. I’ve had them believing in this curse for over two hundred years. Now you come and screw it up. Damn outsider.” The man raised his hand and Patrick felt a sharp point probing into his mind.
“No! I wil
l resist! I will not let you!” Patrick said as he closed his eyes and focused all his energy on his forehead where the man threatened to bore his way in. He focused on his love for his family. He let images of his son playing ball with him flash before his eyes. He saw a trip they took to the beach just last year, all three of them playing in the sand. His thoughts were overpowering it. The sharp pain dulled until at last it stopped.
“You are weak,” Patrick said to the man. “You don’t have love. You made all these people weak by forcing them to believe your lies. I am not them. I don’t care about your false curse!”
“False? My dear Patty, you have no idea what I can unleash on you.” The man smirked as he paced back and forth in front of Patrick. Meagan and Noah moved behind him, stepping back a few feet.
“Then I suggest you let loose your best, because I won’t stop,” Patrick said. He pulled out the dagger. Surprise flashed across the man’s face, and just as quickly was gone.
“What do you plan to do with that little thing? Stab me?” he asked. He chortled a loud, dark, hideous laugh that sent chills down Patrick’s spine.
“Well…” he replied.
Patrick felt the stabbing at his head again and resisted as best he could. The man rushed at him and knocked the blade free from his hands. Fear gripped Patrick. He hoped he could get to one of his guns. He almost caved in to the sharp point boring into his skull, but he focused. He forgot the blade and thought only of his family. Soon, the pressure stopped. Patrick fell, exhausted. Stopping the invasion into his mind took everything he had.
“Now who’s the weak one, Patty?” the man asked, laughing. “I am going to kill you. I’m going to make you suffer pain like you never imagined! I should have done this a long time ago. I thought I’d win you over, make you see reason. I was wrong.”
Patty, Patrick thought. Death was near, but he thought of Benny, whom he shot moments ago. He searched for the body. It was gone. The man in black stood above Patrick, grasping his shirt, staring deep into his eyes. Patrick felt death on the man and knew it was close.
With his attention turned to Patrick, he didn’t notice Noah pick up the dagger. Meagan took it from him and lunged at the man, stabbing him in the back. He screamed in pain, a blast of flame shooting from his upturned mouth as his head lifted high. He pulled the blade free and thrust a hand toward Meagan. He slammed her hard against the blood wall, knocking her breathless.
“No!” Noah yelled. The man caught his hand when he reached for the dagger.
“No, son, you don’t want to do that. You are the Sacrifice, not me,” the man in black said. His eyes glowed brightly.
Patrick pushed up and knocked the man off him. He rolled to the side and lunged for the blade. He managed to free it from his black-nailed hand, grabbed it, and turned it back on him.
“Now you die!” Patrick yelled. He leapt forward, and the man vanished into nothing. Patrick fell hard on the ground. Behind him, the man reappeared.
“You fool! I’m already dead! How do you think you can do it again? These people don’t know any better. I’ve fooled them for over two hundred years. You won’t stop me. All I need is someone dumb enough to sacrifice the boy for me, and I will continue to live on in the flesh as I have for so long. They talk of curse, but they don’t know. I’m the cursed one,” he said, pointing at his chest. “I’m the one who must put on this entire facade so they will believe they must sacrifice a child to me or suffer hell on earth. They will suffer if they don’t do as I bid. But I can only do so much. I need them to sacrifice the child for me to live in the flesh among them. They have no idea I’ve been here all along. Fools!”
His evil smile made Patrick’s skin crawl.
Meagan lay motionless on the other side of the man. Noah stood to the side of him. Patrick looked around again for Benny’s body, only finding the lifeless body of Chief Wayne. He turned back to the man, who grinned at him.
“So, you know now, don’t you? At least, you think you know.”
“Benny?” Patrick stammered. “You are Benny?” Patrick asked. His eyes were wide, his face ghostly white.
The man laughed. “I’ve had so many names over the years. Benny, Thomas, Joseph…Nathaniel.”
Patrick almost collapsed.
“Nathaniel? Nathaniel Browne?” Patrick managed to say.
The man laughed again. “So, you are a clever one, Patty.” His eyes flashed as he lunged at Patrick.
Patrick thrust the dagger up into Nathaniel’s chest. He shrieked in pain. Patrick pulled out the blade and stabbed again. Nathaniel tried to bore into his mind, but Patrick’s focus was too strong for him now. Flames shot out of the slashes, thin tendrils of red and orange shooting up and around. Beasts howled outside of the red wall, crying in pain and loss.
Nathaniel grabbed at Patrick’s arms. “This will not go unpunished,” he growled.
Patrick continued to plunge the blade into his body, causing Nathaniel to howl. Patrick’s vision was red as he furiously stabbed with the bone-handled blade, feeling bone and flesh. He lost track of his family as his rage grew. The faces of little boys, children he’d never met, cried out in joy with each thrust. Nathaniel tried repeatedly to knock Patrick’s hands away, but Patrick slashed in his singular fury, cutting Nathanial’s arms, and plunging the blade in his chest. Black blood sprayed on him, stinging him, hissing as it melted his skin. He kept going, unable to stop himself. He would not let this man, this…thing get to his son or any other boy ever again.
Nathaniel’s eyes went bright red and flames shot into the air. Furiously, Patrick stabbed and stabbed. Thick black blood rained on the ground, and soon the howls stopped. A final burst of flame shot out of Nathaniel’s eyes and his body slumped to the ground. A swarm of maggots squirmed up from the dirt and devoured the quickly rotting body, the sickening sound of their feeding making Patrick’s stomach twist and turn.
Then they were gone and there was silence.
Patrick’s arms were sore. His entire body ached. Noah ran to him and hugged him. They embraced for a long time before Patrick looked for Meagan. The blood wall behind her dissipated into the ground. The people were gone. He hoped they weren’t killed by those beasts, yet they weren’t his concern. He rushed to Meagan, finding she still had a faint pulse. He held her close. Noah stood next to him and he grabbed the boy, holding both Meagan and Noah, weeping. All that mattered in his life was in his arms.
Soon, Meagan’s eyelids fluttered. She rubbed at her eyes.
“Mom!” Noah exclaimed.
“Meagan, are you all right?” Patrick asked. He bent and kissed her forehead.
“Patrick,” she said in a weak voice, “you were right.”
He embraced her. “It’s okay now, Meagan. I think it’s over. We’re safe now. Everyone is safe.” He clung to Noah and held him tightly. “We are all safe now,” he repeated. He embraced them, unwilling to ever let them go.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
FOR WEEKS AFTER the incident, neither Patrick nor Meagan mentioned the events, preferring to let silence reign over what happened. Eventually, Patrick couldn’t take it and spoke up.
“Meagan…you weren’t really going to let them kill Noah, were you?” he asked. They were at the kitchen table drinking coffee on a cool November morning.
Meagan stared down at her mug. “I…I think I was, Patrick. It’s what I was raised to do. I watched my own brother Todd do his part and lay down his life. My mom taught me that one day, my time would come, and I’d have to provide the sacrifice. She taught me it was needed to ward off danger and the destruction of our town. She taught me that we had to appease the Dark One, that it was the contract Nathaniel Browne agreed to. If we neglected our duty, the forces of the Dark One would terrorize our town and cause devastation. Things happened in the past, like tornados and other phenomena, which made me believe it was all real. I was taught to—”
“Meagan,” Patrick said, “No more. It’s over now. Benny…Nathaniel, he’s dead now. Whatever those s
tories were, they mean nothing now. We can get past this. I know you were not yourself. You were brainwashed into believing. It’s not true, and it never was. Don’t you see that now? I’m so sorry you had to see your brother die. None of this was necessary.”
She looked at him, tears starting in her eyes. Patrick regretted opening these wounds so soon. He wanted to know more about this brother she’d never mentioned before, but now wasn’t the time.
“Patrick, I…I know now how wrong I was.” Patrick stood and went to Meagan, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight.
“Shh, it’s okay now. It’s over and you didn’t do it. It’s all going to be better now.” He held her for a long time, soothing her, trying to make her feel safe in his arms.
Noah recovered from the terrifying night better than the rest of them. He didn’t outwardly show signs of trauma, though Patrick feared someday the dam of his invisible scars might burst. He spent more time with Noah now than he ever had, trying to make him feel as safe and comfortable as he could.
Not too long after the incident, Patrick went to the library to search for more answers. Old Virgil had come through for him in the end. Maybe his town archives would help clear some things up.
Meredith, the temporary head librarian, was more than eager to let Patrick into the back room where the collection was stored. Patrick spent an entire afternoon sifting through books and papers. He read about the tragic first winter Nathaniel and his followers endured, all written down by Nathaniel himself. Patrick noted how the letter “T” resembled Benny’s handwriting. He shook his head, wondering how no one ever caught on. Then again, he knew things were complicated, and Benny/Nathaniel was ruthless in his quest to secure his immortal life.
Patrick was done for the day and started putting books and papers back where they belonged when he spotted an envelope tucked where the dagger used to be. Patrick pulled it out and froze. His name was written on the front. Carefully he opened the seal and pulled out the letter.
