Mark of Orion

by S L Richardson

  "He left us. I came downstairs in time to hear him say goodbye. It didn't matter that you were begging and crying. Or telling him there had to be another way. No. He just shook his head and backed up from you until he hit the front door." Anger and hurt strangled her voice as the tears spilled onto her cheeks.

  Mom moved around the counter, but Olivia raised her hands. "No. Hugs will not make this better."

  Her mom stopped and dropped her arms. "Honey, please, I'm so sorry... Don't−" Her chin quivered as a finger swiped away a tear.

  "He looked up and saw me. His mouth moved, but nothing came out. He just stared, frozen for a moment. I remember thinking that Daddy needed to shave before he gave me my morning kisses. What an odd thing to remember." Olivia's throat convulsed. "But I can still see him like it was yesterday. Then he finally spoke. He said, Olivia, I love you. He then pressed his lips together, grabbed his bag and walked out the door." She wept for that little girl. Her hand clutched her chest. The painful memory ripped open, fresh and sickening. "That's not love, Mom. That feels like hate."

  "Don't think that, honey. One day you'll understand." Mom's words rushed out, trying to cover up the harshness. "I promise. It will make sense... please−"

  "How can you say that to me? It will never make sense!" Olivia’s face flushed in an explosion of anger.

  Olivia shoved herself off the counter, done with this argument. She loved her mom but couldn't understand why she always said these same words. A sudden sadness enveloped Olivia. Would there forever be this chasm between them that neither one could cross?

  "Here's my Christmas wish. I hope I never see him again. Never."

  Olivia turned and ran up the staircase. Her mom's soft sob chased her up the stairs. Even though she'd waited a long time to get those painful words off her chest, she didn't feel better. It was worse. She'd kicked her mom when she was in pain too. They only had each other. She should turn and go back downstairs, but she opened her bedroom door instead.

  Flipping on the light, she closed her door and sagged against it. Her fist pounded against her thigh, lamenting her tears. Done with this day, she pushed off and headed to her bathroom. She needed the hot shower to burn away the memories of the past and today.

  The hot water stung her face. Her cool tears mingled with the spray. Too tired to stand, she sank to the bottom. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she laid her closed eyes against her kneecaps. She imagined she was under a waterfall far from here, not here facing unknown fears and her tragic past. The heat soothed her, and the sobs faded. Hot water turned cold, forcing her back to her numb reality. But she made promises to herself as she shut off the water.

  She would not be weak, she would not be a victim, and she would get her answers.

  The shower had worked its magic, but the ache behind her eyes foretold a headache greeting her in the morning. She climbed into bed, bone-tired, eyelids swollen from crying. The smell of lavender drifted from her pillow. As she snuggled into the sheets, Mom's bedroom door clicked shut. Their usual good night wishes were a bridge too far tonight.

  I love you, Mom.

  Her eyes fluttered closed as sleep beckoned her. But turmoil stirred beneath the surface. She clutched the sheet under her chin. Her heart hammered as she erased the demon's face floating behind her eyelids. She turned on her internal DJ, hoping the music's lyrics would chase away her fears of the demon snatching her while she slept.

  Chapter Five

  Olivia

  Olivia woke with a start, her heart pounding. Entangled in the damp sheets, she pushed the matted hair from her face. She closed her eyes, trying to hold on to the last remnant of her fading dream. The demon's face morphed into her father's in a room full of smoke. The sound of her screams still echoed in her ears. Her dad walked toward her in the demon's body, arms outstretched, saying, I love you, Olivia. Her sword gleamed in her right hand. She rushed at him, screaming, but her words slipped away with the rest of the dream.

  Jeez, no wonder she had woken up.

  She lay there trying to calm her heart and erase the effects of the dream. The smell of bacon replaced the smoke she swore still lingered in her nostrils. A cabinet shut, followed by the sound of running water. She craved the coffee being made, but the bacon's aroma got her out of bed. Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she checked for messages. No new ones from Zach or Sergio, but it was already 8:10. A gray blur jumped from under the comforter, landing with a thump.

  "Sorry, Thunder. Come here, kit kitty." He looked up at Olivia with his bushy gray tail swishing. He jumped onto her lap, nudging her chin in full purr. She stroked his back as he arched in pleasure.

  "Did you have a good prowl last night?" He nudged her face with his head, then jumped off her lap into the warm sheets. She smiled at the cat as he gazed back with his light-green eyes half-open. He spent the nights outside and the days asleep on her bed. Mom let him in her room after retrieving him from the porch along with the newspaper.

  She dressed in yoga pants and her favorite soccer hoodie and left her room. Pausing at the staircase, she heard ’80s music and the sounds of a whisk slapping against a bowl. The sizzling bacon made her mouth water. Mom was pulling out all the stops for breakfast. Olivia’s tension eased as she made her way downstairs.

  "Hi, Mom."

  The whisk stopped as Mom glanced over her shoulder. Deep creases lined her face and puffy eyelids accentuated heartbroken eyes. Her face fell as she set down the bowl. She skirted the counter and gathered Olivia up in a big hug they both needed.

  "Olivia−"

  "Mom−"

  "I'm sorry..."

  "Not your fault..."

  They both laughed and hugged even harder.

  "I'm so sorry I got so mad last night." Olivia sighed. "I don't know why I said all those horrible words. Christmas isn't any easier for you than for me. We remember him through different lenses."

  Mom kissed her cheek. "You're right. Even though it's the day your dad left, it's still the day Jesus was born. We must celebrate this day even when we are suffering. That's what I celebrate, along with the gift of my daughter." She walked back to the bowl and began whisking. "You'll find your reasons, too."

  Olivia grabbed a strip of hot bacon and took a bite. The crispy crunch of the salty goodness filled her mouth. She pondered her words while she chewed. Her mom was right about Christmas. They attended church when their schedules allowed. Olivia had always been a believer. But her dad had tinted her lens for so long. How did she even begin to put his memory behind her?

  She shook her head. "You hate bacon, Mom." Olivia ate the last bite and snatched another slice.

  "But you don't." She gave Olivia a hip bump when she reached the stove. "Thought you might like it, since you had a rough day yesterday."

  She poured the pancake batter on the hot skillet into four neat circles. They bubbled around the edges, making Olivia's stomach growl in anticipation.

  "Thank you, Mom... for everything." Her tears welled as the bacon stuck in her throat.

  "You're welcome... for everything." Mom gave Olivia another hip bump. "Get yourself a cup of coffee. It's ready."

  Olivia loved her coffee strong and sweet, so she added two packets of sugar and savored her first sip. She watched Mom over the lip of her coffee cup. She wore what Olivia called her "witchy woman" clothes, but now it was called the “boho” look. How the flowing sleeves on her dark robe didn't catch fire or have the batter on them amazed Olivia. But her mom's movements were elegant and precise from decades of dance training. She sat at the same place where she had eaten dinner last night, like revisiting the scene of the crime.

  "Here ya go." Mom placed a plate in front of Olivia full of pancakes and bacon, with syrup overflowing over everything.

  "This is perfect." Olivia dug in with a fork, the syrup running over the stacks. She stabbed the next bite, its savory decadence the best way to start the day.

  "Any plans today besides work?" Mom asked as she wiped down the gran
ite countertop. Olivia kept her head down, deciding how to best answer the question.

  "Sergio and Zach are coming over at nine," she mumbled, shoving in another bite of pancake. Her mom turned with a raised eyebrow.

  "Who's Zach?"

  "He's the new kid who moved in on our street over the summer. We have a science project due after the break, and we want to get a head start. And I work this afternoon." She hated not telling her mom the whole truth, but she needed more information before she attempted that conversation.

  "Sounds like a full day. I'll be at work, so heat the minestrone for dinner. I'm headed off to barre class and errands. So, I'll see you later." She kissed Olivia’s forehead. It relieved Olivia to see the worry lines from earlier fade.

  "Love you, sweetie."

  "Love you too, Mom. And thanks again for breakfast. It hit the spot."

  Mom headed for the stairs. Olivia got up and put her plate in the dishwasher. She checked the clock. She'd better hurry, because Zach and Sergio would be here soon.

  The hot shower cleared away the last remnants of her dream. She hustled downstairs, hoping to enjoy another cup of coffee, but she could hear the boys bickering on the porch before they even rang the doorbell. She opened the door and smiled. Zach had his finger poised to push the doorbell and a fast food bag in the other hand.

  "She loves my mom's breakfast tacos. She won't touch that junk." Sergio glared at him with a brown bag of his own, waving it in front of Zach's face.

  The boys turned at the same time. They both cringed at being caught arguing over their food bags.

  It was Olivia's turn to raise an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.

  "Hola! Mom made you your favorite breakfast tacos." The spicy aroma wafted across to her as Sergio handed her the bag.

  Sergio bent over and picked up Thunder before he escaped out the front door. "Hello, Thunder, it's nice to see you too." Thunder purred in his arms as Sergio stroked his back. Both sets of eyes narrowed on Zach.

  "Hi. I brought breakfast sandwiches." Zach handed the greasy bag to her and scanned her face when he walked by. She hooked her damp hair behind one ear.

  "Thanks, guys, but Mom made me breakfast. You're welcome to eat if you're hungry." Olivia swore they both were crestfallen when they stepped inside the foyer. She closed the door behind them. She didn't have time for their games.

  Zach tried to pet Thunder, but he jumped out of Sergio's arms, scooting away.

  "Looks like Thunder doesn't like you," Sergio snickered.

  "I'm sure he smells my big black dog," Zach said as he leaned toward Sergio.

  Olivia's sharp whistle made their heads swivel. "You two, knock off this bickering. We have more important issues than arguing over cats and sandwiches. I don't know why you guys irritate each other and, honestly, I don't care. I do care about demons and threats about being dragged away by one. So, can you please put aside whatever you think about each other and focus?”

  Zach turned to Sergio. Something unspoken passed between them. Sergio shrugged and walked away, leaving Zach to follow him into the den. Olivia shook her head.

  That won't last...

  "Sit down, and I'll get my laptop." She plopped the food onto the coffee table. The boys sat on opposite couches and ate in silence. She raced up and down the stairs, joining them in the den.

  She sat down and glanced over her open laptop. Sergio's leg bounced up and down while Zach hunched over his, his hands dangling between his legs. Both looked anxious as they waited for her laptop to boot up. Her hands trembled as she entered her password.

  "Hey, I think we should just forget about what happened yesterday," Sergio blurted, jumping out of his seat. "It was just this freaky thing, and I don't think we should try to figure it out. That was Diablo stuff, man, and I want no part of it!" He made the sign of the cross and paced around the den.

  Olivia and Zach exchanged glances. Zach hung his head. He then sprang up and walked over to Sergio. Zach grabbed Sergio’s arm, but Sergio yanked it away.

  "Don't touch me." Sergio leaned forward and pointed into Zach's face. "Listen, I'm only here because of her, not you. I don't care what you think happened or any of your ideas. I want nothing to do with demons."

  "Oh, I get it. You think you're the only one scared?" Zach sneered at him. "Well, guess what? So are we!"

  They stood toe-to-toe with clenched fists. Zach was a good head taller, leaving Sergio staring up at his angry face.

  "What happened yesterday terrified me! I couldn't sleep last night because I kept seeing that hideous face. I was worried that somehow it might have found one of you and that you wouldn't be here today." Zach's face flushed. "But I won't run and hide. I'm not going to live afraid of my own shadow."

  Olivia jumped off the couch and moved between them. She put a hand on each chest, feeling their pounding hearts.

  "Please stop this. We can't fight," Olivia pleaded. "We have to stay and work it out together. Whatever is going on, it includes all three of us. Which means we have to stick together." She looked hard at each of them. "Please," she whispered.

  Zach ran his fingers through his dark hair. "That's what I want, too," he said with a sigh.

  Olivia turned to her best friend, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. Sergio's black eyes held so much confusion and apprehension.

  "We are in this together."

  He closed his eyes. His throat worked up and down, and he released a huge sigh, ruffling her hair. When he opened his eyes back up, Olivia saw his resignation.

  "All right, I'm in."

  His eyes met Zach's. Sergio stood straighter, offering his hand. After a moment, Zach accepted the handshake. Thankful some tension had left, Olivia sat back down with a sigh of relief. They plopped onto the couch.

  Maybe now we can start digging...

  "We don't know where it came from or why it left. But we can agree it's not of this world."

  "That's an understatement," mumbled Sergio. They nodded in agreement.

  "I want to research images on the internet. Maybe I can find a match. This has to have happened to someone else."

  "That's it? That's your plan? You can search all you want, but I don't think a demon gets its photo taken," Sergio snorted.

  Olivia raised an eyebrow, secretly wanting to strangle him. "It's a good place to start. If you have a−"

  Zach leaned forward. "Wait. What I couldn't get out of my mind was the raised black marks we each have on our chest. Mine aren't as dark as they were, but they're raised."

  "I noticed that too," she said.

  "So did I." Sergio rubbed the area like he was trying to erase his mark.

  "When I got home, I drew the spots on a piece of paper." Zach reached into his back pocket, unfolded the paper, and smoothed it out on the coffee table. Olivia and Sergio leaned closer.

  Olivia tilted head, but she couldn't find any pattern to the dots.

  Sergio flopped back against the couch. "I only see seven dots."

  Try as she might, nothing clicked. Zach laughed and nudged Sergio's knee.

  "You guys need to get outside more. It's the constellation of Orion. I'm positive."

  "What?" Olivia turned the paper so that it faced her. Sergio lurched forward for a second look.

  "What makes you think that?" Sergio asked. "I could be anything... random pattern. Why are you so sure?"

  "When I went camping with my scouting troop−"

  "You're a boy scout!" Sergio pointed at Zach, covering his mouth with a hand. "That makes so much sense. You’re so straight-laced−"

  "Stop being a jerk, Sergio. I think he's right. I can see it now." She reached for her laptop and entered Orion. The images of the constellation popped on her screen. "Come here."

  The boys got up and stood behind her. She scrolled through the images of Orion in the night sky. While most pictures were only of the constellation, a telescope had captured its colorful nebula.

  "This is the closest match." Olivia scrolled back to
an image at the top of her screen. It was a simple image, but a line connected the dots, creating an hourglass stick figure. She pointed at the middle three stars. "These stars make up his belt. It says it's named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology."

  "Cool. I like that it stands for a hunter because I feel more like the prey." Sergio nudged Olivia as she nodded in agreement.

  "I need a pen," Zach said.

  Olivia pulled one out of the coffee table drawer. Zach took it and connected the dots. When he finished, there was no doubt it was Orion.

  "Why would Orion be on us?" Olivia said.

  "I've got no idea. But we'll find out more tonight." Zach stood and gathered his paper.

  "What do you mean?" Sergio's voice squeaked. "What happens tonight?"

  "We're going to Red Rock Canyon to check out Orion away from Vegas's bright lights," Zach said. "We need to check it out ourselves and see what happens." They were quiet for a minute.

  "You mean, if we attract any demons."

  "This is a bad idea." Sergio rubbed his eyes. "We're asking for trouble. Big trouble."

  "You got a better idea?" Zach challenged him, crossing his arms.

  Sergio shook his head and glanced over at Olivia.

  "Are you going up the mountain?" Sergio asked.

  "We have to go. We can't just wait for another attack. So, yeah... I'm in." She rubbed the goosebumps rising on her arms.

  "Fine," Sergio grumbled.

  "Great. You guys keep searching the internet, but I've got to run. I promised my little sister I'd take her present shopping. Meet at my house at eight tonight. We'll take my truck," Zach said. "Don't be late."

  "Sure. Don't want to be late for my date with a demon," Sergio said with a smirk.

  Olivia waved and watched Zach leave. A shiver went through her body as she wondered if that would indeed be their fate.

  Chapter Six

  Olivia

  Olivia caught her reflection in the kitchen window as she rinsed her soup bowl. She looked into the darkness beyond, wishing the night air would whisper who might wait for her on the mountain. Her day at work had passed with no unwelcome visitors. It didn't stop her from being on edge. She'd messed up drink orders and jumped when someone called her name. Her stomach was in knots about going to Red Rock tonight. Part of her prayed they'd find answers, but the other part worried that demons would confront them. Their trip was risky, but they had to take the chance.