Caged in Darkness

by J. D. Stroube

  “Shhh… it’s okay. None of this is your fault.”

  “Yeah, Willow is right. If your parents hadn’t summoned Asmodeus in the first place, none of this would have happened!”

  “That’s not why I am crying.” Izzy handed me a Kleenex to blow my nose with. “I’m crying because this means that they loved me. They did all those horrible things because they cared. All this time, I thought they were evil, but they became that way to protect me.”

  The way I saw my parents was different now. They were parents who made a mistake. They were corrupted because they did the wrong thing for the right reasons. I wasn’t unloved; I was loved too much.

  “Why did the bloodstone box keep him trapped?” Willow’s question made me smile. I knew she would understand my need for distraction. I leaned into her hug to show I was grateful.

  “Bloodstone is a unique stone. It gives the user power over demons, while protecting them, and it destroys evil. They trapped him inside the small box. To keep the bloodstone from touching him, he had to revert to an insubstantial form. The bloodstone also made the symbols more effective. It would have perfect if I hadn’t knocked the darn lid off.”

  The next day, Ash was still avoiding me. After the things I had learned, I wasn’t up to hunting him down. Instead, I sought out the comfort of my forest. The trees were welcome friends that didn’t demand anything from me. They gave me sanctuary without hesitation. I had been pushed towards a mind altering quicksand. It trickled down my throat to envelope my heart in its grainy grip. The images from my childhood were suffocating me and I needed relief.

  Kit emerged, as an apparition that was far more real than the forest around me. As part of my soul, I could sense his worry for me. He rubbed his head against my skin and wrapped his tail around my legs. It was strange that he appeared as a ghost, but people could physically interact with him. I always expected my hand to pass through him, but it would come into contact with a physical body, complete with soft fur. Kits eyes glowed bright blue, his fur had a filmy black texture, but his form was mostly a silvery blue shade. He was magnificent.

  I sat down with my back against a towering tree, the nearby foliage leaned over to provide a canopy of warmth. Kit arranged himself into a crescent shape with his head in my lap. His touch brought with it an intense comfort. Gone was the quicksand; Kit had chased it away. His gentle purr quieted my thoughts and I fell asleep. I must have slept for hours, because when I opened my eyes the sky was dark.

  The frigid air warred with my breathe to create a milky steam, while the hairs on the back of my arms stiffened. As I started my walk back home, a branch snapped behind me. The noise originated in a shadowed area of the forest, where the trees were tightly packed together, concealing the presence of someone else. I took a step closer and saw the shadows rise from the darkness. Trembling, I took a step back and crashed into something hard.

  Arms spun me around, slammed me into a tree, which knocked the breath from me. Asmodeus rose out of the night and came forward to press me further into the wood. His hand lay in the center of my ribcage and I worried he might shatter them with his strength.

  Asmodeus leaned forth and sniffed my flesh before locking his eyes with my own. “Did you enjoy your mothers’ journal?” His accent was as dark and terrifying as the rest of him. He eased the pressure on my chest and I could breathe again.

  “What?”

  He laughed and grinned, sardonically. “You honestly believed I wouldn’t know about your little scavenger hunt? That I wouldn’t watch every move you and your friends take? Oh, little Anakim. You have much to learn.”

  I recognized the term, Anakim. It was another term for the Nephilim and it bothered that he referred to me that way. “If you have been watching, then why haven’t you done anything about us?”

  “You think I am worried about a witchling, a human, and you? I am far more powerful than any of you.” His face descended until it was less than an inch away and he snarled.

  “That’s not it, is it? You are weak!” I spat in his face and he used the back of his left hand to wipe it off.

  “Feisty, aren’t you? I am never weak. I merely don’t do anything without good reason. You will learn that soon enough.” I laughed. “Your insults will gain you nothing, but will cost you something.” He let me go and backed away. The inscriptions along his skin shimmered and burst into a blinding glow.

  “Run, little Anakim. I want to play.” His wings spread wide. Smoke billowed off his skin and his eyes glazed over to display the fire within. I screamed and threw my strength into running. Fighting the forest, I had to carve new paths to push my way through the forest and away from him.

  I found myself tangled in some branches. They tore at my skin, clothes, and hair. Refusing to give up, I push harder, but was lifted off my feet into the air. Asmodeus had me in his grip again, but this time his arms did crush me. Blood spilled from my lips, while the sound of my bones shattering, left an ache deep inside. Tears shed to pool on the floor beneath me. I was slipping, my mind was floating in a mist that made it difficult to concentrate, but I didn't give up. I push and kicked, though it was futile. I wasn't strong enough.

  “Savannah! Wake up dammit!” A harsh smack against my cheek tore me from the nightmare. My eyes opened to find Ash standing before me. I was still leaning against the trunk and a few feet away, Kit sat next to Ash. Through our bond, I could feel Kit’s confusion. I made a small attempt to send waves of comfort, but we both knew that it wasn't much of an effort.

  I couldn't stop the river from flooding my eyes and spilling over onto my already moist cheeks. Kit rubbed his head against my arm, while Ash pulled me into his arms. “Kit showed up at the house without you. I followed him here. Are you okay? I thought you were injured or something!”

  “Just, just hold me, please.” I griped his shirt to pull him closer. Kit spirited back into my form, while Ash lifted me into his arms and carried me back to the house. I closed my eyes until I felt my bed beneath me. “Thank you.”

  Ash sat next to me on the bed and stared at the ground. “Don’t be. You can’t help your nightmares.” He gave me a tiny hint of a smile and started to leave, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the bed.

  “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry that I kissed Liam. No matter how I rationalized it, I should not have done it. Once I knew I hurt you, I shouldn’t have made excuses, because if it hurt you then it was wrong.”

  He looked at me when I had finished. His eyes were soft, as he leaned down to kiss me. “It’s fine. I reacted too harshly. I love you, S. Now, get some rest. We can talk about this when you feel better. Okay?”

  “I love you too. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” He folded the blanket over my body and I curled into it. I fell into a peaceful sleep after Ash left.

  I woke to my phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was only six at night, but it felt much later. It was Izzy calling, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick up. I hit the ignore button and fell back to sleep. I had earned a break, hadn’t I?

  The next morning, I climbed out of the shower and brushed the fog away from the mirror. I let out a shriek at the sight of the angry red blistering on my chest. It was in the shape of a hand; a very large hand. Panicking, I threw on some clothes and ran over to Willows house. I couldn’t be alone right now. The demon had visited me in my dream and left a souvenir; a painful souvenir. He could reach through the veil of dreams to hurt me. Was there anywhere I could be safe?

  Willow wasn’t home, Ash was at Griffin’s and I didn’t want to worry Maye. I briefly thought of Izzy, but didn't want to bring up sleep and demons after the way her mother died. It would open up memories and I did not want to responsible for deepening wounds that hadn't had time to heal.

  I resigned myself to decorating my room with symbols of protection. It was unlikely that they would stop Asmodeus, but they might slow him down long enough for me to get help.

  When I got home, Izz
y was waiting for me on my bed with her arms crossed and a caustic look on her face. “Why didn’t you answer my call?”

  I didn't have time to deal with drama right now. Ignoring her call one time should not earn me a trip to the land of angry Izzy. A small headache had begun to chip away at my patience. It was irritating that I would have to explain myself right now.

  “I was sleeping.” I pinch the area between my eyes, threw my purse to the ground, and grabbed some Tylenol from my nightstand.

  “Really? Your excuse is sleep? What if my call had been urgent? What if I was in danger or I was going to commit suicide? What then?”

  “Obviously that wasn’t the case or we wouldn’t be talking right now. Honestly, Izzy. I was half asleep and wasn't really thinking about all the bad crap you might calling me over. I have enough to deal with! I don't think should be angry with me over one missed call.” I knew I was whining, but I felt like I was going to have a mental break down. Besides, with the stress I had been dealing with, I needed the sleep.

  “Complications? That’s what I am to you?” Izzy shot off the bed in anger, walked to my bookcase, took a book and threw it at me. I ducked, but another soon followed and hit me square in the chest, where the demon had burned me.

  “Ow! What are you, two? You are behaving like a lunatic toddler with tantrum issues! Calm down.” I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing, while Izzy did the same.

  “I am not behaving like a toddler and I have good reason for acting like a nut job.” Izzy's voiced sounded calm.

  “Whatever your reason is, it can’t compare with this.” I pulled the top of my shirt down to expose my chest. Izzy gasped at the hand print. “That’s why I needed rest. Okay? The demon did this and I was exhausted. I’m sorry, but I can’t be expected to drop everything just because you call. You’re my best friend, but I needed to take care of myself.”

  Izzy opened her mouth to speak, but Ash came into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. “What the…?” He looked at Izzy in shock.

  “What is it? Ash? Hello, earth to planet Ash?” I waved my hand in his face, but he remained frozen.

  Izzy cleared her throat. “I can tell you what’s wrong with him.” She smiled. I crossed my arms, waiting to hear how she had suddenly tapped into the psychic network. “He saw ghost.”

  “A ghost?” I laughed, hysterically. A small snort escaped to punctuate exactly what I thought of Izzy's statement “That is your explanation?”

  “Um, yeah. I’m the ghost, moron.” My laughter came up short and I looked more closely. Izzy form transformed into a mirage of transparency, as she stepped into a patch of sunlight. “Cool, huh? I can look real or I can look like a ghost.” She giggled.

  I knew she was serious because of her drastic mood change. She didn’t look quite like Kit, but she was still a ghost. Kit materialized to examine Izzy. Izzy's unnatural acceptance of Kit caused confusion on my part. Through my body with Kit, I was able to piece together enough to know that he was able to communicate with Izzy. Evidently, communication barriers didn't exist in the spirit realm.

  “How?” My voice was soft and came to a dead end with my confusion.

  Ash walked over to sit on the bed with his head in his hands. Izzy stopped petting Kit and became serious. “It was the demon. That’s why I called you. He came after me. I called, while running away from him. I needed your help.” She shrugged.

  “Oh my God!” Izzy's flippant acceptance surprised me because it was the polar opposite to my own.

  “He said, he warned you that your insult would cost you something, and I was the price.” Izzy took in my tears and willed her body to solidify. “Savannah, it’s okay. It didn’t hurt. It was quick. One moment I was alive and in a blink, I was a ghost.” She gave me a hug and I clung to her.

  “What is this about a Demon?” Ash spoke from the bed.

  I had forgotten that Ash was in the room with us and realized that he didn't know anything about the demon. Izzy and I took turns filling him in on all the details, until Willow showed up and took over. Apparently, Izzy visited Willow before me because she wasn’t remotely surprised to find two spirits in my bedroom.

  13: Tracking Prey

  ASH

  We attended Izzy's funeral three days after Izzy’s transition into a ghost. She smoothed her form into a translucent replica, but allowed Savannah, Willow, and me to see her. We didn’t tell Maye about Izzy's ghost, but I had a feeling Josephine knew. She gazed at the spot Izzy stood in, as if looking past the material world, and into the spirit realm.

  Izzy’s Dad, asked Savannah and Willow to sit with the family and to speak at the service. I sat with them for moral support, but I felt like a stranger. It was my first time in a church and Izzy wasn’t completely dead to me. Hearing everyone cry over their loss made me feel like an insensitive spectator, because I wasn't joining them in their moist ridden grief. Izzy was as real to me as she had been a week ago.

  “This is awesome! Oh my God, did you see? Triton is actually crying! Who knew he was even aware of my existence?" Izzy's laughter echoed off the painted glass, but only the three of us were aware of her. She was excited to see who really cared about her and who was attracted to the drama her funeral presented. “Get it, invisible? I’m a ghost…”

  “Shhh… Stop it. This isn’t funny.” Willow whispered from the corner of her mouth, while Savannah glanced to see if anyone heard.

  “What? I’m dead. If I have to die, I might as well enjoy it. Besides, most of these people didn’t even care about me. They are only here for the pity party.”

  Izzy walked to her casket to see her body and let out a owlish shriek. "Ugh! Why would they put me in a pink floral dress? Shouldn't the last dress my body will ever wear, reflect me?" She looked at us in disgust, shook it off, and danced back to our bench.

  The priest ran through the traditional funeral speech, while Izzy serenaded us with own version. Hers consisted of finding poking and mocking everything the priest said. It was quickly obvious that she wasn’t a fan. The whole time her family had belonged to this church the priest had made her feel like the spawn of the devil. She thought it was because she dressed like a Goth, and she wasn't a fan of judgmental people.

  The priest didn't miss a beat, as he talked out of his ass. “Izzy was a kind and generous girl, who touched the heart and soul of everyone she knew. She will be missed.”

  Playing a game of mockery with the unknowing priest, Izzy spoke in a exasperated tone. “More like, Izzy was a nice girl that everyone avoided. She had a few people who cared, but the majority will forget her once this drama has passed. Her wardrobe will be missed, but will comfort many trash bins and Goodwill.” She made a disgusted sound about her wardrobe. “I can’t believe my Dad threw out all of most of my clothes and gave the rest to Goodwill! I spent years putting together the perfect wardrobe. Now, it might as well rot, because it certainly won’t be appreciated.” She pouted and went silent.

  After the service, close family and friends were invited to brunch. Willow and Savannah sat across the table from me, fidgeting with the bread on their plates, while Izzy eavesdropped on nearby conversations.

  “I wish this would be over already.” Savannah sounded miserable, but I was less worried about her, than I was about Willow. Willow's sallow skin and dark puffy circles around her eyes made her look like the living dead. It was not a good sign, but I knew it was common when someone died. Even if that loved one turned into an annoying ghost, who developed a knack for stalking.

  The next day, Savannah showed up at Griffins and demanded to see me. Griffin barred her from entering, but Savannah wasn’t having it. She threw the force of her power against him and watched as he flew backwards into a wall.

  “What the hell!” Griffin tried to stand but dizziness caused him to fall back to the floor. His ear was bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice, as he glared at Savannah in hatred.

  “S, what the heck are you doing?” I pulled her away from Griffin.


  “Willow is missing. She never made it home after the funeral and I’m worried. Izzy can’t even find her.”

  “S, she probably just needed some time to herself. I’m sure she’s fine.” Savannah's eyes darted to Griffin before dropping her head into her hands. She was shaking in panic.

  “She’s probably hiding from you. Do you normally barge into people's houses and throw them into the wall? Is this a psychotic tendency I should look forward to in the future?” Griffin stood and glared at Savannah. He shot an accusing stare at me.

  Savannah looked up from her hands and shouted. “Shut up!” Griffin went silent and stared in awe. Savannah turned back to face me and spoke radidly. “No, see the coven gathered and with the murders and people going crazy…Then Josephine said she saw the sigil of death and there was blood. Oh God, there was blood!” She covered her mouth and fell against me. “I can’t lose anyone else. I can’t take it.”

  Griffin wobbled forward to put his hand on Savannahs back. It was the first time he showed her compassion. He cleared his throat. “Where was the blood?”

  “Um, they found it on the porch. There wasn’t a lot, but enough that we know she had an injury. The bench was turned over like something knocked into it.”

  Griffin nodded and looked me in the eye. “That means there was probably some kind of fight. That’s good though. There’s no body, which means she ran for it. The only place for her to run without anyone finding her is the forest.”

  “You think she’s hiding in the forest?” Savannah’s voice held a ray of hope. I took up Griffin’s cue.

  “Yeah, she probably got lost running away. We should organize a search party and comb the forest.”

  Savannah's posture changed from distraught to optimistic. She straightened, wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed me. She then threw her arms around Griffin's neck and squeezed. He patted her back awkwardly and grimaced at the pain from his head injury. Griffin may be a jerk around Savannah, but he was really a good guy. Only someone who is noble would forgive someone this quickly after being blasted into the wall.