by B. Groves
Clara giggled again and her blush deepened.
Kyle smiled. The sisters had once sworn off any social contact. They had been self-proclaimed loners and didn’t invite many visitors to the home.
“Clara, that’s wonderful,” Kyle said. “God has smiled down on you and I hope He continues to bless your life in positive ways.”
Kyle noticed how Clara’s smile faltered and he thought he caught a slight eye roll, but Clara quickly hid it behind another grin.
“Oh, yes, Reverend. May I get you that lemonade?”
“Yes, please and we’ll sit down and talk,” Kyle answered.
Clara gestured to the living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you, Clara.”
Clara walked past Kyle and entered her kitchen. Kyle’s eyes scanned the room and then he settled on Clara’s paintings.
He didn’t want to walk closer to them since Clara might catch him staring at her latest works.
Clara had been the type to paint happy landscapes or animals like puppies or kittens.
These paintings were different. They were no longer happy scenes in light pastel colors. Her latest works were ominous and confirmed what Kyle suspected.
One painting made his stomach turn. It was a naked man with dark hair and his face was melting off. No eyes, no nose, or a mouth, just flesh melting from his head.
Another was a naked woman with only one arm and her torso torn open with the heart missing. She held the heart in her hand.
Kyle turned away from the paintings and sucked in a breath. He didn’t need more evidence. The Clara he used to know would never paint such dark and foul scenes. He didn’t bother to inspect the sculptures because he knew what he’d find.
Kyle made his way to the living room and plopped down the sofa. He wanted to wallow in his failure, but instead, he had to put on a mask so Clara didn’t suspect he knew the demon still possessed her.
He sent a text to Markus about it but couldn’t see Markus’s answer because Clara came back into the room carrying a wooden tray.
She set it down on the coffee table. The tray had a glass pitcher with two glasses and some cookies.
Kyle slipped his phone back into his pocket and said, “You didn’t have to do all that.”
Clara shrugged as she poured Kyle’s lemonade. “The cookies are store bought. I wasn’t expecting company today.”
“I’m sorry to drop by like this,” Kyle said.
“Oh, no, Reverend. Don’t apologize,” Clara offered Kyle a cookie on a napkin. She poured her lemonade and sat down with a cookie in her hand.
“What favor did you want to ask me?”
Kyle took a bite of the cookie and did his best to hide his raging emotions.
After he swallowed he said, “Miranda decided at the last minute we need to do a fundraiser at the Founder’s Day Festival. I need some signs painted pronto. Can you help me out?”
Clara set down her cookie and Kyle could see the hesitation on her face. “I don’t know, Reverend… I might be working.”
“I know this is last minute, but no one can match your talent with anyone else. It won’t take long,” Kyle said trying to convince her.
Clara turned her head and took a deep breath. “When do you need them?”
“Actually, I need you to come with me today and pick up the signs I bought. Listen, you can bring them back here and paint them here in the comfort of your home,” Kyle said.
Clara’s brow creased in doubt. “I’m not sure…”
“I can pay you,” Kyle said. “I won’t bother you again after you do this for me. I’m in a bind here.”
Kyle sipped his lemonade and waited for Clara to answer. Her hesitation was obvious. Kyle wasn’t sure why she was hesitating at all. He suspected that other humans in his congregation were possessed and still attended church.
Kyle set his empty glass down on the table and gave Clara his best “begging look.” That’s what he called it whenever he hosted a fundraiser. He studied marketing in college and the sincere expression almost always worked.
“Oh, Okay. I can have it done by next Saturday,” Clara said.
“God bless you. You don’t know how much this means to me,” Kyle said.
Clara stood up and gestured at the tray. “I will put this in the refrigerator and then I’ll meet you at the church.”
Kyle stood up and faced the woman. “How about you drive over with me? It’ll save on gas.”
Again, Clara hesitated. Kyle thought she would insist on driving her own car. He didn’t want that. Some nosy neighbor might become suspicious if he drove the car back to Clara’s house without her inside it.
Clara nodded and said, “That sounds good. Let me grab my stuff.”
Relief washed over Kyle as Clara picked up the tray and carried it into the kitchen.
Kyle noticed something odd. On Clara’s right hand she was missing part of her ring finger. She never mentioned an accident and losing one of her fingers even when she recovered.
He would ask her about it in the car.
Kyle waited while he heard Clara moving around the kitchen. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. Markus answered him by text and told him that Billy Wilson would be blind for the rest of his life, and he was struggling to downplay the amount of blood inside the cabin. The state detectives were threatening to get the feds involved. They bought Markus’s story about searching the forest for Alison’s dog who had run away from her and the men were helping her out.
That was the last thing they needed. He forwarded the text to Alison saying he hoped she would come back to town soon.
Kyle slipped the phone back into his pocket as Clara came out of the room. He didn’t dare tell Markus about his plan. Markus may have been his friend, but he was still chief of police and had a duty to protect the town.
He hoped the story of the feds getting involved would make Alison return before Kyle had services that next Sunday.
He lucked out with Miranda, who had asked to take the week off so she and her husband could go see their grandkids before the festival.
“Ready?”
Clara nodded and they left.
Kyle and Clara piled into Kyle’s car. She kept looking around the neighborhood as if she were looking for someone.
“Clara, is there someone you’re looking for?”
She stopped and stared straight ahead. “No, Reverend.”
Kyle backed out of the driveway and they drove off.
Clara continued to stare straight ahead. He noticed her eyes were wide and her face was flushed. She sighed and looked down at her hands as if she were defeated. She then pulled out her phone and kept checking it like she was waiting for a message.
“If I’m taking up your time, I can turn around,” Kyle offered.
Clara half-smiled and said, “It’s fine.”
She placed the phone back inside her handbag and turned to stare out of the passenger window.
Kyle glanced down at her hand and said, “Did you have an accident?”
Clara turned to Kyle in shock. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m not trying to be rude, but I noticed part of your finger is missing.”
Clara looked down at her hand and placed it under her other one. She laughed nervously.
“You don’t remember that?”
“No.”
“Oh, my gosh. I was such an idiot that day. I was painting and using the knife, my mind drifted, and there it went,” Clara explained.
“I don’t remember that,” Kyles said.
“Oh, wait,” Clara said with a shake of her head. She laughed again almost hysterical in her mistake. “This was after… you know… as I was recovering and all.”
She turned to Kyle apologetically. “I never did properly thank you for saving my soul, Reverend. After you saved me, Audrey left and my entire world turned upside down.”
Kyle glanced at her. Clara looked sincere, but her paintings told a different st
ory.
“You’re welcome. How is Audrey?”
Clara shrugged. “Who knows. She doesn’t call anymore. Says I ruined our lives, but the thing is, ever since she moved out my life has gotten better.”
No, it hasn’t, Kyle thought. Your soul is still damned.
“Sometimes family can be our worst enemies,” Kyle commented. “I’m so happy your life has taken a turn for the better.”
“As soon as my hours straighten out, Reverend, I promise to be sittin’ in that pew. Front and center,” Clara said.
“I look forward to it,” Kyle said.
Kyle pulled into the church parking lot. He tried to hide his excitement. He spent that morning preparing one closet for this plan.
Kyle would text Alison and try to coax her to return to Wolfpine earlier than she expected. Hopefully, she would return before his next service. Kyle was tired of these evil entities taking over this town. He wanted this situation over with so he could move on with his life and start a new career. He would always follow God’s will and in his mind, God was telling him that it was time for a change, but that wouldn’t happen until he cleansed this town of evil.
He prayed over his decision to bring Clara here throughout the night. God didn’t give him a sign that what he was doing was wrong, so he took that as an affirmative answer.
Clara needed her soul freed. She claimed her life has improved, but was her soul free? In the end, that was the most important part of life, having a soul that could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Kyle parked the car. His doubts about making the right choice were nagging at him. His conscious about kidnapping a woman were creeping into his previous thoughts, but he had to stick to his plan. It was too late to turn back now. He would never hurt another human being, even if they possessed by an evil entity. He wanted her free, and he wanted to show Alison that it was the right thing to do.
Kyle thought of Clara’s paintings and sculptures.
He turned to glance at the woman as he thought of her dark thoughts being drawn onto the canvas or sculpted from clay.
Yes, he thought. It was the right thing to do.
“Ready?” He asked as he opened his driver’s door.
“Yes,” Clara answered.
Both of them exited the car. Kyle made sure Clara was ready to enter the church.
Kyle walked up the steps and unlocked the door. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching. A few cars drove by on the street, but Kyle wasn’t worried about that.
He opened the main entrance door and held it open for Clara. She thanked him and walked into the church.
Clara looked around and said, “It hasn’t changed a bit.”
“I’m hoping to get approved for some remodeling by next year,” Kyle commented.
“Well, that would be nice. Where are the signs?” Clara asked.
Kyle’s little voice of reason kept telling him to turn around and take Clara home. His eyes settled on the cross sitting over the podium, but he didn’t let it affect him.
This was the right thing to do. Clara needed her soul freed.
“They’re in a closet near my office,” Kyle said. “This way.”
Kyle led Clara down the aisle and through the doors to the hallway that led to his office.
The closet was just how he left it and he prayed that Clara didn’t see the padlock on the outside of the door.
Kyle stopped in front of the closet door. He was careful not to switch on the light.
“They’re right here,” Kyle said peering into the closet. “I hope they’re good enough
“I’ll take a look,” Clara said.
Clara stepped into the closet. She put her hand out for a light switch but didn’t find one.
“Above you, Clara,” Kyle said. “On the string.”
“Oh.”
Clara searched for the string. She pulled it and the closet illuminated.
Clara did a 360-degree turn and said, “I don’t see the signs, Reverend.”
Kyle raised his chin and the smile left his face. “I’m doing this for your own good, Clara. The hunter will come back and free you soon.”
Clara’s eyes widened in shock. She took a few steps for the door, but Kyle was too fast. He slammed it in her face.
Kyle heard Clara scream. He held his body against the door as he clicked the padlock in place. She pounded on the door, pleading with him to let her out. She tried to turn the knob but couldn’t get it open.
“This is for your own good, Clara,” Kyle said through the wood.
“Fuck you!” Clara screamed. “Fuck you, Reverend. Fuck you and everything you stand for, you little prick!”
Kyle heard the wood crack. He leaned against the door and listened. The closet door was heavy, and he didn’t think Clara could break out, although he’d seen demons use powers and have superhuman strength.
He heard a hissing noise from behind the door and scratching at the wood.
Kyle didn’t want to take any chances. He would spend the night in the church to make sure Clara didn’t escape.
Kyle grabbed a chair from his meeting room and secured it under the doorknob.
“This will be over soon, Clara,” Kyle called out.
Chapter 25
Journal entry March 1, Early 2010s
My mother, step-father, and my brothers watched me expel the demon from Heather months ago. They’re still in shock over it. I think they’re also a little afraid of me now, which sucks because we’ve always been close.
My oldest step-brother, Chris, has been assisting me on some local possessions, for which I’m grateful, but he’s getting married soon and I don’t want to keep him away from his fiancé for too long.
I’ve been home ever since as my family processes what I’ve become and keeping an eye on Heather as she recovers from her possession.
My family always wondered about my changes after my accident. My mother said she knew I was special all along, especially with the stories she’s told me about my father.
I don’t know sometimes. I have my doubts about someone calling me “special.” I don’t take pride in my powers. I do my job and I do it well, but if I could give it up today for a normal life, I would.
Heather has fallen into a deep depression ever since I released her. We’ve flown out to California several times so Dr. Rodriquez can help her adjust back into society. Her memories of her possession have been surfacing through nightmares and she can barely function during the day. I’m hoping Dr. Rodriquez can help her repress these memories so she can work on rebuilding her life.
She doesn’t understand what is happening to her or why. It’s so hard to explain. She thinks she’s insane. I try to tell her she’s not and she will recover, but for now, I keep a close eye on her. It annoys her, but she’s my sister and I will do anything for her. She didn’t deserve this.
Chapter 26
Alison wanted to laugh as she and Emma stared each other down. Both knew who the other one was. Both of them knew the other had plans, but neither wanted to give up their secrets. Alison could tell this by the look on Emma’s face. It was a friendly expression, but underneath the surface, Emma’s emotions were raging.
“Well, hello, Emma,” Alison said. She tried to place a friendly smile on her face, but she was never what one would call a good actress. Instead, she knew her smile was more of a smirk as if she were telling Emma what she knew already without saying a word.
“This is Simon,” Alison explained, pointing to her dog. “He’s my protector.” That was a warning.
Emma looked down at Simon and smiled, but the smile melted away when her eyes met Alison’s.
“He’s beautiful,” she said.
Emma pushed her hair back and asked, “How is your visit? Are you enjoying our lovely town?”
“The views are stunning,” Alison answered. “I think I could stay awhile.”
“Oh? Were you planning to?”
“I might. It depends on where fate takes me.”
Emma wiped her hands on her jean shorts and then adjusted her sunglasses. Alison noticed how she bit her lip several times like she was holding back.
