The Porter

by Ashley Dotson

  Daisy came flouncing down the hallway. Her shiny blonde hair was swept to the side in a curly braided up-do. Her mint green dress, what little of it there was, complimented her long, tanned legs. Her toe nails even matched the dress. And those heels…

  I shrinked back further into the couch cushions. She was beautiful- of course Heath would prefer her. I couldn’t even remember the last time I indulged in a pedicure, and at that moment, I wanted to be just like Daisy. She was dolled up, glossy, bronzed, and shimmery like a new Barbie straight out of the box. She was everything I once was- beauty and innocence. I envied her this night. She would spend it in the arms of the man I loved. She and Heath would dance, kiss, and touch the way couples do.

  With that knowledge came excruciating pain within me.

  Just breathe…

  I looked at my own ragged nails and sighed. I chewed at the cuticle on my thumbnail until I could taste blood.

  The doorbell rang, and Daisy opened the door, while I prepared myself for the front-row show.

  Heath poured that perfect smile onto Daisy and then he caught sight of me. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. He looked angry and accusatory. I think he blamed me for the crash and the dreams, even his inner turmoil. He thought I was evil, and he wore his distrust as well as he wore that solid black tuxedo.

  “Mr. Reese,” he immediately walked to Daisy’s father and shook his hand, then looked at me and raised his eyebrow with a smirk. It was as much acknowledgment as I was going to get.

  “Daddy, remember, we’re going over to Ross’ parents’ cabin, so we should be out pretty late. And then all the girls are spending the night at Valerie’s house.”

  “I know. I helped organize the after party,” he replied, “remember? But you are to call when you get to each location.”

  Daisy rolled her eyes and smiled, “Yes sir, I just don’t want you to worry. Are you sure you’re going to be okay by yourself?”

  “I’m not by myself,” he looked toward me. “I’ve got my own date right here.” He winked at me and squeezed my hand and my face reddened.

  “I know,” she came a little closer to him, “But taking care of you should be my job.”

  “Daisy, really,” Heath tried to interrupt. “You’ll only be a few miles away.”

  “I know.”

  “Yall two go on.” Mr. Reese groaned as he got to his feet and move toward the front door. He took a few photos of the pretty young couple using Daisy’s phone, but I couldn’t watch anymore.

  I knew Daisy and Heath had plans to go out to dinner with Ross and Valerie and a few other seniors. They were headed to a quiet Bed and Breakfast, which also doubled as a nice restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights. I heard it overlooked a huge natural spring lake, the one thing that put Balmorhea on the map. The students were always making reference to the Springs. I figured they were a big deal around there. I was missing out, I knew, but if I couldn’t go with Heath then what was the point?

  I retreated to my room to check my email and see if I could video-chat with my dad, even though he was would never answer my calls. His job kept him busy, and my judgment did mandate the disconnect. He was never an overly protective father, but there were times, like that night, when I wished he was there with me.

  My door swung open and Heath stood there staring at me, his body filling up the entire frame. A shiver passed over my skin as his eyes raked over me. How did I forget the power he had within him? He was the Porter, yes, but he was my other half. He was as unique to this world as I was. In that instant I was reminded of his birthright and smiled.

  “What?” he demanded.

  “Nothing,” I croaked,mythroatsuddenly very dry.

  “You wanna explain this?” He pushed back the sleeve as far as it would go to reveal the tattoo on his wrist.

  “Well,” I paused, “What do you see, Heath?” My hands itched to touch his skin.

  “You see it too?” He asked.

  “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a badass.” His scowl deepened and I quit joking, “It won’t hurt you. It’s nothing you need to be afraid of.” I tried to assure him.

  “Did you do this to me?” he asked.

  “No! Of course not! This isn’t something I have the power to create.”

  He glanced out my window, to the front of the house where Daisy and Mr. Reese waited talking by Heath’s freshly washed truck. When I looked back Heath’s finger was pointed in my face.

  “I want you to get the hell out of this town.”

  “That won’t fix anything,” I folded my arms over my chest. He was irritating me like only he knew how to do. “And that’s not gonna happen.”

  “Look…”

  “No you look,” I pointed out the window, “Regardless of what’s going on with you and me, and as much as I want you to stay, don’t be weird on Daisy’s Prom night! As much as I want you to stay with me and…and…” I couldn’t finish without getting deliciously dirty, and as much as I wanted to grab the front of his slick black tux and slip my hands underneath his pressed shirt I knew it would be a bad idea. So I said, “Just go.”

  Heath wasn’t ready.

  I couldn’t make the first move- I had already done enough. He could come to me when he was ready, and when the time was right he would face his daemon and have no choice but to embrace his true identity. I just hoped he would still want me when that happens. As his soul mate I was the only person who could do this- that’s what Orias told me. But there was no guarantee he would feel the same anymore.

  He could sever the soul tie we created we would both not only lose our humanity, and mess things up even more. Without our humanity would we became members of the Vile? Were we something worse? He was the only Porter who could allow daemons passage between our two worlds. What would happen if the darkness overcame him- Earth would not survive? I wouldn’t survive.

  What would happen to me- the Beacon? I had some super-special destiny laid out before me like a book with the middle chapters torn out. I knew the beginning and ending, but not the in-between. If Heath severed the soul tie would Lillith return for me? If my humanity was gone how could I balance the other parts, angel and daemon?

  There were too many what ifs swimming before me, I needed a moment to think. I needed someone to talk to and it couldn’t be Heath.

  I needed my Dad.

  But it wasn’t my dad who stood in the bedroom with me. Heath glared, almost panting with anger. He looked at me beginning with the top of my head. His eyes raked my body from my shoulders down to my toes as if he was seeing me for the first time. There was a momentary flash of electric blue before he yanked me to him, crushing me, an all too familiar sensation.

  I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to.

  Heath grabbed a fistful of my hair, pushing my neck to the side to reveal my dark violet and indigo tattoo. A soft cry escaped my lips as his fingers touched my neck. He wrapped his hand around the back of my head. I was more than ready when his lips angrily touched mine.

  His was punishing me for his hunger. He needed something he knew only I could give him and that made him angry. As our bodies connected, a heavy current flowed through both of us. I could feel everything he felt- confusion, anger, lust, disgust, guilt, and fear. I poured every ounce of my love into the kiss, hoping he could feel the emotions roil within me as well. If he didn’t understand anything he saw that night of the crash, or the dreams that plagued his sleep, I wanted him to know I wasn’t wicked. I needed him to feel the extent of the love we once shared.

  The kiss went on and on, even though we knew it shouldn’t. Heath pulled away first. My hands fell to my sides limply. He backed away slowly to the door and looked out the window to make sure no one had seen us.

  “Go,” I urged him, unspoken words scorched my throat as I watched him tear out the door. I didn’t know what to say to help ease his worried mind. My words weren’t enough to quiet the storm behind those blue eyes.

  I quietly promised him forever. I fell
to my knees and cried, my hot tears leaving tiny holes as they fell in carpet.

  ***

  The sun had sunk leaving the clouds in the Texas sky purple and dark grey. A storm was coming.

  “I sure hope that rain stays away long enough for the kids to finish out their night safely.”

  My mind was elsewhere. I could still feel his body pressed to mine, his hand fisted in my hair, his lips on mine, his breath on my cheek…

  And I didn’t know how many times Mr. Reese had said, “Layla?”

  “Yup?” I said suddenly, “Sorry, my mind was wandering. You need something?”

  He looked at me, his keen eyes seeing far more than I wanted him to, “I was hoping since you and I find ourselves alone tonight that we could talk about the other night? The crash?”

  “Okay,” I sat up a little straighter.

  He smiled, “I know it was you that moved the trailer. I know that you possess that strength. And I could feel it when you saved me. I don’t know if I said thank you yet.”

  “You’re welcome,” I smiled. “I thought that maybe I could do it. Something within me just knew what to do. I was acting on instinct.”

  “If you weren’t there I would have died on the side of that road.”

  “I don’t know about that. If I weren’t here, then you wouldn’t have been there either.” I wondered aloud, “And Heath was there. He wanted to call 911, but I told him not to. I knew I could heal you. I knew there wouldn’t be anything that they could do.” I shivered remembering, “There was so much blood.”

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.” He touched my hand like my father would, “Things like that tend to stay with us and become part of who we are, for better or worse. There is nothing I can do to ever repay you for what you did for me. Do you know why you have that new power?”

  “Not really.”

  He took a big breath, preparing for a long-winded sermon I knew was coming, “You were able to save me because you are part angel. That kind of power is God-given.”

  “Well, I kind of already know that.”

  “Really? Did your mother or father tell you about it?” He asked.

  “Umm no,” I was reluctant to tell him about my dream, “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I dreamt it.” I told him about my nightwalk, all the details about Lillith, Orias each talking at me at once. I explained to him I felt that they weren’t trying to help me, but get me to use my powers to benefit their own purpose, and how my father led me to the truth.

  “I woke up feeling the power within me, this ability to heal.”

  “It’s an angelic trait,” He said, “but it’s not a power that you possess on your own. It rather like you’re the vessel, like a tool that the Lord is using.”

  “That makes sense, I guess.” I still had one question, “It is healing though, right?”

  “What do you mean?” Mr. Reese asked.

  “I mean, I healed you. I didn’t bring you back from the dead, did I?” Heath and I had both wondered that same thing. I didn’t have the answer days ago, and I wanted to be sure of it.

  “Oh, no, no,” He stopped me quickly, “you are correct. You healed me. When you put your hands on me and prayed and asked Him for his help, I wasn’t dead. Maybe almost,” He smiled, “but not quite.”

  “So you’re saying if you’re heart actually stopped. If you had quit breathing, then there was nothing that I could have done?” I asked.

  “Well miracles have happened like that. God can do anything, after all. But the kind of acts you are speaking of aren’t Heaven sent.”

  Mr. Reese brought himself closer to me and whispered, “The ability to bring someone back from the dead is something only a daemon can do. Only one daemon has the power to do that. It’s a power that even Satan himself doesn’t have.”

  I don’t like where this is going.

  “So what kind of daemon has this power?”

  “I don’t know if this is something you need to know.” He waved his hands up in the air trying to magically wave the conversation from my mind. “Sometimes knowing too much is a bad thing.”

  “What kind?” I asked again, already knowing and afraid of what he would say.

  “Have you ever heard of the Porter?”

  Chapter 11

  Visitors

  I was used to adults not believing me- it’s a common occurrence for most teenagers, so I encouraged Mr. Reese to call my father. I missed him and would have loved to talk to him even if it was just to hear him corroborate my story.

  Mr. Reese had told me about the Porter’s ability to resurrect the dead. “Throughout history there has been only one Porter alive at one time. His existence isn’t known to humans, even daemonologists. It has usually been a man that is born of both worlds, Hell and Earth, so he is able to bring daemons into our world and also bring humans into Hell.”

  “I already know this, Mr. Reese.”

  “You do?” He asked incredulously.

  I nodded.

  “Is this something James taught you once your birthright was revealed,” he asked trying to hide his disdain. I could tell he didn’t approve of the direction my father went after they parted ways so many years ago.

  “Actually no,” I stiffened, “I heard the information straight from the Porter himself.”

  “Really?” He asked. I wasn’t sure if he believed me or not.

  “You remember I mentioned Orrin, my soul mate?” my daemon purred at the mention of his name and then sank its teeth into my bones, frustrated with longing. “I’ve traveled all this way not only because I was forced to leave Providence, but because if I don’t find him really bad things are gonna start happening.”

  “Yeah, I remember. You said that you needed to unlock his memories, as I recall. I’ve never heard of anyone in history being able to undo a judgment. I don’t think any of your angelic or daemonic abilities will help you do that.”

  “It will if I’ve tied my soul to his.” I said confidently. I had been told by Orias moments after Lillith killed Orrin. He had confided in me and I made a deal with him. If Orias could tell me how to undo Orrin’s judgment, then I would do my best to see it done.

  And I had been doing my best from that moment on.

  I promised and then we sealed the deal, both vowing to keep our end of the bargain. After all, we both wanted him back in our lives, but for different reasons. I didn’t know Orias’ motivations, but I didn’t much care. Orrin had warned me about making deals with daemons, but I didn’t much care about that at the time either.

  Mr. Reese was quiet, pondering long moments and drinking in the magnitude of what I was really telling him.

  “So,” He took another of those long sermon-type breaths, “You tied your soul to Orrin’s, and now, even though his memory has been wiped by the hand of God, he will still be able to recognize you and remember all that he once was. Am I getting this right?”

  “So far.”

  “And,” he continued, “I’m making a jump here- is Orrin the Porter?”

  “Yes,” I breathed out, hoping now he would understand the magnitude of my situation.

  “If what you’re saying is correct, and this boy you have come after, Orrin, is really the Porter, and he is unaware of this, then there is a serious imbalance taking place right now.” Mr. Reese jumped up, grabbed his cell, and called my dad.

  He paced around the room as they spoke. I could hear their entire conversation, picturing my dad pacing circles in his study as well. I irritated me that my father hadn’t picked up the phone when I called, but he answered rather quickly when his old daemonologist buddy gave him a ring. I sat there flipping through the cable channels while they talked in circles.

  “James, I’m overwhelmed that this even happened. Is there anything else about this…situation you neglected to tell me?”

  “It wasn’t my story to tell, Kevin, you know that.” I heard my father say through the phone.

  Mr. Reese’s eyes fell on me. I felt scolded,
caught in a lie, albeit a lie of omission.I was pretty sure I had told him all the pertinent details- at that point. I tried to rethink the past few weeks. Besides the kiss that afternoon I couldn’t think of anything I had to hide or of which I was ashamed. He was a minister and a father after all, and has had years in perfecting that look of disappointment.

  Does he really need to know everything? It’s not like he’s my confessor or anything!

  He hung up the phone without even giving me a chance to talk to my dad.

  “Hey! Didn’t he want to talk to me?”

  “You can call him back, but I doubt he’ll answer- you know it’s not allowed.” Mr. Reese stated firmly. “So, Orrin? That’s his name?”

  “Yeah. I told you that already.”

  “Orrin Darringer?”

  Oh….so that’s where this is headed.

  “Like Heath Darringer?” he finished.

  “They’re the same person.” I explained.

  “Were you going to tell me that the boy you have tied your soul to, the daemon Porter you came here to find is my daughter’s boyfriend?”

  “Well I wasn’t trying to steal him, if that’s what you think. We were together long before Daisy.” I answered.

  “Wow,” he whispered, “that’s a whole other problem I’m going to have to think about.” Mr. Reese rubbed his face.

  “The Beacon,” he whispered shaking his head at me, “and the Porter? Both in my town. Both hormone-fueled teens…tied to one another. How is this possible? Never in a million years would I have ever guessed…”

  He laughed a strange frustrated sound. He was tired. I knew he had taken himself out of the daemonologist business when Daisy showed up, same as my father. Both of them wanted to be good fathers. They must not have realized that daemon-hunting wasn’t just a profession, but a lifestyle. It was something you could hide from, but never something you could escape. They tried, and daemons kept finding them.