Winny felt an overpowering sense of camaraderie forming with his brother and it was much needed for some time. He stood close to Garth. Still leery, he stepped closer. He was terrified. Garth wrapped his arms around Winny and squeezed. It was comforting. The two brothers held each other. It really was Gath, had to be.
Winny parted from Garth and turned toward Cherri who was smiling. She ran her hand gently down his face. It was as if she were happy to see them come together.
“I believe him, Winny. I took off right after you. Gardner and his wife are still up there. I’m not saying that he’s bad, but I think he’s going to kill us if he gets a hold of us. He thinks we’re those…demons,” Cherri explained. “I heard what he was saying.”
Winny began to wonder. Was he being fooled? And why was Garth so sided with Cherri? Quickly, he stepped back. He shook a flat hand in front of Cherri, looked to his brother and asked, “Why are you being so good to her? You hate her.”
Without hesitation, Garth smiled and said, “If I need to play nice with her in order to get you out of this hell hole, then that’s what I’ll do. I’m not going to be stubborn. We need to get out of here and get help. We need her.” Garth was silent for a moment before lifting his head toward Gardner’s garage. “Gardner’s truck is in there. Maybe his keys are too. We can go to the police station and get more help.”
That seemed logical. It seemed like something Garth would do. The three of them walked toward the garage—Cherri smiled brightly at Winny while they went. Her fingers danced across the palm of his right hand.
The grass was wet. It glistened in the moonlight. But the moonlight would pass soon. It was early morning. It had to be four o’clock by now. The sun would come out soon and with the light, Winny knew that everything would be all right. In the movies, nothing bad happened during the day.
The garage door creaked as Winny pushed it open. They filed into the musty scented wooden enclosure. There were wooden shelves jutting out from the wall on all sides of the garage. Garden tools hung from large hooks and dangled from the ceiling. Father Gardner’s pickup truck sat parked in the dark.
Winny went to the driver’s side and tried to open the door. It wouldn’t budge. It groaned when he pulled on the handle. He tilted his head to the side, looking at the steering wheel. There were no keys in the ignition. Spinning his head quickly, he found Garth and Cherri staring at him intently.
“No keys?” Garth asked, looking to Cherri. He turned and headed for the door. “I’ll get them. I saw them on the kitchen counter, earlier.”
“Be careful,” Cherri whispered.
Winny saw a smile stretch across Cherri’s face. But it didn’t matter. To Winny, the comfort of having his brother and the girl he’d come to grow fond of was enough that he’d stay. He needed Garth and Cherri to be all right. Garth wasn’t the enemy anymore. Neither was Cherri. It was hard to believe and it was complicated, but Gardner was the problem now.
Winny watched as Garth slid out the side door. It creaked when he closed it and it tapped against the wood frame. The room was dark again. Winny could barely see the outline of Cherri’s body until his eyes adjusted. She was smiling at him, seductively. Her lips curled and her smile shifted to the right side of her mouth. Her eyes drooped and her eyelashes slowly batted. Her appearance was sexy and inquisitive, as if asking, “Now that we’re alone, what do you want to do?”
Winny shook the fantasy. There was no way this was happening. Sure, he wanted it to be happening, but not at a time like this.
“I’m glad your brother came back. I had my doubts about Father Gardner, but I didn’t think that it was my place to say anything. I know he’s a good man—that he’s dealt with this kind of stuff before, but I think he’s confused—out of practice.”
“It’s okay.” Winny nodded. “I’m just glad we’re all together.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Winny said. He swallowed hard as Cherri swayed toward him.
“In the basement…earlier…you wanted to kiss me?”
Winny felt his heart rate quicken. Tiny bulbs of sweat beaded up from the skin of his forehead. He was going to sweat. His cheeks were red. He was becoming aroused.
“Ah…I mean. Is it okay that I did?”
“It is. I wanted you too. I still want you.”
Then she was pulling her shirt up, exposing her flat stomach which spread at the sides where the perfectly symmetric curves of her hips began. Her skin looked soft and flawless. It was vibrant, even in the dark.
“What are you doing?” Garth asked, struggling to catch his breath. His breathing was becoming erratic.
“Giving you a sneak peek.” She whispered while lifting her shirt even farther, exposing the rounded bottom of her breasts.
Winny was fully aroused. Suddenly, he was embarrassed. She might be able to see his erection.
Taking a step backward, Winny crouched. He looked up, at Cherri. She smiled and said, “It’s okay. I want that too.” And yet, Winny didn’t feel at ease. He continued to back up. His mouth was dry and he tried to swallow. She’d taken her shirt off and her breasts were completely exposed. Her nakedness was accentuated by the moonlight that shone in through the small rectangular garage window.
“This isn’t the time, Cherri,” Winny said, fumbling for words.
“Is there ever a right time?” she asked. Her voice had become monotone as if she were a bad actress in a horror film seducing the unsuspecting male victim. She kept moving forward.
“Stop,” he said.
He stood tall, firm—as if telling her that he’d take action if she took another step forward.
She smiled while tracing her index finger down the center of her chest. She traced the underside of her right breast. “You don’t find me attractive?”
9
Standing in the garage seducing Winny, Jezebeth’s attempts were becoming questionable. Her actions displayed too much. The seduction wasn’t subtle. It was forced. Winny would soon find her actions ridiculously false. Jezebeth’s desperation was becoming apparent. The results were written in Winny’s fearful expression. She sensed that her seduction was failing. It had succeeded at first, but now her attempts were drowning. Still, she needed to continue. She wouldn’t allow herself to stop. She needed to lure him in. Cherri’s beauty was the only way. Jezebeth wouldn’t be able to seduce him any other way and she needed his body. Rage boiled within the matter of her being. The possession needed to happen now or she would be sent back. If she went back, she would live, burning in flames, for too long. It would be decades before she was permitted back to the world of the living.
She looked below Winny’s stomach. Beneath his jeans, she saw that he was aroused. She held a chance. But if he touched her she’d be revealed as an imposter, an illusion. That would end her existence and he would know that she was fraudulent.
She pushed her breasts together and moaned—another feeble attempt.
He licked his lips. Jezebeth could tell that he was trying to justify his arousal—make it all right—while trying to control himself. Her confidence built as she found that he wanted her, but knew that he couldn’t. Humans were so easy.
Jezebeth needed Winny to believe that she was Cherri.
Or at least forget that she wasn’t.
10
Standing in the garage, alone with Cherri, should have been tantalizing. Being in the basement with her, earlier, was exciting. They’d almost kissed. Frustration suddenly set in. He shouldn’t be feeling these things. The timing couldn’t be more wrong. But she was coming on to him, seducing him. Winny’s will shattered. He moved forward to Cherri. Lustful thoughts dwelled in his mind, and in his heart. He had to have her. To touch her soft flesh wasn’t enough. She’d exposed herself to him. Beautiful girls like Cherri never showed interest in him before. He accepted the bait. Garth would be back momentarily. When he returned, they would have to stop. For now, he only wanted a taste, just a nibble. He wrapped his arms around her. H
e should have felt her warm body. He anticipated the comfort and the warmth of her, but his arms sifted through her and he fell forward. It was as if she weren’t there. She was weightless. She was shaded energy, drawn in the air. That was all. No sustenance to her being. And then, he felt her trying to get in. It felt like the pores of his skin were being penetrated by fiery wind. It hurt, but he wasn’t going to let her in. He closed his eyes and began to pray.
Garth stepped into the garage. His feet scraped across the chalky cement floor. He was a shadow in the dark as he leaned against the doorframe and said, “If you let her take your body, she’ll give you the pleasure that you desire. Don’t fight it. I didn’t. I feel like I could crush mountains. Imagine the two of us with strength like that, Winny. Trust me. Join me.”
He wanted to. To be that strong and to taste the flesh of this beautiful girl that he’d sought after since he’d laid eyes on her. Wanting her wasn’t enough. He had to have her. In that moment, he didn’t care, even if it meant giving up his soul. He wanted her badly. He could taste her in the air between them.
For just one moment, his guard evaporated. He felt the fiery winds sink deep into his flesh like a million hot needles. It burned horribly.
Chapter 25
1
Cherri stood in the attic staring out the window. A million thoughts raced through her head. After facing the evils of this night she’d been able to put her life into a new perspective. If she made it through this, her lifestyle would change. For now, she waited for a sign that Winny was all right. Everyone had become silent since he’d left. At the time, Cherri wanted to run after him and she tried, but Donna had stopped her. Cherri didn’t care if those things were to catch her and hurt her because she only wanted Winny. She wanted him to be all right and his safety weighed on her heavily. Her guts twisted at the thought of what those creatures could and would do to him. It saddened her to think of how vulnerable he’d made himself. She’d never had any brothers or sisters and, therefore, she couldn’t, honestly, grasp the feelings that Winny held for his brother. They were enough that he’d disregarded his own safety in order to help him. She found him noble for doing so even though she would do anything to have him back in this attic where she sat near the window. Donna and Leslie Gardner stood near the hatch like guard dogs. They remained silent and seemed to be communicating on another level. Their communication wasn’t of the verbal variety.
The sound of Gardner’s creaky knees drew Cherri’s attention. He was stumbling forward, gripping his back and wincing.
Cherri opened her mouth, “I want to find him.”
Gardner glanced up at her. His mouth moved, but he didn’t say anything. He turned to Donna.
“What do we need to do?” Donna asked.
Gardner answered, “He’s being tested. From there we will know what to do.”
Cherri was angered. It seemed like Gardner didn’t care. It was like he was being lazy. Waiting wasn’t the right thing to do. Shouldn’t they be trying to save Winny from being tempted by those creatures? This thought linked her to the next. She wondered how Winny was being tempted. Had Sammael somehow convinced Winny that he was in fact Garth? Had Winny bought into Sammael’s deceit because he needed his brother to be all right? Had the demon tempted him like it had her? Like the image she’d seen of her stepfather? The thought of Sammael tempting Winny—somehow—with thoughts of her hid silently at the back of her mind. What if Sammael had somehow become Cherri and seduced Winny. She knew that the demon was able to conjure illusions. She’d been fooled earlier when Jezebeth had manifested into the terrifying image of her stepfather. He appeared in the bathtub and she’d bought into it. But Gardner and his wife had saved her. Why couldn’t they save Winny?
“I think we need to help him…I need to help him,” Cherri finally answered.
“For now, we need to stay together. If we separate, the demon will corner each of us and prey on our weaknesses. That is what the demon does. You know this. It tried to get you earlier and it will do the same again—with you, my wife and certainly with me,” Gardner answered. “I guarantee that is what the demon is doing with Winny.”
Cherri frowned. It felt like she’d been stabbed in the belly. How could Sammael tempt Gardner? It didn’t make sense. He was blessed somehow. He had some kind of holy shield; a knowledge of how to fight these evil creatures. Even though it sounded ridiculous. But then, this whole night sounded ridiculous. Gardner had certain gifts and his powers had enabled him to fight off the retched creatures. He possessed the strength to fight them. Cherri couldn’t imagine that he could be tempted. There was no way. He was too solid and he seemed to do the right things all the time. His morality was flawless.
“That doesn’t seem right, Father Gardner. How can he tempt you?”
“The demon always has its ways. It can threaten me with violence against my wife or against you. It could create threats that would force me to succumb to its demands. And he will do anything in his power to sway me, and you,” Gardner replied.
Gardner’s argument seemed logical. Crazy as it all sounded, what he explained made sense. She almost laughed when thinking of the word logical. There was nothing logical about this night or anything that had happened during the course of it. But now, listening to what Gardner said calmed her. Her eager need to be with Winny—to possibly sacrifice herself in order to gain closure was settled. Still, she wanted to abandon her safety in order to find Winny. She couldn’t bear the thought of Winny suffering. Although Cherri knew Winny was tormented by the taking of Garth. That was probably what Gardner meant when he said that Sammael could tempt him. Horror seized Cherri. Just the mere thought of Winny being taken, possessed by Sammael, haunted her. The idea was agonizing. And what if Jezebeth still lingered? Gardner had fought her twice, but somehow she’d come back.
Standing, Cherri leaned forward and looked out the window. To her surprise, she saw something shift near the garage. She looked down and saw him standing in the front lawn.
It was Garth.
Chapter 26
1
Winny stood in the garage inhaling the rising dust as it kicked up from the dirty floor. His skin felt like it was on fire. His feet, legs and arms were tight, solid—stiff. He couldn’t move. He raised his hand to his face. It felt heavy. Each finger seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and his skin felt like it was barely hanging on. His forearm seemed to be filled with solid steel instead of flesh and blood. He fought to keep his eyes shut. He didn’t want to see his arm. He was sure that it was melting. He thought so, anyway. The pain was bad and he knew that he was being disfigured. Jezebeth’s heat was reforming his body. This was it. The thought of opening his eyes and seeing that his skin had melted away from the bone was haunting and images of his bones covered in bloody muscle flooded in. His stomach crumpled. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that his arm was fine and completely intact. It felt like it was on fire, but it looked as it always had. His thoughts had gotten the best of him. The demon had tricked him. Then he looked ahead toward Cherri. Her entire body flickered like she was being erased and she was still shirtless. She was convulsing and shaking heavily. She vibrated at a high velocity and her appearance changed. The woman he saw before him, now, looked as though her skin was charred and blackened. Her eyes were white; without color or pupils. She quickly turned into Cherri again. Abruptly, Winny realized what was happening. The demon was trying to seduce him. She was trying to break down his guard. Jezebeth wanted to possess him and take his body. A blood churning sickness twisted in his stomach. He was sure that Garth had been taken and it killed him to think that his brother was enduring intense pain and torment. Sammael had possessed Garth. Gardner was right. Still, he had needed to be sure. He couldn’t be faulted for his doubts. Now, he needed to get away from this evil thing before he too, was possessed. Slowly, the sensation of the burning wind cooled. His skin no longer felt the flames and his awareness blocked the demon’s attack.
Winny was angry. He wanted to
get back to the attic and see Gardner and his wife. The last time he’d seen Cherri—not the vision of her—was in the attic. The sweet girl that had come into his life on this fate filled night and now he wanted to feel the comfort of being with her. Suddenly, he felt ashamed for having bought into the demon’s seduction. Jezebeth used Winny’s feelings, for Cherri, to lure him in.
Now, standing in front of Jezebeth, he was able to see the demon for what she was—a retched beast. Her skin was black, charred and scaly. Her eyes opened and they flickered at him. His anger trumped his fear. Her pure white eyes gazed into his. She was still trying to force her way in, but he wouldn’t let her. It was obvious, from the flickering, fiery, glow of her eyes that she felt rage. She was losing the fight. Intuitively, Winny knew that she couldn’t continue this battle. If she could have, she’d have done it already, but for one reason or another she was unable to hurt him. Maybe she didn’t have enough power? He could only speculate when it came to the unknown. Jezebeth wasn’t fulfilled. She wasn’t getting in and that was good.
The fiery sensation subsided and Winny no longer felt like he was being held captive in a furnace. The muscles in his legs loosened and his arms swayed at ease. He stepped forward. Heart racing, he inched passed the demon. It snarled and hissed at him, but it didn’t move and it didn’t strike. It only stood there, vibrating and flickering. Heat radiated from where Jezebeth stood. Winny moved past her and left the garage. Still scared, he felt the slightest hint of relief.
He had passed this test.
He made it out of the garage. Smelling the cool morning air felt good. It was refreshing. A new fear set in. Where was his brother? Where was the demon? His brother wouldn’t have allowed Jezebeth to do this. The demon encouraged Winny to believe what Garth had said, but it wasn’t Garth. No matter how mad Garth was, he wouldn’t wish harm upon his brother. A faint chuckle rippled down from the roof of the garage.
The Last Customer Page 21
