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Page 29
Maybe it was best that I had been brought up the way I had. I had seen both good and bad people in this world. I could only think that would help me, guide me in this transition and my looming struggle to discern right from wrong. I would continue to look for others like me, someone that could help answer questions.
But tonight I had to get moving. I could feel the shadows moving in. I knew Mark had not lied about that. I could see them dancing at the edges of my vision. Waiting. The Succubus in me had been born and I would never be the same…though that may not be a bad thing.
Goddess of Death
by
John Hansen
Liam never liked demons, not only because they possessed his younger sister and nearly killed her, or because they were in the process of chasing him throughout New York City. He hated demons because they were vile, repulsive creatures that, frankly, disgusted him. They weren’t very attractive-looking and were extremely unpleasant to be around in the first place, but after they possessed his sister, Liam’s hatred of demons only intensified.
Admittedly, it wasn’t too difficult for the demons to get a hold of his sister because there wasn’t much security provided in their house. Liam did not like the term “illegal” but after his parents died nearly two years ago (their bodies were found on a deserted beach with strange claw marks in them), he and his younger sister – after avoiding a foster home – moved to a desolate part of town alone. Liam wasn’t technically old enough to be a legal guardian for he was only sixteen but he and his younger sister, Ashley, made out well enough. Liam cared for her, fed her from the income he received from his accounting job and neither of them complained. The two dropped out of school as it was not a necessity and Liam forged a fake ID that stated he was 21 – he was tall and mature enough for this to be believable – and then got offered an accounting job. They lived happily enough in the small, rundown shack of a home for several months. It wasn’t a spectacular life, but Liam and his sister had each other. And that was all that mattered, that is, until Liam returned from work one afternoon to see his sister possessed by a group of demons.
***
2 days ago
“Ash, I’m home,” Liam called, shutting the door behind him with his foot as he put the groceries on the table.
The first sign that something was wrong was her non-reply. At first, Liam dismissed it as nothing. She was probably just busy.
He spent the next half an hour preparing the night’s dinner – spaghetti and meatballs. When it was finally ready, he called up to her, realizing it was strange that he’d heard nothing from her all day. “Ash, dinner’s ready.”
Nothing.
“Ash?”
Still nothing.
“You there, sis?” And still, no reply. Now Liam was beginning to worry. That was the second sign.
He walked tentatively up the stairs. Was his sister all right? Was she hurt? Had she been kidnapped? His mind raced.
Liam reached the top of the stairs, turned the corner and stopped at the closed door to his sister’s room. He was about to open it when he heard a faint growling sound from within. That was the third sign.
What was that? That wasn’t Ashley, was it? There was definitely someone or something in there, though. Liam was sure of it.
“Ash?” He asked nervously and opened the door just a crack. “You in there?”
Silence.
Liam paused for a moment and hearing nothing, was about to step through when a hideous gurgling sound filled the room and something lunged at the door like a crazed animal. But this was no animal, Liam realized. This was his sister.
“Ash, what happened?” Liam asked in fear. Instinctually, he walked toward her – arms outstretched – but stepped back as soon as she lashed out at him for a second time. Liam stared in horror. She seemed rabid – vicious and foaming at the mouth. She circled the room on her hands and knees, glaring at Liam, like a leopard guarding its territory. But she was still clutching her favorite teddy bear like always. Liam never understood why it was so dear to her, but it was and he didn’t dare question her about it.
“Y-you, okay, Ash?” Liam whispered, shivering. She bared her fangs in response and hissed at him. Ashley didn’t even seem to realize that he was her brother. Liam backed away carefully and hurried down the stairs to the phone. It was not until he had halfway dialed 9-1-1 that he realized his younger sister was being possessed by demons.
***
Present
Liam’s initial reaction was one of shock. At first, he wasn’t sure if his crazed, suddenly vicious sister had become rabid or diseased in some way, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that it was demon possession. It had been going on a lot, recently, in New York City so he recognized the symptoms after only some consideration.
His next reaction was one of fury. How dare those demons break into his home, despite the poor security, and possess his little sister? How dare they make her become so deranged? How dare they and their sick, nonexistent minds do this to him and his sister at a time like this?
As Liam learned from the news, possession of humans was simply the demon’s mind taking over Ashley’s, making it in control of Ashley’s body. Because it was not his sister controlling her actions, those vile demons forced Liam to chain her to the wall of her bedroom. Just the prospect of chaining his own sister to a wall elicited great fury from within Liam but with the mind of a demon dominating her, she was too violent to handle. How dare they do this to Ashley?
In short, Liam contacted the local exorcist he had heard about on the news to rid the demon’s soul from Ashley’s body. The exorcist drew the strange circle Liam had seen in movies. He called it a containment circle. Liam didn’t see the logic of the containment circle, but he didn’t dare question it, since the subject of demons was not his specialty, nor did he fully believe in the existence of demons. That is, until now.
Once his sister was free from the demon – miraculously, she survived, though the exorcist said that she barely did since the spirit was so strong that it took an alarming amount of energy out of her – by the exorcist’s advice, the two fled their home and hit the streets of New York. And things weren’t pretty from there.
Liam caught wind of their first demon tail about a day into the journey. The second and third ones appeared a day later. Then the fourth appeared and so did the fifth, sixth and seventh. And they were all after his sister. He had no idea why and didn’t really want to, either, but he knew that he needed to protect her. He loved and cared for her too much to let her go. But then the demons started attacking. They might have been easy to fend off for someone with powers of their own, but since Liam was a simple human, he was pretty much useless against them, putting his sister right in harm’s way.
***
“Run!” Liam screamed to Ashley, his ten-year-old sister, as the first of the demons attacked. The demon was only slightly smaller than Liam but was still ten times more vicious. It pounced on Liam’s back, digging its razor-like claws into his flesh. Liam yelped in pain and threw the demon off of his back in a spasm that was more accidental than it was deliberate. Liam felt a sudden sense of triumph as it skidded across the pavement, thinking that he had won. But the exultation was short-lived. The creature got slowly up to its feet and to Liam’s terror, its lips curled into a blood-curdling smile. It seemed almost… amused…
Liam looked to where Ashley was. She was some distance away, but was hesitating to go further. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her eyes full of fear for her brother. “Go!” Liam shouted just as the demon lunged for him again, knocking him off balance. “Run!”
The hit from the demon was surprisingly powerful, sending Liam skidding across the ground. He groaned in pain.
The creature walked over to Liam, towering over him. It surveyed its prey with a sadistic fascination, poised to strike at any moment. Liam desperately groped for something to defend himself with as the creature drew closer and closer to his face. “Well, well, well,” it
breathed. “Look who we have here.” Liam inched away as the creature approached. He continued to search for a weapon, not taking his eyes off the demon. “Don’t worry,” it hissed, “I’m not here for you. I’m here for your sister. So your death will be quick and painless.” There was a pause. “How about we start… now?”
Liam’s hand grabbed hold of a knife just as the demon attacked. He swung it hopelessly at the creature just as its mouth opened around his face. Blood spattered across the wall. But it was not his blood. It was the demon’s. Liam watched it slowly crumple to the ground, where it fell – lifeless.
He breathed in and out slowly, trying to restore sense to his brain and relieve himself of his anxiety. But he couldn’t. He had been so close to death, there; he nearly died.
And then Liam noticed his terrified sister watching him, her body shaking vigorously. Liam limped over to her. “It’s okay, Ash. I’m alright.”
She shook her head, clutching her teddy bear against her chest.
“No, don’t worry, Ash. I’m fine…” Liam took a step closer to her.
Ashley shook her head again and pointed to his lower stomach. Liam glanced at it quickly to see what the cause of his sister’s anxiety was and to his horror, blood was trickling out of a claw-wound. He was hurt.
Liam felt dizzy. He had been attacked and successfully injured by a creature he never believed existed. He was bleeding badly from a gash in his stomach. He could die. Liam’s mind raced. Could he die? Did demons have poisonous claws? Was he losing enough blood to die there?
And that’s when he noticed them – more demons, but this time coming up from behind his sister.
“Ashley, behind you!” Liam screamed but it was too late. They were already upon her, grabbing her.
“Ashley!” He started to run toward her but only made it a few feet before he was attacked from behind. Liam hit the sidewalk with a sickening crunch and was immediately pinned down by two much larger and much stronger demons.
“Move and we’ll bash your head in,” one of them hissed. Liam whimpered an “okay” but not without confusion. Why were they keeping him alive? Why did he matter to them? They said themselves that he didn’t matter to them and that it was Ashley that they were after. Ashley. They were after Ashley. Why her? What of her did they need? Would they keep her alive? Liam’s brain would not settle down.
He turned back to his sister, only to see the larger of the two demons holding Ashley rip the teddy bear from her quivering hands and throw it across the street. Rage coursed through him. That was her favorite teddy bear.
Liam tried to stand up but was held fast by the demons pinning him down. “Uh-uh-uh,” one of them hissed. “Remember our deal? Do you want your blood all over the sidewalk?”
Liam whimpered helplessly, knowing he didn’t have a choice. He would just have to hope that it would all turn out well, but he knew in his heart that it wouldn’t. Not this time.
The demons that were holding Ashley began circling her, chanting. Liam had no idea what was going on. They wrapped her in a tight circle, still chanting. They seemed determined, fierce. They had a goal in mind. The chanting grew louder. Liam could not tell what they were saying but he knew it wasn’t good. His sister was in danger.
The demons circled her faster, chanted louder and louder, until… their noises ceased. They stopped. Liam shut his eyes. He couldn’t bear to see what was going to happen next.
He gave it a few moments before he opened them again, expecting to see his sister’s dead body lying on the ground. But it wasn’t there. In fact, his sister was nowhere in sight. And to his surprise, the two demons that were holding him were gone. Liam looked fearfully to where his sister was before. She still wasn’t there but in her place was all of the demons, huddled together. They seemed to be bowing to something, or someone. Probably their master, Liam realized with horror. They were probably telling their master that they had successfully killed his sister.
Liam crawled closer, wincing at the pain from the wound in his chest.
“Master, master,” he heard them chanting softly. “Rise, my master, rise!”
And the master rose. But it wasn’t the master Liam was expecting. Ashley’s face shimmered as she rose above the chanting demons. She was beautiful there, pristine, perfect.
Liam gasped and stared, wide-eyed with horror. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it before he could, knowing it was a very bad idea. The ritual went on for a few moments more. Ashley rose, her body shimmering from her powerful aura. And she seemed almost happy to be there.
It took her a moment to notice Liam. “Liam,” she whispered. “Now you see, now you see the real me. I am the cause for the demons in New York. I’m what they were looking for.”
“Don’t say that, Ash,” Liam whispered, tears glistening in his eyes.
“I’ve always been one of them, Liam. Mom was, too. That teddy bear was the only thing that could hide my powers.”
Liam gasped. “No, Ash. No, no, no. You’re making a mistake here.”
Ashley raised her voice. “They have found me, Liam, and this is what I need to do. I was made for this, and you need to let me go.”
“Ash…” Liam sobbed.
“I control the demons, Liam. I am their master.”
The Flaming Vengeance
by
Linna Drehmel
Tanya shook with fear as she and her younger sister hid under the floor of their bedroom. She could hear her older brother scream in pain and then the sickening crunch of bones as his now lifeless body fell to the floor just above them.
She kept her hand over Gretah’s mouth, trying to keep the small weeping girl from crying out and giving away their hiding place.
After the heavy sound of the wraith’s footsteps left the room she put her lips up to Gretah’s ear and whispered ever so softly. “We will be alright, King Austin will find us.”
Chapter 1
It had only been a few months since her family had been slaughtered by the grey skinned wraith. Tanya tried very hard to shut out the memories of all she had seen and heard during the attack that took all but one of her family from her.
She could not get the look of the hideous beasts out of her mind, their long arms and clawed hands, large bat like wings and big heavy feet.
Tanya knew why they had been attacked. It was a stupid promise made to the people by the fire Gods. “Two centuries hence, line of blood next to the king with eyes of green, will protect the planet of the ring.” She mumbled bitterly to herself as she finished up her duties in the kitchen.
She hated that promise. It was the reason the wraith killed her family. Her father’s line was the only one on the planet with green eyes anymore, but Tanya had the dark brown eyes of her mother’s line. Her little sister Gretah had the same green eyes as their father. “They will not touch you Gretah.” She vowed silently.
Almost as if in response to Tanya’s thoughts, her precious little sister hurried into the kitchen where she had just finished with her chores.
“Tanya, are we still going to watch the rings?” Gretah’s sweet little voice piped.
“Yes, Gretah. I am done here.” She said as she handed her sister a small sack of food that they would share as they do every evening. Then sit side by side on the hill behind the royal household and watch the rings that circle their planet glitter in the light of the twin moons.
Tanya put her arm around her sisters thin shoulders and tried unsuccessfully sneak quietly past the dining room where the royal family sat being served dinner.
“Tanya, Gretah. Please come here.” King Austin said in a firm but kind voice.
The two girls walked slowly with heads bowed into the formal dining room and stopped next to the chair of their father’s closest friend.
“Every night I ask the two of you to join us and every night you two sneak away.” He said looking at only surviving members of his best friend’s family. “Why do you leave? I have adopted the two of you into my family. Yo
u don’t need to act as servants.”
With head still bowed Tanya cleared her throat nervously, “You Highness, we…”
“Tanya, look at me.” Austin interrupted her. “There was a time when you called me Uncle. Why now that you are a part of my family do you call me Highness?”
Tanya raised her eyes and looked into his kindly face. She remembered the relief she felt when he ripped the floorboards away with his own hands, freeing them after two long days of hiding.
“I can’t. I…” Tanya stumbled over her words with tears in her eyes.
Gretah ducked under Tanya’s arm and took a bold step forward, “Please Uncle may we go watch the rings? They are so pretty at night.”
“Of course child.” He said as he reached out and stroked her glossy black hair. “Tanya, be careful. I have heard reports of wraith in the area.”
“They would not dare come to your home.” Tanya said with fire in her brown eyes.
“All the same Tanya I am going to have my guard watch over you.”
Tanya opened her mouth to argue but closed it again when she saw the look burning in his hazel eyes as he gestured the guard standing in the open doorway. “Watch over my nieces, but give them privacy.”
“Yes, your Highness.” He said with a bow to the king, and then turned to the girls. “Duchess’.” He addressed them and gestured to the door way that the came in.
Chapter 2
The sisters lie on their favorite hill after they had finished their dinner, with the Kings own guard keeping a sharp eye on them at a respectful distance.
“Tanya,” Gretah asked. “Do you think the souls of our family are on the rings or in the volcano with the fire Gods?”
“Only the souls of the wraith burn for eternity in the fires of the volcano as punishment for their evil. The fire Gods lift up the souls of the good people on our plant to rest forever amongst the beauty of the particle rings.” She said reciting what every child learns of the fire Gods that protect their planet. “Our family was good people so they are on the rings.”