The Complete Hidden Evil Trilogy: 3 Novels and 4 Shorts of Frightening Horror (PLUS Book I of the Portal Arcane Trilogy)

by J. Thorn

  Jackson was the first to enter the crypt. He threw his shoulder into the bronze door until it opened enough to let the candle from inside light his face. With two or three members of his posse, Jackson stepped into the crypt to a scene that would have him mumbling to himself for decades inside the Western State Lunatic Asylum.

  The transcription of Constable Allen Jackson’s interview read, “I done seen Master Williams first. He wore a sick smile, sitting atop a stone sarcophagus in the middle of the crypt. His wife, Meredith, sat naked as a stitch in front of him. Her hair was down and loose, and she had the look of the devil in her eye. I tried to find the sign of the witch on her, but I couldn’t keep at her with my God-fearing eyes. Floyd’s boy and the three girls, more like young women than girls, lay in a row on the cold stone, none moving. Each had a hemp rope ’round their necks, and y’all can guess how that left ’em. I ain’t seen Floyd strangle the life from them poor children, but he done it just the same.

  “‘We serving a warrant for the arrest of Floyd and Meredith Williams,’ I said. ‘The charge be witchcraft and murder, in the first degree.’

  “I’ll never forget the looks on both their faces. They wasn’t the eyes of the righteous. Some demon had stolen their souls and left nothing but the flesh of those poor folks. My posse broke with fear, and only my deputy remained by my side.

  “‘Gonna give you five seconds to come out this here crypt, or I’m gonna have to use force,’ I said. That was when Satan himself spoke through Floyd, and all I can remember is the piss running down my leg and the deputy whimpering behind me.”

  ***

  The written records became less reliable, and time distorted the truth and molded it into legend. When the judge was able to send another posse to the Williams’ house the next day, they found Constable Allen Jackson on the ground, unconscious and lying in the weeds of the cemetery near the crypt. Pieces of the deputy’s body were discovered in the corners of the cemetery after having been drawn and quartered, with no evidence of horseshoes in the soft earth. The bodies of the Williams children were found on the floor of the crypt, arranged in the manner in which Constable Jackson had described them. Meredith’s body was found, as well. She lay atop the sarcophagus, naked, with symbols scripted over her body in black ink. The county coroner could not determine what had caused her untimely passing. Floyd Williams became a fugitive in name only, as those who searched for him believed he could still be found. But those in Caroling County knew better than to invoke his name again. They realized that he was no more a fugitive of the law than was the spring during the long winter. He could no longer be seen and might disappear for long spells, but eventually Floyd would return. And, as the residents of Pine Valley tried to forget their local history, he would bring the blood curse with him, and none would be spared.

  ***

  Once Helen and Doug had left the room, Frank felt Gaki coming awake inside of Drew’s destroyed flesh. He smiled and danced on his feet like an impatient child. “You called me. I’m here. I want more of Kelly. I want it all.”

  Calm down. You cannot overplay your hand.

  Frank stopped and turned his head. He scanned Drew’s face for evidence of speech but found none. The man’s seared lips appeared to be clenched around several tubes taped to his face.

  Yes. I can communicate with you directly. Time is short, and there is much we need to do.

  Frank nodded and licked his upper lip.

  The blood curse is only one way of propagating, only one entry into Preta’s Realm. You shall experience another. Gaki has a score to settle here, and you will help with it. You will be the left-hand man.

  “Yes, yes, I will. I will do my part.”

  I know you will, which is why I have chosen you. Did you enjoy my gift, the time in the shower with the woman?

  Frank blushed and turned to look at the door as if the mere mention of the experience incriminated him in some crime. “Very much so. I want to fuck her again. For real.”

  You shall have that opportunity and more. Energy has been displaced, and you must put it back where it belongs.

  “I will.”

  You must agree to submit to Gaki, to do his bidding as commanded.

  “I promise.”

  In that case, I will escort you into Preta’s Realm.

  Drew’s eyes opened, and his hands reached up and grabbed Frank by the shoulders. He ripped the tubes from his face and opened his mouth in a silent scream. Frank leaned in closer, smelling the grotesque mix of salve and burnt flesh. Drew chanted, the words coming out coarse and choppy from a throat seared by the explosion at the house. As the wicked psalm came to an end, Frank straightened his back and smiled. He looked down at Drew, the man’s eyes closing as several alarms on the medical equipment began ringing with shrill, digital tones. Frank stepped back as the door to 5468 burst open and the doctors rushed in, unable to resuscitate Drew Green’s corporeal body.

  Frank slid out the door behind them and past the nurse’s station with a renewed jump in his step. There would be some heavy lifting to do first, but then Frank would be able to play.

  Chapter 6

  Sage finished wiping down the espresso machine as her friends waited in the parking lot, smoking cigarettes and laughing. She smiled at the crew of misfits she loved more than anything else while rinsing the rag in the sink. The manager had begun to let her close on her own, which was a small consolation for the fact that she’d had to take the semester off. She knew what that meant. Her parents knew what that meant. Sage’s dad had sat down with her one afternoon in August and asked her the question that most parents ask their children at some point.

  “What do you want to do with your life?”

  She really didn’t know. Sage had made it through high school with average grades, which led to an average first year at an average community college. She knew she was doing it to satisfy her parents, which was the way most twenty-year-olds operated. Some of her friends from high school had gone to expensive private schools and came back with either a love of Nietzsche or a pot habit, or both. At least while she was enrolled at the community campus, Sage could work at the coffee shop, flirt with cute guys, and continue her secret, more vital education.

  The ’80s New Wave station on satellite radio finished playing “Personal Jesus” and faded into “Head Like a Hole.” Sage loved Nine Inch Nails, and “Head Like a Hole” was not really ’80s New Wave, but she wasn’t going to complain. She would totally fuck Trent Reznor. Even though he was old, at least in his forties, she would do whatever he wanted. Sage reached over to the stereo amplifier on the shelf between the herbal tea and paper coffee bags and spun the volume dial to ten just as Trent began to sing about money and God.

  Sage became lost in the tunes and finished the rest of her closing duties in the zone as Nine Inch Nails was followed by The Cure and then Gene Loves Jezebel. She headed to the restroom to clean up before joining her friends in the parking lot, where they would gather and decide which Top 40 dance club to crash. With an elastic tie, Sage pulled her jet-black hair high on her head, letting the pink highlights near her temples dance on her cheekbones. She applied more mascara around her deep-brown eyes and touched up her eyebrows as well. Sage didn’t care much for lipstick, but she knew it drove the guys crazy, so she put on a dark-burgundy gloss and puckered at the mirror. She took a vial of perfume from her purse and sprayed it in the air, stepping into the mist and letting it caress her body. She made sure the tattoos on her neck were visible and that her skirt came up high enough to reveal the garter straps, but not so far that she was giving it all away.

  With her purse over one arm and her phone in hand, Sage hit the lights on the main switch behind the counter, leaving nothing but the emergency floodlights and neon accents inside the coffee shop before pulling the office door shut and locking it. Her hand vibrated as her phone flashed, and she looked down and realized she had much less time than she thought.

  “I guess we all have less time than we think
,” she said to nobody as she began to formulate a plan in her head. Her friends and that Trent Reznor fuck would have to wait. Duty called.

  ***

  When Doug returned to 5467 the next morning, he saw that the door to 5468 was open and the bed was made. All of the whirring and beeping machines that had been in there were gone, as well. Doug sighed and turned into 5467, where Ravna lay in the same position he had the night before. Doug didn’t expect to see anything different. In fact, he would not have been surprised to see 5467 scrubbed, cleaned, and emptied as 5468 had been. The wounds on both survivors were horrific, and Doug had seen his fair share of burn victims.

  “Good morning,” he said aloud, still not thoroughly convinced Ravna would hear him otherwise.

  Good morning. I hope you are rested. I told you yesterday about what you face. It’s not too late to back out. There’s a very good chance you’ll die fighting the demon.

  “Are you always so positive?”

  I’m always honest.

  “Fair enough. I can’t walk away, anyways.”

  Why not?

  “Because he’s already fucking with me. The phone call at my house, the slimy feeling inside my head, I couldn’t ignore that and go on living in ignorance. I know I’ve got to face this demon for myself, my family, and my sanity.”

  Ravna groaned as the numbers changed on one of the electronic displays connected to a machine that helped supply oxygen to his blood.

  “You okay?”

  Yes.

  Doug nodded and took a sip of his strong Italian roast coffee. A wave of guilt washed over him as Ravna lay in the bed, damaged and most likely dying.

  I had a teacher.

  “I’ve had many teachers.”

  I don’t mean it like that. His name was Mashoka, and he was my teacher, but he was also my friend. You could say he was my spiritual father, as well.

  “Like the pope?” Doug asked, feeling the equivalent of a chuckle coming from the unspoken communication.

  No, more like Mr. Miyagi.

  “The Karate Kid? Wax on, wax off, that guy?”

  Yes. Mashoka was a Hunter, and he was training me to be one, as well. Unfortunately, we did not have time to complete everything, and now I must turn and train another.

  “Me? You’re going to train me to be a demon Hunter?”

  To the best of my ability. Some things Mashoka never had the chance to reveal to me, and therefore I can’t give those to you, either.

  “Taylor is taking care of the kids today. I have seven hours or so.”

  Perfect. That only puts us about six years shy of the amount of time we need.

  Doug sat down in the plastic chair next to the bed and sighed. “I don’t do well with sarcasm.”

  Sarcasm will be the least of your concerns. Are you ready?

  “Yes,” replied Doug.

  ***

  Sage slid the phone from her purse and tapped through the apps until she reached her email account.

  From: Mashoka

  To: My Sage

  Subject: The New Hunt

  Hello, my dear, sweet Sage. I have moved through several Portals since leaving yours. The journey has been an interesting one. In some localities, in other realms of existence, the gaki has consumed all, leaving nothing but a hideous, barren landscape void of joy or love. In others, the Hunters have banded together and chased him from existence. As you can imagine, there are Portals leading to worlds with everything in between. It was not an easy transition for me at first, but I have now come to accept the Grand Wheel and my place on it.

  You know this message comes with a sense of urgency, and so I will cease with the pleasantries and get to the business at hand. Things are at a dangerous juncture right now in your world. Gaki has spoiled several good souls and is poised to taint an entire town. If that happens, the malignancy will spread with frightening speed, consuming all in its path. The wretched demon will make the Reversion look like a mild summer rain! Although you may not quite understand my comparison, I believe you will in the near future.

  Gaki is no longer inside of the one I fought in the cabin. He has released that body from his grip, and the one we know as Drew Green has passed through a Portal and into a time and place far from the demon’s disease. Unfortunately, my spiritual son and student, Ravna, is fighting to remain, and I cannot say for sure whether he will win that fight or not. As his old Catholic advisor used to say, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Ravna was able to destroy the body of Jasper in the explosion. The boy was fragile, and Gaki was able to turn him into an evil puppet. Unfortunately, Ravna lost Karen, as well. I don’t know how much progress you’ve made on the Studies since I left you, but you must realize that every victory against Gaki comes with a price. Karen willingly gave herself for Ravna and a chance at defeating the malignant forces she did not understand, and that is a most noble act.

  Ah, yes, the explosion. You should look up the Google or whatever it is you kids use. Search for stories in the Blue Mountain region near a place called Pine Valley and you will find details on the incident. This place will be at the core of the confrontation. It has many unsettled spirits, several that have been trapped while trying to cross through a Portal and are therefore confused and ultimately dangerous. One particular spirit resides in a place both profane and remote. A woman is there, and if she remains trapped for much longer, she will succumb to the spirit and will most likely become one of Gaki’s minions. She is strong and could serve the Hunters well, but her time is short. The window is closing.

  But all is not in despair. Ravna’s body is fighting, and it is unclear as to whether or not he will follow me through the Portal. What is very clear is that he learned much more from me than I realized, enough to begin training another. That’s right, Sage. Ravna has initiated the rites on a new Hunter, and I believe the two of you could be very powerful allies in the fight against Gaki. His name is Doug, and he is strong. Very strong. However, Gaki will not let the Hunters gather and amass forces against him. Before exiting Drew’s body, Gaki transitioned into another, one with strong personal ties to Doug, making things very complicated on the earthly plane.

  Well, that is the extent of my communication to you, which I hope has passed through the Portal and into a form you recognize. These used to come as telegrams, but I’m guessing you’re reading it in the palm of your hand on a piece of black plastic. You must go right now. You must drive south to the focal point of the new war. Be brave, and know that while you have not finished all of your training, you are smart enough and strong enough to defeat Gaki, to destroy Preta’s Realm. Go, my Huntress. Go.

  And when you see Rav, tell him I said, “Save us, Obi-Wan. You’re our only hope.”

  -Mashoka

  Chapter 7

  Frank walked his raging erection right out of the ICU unit and through the main doors of University General. He grinned and waved at people as they walked past like a wolf sizing up the henhouse. He thought again of Kelly. Kelly Swift. His new toy. Gaki let it be known that she was his prize. She would belong to him, and he could hardly keep from coming in his pants while thinking about it. Frank decided he would eat her when it was all over. That despicable, heinous, glorious desecration would no longer be something he would deny himself. He would consume Kelly Swift in more ways than one.

  “Watch it, Pops!” The teenager fumbled with a can of soda as he sidestepped Frank on the sidewalk. He wore his hair swooping down over one eye as if a stiff wind had put it there for good. He huffed and shook his head at Frank.

  “Excuse me?” Frank asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “You ran into me and almost spilled my shit.” The boy rolled his eyes and shook his head, the cord from his earbuds swaying back and forth on his black T-shirt.

  “That’s no way to talk to your elder.”

  The teenager had passed Frank and now turned to face him. He appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, old enough to be dangerous but too young to know better. “I don’t know who
the fuck you think you are, Gramps, but . . .”

  The words became trapped in the boy’s throat as Frank’s hand grabbed him by the balls. Frank twisted until the boy finally did drop his soda.

  “I’m gonna come back for you, son. And when I do, I’m gonna rip these motherfuckers from your sac and shove them down your throat.”

  The boy’s eyes rolled back into his head, and his upper body went limp as he teetered on the verge of unconsciousness. Frank snickered and released the teenager’s testicles, watching him collapse to the sidewalk. Several people passed by but kept walking after seeing the look on Frank’s face.

  “Good thing you’re at a hospital,” Frank said loud enough for the curious to hear. “Let me help you up.”

  Frank grabbed the boy beneath the shoulders and lifted him to his feet. The teenager shook and stepped back from Frank, the pain radiating up through his abdomen and forcing a dry heave.

  “You gonna make it?” Frank asked, smiling.

  “Git away,” the boy whispered through a shaky voice.

  “I’ll be seein’ you around, son,” Frank said as he walked toward his car in the parking lot. “You can count on that.”

  ***

  Time came and went in loping strides like those of a long distance runner. Williams’ Place, as it was known, had eventually fallen into ruin, although not entirely. The town of Pine Valley had incorporated in the early twentieth century, and several prospectors had eyed the place for its location atop a sweeping vista, yet each attempt at commercializing the property and turning a profit had ended in quiet disaster. E. J. Smith bought the land in 1908, just before the First World War would rip a hole in the confidence of the United States’ economy. He had planned on razing the house and reinterring those in the cemetery before he died of the Spanish influenza. The property rights returned to the bank, which just as quickly distanced itself from the situation.