by Bill Myers
“Hey Piper!” She turned to the diner. Stan stood at the door calling after her. “Break time’s over, girl!”
She turned to Zach who was still staring at the ground.
“Piper!”
She called back to Stan. “All right! I’ll be right there!” She turned to Zach. “Going back there is stupid, real stupid.”
He nodded. “Yeah, probably.”
“And you’re still going to do it?”
It seemed like forever before he looked up. When he did, she saw his eyes were shiny with emotion. “What else …” His voice caught and he tried again. “What else can I do?”
Jason’s house was packed. Zach counted at least a dozen kids, all teens. But only five of them had been chosen to sit at the round table with Jason.
As the guests of honor, two of the chosen ones were Ashley and Zach.
Jason called out to Big Red. “If you will, pull the drapes, please?”
The big guy obeyed, and the room instantly fell into darkness. Now it was lit only by a single candle on the table. The good news was there was no Ouija Board before them. The bad news was … well, Zach was about to find out.
“Place your hands on the table,” Jason ordered. “Close your eyes and concentrate. It is time for us to commune with the other side.”
“A séance?” Zach whispered to Ashley. “You didn’t say we were going to have a séance!”
She whispered back. “I told you we speak to departed spirits.”
Zach shook his head.
“What?” Ashley asked.
“Those aren’t dead spirits.”
“What makes you the expert?”
“I’m not. But the Bible says once we die we all go to face God.”
“If they’re not dead spirits, what are they?”
Zach swallowed, took a breath and answered. “Demons.”
“Ashley? Zachary?” Although Jason’s voice was quiet and smooth, his eyes fl ashed intensely. “You’re not concentrating.”
Zach’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew what he should do, but with Ashley there, with all the kids standing around staring at him…
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem, Zachary?”
Zach took a deep breath. And then another. Finally, with trembling legs, he rose to his feet.
Chapter Nine
Deception
Before Zach could speak, Jason closed his eyes and shouted. “Oh, spirit, we beseech you! We beseech you to speak! We beseech — ”
Zach took another breath.
“We beseech you, speak!”
Finally, Zach answered. “This isn’t right.” But he could barely be heard.
“Spirit, we beseech you — ”
“I said this isn’t — ”
Jason’s head snapped back. Everyone gasped and the room fell strangely silent. Then, ever so quietly, Jason began to speak. But it wasn’t his voice. It was someone, something, entirely different.
“I wisssh to sssspeak to Zzzachary.”
Zach stiff ened. All eyes in the room turned to him as people started to murmur.
“Sssilence!” the voice hissed. “Zzzachary. Do you hear me?”
Ashley looked up to Zach, “Answer him,” she whispered. “He’s calling you.”
Zach turned to Jason. “Who … who are you? What do you want?”
“I have a messsage from your mother.”
Zach’s heart skipped a beat. “What about my mother?”
“Your parentsss. They are trapped. Held sssome-where. Yesss?”
Zach gave no answer. Part of him was dying to know what the voice knew. But the other part knew the voice was a spirit. A demon. Memories rushed in. Memories of Bible stories where Jesus ran into just such creatures. And memories of the authority he had over them.
“You mussst hurry,” the voice continued. “Ressscue them. Ressscue them before it isss too — ”
Zach had enough. “Stop it!” he ordered.
“You mussst hurry and — ”
“I command you to stop!”
Instantly, the voice fell silent.
Zach looked on, breathless and a little surprised.
Jason’s mouth began to contort. Every so slowly he looked to Zach, his lips twisting into a snarl.
Zach took a shaky breath and continued. “I order you to — ”
“Sssilenccce!” Jason roared. “You have no authority over me!”
Zach’s mind raced. What happened? Maybe it was true. Maybe he didn’t have authority. Maybe the demons didn’t have to obey. But how could that be? Whenever Jesus ordered them in the Bible, they had to —
And then he had it. Of course! What was he thinking? It wasn’t Zach’s authority they had to obey. With the added knowledge, he took another breath and tried again. “By the authority of Jesus Christ, I order you to stop talking!”
Jason glared at him and opened his mouth. But instead of words, there was only a choking sound — like he was trying to speak, but couldn’t.
Zach reached down for Ashley’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
She looked up frightened, confused. “What have you done to him?!”
Zach turned back to Jason as the man continued to gurgle and choke. He looked back to Ashley. “Come on.”
“You’re hurting him!”
“I’m not — ”
“You’re not letting him talk!”
Zach tried to explain. “It’s not me.”
“You’re ruining it!”
“Ash — ”
“You’re ruining everything!”
“Ashley …”
“Go!” Her voice cracked with emotion. “Get out of here!
Zach looked back to Jason and then to the s urrounding kids who glared at him. Then back to Ashley.
Her eyes fl ashed in hurt and anger. “I said go!”
As much as he wanted to help, it was clear she didn’t want it.
“Go!” She was beginning to cry. “Get out of here! Go!”
Finally, sadly, Zach turned and started toward the door.
Mom and Dad finished another song.
Originally, when they had first started, there was no difference. The situation was the same, the cell was the same, their fear was the same. But gradually, as they started the second or third song, they began to feel different. A type of peace settled over them. It was as if they sensed God was in charge. Everything else was exactly the same. The only thing that had changed was them.
And, at least for now, that was enough.
They’d barely finished the last song before they heard the rattling of keys.
“Mike!” Mom pressed against the wall, frightened.
The door creaked open, and a light fl ooded in. A figure stepped into the doorway. It was impossible to see his face because of the brightness behind him.
“Who are you?” Dad demanded. “What do you want?”
Without a word, the figure entered the cell and stooped down. He looked familiar, but Dad couldn’t quite place him. “What do you want?” Dad repeated.
The man produced a key and quickly unlocked the chains to Dad’s feet and hands. Silently, he moved to Mom and unlocked her chains.
“We’re not going back to that monster!” Dad said. “There’s no way, we’re — ”
“Your work here is finished,” the man said quietly.
“Our … work?” Dad asked.
The figure rose. “Your prayers have been answered.”
“What do you mean?” Mom said.
The figure stepped out of the room and pointed. “Follow this hallway to the exit. You will find that the door is unlocked. One hundred and fifty yards away, in the woods, you will discover your vehicle.”
Dad rose to his feet. “I don’t understand.”
“Your prayers have been answered.” With that, the figure turned and disappeared down the hall.
Cody scooped up the tomato in front of the computer. He looked it over and over, first one way, then another, sear
ching for the slightest problem. There was none. The tomato was perfect. The test was a success.
“What did I tell you?” Willard gloated. “It just took a few minor adjustments. Now it’s time for us to take the plunge.”
“Not so fast,” Cody said.
“Now what?”
“It’s one thing for it to work with vegetables. What about animals?”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we’re animals, not vegetables. Meaning we have to make sure it’s safe for animals.”
“Oh, brother,” Willard sighed.
“Better safe than sorry,” Cody said.
“All right, hang on.” Willard waddled out and returned a minute later. In his hand he held two cages. One contained a hamster, the other a parakeet. “Which one do you want to send?” he asked.
“How ’bout both?” Cody said.
“Both?”
“There’ll be two of us. Let’s send two of them.”
“Why are you so picky?” Willard demanded.
“I’m not picky,” Cody said, “I just got this thing about living.”
“All right, all right,” Willard sighed. “We’ll do another test, just to keep you happy. ” He opened the phone booth and set both cages inside. Once again he pressed a series of numbers on the keyboard, shut the door, and waited as the sound and light show began.
First there was the:
GIRRR-GIRRR-GIRRR-ing
Next came the:
DING-DING-DING-ing
And, last but not least, came the:
KERUGACHA-KERUGACHA-KERUGACHA
After the expected sparks, fl ashes, and ever-popular:
POP!
both animals appeared in front of the computer’s speakers. It was another success.
Well, almost…
“How’d we do?” Willard asked, heading over to join Cody.
Cody stared at the two cages, blinking. The parakeet still had her parakeet body, only she no longer had wings. Worse than that, instead of her head, she now had the hamster’s head. And the hamster? Not only did he have the parakeet’s head, but he was also the proud owner of two parakeet wings.
“A little more tweaking?” Cody suggested.
Willard nodded. “A little more tweaking.”
“There it is!” Monica shouted.
They had turned back again. And this time, to their right, was a diner and a small gas station. And parked directly beside the station was the kids’ motor home.
Silas turned the van and brought it to a stop beside the RV.
“I don’t see no lights inside,” Bruno complained.
Monica answered, “They’re obviously over in that diner.”
“Are we gonna go in and grab ’em?” Bruno asked hopefully.
Monica shook her head. “Too many witnesses. We have to wait till they come out.”
“And then we grab ’em!” Bruno giggled in glee.
“Yes my sweet, dumb pet. Then we grab them.”
Chapter Ten
Tensions Build
“You’re so judgmental!”
Ashley had come from Jason’s to give Zach a good piece of her mind. Now they sat across from one another in the diner having a major argument.
“Ashley, you know what was going on in there was evil. I felt it. You felt it.”
“Just because it doesn’t fit into your neat little world doesn’t make it wrong.”
“It’s not my world, Ashley. It’s God’s. He’s the one who makes the rules, and he’s the one who says messing with spirits is wrong. Not only wrong, but dangerous.”
“Stop it!” She covered her ears. “Will you just stop with the preaching!”
“I can’t change the truth. Jason’s bad news and — ”
“Stop it!”
Those sitting closest to them turned and looked. It hurt Zach to see her so torn up, but he didn’t know what else to do. Finally he reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m only trying to help — ”
“Well maybe you should stop trying.”
“What?”
She pulled her hand away. “Maybe I’m not worth it. You ever think about that? Maybe Jason and his buddies are all I deserve.”
“Ash — ”
“You, your sister, and your weird little brother come breezing in with all your fancy God talk, and then you just up and leave.”
“You’re mad ’cause we’re going?”
“No, I think you should go. And the sooner the better.” She rose to her feet, tears filling her eyes.
“What are you saying?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and answered. “I’m saying good-bye, Zach. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to hear from you.
“How can you say that?”
She wiped her face and turned toward the back door.
“Ashley …” He reached for her arm, but she shook it loose. She started for the door when Piper suddenly appeared from the kitchen. She was out of her uniform and holding Elijah’s hand.
Ashley was in no mood for another confrontation, so she spun around and headed for the front door instead.
“Ashley,” Zach called after her.
She walked faster.
“Ashley!”
She reached the front of the diner, threw open the door, and broke into a run.
Zach could only stare after her, speechless.
Piper arrived at the table and said, “Don’t tell me you’re just going to stand there.”
He turned to her. “What else can I — ”
“You really are clueless, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Go after her!”
“But she just said — ”
Piper shook her head in disgust and looked down at Elijah. “Is every guy this ignorant about girls?”
Elijah grinned, shrugged, and then nodded.
She looked back to Zach, who remained standing, still puzzled.
“Go,” she motioned him toward the door. “Go, go, go!”
And for once in his life Zach took his little sister’s advice.
“There’s the oldest!” Monica pointed toward the diner as Zach raced out the door. “Follow him!”
Silas and Bruno leaped into action.
Well, actually Silas did the leaping. Bruno had a bit more trouble.
“Uh … I can’t get my seatbelt undone.”
Monica turned back to him and glared. “What?!”
“It’s stuck or somethin’.”
“No way,” Silas said. He opened Bruno’s door and reached for the buckle. “You probably just forgot how to use it.”
“I’m not that stupid,” Bruno pouted. “You showed me how this afternoon.”
Silas gave the buckle a tug, but it wouldn’t budge.
“See.” Bruno brightened. “I told you.”
“Fools!” Monica reached back to the buckle. “Do I have to do everything myself!?”
She gave the buckle a pull. Nothing. She pulled harder. Still nothing. Then she pulled with all of her might … again and again and again, until the entire van started rocking back and forth.
“Uh, Monica …”
“Not now, Bruno.” She continued yanking and the van continued rocking.
“I think I’m going to get sick.”
“Don’t you dare,” Monica warned.
“Okay,” Bruno said. “Uh, Monica?”
“What now!?”
BLAAAAAAAAA!
Mom and Dad followed the hallway until they came to a sharp corner. Carefully, Dad peered around it. There was the exit fifteen feet away — a clear shot.
Well, except for the two men blocking the door.
Dad pulled back and whispered to Mom. “There are guards.”
“How are we going to get past them?”
“I don’t know, I — ”
He was interrupted by a familiar voice. He peeked around the corner and saw the man who had unlocked their chains. He was talking with the guards smoothly, almost hypn
otically.
Dad watched as the guards lowered their rifles. Their eyes were open but just a little glazed as they slowly turned and started down the hallway toward him.
He pulled back and flattened against the wall, motioning Mom to do the same.
She did, just as they rounded the corner.
Mom and Dad each held their breath, afraid to move a muscle.
But the trio continued right on past, so close the parents could have reached out and touched them. Yet for some reason the guards didn’t see them. Instead they just kept walking by with that glassy look in their eyes.
Dad waited until they were a dozen feet away before he grabbed Mom’s hand. “Come on,” he whispered, “let’s go!”
They raced for the door and pushed it open. A shrill alarm started blasting as they ran out into the pitch-black woods. Behind them they heard shouting.
There was no turning back now.
Willard had run several more tests. Soon the parakeet and hamster began arriving exactly as they should — all body parts intact and on the right bodies.
That was the good news.
Unfortunately, there was some bad.
“Okay, Cody, we’re next.”
Cody gave a nervous swallow. “Are you sure it’s ready?”
“Yup. I’ve run every test I can run. And then some. We’re all ready to go.”
Cody looked at the phone booth, then to Willard, then to the hamster and parakeet, then back to the phone booth.
With nothing left to do, he gave another swallow.
“Ashley … Ashley!” By the time Zach caught up to her, she was almost at Jason’s porch.
She turned, tears streaming down her face. “Leave me alone,” she cried. “Go back to your perfect little life and leave me alone!”
“Ashley, please …” He grabbed her arm. “You don’t belong here. Not with these people.”
“Right,” she sniffed. “I should go back to a drunk mom and a crazy stepdad.”
“Yes. I mean no. I mean if you go back, there are people who can help you.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. You don’t have to do it on your own. And you sure don’t have to be with people like Jason.”
“But he accepts me,” she choked out the words, “just the way I am. And, and he says I’m special.”
