Necromance

by Armand Rosamilia

  “And my soul?”

  “You’ll go with him. But I’ll try to resurrect you.”

  “Try? You’ll fucking try?” I said. I grabbed him by the shoulders and was deciding which way to throw him off of me when Kari leaned on the silver spike and I felt it rip through his torso and into my stomach and through to the bed below me.

  Then I died and went to Hell.

  Necromance 7:

  Private Hell

  I woke and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. A second ago I'd been impaled by my sister, through a demon, while he was impaling me. Trust me, you had to be there. I felt myself dying and knew I was headed for Hell.

  Fire and brimstone. Red demons with pitchforks. Souls eternally tortured. Damnation and death. Disco music. I opened my eyes thinking I'd be in a Slayer album cover, but, instead, I was in a hospital.

  Maybe this is really Hell and they're messing with me. I grinned. Of course. Let me drop my guard and think I'm safe before pulling away the walls and revealing a lava pit filled with every demon I'd ever sent back. Brilliant.

  I was wearing a thin hospital gown and nothing underneath, but my clothes were folded neatly on the chair next to me. Actually, clean clothes. I sat up, expecting to be overwhelmed with a dizzy spell, but I felt great. Invigorated, like I'd had a nice nap.

  It was then I noticed the IV stuck in my arm. I gently took it out, and pulled the heart monitor pad things off my chest. They'd leave a bruise.

  When the equipment next to my bed began ringing, I knew I'd get company. I looked around for a weapon, since I knew the door opening would mean six Fiends and Satan himself come to visit.

  Instead, a cute blonde doctor rushed in with a nurse trailing behind.

  "You're awake," he said, as if he didn't expect to ever say those words.

  "And hungry. Got any pancakes and coffee?" I asked. I had no idea what time it was but I wanted breakfast. And really... can't you eat pancakes any time of day?

  "Let's just hold on a second," he said and frowned when he saw I'd pulled out the IV. "Did you do that?"

  "Yeah. I feel fine." I went to swing my feet off the bed and realized I was completely nude under the gown. I hoped my thong was in the pile of clothes. "When can I sign myself out?"

  I was still expecting A Fiend or a Shugger to come slipping out of the bathroom, at any moment, to let me know I was in Hell. But, so far, it was only me, the cute doctor and the nurse. She was pretty, too... hmm, I hope I didn't have to choose between the two...

  He put a hand on my shoulder. "You need to lie down. You just woke from a coma and we need to run some tests."

  "A coma? Interesting. How long was I out and what happened to me?" I instinctively touched my torso where the blade had pierced me but I felt fine. I knew when I took off the gown there wouldn't be a scratch on me.

  He looked concerned. "Do you remember the car crash at all?"

  "Shit. Did I total my Charger?"

  "Yes, I'm afraid so. But you were thrown from your vehicle and survived without anything broken. But we couldn't revive you," the doctor said.

  He had really nice eyes. They were between blue and hazel.

  "So... again... my Charger is totaled?"

  He nodded. "I want to run some brain scans and another blood test to make sure you're fine. Your father should be back again about nine."

  I grabbed his arm. "My father is here?"

  "Yes. He showed up last night with one of your sisters. He looked very concerned. He sat in the chair next to you, holding your hand, with his eyes closed for over two hours. He was mumbling. He is a good man," the doctor said.

  My mind was racing. If it really was my father, why was I still alive? Why wasn't I burning in Hell right now? Would the insurance cover the cost to buy a new Charger?

  I felt violated now. I knew my father was up to no good. If he was really here, he'd been able to get inside my head while I was in a vegetative state and mess with me. I wondered what he'd done. Bastard. But maybe it wasn't my father?

  "Can you describe him?"

  "Huh?"

  "You said my father but I have, uh, two men I call dad. I don't know which one was sitting with me," I said.

  "He was bald. Long, forked goatee. It looked really cool. Bushy eyebrows..."

  "Like Ming the Merciless," I said. When the doctor nodded, I sighed. It definitely was my old man. He'd gotten inside me but I had no idea why or what he'd done.

  The nurse came over and began doing nurse things to me while I stared at the ceiling.

  "You're exhausted. I told you. Get some rest and we'll be back to takerun some tests in awhile," the doctor said.

  I wasn't exhausted. I was annoyed I was in this predicament. My sister had betrayed me and now my father knew where I was. And I was a sitting duck for whatever he threw at me. The weird part was I felt strong. Alive. Well-fed for some reason.

  I looked at the nurse and especially her large hanging boobs as she took my blood pressure. She blushed and I knew before long (if I survived through my next visit with my father) I'd have her. It wasn't arrogance, just sheer will on my part. "Can I get something to eat and a Coke?"

  She smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

  I knew what I wanted to do if I could just get out of this bed, or figure out a way to get her into it.

  * * * * *

  After I'd had dinner and watched some TV (and had a bunch of doctors and nurses come in and ask me stupid questions and take blood samples), I got really bored and decided to get dressed. It was getting dark outside and I knew if my father was coming it would be when the hospital was quiet. Plus, he was a blood-sucking vampire. Nah, just kidding. He was even worse.

  Luckily, my thong was under my jeans, and everything smelled nice and washed. I was perplexed to find a new Obituary shirt with cool red lettering, which matched my thong.

  Someone had taken my clothes and washed them and added to my scant wardrobe, which, I realized, was literally everything I was wearing. I never carried a purse and my wallet and cash were gone. Everything I owned was probably destroyed in the fake car accident. Great. Nothing like starting over.

  Once I was dressed, I took out the IV again and ignored the bruising on my arm. I still felt strong. I felt like I hadn't felt in ages and I still didn't know why.

  "Going somewhere?" It was Cute Doctor.

  "I'm getting antsy. I've been trapped in this room for too long and I don't watch much television," I said. I did my eye-flutter thing, for some reason, like I was sixteen again.

  "Are you hungry? I was finishing up my rounds and then heading to the cafeteria for some really awful food. We can walk and talk if you're up for it," he said.

  "Sure. Anything is better than being in bed... especially alone." I knew it was cheesy but I had to start flirting a little and see if he was interested. Why not?

  If he was, he didn't say anything or miss a step. We arrived at the cafeteria and he said it was his treat, so I ordered a full meal even though I wasn't exactly starving. I'd had a lousy dinner not too long ago, but, since it was his dime, I'd take it. Maybe even count this as our first date if he was lucky.

  Who was I kidding? If I was lucky. He was a good-looking guy and he seemed like he had a personality, too. Quite the catch.

  Once we were seated at a corner table, away from the few people in the cafeteria, I hovered my plastic fork over my plate. "How does your wife like you working such long hours?"

  "I'm not married," he said and smiled.

  "Then I'm sure your girlfriend is lonely at home," I said.

  Cute Doctor shook his head. "I'm way too busy at the hospital to have a steady girlfriend. I don't even date. I have work and my hobbies to keep me busy."

  Excellent. "What hobbies are you into?"

  I was hoping it would be something fun we could do together. Maybe sailing or skiing. Shopping for me, perhaps?

  "I have many hobbies I enjoy when I'm not working. But it feels like I'm always working," he said. I
noticed he hadn't touched his food or drink. He was either really into me or... what was going on?

  "Name a hobby," I said quietly, dreading what his answer would be.

  "Crossword puzzles," Cute Doctor said.

  I was halfway through my sigh when he continued.

  "And collecting the eyeballs of my victims. You want my sandwich? I don't really eat, but I thought you'd figured it out already."

  * * * * *

  Why hadn't I figured it out? He was a Fiend.

  When the nurse came into my room, I asked her how long he'd been a doctor there.

  "Only a few weeks. He's a specialist. He was called in when you arrived," she said.

  That made sense. Right now nothing else did. I stared at the nurse. "How long have you worked here?"

  She grinned. "I'm a package deal with the good doctor. We're both here to watch over you and make sure you don't do anything stupid. You've walked into quite the war, Miss Thorne."

  I fell back onto my pillow and closed my eyes. I was fucked. I didn't have my Sight anymore. If I couldn't see who was a Fiend, I couldn't see my enemies. I didn't know who was a normal mortal and who was going to kill me. I was a sitting duck in this bed. And now I knew every move was being watched.

  "What happened to me?" I asked.

  I heard someone shuffling their feet into the room, trying to be noticed. When I opened my eyes, I wanted to close them again.

  It was Father.

  He was grinning like I remembered he'd do when we were children and he'd caught us fighting. He never yelled at us, even when the fight got deadly. Father would simply watch us and then tell each combatant in turn what they did well and what they did wrong.

  It's no joke, either. I know I've lost at least two siblings during a deadly encounter. We sisters could be real bitches. And our father never did anything to the attackers that managed to eliminate another sister, other than to critique the fight.

  He wasn't going to win any awards, like I've probably said before.

  "How are you feeling, dear daughter?" Father was clearly enjoying himself.

  "I couldn't be better," I said. I was trying to remain calm. I reminded myself of one simple fact: the old man had me prone and in a coma. If he wanted me to die, I'd be long dead by now. He needed me for something.

  I stared at him. I couldn't really call him an old man, even though I could only guess at his age. There were always rumors he'd been alive for two or three hundred years and had so many offspring even he didn't know how many daughters he had. Of course, he had no living sons. He'd made sure of it. Self preservation.

  He was accompanied by two large men who looked like cinderblocks on legs. When he glanced at them, they both backed up, going out into the hallway. I knew they weren't going far.

  "I'm a little disappointed in you. The father I remember would have brought me flowers and a box of chocolate if I was in the hospital. Maybe even brought a book to read to me," I said.

  He smirked at the joke. One thing I had to give him credit for: he toughened all of us up. Made us independent and fighters. He created a group of attractive and deadly sister assassins.

  And I screwed it all up, I suppose. By having a conscience.

  "Or maybe you were just greedy," Father said.

  Bastard could read my thoughts. I always forgot about his many, many powers. It seemed like new ones were added all the time, from the stories I'd heard.

  What the fuck do you want? I asked him in my head.

  "I just want to talk to you."

  And then kill me?

  Father shrugged and sat down on the chair near the bed, but pulled it a few feet away. He was super powerful but also super smart. Anyone could get lucky if you dropped your guard. "I want to understand why you do the things you do. I need to know about the whereabouts of your sister."

  I began thinking of having sex with the nurse to block him from my thoughts. I knew he was trying to probe my mind for information. I was going to shut him out if I could.

  The nurse had great tits, plain and simple. They seemed heavy and I imagined her leaning over me in the bed and dangling them in my face on purpose. She would say she was trying to reach something on the other side but we both knew what was happening. Her top was unbuttoned and her gorgeous ta-ta's were screaming to get out of her bra. I would lean forward and casually lick first her right and then her left breast top, a hint of her brown nipples poking out.

  'Ooh, I've fallen,' she'd say as she somehow climbed into the bed with me, her creamy thighs on either side of my hips and her little nurse skirt riding up to reveal she wasn't wearing any panties. I could imagine her slowly rubbing against my body under the sheets.

  I took her tits in my hands, marveling at how big and soft they were. She responded by lifting up just enough to yank the covers off my body.

  I wanted to take off my pants when I realized this was my fantasy. I was only wearing a light blue thong, and I could feel her as she caressed the fabric and got me going.

  She leaned down and kissed me fiercely, her rhythm gaining momentum as she kept dry-humping me. Only neither of us was dry.

  "I want to taste you," she said and pulled away. I could only nod.

  When she slid down my naked body and dropped gentle kisses as she went, I shuddered. I just knew she was going to go down on me like I'd never ever experienced before.

  She didn't take off my thong, instead, she hooked it with a finger and pulled it away. The nurse put her face near my thigh and I could just see her mischievous eyes over my belly. She licked me once, quickly, and laughed.

  "You taste even better than I imagined," she said. The nurse went down on me.

  "I'm going to explode," I shouted at her, not caring who in the hospital knew about our lesbian dalliance.

  I smiled and opened my eyes.

  My father was gone.

  * * * * *

  I knew my father wasn't embarrassed. He was just impatient and knew I'd keep him out of my head for hours if I had to and not play his game. I wasn't one of the daughters that worshipped the ground he walked on.

  And he didn't want me dead yet or else I'd be six feet under. But I didn't want to know what his master manipulation was with me just yet. If I could hold him off further, I might have a chance at survival.

  I felt great, too. Physically I was in the best shape of my life. A few days in a coma had tightened the stomach a bit and my arms were bigger but still sexy.

  I went into the bathroom and stripped down to see what I was now working with. And it was impressive. When I say I've never been in such great physical shape, I am not kidding. My love handles were gone and my ass felt tight and firm; although, I already had a great ass to begin with (let's be honest), but my muscles in my legs were awesome to see. I bet I had almost no body fat. Even my face looked skinnier but not too skinny, like I was the ideal weight for my body type.

  But why? This was way more than a few days lying in a hospital bed.

  I'd lost my power to see my enemy but had been given an upgrade in the physical department.

  I spent the rest of the day wandering the hospital and eating like it was my last meal. Father had given an open line of credit for me at the cafeteria and I took advantage. Even little things like ordering two meals and wasting it was fun for me. I was bored. I didn't know which nurses and doctors were spying on me. I had no way of knowing if every old man or woman in a wheelchair parked in the hallway was really a demon.

  If I tried to leave, I knew they'd stop me. I, technically, wasn't a prisoner but I really was. I had no doubt the lazy-looking security guards in the lobby and at every exit door I saw was either a demon or on the payroll of my father.

  "Hey, sis," Kari said as she walked into my hospital room like she was just visiting.

  I sat up in bed. I'd been lounging for the last couple of hours, watching sitcoms and catching up on Leonard and Penny and their on-again off-again romance.

  "What did you do to me?" I asked.

>   Kari shrugged and took the chair next to the bed where our father had sat on his last visit. I was expecting him at any moment now that it was dark outside.

  "I did what I had to do. You look great, by the way," Kari said.

  "I already know how great I look. But I need to know why I look so damn fabulous," I said. I didn't trust her at all, especially since the last time we'd seen one another she'd killed me. Not tried to kill me. Fucking killed me. Dead. I think you get it.

  "To be completely honest... I have no idea what's going on. You should've gone to Hell and then had to deal with it," Kari said.

  "Deal with what?" I was confused.

  "Deal with the Devil. Figure out how you could get some help to fight our father."

  "Well, I didn't talk to anyone. I ended up in this bed, feeling great, looking great, and now..." I hesitated. I still didn't trust her, and if she knew I couldn't see or sense the enemy I'd be vulnerable, and Kari could use it against me.

  "And now what?"

  I looked at the window for dramatic effect. "And now I'm confused as to what my part in all of this is."

  I'm not sure she bought it but she didn't respond.

  "Where do we go from here? I know if I try to leave the Fiends watching over me will do something. I'm surprised they let you in," I said.

  "They didn't let me in. I masked myself, but father will figure it out soon enough. He is on his way, as I'm sure you also know," Kari said.

  I looked at her. Was she toying with me? Did she know I couldn't feel his presence right now?

  "He's too close. You should leave," I said.

  Kari smiled. "I was just about to. I imagine we're not going for a dramatic hospital break for you tonight?"

  "I want to talk to him again. He's scared of something and I want to know why. Plus, I haven't seen him in awhile. We need to catch up," I said.

  Kari smiled at my joke. She stood up and then bent down suddenly. I could see the knife being pulled from her boot and I went to slip off the other side of the bed when she laughed.