by Lex Sinclair
‘Don’t be alarmed. The demon - I believe its name is Abalam - is merely demonstrating its powers. Remember, the demons, like angels, see, hear and know everything about everyone.’
‘What’s Ablam?’ Raul had asked, hating the sound of his quavering voice.
‘Abalam,’ Michael said, enunciating every vowel.
‘Okay. What’s Abalam, then?’
‘You’re aware of the story of how the devil himself was once one of God’s angels and how he went against God’s word and judgment, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, basically the demon, Abalam is a very powerful demon, which is of course real as you and me. It is a king of hell and an assistant to Paimon. What he does is he takes possession of a human body in order for the human to be encouraged to commit lust. He defiles a human during possession and the only way they can escape is through death. Hence why Reverend Ward kept reiterating to Sofie that running away was, in effect, fruitless.’
‘Fuck me, man.’
‘Sofie hasn’t tried to commit suicide because she believed in God, in spite of the fact that she’s not been baptised or gone to many church services or read the Holy Bible. At least not to my knowledge, anyway. Arguably, the worst sin of all is the sin of suicide; for it represents a spit in the eye of God. Not only that but Sofie you remember discovered that she was in fact pregnant. The sperm of Reverend Ward had been squirted into her vagina when she was comatose on the night of the ceremony at Margaret’s house. It - or she - has chosen to talk to you because it doesn’t fear you, is aware that you are aiding it towards the rebirth. If you’d like, I could arrange for Yvonne and Charles to come and stay with you for a week. However, I must point out that the more people you have coming and going in and out of your house, the more your neighbours will become suspicious.’
‘She doesn’t l-l-look p-pregnant, though,’ Raul said. ‘There’s no lump where her belly ought to have distended.’
‘I should think not, as well. Remember, this is not a natural birth. This is the birth of a very powerful demon. On the first of June, Sofie will of course be taken off your hands and transported to a location in South Wales.’
‘Why?’
‘Because that’s where it died?’
Raul fell silent, the profoundness of what Michael had said slamming him with equal ferocity as that of a speeding locomotive.
‘Raul? You still there?’
‘Yeah. Sorry; just kinda blanked out there.’ He paused for a moment before continuing. ‘This is gonna be big, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. Unlike the second coming of Christ, according to the idiot religious freaks around the globe, the rise of one of Satan’s disciples will be a real event; something you will be able to see with your own eyes.’
‘What then, though?’
‘We must take utmost care for the creature/child until it grows to the height of its greatest power. Then the fire and brimstone we’ve read about will strike down upon those who try to defeat us; those who kiss God’s arse and to anyone else who stands in our way. The hell on earth has been residing on earth since the dawn of time, Raul, revealing itself bit by bit in the news headlines. Mostly in obscurity. But not any more. No one will be able to turn their back on this...’
Around the same time, Raul had ventured upstairs, tray leaden with food and clean drinking water, along with a multivitamin and Cod Liver Oil tablet for the one that had taken full control of Sofie Lackberg’s body to oversee the rebirth of the thing with the goat’s head.
After placing the tray on the carpeted hallway and opening the door to the dim spare bedroom, curtains perpetually closed to prevent anyone catching glimpses of him keeping a young woman tied to bed. God, what would they think? However, the moment they entered the house and saw the hideous, contorted visage that had nothing to do with Sofie Lackberg, they’d soon understand... only when it was too late.
Taking a deep breath, Raul had tentatively entered, focusing on his hands holding the tray, willing them to stop shaking. He managed to rest the tray down on the bedside cabinet. Then he turned to face the thing occupying the bed and leapt backwards, crying out at the phosphorescent crimson eyes glowing in his direction.
‘Is that food for me, Raul?’ the deep, guttural voice croaked.
‘Y-Y-Yes. W-Would you l-l-like me to f-f-feed you?’
‘Please.’ A smile creased the pallid face as white as an alabaster wall.
Raul leaned forward, flicked the switch and was momentarily blinded by the sudden radiance from the lampshade. He moved as far across the bedside cabinet, away from the bed, then picked up the tray and placed it carefully on the mattress before the creature with damp, tousled hair grinning sardonically at him.
‘It’s mashed potato, green peas and this type of healthy sausage they’re selling down at the supermarket,’ Raul said. The sound of his own voice, which sounded more like a strangled cry, comforted him a little.
‘How thoughtful.’
Picking up the utensils on the third attempt, Raul dissected the four sausages. The steam coiled upwards. Doing this would cool the meat while he fed her/it mashed potato and peas.
Drop you dare drop peas down her, for fuck’s sake! Last thing you want is to have to be within biting distance of it. It won’t waste any time gnawing the flesh off your skull.
Heeding the sensible advice from his brain, Raul began feeding the... whatever the hell it was the delicious looking meal.
‘Tell me when you’d like some water, okay?’
The girl/creature continued to grin, as though the grin had been fixed on a wax model face. ‘Okay,’ it croaked. Then opened its mouth for another scoop of mash potato.
Three quarters of the way through the uneventful meal, the girl/creature gulped half a glass full of water, and spoke. ‘Tell me something, Raul. Did you ever stop to think what made you kill those two boys from school in the woods on the way home on that autumn day?’
The fork fell out of Raul’s lifeless grasp and clattered onto the china plate.
‘Is it because your mother used to suck and fuck all the village cocks for thirty pound a go? You were just a boy, sitting in his room watching the plaster crumble down the walls, decorating your beige carpet a new colour when through those paper-thin walls, men, many men, pounded away, balls-deep into that whore that brought you into this world. She could take a dick, Raul. She could take a dick and make it erupt like a miniature volcano. And you were happy too, when Christmas day arrived and you got a brand new bicycle and a coloured TV set. Do you remember?’
To say Raul had been incredulous would be the understatement of the century. His mouth opened and closed, a fish swimming in a tropical tank full to brim of clear water.
‘She’d rock on their members, bounce, jiggle, gargle, everything you can imagine and everything you can’t.
‘The night you thought your shitty little council flat was being burgled, because you saw mummy darting past your room to the bathroom didn’t have anything to do with burglars trying to break in. Oh, no. Clive Evans had been over the flat while you’d been in school and pounded her up the arse. That night mummy woke up in a bed full of shit. Waiting until morning was no longer an option.’
Raul slammed his gaping mouth shut and his whole body tensed.
‘For the next two months you didn’t have to have the standard meal ticket at school because mummy gave you money instead, so you could afford to buy something for afters. Oh, you were so delighted. You went and told the teachers that your mummy had been promoted, which they found bizarre considering she only worked fifteen hours a week as a cleaner.
‘Then Clive’s wife got herself a lovely STI. Of course no one came out and said it was your mum, but everyone knew who the town slut was, didn’t they?’
‘How dare you!’
‘Those two bo
ys, Billy and Ross, came to tell you what a nice momma you had with big smiles on their faces. Eventually, after weeks of asking them what they meant, you too found out that they’d given a fiver each to her for a hand job. Yes, no wonder they were smiling. She’d stroked their salami’s and let them rub her tits and other bits, heh, heh.’
‘Stop it!’ Raul roared.
‘Trouble was, once you’d introduced Billy and Ross to that aluminium baseball bat, and ended their sad, pathetic little lives, the authorities knew too, didn’t they? It was women’s prison for mum and the boy’s correctional facility for young Raul.
‘And now, here you are, all grown up, taking your anger out on God. Where was he when you asked and needed guidance, huh?’
Raul didn’t answer. Instead his face prickled with the heat or increasing rage.
‘You thought He hadn’t been listening - but let me tell you something, He was listening, all right. He just didn’t give a flying fuck!’
‘STOP IT!’ Raul had shrieked, burning his lungs.
‘Don’ threaten me, ya little shit. I’m the only friend you have in this big old world. And you’d better remember that. Because momma didn’t have time to talk, did she? No. Daddy had run for the hills once he realised that his wife was the town bike. And then you spent the rest of your childhood sitting in a featureless room, staring at blank walls. Talking with psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and everyone else with an identification badge until they believed you had changed and that you’d served thirteen years, and that was enough. I’m simply stating facts. So don’t threaten me. I’ll jump from this rotting shell and devour your spirit with the same alacrity that your mother did those swollen men’s cocks.’
Raul swallowed with as lot of difficulty. His Adam’s apple hurt.
‘You were defending your mother’s reputation, like any good son. God disowned you, just like he did Satan. That’s why you were chosen for this task.’
Without another word, Raul resumed feeding the girl/creature the food getting cold on the china plate. Then he gave it the rest of the cold water along with the two pills.
‘Thank you,’ it croaked, as he lifted the tray off the mattress and carried the empty glass and plate out of the room back downstairs, thinking that he couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
When he’d returned an hour and a half later, the girl/creature was sitting upright grinning at him, as though no time had elapsed.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry for screaming and threatening you earlier, but you have to understand that my life was ruined because of things you mentioned. I just don’t like talking about or anyone else for that matter.’
‘Understood, Raul.’
He nodded an approval, accepting its words as an apology.
‘Now kindly undo these restraints!’ It barked, causing him to recoil.
Raul froze.
‘I’m afraid I can’t d-d-do that,’ he said.
‘Why not?’
‘You might hurt yourself... or me.’
‘What makes you think that? Is it because I spoke the truth about your mummy?’
‘It didn’t help matters. But there’s more to it than that. It’s safer for you and everyone else if you stay as you are until it’s time.’
Over his shoulder Raul heard the bedroom door click shut. He whirled around and threw it open again. No one was there. He turned and faced the creature/girl perpetually grinning at him. ‘Did you do that?’
It nodded once.
‘What, to scare me?’
‘Not quite,’ it croaked. ‘I did it to show you that I am potentially equally as dangerous restrained or not. Did I startle you? I did, didn’t I?’
Raul so no point in lying. ‘Yes, you did.’
It laughed derisively at him.
‘Find that funny, do you?’
‘Moderately so,’ it replied.
‘Look,’ Raul said, resting a hand to his brow, losing control of all reason, ‘I’m just following orders. Can’t you just appreciate that?’
‘Just loosen the rope around my wrists, please.’
Burying his head in his hands, Raul slumped down on a spare chair against the far wall.
‘Stressed.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘Obviously. I’m gonna phone Michael, and see what he say’s about loosening the restraints. I’m just your carer.’
Raul had then left the spare bedroom, gone downstairs and dutifully phoned Michael. He told him the situation and breathed a sigh of relief when Michael became adamant that under no circumstances whatsoever was he permitted to loosen the rope tied around the limbs of the creature/girl.
He returned upstairs to inform it of the news. However, he didn’t get chance to open his mouth, never mind utter one, single word.
‘Don’t you dare drop peas down her, for fuck’s sake! Last thing you want is to have to be within biting distance of it. It won’t waste any time gnawing the flesh off your skull.’
Taken aback by its powers of being able to read its mind, Raul nodded in respect. Then he told it what Michael had said. ‘So, you see, it’s not my decision. I’m just following orders. Come June 6 this year you will most likely be allowed to run free and wild, committing all the sins you can, and nothing or no one will be able to stop you. But for now, kindly permit me to pull the quilt over you. I don’t know about you but I’m awfully tired. I need sleep. I imagine if that body is gonna last until the middle of this year, you need to sleep, too.’
‘Spoken like the consummate son.’
Raul smiled. ‘If ya like.’
‘Don’t worry, Raul. I’m not going to bite you. You’re not my type. I envy people like you.’
Frowning, cocking his head to one side, Raul asked, ‘What d’you mean, “people like me”?’
‘Those who possess a black heart.’
Shaking his head, perplexed, Raul said, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Murderers.’
‘I’m not particularly proud of that day.’
‘Oh, but you should be. Billy and Ross were a couple of shit bags; not because of the incident involving your mother. They just were. They’d never amounted to much, anyway. Spent the rest of their lives going from pub to betting shop, living off benefits, scoring drugs in backstreet alleys, until one of them OD’d. You did the world a favour.’
Raul didn’t speak for some time. Instead he contemplated what it’d said. And, to his way of thinking, it made sense in a wraparound way. Yeah. Perhaps he had done the world a favour. Furthermore, he received punishment for his sins, so what was the big deal?
‘I’m glad you are starting to see things for what they really are,’ it croaked. ‘The day people stop living in denial, and wanting to hold hands with one another in a merry circle singing “We are the world”, will be the beginning of a vast improvement. No more wiping other peoples backsides, like Billy and Ross. Everyone equal. No silly Bible bashers looking down their snotty noses at people who choose not to believe in God. Nearly every war ever started has had to do with religion. Whose God’s better than the other. Satan was only too glad to be cast out of heaven. He saw what utter nonsense they lived by, and chose to be an individual. Others also saw what Satan did and chose to follow him. We’re only evil in the eyes of God. You’ve been indoctrinated by the BS for so long that you’ve had it forced upon you to feel shame and guilt for what you did, when you should have been rewarded.’
Raul couldn’t stop himself from nodding even if he wanted to.
‘What is that makes people continue to think that God is great? You can’t answer that and neither can many members who claim to be his flock.’
‘Yeah,’ Raul muttered.
‘You should think about that before doubting me, Raul.’
A good minute p
assed in a blink of an eye prior to Raul crossing the room and pulling the quilt up. The top half of the quilt inadvertently pushed the flimsy nightdress up Sofie’s abdomen so that it nearly revealed her gravity-defining breasts.
Raul gasped at the pallid, undulating abdomen.
A ripple of flesh had been embedded by invisible fingers, depicting words.
And the words shook the foundations of Raul’s more than anything else.
SOFIE LIVES!
22.
The insurmountable ton that had been weighing down Raul was lifted as he watched the first light of the day penetrate the darkness, announcing a new dawn. He’d had four hours sleep during the night and had dozed off yesterday on the living room sofa. To say he was revitalised would have been wrong; however, he did feel refreshed by the two sleeps. Furthermore, he’d been taking the same multivitamins and Cod Liver Oil tablets as the creature/girl in the room across the hall.
Knocking the alarm clock off before it had chance to go off, Raul swung his legs from under the quilt and hoisted himself into a sitting position. The orange juice on his bedside table was still fresh enough for him to guzzle down. Today was a good day. Michael and some of the other members were arriving to take the creature/girl to another location, ready for the rebirth.
Smiling inwardly, Raul got dressed into a plaid shirt and denim jeans. He looked like country folk, reading to hop on his horse and take a tour around the Wild West. He parted the curtains and could see the top half of the sun slowly rising over the horizon, spreading its magic on the suburban area.
Today, for him personally, was a day to celebrate. Furthermore, the rest of the cult had mixed emotions; they were excited and anxious, simultaneously. Excited for their time to take part in something that was going to change the face of the world; and anxious because no one wanted any cock ups at this stage.
The day that Michael came over to see the writing on Sofie’s abdomen was now a distant memory. Nevertheless, his mind’s eye could help show him the expression on Michael’s aged face when he too saw the declaration from someone within the body, who’d lost all control. The thing in the bed, waiting to be tucked in apparently didn’t have any notion to what Sofie had written. Michael had pulled him to one side after they’d tucked the creature in and insisted that Raul not mention it to anyone. Evidently, the creature was in control of the body, and that’s all that mattered. It was written out of pure desperation, anyway, he’d said. Before long it wouldn’t be worth worrying about. Sofie was a prisoner and was fruitlessly trying to reach out. If they brought attention to it then they’d induce a problem. If they ignored it, the problem ceased to exist.
