by Joe Fowler
I needed Keith. I pulled out my phone while still at the table and called Keith. I didn’t know why I thought Keith would know what to do, but he had never let me down before. This sounded serious and I didn’t like it.
“Hello?” Keith’s voice had never sounded so good.
“You got to help me, Keith! Something is about to go down with Mom’s cult and they are going to try to pull me into it or something!” I was almost shouting.
“Calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me everything.”
“I was in the kitchen eating when I heard my mom on the phone. I think she was in the study. I heard her telling someone about a summoning going to happen tomorrow night at midnight. I couldn’t hear the other person, since the phone was so far away. The other person must have asked about me, because Mom said ‘no Josh won’t need to be there for the summoning’. Then Mom said some fucked up name like Adramel something or other. She said he would need to build his strength before some merge. That was the end of the phone call. But before she left she told me to make sure I would be here Saturday morning.” I sat there waiting on Keith to say something. He took too long. “Keith! You got to tell me what is going on. Don’t say you don’t know either. I know you are more than human I just don’t know what.”
“Come get me. I need you to take me to Seth.” Keith wanting to talk to Seth? What the hell?
“Seth. Why would you need to talk to him?”
“Just come get me and call Seth to let him know we are coming.” Keith hung up after he said that.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Why won’t someone tell me what the fuck is happening?” I shouted this but the empty house didn’t answer. I dialed Seth’s number on the way out the door.
“Hello?” Seth sounded sleepy.
“Hey Seth, I am on my way to pick up Keith. He said he needed to talk to you.”
“Did he say what it is about?
“My mom’s cult is up to something, so I called Keith and told him. The first thing he said was that he wanted to talk to you. Look, I think we both realize that Keith isn’t a normal human. What he is I don’t know, but he is the best person I’ve ever met. If he wants to meet you then it must be the right thing.” I said all this, feeling better that I could admit that Keith wasn’t entirely normal.
“I will be here. Hey, could you bring some food? There is a Burger King on the way. A few double whoppers and fries would hit the spot.” For all that Seth had done for me, I would buy him food every day.
“Sure thing. We will be there as soon as possible.” I hung up and went to get Keith.
Keith wasn’t saying much. He was waiting on the street so I didn’t even need to pull into his driveway. He mostly shrugged off my questions, saying he needed to think. We rode to the Burger King in silence.
“I need ten double whoppers, ten large fries, three large cokes and three apple pies.” It took a few minutes for them to get the order ready. I was not in the mood to be patient, but I had to be nice since I had Mr. Manners with me. As soon as we got the food, I was speeding to Seth’s. I just hoped there wouldn’t be any cops.
We carried the food in and sat down to eat. I filled Seth in on the phone call I had overheard. He continued to chew even though he was obviously deep in thought. It was during the meal that Keith started getting things rolling.
“Seth, you should call your second in command, tell him to come here. I’m pretty sure you will need him over the next couple of days.” Keith had barely finished speaking before Seth had dialed the phone.
“Carl, I need you to come over. Some things are happening and I need to fill you in.”
“I can be there soon, you need anything?” I could hear his reply easily. I just wished I had been close enough earlier to hear the replies on my mom’s call.
“No, Josh already brought food. See you in a bit.” Seth hung up.
“Josh, go outside and wait for Carl. I need to speak with Seth alone. Don’t come in and don’t let Carl in until I tell you.” Keith said this to my astonishment. I was the one in trouble and he’s making me leave the room. I started to argue but one look from Keith shut me up and started me walking toward the door.
I was too keyed up to sit on the porch, so I tried pacing. I tried to listen anyway but I couldn’t hear them, even with my new heightened senses. Then it hit me! Those flashy things where I see the room and can tell what’s going on. I concentrated on Seth and was rewarded with a flash of his kitchen and Keith talking. I had a viewpoint as if I were standing behind Seth. Woohoo, I would find out! But Keith stopped talking and looked right at me, or where it seemed I was. He smiled and waved a hand. My vision was cut off instantly. Butthole.
Carl drove up after a few minutes. I figured I would fill him in on the situation. I wouldn’t know what Seth would need to tell him afterward, but I could tell him the basics. We sat on the front porch and he listened quietly while I told him everything from the day I was bitten until just then.
“So that’s why you smell so different. Half demon. With what you said about your mom, it sounds like a lot of trouble coming your way.” He wasn’t being judgmental, which I appreciated.
“Yep. I don’t understand any of it. I just know it sounds bad.”
“Just to let you know, Alicia is like a little sister to me, you hurt her and I will hurt you.” He said that with a smile, he meant it though.
“Believe me, if I hurt her I will let you.” Keith and Seth walked out about the time I said that. They both looked resolved.
“Josh, give Keith your keys and come inside. We have some things to discuss. Carl, come on in and I’ll let you know what‘s happening.” Seth gave these orders in a ‘don’t question why’ voice. I did as he said.
“I called Alicia, she is on her way here. I told her to pack a few days’ worth of clothes.” Seth said this as he sat back at the table. There were still a couple of burgers left, so Carl started eating too.
“Why? You don’t think Alicia could get wrapped up in this do you?” I asked.
“Just as a precaution. Between you, me, and Carl she will have at least one of the three of us with her at all times until this is over. I will get Anna to cover Alicia’s shift at the hospital tomorrow. According to Keith, your finals are next week, but tomorrow will just be a review day and you won’t be missed. You and Alicia will be here where I can keep an eye on you.”
“You think they would take her to pressure Josh, don’t you.” Carl said this with a mouthful of food, but we understood him.
“There is a chance, that’s why we won’t let it happen.” Seth got a really sad look on his face before he continued talking. “You have other friends that won’t be as guarded that are in more danger. Keith is going to warn them now. I offered to send some pack members to guard them too, but Keith said no. He had plans for them.”
“Other friends! Did he say who?” My mind immediately went to Sarah and Crystal.
“He didn’t name them.” Seth said this calmly, but I was wanting to rip my hair out. Sarah and Crystal in danger because of me!
“Have you figured out what Keith is yet?” I asked because Seth knew so much more about the other kinds of beings that are out there.
“What do you mean? The one that just left? He smelled like an ordinary human.” Carl hadn’t had the experiences that I had with Keith. Whatever Keith was, he was not an ordinary human.
“I know what he is,” Seth smiled and continued with, “but I am not the one to tell you that secret.”
“Great, nobody tells me anything.” I was acting spoiled, I know, but the frustration was getting to be too much.
That was when we heard Alicia’s car pull up outside. I went to greet her and walk her in to meet with Seth and Carl. The whole way out to her car, I was filled with dread. She had been so understanding up until now, but how much more could she put up with?
“Josh, where is your car? I wasn’t expecting you.” Alicia actually looked again in case she had missed seeing my
car before. “Then again, Seth didn’t say a whole lot about why he wanted me to come over either.”
“It’s my fault, sort of. We will explain it.” I kissed her and took her hand as we walked into Seth’s house.
“Hey Carl, hey Alphy. What’s up?” Carl laughed and Seth gave her an almost serious look for calling him that.
“We are going to need you to stay here for a few days. Let Anna take your shift tomorrow. You are basically being put under guard.” The look on Seth’s face told Alicia that he wasn’t joking.
“Why? Is someone trying to hurt me?” Alicia was confused.
“Not directly, but if things go the way Keith expects, then there are some who would use you to hurt Josh.” Seth took a deep breath. “What is happening is going to be bad for Josh either way it goes. As long as you are here, safe, that’s one less worry.”
“Somebody please tell me what is going on and quit being so cryptic, ok.” She gave me a worried look and sat down at the table. I started to speak but Seth stopped me.
“Josh has told you both about his mother being in a cult. Josh’s father is a demon, a fallen angel named Adramelech. There will be another summoning done at midnight tomorrow night. The first summoning that Josh had visions of before, were performed so Josh could be conceived. The demon can only stay here for twenty four hours after he is summoned. This time the summoning is to allow Adramelech to basically take over Josh’s body. If that happens the demon can stay on earth forever instead of going back to hell.”
We were stunned. Alicia looked like she might cry. Carl was staring down at his hands deep in thought. I hated myself for bringing this problem to their doorstep. Why did I have to be such a freak?
“Why now? Why did they pick now to do this?” Alicia was crying now.
“Saturday is my eighteenth birthday.” I hung my head. I may only have two more days to live.
“We should call everyone, gather the pack.” Carl was animated now. “If we stop this summoning, then they can’t hurt anybody.”
“No. I said as much to Keith. According to him, this cult is a lot more far reaching than Mobile, Alabama. If this group doesn’t summon him, another will, and we won’t have any heads up. Right now we know their plans and can go from there.” Seth looked around before he continued. “Josh, you will need to go home tonight before your mother returns. She can’t know we are aware of their plans. Keith said he would be back before it got too late.”
“I know Keith is a friend of yours but isn’t he human? You said you grew up with him. Why is everyone taking orders from a teenage human?” Alicia had the right to ask. She hadn’t been made aware that Keith was something more.
“Keith isn’t human. I don’t know what he is, but I know that he is good. If he says we need to do something, then we do it.” I would always believe this even though I was pissed off at him at the moment.
“Josh is right. I have never met one like Keith. We will follow his lead on this.” Seth saying it gave Alicia and Carl all the verification needed.
“I need to run. I have to clear my head before it explodes.” I was expecting them to argue but they were nodding in agreement.
“I’ll go with you.” Carl and Alicia said it at the same time. Seth smiled and sent us on our way.
“I will call you back when Keith returns.” Seth remained seated while the three of us walked out the door.
Carl, Alicia, and I took our clothes off in silence. The other times I had turned, there was excitement and eagerness. We were a somber group today. We still had an hour or two of daylight left. I hoped we would at least have that time to run and work off some of this tension. I didn’t even try to sneak a peek at Alicia as she undressed.
We turned into our wolf forms and took off for the woods with Carl in the lead. He seemed to know just what was needed. We ran much deeper into the woods than I had ever been. I got the sense he was starting a wide circle that would have us headed back to Seth’s. We finally stopped in a small clearing. It shocked me when I realized this was where the bear attack had occurred.
“I needed that.” I said it with a sigh, and heard two echoing wolf sighs to match it. It hit me how much trouble I had been to the pack in the short time I had been a part of it. “I am so sorry you guys are being dragged into this. I have been nothing but a problem to the pack.”
“None of it has been your fault. Your mother is the reason for you being half demon, and the reason for this stuff now. Kyle is an idiot, that was all on him.” Carl stated this as fact, meaning for me not to argue.
“Thanks, Carl, but if someone gets hurt I will never forgive myself.” I started sniffing around, trying to get my mind off of the demon bullshit. I went over and sniffed the area where I had fought the bear. The scent was faint, but I still caught the smell of blood. I went around the area more without any luck.
“It rained here Tuesday night, only a sprinkle, but enough to wash away most of the scent from Monday night.” Carl was looking up at a squirrel when he said that.
I followed his gaze and saw the squirrel about twenty feet up. Just for the fun of it I took a couple of steps and jumped onto limb beside the squirrel. I grabbed him and jumped down, careful not to hurt it too much. Alicia was laughing and came over to see the squirrel close up. Carl hesitated then came closer, too. With two enormous wolves being close, not to mention the big black red eyed sasquatch that was holding it, the squirrel was in a frenzy trying to get away. I decided to let it go.
“How did you jump like that? I’ve never seen one of us that could do that.” That reminded me that Alicia and I had been the only ones to know. I hadn’t told the others yet, well hadn’t really had the chance to yet.
“He did it last night when we were out here. Except he didn’t grab the squirrel that time. I think he was just shocked that he could jump like that.” Alicia seemed to be in a better mood now.
“That’s right you said you had told Alicia about your bad half last night. How long did you guys run for after you talked?” Carl was interested, probably the big brother mode kicking in.
“Not long enough. He had school and I had work so we called it a night pretty early.” She answered before I could. “He was also supposed to take me out on a real date tomorrow night. It looks like that won’t be happening now. Hey, we might get to spend the whole day together though.”
“Well then at least one good thing will come from all of this.” I smiled and placed my claw on her head and scratched behind my girlfriend’s ears. The ridiculousness of what I had just done hit me and I started laughing uncontrollably. Alicia and Carl were looking at me like I had lost my mind. That only made it worse.
“Sorry, I’m just losing it.” I said as I was trying to get control of myself. The absurdity of my life was catching up with me.
“Well at least you are still able to laugh. I am going to take it as a good sign.” Alicia was trying to be positive.
“Keith is back. Josh, come alone. Alicia and Carl stay out for a while until I join you.” Seth’s voice carried a weight that every member of the pack could feel. I was just thankful he was such a good man. A corrupt soul with the power of a werewolf pack to back him, would be a truly horrible thing.
“On my way, Seth.” I looked at Alicia and Carl and said, “Thanks for the run, hopefully you won’t have to deal with much more craziness because of me.”
I left before they had much of a chance to reply. Of course, with the telepathy, I don’t think distance mattered. I ran at full sprint back to Seth’s house. The thrill was lessened by the problems I knew were ahead of me, but running still felt great. Seth and Keith were waiting outside when I got there. I waited until I was only a few feet away to change back to my human form.
“Whoa, you really are a freak aren’t you? You said you were big but that is ridiculous.” Keith was smiling as I walked to get my clothes.
“Get it all out now. I know you’ll have a million jokes.” I was being light and even Seth smiled a little.
“Now I’m surprised you had to fight the bear. He should have just got scared and ran away.” He was shaking his head, still smiling. I finished getting dressed quickly.
“Please tell me they won’t go after Crystal and Sarah.” I hated to be the one to end the good mood but I had to know.
“There is that chance. A lot of what happens over the next two days will be up to you. What seems to be the right thing may be the wrong thing. What seems to be the wrong thing may be the way to go.” Keith looked sad, really sad. “I would take this from you if I could Josh, but there is only so much I can do.”
“I would say I understand, but there is still so much I am trying to work through. I trust you though, even if you won’t tell me what you really are.” I tried to put on a brave face. “So, now what?”
“Now we go meet the girls. We have to warn them.” Keith turned to Seth, “Seth, thank you for your help and understanding. Hopefully, this mess will be over with by Sunday and you can relax. Maybe blockhead here will even survive and stay with the pack.” Keith held out his hand to Seth and Seth shook it with reverence. Now I really had to find out what the hell Keith was to make Seth act like that.
“It’s been a pleasure, Keith.” Seth undressed and turned. He shot toward the woods at an unbelievable pace.
“Wow that was impressive. He gets around pretty good for a four hundred year old.” Keith always could make me smile even when things were bad.
We got into my car and headed back to town. Keith took my phone and was dialing one of the girls, presumably. I was handling things a lot better than I would have ever believed possible. I was likely to die in two days, possibly getting people I cared about hurt in the process.
“Hey Sarah, it’s Keith again. Did you pick Crystal up?” She must have said yes. “Good. We need to meet somewhere. Are you two hungry?” Keith turned to me and rubbed his fingers in the money sign and pointed at me.
“I’ve got plenty of money, don’t worry about that.” I had a couple hundred dollars with me, at least that shouldn’t be a problem.
