Night Mares

by Janine R Pestel

  She was a young woman in her late twenties. Long brown hair and brown eyes graced her olive complexion. She forced a smile at the two strangers who were now standing before her.

  “Yes? Can I help you?”

  Johann took a fake press pass out of his wallet and flashed it at her slow enough for her to see it but too fast for her to read it.

  “I’m Doolittle, and this is Doright. We’re with the Charlotte Sentinel. Is the mayor in? We’d like to interview him for tomorrow’s edition.”

  The young woman furrowed her brow and eyed them suspiciously.

  “You don’t sound like you’re from Charlotte,” she said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Johann cleared his throat.

  “Yes, ma’am. Uh…actually I’m a transplant from Arizona. Moved to Charlotte a few years back. Is the mayor in? We’d really like to interview him.”

  The woman let her gaze drift down Johann’s body for a second as though eyeing him up before she met his eyes again. Her mood seemed to brighten a little and she cleared her throat.

  “Actually, Mayor Tibbs has left for the day. Would you mind coming back tomorrow?” she asked. She reached her hand out to Johann. The demon hunter smiled. He knew when he was being flirted with. He also knew how to play the game. He gave her a warm smile and reached his hand out to hers. Their eyes locked.

  Robert, standing behind Johann, rolled his eyes. Jesus, get a room for Chrissake will ya?

  “Actually, we can come back tomorrow to interview him, but would you mind if we interview you today?” Johann asked. The young woman’s eyes widened, and her pupils dilated. Johann could see she was very excited.

  “Me? You want to interview me? Why I’d be delighted Mr. Doolittle.” She was all but gushing at the handsome man in front of her.

  Johann thought about the chairs in the lobby and how that would be the perfect place to speak to the young woman.

  “Would you mind if we go to the lobby? It might be a little more comfortable in those nice, big, cushy chairs,” Johann said.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  A few minutes later the three were sitting in the lobby. Johann took his notebook and pen out of his pocket. He placed the pen on the notebook to write and looked at the woman.

  “First, what is your name and title?” he asked.

  “Marjorie Hensworth. I’m the first assistant to the assistant to the mayor,” she answered proudly. Johann looked at her over the top rim of his glasses. He was trying to comprehend exactly what she just said.

  “So, you’re an assistant to an assistant?” he asked slowly.

  “That’s correct. I’m the first assistant to an assistant.”

  “I see. The first assistant to an assistant. Very well,” Johann said as he wrote the information down. Robert sucked in his upper lip to keep himself from laughing.

  “Miss Hensworth—” started Johann.

  “Please. Call me Marjorie,” interrupted the woman. Johann stopped midsentence and smiled.

  “Okay, Marjorie. How long did you know the deceased mayor? Mayor Benson I believe her name was?” Johann asked. The smile disappeared from Marjorie’s face replaced by a look of sorrow.

  “I’ve known her all my life. I’ll never forget her.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she reached up and wiped one away that was rolling down her cheek.

  “We’re very sorry, Marjorie,” Johann said.

  “It’s okay. She’s in a better place now,” Marjorie answered. Johann shot a look at Robert then back to Marjorie.

  “And how long have you known Mayor Tibbs?”

  “I met him when he was Mayor Benson’s running mate. I was on her campaign team, so I got to meet him before he changed.”

  “Before he changed?” Robert asked. His brow was knitted, as though he didn’t already know about the change.

  “Yes. One day in the office we were all talking about his pet project, the water treatment plant. We were talking about how he wanted to put it where this church had burned down over a hundred years ago. There’s a big superstition in town about that place, and Mayor Benson and the town council wanted him to choose a different location.

  “So, while we were all talking, he came out of his office and overheard some of the conversation. By the time we realized he was standing there, it was too late. He had already heard some of what we were saying, but not everything.

  “He asked us what this superstition was and Missy—she’s the office errand runner we call her the gopher—well, she just had to tell him. She doesn’t believe the story anyway, so she sees no harm in telling anyone she can about it.”

  “This superstition you’re talking about. You mean about the people who were possessed?” Johann asked. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him.

  “Yes. You know about it?”

  “I’ve heard it. But how did that make Mayor Tibbs change?”

  “Well, he wanted to see the place for himself. So, he went out there one night. The next day he was just somehow different. He didn’t joke around anymore, he hardly smiled, He almost seemed angry all the time. To make matters even worse, he was even more obsessed than ever to remove all the rubble.”

  Johann looked at Robert. Both men knew what it looked like to them. This wasn’t good. The demon hunter turned his attention back to the young woman.

  “Thank you, Marjorie. What time will the mayor be in tomorrow? I’d still like to interview him.”

  “He usually gets in about nine in the morning. Then he goes to lunch from noon to one o’clock, religiously. Then he’s back in his office until about four. But tomorrow he’s going to attend Mayor Benson’s funeral. Since that’s taking place in the morning, he won’t be in his office until one thirty or so.” answered Marjorie.

  “We’ll be back around two tomorrow afternoon,” Johann said as he stood up.

  After saying goodbye to the young woman, Johann and Robert were walking back to the car.

  “She’s a cute little thing,” Johann said. Robert looked at him. His eyes were wide, and his eyebrows raised.

  “Johann,” Robert said, surprised by what he just heard. Johann looked at him and smiled.

  “What? I’m not a priest you know.”

  -12-

  After they stopped at a fast food restaurant, and a local convenience store for Johann’s beverage of choice, the two demon hunters were soon back in their room. They were joined by Belinda and David. The four were having their dinner and talking about the day’s events.

  Johann took the burgers, fries, and drinks out of the bag and placed them on the small coffee table they were using for their dinner table.

  “I hope you guys don’t mind the fine cuisine of Ted’s Burger Palace?” Johann said.

  “Not at all. It’s my favorite,” David said, rubbing his two hands together. The smell of the burgers and fries was so heavy he was almost salivating just looking at it. “But one day you have to let me get dinner. As long as you don’t mind pizza.”

  “Ah, that’s my favorite,” Robert said, rubbing his belly and chuckling.

  “Actually, I can eat anything as long as it comes with this,” Johann said. He placed a can of beer on the table and opened it. Robert looked at him. Johann lifted his eyebrows. “What? It’s healthy. It’s made from grain, ain’t it?” Robert rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  “So those cops think you guys are Secret Service?” David asked, chuckling. Johann looked at him and laughed.

  “Yeah. It doesn’t take much to upset people in a small town like this. Especially when they have other things on their minds,” Johann said.

  “So, what do we do now?” asked Belinda. Johann turned to her.

  “Well, Bobby and I—”

  “Bob,” interrupted Robert, sounding a little agitated. “What’s gotten into you lately? You’re getting pretty rowdy or something. You sure you’re not possessed?”

  Johann looked at him and smirked. “Whatever. Bob and I went to city hall after we left the wake and spoke to one of the
clerks there. Turns out the lady we spoke to is the first assistant to the assistant to the mayor,” Johann said. Belinda knitted her brow. She opened her mouth to speak but Johann cut her off. “Don’t ask,” he said, then turned to David. “You’d like her, Dave. She was a cutie.” He winked, and David chuckled. Belinda drew her mouth into a straight line and narrowed her eyes at Johann. He turned his attention back to the group in general.

  “So anyway, we found out who told Tibbs about the church. It was someone named Missy. Apparently, she’s the office errand girl and gossip columnist. She told Tibbs about what happened at the church, and he went out to see for himself.

  “Something must have happened when he was there because this clerk we spoke to told us the day after he went, he was a changed man. Bad temper, obsessed with clearing the debris, stuff like that. She pretty much backed up what Becky told Bob and me when we talked to her at the wake.” He took a sip from his can of beer. “Ah that’s good,” he said, licking the beer foam off his lips.

  “What would cause that?” asked David. Johann put his can of beer down and looked at the cameraman.

  “What do you think? Put two and two together. The place had a demon trapped and he went there. He came back obsessed with clearing the place out. Obviously, he saw more than just debris there.”

  “Do you think he’s possessed?” asked Belinda. Johann thought this over. He gave his mustache a few strokes then took another sip of his beer.

  “Yes, I do. I’m just not sure when it happened. I think that if he wasn’t possessed then, he is now. Either way, Bob and I are going to interview him tomorrow,” Johann said, making air quotes with his fingers.

  “Interview?” asked David. “Who do these guys think you are?”

  Johann turned to him and chuckled.

  “I’m Doolittle, and he’s Doright. We’re reporters from the Charlotte Sentinel.”

  “I had to ask,” David said, covering his face with his hand. “How do you guys get away with this shit?” David asked. Johann looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I learned a long time ago that when people are pre-occupied with something, they don’t really hear what you tell them,” Johann explained.

  “Mark my words. One day someone will be paying attention, and we’re gonna look like idiots. Or get ourselves arrested,” Robert said. Johann gave him a quick look and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Seriously, though. We need to find a way to get rid of this demon. I think we’re pretty close to finding it but not quite there yet. So, that being said, Bob and I are going back to the church tonight—” Johann started. Robert almost twisted his back when he snapped his head up and turned to the demon hunter.

  “We are?” Robert asked. Johann looked at him. He almost broke into a laugh when he saw that Robert had a mouth full of hamburger and looked like a little chipmunk with his cheeks puffed out.

  “Yes. We are. We have to, Bob. But don’t worry. I promised you I’d keep you safe, and I will. We need to go there and try to summon the demon. If we’re successful we have the shotguns with the salt shells. They won’t kill the thing, but maybe we can persuade it to leave. If that fails, we have something even more powerful,” Johann said as he looked at his beer can.

  “What? Beer?” asked Robert with an expression of disbelief. Johann looked at him.

  “No. Don’t worry. Just trust me that we have a very powerful weapon at our disposal,” Johann answered. “This weapon will not only let us know if a demon is present, but it’ll also help us to get rid of it…permanently”

  “But we have to summon the demon?” Robert asked. “You must be talking about that Cimeries talisman.”

  “No, I’m not talking about the talisman, but we will have it with us. Yes, we have to summon the demon. If we can get him to appear there at the church ruins and get rid of it without the chance of anyone else getting involved, that would be best. If not, then we have to go to the mayor, interview him tomorrow, and deal with it then. Either way, it’s going to happen. The only question is whether there will be witnesses or not.”

  “So, you’re gonna murder the mayor?” Belinda asked as she brought her hand up to her mouth. Johann looked at her.

  “No. We’re not going to murder the mayor. We’re not going to murder anyone. All we’re going to do is finish the exorcism that was started over a hundred years ago. We’re going to exorcise the demon and hopefully save the mayor,” Johann said.

  Belinda let out a sigh of relief.

  “Well at least I feel a little better now, knowing you’re not going to just rush in there like gangbusters and kill the poor guy,” Belinda said.

  “No. Not like gangbusters. More like Fathers Merrin and Karras. We’ll only kill him if we have to,” Johann said, drawing his lips into a straight line. He locked eyes with Belinda’s as he drank the rest of his beer and crushed the can in his hand. He placed the crushed can on the table and Belinda looked at it. Damn, he’s hot. It’s a good thing David’s not like him. I’d never be able to get any work done.

  “Merrin and Karras?” Robert asked. Johann gave him a sly smile. Did his friend never see this movie?

  “The priests from that movie The Exorcist. We’re going to win. By this time tomorrow it’ll all be over.”

  Johann stood up and walked over to where his jacket was hanging. He put it on and looked at Robert.

  “Come on, Bob. Let’s go. If the demon’s not there, we’ll know right away and come back.”

  “Okay,” Robert said. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and downed the last of his beverage—soda.

  “Good luck,” Belinda called out as the two demon hunters went out the door.

  A short while later Johann and Robert were standing at the site of the collapsed church. It was cold enough for their hot breath to vaporize when it hit the cold air. They were breathing so hard they looked like two living smokestacks, lit by the headlights from the Mustang parked a short distance away.

  Johann left the motor running in case they had to escape fast. It was the only sound they could hear. No crickets, no breeze, nothing. Just the low rumble of the car engine. Even the half-frozen grass under their feet made no sound as they walked to the ruins.

  As they approached what was left of the old church Robert could feel sweat forming on his face and his heart rate increased. His legs twitched as though he were about to start running. He scanned the surroundings for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. At this point, even the chirp of a cricket would make him burst into a full run. Johann looked over at him and recognized his condition instantly.

  “Bob. Calm down. We’re going to be alright. As long as we keep level heads on our shoulders, we’ll be alright,” Johann said. Robert looked at him.

  I’m sorry. This is just way creepier than I thought it was going to be. I’ve never been part of an exorcism. I only saw it in movies and TV shows. I’m sure it’s not like they make it look.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s a lot worse than they make it look. But don’t worry. You’re safe. We’re safe. Just keep a level head no matter what happens or what you see.”

  “Oh, a lot worse. That’s just what I was hoping to hear,” Robert muttered to himself.

  “Christ, it’s cold,” Johann said.

  “Yeah. I think my sweat’s starting to freeze on my face. I thought you had connections,” said Robert. Johann looked at him. He looked closely like he was looking for something. Robert furrowed his brow.

  “Nope. No icicles,” Johann said. “As for my connections. Nope. He’s pissed at me.”

  “Wonderful news,” Robert muttered. “I’m about to conjure a demon with someone who’s on God’s shit list. Can this night get any better? Never mind. Forget I asked that.”

  The two demon hunters arrived at the ruins and stood at the precise spot where the demon had been trapped in the church rubble. Robert held both shotguns, one in each hand. Johann held a crucifix in one hand, and a notebook in the other. He looked over at Robert.

>   “Well, I think this is where the cross from the top of the church was laying,” Johann said. He studied the ground and noticed something.

  “Yeah. This is the spot. Do you see what I see?” Johann asked, pointing to the ground. Robert strained his eyes to see but didn’t notice anything at first.

  As he stared, Robert’s eyes widened. There was something there. The outline was indistinguishable from the rest of the ground at first but slowly started to become apparent. Robert blinked and looked at Johann. Then back to the ground. It was still there.

  It was vague and only faintly visible, but there was definitely the outline of a cross on the ground. It was in the grass next to the slab of concrete that served as the floor of the church. The demon had made it out of the church when the cross came down on top of it.

  “That’s the ground trying to remain holy,” Johann said. Robert stared, wide-eyed at the now obvious outline.

  “That’s amazing. If I hadn't seen it I wouldn’t believe it,” Robert whispered. Johann turned to face the ruins.

  “Ready, Bob?” Johann asked. Robert nodded nervously. He wasn’t really ready. How could he be? He, like Johann, had no idea what was about to happen to them. The night would either turn into a real nightmare, or there would be nothing at all. He was secretly hoping for the “nothing at all” scenario. At least seeing the cross in the ground gave him comfort, albeit only a little.

  Johann held up the crucifix. He opened the notebook and began reading the chant he had written there. It was written in Latin, and when he spoke he really sounded like a priest to Robert.

  “Regna terrae, cantata Deo, psallite Cernunnos, Regna terrae, cantata Dea psallite Aradia,” said Johann. He stopped reading to see if there was any reaction so far to what he had chanted. Robert looked around nervously, not knowing why Johann stopped or what to expect. His heart pounded in his chest and his hands trembled.

  “Do you hear anything?” Johann whispered.