by Tanya Simon
“I am not going anywhere. I know the risks, but I am in, all the way.” He squeezed her hand and gently let go. “I was thinking about a plan on the flight in. I will be here during the week to help you fight them at night and on the weekends I will go and try to find Seth. One, he might not be safe out there. And two, he needs to stand up and be here for his family.”
“Ryan you can’t fault him for going, we don’t know what happened last night, he was so scared and he couldn’t talk about it. I mean think about it, this is more to deal with than me having a crazy ex or an overprotective brother. The things wedging themselves between us kill, it is what they exist for.”
“I can fault him!” His eyes went stormy. “We were raised to believe you don’t quit, and you definitely do not abandon your family when the going gets rough! I will find him and I will drag him back if I have to. You need him now more than ever; he has no choice. If he was going to bail he should have done it when you offered him a chance, not when he had promised he would stay and fight beside you, until your son was safe and the world was no longer in danger.”
“Ryan you have your faith. You know no matter what happens to you, you will go to Heaven, a beautiful, peaceful place, better than this world by far. Seth doesn’t have your faith. He has never been sure what he believes and instead of this making him believe, it is making him see the ways God has failed in his promises. He knows I have faith or I had faith and I believed in God, and followed his commandments to the best of my ability. He knows I asked Jesus to be my savior. And he sees all these terrible things happening to me and it erodes what little faith he did have. So, now, he is faithless, and he is faced with irrefutable proof Evil does exist. Where does all of this leave him?”
“Scared, confused, damned.” Ryan said as he looked down at his mug.
“Exactly. If you factor in whatever happened last night and it just became too much for him.”
“He still should have stayed long enough to tell you he was leaving. He still should have stayed.”
Mystery took Ryan’s hand. “He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. I am mad at him and afraid for him, but I want out, why shouldn’t he?”
Ryan put his hand over hers. “As archaic as it sounds, Men don’t leave. Men stay and fight, even when they are scared. Men do not abandon their families; they fight for them, to the death if necessary. It is just how it is, and Seth knows that, he was taught it all of his life. And all of his life, I have been stepping in and either doing the hard stuff or holding his hand while he did it. I am just as mad at myself as I am at him, maybe if I had let him struggle more, he would have developed a backbone.” Ryan pulled his hand away and went to refill his mug.
“He has a backbone, but he also has a drug and alcohol problem. He was in counseling for the drug problem, but he just replaced the drugs with alcohol. And you have to remember he had to stay here alone facing this day after day while I was catatonic.” Mystery went to look out her kitchen window, smiling softly as she watched the squirrels scamper up the trees with the bread she had left out for them. “It looks so normal out there, I can almost forget any of this is happening when I look out the window and the world is going on like it should.”
Ryan walked over to her and rubbed her shoulder. “It is normal out there for now. Cain isn’t going to let it stay that way for long. The battle is just beginning and no one can know what the cost for each of us will be. But Seth knew the situation, he had known for months the big battle is on its way. He had to know there was a reason Cain came for you now, why he wants you to go to him so badly. He knew and he left you here to fend for yourself. It is just wrong.” Ryan turned and started out of the room. “I am going to go catch a nap. Wake me if anything happens.”
“I will.” Mystery whispered without turning around. She hoped Seth was okay.
14
Evening fell quickly, with very little sunset as it often did in Colorado, and as she washed her hands Mystery watched the stars begin to twinkle. She said a quick prayer to whoever was listening that Seth was somewhere safe enjoying the night sky, and she went to tell Ryan dinner was ready.
As she turned the corner to head up the stairs Ryan turned the corner to come into the kitchen and they ran into each other. Ryan grabbed her shoulders to steady her and Mystery couldn’t help it, the sympathy on his face was too much and she began to cry. He hugged her and murmured soothing words and let her cry.
“Sorry. I am just so worried about Seth and Jeremiah.” She pushed away and turned to head back into the kitchen. “I made fried chicken and mashed potatoes, I hope you like fried chicken.” Mystery went to the counter and began putting the food on the table.
“Hey, if it is not a TV dinner, then I think it is wonderful.”
“I don’t allow TV dinners in the house, too much salt and very little taste.” She sat down and put her napkin in her lap.
Ryan chuckled and sat down beside her. He reached over and took her hand “It is okay to need me, I am not going anywhere except to look for my brother and I will always be back by sunset on Sunday, I promise.”
“That is what Seth said.”
“I am not Seth.”
She smiled softly. “I know.”
“I’ll say grace.” He bowed his head and said a prayer in Latin. Mystery watched him while he prayed over their food, and she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time, she felt safe.
As the weeks passed, they fell into a rhythm. Whenever there was an attack they stood side by side and fought. And every Friday afternoon, Ryan would leave and go searching the surrounding cities for his brother. And faithful to his word, he was there for dinner every Sunday night.
Mystery was trying to clean up the shattered glass and china her nighttime visitors had left all over the dining room. Tears slid down her face, they had destroyed the set of Baccarat crystal her father had given her when she and Seth had gotten engaged. As she thought of the man who she had believed to be her father, she realized she still just wanted him back, she couldn’t be angry with him. He had loved her with everything in him, David Williams had been the perfect father, and the fact he wasn’t her biological father could never change who he had been to her. She had just emptied the last of the pieces into the trashcan, when the she heard Ryan’s key in the door.
“Mystery?” He sounded tired.
“Any luck?” Mystery took his coat from him and hung it on the tree.
“I went to a couple of bars in Trinidad, someone had seen him.” He collapsed on the couch. “They said he was talking about heading south. I think he may be across the state line by now.” He rubbed his tired eyes. “I am always just a step behind him. The man said he was dirty and drunk, and he had lost weight since the picture I showed him.”
“Do think Cain is still attacking him?”
“Yeah, I think he left you for nothing. I think Cain is still torturing him, making sure he won’t come back.”
Mystery went and sat down next to him, she delicately wrinkled her nose. “Did they not have showers in Trinidad?” She laughed.
“The motel he stayed in was a filthy mess, I slept in my car, and spent the days looking for him. You couldn’t have paid me to take a shower in that place.” He looked over and saw the worry on her face. “I will find him and bring him back, Mystery.”
“He doesn’t have very much money. I know he has maxed-out all but one of his credit cards and he emptied his savings account. So, is he spending all of his money on booze? Is that why his choice of motels is so cheap?”
‘I think so, everyone who has seen him, describes him as a drunken bum.”
Mystery leaned over and put her head on Ryan’s shoulder. “I am so afraid for him. It sounds like he might do himself in, before Cain decides to finish him off.”
Ryan put his arm around her shoulders. “We will find him.” He kissed the top of her head. “I am going to wash the grime off. What’s for supper?”
“Pizza. They ransacked the kitchen and dining room t
his morning, so, we have no food and no dishes.”
“Are you Okay?” Ryan could see something was wrong.
“Yeah. They broke the crystal my father gave Seth and me for an engagement present.”
“I am sorry.”
“I know, now, please get rid of that smell, the pizza should be here in a minute.”
Ryan stuck his tongue out at her and started up the stairs. He was about half way up, when Cain was magically standing in front of him. Cain swung at Ryan. Ryan ducked and lost his balance and fell down the stairs. He winced as his head cracked against the wall. Cain laughed and stalked down the stairs after him. Cain grunted as an unseen force picked him up and slammed him into the hall wall. Ryan looked over his head and saw Mystery standing over him, with her hand out.
Cain stood and shook his head like a big shaggy dog and he waved his hand at Mystery and she grabbed her throat, as the air left her lungs she sank to her knees. Ryan, fought his way to his feet and stepped between Cain and Mystery, he imagined them safe inside a bubble of protection. Cain sneered, as Mystery was able to catch her breath.
“I wouldn’t have killed her, yet, Holy Man.” Cain smiled, his sharp teeth gleaming in the light of the living room fire.
“You aren’t going to kill her at all.” Ryan said confidently, as Mystery rose to stand beside him.
“I don’t suppose you will ever know, because you, I am going to kill, soon, and painfully.”
“Sure.” Ryan took Mystery’s hand and she gripped his. They said in unison. “By the power of the Almighty God, we banish you. By the power of his most, precious Son, we banish you. By the power of the Holy Ghost, we banish you.”
Cain’s howl of rage still echoed through the room as he faded away. Ryan took Mystery into his arms and hugged her tight. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, he wouldn’t have killed me. He just wanted to scare me.” She pushed out of Ryan’s arms; they were becoming too comfortable with each other. “He wanted me to remember what might be happening to Seth, because I won’t go with him.”
“Seth made his own choices. You cannot let him guilt you into going. There is too much at stake.”
Mystery looked up at him, her eyes bleary and bloodshot, there were dark circles around them. “I know, believe, me I know.” She turned and walked away.
Ryan would have gone after her, but the doorbell rang and she went to open the door. He slipped into the bathroom as he heard her greet the pizza delivery person.
Seth found out the hard way he had been dead wrong, he was important enough for Cain to bother with. During the day, horned, winged, smelly little beasts pecked at him as he walked the streets. People gave him a wide berth, because they couldn’t see them, just him flailing wildly at the air around him. His skin stung with the nicks and bites they had taken. At night… he shuddered at the thought. At night succulent succubi wrapped their sensual limbs around his sleeping body and taunted him with their wicked promises. If he refused, they would be replaced by demons, smelling up his seedy hotel room with their sewer stench, screeching and squealing.
He stayed in the worst rooms, because his money went to feeding his newfound obsession with the bottle. He found if he was drunk enough he didn’t feel the bites as much, he could stand the screeches, even sleep through them. And he didn’t hate himself quite as much for giving in to the wicked temptations of his nubile, nighttime visitors.
He jolted back to the present, with a start as a smattering of applause broke out in the smoke-filled room. The homely dancer on the stage took a bow and ran off, stage right. Seth shook himself, to daydream in this place was asking for a shiny new red necktie. Nothing but alertness and aloofness kept you from getting dead. But, it was better than his room and it was far too early to get drunk, so he nursed his drink and watched the show.
Ryan looked in the third dive of the day for his baby brother, and he found nothing. Just like all the others no one had seen or heard of him. He had been looking for close to six months now and every time he thought he was getting close, he would lose the trail. Mystery was hanging in there, but she desperately needed to know Seth was okay, every time he went to check in with her, her beautiful face was thinner and more pinched with worry. She said she was having dreams, where he was being chased by the little flying demons during the day and at night succubi terrorized him. She said she could tell he was drunk in the dreams and he was hanging out in some dangerous places. She thought they were running out of time to find him, before Cain finished him off. So, Ryan checked into the fleabag hotel and tried to decide which of the abundance of bars he should start looking for Seth in. He noticed with disgust there were bugs crawling on the “freshly made” bed, and knew he would be spending another night in his car.
Mystery didn’t blame Seth. She missed him terribly, but she could not find it in her heart to blame him. She hoped he was safe, but if her dreams were anywhere close to accurate, he was far from safe. Her protection spell had stopped the nighttime visitors from hurting her while she slept, but they still harassed her, by upending tables and dumping food. Seth didn’t even have that little bit of protection. Out there alone, he had no chance at all. It was only a matter of when Cain got tired of playing with him. Knowing her thoughts weren’t going to let her go back to sleep, Mystery got up and went downstairs. She turned on the television and canned laughter filled the room. Mystery settled on the sofa. She thought of Seth and how much she missed his touch. As she lay there, she found herself fondling her breasts and her breathing came in short little pants.
She moaned as an invisible hand slipped inside her already damp underwear. It rubbed across the sensitive skin and slipped a finger deep inside her. Mystery opened her legs, so the invisible hand could have better access. She gasped in delighted shock as she felt a finger push its way into her unsuspecting bottom. It felt sinfully good. She opened her mouth to cry out as she came and was silenced by an invisible finger sliding in her mouth, she sucked on the finger. The hand continued to play with her bottom, while a tongue replaced the finger in her mouth, its movement imitating the finger in her bottom.
Mystery felt hands grip her legs and place them over broad shoulders, she could not see. She came as her bottom was filled with hardened, warm velvet. She grunted as her demon lover pumped furiously and when she thought she would die from the ecstasy, he rammed his shaft like an arrow for her womb. She came again and waited while she caressed a hard but invisible back tight with strain. The walls rocked as a loud rumbling growl of triumph echoed around the room. Once more her mouth was kissed and then the room fell silent, she was alone. Shame set in and Mystery curled up in the chair and cried.
Seth sat in the corner of the dimly lit bar, trying to decide which was more disgusting, the roach crawling up his beer bottle or the half-naked, slightly obese woman strutting and jiggling across the stage. The woman won. Grinning to himself, he brushed the roach off his tenth beer of the night. He wondered if Mystery missed him or did she hate him for being such a coward. He had left, believing if he left he would be safe and could go back to his nice, normal life. But he had been wrong; evil followed him day and night. So, he had given up Mystery for nothing. The music faded and the inebriated crowd tried to clap as the dancer did the best bow her rolls of flesh would allow.
Seth began to imagine Mystery dancing on the stage. And to his surprise there she was. She walked silkily out of the smoke covering the stage, wearing the white lace bustier and garters he’d given her for Christmas, garters which had led to Jeremiah’s conception. She smiled at him, a smile that managed to be shy and sexy at the same time. Her long dark hair shone in the half-light, framing her perfect face in an ebony halo of curls.
Music began to play its throbbing beat filled the totally silent room. He felt his pants grow tight as she let her hips sway to the beat. Long, graceful arms rose to pull the curtain of hair off her neck as she began to gyrate, slowly to the music’s rhythm. Seth heard several gasps for breath as Mystery mounted the found
ation pole in the middle of the stage. The music kept up its slow, pulsing beat as she rode the pole, her hips moving in perfect timing to the beat. When Seth was certain his crotch would explode, she gripped the pole, and flung back her head in a mind-blowing release. No one moved as the music faded and Mystery leaned against the pole, her breath hitching. She managed to steady herself and smiled at him. As if coming out of a trance the crowd began to clap.
Seth bolted upright, jerking himself out of his drunken stupor. He shook his head to clear the last vestiges of the dream away. He had lost the right to think about Mystery in that way. Seth paid the bill and went outside to face the night.
When he woke the next morning, he wondered who’d been driving the semi, which must have hit him. He painfully sat up and swung his legs to the floor, catching a glimpse of himself in the murky reflective surface that passed as a mirror. His grey eyes were bloodshot and encircled with dark rings. His face was intermittently white and sallow yellow from all the alcohol he had consumed. His dirty t-shirt and holey jeans swallowed his skeleton of a body. His blond hair hung in an oily ponytail at the nape of his neck. All over his arms and neck there were scratches from his smelly, little guests.
