by Amber Garza
I nodded and threw my arms around his neck. He held me close and I caught a whiff of his cologne. After we separated, I took the present and guided him into the backyard. Mom and Haley greeted him while I put the gift down on the table. Already the scent of charred food drifted under my nose. But even the thought of burnt hamburgers didn’t dampen my happy mood. Smoke billowed around Mom’s sweaty face.
My gaze swept the backyard and my heart swelled with joy. As Haley got Tanner a soda, I watched the two of them and I was so happy we were all here together. After all we had been through, I was so glad they were both still in my life.
“Diet soda, birthday girl?” Haley hollered. Her red hair shone brightly against the greenery in the backyard.
I nodded and she tossed one in my direction. I caught it in my hand and held the icy can in my palm. Just as I popped the top, I looked up to see Grandma walking onto the back porch, wearing khaki capris and a white cotton shirt. Her blonde hair was styled sleek against her face. I hadn’t seen her since summer and the minute my gaze locked on her, I realized just how much I had missed her.
Chapter Twenty
“Grandma!” Feeling like a little girl, rather than an eighteen-year-old, I ran to her and threw my arms around her neck. The familiar scent of her Ralph Lauren perfume comforted me. She planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Happy Birthday.”
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
She winked, causing the skin around her eyes to crinkle. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“It was. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Of course. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
We? That’s when I saw him. How had I missed him before? He stood directly behind Grandma. My heart sped up and my palms filled with moisture. A regular California boy, he sported board shorts, a t-shirt and leather flip-flops. He looked amazing.
My arms ached to hold him but I stayed still, rooted in place. Grandma left me to say hi to Mom who manned the barbecue grill. Smoke swarmed the yard making it obvious that Mom was burning the burgers.
Isaac walked forward to greet me. I fought to breathe evenly.
“You came.”
“Of course.” He was so close I couldn’t stand it. I felt dizzy from his nearness. My fingertips burned to touch him. His gaze swept the backyard. “Looks like quite the party.”
My chest tightened. He must have noticed Tanner. I thought of how just moments before I had been elated that Tanner had shown up. Now, I wished he hadn’t. I bit my lip.
“It’s okay. I get it.” Isaac smiled. “Tanner’s your friend. He should be here for your big day.”
He was so understanding, so wonderful. I couldn’t help it. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. He returned the hug, circling his arms around my waist.
“Thank you.” I whispered into his neck. Our faces were so close that if one of us moved an inch our lips would connect. But neither of us did. Instead, we parted and joined the rest of the group.
While Mom scraped the charred hamburgers off the grill with a spatula, Grandma took over drink duty. She refilled everyone’s sodas and jumped right into the hostess role like a pro. I was so glad she was there.
Haley grabbed my arm, pulled me aside. “Oh my gosh, this is so awkward. You didn’t tell me Isaac was coming.”
“I didn’t know.”
“That boy sure has a knack for showing up unannounced.”
I chuckled. “No kidding.”
Tanner sidled up beside me, stuck his head in between us. “What are you two whispering about?”
My face flamed. “Nothing.” I glanced around to see where Isaac was. He stood next to Grandma, sipping a cup filled with soda.
“Don’t worry,” Tanner said as if he read my mind. “Everything’s fine. Just enjoy your party. We’re all here because we love you.”
Ugh. Why did they both have to be so great?
“Well, what do we have here?” A familiar man’s voice rang out. “It looks like a party. How come I wasn’t invited?”
I spun around.
Dad walked into the yard. He wore the same dirty clothes, ripped pants and old converse tennis shoes. His hair was messy, and the scent of smoke wafted from him. Tension filled the air around me.
I stepped forward. “Dad.”
Tanner grabbed my arm, but I shoved it away. I knew he was worried since he had witnessed my last encounter with Dad and knew that the police were after him. Isaac was too far away to reach me, but his gaze did. He shook his head and gave me a pleading look.
“It’s fine.” I told the watching crowd. “I’m good.” I forced a smile and continued walking toward my dad. No matter what he had done before I was willing to give him another chance. He was my own flesh and blood, after all. He was a part of me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when I reached him.
“Can’t I come by to wish my little girl a happy birthday?” He smiled his toothless grin.
Hope stirred. “You remembered?”
“Of course.” He held out his hand. “In fact, I brought you a gift. Come with me. It’s in the car.”
A present! Did I dare believe him? Remembering the last time he said that left a sour feeling in my stomach. As much as I wanted to believe him, I wasn’t that stupid. I wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.
That’s when I sensed him. Wesley stood in the shadows. I froze, studying my dad. At first I had overlooked the manic look in his glassy eyes, the cuts and bruises on his face, the tremor of his hands. I remembered the odd premonition I’d had earlier. God had been trying to warn me about this.
“No. If you have something for me, you can bring it out here.” I stood my ground. His eyes were desperate and they shifted back and forth. A sound caught my attention. Someone was in the house. Before I could process anything, two other men burst from inside and ran into the backyard. One had a snake tattoo on his upper arm that made me shiver. The other had giant muscles ripping up his arms as if he’d taken way too many steroids. Their eyes were dark and menacing. They wore scowls on their faces.
By the collective round of gasps, I assumed everyone could see the two men.
“You didn’t tell us there’d be all these people here, David.” Snake-man spoke in a nasally tone. “Is she coming or not?”
“I’m sorry, Kenzie.” Dad threw me an apologetic look. “ I have a little debt with these men and you’re the only way I can pay it.” He held his arm out in front of the men, blocking them from coming any further. “Just wait. She’ll come.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. It was the same as before. And I knew he’d keep coming back until he got what he wanted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wesley sneering. There was no way I was letting him win. Hadn’t he learned yet that I had someone stronger helping me?
I narrowed my eyes at Dad. “No.”
In one swift movement, Snake-man grabbed me around the neck and held the barrel of a gun to my temple. Mom and Grandma shrieked. My body quivered with fear. He dragged me toward the house. Isaac and Tanner both jumped forward, but Snake-man wielded the gun in their direction. “Everyone stay back or the girl gets it.” They froze and held their palms up in surrender.
“I tried to warn you,” Dad said. “You could have come peacefully with me. Now they’re gonna take you.”
Frantic, I shoved my fingers in my pocket. Where was my phone? I pictured it on the kitchen counter and groaned. Looking around, I saw that Haley had her cell phone pressed to her ear. Relief filled me. Maybe help would be here before the man carried me away.
“Hey. You. Put the phone down.” Snake-man pointed the gun at Haley.
Haley opened her fingers and the phone fell to the ground. “There was no signal, anyway,” she muttered under her breath.
“With mine either.” Mom’s voice sounded bewildered. “That’s never happened before.”
My gaze connected with Wesley’s and he smiled. He may not have been as powerful as God, bu
t his magic could do some things. Somebody had to get into the house. Dad and Wesley blocked the entrance.
In the quiet before the storm everything seemed to move in slow motion. Then Isaac sprang into action and everything happened so fast. He knocked Snake-man back, releasing his hold on me. With swift movements, the man smacked Isaac in the face with his hand that held the gun. Isaac shot backward and fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Screams rang out. My pulse quickened. The man’s arm reeled back ready to punch him again.
“No!” I jumped in front of Isaac. Before Snake-man’s fist could connect with my face, Tanner shoved me out of the way. Mr. Steroids plunged in Tanner’s direction. Snake-man moved toward Isaac who was on the ground holding his chin. Conflicted, I looked from Isaac to Tanner, trying to figure out which one to help. Isaac moaned on the ground. The sound cut to my heart. I hurt as if I’d been hit myself. Knowing what I had to do, I threw my body over Isaac’s, shielding him from Snake-man. Tanner threw me a worried look before being tackled by Mr. Steroids.
“No.” Isaac tried to push me off of him, but I held him down. “Let me up, Kenz. He’ll hurt you.”
I locked eyes with him. “It’s okay. I just can’t let him hurt you again.”
My arm was yanked by slimy fingers and practically pulled from its socket.
“Time to go, princess.” Snake-man said. I looked up to see Tanner still in a scuffle with Mr. Steroids.
“Let go of her.” Isaac held my other arm, pulling me to him. I felt like I was the rope in a game of tug-of-war.
Mom ran in my direction. She hollered for Grandma to get inside and call the police. Haley went after the man fighting Tanner, holding a plate in her hand. Not the best weapon but it might do. Dad tackled Grandma before she could get inside.
Mom barreled into Snake-man, but he hardly even moved. He shoved her aside like she was nothing but a lightweight feather. His hand still gripped my arm hard. Isaac grabbed the tattooed man around the waist, attempting to tackle him. It caused him to release his grip on me.
“Run!” Isaac shouted to me just as Snake-man’s fist connected with his jaw. Isaac stumbled backward. I couldn’t leave him there to get beat up.
“Stop it!” Tears sprang to my eyes. I raced toward Snake-man, pummeling him with my arms
“Kenzie.” Isaac threw me a fierce look and then pushed me out of the way. As he did, Snake-man’s elbow came down on his back and he fell like a rag doll. My heart dropped. As I reached for Isaac, Snake-man’s hand clamped back down on my arm. My flesh burned where he latched onto me. I writhed in his grip, but he pinned my arms down with both of his hands. Weary, I stopped fighting. My throat burned. Holding onto me, he brought his leg back ready to kick Isaac, who lay unmoving on the ground. Panic gripped me. If he kicked him in the head with his large black boot he could do real damage. I couldn’t let that happen. “No. Please. Don’t touch him. I’ll do anything. Okay? I’ll come with you.”
I heard a crack behind me and prayed it was Haley’s plate connecting with Mr. Steroids head. Snake-man held the gun to my temple again. The metal was hard and cold against my flesh. Mom inhaled sharply.
“David!” Mom shrieked so loud everyone stopped moving. “Take me. I’ll go. Just leave Kenzie alone.”
Dad held Grandma around the neck. She squirmed in his grasp. I looked to see Mr. Steroids on the ground, a shattered plate beside him. Wow. Haley must have hit him really hard. Tanner’s face was swollen and bruised. My heart ached and tears pricked my eyes. This whole thing was so out of control. Isaac peeled himself off the ground with a groan. His eye was swollen and blood oozed from the cut.
That’s when I saw what the others didn’t. We weren’t alone. There were more like Wesley, but there were good ones, too. Men and women with light haloed around the heads. Kind eyes. Confident smiles.
Peace descended on me.
We could do this. We could fight and we could win. This was more than just a fight against my dad. No, this was something bigger. The something that I’d felt was coming for awhile.
Tonight I would break the hold that darkness had on my family.
Tonight it would end one way or another.
Chapter Twenty-One
Since my arms were pinned down I couldn’t reach my necklace, but I could feel the cross against my skin. It gave me comfort and I was grateful that I had decided to put it on. An angel beside me smiled and nodded, giving me strength.
“God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of love and of peace and of sound mind,” I shouted. It was a verse I had memorized a few weeks earlier and I was so glad I had.
Wesley hissed. I smelled burning. Courage surged through me. Even though the gun was still at my head and I knew this could end badly for me, I kicked Snake-man in the leg as hard as I could. At the same moment, I elbowed him in the gut the way I’d seen done in karate movies. I wasn’t sure if it would work but it did and he stumbled backward, letting go of me. It gave Isaac the opening he needed and he pummeled into him, knocking the gun from his hand. The minute it hit the ground, I snatched it up.
Dad looked unsure of himself now that his accomplices were unarmed. Grandma elbowed him in the gut and he released her. Wesley nudged him, whispering in his ear, and he came toward me.
“Okay, enough with this,” Dad said. “Let’s go.”
“No.” I shook my head and was about ready to hold the gun up, when arms squeezed around my waist. It was Snake-man. I could smell him. My fingers were moist and the gun slipped from them. Snake-man kicked it in Dad’s direction and he plucked it out of the grass. Mad at myself for messing up the only leverage we had, I kicked and flailed. Snake-man started dragging me again, while whispering in my ear. “You’re a feisty one. We’re gonna have some fun with you when we get out of here.”
My stomach churned. Bile rose in my throat. Isaac jumped at him, hitting him in the back. Dad went toward Isaac, but before he could reach him Tanner tackled my dad and sent him to the ground. I closed my eyes, being spun around like a rag doll, and tried to block out the sounds of scuffling and hitting.
Mr. Steroids stirred and I commanded Haley to stay on guard.
“The phone’s dead inside, too!” Grandma hollered from the kitchen. Then seeing what was happening she fled toward us.
Mom was screaming. I couldn’t see behind me. What was happening? And where were the neighbors? Surely they could hear something. Had Wesley quieted their ears? Was his power that great?
“Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posy.”
My head snapped up. The boy. He was in the yard sitting right in front of me with that sick look on his face. My body was flung on the ground. I landed with a thud and bit my tongue. Blood filled my mouth.
“Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”
Grunting. Hitting. Groaning. The sounds filled the air all around me. I felt like I had stepped into a nightmare that would never end.
“Stop!” A voice rang out.
My blood ran cold. The attackers listened. Even Wesley’s ears perked.
Drake.
My heart sank when Mom ran to him.
“It’s okay,” he purred. “I’ve got everything under control.”
“Mom, stay away from him! He’s evil!” I hollered as I stood up.
Isaac scurried to my side. He threaded his fingers through mine, holding me steady.
“Nonsense. I’m here to help. Look, everyone calm down.” He turned to Mom, giving her a reassuring smile. “If you and Kenzie come with me now I’ll keep you safe and protected. Everything will be okay.”
I could see the relief on Mom’s face. She thought he had come to rescue her.
“No!” I screamed. “Mom, he’s playing you.”
Mom looked from Drake to me, a perplexed look on her face.
“Listen to me, Mom. It’s time to choose.” My heart thumped loudly. Mom bit her lip.
Drake’s eyes darkened. “Josie?”
“Mom?”
She stepped away from him and I
let out a ragged breath.
Drake grabbed her. “Wrong choice!” As she squealed, Wesley, the little boy, and all the other dark people ran to Drake. They seemed to walk into his body, disappearing inside him. As they did, he grew larger. He expanded. A large tail ripped out of his back, ears protruded from his head. The skin of his mouth stretched until it resembled a snout. His sleek clothes fell away and scales covered his body. He was a giant dragon and he continued growing until he towered over us, as tall as a tree. I had seen transformations like this before but everyone else stood there with their mouths unhinged. Even Snake-man, Mr. Steroids and Dad trembled with fright.
I was just glad I wasn’t the only one who could see it. Mom dangled from the dragon’s claws, screaming.
I remembered the verse Isaac quoted to me on our walk the day I confessed to him about Wesley. I had read that verse so many times since then that it was tattooed on my brain. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Isaac still held my hand and he gave it a squeeze. He knew what I was saying. It was time to bring out our weapons. There was a reason God had given me eyes to see. He was revealing the darkness so I could bring the light.
At the top of our lungs, Isaac and I hollered. “Jesus!” Grandma and Tanner joined in. Angels encamped us. The light was so bright it almost blinded me. But Haley and Mom were still shrouded in darkness.
“Mom! Haley! You have to choose your side!” I yelled above all the noise.
Drake growled. Thunder rose in the sky. Wind picked up, swirling my hair around my face.
“Jesus!” I hollered again. His name bringing peace, His name bringing power.
The angels morphed together into one giant celestial being, taller and more majestic then the one holding Mom. Dad and his two accomplices covered their eyes from the brightness. They fell to their knees in terror. It was so weird how they were more terrified by the beauty of the angel than by the evil terror of Drake. Tilting its head down the angel breathed on Dad and his friends and they fell to the ground and lay unmoving, as if asleep. I sighed with relief.
