Nameless: The Darkness Comes

by Mercedes M. Yardley

  Something about his walking off made me sad, and being sad made me angry. Anger was easier to deal with, anyhow. Forget him and his mysterious presence. But even while I turned my back to him, I felt my shoulders tense up. A cognizant something I couldn’t see? That was new. And new in my world usually got me nothing but trouble.

  Chapter Three

  Seth slammed the milk down on the table. The Raisin Bran followed suit.

  “So tell me about the demons,” he said. He sounded frustrated.

  I smiled to myself and scattered some Cheerios on Lydia’s high chair tray. She chirped and dove for them with pudgy hands shaped like stars.

  “It’s such a lovely day, big brother. Why do you want to botch it up with talk of the dark side?”

  “The dark side?” He flopped down in his chair and rubbed his hand over his unshaven face. Not a bad looking guy, all in all, but he was looking particularly harsh this morning. Worn out. Maybe he had more dreams about the Elusive Miss Sparkles. Like I said, I think the nightmares were hereditary.

  I sat down next to him, stole the milk for my own cereal. “Seriously, Seth. You haven’t believed me in years. Why the sudden interest now?”

  He leaned back in his chair, covered his eyes with his hands. “Gar! Just tell me already. I might never ask again.”

  I sighed and pushed my bowl away. I was never into Raisin Bran anyway. Too soggy. And it tried too hard to be good for you. Pretentious.

  “Well. What do you want to know?” I crossed my hands neatly on the table and tried to look helpful. Secretarial, even.

  “Is there one in the house?”

  My friendly smile stuck to my teeth. “Right now?” I asked.

  Seth looked at me. “Yeah, right now. Is there a demon hanging around here now?”

  I shook my head. “Inside, no. They can’t come in. Not usually, anyway. But outside...that’s different.” I pointed to the demon that had its featureless faced pressed to the kitchen window. “There’s one there.”

  Seth looked. The demon looked. I studied my fingernails, which were a bit ragged.

  “I don’t see anything,” Seth complained.

  “Don’t worry. Neither does the demon. I made sure of it.”

  “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  I scattered more Cheerios for Lydia. “Well, it’s hard for demons to come into your home, right? They can’t just waltz in. They have to be…”

  “Invited?” Seth interrupted. “Like vampires?”

  “Don’t be stupid,” I said. “Vampires aren’t real.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut, and I knew he was mentally counting to ten. That happened a lot. “Keep talking, Luna. I’m trying to be serious and supportive for once.”

  He was, and it was killing him. “Thanks, Seth. I appreciate it. Really. So, anyway, I guess they have to be invited, in a way. Demons can’t just wander into random homes so much. I mean, they can, but it’s really rare. And if they do, they tend to be the really dumb ones who don’t know any better.”

  “Dumb demons?”

  “I know, right?” I said, and Seth grinned. “Demons are like everybody else, at least from my experience. You have your smart ones and your dumb ones, and ones that are worse than the others. You know. Just like us. So it’s bad news to wander into somebody’s house if you have no reason to be there. They tend to get in trouble.”

  Seth washed Lydia’s hands with a washcloth. She squirmed when he reached her round face. “Get in trouble by who? Is there some kind of demon police? What do they call them, the Demon Patrol?”

  I almost laughed. “I’m not really sure. They get in trouble by somebody, because I’ve seen it. They look all panicked and explain themselves to somebody, but I have no idea who. I don’t see or feel anything. It’s like they’re talking to somebody who isn’t there.”

  Seth raised an eyebrow at me. “That’s what you look like a lot of the time, for your information.”

  I blushed. I knew this. I worked really hard on not having conversations unless I was alone, but I slipped up. A lot.

  Seth noticed my face and tried to smooth things over. “No, you’re okay, Luna. It’s really not a big deal. I just tell people you’re practicing lines for a play, or something. It’s nothing to worry about.”

  Well, great. My dorky brother has to cover for me. Now that’s just embarrassing.

  Now Seth looked embarrassed, too. “Okay. So usually demons can’t come inside. And they can’t look inside, either, right?”

  I nodded. Then I thought, and shook my head. Then I kind of bobbed my head in a half nod, half shake.

  “Explain,” he commanded.

  I took a deep breath and looked up, thinking. I didn’t know the best way to approach this.

  “Well, usually they can see inside, and it isn’t so much of a big deal. But…” I paused. Seth glared at me.

  “Spit it out.”

  I did. It just seemed easier. “Okay, so there was a demon in the house and I saw it and it was a mean one and I didn’t want it to come back so after it was gone I did a sort of special thing and now none of them can see in the house anymore.” I spit it out in one breath, then looked at him warily.

  He was staring at me like I’d gone completely off my rocker. Which it sounded like I had, I’m sure, but I couldn’t stop talking. I babble when I’m nervous sometimes. It really sucks.

  “And maybe I shouldn’t have made it so they can’t see in because they’re really curious, and now they’re here all of the time, but since she left—”

  “She?”

  “—it just seemed like the safest thing to do to keep her out. Forever, you know. Because she was bad news.”

  I snapped my mouth shut. Seth’s eyes were completely goggled. Lydia looked at him and laughed.

  “Is Daddy doing a silly face?” I asked her. She laughed again.

  Seth blinked. “So not only do you see demons, but we had a Princess Demon in our house. A particular nasty one and you performed some sort of a magic spell so they can’t be Peeping Toms? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  I frowned. “Now that sounds absolutely ridiculous.” I reached out for Lydia, but he swept her out of her high chair and away from me.

  “It does. Utterly ridiculous. I’m sorry I asked.” He walked carefully up the stairs, adamantly refusing to stomp.

  Right then I was pretty sorry he had asked, as well.

  I was still stewing when the phone rang. “Talk to me,” I said, picking it up.

  There was a silence, and then a haughty voice. “Who is this?” I recognized it immediately.

  “Ah, Sparkles. My sweet Princess Demon. We were just talking about you.”

  Silence again, and then she spat out, “Luna. What are you doing at my house?”

  Oh, this was going to be good.

  “Your house? I’m sorry. I thought when you moved out and abandoned your husband and child you forfeited your claim to this house.”

  Sparkles laughed. It was hard and cold. It made me want to shut my eyes and turn my face away. It felt like her laugh could shred bits of skin off my face. I had to admit it, the woman scared me. And that was even before she picked up her little demonic friend.

  “Ah, sweet girl,” she cooed. There was nothing comforting about it. I curled my toes to keep the chills away. “I am afraid you misunderstood. I never abandoned anyone. I just needed some time to think, and…clear my head. Surely you can see that.”

  My face felt like rock. “I’m not the one you need to be explaining your actions to, am I?” Immediately I wished I hadn’t said that.

  “You’re right,” Sparkles fairly purred. “Is Seth around? I would so love to chat with him.”

  “He’s not here.”

  Her voice cooled even more, if that was possible. “Are you lying to me, girl?”

  “Maybe. Why don’t you stand out on the front porch and take a peek inside? Tell me whether I’m lying or not.”

  Sparkles hissed,
and I nearly slammed the phone down in fear.

  “So it was you,” she said, and her voice had teeth. I couldn’t breathe. I sat down and put my head between my legs, still holding the phone up to my ear. This is crazy, I thought. She doesn’t have any power over me.

  I took a deep breath and made myself smile. I wanted her to think I was as calm as possible.

  “Well, that’s that,” I said. “Thanks for calling.” I pushed the button on the phone and touched my fingers to my forehead. I was sweating.

  “Who was that?” Seth asked, walking into the room. He was dressed for work, and pressed a happy Lydia into my hands.

  “Nobody. Telemarketer,” I said quickly. Lydia looked at me and her lips turned down.

  “Really? You look awfully upset for somebody who just got off the phone with a telemarketer.” Seth put his hand on his hip, studied me up and down. I rubbed my forehead again, and forced a smile.

  “You know how it is with them these days. Nothing but scare tactics.”

  “Right-o,” he said, and turned to go. He paused.

  “I won’t, uh, hit anything with the door when I open it, will I?” he asked me. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  “Nah, they can’t touch our stuff. Not unless they have a pretty firm foothold on somebody, or if I help them materialize. You’re good.”

  “Okay. Bye, then,” he said, and threw the door open with extra exuberance. It passed right through the demon, who grabbed half-heartedly for the knob. It shut itself with a click, and the demon stood on its toes to peer in through the window set into the top of the door.

  Chapter Four

  The encounter with Sparkles rocked me more than I cared to admit. How could somebody so vile have a child as sweet as Lydia? She’s definitely cute, I can tell you that much. And smart. And astute. I can tell she has my genes in there somewhere.

  And, like me, after a few minutes swabbing at the counters with a washcloth and the like, she was bored.

  “Right, let’s go shopping,” I told her, and then I sprayed her down with sunscreen. Hey, even out here in the Northwest, you can’t be too careful. Demons and sunburn and cancer, oh my. Not my little girl.

  I ran a dark red lip stain around my mouth, pulled tall boots up over my jeans and threw on my sunglasses. Suddenly I was a femme fatale, a woman of mystique. And all under ten minutes.

  Lydia had pulled out her pigtails, so we did them over again, and that took nearly another ten minutes right there. She has a knack for yanking beautiful doodads out of her hair. For this, I blame her father.

  “Ready, Princess Pretty Fingers?” I asked her. She pursed her lips and twisted her chubby wrist in a wave.

  “Mama,” she said.

  “No, Luna. Luna.”

  “Mama.”

  “Have it your way, kid,” I said. I buckled her into her car seat and lugged her out to the car. It was heavy, and I had to use both hands.

  I like taking Lydia to the grocery store, quite honestly. I like showing her off. People always peer and coo at her, and Lydia takes it as her due. And I like it because she can usually put a smile on the face of the most dour crone and codger. Lydia has charm.

  It’s me that gets us into trouble.

  “What a beautiful baby,” the woman next to us exclaimed. Lydia flirted from her seat in the wonky-wheeled cart.

  “Thanks, she’s my brother’s,” I said, and the woman narrowed her eyes and scurried away from me, still glancing back over her shoulder from time to time.

  Anyway, I was standing there comparing prices on ground beef, when I felt a presence. I turned around, and again, there was nobody there.

  I firmly ignored it. If it wasn’t going to be polite enough to show itself, then I wasn’t going to give it the time of day.

  “What do you think, Lydia? It’s never too early to learn about economics and the state of the nation’s food supply.”

  Lydia apparently didn’t care about the state of our food supply, because she was smiling and peeking out from under her lashes. At who, you ask? Well, me too, because I couldn’t see the darn thing.

  “Lydia, ignore it, darling.”

  Lydia ignored somebody, all right, but it wasn’t the mysterious presence. It was Luna Mama.

  “Lydia, I’m being serious. Talk to me about hamburger, okay? Don’t pay any attention to that thing.”

  Lydia waved at the empty space. “Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi,” she said.

  I tossed the hamburger back into the case and whirled around to address the presence.

  “I know you can hear me,” I hissed. I was absolutely furious. “I want you to know it is completely unacceptable to hang around a baby girl, do you understand me? I simply won’t have it, you freaking perv. Back off!”

  “Did that beef do something to offend you?”

  I spun around, and faced the green-eyed, bland haired man from the clinic earlier. He was trying valiantly not to smile, and if I hadn’t been half blind with protective rage, I would have given him props for it.

  “You,” I accused. “It hangs around you. Anyway, it started it.” I grabbed the cart to push it away.

  Lydia pointed at the presence. “Pretty,” she said. “Pretty.” Then she started to cry.

  I looked at the presence, but of course there wasn’t anything there. Bland-haired Reed Taylor was eyeing Lydia quietly, but that wasn’t causing her tears.

  “What about her?” I heard him ask, but he wasn’t talking to me and my attention was elsewhere.

  “Oh good heavens,” I said under my breath. Reed Taylor tore his gaze away from Lydia, and looked at me curiously. I didn’t have time for him.

  “Duck,” I said, and the strain in my voice startled even me.

  Reed Taylor hesitated only a second, and then hit the supermarket floor like a pro. I’ll have to give him props for that later, too.

  Behind him, darkness was gathering. Right there in the refrigerator section, the very jaws of Hell were opening up. This wouldn’t be good.

  It had happened before, so I knew what to expect. Nastiness. Complete and utter nastiness. The first time it had happened, the darkness had been so consuming that I was overwhelmed. Out of that darkness had climbed an even blacker shadow who hated me. Hated me. I had never been on the receiving end of so much hate.

  The idea of it happening now, right in the middle of the Turk’s Goodie Grocery, was enough to make me puke. The idea of it happening in the presence of my sweet and pure Lydia was enough to make me tamp down the sickness and stand up and fight.

  “What’s going on?” Reed Taylor asked from the floor. I didn’t have time to answer him.

  The darkness had gathered fully, and I couldn’t see the rest of the grocery store anymore. A cold wind blew past me, and I felt my hair ruffle.

  “Holy crap,” I heard from the floor, but I ignored him again.

  A featureless form was zipping out of the darkness. It came at me in short diagonal bursts. I felt my breath become too heavy for my chest, felt the strength pulled from my body as the shadow tried to feed on my essence in order to take shape. I felt pieces of myself unspool from my soul like intestines. This was trouble. A demon is one thing, but a demon that’s fully formed and can manipulate things in the real world? It’s the proverbial double-edged sword. On one hand, if it has enough substance, I can usually beat the crap out of it. On the other, well, it can do the same thing to me, and anybody else that’s around. I couldn’t chance it with baby girl. I pictured my essence as a rope and tried to mentally pull it back into my body, a tug-o-war between myself and the demon. I wasn’t winning easily.

  The thing slowed down a little bit, but still continued toward us. My teeth began to chatter.

  “Get back. Get back. Get back, get back!” I shouted and continued my invisible tug-o-war. The wind grew colder and blew harder, and my hair and clothes whipped around me like I was standing in a hurricane. The shadow wasn’t slowing down any more, not at all.

  It’s stronger than I
am, I thought, and despair overcame me.

  There was a sound from the floor, some type of order, and suddenly the unseen presence rushed out from behind me and tackled the thing coming out of the darkness. The shadow seemed enraged and panicked, and I saw it grappling against air. Its struggle pulled me out of my trance.

  I growled, willing my body to absorb all of the power the demon had leeched from it. I felt it weaken.

  “Get back,” I commanded, my voice strong and low. The thing turned its head in my direction, and the invisible presence used this distraction to literally stuff it back into the darkness. It howled angrily, and the darkness wafted in all around it, and was suddenly gone.

  “My hero,” I said to the presence, and then I blacked out cold.

  Chapter Five

  Somebody was saying something indecipherable, and it was much too loud. I groaned and tried to put a hand to my head, but the effort made my stomach heave.

  “Cleanup in frozen foods,” the muffled voice shouted again. It sounded slightly hysterical.

  “Cleanup. That would be you,” said a different voice. A calmer voice.

  I managed to force open one eye. It was teary from the effort.

  “Bartholomew? Are you back with me?” Bland-haired Reed Taylor was kneeling over me, peering at me with his fantastic eyes.

  I groaned, and shut my eyes again. Suddenly I shot up into a sitting position. It made my head spin. “Lydia!”

  Reed Taylor put his arms around me. “Calm down. She’s okay, just sitting right there in the cart. Can you see her?”

  Lydia peered down from her seat and smiled at me. “Mama,” she exclaimed.

  Reed Taylor’s arms loosened around me. He stood up and started to pull me off the floor.

  “She’s my niece,” I said a bit too quickly.

  “What’s going on around here?” A red-faced, beefy man came waddling furiously up the aisle. He eyed Reed Taylor heaving me off of the floor. It was obvious this paranoid Chef Boyardee suspected shenanigans. Golly.

  “Bartholomew here has a little sugar problem. If she doesn’t eat, her blood sugar goes all wacky and she passes out. Isn’t that true, dear?”