by Michael Dean
“I hate you.” Scruffy turned around and walked away from me.
“Hey, I need help figuring out how to get this board off so I can walk…wait up.” I called to him.
“Figure it out yourself there, Mr. All-Star.” He slung his arm up over his head in dismissal of me.
Once I got the board off, I ran to catch up to him.
“You should be grateful to have a brother like me. You can bask in the glow of my stardom.” I teased him some more.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got something for you.”
“What’s that?” I grinned.
“Double black diamond. The most dangerous run at Wolf’s Pass. I’ve never seen anyone go down it. I know you can do it. At least I don’t have to worry about you getting hurt or anything. You up for it?”
“Show me the way, baby.”
CHAPTER 11
DIAMOND
Scruffy got me to the lift that took me up to the most dangerous slope in the resort. If one didn’t get the clue that it was dangerous by just the looks of it from the bottom up, the fact that I was the only one going to the top of that slope on the lift was the sure tip off.
“Okay man, there’s no way I’m going up with you on that bad-boy. I’ll wait for you down at the bottom here. Do your thing. I can hardly wait to see this.” He pointed up to the top of the slope as he spoke.
“Will do. I’ll see you in a little while.” I hopped up on the lift.
As the lift took me higher and higher, I began to see the dangers involved with going down this sucker. There was a first aid station at the base for starters. The hill was extremely steep and huge rocks were poking out from it here and there. There were also a lot more trees in very inconvenient spots all over the place that would require some pretty solid navigation. I could see why only the most seasoned veterans of skiing could take this hill. Even then, it was risky.
When I got to the top and walked to the edge of the slope to go down, I got the grasp on just how steep it was. It was almost a straight down run. If I was human, there would be no way I could handle this thing. Luckily, I’m not, but it still didn’t change the fact that I felt a bit nervous. I put on my snowboard and got ready to hit the hill.
I stood there for a moment, staring at where Scruffy was standing, he looked like a dot. A handful of other skiers had gathered around him, I assumed curious to see who this maniac was that was about to do this idiotic act. I hopped off the ledge and away I went.
This was much different than the other slope Scruffy and I went down for sure. The speed picked up almost instantly and I was swishing from side to side down it trying to regulate my speed. In no time I found myself ripping around a few trees. Then by accident, because I didn’t see it coming, I shot off the top of one of the snow covered rocks. When I hit the ground I turned end over end for a second. Again, if I was a human, this would have spelled the end of this run for me. I would have surely tumbled all the way down the rest of the mountain, but I didn’t. I recovered nicely and got back to standing position. Just in time to hit another rock and launch off it.
This time I had full control and did a back-flip landing precisely on my feet and into a nice slash move. I purposely positioned myself to go in between some more trees and curved around a few of them at break-neck speed. When I reemerged into a straightaway clearing, I lowered down and leaned forward for more speed. I could see another, much larger rock, closing in on me fast. I braced myself and hit it perfectly. When I went airborne, I back-flipped three perfect times and landed without a hitch.
I was near the bottom now and there weren’t any more obstacles in my way. I leaned forward again to gain speed and aimed myself right at the awaiting Scruffy. I saw him, and the people around him, get nervous as they moved out of my way just slightly. When Scruff moved, I went towards him and before I got to him he stumbled backwards and fell on his butt. Like I did before, I turned right in front of him and fish-tailed a plume of snow that almost completely covered him. Yet again, he spit out snow and wiped it off of his face as he sat there buried in it.
The small crowd roared and clapped in approval at my accomplishment, even walking up to pat me on my back in congratulations. Scruffy just stared up at me with a sheepish grin the entire time. When the people left us, he got himself back to his feet and glared at me.
“Did I mention that I hate you?” He sneered playfully.
“You did…but I didn’t think you were sincere.” I teased back.
Again, he turned his back on me and started to walk away.
“What about my board?” I called to him.
“Shut-up!”
Like before, I had to wrestle my board off and jog to him in order to catch up.
“Hey…look on the bright side, maybe one day you can be a demon too.”
Scruffy paused for a moment and fired his head in my direction, looking at me like I was crazy. I could only laugh as he started walking towards the lift again.
“You know what’s a trip?” He asked.
“What?”
“The fact the no one ever notices that you’re the only one who doesn’t have breath steamrolling out of your mouth like everyone else does. It as if they don’t see it, or just don’t say anything about the fact that you don’t exhale.” He chuckled.
“That’s why Drift Demons have a field day convincing humans to do things against their better judgment…all the time. For some reason, the human mind, most of them anyway, seem to never pay attention to what is hidden in plain sight. When unbelievable facts present themselves right to your faces, most of the time it gets dismissed. You people only see what you want to see. For whatever reason, you find it more rational to dismiss things you don’t understand. It leaves you naïve to what is constantly lurking around you. That is how the spiritual world thrives and remains in your presence constantly.”
“Yeah, but, someone has to see something like you not exhaling in the freezing cold, especially when everybody else has a constant fog ripping out of their mouths.”
“Again, I’m sure someone notices, but they never question. Immediately they assume I’m human and must be breathing or it just isn’t showing somehow. I mean, even if they asked me I would lie about it to keep my cover of course. Sadly, most of you humans will accept that and move on and more than likely…forget. That is why something like me can thrive among you. What can I say?” I swatted his chest.
“You’re right. Sometimes seeing isn’t believing,” he added as the two of us plopped back on the lift.
“I do have an idea for you though.” He smiled.
“Ah-oh, what kind of an idea?” I glanced at him in suspicion. Anytime Scruffy has an idea, it seems to always be some sort of half-witted, not well thought out, venture. Once again, I was correct in my assumption.
“Hear me out. After seeing you on that ski-run, why don’t you use your talents to do something like that? Take up pro sports? It may be a little dishonest, granted, but it is a dog-eat-dog world out here. Don’t be the one wearing the milk bone underwear. You could kill it at sports like football, basketball,” he turned his head towards the double black diamond as if I was stupid for not thinking of this for myself, “…skiing. You could be a millionaire in no time man. Hell, you could play ping-pong and probably make millions.” He chuckled at me like I was an idiot.
I could only grin with surety at him.
“Scruff, you act like I’ve never thought of something like that before.”
“Well, okay, if you have, why haven’t you acted on it?”
“Besides the fact that it isn’t fair in anyway…a demon matching up against humans…physically.”
“Yeah?” Scruffy urged me on.
“You’re not thinking about the outside responsibilities of something like me doing something like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, not to mention that if I hit someone with full strength playing something like…football. I’d probably kill them. Then you’d have a field fu
ll of dead humans all over the place. I think that would create suspicion, bro.” I chuckled.
“Okay, so…you hold back so that doesn’t happen. Just enough to get an edge.”
I chuckled again.
“Remember what I just said about humans always overlooking what’s right in front of them?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, again, you’re overlooking the little things that humans must do in order to get into sports.”
“What?” He looked confused.
“I would have to take a physical, get blood work, stress tests for the body, and so on.”
“So?”
“So?” I exclaimed. “What do you think a doctor would do the first time he put a stethoscope up to my chest to hear a heartbeat and got nothing?”
I saw Scruffy’s face begin to shape in understanding of my logic.
“Or how about that fact that I don’t breathe. What about when a doctor went to prick a finger or shove a needle in me, besides the fact that I don’t bleed, the needles would break or bend every single time a doctor tried to stick me with one. I think all of those things would be a dead giveaway that I wasn’t like everyone else he or she had seen before. Ya know?”
“I didn’t think about that.” He came to terms with my facts.
“You humans never do. But that’s all right, now you know why you don’t see crazy athletes with mythical like abilities in human sports. Not only is it forbidden for us to do that through spiritual law, but because it would draw too much attention. We must remain in secret.” I winked at him.
“I see what you’re saying. Bummer, I was hoping I could have been your agent.” He huffed in laughter.
“I bet you were.” I laughed with him.
For the remainder of the day, we continued to hit the slopes and have fun. I turned it down a notch so that the two of us could snowboard together. When it was time to pack it in for the first day, we went back to our cabin for a couple of brews.
There was a serious conversation that I wanted to have with my brother about my soon-to-be arriving daughter. When we finally settled in on the couch next to the woodstove for some relaxation for the evening, I figured it was time to bring it up.
“I was thinking about the conversation we had before I went out to seek…War, also known as, Darryl.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I am appreciative and very honored by the fact that you will be watching over those that I love so much if something was to happen to me. I can’t thank you enough…again, bro.”
“I told you man, no worries. I love Shade like a sister and I have no doubts that I will love my little niece just as much. It’s what brothers do. Not a problem.”
“I know. That is why there is one more piece to this puzzle that you can only fit into place. Something more that I must ask of you.”
Scruffy stared at me with concern. “What’s up man? Everything…okay?”
“Everything is fine.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Oh, there isn’t a problem. Mark, I want you to be the Godfather to my child. I know there is no one else, other than Shade and I that would protect her with every part of their lives.”
Scruffy smiled at me with assurance and reached over and grabbed my knee.
“My brother, it is you now that honors me with a noble duty such as that. I will gladly accept that responsibility and I promise to watch over her with everything I have in me. Thank you for that.”
“Thank you.” I playfully slugged him on the shoulder.
“You know, Leo, I’ve been thinking about something.”
“And that is?”
“What Argento said about you not being able to kill Christian with the Demon Dagger.”
“What are your thoughts?”
“Well, he said the only way that he could be defeated is through love…right?”
“Yeah?”
“What if the angels meant that it has to be something else that has to kill Christian, maybe some kind of blessed item, you know, blessed in love, by someone who loves you or something. Maybe a human has to kill him…I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about how I could help you in this matter. I don’t want to see Christian kill you man. That just can’t happen.” He sat up and stared at the floor between his knees as he double clutched his beer.
“I appreciate that and maybe you’re right in some way. I’m open to all ideas because I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure that little riddle out myself.”
“I just wish they would come out and tell you instead of teasing you with it.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve brought that up to them myself, but I know it’s something that I must figure out for myself…something that I do on my own. I get that now.”
“That may be the case, I just wish there was more I could do for you. I’m not afraid of that jerk.” He looked to me with some anger on his face.
I knew what he meant by that.
“Scruff, we’ve tackled this subject before. Christian isn’t your wooden fighting dummy. You, a human, cannot hurt him or do anything to stop him. If you want to help me, truly help me in my quest, stay as far away from him, or any evil being, as you can get. If you encounter him or anything else, run for your life. That is best thing you can do to help me. Like I once told Shade, I can’t fight him if I have to worry about protecting those I love at the same time. That would seal my fate without a doubt. I need to be of clear mind when the time comes to confront Christian. It must be that way. Understand?” I stared at him as sternly as I could.
Scruffy just turned his head back to the floor and nodded in acceptance. “I understand…it just sucks…that’s all.”
“I know it does, man. You must realize that since Christian can kill me, but a human like yourself can’t even make me flinch, what can you really do to stop Christian physically? Nothing man, nothing. Just hang back and protect yourself and the ones dear to you. That’s the best thing you can do in this situation.”
“All right…I see your point. I feel like a weakling just sitting in the stands watching the game while my best friend and brother goes at it all on his own, but if that is what you need from me, that’s what I’ll do. I promise.”
“I appreciate it. Now, enough of this Christian talk, he dominates enough of my life as it is. Let’s enjoy the rest of this weekend.” I moved us out of the topic.
“I agree…sounds good.”
For the remainder of the weekend we didn’t talk about our troubles. In fact, we talked mainly about his and Sandra’s upcoming wedding. Scruffy asked me to be his best man and I of course accepted. I decided that my confrontation with Christian would have to wait until after the birth of my child as well as after Scruffy’s wedding. I would be there for those two events no matter what. I figured, Christian twisted the rules in his advantage long enough, it was time I did the same. No sense in going right out after him. Besides, I didn’t want to die before these two major events anyway.
CHAPTER 12
TALENTS
After the kick-butt weekend out with Scruffy, I returned home and went into a busy workweek with Sheriff Taylor. Even though I wasn’t able to attend school to become a police officer yet, Sheriff Taylor was constantly training me on his down time to get me more accustomed to human nature and how to handle the human incidents that I will be called out to do if I become a cop.
One particular day the precinct got a call about a person hiding out in Mountainside who was a possible suspect in an armed robbery and attempted murder that happened somewhere else in the state. Sheriff Taylor had to take everyone in our small police force to go and get this guy, insisting that I stay behind alone at the station to answer phones if need be.
“I could go with you Sheriff. You know I could have this guy wrapped up for you with a bow in a heartbeat…no trouble for me.” I urged him to let me tag along.
“Trust me, Leo, when I say I’d love for you to accompany us for that very reason, but our laws
here, human laws, state that we must protect citizens, not put them in harm’s way. Until you become a cop, whether I like it or not, I must follow the law. Besides, doing something like that, me making a decision to let you go with us and handle this, could blow your cover or even cost me my job since you’re not a police officer.”
“You know I am not in harm's way, but I also understand the legalities involved.”
“I know you’d handle it fine…and safe…that’s what drives me nuts about not being able to bring you. Besides, this isn’t like Middleton where you could sneak around unnoticed, this is a singular event. We are trained to handle a suspect like this one. We’ll be fine.”
“All right, but let me tell you. I can sense that this guy is a little dark that you’re going after…be careful.” I warned.
“Thanks, Leo, we will.”
It was awhile before they landed the suspect they were hunting in town, but as I listened through dispatch and walkie-talkies, I heard that my suspicions about the suspect were true. He was hard to take down and was violently trying to fight the officers when they took him. Like always, the closer a dark soul got to me, the more I could sense their presence. When they got back to the station and pulled the suspect out of the SUV, I felt just how angry and nasty this man was. Not only did I feel it radiating off him, I could plainly see that he was a jerk by the way he was acting.
His arms were behind his back, and he was thrashing around while being escorted by Sheriff Taylor, calling him every profanity in the book. When they got inside the station, the man was as loud and disrespectful as he could be. I have to admit, if I was seeking out a soul as a full-on Drift Demon still, this guy would have been a prime candidate for me. I could have easily swayed his soul for the dark side so to speak.
As the officers shoved him through the office, the man just screamed and yelled the entire way. They finally got him into one of the holding cells in the back of the building and for the first hour or so he was there he continued to scream obscenities.
