Rapture r-1

by Phillip W. Simpson

  “Look out!” screamed Sam.

  Josh swerved violently, veering off the path, missing two trees by a hair’s breadth. As Josh fought the wheel with the jeep hurtling amongst the trees, Sam noticed other things in the forest with them. Lemure. Tens, if not hundreds of them, scurrying out of the path of the hateful light. A group of them were too slow and Josh rammed into them, sending demon bodies flying over the bonnet. Some disappeared immediately, raining ash down on the two boys. The others landed behind the jeep. Sam risked a glance behind him and was horrified to see them lurching back onto their feet and chasing the jeep again.

  Yet more Lemure reached for him as they raced past. He struck out with his wakizashi, feeling the satisfying sensation of his blade cutting deep. He severed several clutching hands, leaving them twitching on the forest floor behind the racing jeep.

  Josh swerved again and suddenly they were back on the path.

  “Nicely done,” he yelled.

  Josh nodded, but didn’t risk glancing in Sam’s direction. He’d learnt his lesson.

  They charged along the path. Sam could sense the Lemure struggling to keep pace beside the vehicle. When he stared back down the path, he could see the horned demon lumbering after them. With its thick, powerful legs, it wasn’t built for speed. Soon, they had left it far behind.

  Sam was impressed. So far the plan had gone off almost without a hitch. He started to relax, thinking they were in the clear when, without warning, the jeep shuddered under an immense blow. The whole front of the vehicle lunged upwards and began to slow as only the rear wheels got any traction with the ground.

  Gulping, Sam grabbed his katana and turned, knowing all too well what he would find perched on the back on the jeep. He wasn’t disappointed. It was an Astaroth. Somehow, the massive demon had avoided the branches overhead and managed to land itself directly on the back of their jeep. Its huge weight was what was forcing the front up like the prow of a ship on a stormy sea.

  The jeep was only crawling along now, struggling to move with such a load on the back. That was fortunate for Sam. It meant that he was able to keep his balance while he stood and confronted the creature with both blades.

  The Astaroth was forced to duck continuously as low branches threatened to sweep it off the back of the jeep. Slightly off balance, it could only swing with two of its four blades at once. Somehow, he managed to block both thrusting swords. The impact left his arms numb and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. He’d defeated an Astaroth before, but using the same trick in these circumstances was completely out of the question.

  “If you’re going to do something, now would be good,” he yelled at Joshua. The other boy didn’t have to be told twice. He knew something was on the back of the jeep and from the sound of Sam’s voice, knew that it wasn’t good.

  Joshua swerved again. The manoeuvre done at speed would have effectively thrown the Astaroth (and probably Sam) off the jeep. Unfortunately, the crawling pace of the jeep caused only a minor inconvenience for the great demon. It shuffled its weight but stayed firmly rooted.

  “Do something else,” yelled Sam again, desperately blocking another attack.

  “I’m trying,” Joshua yelled back.

  Joshua picked a spot between the trees. Sam knew it would be close but right now, they had no other options. The jeep scraped the sides of both trees as they squeezed through. The Astaroth wasn’t so lucky. For some reason, it had not furled its wings. As a result, they were jutting out like sails on a ship. Both wings clipped the trees and yanked it back. It fell off the jeep with a mighty thud.

  With its huge weight no longer an issue, the front wheels of the jeep finally touched the ground again. The jeep surged forward, throwing Sam off balance. His katana flew out of his hand, over the side and into the undergrowth.

  “Stop!” yelled Sam.

  “No chance,” Joshua replied grimly.

  “You have to,” Sam yelled again. “Without both swords, we’re history.”

  Joshua sighed deeply and turned the wheel. The jeep roared through the trees and back onto the path. Again. The Astaroth was standing in the middle of the path facing in their direction, its gleaming red eyes fixed on them. Josh swerved to the left, taking them off the path. Once he was past the Astaroth, Joshua jerked the wheel to the right. The Astaroth was just turning as they hurtled past it and back towards the trees where they’d just been. Sam felt the swish of the demon’s blades narrowly miss his head as they swept past.

  Joshua gunned the jeep through the narrow opening in the trees again. As he did, Sam reached down over the low side of the vehicle, praying that he remembered the exact spot correctly. A second later, he sat upright, grinning triumphantly, his katana once again in his hand.

  “Happy now?” said Josh sarcastically.

  “Sure am,” said Sam. He was too — more elated and happier than he’d been in years. They’d just pulled off the impossible and it felt great.

  Josh got them back on the path and picked up speed. The frustrated screams of the demons followed them down the path as the Astaroth and other demons fell behind, unable to keep up with the rapidly accelerating jeep. Without warning, the sound of the tyres changed. They’d reached the main road.

  With a squeal of tyres, Josh brought the car around, grinning wildly. He gunned the engine. The jeep gathered speed, rapidly taking them westwards, towards Bryce Valley and whatever awaited them there.

  8

  JACOB’S LADDER

  ONE YEAR BEFORE THE RAPTURE

  “…that proves how marvellous God’s love is, even for the most miserable human beings, being that demons can never take a human figure in a perfect form, and so the most stupid people are able to discover them”.

  Nicholas Remy, Daemonolatreiae libri tres, 1595.

  “Try to lie down.”

  Sam squirmed about on the floor, trying to get comfortable. Inside the pentagram, there wasn’t much room. Aimi had done her best, providing a small bed roll and a pillow, but it certainly wasn’t long enough for him to stretch out.

  He ended up in a foetal position which was only a moderately pleasing posture for someone of his height and build. He didn’t want to think what would happen if he wanted to change positions during his sleep.

  Hikari eyed the circle critically and consulted the

  heavy tome in his arms. He traced something in the book with his finger and then nodded.

  “Well,” he said, closing the book and placing it on the floor. “It looks right. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Sam prayed vehemently that it would work. Over the last several months, his dreams had become much, much worse, making sleep almost impossible. Meditation helped, but sometimes he was so tired that his eyes would just close by themselves. And then the dreams would come. Dreams of black figures wreathed in fire, talking to him, cajoling and suggesting. It was becoming too much.

  Hikari has spent the last few years researching extensively for a solution to the problem. What he’d found was a precious leather bound copy of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a seventeenth century text that contained detailed information on rituals for summoning, controlling and banishing the various demons of hell.

  Together, Sam and Hikari had gone through it, page by page, trying various solutions. Sam had enjoyed the time they spent together, especially being able to work through a book that he was able to touch. The Lesser Key of Solomon was neither holy nor blessed. It didn’t burn him like the Bible.

  Today was just another variation of the other rituals. Sam didn’t hold out much hope but he was desperate enough to try anything.

  “I’m not sure I understand,” said Aimi, her pretty face creased with a frown. She was almost fifteen now and had matured into a stunningly beautiful teenager. Most days, Sam found it hard to concentrate if she was around. “The pentagram is meant to contain a demon; how is it meant to stop the dreams from getting to him?”

  “If Solomon is to be believed, then the symbol sh
ould stop anything from Hell getting in or out. In theory, that should include dreams.” Hikari shrugged. “In theory.”

  Sam could see that his master, like him, still had doubts. Of course, this had never been tried before. Over the centuries, there had been accounts of how magicians and demon worshippers had summoned high-ranking demons into these pentagrams, but there was nothing about protecting a demon from projected thoughts. The need, Sam guessed, had never arisen — until now …

  During their investigation, Hikari and Sam had unearthed many fascinating insights about demons. Hikari was an expert on the subject and yet his master was still surprised by what they had found in Solomon’s text. According to this and other books on demonology, a circle of holy water sprinkled around someone’s body would protect them from Demons. They’d tried this with disastrous results, as the close proximity of the holy water made Sam’s body break out in hives. The idea was quickly abandoned.

  They’d also tried variations of pentagrams used to summon demons. Most of these involved using candles and braziers filled with burning sulphur, blood and various other substances. All it had succeeded in doing was making Sam feel nauseous, and the smell in the confined space of the small storage room made sleep all but impossible.

  Hikari picked up his chalk again. With it he traced a circle linking the five points of the pentagram, converting the symbol into a pentacle. Amongst Christians, the symbol had once been a source of good. The five points represented the five wounds of Christ and also the five senses. By changing it into a pentacle, Hikari had unified its powers for good, protection and wholeness.

  Hikari grunted and straightened up. “Let’s hope we’ve got it the right way round this time.”

  It wasn’t the first time they’d tried this. Through trial and error, they’d discovered that it was something to do with the orientation of the pentacle. Two points projecting upwards were the sign of evil while the topmost pointing towards Heaven meant the opposite. The only problem was, they didn’t know which direction Heaven was.

  They’d changed the orientation over the course of four nights. Not once had it worked. Sam’s nightmares returned with renewed power every single night. Tonight was their last chance. If this didn’t work, they’d have to go back to the drawing board and try something completely different.

  Hikari checked the pentacle one last time, ensuring that there were no gaps in the chalk. One tiny gap would be all that it took to render the symbol useless. Eventually, he smiled at Sam. “Sweet dreams, my boy.”

  Aimi hesitated for a moment as Hikari left the small storage room, leaving the two of them alone. “Looks like you’re trapped in there,” she grinned at him.

  They knew from past trials that Sam was effectively a prisoner inside the pentacle. Sam moved his legs experimentally. As they reached the chalk outline of the pentagram, it was as if they encountered a solid barrier. He pressed harder and felt only the slightest give in the wall. He knew that he could probably shove even more and eventually force himself through, but that would ruin the chalk outline and with it, his chance for a dreamless sleep.

  He grinned back at her. “It’s not often that you have me at a disadvantage, is it? I wouldn’t get used to it.”

  Aimi laughed. “All talk, big man. We’ll see how you go at training this afternoon, sunshine.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door softly on her way out.

  Sam grunted and wiggled around in the confined space. Curled up, he let sleep take him, praying that it would be dream free.

  It was late afternoon when Sam finally emerged from the room, Hikari apparently having broken the pentacle shorty before he awoke. He found Aimi and Hikari in the kitchen preparing an early supper.

  “Well?” said Aimi, turning towards him with her hands on her hips.

  “It was … good,” he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

  “You mean no dreams?” Aimi gazed at him happily.

  He nodded. “No dreams.”

  She threw herself at him and gave him a tight squeeze. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you,”she said, kissing his cheek.

  Hikari walked past, carrying a bowl of soup. He patted Sam on the back. “Well done, my boy.”

  Aimi handed him a bowl of soup. “Does that mean you aren’t going to be so grumpy?” she teased.

  He gave her a crooked smile. “It depends on how nice you are to me.”

  Aimi laughed and threw a napkin at him.

  They seated themselves at the table and Sam attacked his soup with gusto. He was ravenous. It was amazing what a good night’s sleep could do for his appetite. He hadn’t felt this rested, well — ever. It was sheer bliss to sleep for a few hours with nothing going on in his head. He felt renewed, invigorated, and was looking forward to getting on with his training.

  He got through two bowls of soup and a platter of fried fish with rice while Aimi and Hikari were still on their first bowl of soup. When he’d finished, he looked up at Hikari expectantly.

  “What’s my regime today, Sensei?”

  Hikari set down his bowl. “First the gym. I want an hour’s strenuous workout from you. Mixed weights. Heavy and light. Then some sword work. Aimi will join us today. After that, both of you can go for a run.”

  Sam nodded, feeling almost happy. He stood up. “Ready when you are.”

  “Begin.”

  Aimi thrust with the spear, extending her body out and shifting her grip so it was near the end of the shaft. The lightning strike came perilously close to lancing him. He parried hurriedly, bringing both training swords down, forcing the pointed tip to the ground.

  Normally, Aimi wouldn’t take him off guard like this but his mind had been elsewhere. At the time, he was busy staring off into the evening shadows. Something was tickling the back of his mind; he suspected a demon was nearby, watching and waiting as usual.

  He shook off the feeling and concentrated on the task at hand. Aimi deserved his attention and respect. Though not training as intensively as Sam, she had still spent many hours with Hikari and himself. As a result, she was a very accomplished warrior, with a speed and grace not unlike Sam’s own.

  He enjoyed their training sessions together. She challenged him and if he was being truthful, he just liked watching her move. Her body was so beautiful and lithe that on a few occasions, she’d thumped him in the head simply because he was not even watching her weapon. Hikari had chastised him for that.

  He still had her spear pinned beneath his own weapons and was curious to see what she would do next, content to wait. She didn’t disappoint him as usual. Always unorthodox, Aimi released her grasp on the spear and surged along the shaft. The kick, if it had connected, would’ve put a serious dent in his skull. At the last second, he moved his head fractionally, and the kick passed harmlessly to one side. He swept both swords up and battered her backside with the flats of the blades. Already off-balance with her missed kick, the blows threw her body through the air. She rolled in mid-air and landed neatly on her feet with feline grace.

  “You’ll have to do better than that,” he said, grinning wildly.

  She snorted and ran to the weapons rack, grapping a long handled pole arm — a naginata. Sam sighed. Aimi always picked these sorts of weapons precisely because they gave him trouble. She’d long since learnt that she was no match for him with short weapons and so now these were her weapons of choice. The naginata had a longer shaft than her spear with a wicked saber-shaped blade attached to the end.

  Without pause, she charged, slicing the blade down towards him. Sam had expected this and raised both swords up in a cross block. It was a feint. Aimi dropped suddenly and spun on her ankles, bringing the naginata around in a low blow designed to sweep him off his feet.

  He sprung upwards, more as a reflex action rather than any calculated defensive move. The dull blade missed his feet by a fraction. He landed and raised his katana up to block the blow that was aimed at his head. As he did so, he darted forward and placed the tip of his short sword against A
imi’s neck. She flinched and then somersaulted backwards. The naginata swept upwards, narrowly missing his nose.

  She charged again. This time he met it full-on, bringing both blades together where the metal blade met the wooden shaft of the naginata. Despite the fact that his blades were blunt training swords, the sheer power of his attack was enough. The shaft of the naginata shattered. The blade of the weapon cartwheeled off to land quivering in the red soil. Aimi was knocked off her feet.

  Sam dropped one of his blades and put his hand out to help Aimi up. She accepted it with a smile.

  Hikari nodded. “Good,” he said. “Aimi, excellent technique and good improvisation. Sam, slightly sloppy work there. She almost had you. Your defensive work is still lacking.”

  Sam scowled. Next to him, Aimi was unsuccessfully trying to suppress a giggle. Hikari was often like this — pointing out his deficiencies even when Sam thought he was doing well. He knew Hikari had his best interests at heart though. His job was to prepare Sam for the coming Tribulation. If it meant that his foster-son would survive, then all the harsh criticism would be worthwhile.

  “Let us begin again,” commanded Hikari.

  Sam scowled again. It looked like it was going to be one of those evenings.

  The crowd cheered. Sam hurriedly (and somewhat guiltily) tore his eyes away from Aimi and back to the game. The Jacob’s Ladder Bucks were currently leading, having just scored another touchdown. Joshua, the quarterback for the Bucks, was having a great game. He seemed unable to miss the running back, his passes nailing his other player with pinpoint accuracy.

  From his vantage point under the stand, Sam had a pretty good view of most of the game. He’d positioned himself in front of the cheerleaders, of course. Aimi had just started cheering for the Bucks and Sam loved watching her. Already, she was one of the better ones but that didn’t surprise him. With her training and agility, Aimi was always going to be good at sports.