Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2)

by Robert Pruneda

  “All right. Fine.” Maria leaned back against her car. “You need to stop being a cop for once and think about being a father to Cody.”

  “What do you think I’ve been trying to do?”

  “He doesn’t need you to fix his problems for him, Aaron. He doesn’t need you to defend him. What he needs is for you to just be his father. He’s never had a father that loved him.”

  “You know I love that kid. And he knows that.”

  Maria raised her eyebrows. “Does he?”

  “I’ve done nothing but bend over backwards for him. Hell, I’ve risked my life for him. Everything I’ve been doing has been for him. And for you and Sam.”

  “Maybe you should step back and let Scott and Sheriff Donovan take care of it.”

  Aaron laughed. “Seriously? You mean the small town cops who played Solitaire and solved crossword puzzles all day before all this shit blew up in our faces?”

  “Then let the FBI handle it. If it wasn’t for Agent Kelson, Cody would still be in jail.”

  “So, I guess I’ve been sitting around doing nothing while those federal badges saved the day.”

  Samantha stepped outside with her small purse slung over her shoulder.

  “Get in the car, Sam.” Maria glared at Aaron. “Why don’t you let go of your ego and think about other people for a change?” Without waiting for Aaron’s response, she stepped in her car and drove away.

  Aaron clenched his jaw and shook his head. “That’s all I’ve been doing, Maria.” He took in a deep breath of fresh autumn country air and closed his eyes. He exhaled it slowly before going back inside the house. His body trembled.

  †

  Aaron knocked on Cody’s door and poked his head inside the room. “Can I come in?” He held a plate with a toasted sandwich and potato chips. Cody was sitting at his desk, drawing. “I made you a sandwich.”

  Cody slouched over his drawing. “I’m not hungry.”

  “What are you drawing?” Aaron asked while he set the plate of food on the edge of the desk.

  “Nothing.” Cody closed his sketchbook and gazed out the window.

  “Maria and I are worried about you.”

  Cody sighed and got up from his desk. He glanced at Aaron before lying down on his bed. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ceiling.

  Aaron sat on the edge of the bed. “Talk to me, Cody. Are you okay?”

  “Ugh! Why does everybody keep asking me that?” Cody got back up and stood next to his desk. He eyed the sandwich on the plate and finally picked it up. After taking a bite, he turned around and said, “I’m not okay.”

  “I know.”

  “No, you don’t.” Cody finished chewing and swallowed. “You have no idea.”

  “Oh, I think I do. We’re on the same page here, and we both have to figure out what we’re going to do about it.”

  “Did you see it happen? When I—it killed Randy?”

  Aaron held his gaze for a moment, but then nodded.

  “When?” Cody pressed, “When exactly did you see it. Before or after?”

  “Before. I dreamed you killed someone, a teenager, but I didn’t know who and I didn’t think—”

  “How long before?”

  “At least two days. And again that night.”

  “And you didn’t do anything about it.” He looked away. “You knew all along and you didn’t do anything.”

  “What was I supposed to do?”

  “Stop it from happening!” Cody jerked a finger at Aaron. “You saw it before it actually happened. I see it when it happens and I can’t do anything about it.” Cody’s face reddened. His eyes moistened. “Don’t you see now? You could’ve done something. You could’ve stopped it.”

  “How?” Aaron squeezed the back of his neck in frustration, then jerked his hand at Cody. “You tell me. All I know is that we have these God-forsaken dreams, premonitions, or whatever the hell they are. And I don’t have a damn clue what it all means. I don’t know what’s real anymore. I’m having these nightmares all the time now and I don’t know what to make of them.” Aaron took a deep breath and gazed at the ceiling. “I’m doing the best I can with what I have.”

  “Well, it’s not good enough,” Cody said in a voice barely above whisper. He sat in the desk chair and grabbed a potato chip. “It’s never going to be good enough. Me being locked up or at home doesn’t change anything. That demon is still out there… and someone is helping it.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Encounters

  Two youths and one young man had lost their lives in the most brutal way imaginable. Their deaths remained unsolved, and while the FBI agents had already proven themselves helpful, they wouldn’t make arrests anytime soon. You can’t slap steel handcuffs on a demon who uses a boy’s curse and supernatural apparition to carry out its murderous deeds. But what about the juvenile record planted in the JJIS? Whoever did it covered his tracks so well, not even the FBI, with their vast resources, could figure it out. Aaron gazed at the numbers turning on the gas pump while he filled the gas tank in his vintage sports car before heading home on Saturday evening.

  What was he missing? Aaron pursed his lips while he returned the pump to its cradle and secured the gas cap on the back of his car. He froze when he peered through the tinted rear window. There was someone sitting in the front passenger seat. Aaron unbuttoned his holster and eased his way around the car. With his hand hovering over his gun, he peaked inside the vehicle. It was empty.

  He leaned forward with one hand on the roof and ran the other hand over his face. “Get a grip on yourself, Aaron.” While he refastened his holster his cell phone rang and vibrated in his pocket. He answered without checking the number.

  “It’s me,” came Maria’s subdued voice. He didn’t respond. Maria hadn’t spoken to him since their argument last night, and he was still upset. “Are you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Aaron retrieved his car keys from his pocket and stepped around to the driver’s side of his car.

  “I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean what I said.”

  Aaron dropped into the leather bucket seat and shut the door. “I’m listening.” As he started the engine, he caught something from the corner of his eye. He heard Maria speaking, but didn’t comprehend anything as he slowly turned his head. Cody sat in the passenger seat next to him. He wore a black hoodie and black pants and stared out the front window.

  “Aaron? Did you hear me?”

  “Huh? What?” Aaron gazed at Cody. “I’m sorry, my phone must have cut out.”

  “I said I don’t blame you for being upset. I understand how you feel.”

  A white Lexus behind him honked a couple of times. Aaron checked the rearview mirror. A young woman with angry eyes jerked her hand forward and tapped the horn again. Aaron pulled the car into a parking spot in front of the convenience store.

  Maria was still talking while he parked the car. “I give up. You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said.”

  “Maria?”

  “What?” Maria’s voice was quick and firm.

  Aaron turned his eyes towards the boy sitting next to him. “Would you put Cody on the phone?”

  “Fine. Hold on a minute.”

  A slight grin formed on the apparition’s face, but he continued to stare straight ahead.

  “No, don’t wake him up,” Maria’s muffled voice said through the phone. “Let him sleep.” A few seconds later Maria returned. “He’s asleep in our bedroom, so—”

  “What’s he doing sleeping in our bed?”

  “I don’t know, Aaron, but I’m not waking him up. What did you want to talk to him about?”

  The Cody thing turned his head and grinned at Aaron.

  “Aaron?” Maria said.

  Aaron locked eyes with his passenger. “I really need to talk to him. Would you please wake him?”

  “Can it wait? He’s—”

  “No, it can’t. Just go wake him up, okay? Please.”


  “All right, fine, but you need to tell me what’s going on.”

  “I will, but right now I need you to wake him up.”

  Aaron heard footsteps and Maria mumbling something. He couldn’t make out what she said, but he was certain it wasn’t anything positive about him.

  “Just to let you know, Aaron,” the Cody apparition finally spoke. “We’ll be seeing each other again real soon.” The right side of his mouth twisted upward. “Give Samantha a kiss for me.”

  “If you lay a hand on her—”

  Cody laughed and got out of the car. “Catch you later, Daddy.” He then disappeared around the corner of the building.

  A minute later, the phone rustled and Cody answered the phone. “Are you at a gas station?”

  “You know I am.” Aaron rested his head back and closed his eyes. “What were you doing in my bedroom?”

  “I don’t know. I got sleepy and next thing I knew I was dreaming about being with you in the car.”

  “Do you remember what you said to me in your dream?” Cody didn’t respond immediately, so Aaron repeated the question.

  “Yes,” he answered. “I said we would see each other again soon.”

  “What else?”

  “You know.”

  “Is Maria standing there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “All right. Then just answer yes or no. Have you had any dreams about Samantha?” Again, Cody did not respond. “Yes or no, Cody.”

  “Yes.”

  Aaron sighed. “All right. We’ll talk about that later. For now, make sure you don’t go dozing off before I get home, okay?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Don’t go to sleep.”

  “Okay, I won’t.

  “All right then. Put Maria back on.”

  A few seconds later, Maria returned and asked if there was something wrong.

  “Just keep an eye on Cody,” Aaron said, and put the car in gear. “And make sure he doesn’t go back to sleep before I get home.”

  †

  Maria seasoned some steaks while Samantha peeled freshly harvested potatoes. Cody sat on the couch reading a novel. Maria asked him to help chop some carrots for her. He set the book on the end table and reluctantly joined Maria and Samantha in the kitchen. He stared at the shiny surface of the knife that Maria handed him before cutting into the peeled carrots.

  Samantha glanced at Cody’s slow progress. “Want me to cut them? You can peel the potatoes.”

  “I know how to use a knife, Sam.”

  “You’re cutting the carrots way slow. Just trying to be helpful.”

  “Fine,” Cody said, and pointed the knife at Samantha. “You cut the stupid carrots.”

  Samantha froze and stared at the blade. She turned her head towards her mother, who hadn’t paid any attention to the conversation while she sizzled steaks on the skillet. Cody peered at the knife and apologized while setting it down on the counter next to Samantha. They traded places. Samantha cut the carrots at a much steadier and skilled pace than Cody had. She glanced at him repeatedly while he peeled the potatoes at a painfully slow pace. Samantha rolled her eyes and exhaled a loud breath through her nostrils.

  The rumble of an eight cylinder engine caught the attention of Cody. He set the half-peeled potato and utensil on the counter and rushed outside. Aaron was closing the garage door when Cody ran out of the house towards him.

  “Hey,” Aaron greeted.

  Cody wrapped his arms around him and pressed his head against Aaron’s chest.

  “Whoa!” Aaron returned the hug. “What was that for?”

  “Just glad you’re home.” He lifted his eyes upward. “How’s the ‘Vette running?”

  “It’s running fine.” Aaron pulled away. “Tell me about that dream you had with Samantha.”

  “No, I don’t want to talk about that.”

  “I don’t care. You’ve got to tell me. Is she in danger?”

  “No,” Cody said without hesitation. “It was just a dream. Dinner is almost ready. We’re having steak and potatoes.”

  Cody ran back inside the house, leaving Aaron by the garage with a dumbfounded look on his face. Maria watched from the kitchen window with curious eyes. What was up with that kid? He widened his eyes and took a deep breath before heading inside.

  †

  “Mind if I join you?” Maria asked.

  Cody shrugged while he gazed into the starlit sky from the wooden hanging swing on the porch. He had only eaten half of his steak and mashed potatoes, and he didn’t even touch any of the diced carrots on his plate. The food was good, but the awkward silence around the table while the family ate opened the channels for haunting thoughts of violent nightmares and Aaron’s strange astral encounter.

  A shooting star crossed the horizon while Maria sat next to Cody. She pointed at it, her eyes beaming. “Did you see that?”

  “Yeah, I did.” Cody’s voice lacked Maria’s enthusiasm.

  “Make a wish.”

  Cody turned his head toward Maria with his chin down and eyes lifted upwards.

  “Oh, come on. Humor me.”

  He rolled his head and his eyes along with it. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

  They both closed their eyes together. Cody only kept his eyes closed for a few seconds and then continued his stargazing. Maria spent a good thirty seconds making her wish before asking Cody what he’d wished for, even though that was against the rules.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said

  “Sure it does.”

  “It’s not like God will answer my prayers just because I wished upon a star. He hasn’t listened to anything I prayed about in the past.” Cody stood and turned towards the front door. “So why should He start now?”

  †

  Aaron and Maria sat in the living room with a bottle of wine on the coffee table and the television set on, but muted. Aaron shared with her the discussion he’d had with Donald Luther and about his belief that an ikiryō—an apparition astral projected through Cody’s subconscious—had been responsible for the recent deaths. He explained the similarity to the chimera in that it had manifested itself through the devil’s nightmare curse.

  He also shared details about his visit to Saint Hedwig with Agents Hirsch and Kramer. He had assumed they had ended the curse with the destruction of the chimera, but all they had done was summon another demon, which ultimately killed the two agents and created a whole other conundrum.

  “That’s unbelievable,” Maria said and drank from her wine glass.

  “So was the chimera.”

  Maria finished her glass of wine and uncorked the bottle. “So, you’re saying a demon killed those kids?” She refilled her glass.

  “It’s even more complicated than that. As crazy as it sounds, this demon is using Cody as a host. Nobody planted evidence at the crime scenes.” Aaron set his empty glass on the coffee table. “Cody was actually there, only it wasn’t really him. It was this ikiryō, this demon apparition of Cody.”

  Maria raised her eyebrows. “But that can’t be possible. What if Don was lying to you?”

  “He’s not lying,” Aaron grabbed the bottle and filled his glass.

  “How can you be sure? What if there’s another cult out there making it look like—”

  “I saw it, Maria.” Aaron’s tone was firm and resolute. “When I called you this afternoon, he was in my car. But it wasn’t really him.”

  “What?”

  “This is real.”

  Maria nearly spilled the wine out of her glass, but regained her grip and placed the glass on the coffee table. “What are you saying? Cody is possessed with a demon?”

  “No, not possessed, but that’s what I thought at first. I think he’s been able to do this in the past, but…” Aaron looked away and sighed.

  “But what?”

  “Astral projection isn’t something new to him.” Aaron drank half the wine in his glass and set it on the coffee table next to Maria’s glass. He stretched an arm out
on the couch and leaned towards his wife. “That’s how he was at Memorial Heights Cemetery in Austin, but also at home when his friends were killed. He and Jackson Smith had made plans to play a prank on Jason Dexter and Cullen Chandler, but he didn’t go. Not really, anyway.”

  Maria wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t know how else to explain it, but I believe he used this astral projection ability to be at the cemetery while he slept. Maybe he’s always been able to do it. It’s the only way to explain how he was in photos on Jackson’s phone when the chimera killed those kids. I think after he dreamed of their deaths, he snuck out of the house and rode his bike to the cemetery.”

  “And he found his friends dead.”

  “Exactly. And that’s how he got the blood on him. He either slipped and got the blood on himself that way or he held them in his arms.”

  Maria placed her hand over her chest. “And Cody never told you this?”

  “He tried to, but I didn’t even believe in the chimera at the time. Now this demon is exploiting his supernatural ability to kill.” Aaron rubbed the back of his neck. “And it’s making it look like Cody is doing it.”

  “But the FBI doesn’t believe he did it. And what about that planted juvenile record? How did that happen?”

  “That’s one thing I haven’t been able to figure out. But I will.” Aaron rested his head against the couch and stared at the ceiling. “I have to.”

  †

  Aaron woke up on the couch to the aroma of French vanilla blend coffee brewing in the kitchen. It was the first uninterrupted night of sleep he’d had in a while. Maria was sitting at the kitchen table reading the Sunday newspaper. “Damn. Did you fall asleep on the couch too?”

  She peeked over the newspaper. “I got up in the middle of the night and slept in our bed. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

  “I wish you would have.” Aaron stretched and rubbed the back of his stiff neck. “My neck is killing me.”

  “Want me to massage it for you?”

  Aaron moved his head around and popped his neck. “No, I think I’m good, but thanks.”