by Joshua Grove
Anna laughed when she realized he was referring to Janet. She hugged her children, wondering what they would have done had she not survived the night. Trevor looked at her as they embraced, a newfound love and respect blossoming between mother and son.
A knock came at the slightly open door and Anish’s head poked around the corner. It was almost comical, his ponytail falling onto his broad shoulders.
“Come in, please,” Anna said. Matthew and Sam followed him. “Thank you so much,” she said to Anish.
“It is what I do,” Anish said.
“Do you think Crimson Falls has seen the last of the Wendigo?” Anna asked. When he said nothing, she changed the question. “Will it be back soon?”
“It is doubtful,” Anish said. “But I will help ensure that the portal the demon travels through is closed.”
“You mean it can come back?” Sam asked.
“It is a spirit,” Anish replied simply. “The bodies we killed were only its vessels. It can be anywhere at any time. It can hibernate inside a person, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash its darkness and force out the human soul.”
“And you can close the portal by yourself?” Anna asked, astonished. “I doubt that’s a good idea.”
“I can handle it. But for good measure, I will bring Father Matthew with me.”
“Works for me,” Matthew agreed.
“Okay, then be on your way before the troopers arrive. They will want to go to the Brickton Estate.”
“Stall them for at least an hour. After that we will be in the clear,” Anish instructed.
Anna walked up to him, taking his hands in hers. “I hope you are not a stranger. Please come back and visit soon, although I know our town doesn’t seem too touristy at the moment.” She grinned, and he returned the smile.
“You are quite the Sheriff, Anna,” he complimented. “Congratulations.”
“On what?” she asked.
“On surviving,” he said simply. “All of you,” he said as he gestured. Anish bowed, then he and Matthew left the room.
“Okay, like, what was that about?” Trisha asked, her voice filled with fear.
“It’s a scary story he told us on the long drive home,” Trevor said as he put his arm around his sister. “I’ll tell you about it when you’re older.” She punched him, shrugged, then turned to her mother.
“Can we please go home now? Seriously, Mom, it’s like the middle of the night.”
“We’re going to sleep here tonight, Trish,” Anna said. “It’s been a long night, and I want to keep you guys close to me.”
Although Trevor groaned, he was happy to be staying where there were weapons, and where he could be close to his mother, his siblings, and his best friend.
Simon looked forward to the adventures he and Trevor would experience when they made hunting demons their lifelong career.
* * * * * *
3
Anish and Matthew pulled up in the old, beat up Ford, to the Brickton Estate. Both of them felt somewhat uneasy about the insanity of the night, so they had driven to the house without speaking.
“So what’s the plan?” Matthew asked as they got out of the truck.
“It’s simple,” Anish said as he reached into the back of his pickup. He pulled out a massive, five gallon tub of gasoline. After he set it on the ground, he reached into his pocket and sprinkled a dark powder into the gas. He chanted under his breath, then hummed for at least a full minute.
“Simple, huh?” Matthew laughed as Anish grew quiet again.
“We must spread this around the house and on the first floor to be sure we are successful.”
“Can’t wait to go back in there,” Matthew said as he looked at the house. It was beyond intimidating.
Anish lifted a second five gallon tub from the truck and repeated his ritual.
“Bless this,” Anish said. Matthew took a moment to pray over the buckets of gasoline. They then walked up the stairs and back into the house. It was eerily quiet, and the noises of the house seemed supernatural.
“Do you sense a presence?” Matthew asked. “Because I sure do.”
“Evil resides here,” Anish said. “But it is held underground for now.”
“Won’t it still be there? Can we be absolutely positive that the portals down there will be destroyed?” Matthew asked as he pointed toward the floor.
“No,” Anish acknowledged. “One can never be sure that evil is totally banished from a single location. And given the depth of transgression and depravity that this house has known, I imagine that the land itself has been cursed.”
“True,” Matthew agreed.
They poured the gasoline throughout the first floor of the house, neither of them saying a word to the other. They were too busy praying and chanting in their respective religious languages. Walking outside, they saturated the outside of the house with the gas.
When they had finished, they reeked of gas, sweat, and blood. They stood in front of the large house, both men looking forward to bringing an end to the reign of terror that had held Crimson Falls captive for so long.
Anish pulled a match from his breast pocket and turned to face Matthew, holding the match between them.
“Would you like to have the honor?” Anish asked.
“It’s all you,” Matthew said, gesturing with his hand.
Anish walked up to the front door, opened it, struck the match, then threw it onto the floor. Flames instantly erupted around the foyer, quickly igniting curtains and other fixtures in the room. Anish turned around slowly and walked toward Matthew.
“Your turn,” he said.
Matthew took the matchbook, closed his eyes, and struck the second match. He threw it onto the small set of bushes beside the door, immediately sparking fire to life. He took another match and did the same with the matching bush on the other side.
“Hell hath no fury like a mansion scorned,” Matthew said, only half joking.
“Indeed,” Anish agreed.
Both men watched as flames began to consume the Brickton Estate. As he watched the fire growing wildly and furiously, Matthew wondered if Hell really was on Earth. In Minnesota. Even with the fire raging, he shivered in the night air.
Anish turned to Matthew. “You ready to go?”
“As ready as can be,” Matthew laughed. He took one last look at the house. He nodded, then smiled. “Let’s get the Hell outta here.”
As they turned from the house, neither of them noticed the pair of red eyes in the trees, watching and waiting, bloodthirsty and deadly.
END of BOOK ONE
