The Incubus

by Len du Randt

  A car engine exploded to life.

  A few birds chirped in explosive stereo inside the demon’s head. It smashed its fist through a door in the hallway. The pain stabbed up its arm and into the nerve centre of the brain. Someone a few blocks away flushed a toilet. The last piece of flesh formed around the demon’s face. Gun shots from a television set at the old age home down the road.

  Everything burning.

  Everything exploding.

  The taste of blood.

  And just like that, everything stopped.

  The demon fell to its knees and used its hands to keep it from collapsing onto the ground. It breathed heavily, each heartbeat an explosion in its ears. Then the exploding sounds faded and the demon opened its eyes. It could see. And just then, the demon remembered where it was.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  It took a fair amount of pleading and promises from Justin to convince Rebecca to move back. The only real reason she finally gave in was for the sake of the baby. She still loved her husband, but he had a lot of cracks to fix before he would be in her good books again. The first half of the trip back home was spent in uncomfortable silence where both of them waited for the other to speak. Justin finally caved.

  ‘I got rid of Lotus.’

  Rebecca looked at him. ‘Did you see his neck?’

  Justin nodded. ‘There’s no way a bird could do that on its own.’

  ‘So you believe me?’

  ‘About?’

  ‘About the strange things that have been happening in our house lately.’

  Justin threw a few possible answers around in his head. No reason to work her up on the way home. He could tell her that he believed her. He could just as easily tell her that it was she that did it for attention; or an alternate personality. He could also change the subject.

  ‘I believe that someone killed our bird,’ he said. ‘I just can’t figure out who or why.’

  Rebecca didn’t have the answers. She was hoping Justin would. Whenever something went wrong, Justin always had an answer. If there wasn’t an easy answer for a problem, he would invent one. Now that safety zone had been shaken. There were no answers, right or invented. There was nothing to make her feel that everything was going to be okay.

  ‘So tell me about the pregnant thing,’ he said.

  Rebecca’s face lit up. ‘I took two tests,’ she said. ‘Just to be sure.’

  ‘And...?’

  ‘They’re both positive.’

  ‘We should get another one,’ he said. ‘Just to be very sure.’

  ‘There’s one in my bag,’ Rebecca giggled.

  Justin smiled and for a long moment didn’t say anything. They were getting another shot at the chance to become parents. This time, however, he felt ready for the responsibility. He couldn’t pinpoint what or how, but something within him clicked in place and he felt ready for the challenge. ‘How far along do you think you are?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Rebecca said. ‘But I have an appointment with the doctor on Thursday. I think I might be six or seven weeks now.’

  Justin worked it back in his mind. It was the night he gave her Lotus; the same night he took her to dinner. He smiled at her and for the briefest moment everything seemed perfect again.

  ‘Where’s your ring?’ Rebecca asked.

  Justin’s perfect picture shattered and his stomach twisted. ‘It’s...I...’

  Rebecca looked at him expectantly. There was no getting around this one.

  ‘I lost it,’ he said and turned his head slightly down and away from her.

  For a long moment there was only silence. Justin could feel her staring at him. ‘Okay,’ she said with a voice far too chirpy to be trusted. ‘We’ll just get you a new one.’

  Justin frowned. ‘You’re not angry?’

  ‘No,’ Rebecca said and then changed the topic back to the baby and how they were going to turn the study into the baby’s room and which accessories they had to start saving up for. Only a wooden cot would do. ‘None of those carry cot fold-it-ups in my house, thank you.’

  Justin smiled and stroked her hand. Deep within he knew that everything was going to be just fine.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  Justin was still fumbling with the key when the door next to theirs opened. A young man with silky white skin and slick black hair stepped out and closed the door. He looked at Rebecca and smiled, and for the briefest moment, her legs went weak. She had never seen such an attractive man in her life before; had never been in the presence of a man with such overwhelming charisma.

  ‘Hi,’ she said and blushed. She shot her eyes to Justin. He didn’t see. Good.

  The man’s smile disappeared and he just stood there, watching them both for what felt like a long time. Finally he smiled again. ‘Hi there,’ he said and extended his hand toward Justin. ‘I’m Dominic.’

  The two men shook hands and then Dominic stuck his hand out at Rebecca. She took it and felt a faint bolt of electricity shoot up her arm and into her body. Was this what it felt like when two people had a spark between them? She smiled at the thought, and if Dominic did not let go of her hand first, she would have stood there the entire evening, holding onto his elegantly soft hand.

  ‘We weren’t aware that Mr. Richardson moved out,’ Justin said and Rebecca was instantly transported back to reality.

  ‘I’m... his cousin,’ Dominic said. ‘I’m looking after the place while he’s away.’

  ‘Oh,’ Rebecca said. ‘I didn’t even realize that he left.’

  ‘He had urgent family matters to attend to in Italy,’ said Dominic.

  ‘Mr. Richardson is Italian?’ Justin asked.

  Dominic chuckled and shook his head. ‘No, but his parents moved there a while ago when his father retired.’

  ‘How long will he be gone?’

  Dominic’s smile faded. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘A month, maybe. Might be a bit longer.’

  ‘Well,’ Justin said. ‘It was nice to meet you, Dominic.’

  ‘Likewise,’ Dominic said as they shook hands again.

  ‘You should come over for dinner one evening,’ Rebecca interjected.

  Justin shot her a glance and frowned.

  ‘It is most kind of you,’ Dominic said. ‘I might just take you up on that offer. I don’t know anyone here, so some company would be most welcome.’

  ‘Very well then,’ Justin said bluntly and opened the door. He made no effort to hide the irritation in his voice. ‘I’ll have my people call your people.’

  Dominic merely smiled warmly and stepped back. With one final goodbye, the couple entered their apartment and closed the door. Dominic waited until the lock bolted before he moved. Not taking his eyes off their door, he slowly moved backward until he disappeared into the shadows.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  Demons fought against angels.

  Swords clanged against swords.

  Demons screamed and angels shouted.

  Simon was alone.

  He looked at the battle commencing around him. The angels were outnumbered.

  Claws ripped against shields.

  Simon looked down. He had a sword and shield in his hands. The demons grew in number, advancing at incredible speeds with unmatched ferocity. Simon spotted a demon with its back turned to him. He raised his sword in the air to strike, but at the last moment the demon turned around and used a shield to block the blow. Only it wasn’t a shield. It was a human being. Simon couldn’t stop the force of the swing. There would be no way to pull the blow enough for the human to survive.

  ‘No!’ Simon shouted and sat up straight in bed. The dream was getting worse; more intense. He raked his fingers through his drenched hair a
nd tried to regain control of his breathing. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He just wished he knew what it was. He slid off the side of the bed and onto his knees, weeping as he prayed.

   

  Chapter 10

   

   

  The heat was almost unbearable. To Simon the heat wave appeared to be restricted to Kelwick only. He got up and stepped out from behind the tree. Even in the shade it was too hot and humid to be outside an air-conditioned building. Simon figured that it could have been the heat that drove all the animals crazy, but deep down he felt that something more sinister was at work. He couldn’t focus on his book, so he decided that it would be best to go home.

  Pity, Simon thought. He wanted to see the setting of the lazy Sunday afternoon sun. After a long, drawn out stretch, he slowly started his stroll down the road back home. He was halfway when something tugged at his leg.

  ‘Any spare change would greatly be appreciated.’

  Simon looked at a homeless beggar and knelt down beside the man. It didn’t take long to figure out that the man was blind.

  ‘It doesn’t have to be much.’

  Simon reached into his pocket and retrieved a few crumpled notes that he dropped into the man’s tin.

  ‘Thank you,’ the beggar said. ‘May God bless you.’

  Simon smiled and got up. He was about to leave, but the beggar grabbed Simon’s leg again. ‘Please don’t leave,’ he pleaded. ‘Don’t leave without giving me my sight back.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ Simon asked. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘Just say the word,’ the man begged. ‘Just say the word and I’ll be healed.’

  Simon hesitated. He looked down the road toward his home; his comfort zone. He swallowed hard and knelt down next to the beggar again. ‘How do you know this?’ he asked.

  ‘I can sense it,’ the man said and took hold of Simon’s arm. ‘I can feel that there’s something different about you.’

  Simon shook his head. ‘I…I can’t...’

  ‘Yes you can,’ the man said and tightened his grip. ‘All you need to do is give the word.’

  Simon broke free from the beggar’s grip. A tear trailed itself down the man’s dirty cheek. ‘All you need to do is say the word,’ the man sobbed.

  Simon took a step back. ‘I can’t do it,’ he said. ‘You have me mistaken for someone else.’

  Tears streamed down the beggar’s cheeks. ‘Please, young man. Just give the word!’

  ‘I can’t!’ Simon shouted and with that he turned and ran. He could hear the man shouting something behind him as he ran, but he didn’t hear what it was. He just wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  ‘And how are you feeling today?’ the gynaecologist asked as Justin and Rebecca stepped into her office.

  ‘We’re fine,’ Justin answered for them.

  ‘I’m glad to hear that,’ Doctor Taylor said. The three of them sat down. ‘You’re still using your vitamins, right?’ Rebecca confirmed with a nod. ‘Well then,’ the doctor said. ‘Let’s see how this little one inside you is doing.’

  Justin’s stomach twisted into knots. Was there going to be a heartbeat? Was everything going to be okay?

  Rebecca lay on her back as the doctor applied the internal scan.

  ‘Where are you?’ the doctor asked and Justin felt his heart sink. On the monitor, Justin could only see a black spot. ‘There you are,’ the doctor said as something the size of a bean appeared on the screen. ‘And just look at that heart!’

  Justin looked at the monitor, but couldn’t see any lines or blips that could represent a heartbeat. ‘Is there a heartbeat?’ Justin asked.

  The doctor nodded and pointed to a spot inside the bean. Justin leaned a bit forward and focussed on the area that she pointed to. He almost cheered out loud when he saw the tiny black spot inside the bean shaped object fluttering at a rapid pace.

  ‘That’s the heartbeat,’ Doctor Taylor said and smiled. ‘And such a strong one at that.’ She clicked somewhere inside the bean and rapid gwaap-gwaap-gwaap sound played through a speaker.

  ‘So…everything is...okay?’

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ she said and pushed a button on the machine. A black and white picture of the sonar popped out of the machine.

  The machine is giving birth to a picture of my baby, Justin thought and chuckled at his own joke.

  The doctor zoomed in and pressed the button again. Another photo came out. She then selected two points on either side of the bean image and pressed a button. The machine indicated that the baby was seven weeks old. Another press of the button produced the final photo.

  Once the three of them were seated in the office again, Doctor Taylor handed them two of the photos and added one to her own personal file. Justin noticed sonar pictures of the first baby and hoped that Rebecca didn’t see it. She was too busy studying the new pictures, and a sense of relief settled over him. There was a strong heartbeat. It appeared that the baby was going to make it after all.

  ‘I’m prescribing Progesterone for you that I’d like you to take with your vitamins. Use the two together, okay?’

  Rebecca nodded.

  ‘Well then, I’d like to see you again in two weeks. Call me if you have any problems.’

  Relieved and beaming, the couple left her office and booked their next appointment with the receptionist.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  Nothing in the world could put a damper on Rebecca’s mood now. Justin dropped her off at home before heading back to the office. She sang and danced her way to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. There was a strong heartbeat. Everything was fine. The doctor would know.

  ‘Everything’s okay,’ she told Tanya over the cordless as she flipped the switch to the kettle. ‘There’s a strong heartbeat.’

  ‘I’m so relieved,’ Tanya said. ‘See? I told you that everything was going to be okay, didn’t I?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Rebecca said. ‘You did.’

  ‘We should celebrate,’ Tanya said. ‘We can’t just sit back and do nothing.’

  ‘How about dinner at our place sometime?’ Rebecca asked. ‘Justin and I kind of invited the neighbour’s nephew by accident and it would be perfect if you could join us.’

  ‘By accident?’

  ‘Long story,’ Rebecca said and laughed.

  ‘Becks, I don’t do the blind date thing. You of all people should know that.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Rebecca said. ‘It’s nothing like that.’ She paused. ‘Although, you should see this man, Tanya. He’s to die for.’

  ‘You’re married, remember?’

  ‘I just said he’s gorgeous,’ Rebecca defended in a playful manner. ‘I didn’t say that I would actually do anything.’

  Tanya chuckled. ‘So,’ she said. ‘What’s his name?’

  ‘Dominic.’

  ‘Has a nice ring to it. And you say he’s good looking?’

  ‘That’s putting it mildly,’ Rebecca said. ‘I guess you’ll just have to see for yourself.’

  ‘Oh all right. When can I get to see him?’

  ‘Hmmm… How about two weeks from now?’

  ‘Two weeks?’

  ‘Friday the twenty seventh, yes,’ Rebecca said. ‘That should be fine with everyone. It’s after payday, see?’

  Tanya sighed. ‘You make me curious, only to tell me that the earliest that I can see this mystery man is in two weeks?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘I’ll get you for this, Becks.’

  Rebecca only laughed. ‘Patience, my dear friend.’

  ‘So I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning?’

  ‘If you don’t mind,’ Rebecca said.

  ‘Not at all. Same time?’

  ‘Eight.�
�

  ‘Okay. See you then.’

  They both hung up just as the kettle boiled. Rebecca put the phone down on the kitchen counter and got herself a mug from the cupboard. They weren’t fancy enough to own a tea set, but Rebecca didn’t mind. More tea in a mug anyway. A figure in the corner of her eye made her freeze. She could clearly make out the shape’s head, arms, body, and legs. She took two deep breaths and slowly moved her eyes, but the figure quickly moved behind the wall and slipped into the hallway.

  ‘Who’s there?’ Rebecca asked. Uncertainty and fear seeped through her voice.

  No answer.

  She opened the drawer and pulled out a butcher’s knife. ‘Hello?’

  Again, no answer.

  Slowly she made her way to the living room, scanning every inch of the apartment as she walked. She was distinctly aware of the fact that her heart was beating louder than normal. Her arms and legs felt numb, but she couldn’t afford to be caught off guard, so she decided to use a more threatening approach.

  ‘I want you to leave me alone,’ Rebecca demanded.

  A thud from Justin’s office made her spin around.

  The door was closed, but she was sure the sound came from within there. Her grip tightened around the handle of the knife and it made her feel somewhat more protected. Not a whole lot, but enough to make her advance towards the office.

  A sense of fear gripped her stomach and got worse as she approached the door. Another dull thud and she took an instinctive step back. She drew another deep breath and then reached out her hand to the handle. The fear intensified.

  Inside the office, a chair moved.

  Someone’s in there!

  Rebecca’s hand inched slowly towards the handle. As she touched it, a loud knock on the front door made her jump and shriek.

   

   

  *    -    -    -    *

   

   

  ‘Hi,’ Dominic greeted Rebecca with a perfect smile as she opened the door. She didn’t hide her relief when she realized it was him. ‘I’m Dominic from next door.’ He looked at her facial expression and then at the knife in her hand. ‘Is this...a bad time?’