Chapter 8 (Frater meus non habet alas)
Sam and I have been together for seven weeks now, it was painful to come back to Deadwood. Veronica was in the shop, so we drove to her house, Richard was playing video games, Maria tended to the house. Sam explained who she was, and that he will talk to her. Sam walked up to her, while she was watering the flower-boxes, on the window-sills. She must have known him well. She was really excited to see Sam, they spoke, and I watched the road, Kloud drove right past me, luckily his attention was on them, I scooted down in my chair. My phone rang, it was Blake. The cop that arrested me, and assaulted me, got a warning, I asked Blake what his name was, and I wrote it down on my list. I wrote officer Rodriguez, and circled the name. Sam climbed back in the car. “Maria, nor Veronica has any idea, what Richard is, he is the result of a one night stand. Veronica will be home for lunch, then she will be at the shop, until five, Maria, will be our lookout, we must move fast, I see your friend, Kloud noticed me, that will cause problems for both of us, he knows who I am, and he knows without a doubt who you are.”
I drove away and we waited in the forest. After an hour, Sam called Maria, the coast was clear. She let us in the back door, then ironed near the window. Sam grabbed Richard, and we did the exorcism right there and then. Maria blessed herself, when the demon emerged, and swore at it in Spanish I believe. Sam blessed the boy, and the home, and he gave Maria his number, in the event that Veronica moves, he needs to know, because it will leave the host open for possession. Maria hugged Sam, then blessed us, we went out the back door, as Veronica walked in the front door. Some demons give us a hell of a time, no pun intended, this one fought for hours. The last one on the list was Liam Woods, he lived in, surprise, Deadwood, fuck, I need to get out of here. Sam and I shared that thought at the same time. We found the house, it was a stones throw from the Res. I parked the car deep in the woods. We watched the house from a hill. Parents were at home. “Have you noticed, the Keys are an only child?” I asked Sam. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it has crossed my mind.”
I felt the barrel of a rifle in my back. “Shit, Kloud, back off mate, we are not here to cause problems.”
I tried to reason with him. He started cussing me, and my mother. Sam turned on to his back. In his mind, Sam said to me, close your eyes. I did, but I could still see the light, I ducked my head way down. Sam told me to get up. “Dude, what the heck was that?”
“The word of God, it happens to all Angels whom speak His teachings, let’s get Kloud out of here, he will be out cold for about an hour, so we need to force this last one, and get out of this town.”
Liam was riding his bike, so I called him, well not by his name, I told him I had hurt myself in the woods, he wanted to call his Mommy, I was like, no buddy, I just need you to get my phone from my pocket, and I will call my friend to come help me. He came towards me, and Sam grabbed him. He was strong for a three year old, I gave the Book to Sam, and we switched sides, he did the exorcism in half an hour, we sent Liam home, a new blessed, happy boy, then we bolted for our car.
We drove all the way to my house, in Black Hills. I needed clean clothes, a bed and a shower. Sam cooked while I cleaned up, I left clothes for him, I hoped it would fit. Then I opened my bottle of bourbon, I learnt one thing in the past weeks, live…because life is ridiculously short. Sam tied up his hair, and he had shaved, I tell you if I bent the other way… honestly, he is the most attractive man I have ever seen, shit he read my thoughts and I blushed. “You not so bad yourself, Thomas.”
He had made a chicken dish, we devoured the entire pot, then placed the dishes in the washer, and we sat by the fire. We had the same thought, we both missed Abigail. I said good night, I had made up the bed in the guest room for Sam. I heard him, salt the house, then we slept like the dead. We both rose at six, shit, shaved the whole nine yards, I made breakfast. We had a new mission.
“Where should we go to summon Abrux?”
“Out of this town, he can be summoned to the moon.” I thought of all the places I had worked in, what was still running, which factories were abandoned, we saw the perfect place at the same time. “Make a list of what we need, I will buy it on our way there.” Sam noted the name in my book, and raised an eyebrow. “He deserves a good beating, do it as long as I can watch.” Sam wrote down the list. “Deal” I said while I made us something to eat for the road. We showered again. More as a form of purification, we both prayed. Sam cut his finger, and he rubbed his blood on my heart. “So, he can’t fool you.” I thanked Sam. My heart felt different, stronger, if you asked me at that moment if I believed in God, I would answer in all honesty, yes, as I could feel the blood of a Higher Power beat with the rhythm of my own heart. We drove to an abandoned warehouse way outside the town, it had been deserted for many years, and the dust lay thick, no one had been there in a long time. I handed Sam the bag, then I found a seat on a rafter above him. I know Abrux will just appear, but I had my shot gun loaded.
Sam drew symbols on the large cardboard I bought, then he gave it to me to stick it directly over the place he drew on the ground, we repeated this a few times, because we had no idea, where Abrux would land. He covered the floor with tarp, or dust. He handed me salt and holy water. Yeah he could reach up that high. We lit the candles, and hid the light, as soon as Abrux was trapped, it was my job to open up all the candles. I prayed this would work. I handed the Book to Sam, he had to do this, I was merely a man. He said no. “Why no?’ asked I. “Because your biological Dad, is Fallen, and that kind of makes you, half a demon, one day, you will experience the full power of your dark side.” said Sam.
“Sam, if I asked you to exorcise me, would you?”
“No, Thomas, you are not using your dark side to do evil, and that blood in you is all that can protect you from, Azazel. I speak under correction, but I don’t think he will harm you, you will have to act brother, as if your life depended on it, and it does, then run the hell away from Azazel the first opportunity you get.”
We had set all the traps. Now it was crunch time. I sat on the rafter, and I called Abrux three times. He arrived. The warehouse was dark but I knew he could feel my presence, I cleared my mind, then I aimed, he just had to step back, and we would have him. The force of the shot gun, did force him backwards, I had aimed for his heart, and he was on his knees in the middle of the devils-trap. I ran and the place was alight with all the candles. He did not see me, I hid in the dark, behind Sam’s wings. Sam started the exorcism, this one I did not know, what I did understand was, he would be sending the entire body back to Hell. “If you do this, you will never know where Michaelus is, my brother.” I willed Sam to carry on, if there is truth to this, we will find Michaelus together.
“I am not your brother.” said Sam. And continued to read, smoke came out of Abrux ears.
“Oh I have forgotten, the mighty Fallen do not associate with the lower-class, demons. Should I call you Dad then? Seeing that the Fallen are responsible, for the demons and the Great Flood.”
I shot Abrux in the head, Sam started reading faster, then I shot him for the second time, in the heart, that slowed him down, not that he had a heart. I shot him repeatedly, and he stopped talking, before he disappeared I shot him in the scrotum. “That is for that innocent body you violated, you sick bastard.” Sam said the last few words, and Abrux vanished, the smell was awful, Sam assured me I would get used to it. He took out his mobile and he dialled Michaelus’s number, he picked up on the first ring. Sam said a few mundane things then cut the call.
“What do you want to do about Rodriguez?” asked Sam when we drove away, we first cleaned up the place, if you get my meaning. I was thinking, and again we agreed on the same thought. I handed Sam a ski mask, and I put mine in my pocket. We waited outside Rodriguez, house, he was a bully by nature, he yelled at his wife and his two young daughters. We waited for the children to go to bed, the Mother was reading a story to them. He was sitting in the lounge, a beer in hand. We walked in, covered his mouth, and Sam carried him out. We drove to the cemetery. A light sleet would soon turn to snow, we gagged him, undressed him, and tied him to a tombstone, Sam wrote “Murderer”on his chest, the officer was so afraid he wet himself. “Now you will know for the rest of your life, how she felt.” said Sam through his mask. We cleared our tracks, then waited for the snow to cover any remaining tracks. Sam called it in, and we drove out of Deadwood, to Black Hills.
The list was completed. I know there will be another list, there always is, but for now. A little normality won’t do me harm. Sam and I ordered take out, went home, secured the house. Ate, drank and we spoke. I said good night, and we both fell into our beds. I woke in the morning to find a box, on the floor, next to my bed, and a note from Sam, it read. “Brother in Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit, these last few months with you, have changed me for the better. Promise me, that you will live a normal human life, until fate brings us back together. Do this for me Thomas. I will miss you more than I can express on this paper, know that I shall watch over you, that you will never be alone. Live well brother, until we meet again. Your brother Azza. In the box, lay a small black kitten, a tom cat, I named him Sam, and I sobbed, the loneliness hit me in the chest, I held the kitten in one hand, and dried my tears with the other.
I felt hollow. I fetched Draken’s bed and toys for Sam. I sat with him for a long time. The hole was there to stay. I took him down stairs, and placed him in a secure room. Were he could play, and use the sand-box. I didn’t feel like eating, so I showered and went to the shop. Sean had made a great success of the shop. I checked the books, it was all in order. I gave him a week off, and I was like riding a horse, it had many unexpected bumps, after a week, I was used to the routine, and I brought Sam with me to the shop, he was so small it troubled me to leave the little tyke alone. And brother, I knew what alone felt like. It was Thanksgiving again. I thought of Abigail every day, I prayed for Sam, the Angel, and the kitten. Nothing I did would heal the emptiness.
Christmas day arrived, and I opened the shop. Sam and I had a few customers, some whom had forgotten to buy a gift, and others, just buying because they felt happy. I received a delivery. I opened the box, then I saw a stunning black box within, I slowly opened it. Inside lay a single feather. Well that was it for me, I sobbed. Some of the customers, tried to comfort me, but the emptiness grew, until it consumed me. I placed the feather back in the black casing, then in my pocket, against my heart. I stayed open, last Christmas, I spent the day with Abigail.
Sam lay sleeping on my lap. I sat with my head in my hands, a familiar scent made me look up. “I can’t believe you named the cat after me.” Said Sam in jest, I held the kitten in one hand, and I embraced Sam, the tears just ran. Sam took the kitten and I could hear it purr throughout the shop.
“Lock up, there is someone I want you to meet.” We dropped Sam, the kitten off at my house. Sam ordered me to shower and change, and to wash away my red eyes.
He gave me directions, and we stopped outside a pub I had never been in, nor did I know it existed. Sam ordered us drinks. “This is a special place Thomas, only those like us, can enter through these doors, I want to introduce, my sister to you, no Thomas, it’s enough now, she is worth it. A lady approached our table, she had long black hair, and the most unusual eyes, and it goes without saying, she was stunning. “Thomas, for all holy intensions and blah-blah-blah, this is my sister Ariel, she has been nagging me to meet you, so here we are.” I shook her hand, oh heaven yes, she was an Angel.
I am not one for small talk, with Sam at the table the conversation flowed. She is highly intelligent, and street-smart. We spoke about Abrux. Ariel said, she met him, not in hell, she had never been to hell. I have to add she has a British accent, the moment she spoke, I was hooked. “He has been to earth a few times, he ain’t no mate to anyone, he is evil, I shall never associate with the likes of him, he is a fogy, completely outdated. I was responsible for sending him down under, a few times, and I don’t mean to Australia, mate. Where he went, Angels fear to tread.”
Sam told me what he had been up to, and I wanted in. So we have established, that there are good and bad Fallen. He and Ariel, have been sending their offspring to hell. Apparently, there are twenty thousand half-breeds, like me around the world, some live normal lives, as I did for thirty years. And the other, well they cause constant havoc. He took my left hand, and turned it palm up. “The half-breeds, have a black dot, right in the middle of their left hand, we can’t see yours, because, you have a tattoo, over it, and a very nice tattoo, I might add.” Ariel took my hand, and stared at the crucifix.
“So much pain, that someone, so kind had to suffer so much pain, I do admire Him, I always have, we the Fallen, should have listened to His teachings, however, what is done is done. We can pray, that He will forgive us, and that we might sit at His feet one day.”
I ordered another round. “Where are you staying, Sam?”
“Oh where I ever I lay my head that’s my home.” I laughed. “Really Sam, song lyrics, I never took you for the romantic type. Stay with me, when you are in town, I missed you, bro, more than I will admit in front of the lady.”
“Thomas, I want you to have a human life, drink, eat, get married, live, I don’t want you to get caught up in this mess.”
“That ship sailed, the day I buried, Abigail, no, I can’t sit in my shop the whole day pretending, that I am normal, or that my life is normal, that will be a blatant lie, I need in Sam, teach me, I want to be a trapper.” Sam looked at me, and I read his thoughts, he needed me to say it, so we shook hands. We will start in the morning, tonight, we will pretend we are normal, eat, drink and fart, that was Sam’s thought’s not mine. Ariel left, I didn’t pry, she is older than time, or this earth to be precise, she can take care of herself, if she put Abrux down, she didn’t need a body guard, hell I wanted to guard her body. Sam frowned at me, and I blocked my thoughts. I thanked him for kitten Sam, and the stunning feather. “Yeah, I have been watching you slide, into a really dark place, and I can honestly admit, I felt the same, it is good working with you, but it’s your company I missed. You are on my level, whether you believe it or not, and you do not judge, Thomas, so yeah, bro you were dearly missed. We will start in Black Hills, then work our way to Deadwood, I want to check on the Five, I feel uneasy when I think of them, as if we missed something. So let’s take a trip tomorrow, then come back and deal with the half-breeds in town. Their eyes, gives it away, those that still hold on to faith, don’t go red. You have a slight tinge when you get angry, but I am yet to see you lose control.”
We finished our beers, and we drove to my house. Sam had brought a bag of clothes, and he walk to his room, it felt good, that he was comfortable here, oh and the kitten followed him around like a puppy. We went to bed early. There was so much I wanted to say. But that had to wait, one day at a time. I had nightmares that night, of ghoulish beings, that where trying to eat me. I woke up around one a.m., and I went to the bathroom. I screamed. Sam ran in, and he froze, there were bite marks all over my torso, my arms, my legs, even on my face. “What is it Sam? What is biting me?”
“You have been marked, by Azazel. And brother, he went all out, normally, he only bites the feet, or hidden areas. He is making a statement, it seems you have really pissed him off, you are lucky, this was only his spirit-self, or you would need a hospital.” I took kitten Sam, and climbed into Sam’s bed. So much for having my own Angel on demand. He laughed at me, can you believe the cheek, to laugh at me in my time of need. I wouldn’t let him switch off the bathroom light, oh hell no. Then he laughed at me again. I held kitten Sam close to me, shit I was scared, I asked for it, not to be a bloody chew-toy, to be part of Sam’s world, but this shite is way too crazy, even for me. I dozed on and off, and boy was I cranky the next morning. We drove out before sunrise, not that I think the sun will shine today, the clouds were low and heavy. We waited for Veronica to open the shop. I had told Sean the previous evening, that I had some personal stuff to sort out.
“What ever happened to Rodriguez?” asked Sam. “Oh he made head line news, he was all over the papers, I think he resigned after that, and moved away, well at least I didn’t leave him to freeze to death.” After Veronica left, Sam went to speak to Maria. “Richard, was fine for a month, then he started acting out, tantrums, and cussing. Maria says, she took him to the Padre’, and he has been calm since. I think, Thomas, there, is big shit on the horizon. Someone we pissed off, is out for revenge, that does not have to be Abrux, we sent five demons to hell, and they didn’t want to go back.
The bite marks, is a warning.” I stared at Sam. “What could be worse, Sam?”
“Worse, my friend is, that they send their friends to earth, until new keys are born, you are the first target, next will be the churches, the believers, they will stop, the prayers, if they succeed, we are on our own, your prayers, are what gives an Angel its power, it gives them, the Angels, permission to walk the earth. Remember what I taught you, your words, are what connects us, break that connection, and things like the Poltergeist, the Jinn, the Incubus, and the Succubus, are free to roam, they are spirit-selves, they can move between dimensions.”
I started the car, and drove out of town. “How do I protect myself?” I asked Sam. “Buy a silver crucifix, I will bless it, and get lavender, place it in your pocket, the car, and your home, oh and the shop. They do not like silver, and they can’t stand the smell of lavender.” I drove to the nearest jeweller, I bought a silver chain and a crucifix, then I went to a nursery, and I bought three lavender plants.
I went to the store, and bought lavender incense, drops, and bath salts, hey, don’t laugh, if someone was nibbling on your big toe in the middle of the effing night, you would do the same, and no this is not over-kill, I don’t want to be road-kill.
Sam blessed the chain for me while we drove back home, then he hung it around my neck.
The first stop was at an office building. Talk about blending in. I must say all my blinkers have fallen off, the fact that Angels, demons and other none descriptive beings walk amongst us, is a reality. That we live amongst them, and they with us, has changed my whole outlook on life, hell the saying, we are not alone, really shouldn’t only apply to aliens, the real threat, can walk in your door, unannounced, and rip the carpet to shreds.
The loss of Abigail, weighs heavy on me, the fact that I am half a monster, is something I need to come to terms with, and the fact that I am marked for death, well that is a new one of my list of BS. I followed Sam into an office, he closed the door and locked it, the fellow behind the desk was not surprised to see Sam at all. If he walked past me in the street, I would not even have glanced his way. His eyes turned blood red, Sam held up his hands. “I come in peace, Innocsus, all I need is information.” Sam sat in the chair opposite, the being called Innocsus. “The theory, that demons stay in hell and angels in heaven, is being blown out of the water, my friend here has been marked by Azazel, and a few of his followers, have made their presence known, not only to Thomas, here, but at our drinking hole, they walk in, without any fear, and I need to know what is letting them out?” Innocsus smiled.230Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhICEb4hofy
