Heaven Sent (27 page)

“What do you suppose happened back there?” I heard a young man ask.

“I do believe that was the wrath of God,” and older woman replied. “Yes, siree! The wrath of God.”

Obviously, she didn’t stay for the part where the hideous demon comes out of the box. I got the feeling some of the Satanists had lost their taste for the devil, at least I hoped they had. I exited the gates right behind the older woman and peered anxiously up and down the street. There was no sign of Maudrina and Erin.

The street emptied quickly, the Satanists seeming to vanish like ghosts into the night. In a short while, I was alone on the deserted street. I fought off a twinge of fear, along with the idea that Satanists had taken Maudrina and Erin. I started walking, putting some distance between myself and Tavares Castle.
They’re fine
, I told myself. Maudrina could handle herself in a tight spot. Hadn’t I just witnessed that? I pulled out my phone, and when I did, I realized someone had texted me.

Meet up at your place.

It was from Maudrina.
Thank God
, I thought, allowing the relief I’d been pretending to feel to engulf me like a hug. I continued walking, hoping to find a taxi, and when I realized that wasn’t going to happen, not in this God-forsaken part of town, I pulled out my phone and called our local cab service hoping they’d send a car out here to get me. When they said they would, I moved to a nearby bus bench. I sat and waited, and with silent night all around me, allowed myself a good cry.

I cried alligator tears, saturating the sticky night air with noisy, shrieking sobs. I can’t say what I was crying about—there was so much to cry about, really. I couldn’t believe I was still here, that Satan hadn’t come for me. I wept non-stop for ten full minutes. At times laughter would erupt through the tears, only to give way to agonizing sobs, the sobs coming on quickly, like a sudden summer storm. I don’t remember how many times I wiped my nose on my sleeve, which normally I’d say was nasty, but sitting there on the bench crying my heart out, I didn’t think anything of it.

When I saw the headlights of the cab creeping in my direction, like a panther in the night, the crying slowly abated. By the time the cab pulled up to the curb in front of me, I was all smiles for the young driver. “Take me home,” I said as I tumbled into the back seat. “Take me home.”

*

They were waiting outside my front door. I saw them from half a block away, and a knot began forming in the hollow of my stomach. My mouth became bone dry.

I paid the cabbie, got out, and started up the walkway. I peered through the darkness trying to get a glimpse at the expression on Erin’s face.
How did Maudrina manage to get her here?
They both seemed anxious to get inside and out of the heat, but that was about all I could detect.

“Hey,” I said, trying to keep it casual. Maudrina had discarded the wig and dark glasses, along with her robe.

“Hey,” she responded. “I hope your AC’s working ’cause I’m sweating like a pork chop in a hot house.”

I chuckled. “You made that one up.”

“I sure did.” Her expression darkened. “I see you’re still with us.”

“If you’re talking about the tipping point, I guess I didn’t cross it.”

She nodded, but she seemed unsure.

We didn’t mention the threat to my life in front of Erin—a shared, silent agreement. The entire time we were bantering back and forth, Erin said nothing. Her eyes moved from me to Maudrina and back, her emotions concealed beneath a neutral expression.

“Hey,” I said, giving her a nod and a smile. I pulled out my keys.

“Hey.” Her tone was as neutral as the expression on her face.

“I told her everything,” Maudrina said, as I unlocked the door.

I shot her a questioning glance.

“
Ev-ery-thing,”
she repeated with emphasis. Then, as if in her own defense: “It took two busses to get here. We had to talk about something.”

My eyes moved to Erin. “And?”

“Can we go inside first?” Erin said. “I could use a cool drink.”

“Of course.”

I opened the door, and we went in. The house smelled of stale garlic and spice, and I remembered that I hadn’t taken out the trash from last night’s Chinese food celebration. The AC was off and I kicked it on, but it would take a while before the house cooled down.

We stopped off in the kitchen where I got three sodas from the fridge. When I came over to the island where they were seated, I noticed Erin staring at the remaining birthday cake in a Tupperware bin.

“You want a piece?” I asked.

She looked up at me, as if seeing me for the first time. “Today’s your birthday,” she responded, and I realized she’d just now remembered.

“It’s… supposed to be your wedding day,” I replied with cautious eyes.

She nodded, still expressionless, and I thought of soldiers who come home from war after seeing so many atrocities and have no emotional response to anything because of the trauma. “Normally, I would have called her nutty as a fruitcake,” Erin said, nodding toward Maudrina. “But I can’t, not after what I saw tonight.”

“So… you forgive me?” I surprised myself with the question. I was kind of upset with myself for asking, but I couldn’t help it. I’d been carrying around a heavy dose of guilt and was looking for a little relief.

“I’m not an idiot, Megan. I know you saved my life and risked your own in the process.” Annoyance slithered onto her face.

“And?”

“And I need to sleep on it, okay?” she snapped.

“Yes. Of course. You’ve been through a lot,” I said, disappointed there was still anger in her. “Let’s go in the living room. It’s more comfortable in there.”
And less garlicky
, I thought.

As we moved toward the living room, Maudrina caught my eye. She was behind Erin, who didn’t see her silently smack her fist into her hand. “Bam!” she mouthed.

I couldn’t help but smile. What a friend.

They settled onto the sofa, with me in the comfy armchair across from them. Amanda had silently come downstairs and seated herself in the entryway. She’d grown over the past month, and was now more cat and less kitten than before but every bit as adorable. She sat erect, like an Egyptian statue, her eyes glued to Erin. Her presence reminded me there was a demon inside Erin, and that my night wasn’t over yet.

“Did Maudrina happen to mention the demon inside you?” I asked, trying my best to conceal the concern from my voice.

Erin sipped her drink and sat back. “Yeah, she told me, but that part’s pretty hard to believe. I feel normal.” She crossed her leg and took another sip.

“That may be true, but you didn’t see what we saw at the castle.” I eyed Maudrina, who nodded her confirmation. “You were kinda out of it at the time.”

“She told me you want to call the demon out of me. I get it,” Erin said, and yawned. “But can’t we do it in the morning? I’m exhausted. I’m sure you are, too.” The sweetest smile graced her lips. She stood up and stretched.

I hadn’t seen that smile in months. It reminded me of the good times.
Smart girls rule.

“No, Erin,” I said, standing as well. “We have to do this tonight.”

I could feel the tension in the room begin to rise as her eyes moved from me to Maudrina. She was looking at us as if we were being unreasonable. “I’m fine. I’m back! Isn’t that enough for you?”

I hadn’t noticed it, but Amanda had crept closer. I began to wonder if this was Erin talking, or the demon inside.

“I have to call him out as soon as possible,” I said in a firm tone.

“Why?” she whined. She turned piteous eyes on Maudrina. “I mean, suppose what you told me is true. I could die.” Tears formed in her eyes. “I don’t want to
die
,” she said, leaning on the word. “Do you hate me so much you want to kill me?” Her teary eyes were now on me.

I was certain it was the demon talking and not Erin because her words pierced my heart like an arrow finding a bull’s-eye, and demons always go after your weaknesses. My own tears began welling up. “I have to do this,” was my tortured response. I took a step toward her, and she recoiled as if I were toxic, and leaped onto the sofa, feet first.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me, you… traitor!”

Maudrina and I were stunned. Erin was standing on the sofa. I signaled with my eyes for Maudrina to get closer. I didn’t want a repeat of what had happened at the castle.

Terror rose in Erin’s eyes as she saw us attempting to cut off her escape route. She again leaped into the air and landed behind the sofa. “She’zzz mines. You can’tsss have her.” The hissing voice coming out of Erin was deep and frightful.

“Erin?”

“Shesss not available,” the demon hissed, and laughed.

“She’s in there. I know she is.”

“Maybe,” the demon replied. “Maybe not. She wassss delociousss,” the demon said, and laughed again, its laughter piercing my heart even more.

“Erin, I know you can hear me. I had a dream about your tenth birthday party. Remember that party?” I asked, my voice trembling.

Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head until nothing but the whites remained. She looked like a creature from a horror show. Her head flipped right-to-left, right-to-left, as if she were being slapped from cheek to cheek.

“What’s happening?” Maudrina’s voice was heavy with distress.

“She’s fighting for control,” I said.

“Call the demon out,” Maudrina whispered loudly.

“Erin, I got you a purse. It was a Blossom from The Power Puff Girls purse. I wrapped it myself.”

“What are you doing?” Maudrina demanded.

“I’m trying to make contact with her.”

“Just call the demon out,” she repeated.

I went on. “It’s where we were going to keep our makeup for our glamover.”

Erin’s eyes drifted back into their sockets. “Yes… Yes, I remember,” came her distant reply. Her eyes opened wide and filled with terror. “What just happened?” she asked, and I could tell what was left of her, what the demon hadn’t devoured, was starting to realize something was seriously wrong.

Then her expression changed, her complexion darkened, as if a shadow had fallen across her face. Frantic, demonic eyes began scanning the room, and I knew the demon within was searching for a way out. She began backing away from us, toward the rear wall.

“For heaven sake, Megan, talking to her isn’t going to work. Call him out,” Maudrina repeated.

“But suppose she’s right, and it—”

“CALL HIM OUT!” she screamed.

“Demon,” I called, pushing past my guilt and fear, and marshaling every ounce of courage in me. “I compel you to show yourself at once.”

When I completed the command, Erin dropped to the floor behind the sofa like an anchor. She hit with a tremendous thud that shook the house, and then lay there, either dead or unconscious.

We raced around the sofa from either side. She began convulsing violently, her body flopping along the floor like a landed fish.

“He’s killing her,” I whispered, my heart trembling with the fear I’d killed my friend. “Demon!” I called again, louder this time, so loud my vocal chords ached, “I command you to come out
now
!”

The convulsing abruptly stopped, and she lay there. Still. All the hard edges and lines of her face were gone. She was at peace.

“Is she breathing?” Maudrina whispered, her own breath coming in short, anxious gasps.

“I think so,” I whispered back, but I wasn’t sure. It was wishful thinking, because nothing about her seemed alive.

“Let’s get her on the sofa.”

Maudrina began moving toward her head and me her feet. As we stooped to lift her, I noticed her mouth gaping open abnormally wide, wider than a human mouth should be able to stretch. “Look,” I rasped, pointing. Two eyes, like red laser dots, were staring at us from the dark inside.

“Sssilly girlzzz,” the demon hissed, and then the crimson eyeballs began moving up her throat, toward the front of her mouth.

We heard another sound. Amanda was transforming. Our eyes moved between Amanda transforming into a hell cat to the demon emerging from Erin’s throat. Maudrina was doubly wide-eyed because she hadn’t yet experienced the change in Amanda.

In minutes, seven feet of yellow serpent had slithered from Erin’s mouth. It curled up on the floor beside her lifeless body, as if she were a beloved pet. The demon was thick in circumference, like the bicep of a strapping young man. It was beautiful, with tiny black diamond-shaped marks flecked along its shiny yellow flesh. The creature was breath-taking.

“Ahh, yesss,” it said in a hissy voice. It breathed in deeply, taking in the cool air. “Fresssh soulzzz.” The creature locked eyes onto mine. It began sliding in my direction. The swish of it slithering across the floor, like shuffling feet dragging slowly toward me, shattered my nerve. My fear glued my feet to the spot. The soft rumble of a growl emanated from Amanda’s chest.

The demon stopped a few feet in front of me, sniffed, and then recoiled. “You,” it said, its hissy voice filled with wonder, “are the girl who causesss my massster so much consssern. I cannot have you, for he hass claimed you.” The yellow serpent’s eyes moved to Maudrina. “Inocenssse,” it hissed breathily, and then it started for her. Amanda’s growl ceased.

Maudrina began backing away. “Megan?”

“Amanda!” I called. She was lying at the foot of the sofa, her large luminescent eyes on me. She sensed I was in no danger from the demon—
He hass claimed you
—so she didn’t attack.

The slithering demon pursued Maudrina around the sofa and toward the entryway. She was backing away slowly, “Megan!” but the demon was moving swiftly, and was nearly upon her.

“Amanda, Maudrina is my friend, my dearest friend. Any harm that comes to her, comes to me. You must protect her, as you protect me.” Amanda’s ears perked up. She rose to her feet, and a deeper rumble erupted this time.

The demon was set to pounce on Maudrina, when its attention was drawn to the sound and movement to its right. It stopped, its head whipping toward Amanda. It set its eyes on her for the first time, and again recoiled, this time hopping back several feet. Its red eyes literally bulged. “What’ss thisss?” it hissed in a voice filled with surprise and outrage. “A hell cat!”