Copyright
JC Wallace 2014
Welcome to another installment of Diventando:
Becoming. Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs
Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our
blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at
the end to visit other flashers.
If you are new to Diventando: Becoming and haven’t
read the previous chapters, click on Wednesday Briefs in the left hand column
and start with #1. Enjoy and leave a comment to let me know what you think.
Copyright
JC Wallace 2014
Welcome to another installment of Diventando:
Becoming. Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs
Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our
blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the link at
the end to visit other flashers.
If you are new to Diventando: Becoming and haven’t
read the previous chapters, click on Wednesday Briefs in the left hand column
and start with #1. Enjoy and leave a comment to let me know what you think.
Owen squeezed his eyes tight, summoning the power to
fortify the barrier between him and the Incubus. His body heated as the
remaining medicine in his veins was absorbed with no supply to replenish it.
The SUV rocked and threw Owen about in his seat belt as Turk tried to lose the
vehicles chasing them. Owen thought he could still hear the bullets hitting
their vehicle but mostly he had turned his focus inward. If he willed the demon
to stay dormant, maybe he could save the men trapped in then SUV with a monster.
Why couldn’t he control the demon? It was his body, his mind. That had to mean
something, right? But as the pressure grew in his skull, he became sickly aware
that nothing would halt its progress—ever.
“Turk, stop! Let me out,” Owen pleaded, turning and tightly
grabbed Turk’s arm. “Just let them have me before everyone gets killed!”
Turk growled low but didn’t pull his attention away
from the road. The lights of the oncoming traffic illuminated his face, his
brows furrowed deep, his jaw clenched tight, his lips in a thin line.
“Let us all out, Daniel! They’re just going to kill
you when they catch us. Throw us out with the demon and you can go hide,”
Malcolm yelled. “Stop the—”
A loud smack and Malcolm was silent. Owen wondered
if Wayne had knocked him out, however, looking back, Owen found Wayne grinning,
his hand firmly over the man’s mouth.
“Thought he’d never shut up.”
Beside Malcolm, Wes had pushed himself up against
the door, his fear no less than it had been at the hospital.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry about what happened back there.
It wasn’t me though. You’re cute and all but I don’t go around...You know...” How
did one apologize for a demon taking over his or her body and forcing itself on
someone? Anything would sound lame.
Wes frowned as if he were truly contemplating what
Owen had said. Owen hated to do it but he was going to use Wes again. ...
“Things are about to get a lot worse though.” Owen
held up the busted IV bag. Wes’ eyes went wide again and he started to claw at
the door. “No! No!”
“Calm down!” Wayne roared and grabbed hold of Wes to
subdue him, but the man was wild.
“Daniel! Stop the fucking car!” Malcolm screamed as
mayhem broke out in the back of the SUV.
Owen tugged on Turk’s arm. “Stop, Turk. Please.
Don’t let me hurt anyone else. Baby?”
The endearment forced Turk to glance at Owen and the
harsh realization of his words were plastered all over Turk’s face.
He shook his head, adamantly. “We’re almost there.
Hold on.” He yanked the wheel hard and Owen slammed painfully against the door.
Wes managed to get his door open, but Wayne was able to overpower him again.
Another yank of the wheel and Turk’s gaze shot up to the rear view mirror. “I
don’t see them.”
Owen wanted to rejoice however, heat had begun to suffused
his skin. A low, rumble rolled and filled his ears as his muscles in his limbs seized.
“No,” he whispered, unheard over the cacophony of
shouts from the back seat.
Yes.
I am never far and each time I emerge, I become stronger. Soon nothing will
keep me at bay. And the first thing I will do is kill the Hunter.
“No! Turk, he’s coming and I can’t stop him!” The
rise and fall of Owen’s chest was the only movement of his body. Owen willed
his muscles to remain under his control, fought the heated phantom limbs the
demon was pushing out, prayed for some supernatural strength to aid his battle.
Human,
you cannot stop me, though I am impressed with your fight. Sheer will alone is
not enough to stop me. I have lived a millennium and will live another
millennium after I’ve drained your tired, useless body. Give up and I promise
you will go peacefully when your time comes.
Owen barked out a laugh at the ludicrous lies of the
demon. Before he could respond, the SUV spun off the road and into a field,
bouncing over ruts and logs. Around a bend of trees, a small house came into
view and Turk slammed on the brakes as the vehicle slid to a stop. Turk threw
the vehicle into park and jumped out. He had Owen’s door open and out of his
seat belt before Owen could protest.
“In the house. Now!” Turk yelled to Wayne.
“Coming,” Wayne said behind them. Owen wondered how
he was going to manage with Wes still freaking out.
Turk raced to the front door. The muscles in Owen’s
arms, so recently flaccid, woke up to the control of the demon. Kicking the
door open, Turk ran down a short hallway. The demon was encroaching on Owen,
occupying space that should have only been for one. Owen was being crowded out
again, despite his fight to remain.
“C-comin’ now....” he managed to say before he lost his
voice as well.
“Hold on,” Turk begged, squeezing his hand.
Owen watched in horror as his arms and legs moved
without his input.
Pushing through another door, Turk entered a room
with a bed. Without warning, Owen’s arms shot up and his hands wrapped tight around
Turk’s neck.
“Hunter!”
Leave
him alone! Stop!
Turk stumbled and they fell onto the bed; however,
the demon still managed to keep his hands on Turk’s neck. Turk clawed at the
hands choking him. The demon effortlessly flipped Turk onto his back and
straddled his thighs.
Turk’s eyes bulged and his skin colored red as he
struggled in vain. Owen didn’t want to watch the demon kill Turk, but he had no
choice but to watch...and feel. Oh, fuck he could feel his hands trying to
crush Turk’s windpipe.
Where the hell was Wayne? Help him! Shit, Turk, fight back. Come on! Don’t give up!
“Fighting is useless,” the demon spat, his giddy
tone sickening. “Although, I had hoped that taking out the hunter would prove more
of a challenge. Perhaps I should drain you first. Mm-hmm, the power of a hunter
is quite the delicacy. At least your father was.”
Turk’s father?
The words had a positive effect on Turk as he found
the strength to buck up and partially shift the Incubus from his legs.
Suddenly, Owen’s vision shifted to the ceiling as his body fell back, and Turk
was on top of him because the demon still had his neck.
Owen heard Wayne shout and then Malcolm joined in as
hands grabbed him by the wrist. They were able to wrench the hands from around Turk’s
neck. Owen wanted to make sure he was all right but he was chucked onto the
bed. Within a minute, Wayne and Malcolm had Owen restrained to the bed as the
demon roared and continued to fight for freedom.
Despite his struggle, he was without the power to
overcome three men. No, for that he needed to fuck someone and steal the energy.
Not happening now.
The demon turned to Turk, who was currently holding
down Owen’s arm with one hand and rubbing his neck with the other. A purple
bruise was already forming. He watched as Malcolm worked a needle back into
Owen’s arm. Owen let out a half-mad chuckle only he could hear. Of course, Turk
would have planned for everything. Of course, he would take care of
Owen...until the time came to ‘take care of him.’
“I will kill you hunter. I will suck every ounce of
energy and leave you a dead and withered husk. Just as I did to your father and
his father before him. You will pay with your life!”
Bright, hot anger twisted Turk’s face, and the fist
that smashed into Owen stunned and silenced the demon. Owen was unaffected and continued
to gaze at Turk through half-closed lids. All of this fuss for Owen when it
would have been so much simpler to end his life and destroy the Incubus who had
murdered Turk’s father, and his grandfather.
Turk ran a hand gently over Owen’s forehead. Owen
could only ascertain one reason Turk had gone to the trouble of rescuing him
and had refused to end his life. That reason was too painful and farfetched for
even Owen to entertain. Even so, if the demon was allowed to come forth again,
Owen knew that nothing they did would push him back again. Next time was for
keeps.
##
Jon Keys
Grace Duncan
Lily Sawyer
Shelly Schulz
MA Church
Chris T. Kat
Sarah Hayes
Cia Nordwell
Renee Stevens
Julie Lynn Hayes
This is so exciting & looking forward to every issue. I just hate it when you end it for the next week.
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