The Influence (Supernatural Thriller) Read online

  She figured that she was more worried about Mark than she realized. It prompted her to call him so she reached into her purse to get her cell phone. It took only a moment to find it and flip it open with one hand. She glanced down at the numbers and hit the speed dial for home. Within seconds, the phone was ringing.

  The creature studied her and then looked around. Two lanes to Kathy’s right was a car. The creature sprang through the door, opened its wings, and quickly matched the other car’s speed. Flapping rhythmically, it moved down and entered the vehicle.

  The phone was ringing. She tapped her left foot on the floorboard. “Please pick up the phone.”

  In the other car a man was driving. Upon entering, the demon sat in the back seat. It glared at the driver, examining him, and then it raised its left clawed hand flat, pushing it through the seat and around in front, onto the man’s chest. The monster held its hand and waited. After a second, it smiled. The man was exceptionally vulnerable.

  There was no answer on the phone.

  The demon reached into the brain of the man and extended a single clawed finger as it searched. It glanced back over at Kathy, two lanes away, and then back at the man. There! The beast found what it was looking for and began to quickly tweak his mind. The creature leaned close and shouted into the man’s ear, “Danger! Danger!”

  Sudden fear raked through the driver. His heart began to race as adrenaline dumped into his system. He knuckled the steering wheel and glanced at the mirrors. The creature tweaked him some more as it looked for the place of panic; when it found it, it grasped it and simultaneously screamed, “Watch out! You’re going to die!”

  The man clutched the steering wheel harder and frantically glanced at the rearview mirrors again. He didn’t have time to think, only to react as the manipulation of the demon began to overpower him, forcing him to respond. He quickly turned his head, looking for danger. The demon tweaked his mind with stronger jerks of fright as it took its other clawed hand and placed it over the driver’s own hand on the steering wheel. It strained to turn the wheel towards Kathy as it screamed into the man’s mind. “Watch out! Turn!” The man panicked and jerked the wheel towards Kathy’s car.

  At that moment, she glanced down to the cell phone in her right hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the car heading directly for her. Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left. The careening car was heading for her, but she reacted just in time. It barely missed her.

  The demon opened its wings and, with a screech, rose through the car into the air. Meanwhile, the man swerved in order to miss the center guardrail and somehow managed to avoid crashing into it. He straightened out the car.

  Kathy took her foot off the brake pedal and regained control. She was okay; shaken, but okay. The man was, too. The demon descended into her car again and howled into her mind, “Die!” Suddenly, it jerked its head upward.

  “No!” it shouted.

  Then it jumped through the roof of the car and flew quickly off. Three hundred miles away, Kathy’s father, lying in his bed at the hospital, opened his eyes.

  ***

  “Yes, the rope,” came the words into Mark’s mind.

  Use the rope to free myself.

  The monster was getting bolder. Still in a state akin to a hypnotic trance, Mark grabbed it and formed a makeshift noose.

  Kathy’s father, John, closed his eyes again.

  ***

  Far away, an angel turned his head and listened. He was bathed in a gentle white light that emanated from his body. Huge and powerful wings thrust out from his back as he glided in the blue sky. He had no claws, no fangs, and no leathery skin. He wore a long white robe that flowed like water as he flew. The angel’s hair was long and white; it, too, flowed in the wind. His face was human in appearance. Although he was not armed with talons and fangs, he was muscular and formidable in stature.

  The angel listened, hovered, and then, with a sudden jerk, tucked his wings and dove through the sky at great speed.

  ***

  The beast continued to speak into Mark’s mind as though its words were his. “I will have the peace I deserve. I need to do this.”

  Mark looked at the end of the rope and adjusted the noose. But he hesitated. His natural instinct of self-preservation was surfacing. The demon whispered, “This is right and good.” The creature tweaked Mark’s mind, releasing endorphins. Mark’s resistance weakened.

  “Get on the rock.” Mark looked at it.

  “Get on the rock.” He walked towards it and lifted his leg. With a single thrust, he boosted himself two feet up off the ground.

  “Put the noose around your neck.”

  The balance between self-preservation and suicide moved one way and then another as the battle raged between Mark’s will and that of the demon. Mark hesitated. The monster moved its claws deeper into his mind and tried to weaken his resistance.

  Mark focused on the rope. He pulled it towards him. The creature tried to forcefully increase the sensation of tranquility within Mark’s mind, but it could see that he was still resisting its manipulations.

  The demon was able to do no more. The outcome was not guaranteed, but its victory seemed near.

  Mark looked at the rope, wavering between decision and diluted fear.

  “Peace and rest.” He felt the words again. He brought the rope closer. But Mark’s self-preservation instinct was not entirely gone. He held the rope still. He was deciding, struggling. The creature held on to Mark’s mind.

  “Peace. I need the rest and peace,” said the demon softly. Mark leaned towards the rope.

  “Peace” said Mark, faintly. “I need peace.” Mark opened the noose.

  A flash of white streaked across the garden and slammed into the demon, ripping its claws from Mark’s mind. Mark winced slightly. The impact sent the demon tumbling, wings flailing. It growled horribly as it clawed into the air, not knowing what had happened. The angel grabbed one of the demon’s wings and tore at it, ripping the leathery skin and snapping a bone underneath. The creature cried out in agony and tried to lock its jaws on the neck of the angel, but the angel was too fast. The monster jerked violently and struck its enemy in the face. The angel continued to hold the wing. Snap! Another bone broke. The demon growled and punched the angel in the face, but the angel held on stubbornly and locked his arms around the creature’s chest. The evil being bent its head down, dislocating its neck, and buried its teeth into the angel’s arm causing him to recoil in pain and loosen his grip. The demon twisted violently and forced its neck bones back in place with cracking and grinding noises. It saw its enemy and, for a split second, was blinded by the light so close to its dark eyes. It spat into the angel’s face, and lunged at him with its fanged mouth wide open. Its attack was met with a crushing fist that slammed into the side of its head. A single fang flew out of its mouth, along with a splatter of green. The demon kicked at the angel again and managed to free itself; in an instant, it flew down into the ground, disappearing into the dark earth, screaming and cursing. The sound quickly faded. The battle was over.

  The angel quickly looked back at Mark, who was still standing on the rock, rope in hand. He flapped his wings once and in an instant was beside him. He leaned towards Mark and whispered in his ear, “No, this is not the way.”

  Mark’s head swayed a bit and he blinked.

  “Suicide is not the answer.”

  Mark looked at the rope. His mind began to clear.

  “Suicide is not the answer,” repeated the angel. “This is wrong. Do not do this.”

  The fog clouding his mind faded; in a flash, he pushed the rope away and stepped back in horror. Falling from the rock, he tumbled into a bush, flailing his hands about as he tried to gain his bearings.

  The angel looked around to make sure the demon was not returning.

  The noose swayed. Mark could scarcely believe what he had almost done. He got up and moved away from the rope, staring at it in horrified disbelief. It wa
s still swinging back and forth, twisting slowly in the air. He took another step back, almost tumbling again. After a few seconds, he went into the gazebo. He stood there in shock, staring into the garden, recovering, waiting. Then after a minute he sat down and buried his head in his hands, pulling his hair in his fists.

  From behind the shed, a flash of dark streaked towards him. The hideous creature was back. Its wing was damaged, but not enough to overcome its blinding rage. In that same instant, the angel stepped in front of Mark and took the full force of the impact of the charging monster. They rolled on the ground, but the evil creature was no match for the angel.

  Mark was oblivious to the battle. He was recovering from the shock of what he had almost done, exhausted and ashamed. He looked out at the rope and a wave of gloom flushed through him. It was followed by a surge of nausea that crawled up his throat. He swallowed hard as he fought to hold back the horrible mix of confusion, fear, and dread.

  Off to the side, near the edge of the garden, the demon kicked and clawed with all of its strength, driven by insane anger at having lost the battle over Mark. Its vengeance had overpowered its will and the demon retaliated against the angelic warrior with all of its strength, but the angel was too strong. They wrestled, intertwined, fighting with kicks and punches until they broke apart.

  Just for a moment, the two of them faded, becoming semi-transparent. The angel’s light dimmed ever so slightly and the monster lunged again, but missed. Wings flapped furiously as each tried to gain position, until finally the angel grabbed the beast by the throat and squeezed. The demon flapped violently, and its whole body shuddered. It clawed in vain at the hand that held it at bay. The angel squeezed even harder. The creature gasped for breath and kicked hard. But the angel repeatedly deflected the enemy’s blows by shielding himself with his wings.

  The monster’s eyes flared as it sensed its imminent loss. It grasped the angel’s arms and tried to pull them from its throat, but it could not. The angel held firm, squeezing tighter and tighter, driving his fingers into the leathery flesh, puncturing its skin. The demon continued frantically to beat its wings, causing small gusts of wind to briskly whip the angel’s robe to and fro. It gurgled a weak growl as it tried to claw itself free from the angel’s grip. But it was no use.

  Soon the creature’s eyes began to fade, becoming pale. Its wings beat more and more slowly, until finally, they stopped. Its arms fell limp at its side as it lay suspended in the powerful grip of its victor.

  The angel held the demon for a minute making sure it was utterly defeated. Then, he turned it over and with great effort, ripped its wings from its back. The flesh tore and bones broke, sending a cracking noise into the air. Then the angel let the creature and the wings drop and watched them disappear into the ground. He turned his attention to Mark.

  Above the garden, a twist in the fabric of space ripped open. The angel looked up and immediately stretched it wings to full width.

  ***

  John opened his eyes. His ribs hurt, but he didn’t mind. It was nothing compared to the pain he was in when his infected gallbladder threatened to rupture and kill him, an excruciating experience. At first he had thought his pain was due to gas, so he postponed going to the doctor. But after a day of unrelenting and increasing discomfort, he finally realized that something was seriously wrong. By the time he called for the paramedics, he was doubled over, barely able to stand. They rushed him to the hospital where he had emergency surgery. Everything went well and the doctor said that he was healing fine.

  John felt good, considering the situation. Besides, he would be out of the hospital in a day or two and Kathy would be there to help him. John looked forward to seeing her again. He closed his eyes once more.

  “Lord,” he said quietly, “I thank you that you are sending Kathy to help me. And I thank you that you have heard my prayers for her and Mark. Once again, I thank you for your provision and I ask that you heal me quickly so that I might once again be used in your service. Thank you for giving me more time in this world to honor you. Amen.”

  ***

  Above the garden, a distortion in the air produced a faint darkness that cloaked part of the garden. The angel looked up. A black slash had opened and a flicker of flames and wisps of smoke flowed out from the rent, ascending and dissipating as they cast a faint and fleeting shadow on the garden below.

  A small, dark black winged creature slipped through the opening and hovered in the air as it slowly beat its wings. It turned and bowed its head low and backed away. The angel kept watching. “No,” he said aloud.

  From within the rip, a second figure emerged. It was more than three times the size of the first. Its huge wings spanned thirty feet and they billowed back and forth slowly, keeping the creature aloft. A single, large, and twisted horn protruded backward and upward from the giant creature’s reptilian head. Its chest was massive, lined with ribs that were occasionally exposed by open sores. It had a raised vertical ridge from its neck to its leathery abdomen and a long, thin tail that whipped the air.

  With two large red eyes, it stared down into the garden. It slowly opened its jaws, inhaled, and howled an unearthly roar audible throughout the spirit world, its echoes reverberating even after the creature fell silent.

  The angel kept its wings spread as he focused on the evil forms above him.

  The gash in space closed.

  Staring down at the angel were a demon and a prince. The demon was the same kind as the one that the angel had just vanquished. It was formidable, but not nearly as much as the prince. That one was massive and strong. Its feet were hooves and its huge skeletal hands ended in long, razor-sharp talons. Fangs jutted from its mouth. It looked down at the angel and flapped twice as it moved to a treetop and rested. The demon followed and landed on a lower limb, near its master.

  The angel opened his right hand, raised it to the heavens, knelt down, and whispered, “Oh Mighty One, I need help against a prince.”

  Chapter 2

  MARK SAT IN THE gazebo, head in hands, eyes staring blankly at the dirty wood flooring. The sun was setting and long gray shadows had begun their slow crawl across the garden. The birds chirped at the setting sun and the water from the small stream meandered over rocks, softly trickling.

  Would he tell Kathy what happened? He didn’t know. All he could do was try and get through the next few hours without falling into another deep depression.

  What was I thinking? He shook his head. Idiot. What an idiot!

  Everything was all wrong: the aggravation of unanswered questions, the disturbing memories of Jacob’s death, Kathy’s absence, his father-in-law’s surgery, and most of all, that he had almost killed himself. Nausea rumbled lightly in his gut. He sat back in fearful disgust.

  The angel watched him. He approached and whispered into his ear. “The voice you heard was not your own. It lied to you.”

  Mark raised his head as he remembered the thoughts that seemed to flow through his mind. They seemed focused. Then he remembered the peace, the soothing and seductive peace. He leaned forward and dropped his face into his hands again and exhaled hard.

  The angel watched and glanced regularly up to the treetops. The prince glared down, silencing the birds with a reptilian hiss from an open mouth full of rotting fangs.

  Mark sat there running everything over in his mind. It didn’t make any sense. His thoughts had somehow seemed foreign to him but, at the same time, they were his. It was strange. He didn’t understand.

  He shook his head as he remembered the desire to put the noose around his neck. He looked up at the rope and watched as it swayed gently in the breeze.

  More nausea poked at his stomach. He rubbed his belly in an attempt to combat it. He convulsed once and, to his surprise, his stomach ejected its contents with a forceful spasm. Leaning over the rail of the gazebo, he vomited into the dirt, groaning with each heave.

  A flash of light moved across the sky. The angel looked up, as did the prince. Above the garde
n, another angel hovered momentarily, surveyed the garden and the demons, and slowly descended, giving wide berth to the prince before gently landing next to the angel.

  “I came as quickly as I could,” he said. “I am Nomos.”

  “Welcome, Nomos. I am Sotare. I remember you.”

  Nomos nodded humbly. Like Sotare, he also glowed with a soft light, had equally broad shoulders, and was cloaked in a white robe. But in contrast to Sotare’s white hair, Nomos’ was black.

  Sotare continued. “I sent a demon back to the pit, but now a prince and its slave are here.”

  They looked up into the trees. The prince and demon were staring back, studying them.

  “You have encountered a prince before, is that not true?” asked Sotare.

  “Yes, the same one that is above us.” Nomos touched his left side, where the light was slightly dimmer. He was still looking up. “Its name is Nabal.”

  “I have heard of it,” said Sotare. “Do you know why this creature is here?”

  “I do not. I only know that a prayer came and I was sent with great haste.”

  Sotare looked at the man. “He is not one of ours. Today he was almost seduced into suicide by a demon.”

  Nomos responded. “If a prince is here, then this man holds great importance.”

  “Yes, and it means that a battle is coming.”

  The angels looked up at Nabal. Its huge breadth cast a shadow over the gazebo. The light of the sun passed through the spirit-demon, and its intensity lessened in the process. Around the prince, an aura of light shimmered slightly as the sunlight glinted off the edges of its tight leathery skin.

  The slave demon flapped its wings. One of them sliced through Nabal’s shadow, sending darker slivers earthward.

  “Nabal has many slaves,” said Nomos. “I see only one.”

  “It would seem that the others are doing its bidding elsewhere.”