The Devil's Reject - 3. Part III.

Part 3

 

Hannah’s Impala flew down the highway towards town. I had her believing we were going to go shopping at the small anti-mall. Little did she know, I was Investigator Travis, trying to figure out why dread hung around me like a wet blanket. After the incident with Connor in my house, I slept soundly that night, devoid of nightmarish dreams or anything I just couldn’t explain.

 

But despite that, I always felt something watching me, documenting my every thought and move. Things flickered out of the corner of my eyes; every time I looked they were obviously not there. I kept trying to review what had happened in my house, what I had signed exactly and why the scratches in my hand burned every time I thought about Connor.

 

We peeled into the semi empty parking lot. The sky was scattered with dreary rain clouds yet again, a perfect comparison to whatever was to come.

 

“I’m so excited!” Hannah slammed the door shut, “You’ve never wanted to ditch school to shop.”

 

“Always room for something new. ” We began to walk across the parking lot. Everything was wet and cold, the cars all seemed older, and rust was creeping along their bodies. I glanced at Hannah; she looked pale, gaunt, and her eyes were blank.

 

“Hannah?”

 

“What?” She looked the same. I glanced back at the car, it was without rust.

 

“Oh… nevermind, nothing….” We walked in silence across the lot. As we reached the archway into the mall, the same cold wind that accompanied odd occurrences drifted past. My chest felt tight, I halted my walking.

 

“You alright?”

 

“Yeah, go ahead of me. I’m going to go to the bookstore for a bit.”

 

“Alright, I’ll have my phone.” Hannah sauntered off, leaving me alone.

 

I could feel something pulling at me, creeping on my skin. It made me frown, but I was not frightened. “I know you’re here.” I said, as confidently as I could.

 

“Oh, good,” Connor strolled through my peripherals, as my eyes darted to the pristine blond boy, “I was getting bored of playing tricks on you.”

 

“That was you?”

 

“Correct.” He smiled at me.

 

“Why?”

 

“My, humanity has a prevalence for stupidity.” He flicked out his hand; a roll of parchment soared into the air and began to roll across the length of parking lot. I glanced around, did anybody else see this? He stepped closer, slender fingers holding up the end of the extremely long piece of document. Connor’s forefinger flicked at my name in dried crimson. “Read hither.”

 

“Yes, I see it.” I squinted, looking closer.

 

“No, fool, read it aloud to me,” he paused, “I retract that statement, read it aloud for us both.”

 

“Why? Just read it yourself.” I turned to leave.

 

“READ IT.” His voice sliced through the air. I stopped.

 

“Alright, alright,” clearing my throat, “I, Travis Mitchell relinquish my well being, state of mind, free will and soul to…” I squinted at the odd markings, “I cannot read that.”

 

“That is my signature.”

 

“What does it say?” I asked.

 

“Why on this festering planet would I give you my name?” Connor threw his head back and let out a cold, multi-voiced chuckle.

 

“It isn’t Connor?”

 

“Nevermind.” There was a loud snap and the parchment flew back into Connor’s hand. “So, now, as stated, you get to wish things. In exchange, I have you.”

 

“That is very vague.”

 

“As is my nature, whatever you will, shall occur. Within reason, of course. I do not bring things back from the dead, nor do I prevent death.” Connor began to count things mentally off his fingertips, “You cannot wish for the contract to be void because, frankly, that would be no fun.”

 

“What happens when the contract is finished?”

 

“I drag you to hell.” He grinned.

 

“Yeah, right.”

 

“Do you have any other questions? I am a busy individual.”

 

“Did you have sex with me?” my eyes narrowed, staring at whatever Connor was.

 

“I believe so, yes.”

 

“That’s rape!”

 

“It is not.”

 

“I did not give consent!” I yelled.

 

“Yes you did. When you wished for something to come along and change your life, I happened to be in the general vicinity and came to your aid.”

 

“No where in that plea did I say I wanted to be raped by some thing pretending to be a dude.”

 

“Perhaps not quite, but you enjoyed it.” I did not say anything. I glanced at the asphalt.

 

“Are you going to do it again?”

 

“Do you will it so, Travis?” Connor was now right before me, his hand resting on my hip. The other hand lightly gripped my crotch. I shivered, almost collapsing.

 

“No… no…” I breathed. “Not now.”

 

“Fair enough.” He was a pace from me now. “Merely think of me and I shall come.”

 

“What if I don’t want any of this?”

 

“You did sign the contract.”

 

“I don’t give a fuck what I signed. What if I don’t want your wishes and your help?”

 

“Then you will waste away as you are now, lonely in this small town with nothing but your thoughts. Eventually I will come for you, like I came for your friend Daniel. However, if I choose to come for you, it is years of me hunting you,” Connor smiled something beautiful, “And by hunting, I am always underneath your bed, the shadows on your walls, creeping in the darkness at night outside your room. It is far more traumatizing than just accepting,” he paused briefly considering something, “Personally, I’d rather not do something so barbaric. My cousins enjoy doing that more than I, torturing poor souls until they just crumble like dust. I take a more…elegant approach.”

 

“What did you do to Dan?” I asked suddenly. There had been talk that his mom had filed missing persons. Dan had been missing a few days.

 

 

 

“I told you, do you not listen Travis? I came to collect from him.”

 

“Collect what?”

 

“Everything. Everything that was Dan is now mine. It is simple, really.” Connor explained, “His father and I did business years ago. The man killed himself recently; I think he heard I was in town. So, the contract states that it usually travels to next of kin, thusly his son, or something like that. I’d rather not go into details. Now, I must be off.” And he was gone.

 

“Mother fucker!” I roared at the sky, “I HATE YOU!” I hated myself. But Connor was evil. He was using something I could not control, I could not help myself. It was like a drug. When he was around, my knees were weak, my mind was open and I wanted to just lock myself in my bathroom and touch myself. It was disturbing.

 

My optimistic side usually kicked in at this point, “There must be something around this.” I mused to myself. If there wasn’t, then it was unfair. Most contracts, whatever they may be, had policies, rules to cut them off. I was going to find out. It was odd though, I was again not fazed by the horrific visions or the way Connor was never really…real. Perhaps I was insane, but to vanish like Dan? I did not wish anything to end that way.

 

I jogged into the mall and began to look for that little bookstore I had seen a few weeks ago. It was tucked away in the back, past the shitty food court. Everything was so empty, where was everybody? I didn’t even bother to text Hannah to let her know where I was, my feet took me to the door and finally through it into the dusty shop.

 

It smelled of paper and, I guess, the way books usually smell. Papery.

 

My eyes scanned the small store. A lonely Red Flyer was filled with tattered books marked 'USED/SALE'. I touched one with my finger. It felt moldy. Wandering around, I noticed the tags on the ends of the aisles and started to search for 'D'. It was just a hunch.

 

"Can I help you?" I jumped.

 

"Holy shit..." it was under my breath, I hoped, "Er...Hi...well... Maybe..." I kept glancing at the tags. "Section starting with D's?"

 

I turned to face the voice, as two curious brown eyes stared at me through thin looking glasses. A mousey character, skinnier than I. He looked the part, the part where he worked in a bookstore. "This way." He gestured for me to follow a few rows down. He pointed at a tag and drew his arm toward the end of the aisle, "This whole side. Anything in particular?"

 

"I think I'll be okay."

 

"Alright, let me know if you need any help." Smiling, the bookkeeper shuffled away. I began to my search and literally after thirty minutes I had come up with nothing. I was crouching sifting through several large tomes, something about the Revolutionary War, when he came back.

 

"Found it yet?"

 

"No..."

 

"Well, what exactly are you looking for?"

 

"Um..." I glanced up, searching his face, those foureyes, would he laugh? Nah, he probably played Dungeons and Dragons anyways. "Supernatural stuff."

 

His face lit up.

 

"Oh really?"

 

"Yup." I kept looking through nothing, just pretending to seem casual. I couldn't describe the feeling Connor gave me, or what he did; every time I thought of it, it seemed like mist. It was there, but it wasn't. Goosebumps, was a good description. Hairs on the back of my neck, standing up. Did Connor know I was doing this? He told me if I thought of him he would be here. My heart raced a moment. I looked around, peeking through books, would I see his face? Or something more grotesque with sharp teeth?

 

"Hello? Hey..." A tap at my shoulder.

 

I blinked back to the now, "Oh right...shit, sorry, I don't know how to explain it."

 

"Well try, I like that stuff, I read all the time anyways," he started talking and I just watched his small mouth go up and down, sometimes revealing teeth that had gone through the rigors of braces, but they looked good. He looked good, like some sort of savior sent from the opposite direction. I nodded and folded my legs sitting, letting out a large sigh.

 

"What's your name?" I asked.

 

"Gabe, short for Gabriel, but I prefer Gabe." A shrug.

 

"Alright, well, just believe me, okay?" And I told him, everything. I felt like I needed to tell him everything or else there would be no resolution and I would be forever...bound to whatever I was bound to. And when I mean I told him everything, I told him everything. Everything.

 

We both sat in that book aisle. The contemplative look on Gabe's face gave me hope, then a brief nod. "You signed a pact with a demon."

 

"What?"

 

"A demon."

 

"Like horns and a tail, pitchfork?" I asked.

 

"I guess yeah, but this is a specific kind. Here... this way..." He got up and I followed him a few rows down. He gathered a few books and cleared off a small table opening one tome. I didn't catch the title, it looked like a scholarly work. "There..." Gabe pointed to a passage. "What you described sounds like a succubus."

 

"A temptress kind of thing right?"

 

"Yeah, but, you kept saying 'he'.?"

 

"So what would that make it? A succudude?" I joked, Gabe laughed.

 

"No, an incubus. I've never really read about any accounts of an incubus seducing a male victim; they usually prey on young woman, sometimes before marriage or birth. This one however seems to hold that trait, but it issued a pact with you."

 

"Yeah, but there was still seducing." I was hesitant to remind him of that fact, but he paid no mind.

 

"Right, it is sort of a magic they have, the only way they screw with you is if...well if they screw you," Gabe pulled up another book, "You mentioned you would receive gifts right?"

 

"Yeah, he mentioned something like that."

 

"Have you gotten them yet?"

 

"No." I said quickly.

 

"Well that's a start. Usually these pacts can go on for ages, literally."

 

"How do you know all this?"

 

"You can know everything, just read." He smiled and his eyes asked me to focus, "Usually they give you wishes, that sort of thing. Demons are very...structured. Their pacts are well-written, so there is no real way to break it unless the demon, incubus in your case, breaks the rules or you 'prevent' it from coming for you in the end."

 

"Which one is easier?"

 

"I don't think either is, really. . Considering most people who have written of such things are just going by hearsay, rather than actual fact. Now, what you're describing makes it seem that this one is powerful, his words are velvety and it all makes sense, even though it doesn't..."

 

"I basically want to fuck him every time he shows up."

 

Gabe glanced at me, pausing for a moment, "Hmm. You can bind him somewhere, he won't be able to leave, unless you allow him or the circle is damaged or broken. It's usually much more powerful if you find the first place he was summoned."

 

"Somebody summoned him?"

 

"Well, for powerful creatures, it seems that the more powerful they are, they are restricted to where they can go. The kind of haunts and such you hear about are lowly things, insignificant things," Gabe explained, "If you can bind him, you can control him, in essence. If you know the true name, then that is even better. Does he have a name?"

 

"Connor."

 

"Interesting." Gabe began to thumb through the large tome.

 

"I remember he mentioned something about names, how powerful they are. And you know..." I glanced around, "Do you have a pencil and paper?"

 

"Sure." Gabe quickly retrieved it. I began to draw as best I could.

 

"I found this at the abandoned academy." I pointed. Gabe examined my crude drawing.

 

"That would be a binding circle of sorts. You can use it."

 

"For what?" I asked.

 

"Well, to bind him, it will slow him down for now. He will come for you eventually, there is absolutely nothing you can do," this information did not compute with me at all, I just wanted to stop Connor for now.

 

"Can you help me?"

 

"Yes." I caught Gabe by the sleeve and dragged him out of the store, "Wait... now? Right now?"

 

"YES!" I growled, "I hate this thing. Its utter bullshit. I'm not even terrified, or scared, I just want it to stop. It's like a headache." Gabe stumbled along. I sent Hannah a text telling her I was catching another ride home. "Do you have a car?"

 

"Y-yes..."

 

"Thank God." I glanced at the dim gray sky.

 

"Do you think my demonic lover knows we are doing this?"

 

"Not unless you think about it, probably." We reached the parking lot after a few moments and he motioned to his Jeep Cherokee. "We need chalk."

 

"For what?" I asked, pausing at the door. I noticed a murder of crows mulling around a turned over trashcan.

 

"To draw a circle, I've seen it enough to memorize the symbols and such." I nodded.

 

"I got some at my house. " We both got in. Thunder rolled across the sky. We sped off to my house. The crows took off as we sped away, appearing to follow us. Pulling into my driveway, I dashed into the house and rummaged through my mother's arts and craft drawer. I gripped the piece of white chalk as I headed back out to the car. Gabe was staring at the murder of crows in the tree outside my house.

 

"Are those....?"

 

"Yeah, probably, he is a huge douchebag. Come on." Gabe swirled out of the driveway and towards the academy. The crows departed the tree, as thunder shattered the sky.

 

 

***

 

Minutes later we pull into the dreary looking school and I bolt from the car. Gabe scrambles after me.

 

"Why are we running?!" he pants.

 

"He is coming, I can ... I can like feeling it or something..." I charge through the dusty foyer and up the termite-assaulted stairs. Gabe is close on my heels as we charge down the creepy hallway and into the room with the broken circle.

 

I stop, panting, hunched over and point. I toss the chalk to Gabe.

 

"There ya go, draw something." Grabbing the chalk, Gabe glances around the room, noticing the ancient looking tome.

 

"God help us, somebody did do something here..."

 

"DRAW SOMETHING!" Crows begin to rush past the windows, their wings flapping wildly, crimson eyes targeting. Wind begins to toss dust around, Gabe yells something, I have no idea what he says, falling to his knees he begins to draw a large circle near the door. Intricate symbols, squares, circles, odd-looking symbols. The wind becomes fierce.

 

"DONE! GET IN!" Gabe shouts, the crows surge in through the open windows. Gabe yells, his body rocketing against the wall. I see myself, now, slow motion stepping into the circle. I feel calm. The crows circle where I stand and in inky darkness, Connor stares at me. Everything is quiet. He smiles a brilliant smile.

 

"Travis....Travis...what are you doing?" The voice is like chocolate.

 

"I don't deserve this." I stepped back, out of the circle. I watch as Connor follows, but as his finely crafted shoes reach the chalk, he stops. Halted.

 

"Really?" The blue eyes are now red, fiery, hatred. "REALLY?" The voice echoes around, dust shifting from the walls. Laughter fills the room, almost driving me mad. I glance over to Gabe, he is unconscious. "This won't stop anything...this won't stop us being together....me getting you, dearest...Travis...It is temporary."

 

"Fuck you." I give Connor the finger and go to collect Gabe. He was light enough to carry, with some strain and I left the academy. I could hear Connor's voice echoing everywhere I went. It never followed me.

 

I never saw "Connor" again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Six Years Later

 

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"Excuse me?" The voice was lovely.

 

"Yes, how may I help you?" A middle aged woman asked behind the desk.

 

"I was curious about finding an old friend, I think he attends this university."

 

"Do you have his or her name?" The woman asked.

 

"Ah, yes, I do. Travis Mitchell."

 

She looked to her computer, searching some database, "Yes, he is in Room A202."

 

"Thank you."

 

"My...." she glanced up, he was gone, "Pleasure..."