A Day in The Life of a Seer - 1. Halloween

The bright sunlight cut through the dimness of the bedroom like a knife. If it hadn’t been for the smell of coffee drifting through the apartment I probably would have tried to roll over and forget the events that were due to happen today. Of course, I really couldn’t push it out of my mind no matter how much I might wish I could.

I stumbled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to take care of the call of nature. I stood looking into the mirror knowing that it didn’t matter what I wore today because no matter what I was going to wear, I would have to throw it all out by the end of it. One of the great problems of my life, no matter how much I knew I still couldn’t change everything.

I headed into the kitchen and poured a cup of life, otherwise known as coffee into a mug and walked over to the phone. A second later it rang.

“Hello Mark. How soon do I need to be there?”

“You know, Tom, just once it would be nice if you pretended you didn’t know who was on the phone.”

“Why? All that does is waste time. What time do I need to be there?”

“I don’t know why I bother to call. You already know.”

“The broad strokes but not the fine lines that make it come alive. So what time?”

“Be at the studio at eleven am today,” Mark said sighing heavily into the phone. “They said they won’t need you early for makeup or anything. You will just be one of many guests on the talk show.”

“Okay, and for once just listen to me. Don’t stop for your coffee at the Starbucks you normally go to.”

“Why?”

I don’t know why he bothers to ask. I won’t tell him and even if I did it would just make it worse. I like Mark, but sometimes he really just doesn’t get it.

“I’m not repeating myself. Don’t go to Starbucks!”

It isn’t often that I can change fate, but I still keep trying. I hate to think that everything we do is already set in stone. Truthfully I believe people are just too damn lazy. We are creatures of habit. We do the same things over and over again. It is only when we act outside our normal, day to day actions, that we really change. That is when you decide your fate and not have fate decide your life for you.

I glanced at the clock. It was going on six twenty. I had some time, so I strolled into the bathroom and showered. Now came the harder part of my morning, what to wear? I mean I was going on television, but then I’d also be covered in blood. Always hard to decide which outfit to go with. Do I go looking like a competent individual or do I go knowing that everything I have on is going to end up in the trash in a few hours? I mean, I don’t exactly have money coming in hand over fist. I decided I’d go middle ground.

An old dress shirt that was blue, a pair of old faded jeans that looked pretty good on me, finished with a simple black tie. Not the most spectacular outfit I could wear, but then again, blood never really comes out in the wash.

I grabbed the bus down to the center of town. It was just a local television station that broadcast here. Occasionally one of the stories here was picked up by ABC or NBC, but that was really rare. Most of the time it was just the local tales of who ran a red light or what local politician was seen eating a huge meal with friends and billing it to the county. Then there were the fluff pieces like I was getting sucked into for this stupid talk show. I hated this time of the year.

I knew I was in trouble as soon as I entered the green room. I felt like I had stepped into a bad episode of the twilight zone judging how some of the people were dressed. A moment later, this little guy came rushing in behind me.

“Mr. Cleary?”

“Yes, I’m Tom Cleary.”

“Good, I wasn’t sure you were coming. I’m Nick Trent, the segment manager. You will be on with the rest of our … guests in about fifteen minutes.”

He had paused to look at the others. He was right, most of them were crazies however there were at least three here I knew were exactly what they claimed to be. Well, at least now I might figure out why I ended up covered in blood before the end of the day.

I simply stood in the back of the room, hoping to stay out of the way of the rest of them. I kept praying something would trigger a feeling, or someone would say something to bring on a full vision, so I could finally find out why I had to be stuck in the middle of this circus.

“Tom,” came a call from the hallway. I turned, Mark stood there looking pale and holding on tight to his cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

“You made it too.” I said looking into his panicked brown eyes.

“You knew. Why didn’t you try to stop it?”

“I can’t always stop it. Sometimes things have to happen and there isn’t anything I can do. I’m just glad you listened.”

“It was all over the radio as I pulled in. Some whack job opened fire in Starbucks. He was complaining that they always overcharged him. It was a conspiracy and everyone in the building was in on it. The news is saying he shot twelve people, four are dead and the rest are in critical condition. I would have been there if you hadn’t told me not to go.”

How could I tell him that originally I had seen him there and instead of four people being killed there would be eight? All because Mark tried to overpower the gunman and before it was over he and seven other victims were killed as well. Four was better than eight and I still had my friend with me, at least in my mind that was a win. Now I just had to keep him from dying here too.

“I’m glad you are finally listening to me. Now do it again. Watch the show from the green room.”

“Do you mean,” he began to ask as the color continued to drain from his face. I quickly grabbed his arm and guided him to a seat. “Do you mean something like that is going to happen here?”

“Look, I’m not sure yet. I haven’t had a full view of it. I just know it isn’t going to be pretty.”

The first two guests were being taken out to be interviewed for the talk show. One was dressed up in a blue robe and looked like he stepped right out of a Harry Potter movie. The other one had on so much goth makeup to look dead it was a wonder her face didn’t crack. I swear there was less plaster put into making a mold of Venus on a half shell then she had on her face. There are times I wish my ablities lay in controlling the weather cause I would pay good money to see her caught in the rain.

There were five others still in the room besides Mark and myself. There was a petite little red head. She seemed pleasant and even from where I was sitting, the power rolling off her was impossible to miss. This woman was definitely a witch of the highest caliber. Sitting next to her was an older woman. She was dressed in green and white. I’d seen her on other shows before. She said she could talk to the dead, but so far no one could prove her right. A gentleman sat to her right. He was supposed to read minds. Well if he read mine he knew I didn’t believe in his power. The kid sitting with his mother was the one who was in control there. The kid looked to be about six years old, and presently, he was bouncing a ball in the middle of the room using only his mind.

“Danny, I wish you would stop. Save it for the show, honey.”

“I’m bored. I don’t know why you made us come here.”

That just left the last guest sitting across from me. I wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be, but he also had power, scary power. If the witch’s power felt like a warm soothing blanket, but this guy’s power felt more like an out of control inferno. He had me worried as hell.

A moment later, Mr. Trent popped back in.

“Danny and Mr. Willis, if you both would come with me. You will be the next two guests Christina and Ed interview for Our Town Talk.”

“Danny isn’t going anywhere without me,” said his mother standing up.

Mr. Trent smiled politely.

“But of course Mrs. Marzan. Please, if you would all follow me.”

There was a television monitor showing the live interviews. Truthfully, I could have cared less. Normally, if Mark had suggested I go on to demonstrate my powers, I would have told him right where he could go. Unfortunately, sometimes my visions show me that I have no choice, but to go or things will get worse. So, against my better judgment, here I am about to go on local television to discuss my unusual abilities. Some call my abilities a blessing. Well, at least I wasn’t cursed like the poor orcacle, Cassandra from Greek Mythology, although my family seems to be decended from her. Some people actually would listen to me and change their fate. I just hoped that I could alter this disaster, if I only knew what the hell caused it.

“My, that Danny sure has a showy power doesn’t he,” said Marion. She was the medium. Wonder if her ghosts were telling her to run yet?

“Yes, poor boy. He will learn to control it better though I’m sure,” Debra said. She kept bobbing along to the song her iPod was playing. A modern witch to be sure.

Still the gentleman across from them stayed silent. I didn’t know his name but he was beginning to make me nervous.

Marion stood up and crossed the room to where I sat near Mark.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marion Rosie,” she said as she stuck out her hand.

“Tom. Tom Cleary.”

“I don’t recognize you. Mind if I ask what you do?”

“See, that is a bit hard to explain. Then again, maybe not. I’m a seer.”

“Seer? Don’t think I’m familiar with that.”

“Did I hear you right?” asked the gentleman from across the way.

“Yes,” I stated looking across into his dark eyes. What was bothering me the most, was that he didn’t seem to have any iris. There were just these dark soulless eyes staring at me. He smiled then and I felt a chill go down my back. My stomach tightened and my hands began to sweat.

“I can tell you know what may happen, and yet you still came? Are you brave, Seer? Or are you just plain stupid?”

“Time will tell.”

Mark stood up and dropped his coffee cup into the garbage. He stood behind the strange man and waved for me to come over. As I stood up Mr. Trent came back in.

“Ms. Debra Woods and Mrs. Marion Rosie, if you ladies are ready. Mr. Cleary and Mr. Devin you gentlemen will be the last guests.”

The world suddenly seemed to stop moving for me. “Mr. Devin,” that’s what Mr. Trent had said. Hearing the man’s name, finally launched the vision I had been waiting on all day.

The room muted to gray and suddenly I could see it all clearly in my mind. While the interviewers asked their usual questions making most of the guests look like the idiots they were they made a huge mistake when Mr. Devin hit their stage. They joked saying a Demonologist should be able to tell them all about hell. He did them one better. He took that moment to say an ancient spell bringing five demon spawn to earth. I watched on in horror as these creatures reached out and literally split the hosts up the middle, and began bathing in their blood. I and the other guests were coated in the splattered gore. Devin began to laugh hysterically saying he knew the true power of hell and hoped they enjoyed it. I watched as Debra tried desperately to use her own power to protect those in the room. Mrs. Marzan screamed and ran as one of the demons used it tail to slash her through the back, lifting her off her feet like a bug on a pin. Danny turned and actually used one of the lights to decapitate one demon, but with four more still standing, we didn’t really have a whole lot of choices. I watched as the man dressed as a wizard broke down crying admitting he had no power and trying to crawl away as one of the demons landed on his back and splayed him open. One flew towards my face the claws spread wide and …

“Tom? Tom, are you okay?”

“Mark?”

“Yeah. You seemed to just melt away there for a moment. Did you have a vision?”

I shook as the fear finally began to let me go. I didn’t have much time.

“Mark, I’ve got to make a phone call and don’t have time to explain. Cover for me. I’ll be with them in a few moments.”

I rushed into the hallway and pulled out my cell phone. I hated dealing with the police because no matter how many times I did they always wanted to make me a suspect. It was only in the most dire of situations that I would even think about making such a call. For me, this whole event definitely qualified.

“Maisy, I don’t have time. Get all of your officers down to the TV Station right now! They better be in riot gear since they are going to need their most powerful weapons to take down the bad guys.”

“Tom? What the hell?”

“That is it in one, Maisy, cause everything is going to hell. Get your men here now! I don’t have time to explain more! Just do it!”

I was right and I knew it. I’d finally figured it out just as Mr. Trent stepped into the hallway looking for me.

“Ah, there you are. They are ready for you now, Mr. Cleary. Please follow me.”

It is the one bad thing about being a seer. Sometimes you know what is going to happen and though you try hard to change the worst of things, some things just can’t be stopped completely. I knew just by being here I was making it better, but I hoped that the blood I kept seeing wouldn’t end up being my own.

As I walked out toward the stage I saw Danny and his mother off to the side.

“Mom, please. I really just want to go home. I don’t want to be here.”

“Nonsense. This will get you seen all across the country. Might even make you some money.”

I paused. Granted I already knew that little Danny could be helpful, but I also knew his mother got killed in front us. I had to do something to try to save the obnoxious woman for his sake.

“Actually Mrs. Marzan, they are getting into the more crazy aspects as they get down to the last two of us. It might actually hurt his chances if he appears back out there with real freaks.”

“Really?” she asked looking doubtfully at me.

“Well as one of the last two guests I see the future and the last man,” I said looking rather scandalized for her, “says he can conjure demons.”

“Oh my! Come on Danny. We don’t want you associated with that sort of crack pot.”

Danny sighed in relief and followed his mother out of the room as Mr. Trent ran after her trying to get her to stay.

Mr. Devin watched me and shook his head.

Well, I’ll take my victories where I can. Christina and Ed wandered over to greet us before we would be interviewed. Christina had been a weather girl at one time with higher ambitions than working this bull, but Ed was a well known newscaster who had been caught with his pants down. How they ended up working together was anyone’s guess. Well, I knew how, but I really didn’t feel like getting into it with them right now.

“Mr. Devin, I’m so glad you could come,” said Christina as she turned on her charms. Her dark black hair seemed to cascade down her back waving with her every little move.

“Yes, pleased to meet you Devon. I mean Doven.” Ed began not even bothering to pretend to know our names.

Christine leaned over and whispered to him.

“Oh, right. Mr. Devin. Sorry. Anyway, glad to hear you could be with us to discuss your … um thing.”

No wonder Devin was pissed with him. The man just couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about his guests. Well I’d found the final trigger I think.

“Mr. Clear. Glad you came too.”

“Thank you Ward. So glad you could make time for me,” I said as sarcastically as I could.

“Excuse me. That is Ed. I am not an Edward or a Ward,” he said rather pissed off.

Well if he kept his attention on me, he might leave Mr. Devin alone. Maybe I could keep this from becoming a total disaster.

The gray fog came right over me then. Now it was Ed trying to badger me on stage to forecast the future and Mr. Devin became upset at being totally ignored. Again he cast his spell, but this time the demons ripped Ed apart and then all four came straight at me.

So much for that idea being any good.

Danny and his mother didn’t come back in. The rest of the remaining guests were reshuffled and the extra seats were removed. Mr. Devin and I were seated across from Christina and Ed. All I could do was say a little prayer that at least there was no audience.

“In five, four, three, two, and …” the camera man pointed to the hosts and suddenly we were on air.

“Thank you for tuning back in. As we rapidly approach Halloween, we here at WSAC decided to take a look at the various supernatural aspects of our community,” Christina began sounding all earnest.

“Yes, we’ve met mediums, wizards, witches, and other extra powered personages,” Ed began sounding really snotty. “Now, let’s get to those who deal with our future and those who deal with hell.”

The look on Mr. Devin’s face stopped me cold. His eyes bulged and his face was red. I could see a vein in his forehead throbbing. I wasn’t sure if he was just pissed or having a heart attack.

“Mr. Devin, I understand you’re a leading expert in Demonology. I didn’t know such a thing actually existed but in doing the research you have been noted as having worked with police in various states explaining the meaning behind some of the various rituals done by criminals,” Christine began trying to put Mr. Devin back at ease.

Devin took a gulp of air before turning to stare at Christine.

“Yes. I’ve been known to aid the police on occasion.”

Please, just keep him talking till Maisy’s men arrive. I’m going to need all the help I can get.

“But demons? Really? I mean such crazy things don’t really exist,” scoffed Ed.

“I see. So you believe there are no such things as demons,” said Devin, his eyes narrowing.

The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up.

“Mr. Devin, I believe there are new realms being discovered by science all the time,” I began trying hard to buy some time.

“Ah, Mr. Cleary,” Christine piped in trying to cover my sudden comment as the camera backed up to get me in the shot now.

“I would expect so, Mr. Cleary.”

“Then the demons you study are actually creatures from these realms, I would propose. Wouldn’t letting them into our realm be catastrophic?”

“Well now, we can always find out can’t we?”

His dark eyes seemed to shine. There was an odd quirk to his grin and his hands began to make patterns on his pants leg.

The two hosts seemed momentarily lost as to what to say.

Maisy, if there was ever a time for you to come riding in for the rescue, now is the time.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when I heard it, the soft chanting of Devin. I started to launch myself out of my seat when the heat wave struck us. Suddenly, in the center of the stage, there stood two huge demons. Their skin was the darkest shade of blood red and their claws were as black as obsidian. Their tails swung behind them like some demented ax. There were rows of razor sharp bone structures coming off the tail and they ended in one very sharp point like that of a knife.

The wizard screamed in fear and ran towards the doors which suddenly melted shut as the first demon opened his mouth and spit a wall of flame at the fleeing wizard and door. The man went down, engulfed in flames.

The second demon used his tail as a spear, piercing Ed through the stomach. He then dragged his sharpened claws down the man’s center, slicing him open like one might open a pig for a luau. Blood sprayed all over the demon and the rest of us. The demon lifted Ed up, seeming to bathe in his blood as it poured from his gut.

Christina’s scream pierced the air as she tried to escape but the demon that had flame broiled the wizard a moment before, now leapt and grabbed her from behind. Her blood spurted from the many spots where its claws ripped through her like a shredder. She fell to the floor and the demon licked the blood as it pumped out of her body.

“Serves them right. Treating me like a fool,” said Devin loudly watching the bloodshed happening around us and grinning like an idiot.

Debra was spreading her power across the area trying desperately to form some sort of protective field. The mind reader had curled up in a fetal position and was babbling incoherently.

Marion chose that moment to let me know she actually was exactly what she said she was.

“Yo, Tom. I’ve got a message for you. Andrea Mantis says it is time for Dreamscape. Whatever the hell that means.”

There is no way she could have known about Andrea, never mind the fact that my real last name had been Mantis. Then again my mother always chose the oddest moments to let the rest of us know what her visions had been. As soon as Marion said her name I knew she was really talking to the dead. Mantis was Greek for Seer and my family could trace its origins to Delphi. So now I had to enter the Dreamscape in the middle of this disaster? Granted, the dreamscape is where all people went when they dreamed but I was in the middle of a god damn war zone.

“Thanks. She always had the strangest timing on things.”

“Um, she’s laughing and says, ‘do it anyway’. Why on earth is she so clear when she speaks?”

“Look if you are going to do something to help us get your ass behind my shield. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I’m going to keep trying here,” Debra said between gritted teeth.

I dove behind her, sat down quickly, and calmed my mind. I pictured a doorway in my mind that I was going to have to step through. A moment later I slipped into the dreamscape.

“There you are.”

“Mom?”

“Yeah, who else would go through all this to talk to you?”

“Little busy at the moment, Mom.”

She laughed and smiled at me.

“I know. Just wanted to let you know you are going to have to grab Devin in about the next minute to end this all. Won’t be nice but will finally end it.”

“Thanks for the assistance.”

“I’ll talk to you soon, especially now that I know how to get your attention.”

I opened my eyes and saw Devin cackling away in his chair as his two demons hammered at away at Debra’s shield. Well, one thing was clear; Devin had definitely gone round the bend.

I was just starting to stand up when I spotted the cops pouring across the ramps over the studio. They evidently couldn’t come in through the melted studio door, so they had come in where the guys hung the lights near the ceiling.

Maisy, thank you for listening. Now, just don’t let them kill me.

I crouched and pushed off, diving over the chairs, right at Devin. He looked at me wildly and reached for me. I let him pull me toward him then jammed my fist in his gut. I swung him around to act as a shield as the two demons immediately turned their focus to me. Debra swayed on unsteady feet and from the corner of my eye, I watched her collapse into Marion’s arms. The creatures were bigger than the ones that had appeared in my earlier visions. I listened as Devin wheezed in front of me and as the first one took a swing at my side, I pushed Devin toward it. The demon stopped millimeters from gutting him.

The cops took their positions and then began shouting down for the creatures to put up their hands.

One demon turned and again belched flames up toward the cops.

“What the hell is that thing?”

“Don’t ask, just shoot it!”

The spray of gun fire was directed at the one farthest from me, not that it mattered. Most of the bullets seemed to just bounce off it and ricochet around the room. Then one of the cops tossed something down towards the stage. The demon caught it and ate it. A moment later the canister went off and smoke began pouring out of its mouth. It seemed unaffected and ignored it for a moment, but then it began to twitch and shattered like crystal across the floor.

“What the hell?” Devin growled and he began to mutter another spell again.

“Not this time,” I yelled, shoving him into the claws of his remaining demon.

The claws slid through Devin’s body like a hot knife cutting butter. Blood shot out of him soaking me from head to toe in gore. If I hadn’t seen it three times already, the idea of being covered in blood might have upset me more. Instead, I watched as the demon first glowed bright red, and then there was a sudden burst of heat again as the demon faded from sight, leaving Devin’s mangled body a bloody mess on the floor.

A few moments later the doors to the studio crashed to the floor and Captain Maisy Andres and her officers moved into the area.

“Christ. What the hell happened in here, Tom?”

“Look the cameras are still rolling and I’m pretty sure it was all caught on tape. Thanks for getting here,” I said as I collapsed into one of the chairs.

“It might all be on camera but I’m still going to need your statement. Shit, it looks like you bathed in blood.”

The sticky clothing felt like a sick sort of second skin. The metallic smell of blood was heavy in the air and I wanted nothing more than to get a hot bath and forget that this shit ever happened! At least now I knew the blood all over me wasn’t my own, nor was it Mark’s. This is why I hated to do these Halloween shows. They were always so damn messy.