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The buzz of electricity hums overhead, the street lamp flicks on and off over and over. My hand covers my lips as they part in a yawn, my other hand shoved in my pocket. The bus is late again. This is the third time this week. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I squint down into the flashbang of a screen, a soft groan leaving my lips. 3:00 AM blinks back at me, practically mocking me. Yeah, I don't feel like dealing with this a third time, screw the bus. With both hands now shoved into my pockets, I trudge down the sidewalk, leaving behind the dingy bus stop awning that's kept me dry for the last four years.
Bzt, bzt. My phone begins to ring in my pocket, forcing me to brave the blinding screen once more. I glance toward the sky as I bring the phone to my ear, "Hello? Who is this?" I hiss into the phone, not sure why anyone would be calling me at three in the godforsaken morning.
"Rogers? That you? Where the hell you at? I've been waiting fur ya an hour and you ain't shown." Reggie, my former college roommate, scolds from the other end of the line. We've been out of college for two years now, but Reggie still acts like we live in the same tiny room one hop and a skip away from each other.
"Gah, shaddup, the damn bus is late again. Did you get a new phone or something? Your number didn't come up with a contact," I reply, hissing as something brushes against my ankle, forcing my eyes down from the sky. Only, there's nothing there. A fog has begun to roll in, whispering in the distance and swirling just above the ground. My brows knit as I look around, stopping in my tracks, and barely hearing Reggie's reply.
"Hey, man, ya listenin'?" I hear Reggie call, likely noticing my lack of response. I glance at my phone, checking the call time: five minutes. "Hey! Kieran, get yer head outta yer ass, where'd ya go?" Reggie calls again, his voice becoming more demanding.
"Huh? Yeah, sorry, I'm here," I murmur, my head still turning from side to side. The fog has grown so thick I can't tell left from right or up from down. "Dude, I think I'm fucking lost. Can't you just come find me?" I blurt, throwing my hand in the air.
"If yer lost how the hell am I gonna find ya?" Reggie retorts, sounding just as frustrated. I kick my foot against the sidewalk, puffing loudly. When I don't reply for several moments, Reggie speaks up again, "Fine! Fine! I'll come look for ya, don't go runnin' no where." With that, he promptly hangs up, likely going to scold me into oblivion later.
With both hands now shoved in my pockets, I pace back and forth along the sidewalk, never going too far from my original spot...I think. After what seems like years, a light approaches from down the way, and I squint into the fog in hopes to see who or what it is. "Reg? That you, man?" I call faintly, now leaning forward as if that would help in this fog. Just as the light comes close enough to blind, a large hand claps down onto my shoulder, forcing a disgruntled yelp from my throat.
"Fuckin' finally! I swear yer harder to find than a piece a hay in a bale." Reggie says, forcing his arm around my shoulders and stuffing me into his side. His knuckles assault my hair as I shove helplessly at him, hissing like a cat.
"Get your meaty paws off, asshole!" I half shout, finally breaking free from his bear hug. Reggie runs a hand through his short, sandy hair, his face lighting up with a smile happier than a dog's. My eyes roll even as our hands connect in a solid dap up. "You're such a pain. Let's just go. It's getting kind of creepy out here."
"Sir, yes, sir," Reggie replies, stepping to attention and giving the fakest of serious faces. My lips pull into a thin line as I brush past, leaning slightly away in case he goes for another grab. Unfortunately, it doesn't work, and his arm falls heavily onto my shoulders. My head merely shakes, fairly used to his antics. "Aight, so, listen to this. 'ere's this legend 'bout the ole church, 'parently it's all haunted and shite. So, we should go check it out," Reggie finally explains why he dragged me out here tonight. Apparently, we're ghost hunters now. My eyes lift toward him, narrowing fractionally as my lips drop into a scowl. "Aw, don' look at me like 'at. It'll be great." Reggie reassures, once again plopping his meaty paw right on my head. I shrink into my shoulders, but that doesn't prevent him from ruffling up my inky locks.
"Alright, alright, I get it, so stop petting me like a cat." I admonish, flailing my hand at his, wiggling out of his grasp once more. Reggie only laughs, stepping up beside me with his dopey grin. The sidewalk abruptly veers to the side, leading away from the main road and into the neighborhood that's been a ghost town since before I started college. The fog hasn't let up in the slightest, and overtime, I've gravitated close enough to Reggie that my shoulder brushes his arm every other step. He grabs my arm, grinning down at me as he yanks me from the sidewalk, somehow knowing where to go. One might assume he really is a dog, sniffing out the way to go.
"Is just up ahead! Come on, come on!" Reggie practically squeals, the fog eating up all the sound around us, making him seem quite loud. A whine falls from my lips as my arm is yanked from my shoulder, forcing me in Reggie's direction. Despite my many protests, both verbal and not, I go with him, huffing a sigh. Slowly, the fog begins to part, as if the neighborhood is inviting us in. All the houses along the street have moss growing through the siding, many of the cobblestone bases beginning to crumble. I've always found it rather strange that all the houses on this block are identical, six on either side of the street, leading straight to the abandoned cathedral.
"You don't find this at all unsettling? Have you not noticed the lack of fog over here? We were just walking through clouds, come on, Reg, let's just go home," I complain, tugging the sleeve of Reggie's flannel. His arm snakes around my shoulders once more, his hand squeezing my shoulder firmly.
"Nah, is fine, Kier. Ya got me to protect ya," He says, leaving his arm around my shoulders. This time, I don't attempt to shrug him off. My head turns back and forth as I look around, the hairs on my nape standing on end. "Look, we made it," Reggie announces, giving my shoulders a squeeze to bring my attention forward.
Standing tall before us lies the cathedral. It's dark oak siding and spruce edges are in shockingly good condition, the arch entrance rising up to meet the sky with a cross big enough to crush a person. The fog swirls around the edges, the stained glass window almost watching our approach. I shrink into Reggie as goosebumps raise along my skin, a cold shock running down my spine. The large double doors creak open as Reggie gives a shove, practically throwing dust onto us. My hands wave in front of my face as coughs wrack my lungs, my eyes squinting up as a sneeze rips through my body. I shoot a glare at Reggie, my lips dropping into a scowl. Reggie glances down at me from the corner of his eye, no doubt trying to avoid a scolding.
Just as my mouth opens, Reggie grabs my arm and yanks me forward, forcing his voice out before mine, "See? Nothin' here. Come on, come on, les go check out the pews." The vast space eats up his voice, echoing it back several seconds later. My mouth snaps shut, but that doesn't stop a scoff from slipping past before I can stop it. My sneakers drag against the dusty, polished concrete floors as I half follow, half get dragged by Reggie through the foyer and through the grand entrance of the sanctuary. Four large marble columns rise up along the outside of the main pews, supporting the second floor pews that wrap around over head.
Straight down the aisle, the stage rises up into a grand organ, it's gold pipes rising into the darkness above. Without thinking, I lean into Reggie's side, my hands fisting in my pockets. "I don't think we should be here," I whisper, eyeing the grand organ behind the bishop's podium.
"Don' be such a downer, Kier, we'll be 'ere a short bit, then leave." Reggie says, tugging me down the aisle toward the podium. My feet drag, but ultimately, I don't want to be alone for a single second in this place. Reggie leaves my side, hopping up the steps as I trudge behind, taking the steps one at a time. As Reggie goes straight for the organ in back, I round the podium, finding a beyond dusty bible. Maybe against better judgement, I carefully edge the book onto the next page, eyeing the notes in the margins. It's all holy things, priestly notes and thoughts on the verses. A few pull nascent laughs from my lips as I use my thumb and forefinger to flip through the ancient tome.
I yank my hand back with a hiss when the page nicks my finger. "Fuck, paper cut," I whine, shaking my hand as if that will make the pain fade faster. As my hand waves through the air, my eyes drop back to the book, meaning to distract myself from the stinging ache in my finger. That's when I spot the two droplets of blood on the page, and my stomach drops. I definitely don't think you're supposed to bleed on who knows how old bibles in abandoned cathedrals. Stupidly, I bring my hand back to the tome and attempt to scrub away the droplets...only to smear it and make it far worse. "Shit, shit, shit," I hiss, my hands balling into fists on either side of the bible as I stare at the smear of fresh blood on the page.
"Ya good, Kier?" Reggie inquires, coming up beside me and peering over my shoulder. "Shite, you good? Where ya bleedin'?" Reggie asks, grabbing my hands to inspect them. Only, he doesn't get the chance when a broken symphony of smashed keys rings out from the organ, all but deafening Reggie and I. A shiver runs down my spine as a scream is ripped from my lungs, forcing my hands from Reggie's hold when I flinch. Reggie, too, jolts a few steps back, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. Black goo begins to ooze from the organ's pipe mouths, the metal rumbling and shaking violently as the goo drips and seeps down the instrument.
My legs are frozen, my knees knocking as I back up into the podium. Reggie's hand clamps my shoulder like a vice, but I can barely feel it through my shock. Shadowy hands crawl from the goop as it drips, pooling onto the ground. Air barely makes its way into my lungs through the tight lump coiling in my chest, my fingers tingling as they grow numb. The shadowed hands press into the ground as something begins sludging its way the surface. Sprouting, roiling antlers emerge first, followed by a black mass of eldritch eyes. Crimson eyes peer down at Reggie and I as the demonic beast grows and grows until it's towering into the darkness above. It's body bends and twists at the waist, the sounds of cracking bones forcing bile up my throat, only to be swallowed back down.
"Yessss," comes a hissing, distant voice, "Finally, I've been called forth from that wretched tome." The demon's voice comes from the darkness all around, never seeming in one place at a time, hissing and growling. Every hair on my body stands at attention, my hand flailing toward Reggie, missing his arm the first time, but landing on his forearm the second. My mouth opens, but no words come out. Reggie makes a sound, but I can't tear my eyes from the many looking down upon us. The oozing, shadowed demon crawls closer, a popping, scraping sound following every movement.
Flinching in toward myself, I narrowly escape its creeping touch, black goo dripping from it's writhing hands. As I attempt to back up further, the podium digs into my spine, forcing me to face the beast as it reaches for me again. Icy, dripping hands land on my face, tugging at my cheeks and prodding at my skin. A deep rumble comes from within the writhing mass that makes up the demonic creatures body, maybe its voice, maybe a sound that means my death is imminent...either way, my knees buckle and I slide down the podium. Reggie is standing still with his mouth agape, hands at his side while his eyes stare on at the creature before us.
"You will do fine. For this tasssk, I will grant you one wish," the creature growls before beginning to lurch and wretch like it's gagging something up. My hand flies to my mouth to stop my own bile from coming up, but I forget entirely about my nausea when the demon spits up black ooze that squelches down onto my lap, evaporating like a cloud of dust. A heavy weight falls into my lap, and my voice finally rips out from my throat as my eyes drop.
"Ah, what the hell is that?!" I shout, my voice squeaking with concern. A gooey covered ball is sitting in my lap, the ooze beginning to fall away like a protective sack coming undone. Slowly a red mass emerges, and it takes several blinks for me to realize it's...a baby?
A full head of black locks has already formed, the creature's skin is as red as a cherry, and it's curled up like a kitten as the ooze demon before me looks on with possible interest. As I lift it from my lap, definitely not wanting some weird baby creature on me, four arms flail out as the most piercing of cries rips from the throat of the baby. My own scream forces its way from my lungs as the piercing cry sends a shock through my system. Unintentionally, okay, maybe very intentionally, I toss the baby away, practically hot potato-ing the creature to Reggie.
The oozing demon lurches toward Reggie as he reflexively catches the screaming, flailing, too many limbed baby. He makes a litany of disgruntled noises as he fumbles the baby in his hands, not any more prepared for this than I am. "Woah, woah, uh, e-easy!" Reggie blurts, finding his voice with less squeaking than I did.
"Reginald!" The demon roars, looming over Reggie its many writhing arms rising up, poising to make a move. My hand flies to my mouth, muffling a snort as I hear Reggie's full name announced from the hissing voice of the demon.
"It called you Reginald-" I blurt, my lips tugging down as I suppress a laugh. If you don't laugh, you cry, right? Reggie, who is holding the flailing creature at arms length and leaning his head away, shoots an icy glare in my direction.
"This ain't a laughin' matter, Kieran!" He retorts, as I haul myself back onto my feet, using the podium for leverage. The demon has stopped moving, its mass of eyes swiveling as it takes in the scene. It shrinks back from Reggie slowly, its arms merging back into the writhing heap of its torso.
"You will mother my child. In exchange I will grant you one wish," the creature rasps, creeping down into a smaller, quivering blob of eyes. Reggie approaches from the side, dumping the four armed, scale-spined baby into my arms without a word. In some weird way, I do feel bad for the little creature, dumped into this world by someone who doesn't seem to want to father them and into the arms of someone else who doesn't want them.
"Alright, then I wish for you to take it back. I didn't sign up for this," I announce, holding the now quiet baby out toward the black blob demon. It wriggles and shakes, which I will assume means no.
"Absolutely not. It's yoursss now," the demon concurs, leaving no room for discussion. Reggie is inching away, sidestepping not so subtly away from the conversation. My head whips in his direction, tilting as my hand clamps down on his shoulder, my opposite arm cradling the baby.
"Don't you walk away from me, this is your fault," I chastise, yanking him back to my side. He raises a hand, his mouth falling open to respond only for his head to bob back and forth as he comes to the conclusion that, yes, this is his fault. Afterall, we wouldn't be here if he didn't drag me from my apartment tonight to go ghost, well demon now, hunting at the ass crack of dawn.
"Ahem, yer right, I s'pose this is my fault. Sorry, Kier," Reggie pouts, clapping his hand against my back. My head shakes as I roll my eyes, both arms now cradling the baby. They've gone quiet, all arms curled up between their chest and knees, head tucking into my hoodie. In a morbid sort of way, they're kind of...cute. "So, whattcha gon wish for?" Reggie prods, dropping his arm over my shoulders like usual.
"Fuck, I forgot. I don't know, Reg, you ask for something." I wave my hand halfheartedly at the blob demon who has been watching us silently for a long time now. It perks up at the mention of closing the deal, and Reggie cringes against my side, his lips curling back.
"How about we just...think on it," Reggie answers vaguely, not good at being put on the spot. My shoulders lift in a shrug beneath his arm. Honestly, I couldn't care less about some wish. I care more about suddenly being a parent to some demon baby I know nothing about.
"I sssee," the demon sibilates, "Come find me when you find your anssswer," it concludes, slinking back into the pipe organ and fading away. The elephant that's been sitting on my chest for the entirety of that interaction finally steps off, and air returns to my lungs slowly. My gaze drops to the baby lying quietly in my arms, and I feel a headache already forming behind my eyes.
"Well I guess we're parents now," Reggie says, breaking the silence as we walk through the sanctuary and out into the foyer, his arm hanging languidly on my shoulders like he didn't just force us into demon parentage.
"So much for never having kids," I grumble resolutely, letting Reggie drag me along as we head back out onto the road. The sun begins to rise over the horizon, the fog clearing as the night fades away and a new day begins. Sleepless nights and copious amounts of research lie ahead. The adventures of parenthood only just beginning.