The Rite

Chapter 9: The Rite

 

 

 

 

         

“I have an offer for you. It will save your life.”

            “What was that!?” Trevor thought to himself.  He chucked this notion aside for just this second. “What is your offer mister?” He asked, but with a prudent facetious tone. “If you take it, like I said, I explain to you valuable information about your world and the one you live in. It’s not untrue that I can’t help you for any part of your existence. But, I can get you the power to be where you’ll have to be.”

            Trevor pondered for a while. He kept thinking, he didn’t know much of anything about what was happening. He thought about the things he knew. Like how religion had told of Demon’s and the Earth and such things as God and The Antichrist. He had no recollection of any piece of any of it saying when a thing like bad times and wars commence because of evil on the planet. But, something here reminded him of these things and he wasn’t crazy about the idea of accepting an offer he can’t make up for. But, still this proceeding could be beneficial. “I mean, the thing just told me that he’d keep me alive. Maybe, I will die.”

            “Will I die if I don’t?” Trevor asked. “You will. That’s why I’m going with this now. Because I have nothing to gain from this and it will take me down if I don’t do something about it.”

            Trevor thought for a moment. “What could I lose? Hmmm. I think I should do it. I think I should do it. I’ll agree. But, tonight I have to get through the work I have for school. What if I don’t anyway? I make semi-good grades, and some bad. I can’t afford to lose. Not now, not ever. Not in life. Not with these things I’ve seen already. I think I’ll do it.”

            “I accept your charitable offer.” He pronounced. “No.” said Don. “You have to say. “I hereby accept your offer. Upon which I cannot discontinue at any point in time.”

            “Are you sure?” Trevor teased. “Yes. I’m sure.”

            “Are you really sure?” he badgered. “Yes.” He said. “Okay..” he jeered. “I hereby accept your offer of which I cannot discontinue at any point in time.”

            “Are you sure?” The figure scoffed. “Yes.” he affirmed. “Well, since you accept, I’ll have to maintain this end.” Trevor peered into the eyes of the one he called Don, as unclear of seeing as they were in this light, and all at once he was surrounded by black space and twinkling cosmos of lights one could only outlook upon. “This is where I am. There are other places I can go, but this is the only space which I truly am.” The man unclearly spoke from a different direction. Trevor turned to face him on this contiguous plane of nothingness. “Now that we’re here let me welcome you, I call my swell haven Origin.”

 

            “I feel very much welcome, but if you didn’t notice, I don’t know what to do with my body.” Trevor said and the unobjectionable man drew his gaze to the lower half of Trevor. He was perilously treading as if in water on fast-forward.  “You can kind of move around with your body like this.” Trevor said while figuring out what to do for composing himself. It wasn’t really working.

            “This is about the best it gets.” Don said sharply. “This seems like an awfully lonesome place to kill time.” was his response. “You have to realize that some extraordinary occurrence have been taking place around you.”

            “So I’ve noticed. Yes.” Trevor relinquished. “How does it seem to you?” It asked. “Well, there was an incident where I hurt somebody and then realize I’d made a mistake and some phenomena afterword.”

            “I just had to ask.” It said sunder. “You’ve got some bad things coming your way.” Trevor awaited a reply with an inquisitive gesture and sort-of agreeing with displeasure.  Trevor thought he might have seen some unsettled expression on the man’s face. “It’s not f*****g breaking up.”

            “What?” Trevor asked and kept staring. “I don’t have any dissenters.” He said. Trevor was baffled. “Who are you talking to?” He didn’t understand how he couldn’t tell since the start of this encounter that he needed answers. “Obviously you’re here to help.”

            “What would that be with?” Trevor asked. He was ignored. “Now you’re getting there!” It said with confidence. “I assure you I’m here for more than advice.” He said stand-offishly. “Sorry.”

            “It’s alright?” Trevor said confused. “You… should be ready to fight.”

            “Fight?” Trevor posed apprehensively. “Right.”

            “Nothing for you will ever be easy.” he said. Trevor waited. “Anything could still linger and catch back up with you. That I do know.”

            “Okay? Should I be thinking of this always.”

            “Yes. The arguability is that you can’t control whatever is stirring and I don’t know if it’s going to cease.” He told him.. “About? What does that mean?” Trevor said reserved. “You may or may not ever know.”

            “So what am I to do?” he asked. “I can tell you this, I promise, it won’t be for nothing.”

            “I’m listening.”

            “Don’t limit yourself.” Trevor just didn’t know at this point. “Don’t forget what I’ve told you.”

Then he was interrupted abruptly, slightly irritating at that. “Find people. There are people here that you can find.”

 

            Trevor was suddenly released from that place and found himself back under the starry sky. It was already really late. He could feel the resonance form the conversation he’d just taken part in. It didn’t feel like a hostile sentiment, just a resolution. Somewhere. To propose the idea of hostility coming from… “Somewhere?” Either way, it was night and he had to return home. A cloud of nervousness was plaguing him. He went to sleep reveling in the meeting.

            The next day, he turned over the bed sheets and jumped in the shower. Summertime was the best time and as the hours passed he had to throw wet clothes in the dryer before doing anything. Then for an instant, he got worried. What would he do? He immediately thought about Michelle. On the phone, not too hung up on what to say, but rather, something did need to be. So he made that call. About an hour went by, and she finally picked up, although, she wasn’t at home. He rode out after she told him where. It wasn’t fifteen minutes later that he got to where she was. Trevor stepped out of the maroon colored coupe and walked to the side door of a navy blue suburban home. The smell of what was likely some type of home spray that filled the air. She and her friend were standing in the kitchen. The friend walked out of the room and left them standing there. Two minutes later, she opened her mouth.

            “Um, hey, haven’t seen you in a while.” she said.. “Yeah, it’s been a few. I haven’t really picked up the phone lately, or been focused on anything.”

            “Why?” she asked. “Because we never see each other outside of school. It’s like…”

            “Aw, yeah hah. We have only a couple times before.” she said.. “So, how have you been?” he asked. “eh, not great. Haha.”

            “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I want to ask…” A vex and sad expression hit her face.  “I think we need to not stay together.” he said. “Okay. That’s… okay. It’s okay.”

           

He knew it was probably better if she didn’t have to hear a goodbye. He walked outside. It was dark. Like really dark. One street pole. Pale glow of a halogen bulb, “I hope one day me or someone else will find her. Walking out to the street for the car, a blur of motion striking him down, looking aside; blinking and brazened, he saw what looked like a stalky figure in the darkness with lit blue eyes and hands as big as softballs.

            The only thing that didn’t induce formidable terror was the fact it didn’t make a sound and had no expression. Guessing it didn’t have a mouth that opened. He got up and ran for his car. He couldn’t see anything on the other side of the street. He opened the door and threw himself in. He heard a sound out in the night. It didn’t seem like they were getting closer, but he jerked on the ignition. Key in and forward and the lights flared up. He eased out and cut back the shifter and backed up full force. All of sudden the brakes locked, and careened down a hill; a light slam and no impact, but it felt funny being sat at an uneven level from the road. He kept the lights on for fear the creature he met would come back around. He looked around and saw nothing but dark. Grass outlines under headlight beams. He turned the car back on. It sort-of sputtered. But, cut on. Pressing the gas peddle. Still in reverse he tried pulling it into the driveway of whatever house this was. The view, in fact, would have been a dark flash of a burly creature that hit his windshield. The shock of an ugly fist breaking the car window and tearing the skin from his neck as it fell in. Being grabbed by the shirt, it ripping as he slunk back, trying not to be pulled out, he reached up in defensive fear, kicking and yelling. Suddenly that green light flashed from his hands and pulsated. The entity dissolved entirely in mere milliseconds groaning furiously in a streak. He sat there in awe and dread. Bright light from the car interior and air from the darkness outside poured in. He came to his senses that the car was still started and that he was in reverse. It must have been an impulse, because he shot back twenty feet into the brick foundation of the house behind him. “oof.” He expelled. The trauma of the back-force left a blur of impotence and he awaited his sight to come back to him.

           

His eyes shot open with hysteria. Maybe he was disoriented, but he made it out of the driveway with apprehension. He decided it couldn’t be helped. Carefully getting down the street this time, looking at the house where Michelle was. No one appeared to be looking. He felt woozy. The way home was troublesome. He couldn’t help, but feel the music he was playing. Quietly, through the harsh discoloration of the road under high-beams, he found himself not far from home, carrying only keys and realized he hadn’t turned off the car. So, he did. Leaving behind possibly only a shuffled rug and crashed. “Good night and good riddance, at least for now.”