On the home Stretch Part 2

Chapter 266-2

On the home Stretch

Part 2

 

I blinked then sat up and hurled into a bucket that Dr. Sars was holding in front of me, watching a dark black liquid come out of my mouth. I heaved again and again until there was nothing but dry heaves. Right away I could sense we were moving and I was inside Tony’s and Jenny’s van. Tony looked back at me and smiled as my adoptive Mom was in tears holding my hand. Then quickly pressed me against her chest the moment she realized I was no longer hacking my lungs out and I was awake. Kissing every inch of my head and cheeks; Aaron was asleep in Dads' arms.

Mom said crying noted that I just saw my brother all wrapped up in the blankets they had taken off my hotel bed. I was still wearing my robe, but it had dark gunk on it. I could smell sulfur and could see tiny little hand prints like something smaller than a two-year-old had tried to claw the robe off me.  The other spots on my robe I knew were blood stains as felt a slight sting every time I tried to move my arms, chest, and legs.

“He’s fine; we knocked him out the moment we came into the room hearing Rhoda yelling that you were in trouble. You almost killed her and your brother, another few minutes and you would have. It took Dad and Mr. Vincent to pry you off her and your brother… not even your bother was able to do anything. Other then slows you down; trying to wake you… telling you he was fine, that you were having a nightmare. But you couldn’t wake up. And we would have tranq you as well; but Dr. Sars and Dora said if we had, we could have killed you. Someone had switched Dr. Sars drink she had made for you, too help you sleep.

“Not even Rhoda knew, stating she was sure it was orange like the one she made you the other day, figured that it had turned color after sitting there while we were bathing. But Dr. Sars and Dora said That wasn’t possible and knew the moment they tasted it and smelled it that you had been drugged. Then all hell broke loose, and we had to fight our way out of the hotel.

“If it wasn’t for Tony and Jenny rescuing us and your friend Jeff we would have been captured by Crawford’s men. Someone or something came into the room and we couldn’t see them. Dora said they were lower demons known Ahazu. She says this demon was sent to retrieve you and all you boys including your brother. She had no idea that Crawford had made a pack with them, yet didn’t surprise her either after what we had found in the several of the caverns. Stating that these demons are more powerful at night, and more so during a full moon like tonight. Right know we are heading home, the only place where we know is safe and we can be protected.

“If wasn’t for you son, we would have never been able to rescue your brothers and your friends. I don’t know what you did, but within moments after we had rescued you. Everyone one woke up, telling us you freed them from the nightmare they were in. I want you to know that what you did can never be repaid and were grateful for it.”

Mom hugged me to her chest rocking me in her arms like she used to do when I woke up from a bad dream. I felt completely drained, yet I didn’t dare close my eyes.  Instead, I answered questions on what had happened inside my dream. Moms face paled as I explained what I saw and what I had heard. Dr. Sars too seemed frightened by the fact that Crawford was more powerful then they had first thought.

Tony rolled down the window the moment the guard came out to greet us. Having him wave us through telling us everyone had arrived safely and he had tripled the watch as requested. Said no one was getting passed our gates tonight. The moment he let us in, Dr. Sars jerked up and I could smell sulfur in the air, but was too late to act as the guards at the gate fell to the ground convulsing.

Tony floored the van and clicked several buttons and radio Stringum using his CB telling him what had happen, getting nothing but static. Jenny looked back seeing nothing; trusting the fact that everything wasn’t ok. Everyone knew where we lived and we should have been more prepared, but we didn’t think with all the man power we had available that nothing could get passed these gates.

The closer we got to the house there was a sense of urgency. Tony asked Jenny to take the wheel, watching him slow down gabbing a backpack from behind his seat as we reached the next gate and rolled to a stop and opened the driver side door and jumped. Dr. said. “Get your a*s back in…. Here.” Her voice paused into I high pitch squeak and hearing her voice tremble. “Jenny get us to the house and don’t stop for any reason,” watching the gate burst into white and green flames the moment it closed behind us.

Tony jumped onto the side of the van holding on to the railings tell Jenny to do exactly that, watching her pull up the console as we approached the next gate, with a simple push of a button the gate flew open surprising the guard that came out of the guard house. Tony yelled at them telling them we are under attack. But the moment those words left him. The two guards toppled over by unseen forces and started ripping them apart.

Tony threw something from his backpack and the moment it hit the ground it exploded into a vaporous blue gas. Showing an army of demons running after us; Jenny told us all to hold on the moment Tony slid in through the sun roof. She pushed another button as the van picked up speed as she pushed another button as a rocket shot from the underside of the van and ignited the vaporous fog, roasting the demons nice and crispy.

Tony looked at Dr. Sars and said. “Perhaps going home was a bad idea.”

She cracked a smile, said. “You won’t think so once we get inside.”

The last gate was already down showing us that battle had taken place seeing a larger trench in front of us and lots of scorched ground. I held on as Jenny said. “Hold on folks, this could get a little tricky apparently someone doesn’t want us to make to the house.” I wanted to say, “You think?”

Aaron started to wake and Dad tranq him again, telling him he didn’t want to see this. I for one was wishing the same thing. I have or had seen my share of monsters. Wishing someone would tranq me, but then again after the last time I was drugged, it gave me no comfort.

Jenny pushed several more buttons as I watched trees falling behind us as if some chopped them down in one swipe; creating another barrier to prevent people from going through the gate. I knew what was ever following us wouldn’t slow them down much as Jenny pushed for more speed as she once again told us to braces ourselves as we launched ourselves into the air and land hard on the other side of the trench.

She pushed another button and lit the entire trench on fire. Then added more speed as we drove like hell its self was behind us, for as we knew it was. She came to a screeching stop in front of our cabin just missing the other cars that had beaten us here. I could still see the steam rising from the hoods and the smell of exhaust and the strong smell of sulfur in the air.

Stringum and Mr. Vincent quickly opened the door as we wasted no time in going into the house. Once we were inside the door he closed it, watching Stringum push a button on the alarm system; hearing mechanical noises lock into place. He calmly said. “I hope no one is planning on going anywhere tonight because this house is locked down tight. Nothing comes in or goes out until morning and probably not even then.”

I counted heads finding everyone was here, including my mother and Jennie Cranny and her four children. My grandmother quickly came to me and Aaron, Dad said. "It was touch and go with me, but Aaron is fine he just got tranq as we were arriving here."

Stringum said the CBs out and so are the phone lines. We are running under emergency power until help arrives in the morning. Providing they can reach us. I wanted to say just great, as I looked out the window seeing nothing but angry demons as they gathered at some invisible line pushing their buddies over it as they disintegrated into dust. Only a handful of us could see them, thanks to Jeff or some other reason that caused the veil in front of our eyes to be thin enough between this life and the next.

Dora watched with me said. “They can’t get too us, even when my magic wears off and they still have breached these walls. Which they can’t, not without a very powerful witch or warlock or a higher demon, but they usually don’t like to get their hands dirty. Unless they are duty bound or have negotiated a very high price, or have been made into slaves.

The last time that happened was over 2,000 years ago. Not even Crawford is that stupid. Then again our friend Jeff stated that he has been messing around with things that should never be messed with. But I promise you if a demon makes it through these walls, he will regret it. This house is has been forfeited with the strongest white magic that nothing can enter here without paying the price.

“In fact, if all those demons you and I see out there were too try to break in here. Crawford and his disciples will have to pay a very high price. It makes me shudder what that price maybe. What happened too Mr. Tate and Antonio will seem like a vacation in the sun. Compared to what Crawford and the ones that have made an unbreakable pact with the devil him self which he alone will have to pay. No this night alone has cost him deeply, and the moment that sun comes over the mountains. He will have to appease them somehow.”

Dr. Sars looked out the window and cringed; telling me and Dora to stop antagonizing them. Dora placed her hands on her hips said. “Why? The angrier they are and the more stupid they will get. Each time one of them dies, the one controlling them will pay a heavy price.”

Dr. Sars said. “I know, but you’re not doing us any favors standing by the window so they can see us. You know as well as I do, once the barrier weakens enough they will converge on us like locus. I rather not test our defenses unless we have too. It’s along ways until dawn. We have had along day as it is. You and I can barley stand after what we did tonight. Now step away from the window, so we can plan out our next move.”

Grandma said. “So it seems I have no choice but wait here until those things are gone. My question is… why now? Considering it’s obvious that this man Crawford knows where you are and has known for a very long time.”

Dora sank into the coach said. “For one thing most devil worshipers consider the Halloween the great equinox were demons are free to walk the earth collecting souls. It’s not about kids dressing up in costumes and going door to door collecting candy.

“In truth Halloween is one of the strongest ties to the satanic church were witches and warlocks give sacred blood offerings to the devil, and renew their vows with him. If he finds favor with you, you can inflict punishment on the person or persons that have wronged you with his help, but only if you are found favor with him.

“It also known to us witches… that tonight we can cast our strongest spells, and have them strengthened ten fold compared to any other given night. Again with what we are willing to pay for the price to invoke them, and believe me the price is high depending on what you are asking for. The same goes for white witches like me and Dora, but the price we pay is nothing compared to the price a black witch or warlock pays. Where it involves your soul or what you are willing to endure in the afterlife.

“Crawford is dabbling in magic that should never be used and is negotiating with the demons to get what he wants. Sooner or later those demons will want what’s coming to them, which is why tonight of all nights he has waited to get his revenge, but he has failed… so far he has failed. Tonight by pure luck we were able to escape his clutches and I don’t say that lightly.

“So that is why tonight of all nights Crawford and his pals are working overtime to get to us. He may not want you or the Cranny's, for you weren’t responsible for what happened too him. Like the Rothwell’s here were and their friends…where it cost him dearly to the point he will never forgive you for what you have done.

“Yet if he could capture you tonight, he knows we would do anything and everything to free you; which is why I felt it was necessary for Mrs. Cranny and her children to be here in this house tonight. Instead of waiting tell morning not willing to take the chance that he would capture you and use you against us.

“It wasn’t by chance that Eric would drink the wrong potion that enabled Crawford and his minions to capture him, hoping to take over his mind and body. Hoping too possesses him into doing their bidding. He knew without a doubt that he trusted me and Dr. Sars. He knew he wouldn’t think twice about drinking something we had left orders for him to drink. Thinking all it was something to help him sleep. He did the same to the rest of our children, knowing they too trust us to keep them safe.

“If wasn’t for him freeing them they would have never woken up. And if wasn’t for me and Dr. Sars, he would be dead or captured and something else would have taken its place where Crawford could control him and our children if he was unable to free them. So yes Doris tonight was the perfect night for him to captures us.

“However, I and Dr. Sars will take the blame for not being better prepared. We didn’t think he was strong enough to break our wards that we had set around the hotel and in each of our rooms. Those spells we had casts and those symbols we had drawn should have kept anything evil out, but apparently, we did nothing more than get our asses kicked. So before you get your panties in a bunch; this house like we said is fortified, not only structurally, but fortified with the strongest magic and charms that devil himself would think twice of breaking.

“Each of the windows and doors has been blessed by a coven of 13 white witches and warlocks. Inside the walls are charms that prevent demons from entering without permission. Mr. Tate and Antonio, for example, were able to come into this house, because they were not demons, but evil mortal men. They also were given permission preventing our wards to affect them; until they were told directly they were no longer welcome in any of our houses or on our property, revoking their privileges so they can not enter here, without our permission.

“Being as it is Halloween, those demons outside our door, have and were able to break our defenses. Knowing we don’t have a coven of witches protecting our grounds outside these walls. Buildings are easy because they can be protected without having a coven here casting wards all day and all night during what some call the devils hour or the witching hour.

“Stringum and Mr. Vincent had fortified each of the homes here and outbuildings. Like our sheds, garages, and barns against every type dark magic, after what had happened in Highland. So you do not have to worry about your houses or your livestock that live outside these walls.

“Each structure tonight and most nights are protected by guards to prevent evil people from doing harm to them. What happened to the guards at the gate isn’t their fault, it was ours. For not being prepared for what’s out there tonight. We had hoped that us all being down at the hotel would have kept them safe. We did not count on demons waiting for us the moment we arrived or have them follow us from the hotel. We had hoped that after we had left and Eric had freed us that whoever was controlling them would have fallen dead from the effort or collapsed by overextending themselves.

“We didn’t expect that Crawford had the means anymore to do more then what he has done. But after tonight we will redouble our efforts, we will work tirelessly to find a way to deal with Crawford and his remaining disciples. For now, there is nothing for us to do but wait here until morning other than go to bed. Which I plan on doing the moment we concluded here.

“However I and Dr. Sars will be spending the night here in the living room, being as this is the only way in and out of this house. Other then the pool area, which both of us can keep an eye on if Crawford can manage too convinces the demon he is working with. That it is worth the risk of losing a third or more of his brethren after already losing a large amount already and failing to captures us, with our guard down.

“Somehow I don’t think he will be successful after what has happened over the past week and tonight. I would be very surprised if Crawford and minions survive the night or walkway unscathed after exhausting their resources. So go to bed knowing that you are safe and sound and no harm will come to you. Saying a prayer or two would not go amiss either, for I will be asking god tonight to bless this house and everyone in it. Being he has the divine power that can protect us from anything that the devil can send us.”

Dad quickly divided up the sleeping arrangements carrying Aaron down the hall; having Grandma insist that she put him with her, not trusting him, or Mrs. Cranny who she hates with a passion with good reason. Being as it was her husband Paul that raped me and her boys under his own roof.

Least not forget that he was also helping my father win his case against me and everyone here. Plus the fact he not only raped me, and his boys, he also raped Becky and possibility, Susan. It was still unclear if he had or not in regards to Susan, but our money was on the fact he did and he did it several times, with my mother’s permission.

Then there is this belief she has that my mother has been having sex with Paul and she hasn’t denied it and neither has her best friend Mrs. Cranny, which was true she has or had been having sex with him.  So she hated the idea of her being here, but then there was very little she could do with demons outside these walls wanting to tear her apart. Other then wish my mother and she would be stupid enough to walk outside and greet them. I know the idea warmed her thoughts as she told my mother, that she and Aaron were spending the night in her room where she can keep an eye on them both.