Succubus

Chapter 30: Man to Man

Bridgeton's one public park still had a wooden playground. First splinters were a right of passage for kids growing up in Bridgeton. Every year a few neighborhood moms went to town hall meetings to complain, even though their kids had moved out years earlier. Year after year the budget to update the playground was misplaced.

The only plastic part of the playground was a tube slide that spiraled down from the upper deck of the wooden playground. It was covered in names scratched in with knives, and graffiti written in black marker. Most of the graffiti were names, either in hearts or being called gay. A few curse words as well. The dates went back a few generations.

Dusk finally gave way to night. From inside the slide came a hollow bumping noise. Charles slid into sight on his back and let his feet drop down into the mulch. He looked up at the night sky and wondered how Paimon would kill him in a few days.

After leaving Tara at the abandoned house Charles made a beeline for home. The only problem was that the singers were everywhere. They slowly marched up and down every block, and went to every house. When one group finally finished with his street a new one would take its place at the other end. It was a revolving door of torture.

The only quiet place left in town was the public park. Since he first came he'd dreamed of spending the night in the tube, hiding from all the grown ups who made him do chores or go to bed early. The opportunity finally came, and much like a lot of other things in Charles's life it was a letdown.

Charles's human half was thirsty. He hadn't been hungry since he'd stopped fighting it and just decided to dream about people from around town. He'd decided to be more careful though. Instead of full all night meals that might kill someone, Charles set alarms on the hour so the dream would be cut short. The courtesy left him tired and peckish. He realized that eventually his phone would run out of battery, and every night would turn into a buffet.

A water fountain for dogs stuck out of the mulch by the swings. Charles stumbled over and put his foot on the pedal with his hands cupped under the spigot. Most of the water sprayed onto the ground, but enough got into Charles's hands.

As he drank he saw the moon reflected in the puddle he'd just made. He watched as it began to stretch out like licorice and spiral until the entire puddle was white. Erlik walked into the puddle from the side, like a weatherman stepping into frame.

"You did a good job," he said.

"Shut up," Charles replied as he sat on the short wooden wall keeping the mulch boxed in.

"I'm serious. I didn't think you'd find her, but you did. I didn't think you'd survive the run in with my mother, but you're still here."

"I'm living in a tube slide and eating my neighbors every time I nod off."

"Because you're trying to have it both ways."

Charles sat and waited for Erlik to explain himself.

"You took the easy way and made yourself handsome and popular, but you have to accept everything that comes with it. I need to eat people. I don't have to kill them, but I'm still taking a little part of them so I can keep going. And now you do too."

"When we met all you told me was that I could get the attention of the girl I liked if I helped you."

"I tell people what they want to hear. Humans really just want to be told that they're right for taking the easy route to be happy. That's the exchange: they get a happy night and I get fed."

"If you guys have it so good then why'd your sister run away in the first place?"

"Because our dad was the best at it," Erlik said with his voice half raised. Charles could hear a bit of frustration coming out for the first time. "She found a way to one up him but had to go all the way to Earth to do it."

"She's an idiot then."

"She is, but don't talk about my sister that way."

Charles let himself fall back into the grass. The dew seeped through his shirt and pants. Goosebumps appeared on his skin and the hair on his arms stood on end. He shivered as a breeze passed over the park.

"What do I do?" Charles asked.

"I don't know, I've never had to help a human before. If you were stuck in hell what would stop your mom from coming to save you?"

"Probably nothing," Charles admitted. "Can't I just give you back to her?"

"Melding doesn't work that way. If you can then you'd be the first to pull something like that off."

Charles sighed and rolled over. His front may as well be wet too. "I can't deal with this by myself, I need help," he said.

Erlik didn't reply. Charles rolled over to check the puddle. The water wasn't white anymore; it was just a puddle again.

Charles left the park and walked back through town. He jumped every time a bush shook or a car drove by a few blocks away.

He came to a single story house with a crooked TV antenna. Charles went around to the side and knocked on one of the windows. He waited a long time before a curtain moved, then the window slid open.

Barb stared back at him from her room. "My God Charles, where have you been? Your family is worried sick."

Charles stood there in his wet clothes. The mention of his family brought some feelings to the surface, but he didn't have time for them.

"I'm sorry. I tried to eat you. I need your help."