My Ride With The Devil

Chapter Nine

The meeting is over now, I am finished talking to them about this and what I’ve seen for the past few years, there is a lot of chatter now, some talk of if this could be a reality. Others dismiss it as me being stressed out. There are a handful who actually believe what I’ve told them, then there are the others who don’t believe a word as fact.

As I had suspected, Luci did show himself during this meeting, standing behind Hailey during the entire meeting as she wrote the names down, always looking straight at the crowd, never moving.

Hailey is busily writing down names, their reactions having been quick makes it hard for her to determine who is really on my side or not. But now that they’ve gotten the mindless shock out of the way it is easier to pick the doubters from the believers.

Hailey looks up from the pad of paper, at least a page of names written down, one name on each line of the notebook paper. “That’s all of them. They’ve all been recorded,” she says.

I take the pad of paper from her, “Thank you Hailey,” I turn to the crowd and get their attention back to me, “Everyone has been wondering about this meeting. Why it is being held here instead of the clubhouse, why Hailey has been standing up with me writing things down. Well now I will make it clear to you,”

Everyone is quiet now, listening attentively.

“This meeting was to determine your loyalty to the club and your loyalty in me as president. If your name is called you did not pass my test. Those whose names are called must hand in your vests and any weapons on your person that belong to the club immediately. After you have turned in your vest and your weapons you will leave the premises,” I say, satisfied at the sound of my authority, “Those who object will be removed by force,”

Hailey looks at me, then one by one reads the names.

Surprisingly enough most are obeying the orders I have given. They are handing in their vests and the weapons that belong to the club. They are much calmer about it than I would have expected them to be.

“That’s the last of the names.” Hailey whispers after about five minutes of name calling.

I look among the considerably lessened crowd, knowing at least half of our ranks have been diminished by this roll call.

I nod to her, noticing that most of the original members do remain. Jake is seated, busily chatting with the few left that were assigned the task of the route. I suppose he’s just trying to map out the directions in his mind. James, Ryan and Kaylin are still seated, the three chatting loudly amongst themselves. Brothers Nick, Devin, Luke and Brian are chatting with one another, pieces of the loud conversation that reach me suggest that they are all talking about the realism of the Devil and whether what I said about Ben was actually true.

I take Ben’s files out of the box and hand them to Nick so the four of them can see for themselves that the documents are real and that I am not making anything up, “These documents should explain more about Ben,”

Nick smiles at me briefly, opening the documents, “Kenzie, what you told us was the truth, right?”

I sit with them, “Yes Nick. What I told everyone today was true. Every word of it,”

Devin and Luke look anxiously at one another, Luke’s face is pale.

I look at Luke with sympathy, he’s terrified, “Luke, what did you see?”

Though I already know the answer to the question I want to see if Luke will be able to voice to me that he had seen Luci standing at the front of the room during the meeting.

Luke seems apprehensive at voicing his fear to me but after  a few moments of silence he does describe to me what he had seen.

“Luke what you saw was the devil. He has manifested himself to me as well as Hailey in the same way that you just saw him,” I explain.