The Incubus

Chapter 11, Scene 6

A conspiracy was conceived in hell to kill the child and a very powerful demon was sent to complete the task.

Simon picked up his pace. He had walked to Justin's apartment just as the sun was setting, but now wished that he had rather driven.

Nine weeks and two days.

Instead of trying to kill the baby, the demon now seeks to divide and conquer the parents, driving them apart so that it can take possession of the child.

Simon decided on a short cut. He took a side street and quickened the pace.

Only one volunteered for the responsibility.

'It's not true,' Simon said with what little breath he could muster. He was almost running now. 'It can't be...'

You wanted to know the truth.

'It's impossible!' You're lying!

I am incapable of doing so.

Simon stopped running and leaned forward against a wall to regain his breath. Dominic's face with the yellow eyes flashed through his mind. He could still feel the heat of the glowing eyes on his skin.

There's something about you that I don't like.

'How can it be true?'

A scream nearby broke his chain of thought. Simon froze. It was a woman, and came from a construction site nearby. The woman screamed again and Simon instinctively moved in that direction.

'It's no use screaming,' a man's scruffy voice taunted. 'No one can hear you here.'

'Please,' Simon heard the woman plead in the darkness. 'Please don't—'

'Shut up!' Another man said and slapped her.

'Step away from the woman,' Simon said as he walked around the corner.

The two men squinted in the darkness. 'Who the hell are you?'

'What difference does it make?' Simon asked. His heart pounded in his ears. His entire life, he always opted for the diplomatic solution to any confrontation. He wasn't used to showing anger or giving in to aggression. But something was different this time. He could feel it. He tried to suppress it, but he realized that he couldn't.

Not this time.

'I want you both to leave; now!'

'Or what?' one of the men said and pulled out a pistol. 'What are you going to do, tough guy?'

The scruffy man moved to the left of Simon while the one with the gun approached him head on. He raised the pistol and pressed it against Simon's forehead. 'Or what?' he asked again.

Simon didn't answer.

'Shoot him!' the man to Simon's left encouraged.

A brilliant light at Simon's feet drew the men's attention. Simon instinctively reached to his side and the men only saw the glowing sword for the briefest moment before it swung through the air and slashed through the man with the gun. Another lightning fast flash and the thug to Simon's left also fell to the ground; dead.

Simon stared at the sword in his hand. The light pulsated and after a moment faded and vanished along with the sword. He looked at his shaking hands in disbelief, and then remembered the woman.

'Are you okay?' he asked as he rushed to her side.

She was trembling with fear and bordered on shock.

'Please don't kill me,' she pleaded.

Simon looked at the two lifeless bodies not too far from them. 'I won't harm you,' he said. 'Now go.'

The woman side-stepped one of the bodies and then ran from the construction site, leaving Simon there alone, looking at the dead men and wondering what on earth had just happened.