Death Has A Name

Chapter 19

Harper screamed and tried to stop the demon from grabbing Melanie. He was too weak and the demon knew it. Satisfied she was no longer a threat; the demon threw her body away. He was hungry and his feast was ready and waiting.

This time the demon entered the house; it ignored the prostrate form of the mother and headed for the crib. The baby was asleep, exhausted by its unanswered cries. Saliva pooled inside its mouth as it thought of devouring every little fleshy morsel. Nothing would be wasted.

He picked up the tiny bundle and walked out of the house. He would dine in peace.

Melanie awoke to her throat feeling as if it was on fire. She gulped in air greedily and winced at the pain. She saw no sign of Harper but heard the wails of a mother.

“My baby! Someone has taken my baby!” She screamed. A small knot of people had crowded around the house as the woman was screaming frantically.

The demon had the baby, it was only a matter of time before she lost Harper and the baby too. She knew where he would go, Harper had told her where he had been living since the demon had attached itself to him. She started the car and put her foot down, saying a silent prayer on the way.

During the time in that in-between place, Harper spoke about his loneliness and the guilt and terror he had lived with every day. How his over confidence had been his downfall and that would never be able to remove those images of murder from his mind. He admitted that a part of him wanted to die, that to live would be live every one of those deaths each day.

“I’m losing myself Melanie. My soul feels corrupt.” He told her. “Once it has that baby the game is over. You have to kill me. I won’t be in there anymore.”

Melanie wanted to comfort him, offer him hope. She knew better.

“Hold on Harper. Please hold on.” She muttered as she drove on into the night.