Psychopathic Instincts

Chapter 14

"Who are you?" She asked the mysterious man. He actually laughed a throaty laugh and gave her an outstretched hand. "My apologies. I am Jackson DeGrass." He said, shaking Jane's hand although she did not look satisfied. Jackson noticed too because he asked why she looked so disgruntled. She scoffed and said, "Is that all you're going to tell me about yourself? First you break into my house then you tell me someone sold my soul and now you expect me to listen to you when I know nothing about who you are." Jane says. He asked her what she wanted to know and she replied, "Well to start with, what does all the tattoos mean?" She asked, apprehensively. This made him dead serious. He looked everywhere but at her. When Jane said continually stared at him he knew there was no way out of the conversation he sighed and said that it was the most demonic entity he had ever faced. He helped peeled get rid of entities for years but about six years ago he faced a demon that took so much out of him and he hadn't anything since. Until Jane. He shook his head sadly. Jane was still apprehensive. "How do I know I can trust you?" She asked him. He replied in a blank tone, "Well you don't have to but the way I see it these things are taking over your life. So either you do something about it or you could let them drive you insane. It's up to you." He said. She pondered her thoughts thinking over what had happened the past few days. Markus Clang arriving, Randy's reaction and accident, Markus' strange death, the creatures that try to hurt her, the way Randy looked in hospital, the accident she was in and then the latest encounter with demon Markus. She looked at the man and instantly knew he was right. She had no other choice. She took and deep breathe and said, "Let's go."

They pulled up in front of an old cottage just outside of West River Valley. There were a few in the area. Those old people of which did not move into the newer town. She and her sister often came here for Christmas and other parties but other than that did not see their parents much. She climbed out of the car and walked up to the front door with Jackson trailing right behind her. Jane knocked thrice and waited for the familiar trudging of feet from behind the door. Sure enough she heard it and the door swung open revealing a woman in her late fifties. Her mother looked good for her age with platinum blond hair with grey streaks in. She wore a flower apron over a summer dress and a big smile plastered over her face. "Jane!" She exclaimed and wrapped her daughter in a hug which Jane returned. "Hi mom. Oh this is Jackson DeGrass. He's a... friend of mine." She said unsure. Her mother surveyed Jackson but honestly you couldn't blame her. A heavily tattooed, intimidating man that could scare someone with just a glance. But her mother must have remembered her manners and greeted Jackson warmly and ushered the both of them inside. Her mother  called her father and seated them on a comfy sofa in a living room filled with ancient China and antiques. Her father was a bit of a collector. Her mother went to the kitchen to make coffee for herself and Jane's father but Jane and Jackson politely declined. Suddenly she couldn't remember why they were here and just as she was about to ask Jackson the reason why her father came down the stairs. "Dad!" Jane said and jumped off the couch to hug her father. She had a very good relationship with her father. "Why did you come to visit? What's wrong? You usually only come here on random days when something is wrong." He asked and Jane laughed. That was when she remembered why they were here. Her soul being sold and Jackson thinking it had something to do with her parents. She stopped laughing and suddenly sat down. Her father noticed the change in her mood but before he could question it her mother came in and handed her father a cup. Her father only then realised Jackson was in the room and shook his hand. "Hi sir. Jackson DeGrass, a friend of Jane's" Jackson introduced himself. Her parents then sat down opposite them and sipped their cups and her mother said, "So to what do we owe this pleasure?" Jane opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She tried again but the same thing happened. It was like the words were just stuck in her throat. Luckily Jackson gave up on her attempts to speak and said himself, "Jane has been experiencing strange things and I am trying to help her but the first step is finding out where the problem has started and we were hoping you could help us figure it out." She couldn't have put it better herself. Her parents stared at her then at Jackson, probably trying to process what he just said. "What kind of strange things?" Her mother asked putting her cup down looking concerned. Jackson would have probably answered for her again but surprisingly she had her voice back. "Well it's crazy and unbelievable but I think I'm being... haunted." Jane said but immediately regretted it. She said it like a joke. Her parents immediately started laughing but her father had more of a nervous laugh. "Guys I'm not joking." Jane said, getting angry now. She looked at Jackson for help but he was not looking at her. He stared at her father and her father stared right back at him. Her mother stopped laughing, sensing the tense atmosphere in the air. Jackson suddenly got up and walked to the pictures on the wall with his back to them. He motioned for her to join him so she got up and stood next to him. He pointed at a picture where there was a blurry spot next to her face. Picture after picture he pointed as the spot got bigger and closer to her face. Then he took her phone and took a picture of her. He showed her a picture where her entire face was just a blur. Suddenly Jackson said, "Jane, I think your father might know why this is happening." Jane wore a confused look but then realisation dawned on her and she shook her head. "No. No way." She said firmly. She looked at her mother's confused face and at her father's guilty one. That would explain why her mother got miraculously well again. Her father worked with Markus Clang when he was 14. Her eyes wide open and her heart beating fast Jane said, "You? Why dad? How could you do this? To me?" She got up and stood behind the sofa. Her father too stood up, his eyes locked on hers. "Jane you must understand. What was I supposed to do. How was I going to take care of you and your sister alone?" He said desperately. Her voice grew cold. "So you knew what you were doing. You knew that you were making a deal with the devil to sell my soul. Why couldn't you sell someone's soul you didn't care about?" She knew it sounded cruel and heartless but she was so angry and hurt. Her father shook his head. "I tried but it doesn't work that way. It had to be someone I cared for. Someone I had control over. Someone blood related." He said as if this would make her understand. "So why now? Why didn't he take me then and there?" Jane shouted. It was Jackson who answered this time. "Because it takes 20 years for him to take you. Over time he moves closer and closer until the anniversary of the day the deal was made. On that day he takes you. And I assume this marks the twentieth year that your mother was sick?" Jackson asked and Jane nodded. Her mother looked around confused as to how she fits into this situation. Jackson then turned to her father and calmly asked, "Exactly what date did you perform the deal?" Her father opened his mouth to argue but Jane interrupted him. "Just answer the question dad." She said sadly. He looked at her then looked down in shame and thought about the question. "Well it was a few days before our anniversary. If our anniversary is in three days time then..." Her father trailed on onto silence then his eyes opened wide. "It's today!" Her father gasped and Jackson practically jumper over the sofa and bolted out the door telling Jane to follow him. She mumbled a goodbye to her parents and started towards the door but her father stopped her. "Jane I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry!" He said over and over again. Jane stopped him and shook her head. "It's okay dad. I guess I understand. I forgive you but that doesn't mean I'll ever forget what you did." She said. Her mother was crying. "Jane I didn't realise. I'm sorry." Jane kissed her mother's cheek and gave her a small smile. With that she left the house and climbed in the car with Jackson at the wheel.

"So what now?" Jane asked when they were driving. It was still early afternoon. "Now we wait for him to show tonight and bargain." Jackson replied. She tried to read his expression but he had one of the best poker faces she had ever seen. "Bargain? But I thought nothing is more precious than a soul." Jane asked confused. "That's true, isn't it? Well I suppose then we'll just have to improvise." He said. Suddenly Jane's phone rang. She answered and heard yelling on the other end. The voice surprised her. It was Paul. "Jane? Can you come to the hospital? Urgently please!" He said desperately. "Paul? What's going on. What's all the commotion in the background?" She asked concerned. There was more shouting and smashing of glass. "It's Randy." Paul literally shouted over the phone. "I'll be right there." Jane said and hung up the phone. "Where are we going?" Jackson asked side glancing at her. "Take me to the HJ Mental Istitution." She said. Jackson  didn't question but instead just said, "Aye aye captain." They drove the rest of the way in silence. As thoughts of what happened to Randy now flooded her mind, Jackson was plotting how they were going to beat the devil. What a unfortunate day it was going to be.