The Eye of the Knife

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Georgia Peach

I woke with a start for the second time that day. I must have been really tired to have fallen asleep on the plane. Who could possible fall asleep on these things? I mean they have to be one of the most uncomfortable chairs ever invented.

I yawned and took in my surroundings. Christian was amusing himself with his iPad, and the person next to him had vanished somewhere. I looked out the window just as the pilot said that we would be landing. Somehow I think that it was better that I fell asleep, because that was just less time that I had to spend with Christian annoying the heck out of me every chance he gets.

I buckled the seat belt that came with the seat, and watched out the window as the ground came closer and closer.

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"Let me do the talking Christian. I mean it." I said sternly at him.

"Okay, okay. I know. I asked to come along with you and just want to watch and see what you do. Therefore I won't get in the way, I only want to watch."

"Okay, well first we have to meet Barbra, she already knows that we are coming and how to transfer the money to us. Then we have to look around her house, especially the areas with the most activity. Then we have to determine what kind of demon or demons that it is." I stated keeping my eyes on the road, and staying focused as Barb's house was coming up close.

"Take the next available left" My GPS stated in a loud feminine voice.

I followed the instructions of the electronic device, and pointed the nose of the car into the turn. I sighed as I spotted the house that was coming up on my right. I could feel Christian begin to grow nervous, but that was something that only went away with time. The only thing that didn't change was that feeling you got when children were involved. Of course I didn't voice any of this to Christian, he wouldn't believe me anyways. It was one of those things that you had to experience to believe.

I pulled into the driveway of a cute looking house, with a brick foundation and white siding. The cute little thing had a wrap around porch with a swing, and two big chairs to lounge in. I sighed, the desire to get a house was fresh in my mind, and so was the denial that I didn't need one. I watched the hanging plants sway in the gentle breeze as I parked the car and undid my seat belt.

We both walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Christian stood behind me and shuffled his feet, the nerves clearly getting to him. I grinned remembering my own set of nerves when I started to make my own house calls. But of course that was because was on my own and if anything went wrong, then I was on my own. But it was expected that Christian would be nervous, this would be his full introduction to the world of demons.

I wonder if he's ever seen a demon up close and personal. I mean surely he has, but how will he react when he sees one again? I wondered as I peered at him from the corner of my eye.

Just then the door opened to a petite woman who seemed to be in her mid to late fifties. She had golden hair, which no doubt came from a bottle, and shining bright eyes. The glasses that framed her face were seated comfortably on high cheekbones, and she had plump pink lips to finish out her looks. The woman's eyes took in both in both her and Christian.

"Hello" She said in a loud voice with a think southern accent. "You must be Max." she stated looking at me.

"Yes ma'am. This is Christian." I clarified, choosing not to say Christian's last name, since I, myself, didn't use them.

"Well its nice to meet you young man." She smiled and shook his hand. "Well, come on in y'all." She smiled and opened the white screen door wider, allowing us to walk past her and into the extravagant living room. Two big black leather couches occupied the majority of the room, while a nice circular glass coffee table sat snugly in between the couches.

We sat on once couch, while Barb disappeared into the kitchen, only to return with a tray of four glasses and a pitcher of cold lemonade. We talked for thirty minutes about how Barb would hear strange noises in the night, only to investigate in the morning to find scratches on the floor, walls, and even the furniture. She said that the more that she looked into the source, the more the scratches would appear.

With all her explanations, and a confirmation from her husband who was the one who buffed out all the scratches and tried to make all trace disappear, I decided that it was time to look around the house. I said my special spell, and made sure that Christian could take part in the seeing of the aura as we headed to one of the guest bedrooms. Barb had said this is where most of the activity happened, and where the most of the marks had appeared.

"Okay Christian, do you see any glowing light?" I asked when Barb had left the room, leaving us alone to do our own thing.

"Yeah. Its green." He stated.

"Do you know what that means?" I asked hoping to educate him on the demons themselves rather than just on how to get rid of them.

"Umm, no." He said as he looked at me with confusion in his eyes.

"The warmer the color of the aura, the colored light you see now, the more powerful the demon is. So this means...."

"That the demon isn't one of the powerful ones." Christian attempted to finish.

"True. But all demons are powerful in the sense that they have more power than you or I. But we are the ones that kill them, not vice verse."

 "But-..."

"No, no buts. We don't like to think of the fact that we could be killed on the job. So the less you think about it, the more you have to focus on the task at hand." I stated leaving no room for argument. "So now we wait till night fall to see it he will come back out, meaning it is time to get the Waters' out of the house. Usually if the demon is outside, then the family could stay in like the Smalls family, but this demon was inside the house so we have to get the family out."

Christian listened to every word I said intently, and I was surprised. Maybe I did have someone new to welcome to the world of the hunters.

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 Night had fallen, and the Waters were out of the house, leaving us a few hours to get rid of the demon. The couple was expected back before midnight, which gave us just under three hours to coax the demon out, kill it, and the get rid of any evidence.

I sighed and started to disturb things in the room the demon seemed to be so keen with. Christian soon followed my lead, and once everything was rearranged or taken out completely, we waited.

We didn't have to wait long enough. I tossed Christian one of the knives I use, but not as often as my favorite one. He held it as if he had never held one before. Great. Add that to the list of things he needed to be taught. I though as the demon appeared in front of us.

I took in its gigantic form which towered over me by at least five feet, no surprise there. I gave a wicked grin as it curled back its black lips in a snarl. I felt Christian stiffen beside me, no doubt taking in the rows of razor sharp yellowed teeth.

"Watch and learn." I said with a grin as I launched myself at the hideous creature. I heard Christian gasp, but I didn't care. I was having so much fun. With another grin, I swiped my blade across the beast's stomach. Black blood instantly started to pool from the wound and onto the floor at my feet. I heard Christian make a noise of disgust as I leaped back in this time to make the killing blow.

Little did I know that the demon would swing and actually connect with my body. As a result I felt myself fly through the air and collided with the wall. I groaned in pain and watched through hazed eyes as Christian swung the blade I gave him and connected with the demon's arm, cutting it clean off.

So much for not knowing how to use a knife. I grumbled to myself as I watched him continue his assault on the creature, till it fell over in a heap of blood. I watched, shocked, as the creature actually died at the hands of a rookie.

 "What the hell?" I questioned in confusion as everything slowly went black.