It Travels with Them

Chapter Ten - Calm Your Tits

"The... child..... it... sssssssstill... livesss..."

"IDIOTS!!"

A man appears from within the inky, swirling darkness. He's wearing a tailored black suit with a matching blood red tie, his hair is dark and slicked back revealing demon's-eyes framed by thick eyebrows.

"That child is the key to EVERYTHING AND YOU LET IT SLIP THROUGH YOUR HANDS!!??"

"B-but—"

"Stop! It seems that the little shit has brought itself here."

"What!? Hhhow issss that posssssible!?"

The man turns towards me and begins to approach. I try to run but I can't move my body.

"Well well well, to what do I own thi—"

"Alex. Alex! Wake up," a voice cuts through my dream and I jerk awake.

"Wh-wha—"

"We're here." It's Tyler. He's standing next to the now open car door shaking my shoulder. I rub my face and nod, then step out into the brisk evening air.

I look around, we had stopped in the driveway of a large farm house. I look up at it. It has three stories and a large wrap-around porch, the walls are washed with peeling white paint and the windows are glazed and cloudy.

We continue to the front steps and Ty helps me up them. He walks through the door and I follow. As I step onto the welcome mat the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up and I feel incredibly uncomfortable, almost in pain. I quickly step off it into the house and the feeling passed. I turn and out of curiosity lift the mat a little. A devils trap is painted in red on the underside and I swiftly drop the mat; following Tyler deeper into the house. Paranoid much, I think to myself.

I rub my bare arms, cold all the sudden. Why did I react to the devils trap? No I didn't, it's just a weird coincidence. I brush it off but it still remained at the back of my brain, pining for attention. We stop in the dining room and sitting in one of the creaky wood chairs is a man. He looks to be in his late 60s, with a salt and pepper beard and matching shaggy hair. He's a bit rotund and looks to be about as tall as Henry, maybe a couple inches shorter.

"Kids, this is Griffin Trauler an old friend of mine. We'll be staying with him for a while," Henry says.

"How long is 'a while?'" Michael asks sounding dubious.

"I uh, don't know yet."

I exchange glances with Tyler and Michael, not one of us seemed comfortable with that.

I take a breath to say something but Mr. Trauler speaks first.

"This the kid you were talkin' 'bout?" He points at me, his voice is deep and gravely with a hint of a southern accent.

"Ah yes, but—"

"Comeer kid," Mr. Trauler motions me over to him. Hesitantly, I walk over to him, stomach in knots. Then he grabs a cup of water from the table that I hadn't seen.

"Drink." He holds out the cup to me.

I glance back and forth from him to the cup then grab it and take a drink. I spit it out gagging, it tastes absolutely disgusting. I didn't want to drink it, I wanted it far away from me.

"Again! And swallow it this time," He growled

"B-but I don't—"

"Now!" He pushes the cup towards my face.

Feeling sick I drink again and force myself to swallow. With a huge effort I manage to not vomit but drop to the floor and curl into a ball clutching my stomach as an incredible pain stabs through my insides.

I hear Micheal and Tyler shout my name but I drown them out, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" I groan in pain and look up at Griffin with bared teeth.

He crouches beside me, his face laced with confusion and concern, "Holy water."

My eyes widen then my whole body shudders as I retch, emptying the contents of my stomach onto the floor. The pain fades away and, shakily, I stand. I sway on my feet and the boys grab my shoulders to steady me.

"That-that was a joke right? Please tell me that was a joke." I could hear the desperation and fear in my own voice.

There was no response, Trauler just stared at me intensely and Henry stared in horror at Trauler. Then he turned to Henry, "Not a possession..."

"NO SHIT!!" Michael yells.

"What the HELL did he do!?" Tyler points accusatorially at Trauler while looking at Henry.

I couldn't say anything I was in so much shock.

My stomach churns, but in a very different kind of way. I ran to the bathroom as best I can, (I had seen it when we came inside with its door ajar) and lock myself inside. Feeling faint I grab onto the sink and stand, hunched over it. Hands shaking, I turn on the water and wash my face, then I wash the taste of bile from my mouth with a few swigs. I look up and into the simple mirror, at my dripping face. It's been a while since I've looked. I have short, curly hair that sticks up everywhere, and big brown eyes. If I looked really close I could see golds and greens in my eyes. My lips are full and I hate them, they always succeeded in making me look less masculine. My eyes move to the scar on the bridge of my nose, I had gotten it when I had run smack into a large tree branch. It split the skin and almost broke my nose.

I touch the mirror lightly with my fingertips. What the hell is happening to me? I rub my face and sit on the tiled floor. I look down at my hands, rough and as equally scarred as the rest of my body. Then I look at my leg, halfway bandaged and throbbing.

This body's mine... right?

I shake my head violently, of course it is idiot, had it your whole life didn't you? I huff and lay my head back against the wall.

I'm not dreaming.

Fear spikes through me, no no no I'm not a demon, I'm not a demon. Something else is going on, it's gotta be.

I take a few deep breaths, calming myself. I should get out of this bathroom, I need some fresh air. 

[author's note:

nope still not my fav yet heheheh

love yooooouuuuuu 

Author~kun]