Read Online Demonic Designs (To Absolve the Fallen) by Aaron Babbitt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aaron Babbitt
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Matt.”
Jeremiah seemed to consider this. “Right. And let’s not forget Elizabeth.”
“I thought she preferred Liz.”
“Whatever.”
After a moment of silence, Alex groaned, “Can we stop somewhere to get something to eat? I feel like I haven’t eaten for days.”
“You haven’t. Two days, to be precise. It’s never good to give people food after they’ve received news like you have. I doubt that you would have held it down last night, anyway. But I think you’re over the initial shock, now. Yes, we can get something to eat.”
“I mean, I am really hungry, but I didn’t really mean it felt like days. How could I have gone this long without food?”
“Well,” Jeremiah replied, flicking his cigarette out the window, “the human body can go for a long time without food, living off itself. I can also channel energy I have to make your body feed off of me. It doesn’t provide you with the sustenance that you need to perform much physical activity, but it does look like it has enhanced your ability to see. I thought it might.”
“See?”
“The visions you’ve been having. I can sense it in your brain activity. There’s nothing quite like receiving divinations, is there?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said, trembling as it felt like something cold washed over him.
Jeremiah shot a look of surprise at him. Then, he shook his head in disgust.
“That’s typical, Alex. You’ve been receiving visions for the past two nights, and you don’t remember your dreams. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were fighting this. That’s not making any of this easier for either of us.”
Alex started shaking; it felt like Jeremiah had the air conditioner on high, and the temperature was dropping.
“This is why fighting is bad,” Jeremiah continued. He placed his hand on Alex’s chest, and, immediately, Alex felt heat returning to his body, but little and slowly. “Just accept it.”
“It’s cold,” Alex whispered.
“I know.” Jeremiah sounded more patient. “Navigate through the cold, the darkness. Find the light. The light is heat. It’s safe.”
“Am I dying?” Alex gasped.
“No, child, you are growing. Just...stop...fighting.”
Then, Alex let go. He could feel nothing, but he could see the light. He had never been so scared. Though somehow he knew that death was no threat, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his spirit was no longer with his body. It occurred to him that he was not moving himself toward the light. He was being pulled. It just got bigger and bigger until he was engulfed by it. Then, he felt something that, for the rest of his life, he never believed he could adequately express.
It felt like all of the love he’d ever had in his life was rolled up and emanating from the light. It was like being simultaneously loved by his parents, his friends, and the only girl he had ever truly been in love with. It was overwhelming, but he could do nothing other than take it in.
When he came to, he was still in the car, and Jeremiah was eyeing him intently.
The demon had pulled the car to the side of the road when Alex had gone unconscious, just in case the boy got lost. Jeremiah didn’t know how far he could send his mind in that direction before receiving a holy beating, but he’d have to try. Finally, though, Alex did wake up, and Jeremiah said a silent prayer, thanking God that this first one hadn’t taken so long or been very painful.
But Alex couldn’t speak immediately; he could barely keep his thoughts in order, let alone form words. He had a sense of dread he couldn’t explain. It seemed like something was going to happen, but that was all he had. Despite his attempt to conceptualize what it was that he saw, creating the feeling of fear he had, he couldn’t get past the base fear, itself. He had felt so
Jeremiah seemed to consider this. “Right. And let’s not forget Elizabeth.”
“I thought she preferred Liz.”
“Whatever.”
After a moment of silence, Alex groaned, “Can we stop somewhere to get something to eat? I feel like I haven’t eaten for days.”
“You haven’t. Two days, to be precise. It’s never good to give people food after they’ve received news like you have. I doubt that you would have held it down last night, anyway. But I think you’re over the initial shock, now. Yes, we can get something to eat.”
“I mean, I am really hungry, but I didn’t really mean it felt like days. How could I have gone this long without food?”
“Well,” Jeremiah replied, flicking his cigarette out the window, “the human body can go for a long time without food, living off itself. I can also channel energy I have to make your body feed off of me. It doesn’t provide you with the sustenance that you need to perform much physical activity, but it does look like it has enhanced your ability to see. I thought it might.”
“See?”
“The visions you’ve been having. I can sense it in your brain activity. There’s nothing quite like receiving divinations, is there?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said, trembling as it felt like something cold washed over him.
Jeremiah shot a look of surprise at him. Then, he shook his head in disgust.
“That’s typical, Alex. You’ve been receiving visions for the past two nights, and you don’t remember your dreams. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were fighting this. That’s not making any of this easier for either of us.”
Alex started shaking; it felt like Jeremiah had the air conditioner on high, and the temperature was dropping.
“This is why fighting is bad,” Jeremiah continued. He placed his hand on Alex’s chest, and, immediately, Alex felt heat returning to his body, but little and slowly. “Just accept it.”
“It’s cold,” Alex whispered.
“I know.” Jeremiah sounded more patient. “Navigate through the cold, the darkness. Find the light. The light is heat. It’s safe.”
“Am I dying?” Alex gasped.
“No, child, you are growing. Just...stop...fighting.”
Then, Alex let go. He could feel nothing, but he could see the light. He had never been so scared. Though somehow he knew that death was no threat, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his spirit was no longer with his body. It occurred to him that he was not moving himself toward the light. He was being pulled. It just got bigger and bigger until he was engulfed by it. Then, he felt something that, for the rest of his life, he never believed he could adequately express.
It felt like all of the love he’d ever had in his life was rolled up and emanating from the light. It was like being simultaneously loved by his parents, his friends, and the only girl he had ever truly been in love with. It was overwhelming, but he could do nothing other than take it in.
When he came to, he was still in the car, and Jeremiah was eyeing him intently.
The demon had pulled the car to the side of the road when Alex had gone unconscious, just in case the boy got lost. Jeremiah didn’t know how far he could send his mind in that direction before receiving a holy beating, but he’d have to try. Finally, though, Alex did wake up, and Jeremiah said a silent prayer, thanking God that this first one hadn’t taken so long or been very painful.
But Alex couldn’t speak immediately; he could barely keep his thoughts in order, let alone form words. He had a sense of dread he couldn’t explain. It seemed like something was going to happen, but that was all he had. Despite his attempt to conceptualize what it was that he saw, creating the feeling of fear he had, he couldn’t get past the base fear, itself. He had felt so
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