Another suggestion was using wafers or holy water, again neither of which I could find in my cupboard. Well, wafers, yes, but not the kind I really needed, physically or spiritually. However, I did know of this large, ancient church with a cute old graveyard around it that might hold what I was looking for. I decided my soul was worth risking a chance at thieving some holy water, but wafers were out of season.
Chapter 9
I got into my car and drove to the church. It was an old Gothic-style Catholic church with pointy, peaked roofs and a few gargoyles scattered in small alcoves. The church was built on a long hill with a small gravel road leading up from the street. On the hill and around the church lay a large, well-occupied cemetery. Towering gravestones with weeping angels stared down at visitors, and moss-covered headstones lay like blankets over the interred dead. There was even the occasional mausoleum, and scattered among the dead were large oak trees that dropped their nuts on the heads of stone faces. Hedges rose up around the stones and created a confusing maze of small, dark nooks and hidden crannies.
I hadn't been to the church in a long time, not since a field trip in grade school, and couldn't remember the layout of the available parking, so I decided to park on the street and walk up the gravel road to the church. In my hand was a small, empty water bottle. On either side were tall hedges of bushes that were set back five yards on either side, but still gave me the trapped feeling of being in a tunnel. Overhead towered the branches of the oak trees, and before me was the long, sloped walk to the church. I arrived at the front of the church and beheld a small parking lot on one side with plenty of empty spaces. Of course. I turned away from the mocking spaces, but paused when my eyes fell on one of the vehicles. It was a black car, and there was something strangely familiar about it.
Oh well, I had other things to worry about. I glanced across the driveway on the opposite side from the church. The bushes parted to show a path that led into the cemetery and meandered among the graves. The area was large enough it would be easy to get lost among the dead and buried.
I turned toward the church and tilted my head back to catch a glimpse of the imposing spires. A large stained glass window with the Virgin and Baby Jesus stared down at me. I nervously smiled and waved my fingers at them. No, nothing naughty going on here. I was just going to swipe some holy water to save my soul from an incubus.
I glanced at the large, heavy-looking wooden doors. They were opened, and I could hear the faint sound of organ music playing inside. I cautiously stepped inside and found myself in a small lobby. To my left and right were doors leading to offices and whatnot, and in front of me was the long room with the benches. I moved forward and found myself in a wide, long room filled with the wooden benches. There were two aisles, one on each side of me, so that made three rows of long seats. At the very front was the choir section, and on the left side of that lay the organ. An older man in black garb was instructing a younger man in black garb on how to play the sheets of music in front of them.
There were a few people on the benches and a nice alter at the front, but none of that was as important as the fountain to my left. There was a gap of about ten feet between the entrance and the rear benches, and in that space to the left of the door lay a fountain. There was a pool of water on the bottom and I quietly stepped over to it. I leaned down and gave the water a polite sniff, if such a thing is possible. There was a strange smell to it, and there were small petals of roses floating on the surface. There must have been about two gallons worth of water in there. I'd hit the mother load of all holy waters.
I took my bottle and dipped the mouth into it. My fingers brushed the surface and I felt this sizzling pain, like I'd touched acid. I yelped and dropped the bottle into the water. There was a small splash, but all I cared about was the burning in my hand. I clutched my hand and watched steam rise from my flesh. My skin boiled and blood poured from the wounds. There came a gasp in front of me, and I glanced up at the other patrons. They had all turned to look at me and the music had stopped as the two men in black glanced in my direction.
The elder looked to me with hard, suspicious eyes and marched down the aisle toward me. I decided I wasn't ready for confessional time and rushed out the doors. "Stop!" he cried.
I raced out into the daylight, but it didn't purify my guilty conscience. A sprint down the driveway would have told him where I went, so I opted to run across the driveway and into the depths of the graveyard. The tall, imposing gravestones with their myriad of bushes and trees was the perfect spot to place hide-and-seek if you were sadistic or desperate. I was desperate, and ducked behind a small square of hedges that encircled a dozen graves and a tall, ancient tree. The tree was wide and knotty, and I wove through the tombstones and nestled myself among its roots with my face and one shoulder against the bark.
I heard the priest's footsteps hurry along the ground, and he paused in front of my hiding spot. My breath caught in my throat as I listened to his raspy breathing. His feet scraped the gravel as he turned this way and that. Another pair of feet joined him.
"What is it, Father?" a young voice asked him. I guessed it was his priest-apprentice.
"I don't know, Brother Lawrence, but we must find that girl," the old man replied.
Their feet hurried onward down the declining path. I breathed a sigh of relief and rolled over to lean my back against the tree. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed someone standing in the corner on my left. I tilted my head and my eyes widened when I beheld the incubus. He had a wide smile on his beautiful face and his eyes were of the soft reddish hue I knew so well.
I opened my mouth to scream, but he pressed a finger to his lips. My scream was arrested, but I pressed myself against the tree as he moved and knelt down in front of me. His hand brushed through my hair and his eyes swept over me with a longing that made me shudder. The familiar heat arose inside me and I panted for air.
"You're very swift on your feet. That old man can sometimes be difficult to elude," he commented. His hand slid down my face and cupped my chin. "I wonder what other talents you have. Perhaps we should see how long you can withstand the fire? Or perhaps we should see if you can pleasure yourself as I do you?" He released my chin and stood to look down on me. "I think that would be an interesting idea. We'll see how long you can withstand my seduction until you pleasure yourself."
He was asking me to masturbate. This nearly-complete stranger who kept enticing me into these awkward and mind-doubting situations was asking me to fight against his strange hold over me until I gave in to the desire and touched myself.
Okay, that was the final straw. I don't know if it was his ungodly demand, the godly sanctity of the place, or if I was just too God-damned tired to obey, but my meek self crossed her arms over her chest and glared at this ungodly creature. "I am not a monkey," I growled.
His eyes widened and he blinked at me. "Pardon?"
His confusion emboldened me. "I said I'm not a monkey. If you want a show then you'll have to go find yourself another whore."
The incubus' mouth dropped open and his words came out in one long stutter. "B-but you must. I demand it!"
"And I demand a million dollars, but I'm not going to get it so we'll both have to be disappointed," I bit back.
He stumbled backward into the bushes and clutched his head in one hand. The heat blanket over my body dissipated with his confidence. "How can this be? Why are you not obeying me?"
I stood and wiped the mud, snow and rotten leaves off myself. "Maybe you just picked a bad time to mess with me," I suggested.
The incubus frowned and dropped his hand. He glanced up at the overcast sky. "The day. Curse you."
I walked over and jabbed my finger into his chest. "Uh-huh, and if you're done cursing the sky I'd like a word with you about everything you've been doing to me. You've been driving me nuts and I don't like nuts."
He grasped my hand and frowned. "It wasn't my intention to drive you to insanity. I was merely trying to show my appreciation and a
ffection for you."
"What about flowers? Or better yet, chocolate? You're an incubus for-um, for something's sake! Think of something more romantic than trying to drive me nuts!"
He grasped my hand and pulled me against him. His lips brushed against mine and the heat from his body swept through my clothes and soaked into my skin. He spoke in a low, sultry whisper that made me shudder. "Like this?"
I wrenched my hand from his and stepped back. "No, not like that!"
His eyes widened and they flickered to the area over my shoulder. "Quiet!" he hissed. "He may hear you."
I raised my arms over my head. "I don't care if the whole world hears me! I just want you to stop harassing-"
The incubus jumped forward and clapped a hand over my mouth. He pressed my back against his chest and wrapped his arm around my waist. "You must be quiet."
"Mhm um hmumhm mm," I replied.
He raised an eyebrow and removed his hand from my mouth. "Could you repeat that?" he requested.
"I said you have to stop harassing me," I repeated. "If this is about me dragging you into the rec room then you've definitely more than thanked me. Now you can go off and torment somebody else's nightmares and day hours."
The incredibly adorable incubus smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid you have my current intentions all wrong. I have fallen in love with you."
My mouth dropped to the snowy ground. "Seriously? You weren't faking it in that abandoned furniture store just so you could get a better reaction from me?"
He leaned down and brushed his lips against my neck. A thrill sped down my spine and I gasped. "Do you believe I need the help of lies to coax a wonderful reaction from you?"
"It might help," I squeaked.
"I won't lie to you. You are the first human to show mercy on me that didn't originate from my abilities to please you, and because of that I have fallen for your kindness and beauty."
That broke the spell. I snorted, pulled myself from his arms and turned to glare at him. "All right, enough lovey-dovey talk. How can I get you to haunt somebody else?"
He chuckled. "While I haven't entirely neglected my duties, I couldn't release you from the change even if I wished it."
"Change?" I repeated. "What change?"
"Your transformation into a succubus, a female of my kind," he reminded me.
I blinked at him. "Come again?"
"As I told you in the abandoned store, you will soon by like me, a creature of dreams and fantasies. An immortal," he revealed.
My eyes widened and I threw up my arms. "Where is that in the contract?" I shouted.
"It is the pact of love between a human and one of my kind. The human will become an incubus or succubus, and join their mate in my world," he explained.
I stomped up to him, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him with all my strength. "Stop it! Stop this transformation and give me my life back!"
His words came out in a shaky voice. "P-perhaps w-we h-have s-started t-this c-conversation o-on t-the wr-wrong f-foot."
"You started it wrong when you showed up, but you can fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!" I insisted, emphasizing each point with a rough shake.
I toppled forward when his strong arms disappeared from my grasp. Actually, his entire self disappeared. I stumbled forward, but the bushes caught me.
"My name is David." I swung around to find the incubus behind me.
"I don't want to get to know you better! I just want you to leave me-wait, did you say David?" I asked him.
He smiled and bowed his head. "I did."
I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "David? Isn't that a bit Biblical for a demon?"
"It is, but I like the irony. I believe I caught your name as being Liz, short for Elizabeth?"
I crossed my arms over my chest.. "Listen here, Mr. Succubus-"
"Incubus," he corrected me.
"Whatever. I don't want to be properly introduced to you. I don't want be introduced to you at all. I just want you to slip away into the shadows and not drive me to insanity. Got it?"
His face fell. "You may drive me from you, but you can't stop the change once it's started."
I opened my arms to show off my flabby body, scraggly brown hair, and imperfect skin. "What change? I'm exactly as I've always been."
He nodded at my hand. "Then how do you explain your burn when you touched the holy water?"
I raised my hand and looked at the wound. The pain was gone, but the skin was red and blistered. A trail of dried blood stained my arm to my elbow. "I don't know. I guess I must have cut myself on some sharp holiness or something."
"It is because you're changing. You are now allergic to holy items," he insisted.
I dropped my hand and narrowed my eyes at him. "I think you're just lying about this whole change thing. Maybe you're just trying to make me think I need you so you can stick around and have your delicious-your way with me." Damn my slippery lips, and his.
David closed his eyes and grinned. "Very well. The changes may be slowed with your rejection of my love, but they will not be stopped. I will leave you, but should you change your mind-" He reached into the open collar of his shirt and pulled out a shimmering trinket attached to a gold string. The incubus pulled it over his head and tossed it to me. "-this will lead you to my heart."
I juggled the item for a few moments before it was firmly clasped between my hands. I opened my fingers and found it was a heart-shaped locket of sorts with a symbol of a large, glittering star on the front. Priceless jewels speckled the star and were embedded in a thin sheet of gold. The piece of jewelry must have been worth a fortune. I lifted my gaze to him. "How's this-" He was gone. I swiveled my head this way and that, but the incubus had vanished. My shoulders drooped. "Just great."
Chapter 10
I'd beaten him. I was the victor in a match of courage and wits against the mythical creature known as an incubus. The only trouble was I suspected this wasn't a total victory, and the burn marks on my fingers was more proof of something awry than any of the words the incubus spoke to me.
On one hand was the burn marks, and in the other lay the golden trinket he'd given me before vanishing. I should have chucked it over the tallest hedge and left it for the priests to exorcise, but there was something enticing about its beauty, and it wasn't just the priceless jewels that encrusted the cover. A mysterious allure surrounded the object, made no less by the fact that it was a locket, and inside every locket was something valuable.
I turned it over and saw the thin gap between the two halves of the locket. My fingers barely squeezed into the gap, but no amount of yanking and scratching would open the locket. After a few minutes I gave up. I had other problems to deal with, not least of which was my still being in enemy territory.
I tucked the strange locket into my pocket in my pants and slunk to the front of the short hedges. The priest and his apprentice were nowhere to be seen, so I tiptoed around the front of the hedges and retraced my steps to the driveway. If I'd gone through the graveyard I probably would've gotten lost, or worse, found them. I kept my shoulder against the tall hedge along the driveway and crept down the hill to where the gravel met the street. There sat my car, and down the street stood the pair of preachers. They swept the area with their eyes, but their movements were more frantic than organized.
I waited for both of them to turn away. There was my chance! I stooped and hurried across the sidewalk to the road. I was halfway to my car when there came a shout from down the street.
"Stop! You there!" cried the old priest. I slid behind the wheel, started the engine, and pulled out of there just as the pair reached me. The younger one hesitated on the sidewalk, but the older one flung himself onto the passenger side door of my car and pried at the glass and handle. "I must speak with you!" he shouted at me.
"Sorry, sir, I'm not ready to confess my sins," I replied as I stepped on the gas. I sped down the road and the priest jumped back to avoid his feet being flattened.
&
nbsp; I glanced in my mirror and saw him whip something out of his robes, but that was all I noticed before I turned a corner and drove away from that loony bin. Traffic was heavy and at one point I was stuck at a light for half an eternity. I shifted in my seat and felt something hard jab into my hip. It was the locket, and I removed it for another look. There was the gold, the jewels, and the strange raised symbol, but no words or nothing. It glittered in the sunlight, but I would have traded its beauty for an explanation for what I was supposed to do with it.
Traffic marched onward, and in a few minutes I arrived at my apartment building. The place was devoid of residents as they went about their holiday shopping and early-evening partying. I scurried to my apartment, but was caught by the ever-watchful eye and alert ear of Tiffany.
Her apartment door swung open and she jumped into the hall in front of me. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. "Where have you been?"
I sheepishly smiled at her. "Um, out shopping?"
"You don't like shopping," she reminded me.
"Um, food shopping," I corrected myself.
Her eyes flickered between my two empty hands. "Then where is the food?"
"Um, I already packed it inside," I lied. Her frown deepened and she tapped her foot on the floor. I sighed and my shoulders slumped. "All right, I was at the local church trying to get some holy water."
"For that incubus?" she guessed.
"Yes, for the incubus."
Tiffany sighed and stepped up to me. She put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "Liz, this whole thing is probably the most elaborate lie I've ever heard somebody say just to avoid saying you broke a promise."
I blinked at her. "Come again?"
She rolled her eyes. "If you've been seeing that guy then you may as well just 'fess up and stop with all this crazy talk."
I shook my head. "But that's not how it is. I've seen him, but-"
"And you're making up all this stuff because you didn't want to hurt my feelings. I get it, and after thinking it over I guess I can see why you did it," she replied.
"But-"
"No buts. I accept your weird lie-apology because I know you really like the weirdo, and-well, you should be able to see who you like," she insisted.