The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle (50 page)

‘What do I do?’ Jared whispered.

Don’t be afraid,
the Pastor’s words
echoed in his mind.
Those who are with us are more than those who are with
them.

‘Right,’ Jared said and stood up. He
flipped open his cell phone and pressed the speed dial button for Tanya’s home
number as he walked back to the car.

Someone picked up, fumbled with the
receiver, and then answered faintly, ‘Hello?’

‘Who’s this?’ Jared asked.

‘You’re speaking to Rebecca Greene,
but this is the residence of Tanya Sinclair.’

Jared smiled. ‘Hi mom,’ he said. ‘It
didn’t sound like you.’

‘Oh hi, sweetie. How are you?’

‘I’m okay,’ he lied. ‘But I would
like to talk to you. I really need your opinion and advice about something.’

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘When would you
like to talk?’

‘As soon as possible.’

‘Should I come through?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘I’m on my way to you
now. I just called to find out whether you were there or not.’

‘You shouldn’t drive yet, Jared.
Don’t worry, it’s no problem to come to you instead.’

‘It’s fine mom, really. I’m halfway
there already.’

Finally she gave in. ‘Okay, but
drive safe, please.’

‘Will do,’ he said and clipped the
phone shut. He leaned against the car to rest his aching legs while he examined
the billowing clouds in the distance. A storm was brewing. Jared shook his
head, got into the car, and for a long moment just stared at the dashboard.
‘This is ludicrous,’ he whispered. ‘If this “gift” is real, if what I’m seeing
really exists; then I don’t want it.’ He turned the key and the engine growled
to life. ‘If mom gave this to me,’ he said and shifted the car into gear, ‘she
can take it away.’

*   
-    -    -    *

By the time the Chevrolet Metro
crunched up the gravel road leading to Tanya’s house, the sky was covered in
thick and heavy clouds. In the distance, parts of the clouds lit up at random.
Jared could smell the coming rain. The wind kicked dust into the air which cast
a dark brownish-purple filter all around. Jared protected his face from the
tiny sand particles stinging him like thousands of microscopic bees. As he
approached the door, it opened and Rebecca ushered him inside.

‘Looks like you got here just in
time,’ she said as they entered the living room.

‘Yeah,’ he said and sat down on the
soft leather sofa that he had helped Tanya pick out a few years earlier. He
raked his hands through his hair to restore what damage the wind had instilled
on his hairstyle. ‘Close call.’ He looked around the room, slowly scanning the
familiar paintings and furniture. Nothing had changed in the month and a half
since he’d last been there. ‘Where’s Tanya?’

‘Oh, she’ll be right with us,’
Rebecca said. ‘She’s just boiling the water for some coffee.’

Jared nodded. He didn’t really want
another cup so close after the one he just had with Pastor Jacobs, but knew
that Tanya and his mother would not take no for an answer. ‘I just came from
Church,’ he said, trying to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted
it to go.

‘Church?’ Rebecca asked, ‘Why were
you there?’

‘I needed some answers,’ he said.

‘Oh?’ she asked. ‘What about?’

Jared sighed and leaned forward. For
a moment he didn’t say anything as he tried to construct his feelings into
words. ‘I can see things, mother,’ he said softly and rubbed at the stubble
that was forming around his cheeks. ‘Since that day that you prayed for my
sight to return, I can see things that no one else can.’

‘See things? What kind of things,
Jay?’

Jared hesitated.

Now or never.

‘I see what I think are angels and
demons.’

He waited for her to laugh. She
didn’t.

‘Do you think I’m crazy?’ he asked.
‘Am I losing my mind?’

Rebecca walked over to him and knelt
down beside him. She took his hands in her own and stared at them for a while.
‘No,’ she finally said. ‘I don’t think that you are ill. Your father and I have
been waiting for this day for quite some time now.’

Jared pulled his hands back. ‘What
do you mean?’ he asked.

Rebecca shook her head. ‘We didn’t
know about you seeing angels and demons, or any of the particular details,’ she
said, ‘but we did know that God planned on doing great things to many people
through you, Jared.’

‘And you never told me?’ Jared asked
and stood up. He failed at keeping the emotion from seeping through his voice.

‘We wanted you to discover your destiny
on your own,’ she said. ‘We wanted you to choose your own future without
influencing it in any way.’

‘Choose?’ Jared’s eyes reflected the
betrayal and hurt he felt in his heart. ‘I don’t have a choice with regards to
the things I see, mother,’ he said. ‘You should have told me.’

‘I know and I’m sorry that I didn’t.
I wanted to leave that discussion between you and your father.’

‘Well, take it back,’ he said. ‘I
don’t want this...this gift.’

Rebecca bit her lip. ‘You don’t want
it...?’

‘No,’ Jared said. ‘So whatever you
did when you prayed for me, I want you to undo it. I don’t want to see these
creatures anymore.’

‘I didn’t know that you were going
to see strange things,’ she said. ‘I only wanted you to see. But still, you’re
stronger than you think, Jared. You’re a brilliant leader and would make a
powerful spiritual warrior. All you need to do is realise your place in Jesus
Christ and ask Him for guidance to walk in His word and light.’

Jared took a few deep breaths to
calm his nerves before he said something that he might regret later.
‘I—do—not—want—this,’ he hissed. ‘Understood?’

‘Okay,’ Rebecca said and nodded. ‘I
will pray—’

‘Sorry to keep you two waiting,’
Tanya said as she entered the living room with a tray. She put the tray down on
the table and gave Jared a long hug. ‘It’s so good to see you again,’ she said.
‘You really had us all worried there for a minute.’

Jared merely nodded. He had told his
mother what he came to say and didn’t want to stay longer than was absolutely
necessary. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘I was actually just on my way...’ His words
trailed off when he saw the cloaked figure standing in the far corner of the
room, watching them. Another half-scorched creature slithered in next to Tanya,
folding its arms around her shoulders.

‘You were saying?’ Tanya asked him,
oblivious to the thing whispering into her ear.

Jared closed his eyes and shook his
head. When he opened them again, five more creatures stood between the three of
them. One of the creatures folded its hands over Rebecca’s eyes while another
wrapped its arms around her shoulders, while also whispering its poison into
her subconscious. Jared looked around the room and his stomach pulled into a
knot. There were about twenty of these creatures now and more piled in through
the doors like a plague of roaches.

‘Sweetie?’ Rebecca asked. ‘Is
something wrong?’

Jared took a few steps back to
distance himself from the advancing horde of demonic beings. ‘I...I’m fine,’ he
said. With swift movements that he didn’t expect, one of the cloaked figures
ran towards him, its head cocked as it advanced upon him. It stood next to
Jared before he could react and hissed at him. Another creature jumped high
into the air and landed right in front of Jared, glaring at him through burning
eyes. Jared tried his best not to finch as the creature slashed its bony claws
at him.

‘Jared?’ Rebecca asked. ‘What’s the
matter, honey?’

He looked at his mother, pretending
not to see the creatures. His heart thumped wildly in his chest and his head
felt faint. ‘I’m fine,’ he said, but his voice sounded far and faded. ‘I...I
have a few things to go and do...few errands...’

‘Nonsense!’ Tanya said. ‘Have your
coffee first. I insist.’

‘It’s fine,’ he said, trying to
fight the nausea welling up inside him. ‘I have to go.’ He looked at Rebecca.
Her eyes were still covered and more demons were whispering into her ear. ‘Want
to join me, mom?’

‘It’s okay, baby,’ Rebecca said. ‘I
think I’m going to bed with a good book.’

The demons enticing her looked up at
Jared with spiteful grins. Although Jared couldn’t hear them, he could see that
they were laughing at him.

‘You could always read later
tonight,’ he said, trying to convince her to leave with him. ‘I’d really
appreciate it if you came with me.’

Rebecca smiled. ‘Maybe another time,’
she said. ‘Tomorrow perhaps?’

At once all the demons stopped with
what they were busy with and looked up. Jared followed their gazes and a sudden
flush numbed his legs when he saw Natasha standing in the doorway. The demons
parted a path for her as she made her way to Jared, singing as she semi-floated
toward him with a glass of Scotch in her hand. At the sound of her voice Jared
wanted to fall down on his knees and cry out to her, but he focussed on the
demons instead.

‘Oh, here’s Natasha,’ Rebecca said;
the demons’ claws still wrapped around her eyes. ‘Doesn’t she look absolutely
stunning?’

Jared tried to break his gaze from
the woman advancing towards him, but couldn’t. As she neared him, he noticed
that her face swirled, almost as if it melted and reconstructed over and over
again. Now and again the swirling would stop for just a fraction of a second,
and she would look like one of the fanged demonic creatures that surrounded
her. And then it would swirl again. Finally she stood right in front of him and
gently touched his cheek with her hand. A transparent claw shot through her
flesh, slashed through his face, and disappeared. The experience sent a cold
shiver down Jared’s spine.

‘Hello lover,’ she said and held the
glass up towards him. ‘Did you miss me?’

Jared nodded, unable to prevent
himself from doing so.

‘Good,’ she said and her lips curled
into a grin. ‘Care to join me in the kitchen?’ she asked and handed him the
glass.

‘Sure,’ Jared said. He felt
powerless against her seductive voice. He took the glass from her and wanted to
wash down the liquid in one gulp, but fought the urge.

‘Well,’ Tanya said. ‘Rebecca and I
will be right here if you two lovebirds need us.’ The two women giggled and sat
down, leaving Jared and Natasha to their little reunion.

Jared raised the glass to his lips.
It was only then that he saw the creatures at his side, weaving their fingers
through his hair while whispering things that he couldn’t hear into his ear.
‘I...I can’t,’ Jared said and lowered the glass. Natasha merely opened her
mouth and sang. At the sound of her voice Jared almost grabbed and embraced
her. His heart ached to be with her. His soul cried out to be held by her.
‘I...I must go...’

Natasha reached out to him but he
took a step back. ‘Come,’ she said. ‘Come to me.’

He shook his head. ‘I have to go...’

Five demons visibly larger and more
powerful than the rest took their positions behind her. Drool dripped from
their jaws and a thin trail of yellow smoke filtered through their nostrils.

‘Come,’ Natasha said again. Her face
stopped swirling to reveal a gaping jaw with razor sharp fangs.

‘No...’

He dropped the glass and the
contents spilled on Tanya’s rug. The five demons advanced upon Jared at a rapid
pace and he instinctively took a few steps back, almost tumbling over the
furniture. They were just about upon him, lashing their claws out at him. Jared
closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.

Nothing happened.

Slowly Jared opened his eyes. The
five demons stood still right in front of him, breathing deeply, but not
advancing. To the left and right of Jared’s head, just above his shoulders,
were two blades of blue light that crackled with electricity. Jared looked back
and was relieved to see the two men standing behind him, pointing their swords
at the demons. ‘Simon...’ Jared breathed softly.

Although no words were exchanged,
the huge demons knew exactly what was expected of them. They backed down and
took their positions behind Natasha again. Simon nodded his head and Jared
slowly retreated with the two angels until they were out in the open. By the
time Jared reached the car, he was alone again. With fumbling hands he turned
the key in the ignition and as the first drops of rain splashed against his
windshield, Jared pulled out of Tanya’s driveway.

*   
-    -    -    *

 ‘What was that all about?’
Rebecca asked. ‘It was like he saw a ghost or something.’

‘Oh, I’m sure he’s fine,’ Tanya
said. ‘He’s been through hell and back these last few weeks.’

Natasha didn’t respond. She merely
turned around and left the room without saying a word.