Unveil (14 page)

“No!” I jumped in front of Isaac. Before Snake-man’s fist could connect with my face, Tanner shoved me out of the way. Mr. Steroids plunged in Tanner’s direction. Snake-man moved toward Isaac who was on the ground holding his chin. Conflicted, I looked from Isaac to Tanner, trying to figure out which one to help. Isaac moaned on the ground. The sound cut to my heart. I hurt as if I’d been hit myself. Knowing what I had to do, I threw my body over Isaac’s, shielding him from Snake-man. Tanner threw me a worried look before being tackled by Mr. Steroids.

“No.” Isaac tried to push me off of him, but I held him down. “Let me up, Kenz. He’ll hurt you.”

I locked eyes with him. “It’s okay. I just can’t let him hurt you again.”

My arm was yanked by slimy fingers and practically pulled from its socket.

“Time to go, princess.” Snake-man said. I looked up to see Tanner still in a scuffle with Mr. Steroids.

“Let go of her.” Isaac held my other arm, pulling me to him. I felt like I was the rope in a game of tug-of-war.

Mom ran in my direction. She hollered for Grandma to get inside and call the police. Haley went after the man fighting Tanner, holding a plate in her hand. Not the best weapon but it might do. Dad tackled Grandma before she could get inside.

Mom barreled into Snake-man, but he hardly even moved. He shoved her aside like she was nothing but a lightweight feather. His hand still gripped my arm hard. Isaac grabbed the tattooed man around the waist, attempting to tackle him. It caused him to release his grip on me.

“Run!” Isaac shouted to me just as Snake-man’s fist connected with his jaw. Isaac stumbled backward. I couldn’t leave him there to get beat up.

“Stop it!” Tears sprang to my eyes. I raced toward Snake-man, pummeling him with my arms

“Kenzie.” Isaac threw me a fierce look and then pushed me out of the way. As he did, Snake-man’s elbow came down on his back and he fell like a rag doll. My heart dropped. As I reached for Isaac, Snake-man’s hand clamped back down on my arm. My flesh burned where he latched onto me. I writhed in his grip, but he pinned my arms down with both of his hands. Weary, I stopped fighting. My throat burned. Holding onto me, he brought his leg back ready to kick Isaac, who lay unmoving on the ground. Panic gripped me. If he kicked him in the head with his large black boot he could do real damage. I couldn’t let that happen. “No. Please. Don’t touch him. I’ll do anything. Okay? I’ll come with you.”

I heard a crack behind me and prayed it was Haley’s plate connecting with Mr. Steroids head. Snake-man held the gun to my temple again. The metal was hard and cold against my flesh. Mom inhaled sharply.

“David!” Mom shrieked so loud everyone stopped moving. “Take me. I’ll go. Just leave Kenzie alone.”

Dad held Grandma around the neck. She squirmed in his grasp. I looked to see Mr. Steroids on the ground, a shattered plate beside him. Wow. Haley must have hit him really hard. Tanner’s face was swollen and bruised. My heart ached and tears pricked my eyes. This whole thing was so out of control. Isaac peeled himself off the ground with a groan. His eye was swollen and blood oozed from the cut.

That’s when I saw what the others didn’t. We weren’t alone. There were more like Wesley, but there were good ones, too. Men and women with light haloed around the heads. Kind eyes. Confident smiles.

Peace descended on me.

We could do this. We could fight and we could win. This was more than just a fight against my dad. No, this was something bigger. The something that I’d felt was coming for awhile.

Tonight I would break the hold that darkness had on my family.

Tonight it would end one way or another.

Since my arms were pinned down I couldn’t reach my necklace, but I could feel the cross against my skin. It gave me comfort and I was grateful that I had decided to put it on. An angel beside me smiled and nodded, giving me strength.

“God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of love and of peace and of sound mind,” I shouted. It was a verse I had memorized a few weeks earlier and I was so glad I had.

Wesley hissed. I smelled burning. Courage surged through me. Even though the gun was still at my head and I knew this could end badly for me, I kicked Snake-man in the leg as hard as I could. At the same moment, I elbowed him in the gut the way I’d seen done in karate movies. I wasn’t sure if it would work but it did and he stumbled backward, letting go of me. It gave Isaac the opening he needed and he pummeled into him, knocking the gun from his hand. The minute it hit the ground, I snatched it up.

Dad looked unsure of himself now that his accomplices were unarmed. Grandma elbowed him in the gut and he released her. Wesley nudged him, whispering in his ear, and he came toward me.

“Okay, enough with this,” Dad said. “Let’s go.”

“No.” I shook my head and was about ready to hold the gun up, when arms squeezed around my waist. It was Snake-man. I could smell him. My fingers were moist and the gun slipped from them. Snake-man kicked it in Dad’s direction and he plucked it out of the grass. Mad at myself for messing up the only leverage we had, I kicked and flailed. Snake-man started dragging me again, while whispering in my ear. “You’re a feisty one. We’re gonna have some fun with you when we get out of here.”

My stomach churned. Bile rose in my throat. Isaac jumped at him, hitting him in the back. Dad went toward Isaac, but before he could reach him Tanner tackled my dad and sent him to the ground. I closed my eyes, being spun around like a rag doll, and tried to block out the sounds of scuffling and hitting.

Mr. Steroids stirred and I commanded Haley to stay on guard.

“The phone’s dead inside, too!” Grandma hollered from the kitchen. Then seeing what was happening she fled toward us.

Mom was screaming. I couldn’t see behind me. What was happening? And where were the neighbors? Surely they could hear something. Had Wesley quieted their ears? Was his power that great?

“Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posy.”

My head snapped up.
The boy.
He was in the yard sitting right in front of me with that sick look on his face. My body was flung on the ground. I landed with a thud and bit my tongue. Blood filled my mouth.

“Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

Grunting. Hitting. Groaning. The sounds filled the air all around me. I felt like I had stepped into a nightmare that would never end.

“Stop!” A voice rang out.

My blood ran cold. The attackers listened. Even Wesley’s ears perked.

Drake.

My heart sank when Mom ran to him.

“It’s okay,” he purred. “I’ve got everything under control.”

“Mom, stay away from him! He’s evil!” I hollered as I stood up.

Isaac scurried to my side. He threaded his fingers through mine, holding me steady.

“Nonsense. I’m here to help. Look, everyone calm down.” He turned to Mom, giving her a reassuring smile. “If you and Kenzie come with me now I’ll keep you safe and protected. Everything will be okay.”

I could see the relief on Mom’s face. She thought he had come to rescue her.

“No!” I screamed. “Mom, he’s playing you.”

Mom looked from Drake to me, a perplexed look on her face.

“Listen to me, Mom. It’s time to choose.” My heart thumped loudly. Mom bit her lip.

Drake’s eyes darkened. “Josie?”

“Mom?”

She stepped away from him and I let out a ragged breath.

Drake grabbed her. “Wrong choice!” As she squealed, Wesley, the little boy, and all the other dark people ran to Drake. They seemed to walk into his body, disappearing inside him. As they did, he grew larger. He expanded. A large tail ripped out of his back, ears protruded from his head. The skin of his mouth stretched until it resembled a snout. His sleek clothes fell away and scales covered his body. He was a giant dragon and he continued growing until he towered over us, as tall as a tree. I had seen transformations like this before but everyone else stood there with their mouths unhinged. Even Snake-man, Mr. Steroids and Dad trembled with fright.

I was just glad I wasn’t the only one who could see it. Mom dangled from the dragon’s claws, screaming.

I remembered the verse Isaac quoted to me on our walk the day I confessed to him about Wesley. I had read that verse so many times since then that it was tattooed on my brain. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Isaac still held my hand and he gave it a squeeze. He knew what I was saying. It was time to bring out our weapons. There was a reason God had given me eyes to see. He was revealing the darkness so I could bring the light.

At the top of our lungs, Isaac and I hollered. “Jesus!” Grandma and Tanner joined in. Angels encamped us. The light was so bright it almost blinded me. But Haley and Mom were still shrouded in darkness.

“Mom! Haley! You have to choose your side!” I yelled above all the noise.

Drake growled. Thunder rose in the sky. Wind picked up, swirling my hair around my face.

“Jesus!” I hollered again. His name bringing peace, His name bringing power.

The angels morphed together into one giant celestial being, taller and more majestic then the one holding Mom. Dad and his two accomplices covered their eyes from the brightness. They fell to their knees in terror. It was so weird how they were more terrified by the beauty of the angel than by the evil terror of Drake. Tilting its head down the angel breathed on Dad and his friends and they fell to the ground and lay unmoving, as if asleep. I sighed with relief.

When I looked back at Haley she was surrounded by light. Her face was serene. I smiled at her and flashed her a thumbs-up. If only it were that easy with Mom.

I peered up at Drake, Mom still dangling from his claws. The angel’s voice roared. Its loud rumble shot through me. Drake blew out smoke from his mouth but the angel just snuffed it out, barely lifting a finger. Drake backed up a little.

“Mom!” I hollered, fearful that when the angel won she’d die with Drake. “Please!”

“Kenzie.” Her voice reached me and my heart lifted. Grandma raced to my side, put an arm around me. I could feel the fear radiating from her. Isaac’s hand was still in mine, giving me strength. Tanner and Haley stood nearby, watching.

Then I heard it. A small voice carried softly on the wind. “Jesus. Jesus.”

Tears flooded my vision. She had said it. She had really said it.

“Jesus, I’m sorry….” Mom’s voice trailed off.

A growl so deafening that I had to put my hand over my ears rang out. We all cowered. Smoke filled the air. When I glanced back up, tiny black demons scattered across the sky. Their screeching sounded like a million dying animals. I winced. The angel stood majestic and glowing against the black night sky.

Where was Mom? Frantic, I scoured the yard. She was gone. Grandma noticed my panic and looked around too.

“Mom. Mom. No.” A sob tore from my throat. Had it been too late?

I glanced back at the angel, my eyes pleading. With a smile on his face, he opened his palm and there she was sitting inside. My relief was palpable.

I ran to her and took her in my arms. When she looked at me, her face was soft and full of peace.

It was the first time I’d ever seen her like that. She kissed my wet cheeks, stroking my hair. “Oh Kenzie. I’m sorry. For everything.”

I shook my head. “So am I.”

The angel deposited Mom onto the lawn. While Grandma enveloped her in a hug, Tanner approached me. I cringed at his battered face. Then I remembered the decision to help Isaac and not him, and I knew I had made my choice.

“It’s okay, Kenzie.” He grabbed both of my hands and held them in his. “I see it now. I know he’s the one you love.”

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry, Tanner. I do care about you, though, and I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

“I know. And you won’t.” He glanced over at Isaac. “And if he ever hurts you, I’ll kill him.”

Smiling, I nodded. “Deal.”

Haley rushed over. “Can you believe this night? Crazy, huh?”

“That’s gotta be the understatement of the year,” I said.

We all chuckled.

I embraced Haley. “I’m so happy for you, Hales.”

“Hey, the choice was easy. You know how much I like to win.” She winked.

I peered over my shoulder and saw Isaac standing alone. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Haley nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Good luck.”

Isaac grinned when I approached. The wound had stopped bleeding but dried blood caked his skin. Despite that, he still looked amazing.

“Isaac,” I started to say, but he stopped me.

“You don’t need to say anything, Kenzie. I know you made your choice.”

My heart stopped. I hoped he didn’t misunderstand what he just saw between Tanner and I. When I opened my mouth to explain, he stepped forward. Placing both hands on the side of my face, he brought his head down to mine and kissed me lightly.

“I saw the truth tonight. I know how much you love me.” He smiled. Resting his forehead against mine, I finally allowed myself to breathe. “You and I are a great team. There’s nothing we can’t battle together, Kenz.”

Our lips met in a rush of passion and emotion. I knew he was right. With God by our side, we were unstoppable.

I heard sirens in the distance. Glancing over, I saw that Dad and crew were still lying on the grass. It was comforting to know that they would be put away soon.

White light swirled around us as the angels dispersed across the sky. The sound was twinkly and beautiful, unlike the screeching of the demons. The yard was illuminated as bright as the sun despite the fact that it was nighttime.

It was a reminder of the things I no longer had to fear.

Mom and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Milk dribbled down my chin and I wiped it off with a napkin. I wore jean cut-off shorts and a purple v-neck shirt. Mom sported a pale pink sundress. Large, soft curls framed her face.