Dark Exorcist 2 (Dark Exorcist Series) Read online

  It went straight up for a few seconds, then angled downward into a dive. It picked up speed as it was coming right for them. They stood by watching, frozen by the bizarre spectacle. As it got closer, Dietrich finally grabbed Laura and pulled her out of the way. They ran further down the highway as the helicopter zipped just over their heads and crashed just over a hundred feet behind them. The whole road shook as the craft burst into flames.

  As it flew by them, Dietrich saw why they hadn’t landed. The pilot’s eyes were open wide with a maniacal grin on his face. He only saw him for a couple seconds, but Dietrich was sure the man was laughing. Somehow the demons even got to the helicopter pilot. He had no idea how or why they got to the pilot but hadn’t affected either him or Laura. It troubled him that Amanda moved in and out of his body so easily.

  “You think Amanda is protecting us from them?” Laura asked, obviously thinking the same thing.

  “It would appear so. I can’t even imagine what these people are going through. I was possessed a short time when I helped Amanda during her ordeal. You are aware of every single thing. You can see and feel everything that is happening. The pain can be immense because the demon doesn’t feel it.”

  “My God. How awful,” she said.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” he said as he watched the helicopter burn. Out of the wreckage he saw something moving. Sure enough it was the pilot, or what was left of him. He was engulfed in flames and crawling out of the wreckage using his elbows. The pilot made it a few feet from the helicopter before his body gave out.

  Dietrich and Laura turned and made their way through the maze of demolished cars and dead bodies. They hadn’t gotten far when they heard a metallic thumping sound.

  “You hear that? What is that?” Dietrich asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Laura said.

  The sounds got louder, followed by a girl giggling. Just ahead Dietrich saw her. A little girl, carrying a teddy bear running on top of the cars, skipping from roof to roof of each car, laughing gleefully as she did so.

  “What the hell?” Laura asked as the girl approached them. She had to be possessed. She was leaping at least ten feet on some of those jumps. Something no regular child could do.

  “It’s him. It’s K’rall”

  “Oh shit.” Laura said, raising her gun.

  “No! We need to try to get him out without harming the little girl.”

  “We killed these other people attacking us? Just take her out and he’s out.”

  “That’s only a temporary fix. We need to annihilate him.”

  “How do we do that?” Laura asked.

  “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

  “Well, think fast.” Laura said as the girl took a final leap, landing right in front of them. As she looked up, she smiled.

  “Well hello. Father Harlan. I guess we meet again,” she said. “Though you’re not a priest any more. Such a shame. What fun times we had.”

  “Leave the little girl alone K’rall. She’s no threat to you.”

  “Give the former priest a fucking medal!” She said. “Which is exactly why I took her. Plus a demon possessed kid is so much creepier, don’t you think?”

  K’rall seemed much more refined since his previous encounter with the demon. Though Dietrich had figured that last outing was mostly theatrics on K’rall’s part. He was evil through and through and would change his approach on a whim.

  “Stop with the games. It’s not just me this time. I have help.” Dietrich said.

  “Who, our little Amanda? Yes, I ran into her earlier. My, how she’s grown.”

  “This isn’t a game, K’rall.” Dietrich said.

  “It’s always a game. Didn’t you know that by now?”

  “Fuck you!” Laura yelled. “You two are killing everyone! All this you call a game?”

  K’rall looked at her, but didn’t reply.

  “Were is Simon? Amanda saw you headed toward him.” Dietrich said.

  “Oh you mean Yeshto’th. Yes, I thought we could have a fun little face off. Our underlings were having it all the fun. But he turned tail and ran.”

  It really creeped Dietrich out talking to the demon who still used the little girl’s voice.

  “Into the city, I imagine. I was just headed that way myself when you all showed up.”

  “What is it you want, K’rall?”

  “The same thing I always want, to be in charge.”

  Chapter 26

  Amanda watched Simon head down the highway. Yeshto’th was fully in control of him and what looked like hundreds of others walking into the city. For the first time since she’d been watching, police and National Guard vehicles were racing through the city and arrived onto the interstate heading off Simon and his minions.

  “Oh, no,” she said to herself as she watched the soldiers and police dismounting their vehicles, aiming their weapons at the group. The soldiers opened fire as several of them fell to the ground. Others charged at the men. Simon was safely in the middle of the group. Many of them had to be shot repeatedly before going down. Before long, the mob was all over the police and soldiers. There were more vehicles coming in and helicopter gunships on the way.

  The sound of the rotors thundered through the air as the helicopters approached. Suddenly Amanda noticed the police and soldiers were turning on each other. Some of them opening fire, others just beating each other with the butts of their rifles. Several opened fire at the helicopters. One shot hit the tail rotor one on helicopter sending it into a spin. It twirled and twirled before crashing into the side of an overpass, breaking into pieces, the tail falling onto the road below.

  Men, women, even children went at each other. The soldiers and police were now possessed and part of the mayhem. One officer had ripped a woman’s leg off and was humping it in the middle of the road. Though before he got very far, someone came up behind him and smashed his skull in with a crowbar. All over there was blood and death. People being raped, having their limbs torn off, and heads being beaten in.

  Amanda had seen enough. She had to do something, but had no idea what she could even do to stop a demon. Drifting down, she watched as Simon stood on top of a car, smiling at the carnage around him. There were literal streams of blood running down the highway. As she came closer to Simon, he looked up in her direction as if he could see her. His face changed from a smile to a look of rage. His face cracked and split apart into a horrific snarl as he let out a scream.

  She entered into Simon’s body against Yeshto’th’s resistance. He pushed against her as he screamed. Amanda wasn’t even sure if it was possible for two entities to inhabit one body. She feared killing Simon in the process, but had to end the destruction. He couldn’t kill her, she was already dead. Forcing her way past him, she made it inside. The scream turned into a roar as she was able to actually see him from inside of Simon’s mind.

  His face was like that of a hideous clown, except it wasn’t makeup. Yeshto’th’s mouth hung open as if in a perpetual scream.

  “Who are you, you little cunt?” He yelled. “What have you done?”

  “I’m Amanda. And it’s time for you to go.”

  “What are you? You’re no demon! Go fuck yourself! Hahahaha Fuck you!”

  He was more vulgar than she’d figured, but should have expected as much. She felt him pushing against her, but this time she pushed back. Even though they were little more than energy and consciousness, they were somehow locked in a grappling match for control over Simon’s body. Her own strength impressed her. She didn’t know how or why but even Yeshto’th seemed shocked and if she didn’t know better, she’d think he was frightened.

  Suddenly they were both tumbling through the air, outside of Simon’s body. The little boy collapsed as they ascended into the air. Amanda wasn’t sure who was lifting who. As they went up, there were other demons around them, hundreds of them. They had to be the ones helping Yeshto’th in possessing so many. None of them interfered though, they just watche
d the struggle taking place with strange curiosity.

  “You’re just a child! You can’t win!”

  “I’m not a child anymore!”

  “Demons!” He shouted. “Rip this fucking cuntbag to shreds! Then tear her friends apart!”

  But they didn’t, they just watched. Amanda swirled around Yeshto’th, forcing him higher and higher into the sky. He began laughing like he was insane. She didn’t know if demons could be insane, but if they could, he was. Finally she backed away from him. He glared at her with that disgusting grin and let out a roar. It was the strangest sound she’d ever heard. So loud and booming. It sounded like a jet engine of a 747 screeching nearby.

  Testing her own limits she responded with her own roar. Much to her surprise and Yeshto’th’s, hers was louder and longer. Her voice thundered through the sky. The other demons even backed away as she let out a second, and a third. She wasn’t sure why she was doing this, but felt like she had to show her strength. This was the only way she thought to do it in this realm.

  Her roars sent ripples through the membrane of Purgatory, shaking everything around them. It was then when it opened. A black hole tore open in the membrane of Purgatory. Yeshto’th looked and tried to move away but it began pulling him in. He struggled against it, but the pull was too strong.

  He even changed form, and became a mist, trying to drift away. But that made it worse. The hole sucked him into the darkness as he let out a final, but pathetic roar, but this one was little more than a squeal. The mist disappeared into the hole and he was gone. The hole closed up behind him as Amanda turned around. The other demons stood and looked at her. One of them drifted toward her. She prepared to roar again but he stopped.

  “I am Sigmemoth. You are the one who was said to come,” he said.

  “Who was said to come for what?”

  “The prophecies from millennia past. K’rall has ruled over us with an iron fist since the beginning of time. His master hides and lets him run wild so they can both rule us all.” He gestured to the destruction beneath them. “This is what will keep happening if he’s not stopped.”

  “Weren’t you all just helping Yeshto’th out doing all of this? He’s done more of this than K’rall.”

  “Yes, those two hate each other and believe it or not; Yeshto’th is the lesser evil. He was just crazy but powerful. K’rall is pure evil. You destroyed Yeshto’th. You banished him. Only the master can banish demons, until now. So we are at your service.”

  She looked past him and saw thousands more demons drifting around, while they were all hideous, they each had a hopeful expression on their faces. Looking to her as some sort of Messiah. This was the last thing she was expecting.

  Chapter 27

  Dietrich watched the little girl skipping away from them. K’rall still had complete control over her. Though he noticed some of the commotion on the freeway had stopped. There had been some kind of battle toward the city, but it had gotten quiet. Wrecked cars, helicopters and body parts were strewn about. Dietrich and Laura ran down the road, looking for Simon.

  When they found him, he sitting by a car, crying.

  “Simon?” Dietrich said. “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

  “Where’s my mommy?” Simon cried.

  “Is he like, normal now?” Laura asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure. He seems normal.” Dietrich said. “Simon? What is the last thing you remember?”

  “I don’t know! I just want my mom! Where’s my mommy?” He said as Laura knelt down and took him in her arms.

  “We need to get you to a hospital son. Then we can talk to you about your mom. First we need to get to safety.”

  “What about K’rall and that girl?” Laura asked.

  “No telling where he is now. It looks like Amanda stopped Yeshto’th, but I have no idea how.”

  They stood as Laura carried Simon and ran toward the city. Before they got far, a little girl began laughing from nearby. Looking ahead, Dietrich saw the little girl, K’rall, standing on top of a car looking at them.

  “You make it too easy Harlan!” She yelled before laughing again. This time, the dead bodies lying on the road began to tremble before rising to their feet. Some had no arms, some were missing heads, but all of them were heading toward them.

  “It’s been fun Dietrich. Looks like I win this round! Too bad there won’t be another round,” K’rall said.

  Dietrich looked around as the lurching corpses closed in. He wasn’t sure how K’rall was doing it, not that it mattered. One of the bodies that still had its head looked as if it were smiling at them. Another had half its head blown off and was missing an arm, but still moved as quickly as the others. Simon screamed as he looked up, but Laura hugged him close to her body.

  “What do we do? They’re all over?” Laura asked.

  “I don’t know. Get on top of one of the cars!” Dietrich said as he ran to a crashed SUV. He climbed the bumper then onto the top of the car. He leaned down so Laura could hand him Simon. She then climbed up the vehicle as well. The corpses continued to close in on them, making a loud, squealing sound. Dietrich realized they were laughing like a pack of hyenas. The sound was horrid and constant.

  The corpses pressed against the vehicle, when they began pushing the car, trying to flip it over. The shaking continued, making them all lose their balance. Dietrich almost dropped Simon as he tried to keep his footing on the shaking car. Before it got any worse, the corpses stopped as a deafening roar filled the air. The whole ground shook as he looked around to see where it came from.

  Looking straight up, he couldn’t believe what he saw. It was Amanda. Though she had huge wings, like a giant bat. Her body was like a black smoke cloud from which the wings protruded. Her face was clear through the cloud, her mouth open in the primal roar. Behind her were thousands of other afflicted, most of them much smaller than Amanda but with a similar appearance.

  Dietrich had never actually seen a demon before and wasn’t sure how or why Amanda was a demon, if that was in fact her. She and her horde were racing toward them. Dietrich looked at K’rall and he was gone. The little girl was sitting on top of the car, crying and clinging to her teddy bear. As they swooped in, a huge gust of wind blow, almost blowing them off the car again, but they each kept their footing.

  The corpses fell to the ground, lifeless once again as the wind died down and the squealing and screaming stopped. Dietrich felt disoriented with all the commotion. His vision blurred for a few moments before it cleared. Just hovering out in front of him was Amanda, this time she was smiling. It was slightly twisted and distorted, but still her smile.

  “Hi, Dietrich,” she said. “Guess this is who I am now.”

  Chapter 28

  “Are you a demon?” Dietrich asked.

  “I’m not sure. Apparently K’rall had most of these guys enslaved. They followed Yeshto’th because he’s the only one who could stand up to K’rall. Somehow I banished him to somewhere, or nowhere. So now they all follow me.”

  “Holy shit,” Laura said. “So you’re like a Demon Queen?”

  “Not sure that is what you call it. But get this. K’rall has a master. He’s not even doing this on his own. You think that’s the Devil?”

  Dietrich considered this for a moment.

  “I’m not sure. A few years ago I’d have said yes for sure. Now who knows?” He said.

  “Well these guys all think I can defeat K’rall and his master. I’m not sure how. I’m not totally sure how I banished Yeshto’th.”

  “Perhaps because you were in Purgatory as a human when you died you’re in between. Half human, half demon or something.” Dietrich said.

  “Is that possible?” Amanda asked.

  “God. I don’t even know what is or isn’t possible anymore. K’rall seems to be gone.”

  “Yeah. He left that little girl and took his minions with him. I felt them slip back into Purgatory and drift away. I’ll find him.”

  “How is it we can see
you now?” Laura asked.

  “I’m also not sure. I think when I roar that triggers something. Same thing happened when I banished Yeshto’th. I roared and he was gone.”

  “Well don’t fuckin’ banish us,” Laura said.

  “I won’t,” Amanda said, laughing. “Is Simon okay?”

  “He doesn’t seem to be hurt physically. Other than that I’m not sure. We need to get him to a hospital,” Dietrich explained.

  “You should do that. I need to find K’rall.”

  “How will you do that?”

  “I have a whole legion of demons wanting to help.”

  “Be careful. If you could banish them, then they can banish you.” Dietrich warned.

  “I’m always careful. Bye, Dietrich. I’ll come visit you soon. Thank you for saving me again.”

  “Save you? Amanda, I failed you. You were killed.”

  “No, I wasn’t. I was just reborn,” she said before fading into the sky.

  * * *

  Hours later they arrived at a San Antonio hospital. Laura had been able to flag down a police officer who drove them to the ER. The cop had said the reports on the freeway had gone out as a riot. Emergency crews had moved back in for cleanup. News trucks and national media were showing up as well. Dietrich was glad he’d already gotten out of there. He’d rather face more demons than explain to the press why a “world renowned exorcist” was on site.

  Simon was sleeping soundly in his bed. Other than some scratches and dehydration, he would be fine physically. It would be a while before anyone knew how much the ordeal affected him emotionally. They hadn’t even told him about his mother yet. His grandparents lived in Houston, they had been notified, at least.

  Laura finally broke down once Simon was checked into the ER. She sat in the waiting room crying inconsolably. She’d lost both her parents through this nightmare.

  “Where will you go?” Dietrich asked Laura.