I
“What happened?”
“I don’t know, he just started convulsing. His skin is becoming discolored!”
“Get him into room 2.”
Mica could feel his body slipping away. He tried to scream, but Adramelech would not allow him enough control over his own muscles to do it. He could feel a burning sensation in his chest just under where the crucifix on his neck rested. It felt as though someone had cast the crucifix into a fireplace before placing it around his neck. It had kept Adramelech at bay, but it was now causing him pain.
He had been cursed with the demon for almost a year and it had been eating away at him. He had not been able to eat much in months. The demon had forced him to abuse himself and those around him. He had been forced to alienate the ones he care for the most, for their own safety and then spent the last few weeks restrained to a hospital bed.
The lights above him were as bright as the sun and blinded him whenever he opened his eyes. The surgeons standing over him had puzzled looks on their faces as he began to lose consciousness, “Nurse, I need another scalpel over here.”
“Immediately, doctor.”
“There’s blood coming out of his mouth. He’s most likely suffering from internal hemorrhaging. We need to get in there now!”
Mica closed his eyes as he heard the machines nearby begin to beep in alarm. His head turned to the side and his world went blank. At that moment, he was certain he was going to die. Father… into your hands, I commend my spirit.
Adramelech cackled in the back of his mind, “God can’t save you now, no one can!”
You can’t have my soul, demon. You destroy my body, but that’s all you’ll ever take.
“Small words… even the priest who tried to exorcise me failed and he is a man of faith. What do you think you can do?”
Mica knew that Adramelech’s words were true. The exorcism that had been performed in his parent’s house had failed. The therapists were at a loss and so were most of the medical doctors. Adramelech was just too strong.
Mica thought back to his last day with his girlfriend Gwen. After a spending the summer being almost completely inseparable, it was once again time for them to part ways for the fall. Mica was heading back to the University of New Hampshire while Gwen was on her way out to Georgetown.
Mica pulled his Jeep wrangler up in front of Gwen’s parent’s house. He got out and went around to the other side. The jeep was bright red with a grey interior. There was a sunset on the door indicating that it was an old islander model. The Jeep was older than he was, but he didn’t care. It was his father’s old car and was still in great shape.
Mica opened the passenger door and helped Gwen out. She had a worried look on her face as Mica walked her to the door. He brushed a strand of black hair out of his face as they reached her stoop.
The young couple shared a moment of levity in front of her parents’ home in Weston.
“Well… tonight was fun.”
Gwen smiled, “Yeah it really was. I’d never eaten at a hibachi restaurant before.”
“Well when Christmas break rolls around, we can go back.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
Gwen smiled and kissed him after their last date before heading for the door. Mica watched her until the door was completely closed behind her and then turned back to his jeep. He pulled open the door and looked at the dark grey interior. It somehow felt lonely now that Gwen was gone.
He was about to get in when he heard a stressed voice called to him, “Mica!”
Mica turned in time to catch Gwen as she ran into his arms, “What’s wrong?”
“I just wanted one last hug. I’m going to miss you, okay?”
Mica smiled as he wiped away the tears forming in Gwen’s hazel eyes, “Hey it’s only a few months. You’ll be home for Christmas and we’ll see each other then. You have my number as well.”
“I know.” Gwen replied as she lowered her eyes. “Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself until then…”
At that moment, reality snapped back into place. He was back on the operating table in Mass General’s Division of Trauma. Though not conscious, he was fully aware of what was happening. Adramelech would not allow him to miss a minute of it and not even the medications that were being pumped through his body could keep the demon at by.
I’m sorry Gwen, Mica thought to himself. I have to break my promise.
Mica knew what he had to do. He pulled together what little mental fortitude he had left and blocked out Adramelech one last time. He had regained control of his body just long enough to release himself.
Adramelech cried out, “No!”
Mica braced himself for the coming shock to his system. At that moment, as the doctor worked, Mica’s eyes shot open, startling one of the doctors, “Is he sedated?”
“Yes, he’s under general anesthesia and his vitals are stable. I don’t understand what’s happening!”
Mica smiled as he looked up at the lights, “You’ve lost! Go back to hell!”
At that moment, Mica’s vital signs flat-lined. As his world blurred out, Mica could hear the screams of the scanners hooked up to his body. He had denied Adramelech his prize, but would now face the consequences for doing so. The fight was over, and Mica’s soul could finally rest.
The doctors immediately stopped the surgery and went to work trying to resuscitate him, “Code blue, get me a defibrillator, stat!”
One of the nurses pulled a small cart over with a pair of pads resting on top of them. Another nurse began chest compressions while another pumped oxygen into him. The group ignored the sounds around them as they went to work attempting to save their patient’s life.
The leading surgeon grabbed the pads and applied them to Mica’s chest, “Device charging now…”
The doctor waited for a moment for the defibrillator to charge. When the indicator on the defibrillators turned read, the doctor turned back to Mica, “Everybody, clear!”
The surgical team backed away as the doctor began defibrillation, “200J…”
Mica’s lifeless body convulsed as the electricity flowed through it. Once the system turned off, the group began CPR again. The monitoring nurse shook her head as she checked Mica for response, “No pulse.”
The group tried three more times. After every defibrillation attempt and medication failed, the team ceased their resuscitation attempts. The doctor shook his head, “Note the time of death, 8:53 PM.”
The group backed away and began to clean up.
Outside in the corridor, Mica’s mother and Gwen had been waiting for news. It was late and the lights in the waiting room were dim. It provided anyone in the room a rather ominous feeling. The dim light provided a perfect vale for a pair of dark figures that stood in the corner. One male, one female, both paying close attention to the scene that was about to unfold with Mica’s family.
The quiet was quickly interrupted when Mica’s leading surgeon appeared at the door. Mica’s mother stood up with Gwen holding her by the arm, “Well doctor, how is he?”
The doctor shook his head, “I’m sorry…”
Mica’s mother buried her face in her hands as a shocked look came over Gwen’s, “What, but how?”
“I’m afraid we don’t really know, we were working to repair the hemorharge when he suddenly regained consciousness. He looked up, said that we lost, and then flat lined. All attempts to resuscitate him failed.”
Gwen lowered her eyes. She’d known Mica since childhood and loved him for almost that long. Though she would never have admitted it to Mica, she had harbored hopes that if their relationship survived their final year of college, he’d soon come to her with a ring. Now that could never be.
Though in pain herself, Gwen did the best she could to comfort Mica’s mother and remain strong. She was about to say something when his mother looked up at the doctor, “Did he suffer?”
The doctor shook his head, “His suffering is over now.”
As Mica’s mother sat down, the male figure in the corner smiled, “There was a lot of fight in that one.”
The female shadow nodded, “It’s not every mortal human that can stand up to a demon as fierce as Adramelech.”
The male stood almost motionless, “I think he’ll do.”
“You really came out of nowhere after four months of hiding to show me this? He’s defiant, yeah? Short-sighted, and extremely jovial with the people around him. Those aren’t the qualities we need.”
“I seem to recall thinking the same thing about you, but you assured me that you wouldn’t disappoint… and you never have.”
The female figure did not respond. The male’s smile widened, “Yes… Yes I think he’ll do perfectly.”
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The rest of the book can be purchased here.
- Series: The Vengeance Doctrine
- Paperback: 520 pages
- Publisher: James Harrington (April 7, 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0692608443
- ISBN-13: 978-0692608449
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
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I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
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Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
James Harringtons Creative Work 