Work Text:
1991
13-year-old Elijah Bryce knew when he was young that he was different from everyone else. Yes, he loved playing sports, but as his body grew, he started having weird feelings about other boys in school. He was finding them attractive and had no interest in the opposite sex.
For the first 13 years of his life, Elijah was content and happy. That is until the day when he was forced to shower with the other boys after gym class. All was well until the most handsome boy in the 7th grade walked into the shower and Elijah immediately felt funny. He looked down and started to blush as he quickly ran out of the stall.
*
“What’s wrong with me?” Elijah asked himself as he lay in bed that night. His parents had always raised him to believe that homosexuality was a sin and that all gay people were evil. “I don’t want to be evil. I want God to love me.”
Elijah got up and found his bible. “I’m going to pray hard for you to make me want to be straight. I’ll do it for you, Lord. Please help me through this.”
A tear fell onto the bible as Elijah hugged it tightly, falling asleep in the fetal position a short time later.
*
Elijah started throwing himself into his church studies, avoiding anything that would set him off…down there. He wasn’t going to give anyone a reason to hate him now that he was starting to understand what was happening to him.
He was, in fact, a gay teenager. He found the same sex attractive, and he knew if anyone found out, especially in one of the most homophobic places on Earth, he was dead. So he was going to make sure no one ever found out what he was.
“I want to become an altar boy at church,” Elijah told his parents one morning. “I need to be closer to God.”
*
“You are a bright, young responsible young man,” Father Bob said as he sat at his desk. “Why of course you can be an altar boy in the church. You’ve been working hard to impress the Lord, Elijah. You’ll start this Sunday. We only have one other boy who volunteered, I’ll introduce you to him. I’ll call Cole in here to introduce you.”
“I hope this guy is friendly,” Elijah said as a knock came at the door.
“Please, come in,” Father Bob said. “Elijah, this is Cole. The only other young man who volunteered for the position,”
The door opened as a shorter young man with sandy brown parted hair walked in. Elijah looked at him and instantly noticed how handsome the young man who’d be his new partner and fellow altar boy walked in.
“Cole, this is Eliah,” Father Bob said. “You’ll be working together in the church. I hope you’ll be good friends.”
*
A half-hour later, the two young men were working outside, cleaning the steps while Father Bob was in town. Cole looked around and lit a cigarette.
“You smoke,” Elijah asked. “That’s… not good.”
“Don’t be a fucking pussy,:” Cole told him. “The nuns do it all the time. Hell, Sister Mary Clarence buys my smokes for me. Come on, light up.”
“Maybe later,” Elijah said.
“Suit yourself,” Cole said in a raspy voice as he raked while Elijah swept the steps. The sun was getting hot as Cole took off his shirt and Elijah realized how much he had been working out. “So, tell me about yourself, Elijah. What do you like to do for fun?”
Elijah remained speechless as he took in Cole’s sweaty body. “Earth to Elijah!”
Elijah snapped back to reality as he went back to sweeping. “I play soccer.”
“I wanted to play, but the coach said I was too short,” Cole said.
“I could teach you,” Elijah told him. “If you want. Maybe it’ll bring us closer… as friends, I mean!”
*
Over the next few months, Elijah and Cole became the best of friends, telling each other everything about each other. Well, almost everything.
“You know, the church is having a baptism for Sister Maurice’s nephew and they’re looking to fill the crowd,” Cole said. “They said we won’t be needed so we can sit in the audience. Want to come with me? As my… friend.”
“Sure,” Elijah told him. “I’d love to come… as your friend.”
Elijah took off his robe and opened his locker to get his street clothes back on. The robes tended to be heavy so the boys took off their street clothes to remain cooler in the constantly hot church. Cole had watched Elijah strip down to his boxers for months as he changed out of his lighter shorts and a tight tank top and was growing slightly attracted to the taller boy.
“You started going shirtless?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, it’s like they turned up the heat this summer,” Elijah said as he turned around in just a small swimsuit. “This keeps up and I’ll have to start going naked under my robe.”
“I know what you mean,” Cole said. “But knowing my luck, they’d put in an RC unit and I’d end up on top of a grate that Marylin Monroes me in front of the whole church. I’m just starting puberty, I don’t want anyone seeing this,”
Cole dropped his pants to show off his slightly growing hair. “I don’t have much now, but it’s coming.”
“I– I have to go,” Elijah said as he grabbed his shirt and shoes to finish getting dressed as he walked home. “I’ll see you at the baptism!”
*
Elijah ran home and looked in the mirror.
“You’re evil. You don’t belong anywhere. I hate you!” Elijah shouted as he started hitting the mirror. He ended up hitting it so hard that it shattered, cutting his hand.
*
Cole waited outside of the church while wearing a nice suit. He hoped Elijah would show up. Over the last few months, he’d come to think of Elijah as his best friend and wanted to admit the secret he’d been hiding for so long.
Elijah finally came running up in his regular clothes and started into Cole’s eyes.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Elijah said. “I can’t be an altar boy anymore.”
“What?” Cole asked. “What’s wrong? Whatever’s wrong, we can get through this. I need you, Elijah. You’re my best friend.”
“I– I–,” Elijah said as he made sure no one was looking and pulled Cole into a powerful kiss.
*
Father Bob was watching the people come in as the baby was brought up the aisle.
“And this must be little Donald,” Bob said. “Everything’s set up. This day will be the day your family will never forget.”
*
Elijah and Cole sat on the swing set in the back. Elijah had tears in his eyes as he wiped them away.
“I like you,” Elijah said. “But I know being gay is wrong.”
“I know,” Cole said. “This is why I became an altar boy so I could be… fixed. I didn’t want to go to one of those conversion camps. I was pushing all of it back, but then I got to know you. I like you too.”
“So what do we do?” Elijah asked. “The more time we spend together, the more I want to… kiss you. I want to protect you even more now that I know that we’re… alike.”
“We can’t be together,” Cole said. “No one would ever accept us.”
“You keep being an altar boy,” Elijah said. “I’ll quit and find something else that’ll keep me close to God. I want us to stay friends.”
“Me too,” Cole said. “So that’ll be the last time we can be together. Maybe just… one more kiss before we go our separate ways?”
*
“This baby is sick,” Father Bob said as he saw the pale child. “Is he okay?”
“No, he’s dying,” Sister Maurice said. “To become pregnant, my sister made… a few promises to a higher power.”
“You mean… God?” Father Bob asked.
“No, Father,” Maurice said. “A much higher power. An eternal power. I’m looking around. Didn’t you have two altar boys?”
“Yes. Cole and Elijah, two exemplary young men that we are proud of,” Bob said. “They’re usually pretty punctual, but I’m sure they’ll be here.”
*
Cole’s shirt was tossed aside as the two young men were into a heavy make-out session.
“Please don’t go,” Cole whispered. “You’re my best friend. My life has gotten better since I’ve known you.”
“You know I can’t,” Elijah said as he gasped as Cole slid his hand under Elijah’s shirt. “We’re already going to Hell, and this is just making things worse.”
“Elijah, I don’t believe God hates us,” Cole said. “I think that everything is just false bullshit we’re told to keep us in line. We need each other. We don’t have to tell anyone what we’re doing, it can just be between us. Please, don’t throw away what we can have.”
Elijah shed a tear. “I do want to build something great. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I just need to say ‘fuck it’ and try to build a good life. But we can’t tell anyone.”
“I promise,” Cole said. “This is just between us. I’ll savor every kiss like it’s our last.”
“What if the church finds out?” Elijah asked.
“What are they going to do? Send us to hell?” Cole asked as he ran a hand through Elijah’s hair.
*
The two boys entered the church just as the ceremony was about to start.
“Where’s Father Bob?” Cole asked as Sister Maurice welcomed them.
“He was called away on urgent business,” Maurice said as he looked at Cole. “My, aren’t you handsome? Would you like to be a part of the ceremony?”
“Well,” Cole said.
“Come with me and I’ll tell you everything you need to do,” Maurice said as she led Cole to the back with no one noticing Father Bob’s blood running under the closet. Elijah took a seat and waited for Cole.
*
Baby Donald sat on the altar as the people waited. Sister Maurice walked up and looked at the crowd.
“Thank you for coming to my nephew’s baptism,” Maurice said. “Unfortunately the baby’s parents couldn’t make it. They died to assure their son could live.”
The people whispered as the doors were locked behind them. Elijah looked around for Cole but didn’t see him.
“This isn’t just a baptism,” Maurice said. “It’s a rebirth. You see, my nephew was conceived through the power of a powerful entity named Damballa. He who controls death itself. But this baby is weak, his body can not survive much longer. He needs a stronger body.”
Cole was then dragged out while bound and taken to the alter.
“What the hell is going on?” Elijah asked. “What are you doing with Cole?”
“It’s all part of the show,” Maurice said. “Now, all of you are about to witness the power of the mighty Damballa! You see, when the deal was made for this baby’s birth, it was agreed that part of Damballa’s spirit would be imbued into the baby, but now he needs a stronger vessel. I’ve witnessed these boys together. Cole’s spirit is strong as is his will. He will make the perfect home for Damballa’s spirit.”
“NO!” Elijah shouted. “I won’t let you!”
As he ran up to the altar, he was immediately held back by the other members of Damballa’s cult. They finally had to hit him in the back of the head to keep him quiet.
“Now, it’s showtime,” Maurice said. “I’ve infiltrated the church just for this moment.”
Maurice watched as Cole was strapped down.
“The baby is so near death that upon the transfer, you’ll last moments at best. Thank you for the donation of your strong body, Cole,” Maurice said and started the Damballa chant. Thunder clouds gathered as Cole struggled. “Ade due Dambulla…”
“Please,” Elijah begged. “I love him. Please.”
“ADE DUE DAMBALLA!” Maurice shouted as lighting burst through the stained glass windows, blasting everyone back, including Elijah, who was buried beneath several destroyed pews.
“Did it work?: Maurice asked as Cole blinked his eyes and started laughing.
“I. am… REBORN!” Cole shouted as he looked at the dead baby on the altar. He gently kissed Cole’s now dead body before twisting the baby’s neck and tossing it away.
“Lord,” Maurice shouted as Cole looked around. “So many witnesses.”
As he lay unconscious under the pews, screaming and snapping necks were heard. The last one to die was Sister Maurice, who begged for her life. Elijah finally came awoke and climbed out of the rubble to see the blood and body-part-covered church.
“Cole?” Elijah asked. “What happened?”
“Join me,” Cole said as he extended his hand. “Be my partner. My disciple, the only one worthy of helping me conquer this world as I build my strength.”
Cole grabbed his clothes and tore them off, revealing his body to Elijah. “Denounce your God and love me. I will fulfill your desires, Elijah. You will not live in a world of hatred. You will only know fulfillment. Let me love you, Elijah. The way you deserve.”
“I love Cole,” Elijah said. “He’s the one I want.”
“Because I owe the soul I displaced, I won’t kill you for denying me,” Cole said. “But we will now part ways. Try to kill me, and I’ll make you eat your own heart. Goodbye, Elijah. I’ll try to remember to not kill you when I take over this world. Only the faithful will survive, so I suggest that you DON’T FUCK WITH ME.”
Cole grabbed Elijah and gave him a fiery kiss to erase the memories of what happened in the church that day, but his love for Cole over the years eventually allowed him to recover his memories. Elijah sat there for hours and cried over his lost friend,
*
30 Years Later
Elijah Bryce walked into the confessional and knocked on the partition. He wasn’t used to being on this end of a confession, but ever since he took a smaller role in the church after… the incident of his homosexuality being discovered, he’d decided to go out into the world to find himself.
Recently, Father Bryce had seen the devil himself in the flesh. Randall Flagg had looked into Eijah’s soul and saw his deepest fears and insecurities. He saw everything that Eliah was and could now exploit it whenever he wished. The former Father now knew he needed to reconnect with his God to make himself stronger and maybe even try to make amends with his former love.
The partition opened and the man saw the young man he’s mentored for years, even helping him find a role in the church.
“Elijah,” Father Brophy said. He was Bryce’s only true ally in the church and the first person he’d outed himself to years ago. Brophy proved himself to be trustworthy always sticking up for the young man, having befriended him as a boy years before either had gone into the priesthood. “It’s been a while.”
“I’m sorry,” Elijah told him. “I know it’s been a while. But after I told the church that I was gay–”
“You were demoted,” Brophy said. “Many of us in the church don’t see things the old ways. Your lifestyle is accepted by many of us in the church now. You and others are welcome in the house of God now. You are still the man I came to view as a brother.”
Eliah shed a tear. “Thank you, Luke. I love you as a brother as well. I’ve started to accept who I was in recent years. That’s kind of why I’m here. I’ve been thinking a lot about the young man I told you about some time ago.”
“Ah, yes,” Luke told him. “I see him at my service every Sunday. I everything okay?”
“I left him some time ago,” Elijah said. “I wouldn’t be able to handle it if I hurt him.”
“Maybe you should tell me what makes you believe that,” Luke told him. “You are a good man. You incapable of hurting anyone.”
“It goes back to the demon that killed… him. About the demon that killed Cole,” Elijah said.
Luke paused for a moment, knowing they couldn’t talk about it. Not even in a church. “Meet me in the park in a half-hour. I need to change out of my priest clothes.”
*
Shortly, Father Brophy met with his surrogate brother Father Bryce in the park and they hugged.
“You started growing a beard,” Luke said. “Trying to look like a man, I see.”
“I look less like a teen idol with the facial hair,” Elijah told him. “It’s good to see you.”
“What about… him? Is he back?” Luke asked.
“I haven’t officially seen him, but things that the guy I started falling for talked about things that sounded familiar,” Elijah said. “He mentioned the name Damballa.”
Luke stepped back and did a praying motion. “Are you sure?”
“I know what I heard,” Elijah said. “I panicked and tried to forget about it, but the memory of leaving the person I claimed to love to face this… I’m a horrible person.”
“You are not,” Luke told him. “You were frightened. But we must learn more about what we are dealing with. How did you meet this boy you were interested in?”
Elijah looked away. “He’s… fairly younger than me.”
“This isn’t the catholic church,” Luke said. “Are you saying that–”
“He’s 22,” Elijah said. “And very mature for his age. He had to raise a younger brother all on his own from an early age. His name is Jesse, and we met in a church when he started attending some time ago with his kid brothers, Glen and Cameron. He’s a hard worker that sacrifices everything to give those boys what they need to survive. But recently Jesse lost his dad, but before we met, he suffered horrific abuse from his father.”
Eliah looked away into the distance. “The abuse caused him to develop a split personality named Glenda, who was obsessed with protecting his little brother Glen and wanted Jesse dead.”
“But wouldn’t they have been the same person?” Luke asked.
“You’d think, but that’s where it gets weird,” Elijah said. “There’s this voodoo amulet that can transfer souls that Glenda somehow knew about. She used it to transfer her soul into a ‘Good Girls’ doll to get out Jesse’s body before she took off. Being a man of God, I kind of found that difficult to believe when I heard about it. But then I started seeing the world for what it was and I freaked.”
Elijah took a deep breath. “I’ve come to terms with being gay, but... I’ve seen the Devil, Luke. Satan exists and he’s running around right now. After Cole’s death, I put the name Damballa out of my head, then Jessed said that name and… I did the research. Damballa is real, Luke. And he killed Cole. I’m scared he’s going to come back and kill Jesse.”
Luke put a hand on Elijah’s shoulder. “You love this guy, don’t you?”
“I want to say I do,” Elijah said. “And I want to protect him.”
Luke hugged him. “Then let’s find this demon and send him to hell. We know how to do exorcisms”
“What about the Vatican?” Elijah asked.
“Without physical proof, we’d never get permission,” Luke told him. “Plus evil has already taken hold of them all. Right now, Baron Trump is being allowed to gain power.”
” I’m not worried about the anti-christ,” Elijah said. “I just want the demon that killed the person I loved.”
“How do we find Cole?” Luke asked.
“We need to find someone with connections to Damballa,” Elijah said. “Jesse might know. If he’ll even speak to me.”
*
Jesse Ray sat at the breakfast table with his current charge, Cameron Connor. They stared ahead at Glen Ray, who had recently undergone drastic personality changes after the death of their boyfriend Jake. This included a growing attitude problem, a possible drug problem, and a new violently abusive boyfriend named Trevor. The only thing Jesse supported of Glen’s was the acceptance of him becoming non-binary.
“Glen, we’re worried about you,” Jesse said. “I know that change to a bigger house was a difficult one, but you get your own room, you don’t have to share a room with Connor, and I’ve come to accept your asshole boyfriend.”
“I love him,” Glen said, who was sporting a black eye. “I just need to try to not make him mad. He’s sensitive.”
“He’s a dick,” Cameron told him.
“He takes care of me in front of the bullies at school,” Glen said. “He’s a gentle soul.”
“I’m also worried about the fact that I found drugs in your room,” Jesse said,
“I lost my Dad,” Glen said. “And now I lost my boyfriend. I just feel like I’m losing control of everything.”
Glen’s cell phone rang and he saw a new message telling him “Get over here NOW”.
“I have to go, Trevor needs me,” Glen said. “I’ll be home later.”
“Glen, I don’t-” Jesse said, but Glen was already gone. “I’m losing control of that kid. That Trevor’s a horrible influence.”
“Want me to kill him? Wouldn’t be my first time,” Cameron said as a knock came at the door. Jesse got up and answered it where he got the shock of his life.
“Hi,” Elijah said.
*
“I never meant to hurt you,” Elijah told Jesse. “I was worried that you’d be hurt. The first person I loved died horribly and I didn’t want that for you.”
“So you just left without saying goodbye?” Jesse asked. “I’ve been working my ass off to provide for these kids while worrying that a killer doll is coming after me. Do you know how many nights I’ve cried myself to sleep in the last six months?”
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” Elijah said. “I shouldn’t have come here, but… I need your help. I need to find a way to kill this Damballa and you might be able to help me locate him.”
“The guy my uncle’s always praying to?” Jesse asked. “The guy who put his soul into a doll? And my split personality that went rogue? Damballa caused that?”
“And he took possession of the first person I ever loved,” Elijah said. “Transferred his soul into another body then killed him.”
“That was Cole?” Jesse asked, sounding a little sad. “I’m sorry, Elijah. But Uncle Chucky wants me dead, and so does Glenda. “
“I understand,” Elijah said as he stood up. “I can’t ask you to risk your life for my revenge. I’m sorry I bothered you. Have a nice life.”
As Elijah headed for the door, Jesse ran up to him.
“Do you ever think about us?” Jesse asked.
“Every damn day,” Elijah said as he walked away.
*
“Well, I’m on my own,” Elijah said. “I’ll finish this.”
“We’re partners,” Luke said. “We’ll finish this.”
“I can’t let you come with me,” Elijah said. “The Vatican gets wind of this, you’ll get excommunicated. I won’t bring you down with me.”
“Elijah, you stood by my side when I was a drug addict throwing my life away,” Luke told him. “You helped me get my life back. You helped me become a priest and find a home in the church. I owe my life to you, and there’s no way I’m letting some damn demon from hell take my best friend and brother. We’re doing this as a team.”
“We’re doing this,” Jesse said as he ran up to them. “You hurt me Elijah, but you’re going up against something powerful. I’ve seen what Damballa is capable of. I won’t let you die like this. We may not be a couple anymore, but I know there’s still something there. I want to help you.”
“Then we need someone with a connection to Damballa to lure him out,” Elijah said. “Unless we can find out what he did with Cole after he got possessed.”
“You’ve never looked up a person online before?” Jesse asked. “Wait, you’re a priest, of course, you haven’t.”
*
Pastor Cole Taylor walked into the Hospice center where patients waited for death. Cole was a regular visitor who was usually called to give people their last rights before passing on. Of course, there was a darker purpose for the visits.
As Cole walked into the older woman’s room, he smiled as he took her hand.
“Hello, Bernadine,” Cole said. “I’m here to help me find peace before you pass on to the next world.”
“Is it going to hurt?” the ole woman asked.
“Not at all,” Cole said. He put his hand around a red pendant around his neck. You’re going to be with a lot of souls similar to yours. Now just close your eyes and breathe. When it’s over, you’ll be in a much better place.”
Cole dimmed the lights and hovered a hand over her head while he clutched the pendant.
“Ade Due Damballa…”
The monitor flatlined two minutes later as Cole walked out. Another soul added to Damballa’s power.
*
The red-headed pizza delivery boy walked up the steps to the Ray house with a freshly cooked pizza and knocked on the door. As he waited, a voice came from inside.
“It’s open,” Chucky said. “Come on in while I grab my wallet.”
Jesse grabbed the boy and chloroformed him, dragging him to safety as Luke and Elijah walked in. The sounds of a struggle were heard as the two men walked out carrying a large crate.
“Let me the fuck out of here!” Chucky shouted as he pounded on the crate. “I’m going to kill you fuckers!”
“We better hurry before Tiffany or Glenda come back,” Jesse said.
Downstairs, a tied-up Oliver and Jake, trapped in the body of a Corky doll while sitting in a birdcage, looked around. “Did you hear something?”
*
“Here’s the deal, Uncle Chucky,” Jesse said. “You’re going to tell us how to find Damballa.”
“Fuck off, kid,” Chucky said. “No one summons Damballa. Damballa destroys anyone that tries to destroy him.”
“We’ll see about that,” Elijah said. “Because once we kill Damballa, you’re next. Now, where is he?”
“I’m not saying shit,” Chucky said. “The longer you keep me in here, the more brutal your deaths are going to be.”
“He’s all talk,” Jesse told them. “As long as we keep him trapped in there, the safer we’ll be.”
Inside the crate, Chucky pulled out his knife and waited for his chance to escape.
*
“According to Chuckipedia, whenever someone summons the power of Demballa, clouds gather, even in the weirdest of places,” Jesse said as he looked at his cell phone. “I noticed them the night at the Good Guys factory I worked at the night my dad was killed and Glenda transferred her soul into that Good Girls doll.”
“Then we just have to track strange weather patterns where storm clouds gather suddenly,” Luke told them.
“According to this website that tracks odd weather patterns, a lot of weird clouds have been gathering around hospice hospitals around the country in that two decades,” Elijah said. “It’ll be impossible to find him.”
“Here in Hackensack, a few hours ago,” Jesse told them. “He might still be in the area.”
As got ready to head out, Chucky started slicing through the bottom of the crate he was trapped in. Meanwhile, the pizza boy woke up in the grass as he heard someone yelling for help inside the house.
“Hello?” the boy asked.
“HELP!” Oliver shouted. “We’re in here!! Hurry before they come back!”
The boy made his way into the house and followed Oliver’s voice. He headed into the basement and got a huge shock. Oliver, his hair longer and only in a pair of boxers, sat in a chair. His hands were tied up and chains around his ankles long enough to allow him to go to a nearby bathroom when he was allowed up. On the table nearby, a pair of hands picked up
“Help us, please!” Oliver shouted with tears in his eyes. “We’ve been trapped here since Christmas.”
“That was six months ago,” the boy said. “You’re the kid that went missing. Don’t worry, I’ll get you out!”
“Thank you,” Oliver said with tears in his eyes. “You’re our hero.”
“Our?” the boy asked as he looked for the key and found it hanging on the wall. “Don’t worry, guy, you’ll be out in a minute–”
“LOOK OUT!” Oliver shouted as a noose wrapped around the boy’s neck. A remote control started from outside as a rope pulled the boy backward and up the stairs. The boy struggled as he choked while being dragged outside to a wood chipper in the backyard. The boy gasped with tears in his eyes as he was pulled head-first into the chipper, spraying blood into a pile of white plastic for easy clean-up. The boy’s shoe fell into the grass and the last of the boy was ground up into mulch.
Tiffany laughed as Oliver cried.
“WHY!?” Oliver shouted.
“Because it was fucking funny!” Tiffany shouted as she got into his face. In the corner of the birdcage, Jake sat trapped in a Corky doll, waiting for her to leave before he spoke up.
“We’ll get out of here,” Jake promised. “I don’t care if I have to live in this body forever, I’m not taking yours.”
*
“According to the weather reports, storm clouds have been gathering around hospice hospitals,” Elijah said. “Following the trail, this one should be hit any time.”
“There he is,” Elijah said as they watched Cole walk into the building.
“Are we doing this here?” Luke asked.
“If we have to,” Elijah said. “I’d rather do this where aren’t people to endanger. Let’s get the holy water to weaken him.”
Elijah opened the truck and looked at the crate before he opened a satchel and grabbed a few bottles of holy water and his bible. “This is for you, Cole.”
The trio walked into the hospice and toward the front counter as a nurse looked at them.
“Are you here to assist Father Thomas?” the nurse asked.
“... Yeah,” Elijah said. “This is a special ceremony.”
“How nice,” the nurse said. “Putting extra effort into giving the last rights to an eight-year-old boy.”
“We have to hurry,” Elijah said.
The trio rushed down the hall as the nurse watched them. As she sat in the chair, a sharp blade struck up through the chair and into the nurse. Before she could gasp, the life left her body.
“A whole playground of dying people,” Chucky said as he walked down the hall with his knife. “Just ready to meet their maker. Maybe I should be a pal and help them along.”
*
Young Aiden Hazen lay in his bed, dying from cancer. He was trying to stay strong, but having been orphaned when he was four, he had little hope these days.
“Hello, Aiden,” Cole said as he walked in. “I’m here for your last rights.”
“Am I going to Heaven?” Aiden asked.
“You’re going somewhere,” Cole told him. “Now just lay back and relax. I’ll do the rest.”
The boy lay back as Cole put his hand over the boy’s head.
“Ade Due–”
“Atop!” Elijah shouted. “Get away from the boy, Cole.”
“Elijah, it’s taken you long enough,” Cole smirked. “I expected you to pull a stupid stunt years ago. But I’m afraid you’re far too late to do anything. I’m far too powerful now. But the piece of Cole that loved you is still somewhere deep, deep inside of me. I offer you one last chance to join me. Join me or die.”
“Never,” Elijah said as he held the bottle of holy water. “I’m going to exorcise you. I may not be able to save Cole, but I can free his body.”
“You think I haven’t done everything within my power to taint this vessel?” Cole asked. “I’m done experiments with every drug, fornicated with everyone I could get ahold of, I’ve sworn every conceivable curse word in 76 languages to sweet old ladies. This vessel is far beyond corrupted. You’ll never get to touch this innocent flesh, Elijah. Your virgin soul with never experience this.”
“The power of Christ compels you!” Elijah shouted. Jesse picked Aiden up to carry him out of the room while Luke started chanting in Latin. “The power of Christ compels you!”
Cole burned with every sprinkling of holy water but laughed viciously.
*
As Jesse ran out of the room with Aiden in his arms, Chucky sliced at his ankle, causing him to fall to the ground. Aiden tumbled to the ground as Jesse tried to get up.
“You’re the little bastard that’s responsible for my little brother’s death,” Chucky said as he walked toward Jesse with his knife. “Now I have to kill you.”
“Glenda killed your brother!” Jesse reminded him.
“Yeah, well, I’ve grown to like that murderous little girl,” Chucky said with a laugh. “See you in hell, kid.”
Aiden pulled a cord out of a fallen lamp and shocked Chucky, giving Jesse time to recover.
“You little shit!” Chucky shouted as he turned toward Aiden. “I hope I have enough time to enjoy this before the building explodes.”
Jesse tried to stand up with a sliced tendon and get to Aiden before it was too late, only to watch Chucky use his absurdly sharp blade to slice at Aiden, cutting his head clean off. A blood geyser shot into the air as the boy’s body fell to the ground with his head landing in a waste basket.
“Three points!” Chucky laughed. Jesse grabbed the power line from the lamp to inset it into Chucky’s head. The surge of energy caused Chucky’s head to explode in a bloody mess.
“I’m sorry, kid,” Jesse told the decapitated child. “Oh, shit, the building’s going to blow!”
In the basement, the gas heater, thanks to being attacked with a sledgehammer, was dangerously close to exploding.
*
“Do you think you can kill me?” Cole asked. “I am the mighty Damballa!”
“If you say so,” Elijah told him. “Still gonna send you back to hell.”
“Foolish boy,” Cole said. “Ever since I took control of this body, I’ve been building my power. I’ve been absorbing souls for years, and with each soul, I get even more powerful. I can never die. You, however—”
Cole snapped his fingers as Luke’s nose started bleeding.
“Elijah?” Luke asked, showing no fear as he knew he was about to die
“NO!” Elijah shouted.
Cole smirked. “I told you once upon a time to not fuck with me. This is the penalty for that.”
“Finish this,” Luke said with tears in his eyes.
Cole snapped as Luke vomited gallons of blood before he dropped dead.
“NOOO!” Elijah shouted as he ran to Luke’s body. “I’ll kill you, Cole.”
Cole smiled as he grabbed Elijah and kissed him passionately. “I’ll see you again. I enjoy keeping you alive to torment. Until we meet again.”
Jesse ran in as Elijah held onto Luke’s body.
“We gotta go!” Jesse said. “The building’s about to blow!”
The hospice hospital went up in a fiery ball as Jesse and Elijah barely escaped.
*
“There were no survivors,” Elijah said as he walked Jesse home. “And now you might be a target because of me. I’m sorry, Jesse.”
“I’m not,” Jesse said as he kissed Elijah’s cheek. “I missed you. Even though you say we can’t be together, I still have feelings for you. I still want to be with you. I have experience dealing with this. Please, let me help you find a way out of this.”
Elijah hugged him tightly. “I loved him, Jesse. I truly did.”
“I know,” Jesse said as he held onto Elijah. “That’s one of the things I like about you. That you know how to love. You taught me that I can love after everything that happened with my dad and Chucky. You have a gift, Elijah. Don’t let that capacity for love fade. Want to stay for dinner? Glen’s been curious about you, and I want you to meet Cameron.”
“I’d love to,” Elijah said as they headed inside.
*
At the Ray house, a phone rant as Tiffany answered while eating a leftover pizza.
“Chucky? Where have you been? How did you get to Canada?”
To be continued in the pages of Nightmare Warriors...