Pumpkin Spice, стр. 5
Jasper, wearing his plaid jacket, green vest, and a sharp new black cowboy hat, carried the corpse to his yard. He lit some matches and tossed them on top of the witch’s’ body. He watched the body burn as Father Michael pulled up in his old pick-up truck. He walked over to Jasper and watched the witch melt away. “They started early this year.”
“Every year, earlier and earlier.” Jasper said as he sipped his whiskey. “You ready to rid this town of their kind.” The Father asked. Jasper grabbed his shotgun and flung it over his shoulder, “Ready as I’ll ever fucking be, Father.”
Jasper and Father Michael hopped into the truck and drove off towards the eastern woods.
beWERE
It was three days until the Devil’s eye.
The moon was almost at its fullest as the clouds began to hover around yet never fully covering it from sight. Thirteen-year-old Evan Fletcher looked out his bedroom window at the night sky, then to his clock. Three minutes until midnight. He rushed over to his dresser, pulled open the top drawer and tossed some underwear and socks on the floor. He reached in the far back and pulled out an old diary. He blew the dust off and opened the book.
THREE YEARS AGO
Kristoff Aarle was a man in his late eighties with grey hair… what was left of his hair was grey, anyway. The top of his head was mostly bald. Daily you would see him wearing a knitted sweater vest, a white dress shirt underneath, and of course khakis with a pair of wingtip dress shoes. It was mid-October and he was taking his ten-year-old grandson out for a walk. Kristoff’s daughter, Evan’s father, lived next door to Kristoff, this was something he loved. He spent as much time with Evan as possible. The two were connected in more ways than his daughter would know. A great weight would be bestowed on his grandson. His thirteenth year would be a big one. But that was in the future, Kristoff preferred to live in the now.
They walked through the creek, and chased toads. They swung on the swings, competing to see who could get higher. Kristoff lost to his grandson on purpose. They laid on the grass and pointed out odd shaped clouds. It was just a normal day, but one they could never forget. On their way home from the walk Kristoff collapsed on the sidewalk. Evan in a fit of panic grabbed his grandfather’s cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.
That night Evan, with his mother and father sat in the hospital room. His grandfather had suffered a heart attack. Using his last bit of energy, Kristoff asked his daughter and son-in-law to get him a snack from the vending machine. He was not hungry but he needed to speak with his grandson alone. He waved at Evan, “Come closer. I don’t have much energy.” Evan was terrified at the thought of losing his grandfather. The boy slid his chair closer to the hospital bed. Kristoff reached to the night table and put his hand on a book. “Do you see this book, Evan?” Evan nodded, “This is yours now. This is the most important book you will ever read.” Evan reached for it, but Kristoff would not allow Evan to touch it. “You will not read this book. You will not open this book. You will keep it secret; you will keep it safe.” Even looked deep into his grandfather’s eyes, “For how long?” The child asked. Kristoff raised three fingers. “Three years. For three years, and only during the devil’s eye.” Kristoff coughed into his hand. “What’s the devil’s eye?” The child innocently asked. “On the twenty-ninth day, of the tenth month, of the eleventh hour, with only minutes to spare until the thirtieth day, the moon will shine its brightest, yet not be full. This is the devil’s eye.” Kristoff once again coughed into his hand. “Evan, you will come to learn, even at your young age, that this world is filled with much more than the likes of us. Creatures live among us. During the devil’s eye that is when you will open this book. Do not be afraid, do not be a coward. After tonight you will be the last living male of house Aarles, even if you are a Fletcher the Aarles bloodline flows within you. You are the last hope. Three years. Devil’s Eye. Open this book. All will be revealed.” Evan gripped his grandfather’s hand, “And Evan you must promise me to never tell your mother. Never. Only the men of house Aarles can open this book. The world is a cursed place, and it is our duty to protect mankind from the curse. Yet, the curse can never be broken by any means.” Evan wondered why, but before he could ask his grandfather closed his eyes one final time and drifted away to the afterlife. Evan cried out for his grandfather, he held him in his arms. He called for help. His mother and father entered, they dropped coffee, chips and chocolates all over the floor. Evan’s father raced out to get a nurse. The doctors, the nurses, the entire hospital staff did what they could to resuscitate Kristoff, but it was too late. Kristoff was gone.
NOW
Evan flipped open the diary. He read it cover to cover. When he was done, he took a step back and sat on his bed. He was in disbelief. His grandfather had kept so much from him.