The Slayer
Jonathan Hopkins

 

Bobby Churchill stayed in the " Casa Del Tora" the most grotesque hotel in all Spring Hill, besides the fact that it’s yellow and pink the cockroaches there are the size of small cats. The building must have been built in the 40’s, I got that impression from the stains of graffiti and wild moss sprouting from the cracks round back. When Simon inquired about him and myself making a trip there I was pondering why he was so eager to go to a filthy dump half way across town. He simply replied with, " People have to make certain sacrifices in their life span my lord is calling of you to do a favour". When I finally agreed he sat down and sketched out a rough draft of a plan A and plan b. When he finished his brief of plan b my adrenaline was squirting through my veins vibrating my arteries to near shock. The fear of what his god would say if he denied completing the task and of course the terror of actually doing the task. The first thing that popped up for me to ask was " What if we get caught? I’ll lose the respect I owe to the community,"

" Joshua the gods are restless the only way to appease them is to shed the blood that forever keeps me captive in this twisted state," He replied. Simon always had a way to shed light in the dark he always had a witty remark to justify his deeds. " What happens if I choose to refuse your offer," I squeaked out in spite of my gut fear of this spirit.

" Then it will be the last mistake you regret perishing in the seventh realm with all the other cowards,"

All Joshua Billings life he was picked as a coward by his teachers, classmates, parent’s, and bullies but the only person that didn’t pick on him or discourage his manic behavior was Simon. Joshua felt the shame and anger scorching his darkened soul; flashbacks of hatred filled his mind and the visions of sliding the clean blade into Bobby Churchill’s torso pleased him. It wasn’t Josh’s nature to be so vulgarly violent it was the demon controlling him and the terror-stricken memories made his manic state worse.

" Everybody seeks the most rightchessness path Joshua to follow the wise, to drink the blood of innocent, and to rape the needed," Simon whispered not trying to hold back his long sharp teeth. "Your father always said you were a coward," Simon snarled getting impatient.

With tears flooding from the corner of his eye Josh tilted his head up and nodded to Simon.

Simon stretched out his hand in front of Josh and Josh placed his palm parallel to his companion.

When Simon manipulated Josh there was no stopping his control and persuasion over his mind. The crystal clear lies he fed to Josh were perfect he sounded like a million-dollar lawyer making his case. Simon disappeared from the room Josh hoped he wouldn’t return for awhile so he could cry to him self and figure out the situation from the victim's point of view.

That night came and went like the wind sweeping the leaves from the ground, chilling whatever creature stood in it’s path. Josh that nightfall was visited by an angel not a regular choirboy with a halo but a macabre rabid looking beast who spoke the word of the dark lord.

" The time has come to envision your royalty come dream at my side share my throne. The blood you can taste it come on back to the horrific reality that you’re a slave an average waste of mortal flesh all you need is leadership," Barked the angel cloaked in black ritual gown that covered his feet giving him a floating look.

Josh was horrified to prophecy the future of his new life but he was also dreaming of leaving the earth to become a departed spirit free from the pressure, pain, greed, lust, tyranny, and schizophrenia. The demon was mimicking his thoughts exploring the dark rooms of his soul and releasing the snarling beast of Joshua Billings past.

Mr. Billings (Billing’s Senior that is) was a hard working man who never cared that much about his sons life or interests but was mostly never home either working or drinking with the boys. When Joshua was young he could sense the bourbon or rye on his lips the dry wisps of alcohol spewing from his system. A whiff on rum sunk into Josh’s nostrils haunting him to his core, pleased the demon smiled. Joshua could remember the nights his father would return home around 3:00 o’clock in the morning with a twisted smile on his face snickering while he captured Josh’s mother in his arms raping her then beating her if she made a sound. He could remember the black eyes, battered ribcages, broken noses, and on one occasion a chipped tooth. For the demonic light his father shone into his life he despised him for it and he despised his mom for ignoring the fact her husband was drunk on the poison of power and soiled with a full stomach of liqueur. Once in awhile his family had their moments but most of his childhood he chose to forget his life it was just a blur refused by so much trauma. Sometimes he would fill his head up with acid and carve marks in his arms with a rusty razor, he said in his journal " It filters the constant pain I suffer everyday of my life"

Josh was an innocent victim for manic depressive/schizophrenic with wild anger spells he was diagnosed by age 18 by Dr. J. Hamilton. The diagnosis was a summary of certain occasions where Joshua would call out in his sleep, talk to himself, make up out of this world stories and tell you they actually occurred, constant short fuse, irritable, chronic drug use (such as L.S.D, Cocaine), uncontrollable anger, and self mutilation. If everybody in the world knew what Josh Billings has to live with everyday they shed a thousand tears.

Josh awoke from his frightening slumber with a sigh of relief knowing that the corrupted angel had fled or was just a stranger running loose in his imagination. Perspiration soaked his sheets and forehead his heart was still pumping from the confrontation with the slayer (of course he named the creature that because of its grim reaper appearance). He felt relieved that Simon wasn’t anywhere to be scene he didn’t feel like chatting or riding to that cheap motel to murder a person he didn’t even know. But why would Simon want to kill this man anyway besides the fact it was not humanly possible if Simon is a spirit created by his mind who knows what could happen. The spirit looked real, acted like a human, and could have intelligent conversation. Simon didn’t often refer to himself as a spirit more as a lost soul or ghost calling him a spirit would aggravate him and cause him to say, " Spirits are powerless empty creatures with no vision. I have the power to crush spirits in my hand and besides my mind is fixed on what I want".

Josh picked up his feet and stumbled to the bathroom inside he glanced in the mirror something about his appearance caught him off guard he decided to take a closer look. Dressed in smoky gray sweat pants and a plain white T-shirt Joshua stepped a foot closer inspecting the red stains on his chest. The stain looked like red lipstick thick and showing a cherry red resemblance. He felt no pain just an itching sensation in his pectoral area that grew intensely it felt like a parade of insects gnawing at his skin.

The sensation startled him the sight was quite appalling actually Joshua froze dead in his tracks not even making a peep. When he started to lift up his ivory white cotton top he realized that what he feared most would soon come true the red substance that stained his clothes was blood. He took a step back when he knew that the vital fluid soaking him actually spelled something out. Removing his shirt all the way he read the words COWARD etched in his chest cavity these acts of aggression were quite harsh. The carvings stuck out of his skin shamefully in front on his unusually bony ribs (which is normal for an ex-cocaine addict). Startled and devastated he collapsed to the floor in a spiral of travesty curling up in a ball he started to weep like a baby shaking the core of his feelings of utter despair. Then a collage of flashbacks hit him like a ton of bricks like the time his father got so drunk he sent his 9 year old son to the hospital by breaking a lager bottle over his skull, sending him home with stitches. When his mom returned him to his room his father was standing in the doorway wearing that deviant smile he usually does when his sick mind finds pleasure in feeding on the weak.

Josh was surprised by the fact that flashback came to him he hadn’t envisioned that in years. Climbing up onto the counter top he gazed at the mirror one last second and with all of his force he slammed his right fist into the center of the glass sending shards flying and glazing the cold floor.

The floor is where Josh remained most of the day he called the library and said he could not work today because of spontaneous illness. Drawing tears from his eyes just added the pool of teardrops already made and steadily flowing since dawn the puddle just kept getting bigger as he wallowed on the floor.

He didn’t stop balling until Simon tip toed his way into the room he had a concerned look on his face a caring look. Josh flung his arms in the air and screamed, " Why did they do this to me? Who would do this to me".

Simon shook his head and replied, " Did Argus visit you late last night son"

" How the Fuck am I supposed to know who Argus is? Did you send him?"

Astonished Simon looked into his eyes, "Of course not, he comes and goes as he pleases my child"

Simon meant the slayer he could sense it written illegible in between the lines somewhere.

" Why does the slayer want me Simon?" He squeaked out starting to wail again.

" You are chosen Joshua Philip Billings chosen to the heir to the throne the kingdom can be yours. That is, if that is what you desire my son," He breathed in a whisper.

Simon took Joshua’s hand and led him into the kitchen he then started to pour water and he asked where the iodine was.

After Josh and Simon cleaned the cuts Josh felt better that was after the iodine cleansed his pores.

After that cold misty day, Simon never returned until a week and three days after the slayer cut Josh up so badly that night.

Josh’s scars were starting to heel and the swing of depression was heading upwards to a calm maintained state. He started work at the library again nobody noticed his scrapes he had learned to hide his bruises at age 10. His life started to look like the jumble it was before but he couldn’t help feeling the agony of his loss for words.

Joshua’s everyday life was back to it’s shallow self but he couldn’t help feeling that the slayer would come back to devour his natural instinct. When he returned to his homestead the depressive thoughts of murdering himself rung once again. The fact that Simon was resting on his sofa didn’t ease his pain just inflicted more wrath on his deteriorating drama he called Josh’s memory lane.

Simons distorted wild blue eyes changed Josh’s feeling about ghosts because he was sure that this one was flesh and bone not to mention the fact of Simons wrinkled senior citizens face.

Flinging his keys over the counter and resting his brown leather jacket on the stool sitting next to the breakfast table Josh gave the spirit a conservative look.

" Why do your eyes meet mine so indirectly my companion," He spoke gently like if he was trying to mask his words.

" It’s funny how you treat me like a fool but still have the nerve to suggest me as a companion," He replied harshly speaking over him.

" I just want to discard your brokenness let me ease your pain. Anarchy is at hand Joshua you are chosen to be free from all uncertainty," He gasped as he gave him a lost look on his antique facial movement.

" Why have you come Simon quit the bullshit and besides who let you in," Concerned more and more he grabbed hold of a small kitchen knife swaying it under the counter top so Simon wouldn’t notice what he was holding.

" I let myself in Joshua, you know we’re that good of friends I come when I please," He spitted from his lips in disgust. " No need for malice yet my friend safe for strength for tonight,"

The power Simon exerted upon Josh eased his pain causing him to feel like he remained on top of the world ahead of all the other chumps that deceived him in his past life. The touch of light he gave as a gift this dazzled Josh so much the knife slid out of his hand with him not even noticing.

" You see it’s nice to visit the shores of paradise for a change isn’t it my friend especially when a person deserves it," He proclaimed raising his hands to Josh’s shoulders. " I have more love to give my son you need to seek the knowledge I preach, you need to assist me in this un-guiding light I follow. But first I need my solemn vengeance on the man who ruined my utter existence and in the current state I’m in I need you as my hands. In return I give you the world back the unconditional fetish of your imagination,"

Josh was flattered; he had never been offered the world before Simon simply made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

 

 

Copyright � 1999 Jonathan Hopkins
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"