Hunters Series - Burn Part Nine

The drive to Salt Lake felt so slow, like we were going through mud and it was clinging to the tires. I thought about everything I’d been through. Losing my dad, losing my soul and dealing with a demon all at once. I didn’t know how much more I could really handle. The thing is I had to handle it all even if I didn’t think I could.

“What do you think is going to happen?” C.J asked not looking at me.

“I’m not sure, but I know I have to do this,” I answered simply looking at the computer card in my hand. We got to Salt Lake fairly fast and the first thing I did was make C.J pull over to the nearest gas station. There was an old payphone on the outside of the building that C.J pulled up too.

I got out of the old car and picked up the phone, dialing the number of the demon.

“You’re here already,” He spoke slyly over the phone. “It must have been a fast drive for you.”

“What’s the address?” I just wanted to get this done and over with.

“We’re at the 2257 Fairfield lane. You can’t miss it.”

“When?”

“Why not now.” The smile was still in his crooked voice.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

C.J. looked at me a minute and ran his hand through his hair. “So, do you think you’ll need some help on this little trip?”

“Well, I am short on transportation.” I smiled as I spoke.

The drive to Salt Lake felt so slow, like we were going through mud and it was clinging to the tires. I thought about everything I’d been through. Losing my dad, losing my soul and dealing with a demon all at once. I didn’t know how much more I could really handle. The thing is I had to handle it all even if I didn’t think I could.

“What do you think is going to happen?” C.J asked not looking at me.

“I’m not sure, but I know I have to do this,” I answered simply looking at the computer card in my hand. We got to Salt Lake fairly fast and the first thing I did was make C.J pull over to the nearest gas station. There was an old payphone on the outside of the building that C.J pulled up too.

I got out of the old car and picked up the phone, dialing the number of the demon.

“You’re here already,” He spoke slyly over the phone. “It must have been a fast drive for you.”

“What’s the address?” I just wanted to get this done and over with.

“We’re at the 2257 Fairfield lane. You can’t miss it.”

“When?”

“Why not now.” The smile was still in his crooked voice.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

C.J didn’t say much as we drove the short distance to the address Karchak had given. I knew there was another reason he was meeting me. The list was only part of it. To me it didn’t matter as long as my dad came home safe.”

This isn’t a good idea,” C.J said looking at the steering wheel. “You won’t come out. He’ll just kill you and take the list.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I sighed and watched the building. It was run down and broken, something like you might see in a horror movie. “My dad is all I have left.” I got out of the car and made my way up to the door. I could feel C.J on my heels and wished he had just stayed in the car, but that isn’t his style. The door opened in front of me and I looked back at C.J.

“It’s now or never,” He said smiling a crooked smile. I rolled my eyes and made my way into the building. It smelled of must and death and almost made me fall backwards onto the floor.

The walls were peeling paint and wallpaper mangled with dirt and dust. “Not what we usually like to have, but it works for this.” The voice was full of darkness and evil and I knew right away who and what it was.

Karchak.

He slithered around the corner into the room we had entered, smiling and full of power. “Do you have the list?”

“Do you have my dad?” I countered.

“Of course.” He didn’t remove his gaze. “You show me yours, I’ll so you mine.”

I swallowed hard and pulled out the card I had tucked away in my pocket. I held it up between two fingers so he could see it. His smile showed me he did.

“Your father is in here.” He motioned for me to follow him into a side room. I hesitated, but I knew I could handle this demon now.

The room was small and in the center of the room was a chair with my dad strapped into it. He wasn’t moving or talking and his eyes were closed. I held my breath until I could see the rise of his chest as he breathed. “He’s still alive. Now give me the list.”

“Let him go first,” I countered. He stood there staring me down until the creepy smile crept to his lips.

“There’s something different about you.” He crossed his arms and continued to look into my eyes. “Did you run into Max?” His smile widened. “You did, didn’t you? That explains it. You had a soul burn.”

“At least now I can handle you,” I said defiantly.

“Are you sure about that?” He was being smug and it made me mad and uneasy all at the same time. I took a step towards my father and Karchak blocked it. “You really are following in your mothers footsteps.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I held my ground as he looked me up and down.

“Your father has a lot of secrets. One of them is your mother.” He was enjoying the torture he was sending my way. He watched the confusion in my face. “You want to know, don’t you?” He smiled bigger. “She became a demon for your soul and now it was all for nothing.” He watched my reaction. I was confused and lost. I had never known my mother, but to think she was a demon was something I could never do. “You haven’t even lived with the burn for a week, but soon your soul will twist and you will be a demon just like me.” He whispered the last words in my ears and my world started to spin.

“Max was working for me. How do you think it all happened so easily? I wanted you from the day you were born and I always get what I want.” He pulled away and looked back to my dad. “Kill him. I have what I want.”

“No,” I yelled but it was too late. The water demon created a flood of water around him. He didn’t open his eyes as the water closed in on him. I lunched at the wall of water around him, but was pulled back by Karchak.

“It’s too late now.” He whispered. “He was dead a long time ago.” He slid the card with the list out of my pocket as I started to panic.

I turned my head just in time to see C.J slam the butt end of a shotgun into Karchaks face. He fell back, letting go of me and I raced to my dad. By then the wall of water had fallen away and I grabbed at my father’s face. It was cold and there was nothing I could do.

I had watched my father die when I thought I could save him. Everything I had done had been for nothing. I was a monster and there was nothing I could do to change it. Everything had fallen apart.

“I’ll find you again, Talia. You belong to me.” Karchak hissed before he disappeared. I couldn’t register anything that was going on. I just knew my world had fallen apart. I was a demon and it was from my own doing.