Swimming with the Demon

“Rod, I know I should have told you this a long time ago,” said Lucy, “and I know this is just about the worst time I could be telling you, since you’re leaving next week, but I’ve liked you for a long time—I mean really liked you—and I hate that you’re moving away. I think you’re the coolest and sweetest person I’ve ever met, and it would kill me if I couldn’t see you anymore. I just needed you to know that, and I hope we can still find a way to hang out. Hearts, Xs…crap.”

Lucy looked up from her note to see Rod and Herb down by the lake, staring over the dim water and still arguing about the stupid demon. Okay, she thought. No problem. You walk up, give him the note, and…maybe he won’t laugh in your face. Hearts and kisses…I mean, who writes a love note, anyway? What am I, five? I’m almost in high school. That’s, like, practically an adult. She jumped off the lit deck toward the water to see if she could lay this bomb on Rod without ruining his last night of fun before he moved away.

She could barely hear the two over the racket on the lake—frogs or birds or crickets or whatever critters wait until dark to start chattering like they’re at a house party. If there was a demon here, thought Lucy, it probably already left to find a quieter lake by now.

And, oh yeah, there was supposed to be a demon in this lake, but no one around here younger than seventy took that story seriously—except for Herb. He’d been obsessed with it ever since he read a “who’s who of demons” that had a whole chapter on a woman from the 19th century who managed to free herself from some trickster demon and trap it in a moonstone amulet, which she sealed in a box and buried at the bottom of a lake. Lucy knew the story pretty well, because Herb wouldn’t shut up about it. He was convinced it was in this lake. His lake. Or at least he liked to scare people by telling them it was. Lucy wasn’t scared, because there was no such thing as demons. Probably.

“Yeah, but why would she throw it in a lake?” said Rod. “I mean, if the demon was trapped…”

“Because if you touch the amulet he can get into you,” said Herb. “It’s, like, a portal from one person to another. It’s the only way he can possess someone. You touch the amulet and he takes you over. That’s how Dorothea got possessed in the first place. But she forced it back into the amulet and locked it up before it could jump into anyone else. And I guess she figured it was safer down there in the muck than just laying around in a box in her attic for her grandkids to find and think ‘oh, what a pretty necklace’ and then—boom!—demon rampage.”

“What about when the box rots, or rusts, or whatever?” said Rod. “Or when someone just finds it and opens it and gets stuck with Azrael.”

“Azmoth,” said Herb. “And…I don’t know. How many people go digging in the bottom of a lake?”

“You would,” said Rod, “if you thought you knew where it was buried.”

“No I wouldn’t.”

“Liar. You totally would.”

“Hey, Rod,”said Lucy, slipping the note behind her back.

Rod smiled when he saw her. He always did, and she wished she could bottle the way it made her feel and sell it as some kind of stimulant. She’d been totally crazy about him ever since they met in the hospital three years ago during his second round of heart surgery. She was supposed to be visiting her great aunt, but ended up crashing in Rod’s hospital room and talking about D&D until the nurse threw her out. Then he started at her school, and she’s gotten to see him almost every week since then, until—

“Hey, Luce,” said Rod, “help me change the subject here. This schmuck’s been gushing about demons for so long they’re not even scary anymore.”

“Actually, um…I was wondering if I could talk to you…for a minute?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

She whipped the note from behind her back and stared at it. “I wanted to give—”

“Hey, you guys need to get inside,” shouted Jeannie, the babysitter, from the deck. “It’s almost nine.” Lucy thought that Jeannie looked like if Cyndi Lauper joined a death metal band. She probably moshed adorably.

“What’s the password?” said Herb.

“…‘Send more paramedics?’”

“Lucky guess.”

“Dude, come on, it’s dark out there, and you’re going to get hurt. I’m supposed to be babysitting.”

“He’s totally in love with her,” whispered Rod to Lucy.

“Well, yeah, she’s got bunny skull tattoos on both arms,” said Lucy.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” said Herb. “And you’re only, like, three years older than me.”

“Yeah, but your mom will still murder me if anything happens to you.”

“And?”

“Dude, don’t be a dick,” said Rod. “Jeannie’s nice.”

“Fine,” said Herb. “We’ll be in in five minutes,” he shouted to Jeannie.

“Okay, cool. I’ll put on Dawn of the Dead.”

“See?” said Rod. “If your mom kills her, you’ll probably get stuck with some fascist babysitter who makes you watch Dallas.”

“Rod,” said Lucy, “I was going to give you this—”

“Let’s go in the lake,” said Herb, kicking off his loafers.

“Seriously?” said Rod. “You just said—”

“Jeannie can wait. Come on, when are you going to get another chance to swim with a demon?”

“Rod, you can’t,” said Lucy. “Your heart…”

“He’ll be fine,” said Herb, testing the water with a toe.

“No, he won’t. What about his heart?”

“It’s not even cold,” said Herb.

“It’s fine, Luce,” said Rod. “This is all a bonus, remember?” Rod liked to say that he should have died after the first coronary, and everything after that is a bonus.

“Don’t say that,” she said. “Just…will you stay here with me? I’ve got to tell you something.”

“We can talk in the water. I mean, this is what a lake is for, right? Jumping in?”

“Come on,” yelled Herb. “Just don’t think about the demon waiting underwater to take over your body!”

“Thanks, Herb,” said Rod, untying his shoes.

“I bet the demon’ll take him first just to shut him up,” said Lucy.

Rod laughed his sea lion laugh. Lucy could listen to it for days. She reached out to him as he trudged into the lake—“Is it okay? I mean, come back out if it feels—”

He turned, bumping into her and knocking the note out of her hand and into the water somewhere. “Oh, crap, sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Hold on,” he said, splashing away from her. “I can get it.”

“No, wait…” Lucy tore off her sneakers and plunged in. “Just leave it. It’s stupid—”

“It’s over here somewhere.”

She splashed after him. “Rod, wait for me!”

“Hey, Luce…after I move, we’ll still see each other, right?”

She stopped behind him as her heart tried to leap out of her throat.

“I mean, we can still hang out,” he said. “It’s not that far away, and…you know.”

“You mean, like…when you’re visiting Herb?”

“No, like, you and me.”

Holy hell! she thought. Tell him, tell him!

“Are you guys kissing over there?” said Herb.

Crap, thought Lucy. I’m the one who’s going to have a heart attack tonight.

“Why?” said Rod. “Are you still wondering what it’s like?”

“Lucy kissed me once,” said Herb.

*%&$^!, thought Lucy, hoping it was too dark for Rod to see her blush. “Yeah,” she yelled. “In a play. When we were nine. And I scrubbed my lips with ammonia backstage.”

Rod almost drowned out the animal party racket with his laughing. “Oh, man, Lucy, what am I going to do without you?”

She sloshed closer, almost falling into him as she blurted, “I need to tell you something before you go.”

“What is it?”

Lucy caught her reflection in Rod’s eyes. Focus, she thought. “I know this is…horrible timing, but…”

Before she could spill her guts, a blood-curdling quack split the air. A quack that tripped her fight-or-flight response. If ears could do a double take, Lucy’s were doing it now. The lake went creepily silent except for flapping wings and a small splash.

“Guys, what the hell was that?” said Herb.

Rod looked out across the water. “That wasn’t normal.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” she said, grabbing his arm. He was so warm—focus, Lucy.

“Guys?” said Herb, splashing into view. “Was that a duck?”

“Seriously,” said Lucy. “I don’t like this.”

Rod fixed on something in the distance. “Do you see that?”

She saw it. Two little red dots of light, getting closer. And unless she was losing it, the water was suddenly getting cold. She could feel Rod’s heartbeat racing through his arm. “We’ve got to go! Now!” She took his hand and pulled, and they splashed together toward the edge of the lake.

“Did you see those eyes?” said Rod.

Herb caught up with them. “It’s him! It’s Azmoth!”

No way, thought Lucy. Not a duck. Because that’s just stupid. It’s just a duck, with red glowing eyes, and the kind of quack ducks would have if they had a ten foot wingspan and fangs and razor-sharp talons and were diving at you from the clouds.

Lucy and Rod stumbled from the water close behind Herb, but before they could break into a run something struck Rod from behind, knocking him over. He spun around as a tornado of feathers flew at his chest and clamped onto his shirt. He flailed at it, but its bill was locked like a vise. “Lucy!”

She grabbed it around the middle and yanked, but it wouldn’t let go. “Herb! Help!”

Herb ran over, took its feet and pulled. “Shit! Is that...?”

Lucy saw it, too, dangling from the duck’s little neck. The moonstone amulet.

“Don’t touch it!” said Herb.

While Rod fumbled with his shirt, Lucy took the duck by the wings and pulled as hard as she could, but they slipped out of her hands, and she fell over backwards, landing next to her sneakers. She took one, scrambled to her feet and gave the duck a good whack, dislodging it and sending it flying with a shrill honk.

She and Herb pulled Rod up and ran him to the deck, where Jeannie stood by the door. “What were you guys doing out here? Jeez, did you go in the water?”

They blew past her into the house. Herb slammed and locked the door after everyone was in and looked out over the back yard. “He’s still out there!”

“Who’s out there?” Jeannie peered out the window and laughed. “A duck? You got chased by a duck?”

“That’s not a duck!,” he said. “It’s Azmoth.”

“What, from your demon book?”

“He’s real! That’s him!”

“I leave you alone for fifteen minutes and you get freaked out by a duck. Sure you don’t need a babysitter.”

“Why isn’t he trying to get in?” said Herb.

“Because he’s a duck?” said Jeannie.

“You didn’t see him jump on Rod! His eyes were glowing and he had the moonstone around his neck.”

“Dude, you need to stop reading those books.”

Lucy sat Rod down on the sofa. “Are you okay?” she said. He was drenched and his fists were clenched tight and he was staring straight ahead. “Oh, god, um…Jeannie, where are the towels?”

“Hall closet,” said Jeannie.

“Hold tight!” said Lucy, kissing Rod’s forehead. He was so cold. She ran to the closet and fetched a stack of towels and a blanket. “It’s okay,” she said, toweling him off. “You’re safe now.” She draped the blanket around him and felt his forehead. Freezing. Something was wrong.

“Jeannie!” she shouted. “I think Rod needs a doctor!”

“What is it?” said Jeannie, running into the living room.

“He’s freezing and he won’t say anything and he’s just staring straight ahead like that—is he in shock?”

Jeannie felt his forehead, then took his wrist and felt his pulse. “Holy cow! I’ll, uh…I’ll call 911.”

“Oh god, it’s not his heart, is it?” said Lucy.

“Just keep him covered up,” said Jeannie, running back to the kitchen.

“Hey!” yelled Herb from the back door. “The duck’s going back to the lake. I think he gave up.”

Lucy collapsed next to Rod on the sofa. “That was real, right? I mean, the amulet, and those eyes…we all saw it. It wasn’t just a pissed-off duck.” Rod didn’t budge. “Can you hear me?” She took his right wrist and felt for his pulse. It was thumping like crazy. She laid her head on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Jeannie’s getting help.”

She looked down and noticed they were both barefoot. “Crap. Think Azmoth will steal our shoes?” No sea lion laugh. He didn’t even look at her. “I’m so stupid. I was going to give you that note, and…just…I don’t know, wait until you read it and hope you didn’t think I was totally pathetic. But, that is pathetic, right?—giving you a note when I should just—” She looked at him. Nothing. Could he even hear her? She almost hoped he couldn’t. “—when I should just tell you that I’ve been crazy about you ever since I first met you that day in the hospital and it’s killing me that you’re going away and I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t get to see you anymore—” She stopped when she realized Rod was finally looking at her.

“Oh my god!” She kneeled in front of the sofa to face him. “Oh, god, you had me so scared! Are you okay? How do you feel?”

He smiled. She put her hands on his and said, “We’re getting you some help, okay? Jeannie’s on the phone. We’ll get you to a doctor. Guys!” she yelled.

“What?” said Herb, tripping into the living room. “Is he dead yet?”

“No, asshole, I think he’s better.”

“Don’t let him move,” said Jeannie. “We’ve got paramedics coming. They still need to check him out.”

“Did he say anything?” said Herb.

“No, but…he smiled.”

“Smiled? At what?”

Me? thought Lucy, hoping the smile meant he heard and understood and felt the same way as her. “I don’t know, he just…” Before she could finish, she noticed something poking out of the edge of Rod’s left fist. Like a bit of chain. She felt her heartbeat getting heavy as she carefully turned over his hand. No, no, no. Not possible. But there it was. The amulet. She stared at it for a moment until she worked up the courage to look into Rod’s eyes. It was faint in this light, but it was there. The red glow. Lucy, you’re such an idiot, she thought. Why didn’t you notice before?

“Luce, what’s wrong?” said Herb. “What’s going on?”

She let go of Rod’s hand. “Azmoth?”

He smiled and nodded, and her entire world sank into the carpet. This wasn’t Rod. It hadn’t been Rod since they left the back yard. It was Azmoth, watching her through Rod’s eyes, and listening to her through Rod’s ears. She’d spilled her guts to a demon.

“What?” said Herb. “No! No way! When?”

“What’s going on?” said Jeannie. “Are you guys messing with me?”

Lucy looked straight into Rod’s eyes. She couldn’t see her reflection. Just the awful glow. It couldn’t end this way. Rod didn’t make it this long just to be stolen like this. She couldn’t leave him to this thing. “Herb, you said that duck just walked away, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, his voice shaking. “Lucy, what are you doing?”

“And Dorothea...she was possessed, and she survived…”

“Yeah, but…Luce, you can’t just…”

Lucy spoke carefully to the demon, trying not to let her voice shake: “He has a heart condition. You don’t want him.”

“Lucy,” said Jeannie. “Whatever you’re doing, stop it.”

Lucy ignored her. “You can feel it, right?” she said to Azmoth. “He won’t last long, and you’ll die with him, or just be stuck in the amulet again.”

After a painfully long moment, Azmoth leaned forward, holding out the moonstone for her.

“Luce,” said Herb, “Let’s just go find someone who can help.”

But Lucy’s eyes were locked on the glow. “If I do this, you leave them alone. You walk out of here and don’t look back. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” hissed Rod’s voice.

Lucy couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying than being taken over and used like a puppet, but she had to get this thing out of Rod before it killed him. Her heart could take it. She would survive. If Dorothea could do it, so could she. If the freaking duck could walk away from it, so could she.

“Lucy—” said Herb.

“Herb,” she snapped, “Rod is going to die!”

“Luce,” said Jeannie. “I don’t like this. You’re freaking me out.”

Lucy took a deep breath and reached for the amulet. “Hang on, Rod,” she said. “I’ll see you again soon.” She touched the moonstone, and a burning chill raced up her arm and filled every corner of her body. She saw the glow leave Rod’s eyes, and saw her reflection again.

Rod jolted upright and gasped for breath—“Lucy?”

She tried to say his name. She tried to lean forward. She badly wanted to hug him. But she couldn’t. Her body ignored her. Instead, she felt herself smile and watched herself take the amulet from Rod and rise to her feet. She felt her vocal cords vibrate and her mouth move as she heard herself say, “Much better.”

The demon had her. But she was still here. And she could wait.