'There are a multitude of life forms out there, Frankie, and yes, some of them are green and others are what we would consider little. There are also life forms on other planes of existence, other realities. And Ob's kind has reign over them all. But I don't speak in riddles. The Siqqusim aren't the only demons awaiting release from the Void. There are other groups of creatures there; a second and third wave of demons that, according to magical law, cannot be released until a certain percentage of life has been destroyed. That is one of the reasons why the zombies are so intent on destroying us-so that this second wave of possessions can begin, and they themselves can move on to the next planet.'
'How much? What percentage of the population has to die before this next wave begins?'
Martin shook his head. 'I cannot tell you. It is forbidden. Look to your Bible. It is full of numerology. And there are other books too, tomes even older than the original Bible or Koran. Books like the Daemonolateria.'
'Never heard of it.'
'Some call it a spell book, but it is really nothing more than a book of laws. Everything, even demons, must obey the laws of the universe. There is a finite number of living beings on every planet, and once a percentage of those living beings have been corrupted, each new wave is free to attack.'
'And I guess that new wave takes over the rest of us that are left alive?'
'No. The Siqqusim are given reign over mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. But those aren't the only life forms on this planet, or on any other planet for that matter. Look around you.'
Frankie paused.
'The plants. You're talking about the plants.'
Martin nodded.
Around them, the greenery began to wither and turn brown. A leaf crumbled at her touch.
'Zombie plants, Martin? You've got to be kidding me.'
'The plants, and the insect life that exists on this planet, which is neither mammal nor reptile nor amphibian. There are over two hundred million insects per each person on this planet. Both the plant and insect kingdoms are given to Ab and his kind.'
'Ab?'
'Ob's brother and leader of the Elilum.'
'Don't any of these creeps have normal names like Fred or Leon?'
'The Elilum possess the plant and insect kingdoms just as the Siqqusim do with mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.'
'Fuck me running ... How are we supposed to hide from bugs?'
Martin continued as if she hadn't spoken. 'There is a third and final wave, and that one involves fire. The demons in that group have many names. In the Arab cultures, they are known as the Iffrit, but their true name is the Teraphim. Ob and Ab's brother, Api, leads them, and they are the most terrible of all. They are beings made of fire, and the earth burns with their every step. At the end of their reign, the entire planet is consumed.'
'Well Jesus fucking Christ in a god-damned chicken basket, Martin! What kind of a chance does that give us? I mean, if all the plants die, then we've got no fucking oxygen, but that doesn't really matter anyway because everything gets burned up at the very end!'
As if in answer, the dead, brown plant life began to move. Desiccated vines snaked across the forest floor, slithering around her other self.
A withered tree limb speared Jim through the chest. A giant Venus flytrap's jaws slammed shut on Danny, swallowing the boy whole. His muffled screams echoed from inside the plant.
'There are rules, Frankie. The third wave cannot leave the Void and begin until all life forms-all of them-are destroyed. The Elilum can run amok once the Siqqusim have destroyed a percentage of life. But the Teraphim cannot be loosed upon the planet until all the kingdoms of life are gone. Don't you see?'
'So what are you telling me? Go hide out in a greenhouse somewhere and make sure we keep enough of us alive, keep having babies and growing new trees and shit? Make sure we keep some animals and bugs alive too? That way we prevent the other attacks from happening? We're just supposed to wait it out, and then repopulate and reseed the fucking planet when the third wave doesn't happen? What is this Noah's ark bullshit, preacher- man?'
Martin didn't respond.
'Or are you telling me that it's hopeless-that we're gonna die? That we'll lose these bodies but go on to this other place where you went?
That's it, isn't it, Martin?'
The old man was gone.
'Soon as people start getting eaten, you pull a Houdini. Am I allowed to wake up now?'
Remember, his voice whispered inside her head, everything dies, but not everything has an ending.
Around her, the forest continued to die. Then it started to come back to life again.
Frankie awoke in her hospital bed. Somewhere above her head, an alarm was shrieking.
'What is it, Daddy?' Danny sat up, startled awake by the blaring alarm.
His eyes were sleepy but frightened. 'What's going on?'
'I don't know, buddy. Hang on a second. I'll check.'
Jim jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. There was some kind of commotion outside, people running down the hallway, clamoring voices. He opened the door, barefoot and shirtless, and shivered in the air- conditioning. The alarm continued to blare over the building's speaker system.
