The Altar

existence, and life itself.

As it left the church it decided to remain in solid form rather than revert back to the flames. The cross had hurt it more than it cared to admit, and its pain was easier to bear in solid form. The flames wouldn’t burn where it was embedded-it knew that-and this would cause more pain and expose its weakness. Instead, it grew a set of leathery bat-like wings on its back, gargoyle style. It knew that humans feared demons with horns and wings, so why not look the part. The remnants of Seti were also getting tiresome. He’d handle that as well, very soon.

With a single flap of the wings it propelled itself into the air, like a medieval dragon, of sorts, only this one made of stone. The effect completely defied physics, but that made it all the more interesting for the monster.

The ground shrunk beneath it as it flapped again and drifted higher. It could see the church in the distance-it was not finished with that yet-and in the other direction a small shopping plaza. It recalled it from earlier when it had been part of the human, instead of the other way around. The shopping center-the woman with the unborn child had been there. And that was where its previous coven had been interred. It had a special curse for this place.

It swooped down closer and buzzed by the place. About two dozen soldiers were lined up in the parking lot, herding people into a yellow bus. They thought they were going to safety. This was perfect. The soldiers pointed up at the monster and shouldered their weapons, while people hurried into the bus. This was even better than it had hoped for.

It felt the telltale “pling” of bullets flying past it. A couple hit it on the chest and ricocheted off. Another went through its wing, which immediately patched itself, as if nothing had happened. The soldiers were tenacious; apparently they felt that if they peppered it with enough bullets it would have to die. They obviously didn’t know what they were in for. But they would find out.

The demon swooped down and landed just in front of the soldiers. It stood tall for a moment, letting them shoot it at point blank range. It watched in amused fascination as their eyes widened in surprise and terror as they saw that their attack had no effect. One man threw down his rifle and ran in terror. Another stood frozen, as if turned to stone. Another charged forward and tried to stick a bayonet into the demon.

The winged monster watched in amusement as the bayonet snapped in half. Then it grabbed the soldier by the arm, ripping the appendage from its socket and twisting it off at the shoulder. The man stepped back and stared at the bleeding stump as if it belonged to someone else, than passed out on the pavement.

As if on cue, the skirmish line scattered and ran for their lives. The demon was in no hurry to pursue them. There were plenty to go around. It lowered its head and skewered a pair of retreating soldiers, one on each of its obsidian horns. It ripped out another man’s throat with its onyx teeth and spit the windpipe on the ground. Blood splattered into Seti’s eyes, blinding what was left of the cult leader. Seti wailed in pain and the demon sent a jolt of agony into the remnants of the human’s brain. This burden would be removed very soon.

The soldiers had given up trying to fight. One called desperately for help on his radio until the demon crushed the man’s hand and the walkie-talkie, turning them both into pulp. As the soldier tried desperately to pull away, the mangled hand snapped off at the wrist. Blood shot out as if from a faucet. Then the demon raked its stone claws down the man’s back splitting him open from shoulder to rump.

The monster heard the bus gunning its engine. But there was no hurry. With its new wings, it could outrun the bus. It flapped its wings and took off after another soldier who was running back inside the shopping center. It caught him just outside the door of the convenience store and they both crashed through the thick glass. The soldier’s face was a bloody mess-the demon raked his eyes out of the sockets and left him there, where he dropped to his knees and sobbed like a baby.

Then it crashed through the adjacent wall and into the antique shop. The air from its wings spread antiques and merchandise everywhere. It spotted the old lady who ran the place huddling in a corner; apparently, she hadn’t had a chance to get on the bus. It leaped across the store and grabbed her by the hair. A huge clump of gray hair and scalp ripped off in the demon’s claw as the woman pulled away. She crawfished away, holding her hands out in front of her to ward off the monster.

“I banish you in the name of God!” the woman sneered, holding her hands out to make the sign of the cross.

The demon felt a moment of fear, but just a moment. This cross held no power. The woman lacked strength and faith. She didn’t believe in what she was doing.

“Your God can’t help you,” the demon roared in a voice that was only barely comprehensible. Then he smashed his claws into her chest and pulled out her still pulsating heart.

2

After they were safely inside the house, Erik grabbed the remote and motioned to put on the television.

“No,” Dovecrest said. “That won’t help. Where it is now and what it’s doing doesn’t matter. We’ve got to think ahead.”

Erik nodded and put the remote down. Vickie sat back on the couch with Todd next to her. Her contractions, for the moment, had stopped.

“I need to get my family out of here,” Erik said. “This thing could be here any minute.”

Dovecrest nodded. “I know,” he said. “But we need you here. We need the three. Six would be better, or twelve even better still. But three is enough.”

“Let me take them to the city and then come back….”

“There isn’t time.”

“I’d rather stay here,” Vickie said.

“No. You can’t. It isn’t safe here anymore. Think about Todd. And the baby.”

Vickie looked at him for a long moment.

“Ok,” she said finally. “But I can drive myself.”

“Hon, you’re about to go into labor-if you aren’t already there…. You can’t drive.”

“I’m going to have to. Either that or I’m staying here.”

“Listen,” Erik said. “The National Guard was at the plaza. Suppose I take you and Todd there and have them drive you out?”

“Erik, we really don’t have time,” Dovecrest said.

“I can at least drive myself a half mile up the road,” Vickie said.

Erik shook his head. “I don’t like it. I hate it. I need to be with my family.”

“The best way you can protect your family is by hitting this thing where it lives,” Dovecrest said. “And we need you here for that.”

Erik looked at Mark. “Pastor, what do you think?”

“I think that no matter what we do, it’s in God’s hands,” he said. “But I think God-and we-could work better knowing that your family was safe. I’ll bet they’d send in a chopper for a woman in labor.”

Erik thought for a moment. He hated the idea of separating from Vickie and Todd. The idea frightened him. But he couldn’t bring them with him to do what had to be done. He’d be too worried about them to play his role.

This just wasn’t right, he thought. He wasn’t supposed to be a hero. He was a teacher and a writer. He wrote about characters that did heroic things. He didn’t actually do them. More than anything he just wanted to get in the car with his family and drive to safety, where he could let the people who were supposed to protect them take care of this thing. This was a job for the police and the army-and maybe even the pastor, he thought. But it wasn’t a job for a schoolteacher who wrote science fiction stories. He didn’t want any part of this hero stuff.

Yet what choice did he have? If he didn’t do it, who would? Maybe Mark could call some clergy together, but how long would it take? And Dovecrest was the only one who really knew what to do. What if the demon killed him?

“All right,” he said finally. “I don’t like it, but I don’t have a better idea.”

Vickie nodded. “Then I’d better get moving while things are still quiet.”

Erik was silent. He didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to her. In the background, he heard