Short story: The Indians take on the Devil 3/3

The creature spent an hour taunting them. Occasionally it would come out of the shadows and move along the bars. It would growl, sometimes hiss, and then it would move back into the darkness.

It was toying with them. Enjoying the fact it had them cornered and dripping in fear.

The Worshippers spent that time cowering while Karen laid out in the middle of the cell, with her hands cupped behind her head, her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. She was trying to show that she was as relaxed as possible.

Jason sat near her with his legs crossed as he watched the shadows, more angry than fearful. Karl paced, but made sure he didn't go near the bars.

"Nobody blames you, you know?" Jason said to break the silence.

Karen tilted her head back to look. "We wouldn't be here if not for me, I should've left it alone."

"Not here, back home. Nobody blames you for what happened."

"He's right." Karl said. "Yes, crazy things happen when you're around; but everybody knows they would happen whether you were there or not."

"Hmmm." Karen's heard all this before in emails and phone calls with family; and chose to do what she always does. Change the subject. "Lets see about getting us out of here."

Karen climbed to her feet, then brushed her-self off before she walked to the bars.

"That's too close, Karen." Karl said.

"Hey, Lucifer...Beelzebub? Hey buddy, do you have a name?" Karen said toward the shadows. "I could make up a name, but it probably won't be to your liking."

Two red eyes appeared in the shadows. That's new, Karen thought.

"Azreal."

"That's original." Karen smirked.

The Creature moved into the light; Karl grabbed Karen's shoulder to pull her back but she stood her ground.

"Karen..."

"Don't worry, he's not going to kill me; not right now at least." Karen said as the Creature stepped up to the bars.

"Why would I let you live?" It asked.

"Two reasons, first you're going to want to hear what I have to say; I have an offer for you, a deal actually; your kind loves deals I've heard." Karen felt more confident the longer she talked, mostly because her own voice meant she was still alive.

"And the second?" It asked.

"Well, because you don't want us dead." Karen paced as she talked. "Your thing is fear, you feed off it; and you've probably figured out by now that this building is completely locked down. So if you kill us, there's no more fear until someone else gets those doors open; which means you'll get bored, and you don't seem like the patient kind. So you're going to keep us alive till someone comes rescue us."

"You're so sure..."

"Yes, both you and I know the keys to this cage are hanging on that wall over there; you've passed it enough times." Karen nodded toward the far wall; part of her wondered if it actually did know. If it didn't, she just gave him a way to kill all of them; but she wasn't going to get anywhere unless she gambled.

It stepped back slowly, the only sound it made for a few seconds was its calm breathing as it considered her words.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"What is your offer?" It said; she could tell it was suspicious of her intent.

"Well, let us out; one at a time if you want, then hunt us down until morning."

It stood there, then turned its head as it considered what she said; puzzled. "Why would you ask for this?"

"Because I think I have a way out, I think I can escape if given the chance. Which is good for you if I'm wrong, let's be honest, is there anything so sweet as taking Hope away from someone. Wouldn't that be fun for you. If I'm wrong, you get to see the look on my face when I realize it." Karen arched an eyebrow. "Cause right now I'm feeling pretty confident I can outsmart you, wouldn't you like to see that crash and burn?"

It reached out, and the keys snapped across the room into its hand; It looked them over. It held them through the bars, dropped them and then disappeared into the shadows.

"Run..." It growled.

"With pleasure," Karen grabbed the keys and put them in the lock, but Jason grabbed her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Escaping, that's what we wanted, wasn't it?" Karen searched his face as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"How. We get out of this cage, we still have to get past that thing, and then how do we get out of the building?" Jason leaned in closer. "We're not all going to make it."

"You're right." Karen opened and went through the door, she slammed it locked again. "I'll get away first, and if I can I'll send the army back for you."

"Karen."

Karen walked away, tossing the keys behind a desk as she headed out through the bank.

"Karen?" Jason got louder. "Karen?"

Karen walked through the hallway, her hand slid along the wall as a guide in the darkness. She had to admit to herself that even with a plan she was starting to feel a bit nervous. The more she thought about it, the less it looked to her as if her idea would even work.

She felt doubt, and let it build in her gut; a feeling of warmth and tingling flowed from her chest into her arms. Her breathing sped up and she felt the hair rise up on the back of her neck.

"I can feel your fear..."

"Yeah..." Karen stopped. "I thought you'd like that."

Karen stepped forward but stopped as a shadow passed behind her, she tensed up and held still until the feeling passed. She told herself that it wasn't going to kill her, at least not until it was through playing.

When that would be, she didn't know.

She took a breath and ran for the stairs to the third floor, she felt the Creature pass by her several times but just out of sight. A hand grabbed her throat just before the steps, she stopped short as it held tight.

She felt its breath on her cheek as it moved in close. "I'm going to tear your throat out with my teeth..."

It let go and moved away. Karen bolted up the stairs, only to stop at the top as it stood in her way.

"I've met your brother...would you like to know where he is?"

Karen stared, then raced for the fourth floor; it raced along the wall next to her; yelling at her in the voice of a child.

"Karen...help me Karen!! Please!" The five year old screamed in pain. Karen tried to block it out as she reached the next floor. "Don't leave me here..."

The creature leapt past her into the shadows, laughing as its feet ran into the distance. Karen turned down a different hallway but just before entering the next hull It grabbed her and pressed her against the wall.

"Where are you going little one?" It asked, hissing.

"Kill me now and you'll never find out." Karen said, trying not to breath in its stench.

It chuckled and pulled back. Karen raced through the entrance into the First Nations section of the museum. Her fear diminished when she felt the familiarity of the area but couldn't rest.

She moved past the weapons and masks, around the giant canoe and into the alcove of the human remains. She stopped and got her breathing under control.

It raced past the opening causing Karen to spin around and back up, It was too quick to catch a glimpse of it so she turned back to the display.

"I need help."

The Creature laughed as it came into the alcove, Its arms outreached for Karen; she tensed up for the impact.

The Male Ancestor pulled itself from the clay and leapt from the display, his decomposed body impacted against the Creature with a cracking sound. The two forms crossed the alcove and smashed into the entrance frame.

The Ancestor gripped the Creature, braced his feet and spun him around into the other wall. Then spun it back into the first wall. The Creature roared and propelled the two of them across the floor into a display case; the Plexiglas warped from the impact.

The Creature's nails gripped through the mummified flesh of the Ancestor, then bit into His throat.

Karen tensed up as he screamed in agony. She could feel his pain in her gut. She watched as the Creature tore off meat and went back for more.

Karen felt herself pushed aside as the Female Ancestor darted past her.

The Ancestor's shoulder dipped down as she put her whole body into smashing into the Creature. All three supernatural entities crossed into the main exhibit and crashed through stands holding up masks.

Karen moved forward and watched as the fight became vicious, nothing was off limits as they bit, tore, stabbed and tossed each other through anything breakable.

The Creature was clearly stronger but The Ancestors were quick and determined; coming at It from different directions. Eventually it had enough, and grabbed the Female Ancestor with both hands; flinging her across the room through a fake paper wall designed to look First Nations.

It turned on The Male Ancestor and hissed.

The Male tensed, and then ran.

The Creature followed.

The two ran around the displays, leaping and shoving; they ran on the walls and ducked. They swung and clawed; and Karen felt horror as she realized they might lose.

Not only lose, but she took two of her ancestors down with her. She brought them into this, and now...

The Male shot past Karen; he shoved her out of the way in passing and then leapt up the wall as The Creature grabbed at his heels. It caught him on the balcony, pulling him onto the floor before it tore into him.

The male screamed.

"I'm sorry..." Karen said. "I'm sorry..."

The Female moved past Karen for the display case and reached inside, she then came back out and looked up to the balcony.

"Help him..." Karen said. The Ancestor looked at her. "Why aren't you helping him."

The Female Ancestor winked.

Karen's eyebrows went up, there was a loud bang above and she looked up. The fight continued.

The Male Ancestor shoved the Creature up to the railing and pushed him backwards on it. The Female Ancestor jumped up, both hands grabbed onto the Creatures head and quickly wrapped an arm around its throat.

The Creature grabbed for her but the Male held Its arms down. The Female put her feet against the wall and pushed away, she twisted the skull.

It started as a crack; then bones and long dead cartilage snapped. The Female loosened her grip a bit and then put all her force behind smashing her knife through Its throat; ripping the head clean off.

Karen backed away as the Female landed on the ground, the head smacked the floor next to her. The Male dropped from the balcony, his knee shattering the head into small chunks.

Karen let out her breath.

She stepped back again as the Male Ancestor stood up staring at her. His form expanding and shrinking as if he was catching his breath; then turned his attention to the Female.

The two Ancestors embraced as a couple, making sure the other survived. Karen watched in awe, thankful for both of them.

The Female pulled back from the Male, she looked toward Karen and then crossed the distance to her.

"Thank-you..." Karen said softly.

The Ancestor reached out and took Karen's hand, she held it with compassion; as if to make sure that Karen was safe.

"I am."

The Ancestor smiled sweetly, then nodded. She moved in and spoke softly. She spoke an ancient language Karen never learned. Even though she didn't understand she couldn't help but feel it was her mother talking to her. The same voice, soft and peaceful.

The Ancestor pulled back to search Karen's face, then she moved back to the Male who waited for her. Instead of climbing back into the display case, the two forms climbed into the body bags; laying down they went back into their resting state.

It took Karl an hour to find the off switch for the magnetized doors; it was on the wall in the Guards room behind a safety lock.

Karen didn't care what happened to the last two Worshippers, she told then the Creature was still out there and left them locked in the cage. It was her punishment to them for messing with the dark side.

The Indians took the two Ancestors out the back where Tara had been waiting anxiously. She drove them three hours north to a small airport as Karl told her everything that happened. Once there, they transferred the remains into the private Cessna, already fuelled up for the five-hour trip north.

Jason helped Tara close the front door and turned back to see Karen wasn't boarding the plane. He knew instantly that she wasn't coming with them.

Jason walked over to Karen. "They're expecting you to be on that plane."

"I lied." Karen shrugged. "It's what I do."

"Nobody thinks that anymore."

"Just tell them...tell Uncle I couldn't. Tell him that, we have our ancestors and that should be enough for now."

Jason nodded. "Ok."

Jason and Karen hugged their goodbyes, and then he started for the plane. "Jason?"

"Yeah..."

"You grew up with Grandma, you speak our language right?"

"Enough to get by, sure."

Karen repeated what the Female Ancestor said to her.

"Who said that to you?"

Karen motioned with her chin toward the plane. Jason nodded.

"Why? What does it mean?"

Jason considered it and moved closer to Karen, he wanted her to hear it clearly over the noise of the engine.

He wanted to make sure she didn't miss a word.

"Go home, little one."

The end.