“GOD HELP ME!”

Gwen Alonzo lay flat on her back in the guest room of her late husband Hector’s home. Her daughter Jody having stepped out to get ice chips for her mother heard her but tried not to. In using an ice pick to carve up ice cubes Jody seemingly went into a trance over the kitchen island. Within her mind she heard faint whispers of, “They will be the death of her.” As if lost in wondered Jody replied back, “Who will? Raven?” No further response, she shrugged off her funk and chipped more cubes until another verse recites, “You must kill them first.” Not something you want to hear when you have an ice pick in your hand.

“I am not killing babies, nor my mom, so stop fucking with me. I know you want out of me, but I have no say in that. That’s on Raven, she locked you in me.” As if controlling her hand Jody found her ice pick being lured toward Jody herself. With a death plunge the inner angel attempted to puncture Jody’s belly but the spike snapped in half on her skin, only tearing her t-shirt. “KNOCK IT OFF BITCH!” She told the angel. “You’re supposed to be on God’s side. Would he want you to take a human life?”

“Making point!” Her Angel spoke.

“How? By trying to kill me. You ever think if I die… you die?”

“I am already dead!”

“Oh! Right! Guess you might be. I’m still not killing my mom or her babies. My dad’s soul is in there somewhere, so is my almost stepdad. I… need them. Mom needs them.”

“Three!”

“Right! A third baby. Not sure where that one comes in, but a baby is a baby.”

“Dark soul.”

“Might just be Raven’s counterbalance. If it’s bad, then she can decide right from wrong.”

“Avoid!”

“A void? Sure, they’re in Mom’s womb.”

“Succubus… avoid!”

“Just quiet down in there. You haven’t said a word to me since we got stuck with one another. You even tried to escape out by the pool after you… we… killed Argus. Good job by the way. I’d love to be taught how to use a sword. Just…not to kill those I love. So, give up that idea Shiny!”

“Ikannuna!”

“I can tuna? Ike and Tina?” She chuckled.

“Ikannuna!”

“Is that your name?”

“Yes! All!”

“All as in no last name? Ok… hi Ikannuna. I’m Jody but you know that. Tell me about yourself.”

“Selves! One… all!”

“Angels all? All one angel?”

“Yes! All!

“Clones? Like the Stormtroopers in Star Wars? ” She asked, no reply offered. “Okay! Well, Ikannuna, since we’re stuck together you need to figure out my version of right and wrong might not be yours. So don’t get all pissy with me if you don’t get your way.”

Shrugging off no further communion Jody gathered her cup of ice and threw the ice pick away into the sink. Shuffling back to the spare bedroom she found Coroner Keith, the Cat, Bryson sitting with Gwen using her father’s blood pressure cuff to check Gwen’s BP. Puckering at the results he told both women, “Almost perfect 127 over 81! For a woman as far along as you are Gwen, that’s pretty incredible.”

“It’s the Angel’s.” Jody sighed, “I’ve been talking to the one inside me. Ikannuna is her name, she tried to stab me. I set her straight. Well, them straight! If I’m reading her right, it’s like a hive mind situation. Like maybe all angels are the same, connected by a single wondered.” Keith lifted both brows at how calm Jody was when Gwen was ready to pull her hair out.

“FOR GOD’S SAKE BRUSH YOUR TEETH! YOU SMELL LIKE TUNA!” Gwen yelled at Keith.

“Frisky’s! Sorry! Never knew cat food was that delicious. Hey! It’s not my fault!” He hopped up, “Going to use Hector’s old toothbrush after I sanitize it.” They didn’t care. It wasn’t as if Hector would ever need it again. As Keith left, Jody assisted Gwen in feeding her ice. It calmed Gwen’s nerves sucking on chips.

“Still no communication with dad or Brandon?”

“No! I’m worried that maybe the babies… ate them.” She pouted. “How do I take care of three babies Jody? I’m too old for this.”

“I’ll be there to help. I’m sure Aunt Rebecca will too, once we tell her.”

“JODY!!! How do we tell my sister I’ve delivered babies in under three days’ time. She saw me a week ago when I didn’t have a belly the size of… Jupiter.”

“Aunt Rebecca is tough, she won’t push us away for what’s not our fault. We need all the help we can get.”

“I said no! It’s bad enough I’ve been avoiding Brandon’s dad Dale over he not calling him back. The more people we involve will just place them in danger.” Gwen felt a kick right at the end of her sentence. “OWWW! Chill out in there.” She rubbed her belly feeling a hand following hers. “I can feel them. Well, one of them, I think. No, all three now.” A second hand gave her a High Five. The third might have flipped her off. That could not be a good sign.

Jody placed her own hand on her mother’s swollen tummy and also felt a kick. A second kick left a baby footprint impression in her swollen flesh. Smiling with bright eyes Jody giggles, “I think that one is anxious to get out. It feels like he’s punting a football or something.” Not even close! Within Gwen stuck in between two baby girls was the demon baby Argus, sharing his body with the consciousness of the dreaded Darkevil, his mind split between the Earthly dimension and his adult form in another. Divided as he was his strength was weak and isolated. Argus however maintained the bodily functions, thus giving Gwen the bird and trying to kick his way out of her. Luckily her body was too strong for any real damage.

“I think I’m gettin’ a woody! FINALLY!” Argus chuckles within his frail brain, the body stronger than the average newcomer. “Yep! I gotta big one here! Yay me!” He quickly grew frustrated, “GooDammit! Ambilocal cord! Wondered I had somethin’ there! Damn! I coulda hit on the babes here.” Evil had no tact; he was bred to be ruthless. The two females teamed up and elbowed Argus right in the eyeballs. “HEY! WATCH IT YOU SPITFIRES! I get outta this joint I’m cell blockin’ your asses! Well… whomever turns eighteen first and gets the mark. Me and Big D know you’re not this puss bags kids… the Succubus Succuredus! I got her knocked up but her fuckin’ mark shoved ’em in up Queenie’s twat instead of hers.”

“Argus?”

“Yeah, Big Daddy?”

“In doing so the Raven prevented the mark from cursing them.”

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? How the heaven is she accomplishin’ that?”

“The mark somehow… obeys her over my authority. We must trick her once we… mature.”

“You’re half here, half not, right?”

“Yes!”

“Cannot your true form bust us outta here?”

“From another dimension? I am useless here but all powerful there! The Succubus Dahlia attempted to change that. She is… formidable! Discover her when we escape. She may locate me another eligible Host that can contain my energies on this world.”

“Gotcha! Discover Dally don’t dilly! Let’s just hope my new body doesn’t take forever to grow up. I haven’t been a toddler since before Christ was in a diaper of thorns.”

“Do not speak of him.”

“Sorry! My bad! Jesus sayin’… JUST SAYIN’!”

“The female babies hold the souls of those stuck within this vessel. They appear… strong. Perhaps derived from the angels that the Raven had locked up within she and her daughter.”

“What about Mom’s soul? Can ya suck it dry and punch us out of this hot distribute balloon?”

“It… is surrounded by a barrier conceived by the Raven child. The angel within enforces an invisible aura.”

“No child Big D… that Raven has one fine ass bod. Unlike these two hotties! I’d rather beast feed off of Red than this sow we’re cutting teet with.” Argus pinches the butts of the twins containing Hector and Brandon. Jumping at his assault the movement of the three babies made Gwen scream thinking they were ready to come out. The girls within doubled up their fists and hit Argus both in the face and in the balls. That shut him down for a bit. “Bitches!” He whimpered. No touch rules! He tried to keep his hands to himself, but when you’re an Incubus… not easy! Well, he was easy he’d fuck anything, but in not easy it meant restraint.

“Angels!” Darkevil spoke, “I smell Angelus! The aura exudes not merely here within our fluid bath, but from the daughter on the outside. The fluid will boil within this mother and cook us all.”

“Hot Child in the Shitty! We’re used to bubble baths Big D. Those two cutie pabooties might not like Hot Springs HARKansas but me I’m up for a JACKuzzi. You know they’re jealous of us. Succubus born they have to be hormoanal. Mark or not they gots the DNA! HA! D as in Darkevil and A as in Argus. There’s two of them and two of us. We’re studs in the suds Big Guy! “

“Stop being juvenile Argus! There is more to the male souls within the infant females. I sense newborn Angels… Cherubim!”

“Zim Zim Cherubim! They’ll be wearin’ Hadji’s turban as a bib here soon. Turban renewal I say!”

“ENOUGH! Be serious Argus!”

“Right! Sirius! XM!”

“What?”

“Nothin’ Boss! I’m listenin’.”

“That’s it! A worthy idea Argus.”

“Ummm? I knew I had it in ya. What’s my idea again?”

“Your SiblINgS!”

“Oh, come on! Don’t let them out! They’ll steal my glory. YumYum will lick my ass.”

“They will give us time to mature. Help us locate Dahlia.”

“Eye put my foot down! If eye could discover it. Oh, wait! It’s up Mommy’s uterus.”

“Who owns you, Lackey?”

“You do Daddy!”

“I will release them upon this world again. To keep the Raven and her band of angels busy. I can’t let the Succubus deplete my energy by denying me the souls she steals. I have lost too many as it is between, she and her pathetic family. The Nameless Ones are assisting her rather than teaching her to be a better Succubus. This can’t go unpunished!”

“I’ll get Jizzabel when I get back in traction… I mean action. My balls hurt. I didn’t even know I had a pair. I’m used to using other Studs to move on up their scrotum poles.”

“Please be quiet! Don’t make me sack myself… to hurt you.”

“Balls in your court Boss! Shuttin’ yap…!”

********

City Morgue… Ashton Avenue… just realized!! Sad when the morgue was in ashes.

“My Jeeps blocked in by the firetrucks.” Detective Heather Choi grumbled, “Raven? Here! Take my keys and go sit in my Jeep… the yellow one over there.”

“Can I drive it when we leave?” Raven Mourn brightened up.

“You even have a license?”

“Noooo! But still… I can drive as long as you let me. Pleeeeeeaase?” Her praying hands palmed before her she begged pathetically. Her lower back pentagram lit up white as if a good thing for once. The star oddly folding its lines together as if compressed hands simulating her own. Sensing the change Heather looked behind her ward and lifted her shirt to witness it. Cocking an eyebrow, she took that as a sign.

“Yeah, I’m no cop to write you a ticket. Geez! We’ll see! I need you to stay out of sight, so the officers don’t shoo you away. Just go to my Jeep and hide.”

“Okay!” Taking the keys, she shuffles at a fast pace to her Jeep and hops into the driver’s seat just to feel what it might be like. She was giddy and rearing to go. Hell on Squeals!

Heather moved in amidst the cops and firefighters until seeing her partner Rutger Heinz, German can you tell? “Hey Rut! What the hell happened here?”

“Where did you come from? I noticed your Jeep over there. We wondered you were inside.”

“I was before the blaze. Coroner Bryson and I walked for lunch uptown, this being my ordered day off I offered to treat him.”

“That’s one more we can scratch off the list of the feasible deceased. Where’s Bryson at?”

“He got crazy sick on me at the restaurant. Luckily, we were eating outdoors he hurled like a tsunami on a slow day. Shit his drawers too but that’s between us. I got him a cab and made him go home. Told him I’d come pick him up tomorrow if he felt better. Virus, we think.”

“Glad you two weren’t in that hellhole. That place went up like kindling in a solar flare. I tried to call you.”

“Left my cell in there. He and I both did. It was nice not being bothered during lunch until he got all barfy like he was gagging on a hairball. Yeah, used a house phone at the restaurant to make that taxi call. Anyway, I know I have insurance on my cell, I’m pretty sure Keith is clever enough to have the same.”

“You and Bryson… seeing each other?” Rutger winced.

“Trial basis! He got to me. Don’t judge!”

“I’m not! Bryson’s a good cat.”

“Ugh! He’s a big pussy! But, hey… worth a shot, right?”

“Cap’s here! Might want to check in with him to let him know you’re alive.”

“That’s the plan Rut. Thanks for worrying about me. I’ll see you at the Precinct tomorrow unless Americ orders me off longer.”

“That bus drama was a mess. Those poor kids must be bawling their eyes out.”

“Pretty sure! Catch up with you later. Fill me in on what caused the fire. I’ll drop by Keith’s on my way out to let him know he’s out of a job temporarily. Shit!” She feigned shock, “Russ?”

“Not sure yet. Security said Kingery was still on the premises, but again they said you and Bryson were too.”

“Snuck out the Ambulance dock. Security was probably playing games on their cell again.” Cameras melted she presumed she might be safe. But again, footage was likely wiped anyway. Jezzy! Or one of her grandmothers.

“Right! See ya around Choi.”

“Later Partner!” She grits her teeth at saying that like a Cowboy. Luckily, he knew she was prone to saying things that were out there. Passing carefully through scorched debris she found Captain Stephan Americ talking to the Fire Chief Nelson Starrett. While making her way through dogs brought in to search for life started barking at Heather viciously. “Must sense the cat in me.” She presumed ignoring them. Finally, their handlers took them away.

“What’s that about? Are you hiding a T-bone steak in your britches?” Americ spoke then paused her answer, “Forget I said that. Sounded like sexual harassment! Sorry! Good to see we don’t have to bury you Choi.”

“Not yet! Do we know what started this?”

“Wiring maybe! Too early to tell.” Nelson chimed in.

“Keith Bryson was with me Chief! I sent him home from lunch he was puking his guts up and running a fever. Not sure what hit him, so I hooked him up with a cab. I didn’t have my Jeep and he was in no shape to drive.”

“You were on foot?”

“Yep! Nice day so we hoofed it. Didn’t even know about the fire until I walked back here. Oh! In case you called me, Keith and I left our cells here, so we weren’t interrupted. Long gone, I’m sure!”

“Alright! Long as you’re in one piece. Cannot say that for a few folks. Most everyone is accounted for but Russell Kingery. You see him before you and Bryson went out?”

“Yeah! Told him I’d bring him a burger.” She did when first arriving here, but it was a safe bet that evidence was long charbroiled. Feigning a tear wasn’t that hard, Russ was a good guy. Seeing her emotions appear genuine Americ huffed his cheeks trying hard to not join her in weeping. It was never easy losing one of your own.

“Where’s your badge?”

“Best guess? Badge heaven. I left my purse in there too. Luckily, I know the chef at Choi Mein!”

“How is your mom?”

“She’s good! Hate to say it but I hope her cooking isn’t what made Keith ill.” She hated the blame game, but she knew her Mother would always cover for her. “I’m not sick, but again I didn’t eat the same thing he did. Mom’s clearing the buffet of certain items. She’s got this.”

“Good to know! Tell Ming I said to hold the duck sauce.”

“Gotcha! Listen… I won’t have a cell until tomorrow. I’m too teary to go get me a new phone today. Any objections if I use a sick day tomorrow after the bus, now this? My emotions are shot. Think I’ll go by Keith’s and let him know about the fire and that he’s gonna need a new cell too. Man… this really sucks. I’ll call you in the morning to figure out if you found Russell. If he was still in there…” She choked up knowing full well he was, “Give his family my sympathy.”

“Take two days. Just come in sharp as a tack the day after.”

“Thanks Stephen, I appreciate it.” Turning away after a short squeeze to his bicep she headed for her Jeep. Both he and Nelson watched her wiggle away, those damn dogs snarling at her.

“Chasing tail like we do.” Nelson sighed.

“I need to stop that before I get divorced. Regina would take me to the cleaners. All I’d have to my name is my cat, Magnum.”

Cat lovers! Sadly, Heather silently purred without realizing it.

********

Ten minutes before her walk back, Raven Mourn had literally played with every feature in Heather’s Jeep. Not a single person approached her to question who she was. Toying with the mirrors she found them offering visions to the other side. The rear-view mirror above the dash alluded to what she was privy too when in Purgatory. Wisps of light spiraling about in the darkness like an armada of fireflies made her look at her palm, it was still heeled nicely but she could feel the crease of the initial cut. Looking to the mirror she blew a kiss at the vision and the swarm dispersed as if blow aside. “Wow! Evidently, I give good blowjobs. I really do need to try that when I discover a nice guy. Come along Mister Wealthy!”

A glance at the passenger side mirror found imagery of bright blinding light that dimmed the longer she stared at it. Adjusting pupils seemed to pierce the veil. What she saw was beyond belief. Before her eyes stood a man with flowing brown hair disrobing to enter a pond that had beautiful flora circling it. Only a shrub hid his buttocks. She grew horny just eying the man. He looked gorgeous from behind. “Mmmm! Is that you Mister Wealthy? Over here Cutie!” She giggled. As if hearing her, the man looked directly at her, but his eyes poured out a light that even she couldn’t get through, “Awwww man!” She pouted then realized something. Eyes bulging, she looked toward Heaven and whimpered, “If that was you God… sowwy!” All was forgiven! Just not forgotten!

The Driver’s side mirror imbued total darkness then flames flickering around the edges of the mirrors frame. As her eyes again compensated, she studied the image closely until she could see the other side perfectly. In view was a massively muscled man with a hairy chest and one incredibly huge cock. How huge she could not fathom at first until she saw what appeared to be thousands of young naked women clinging to his beast with desire, sucking, licking fondling even if it did look strange at their size. It was like gnats swarming a carcass but not flying. “Whoa! Soooo… Purgatory in the dash mirror… Heaven in the passenger mirror… which means… Hell right next to me. Fuck that’s a big dick. That’s King Kong with a billion Faye Raes!” Like the Deity in the passenger mirror the vile thing in the driver’s side mirror poised his cock toward Raven. Using mighty hands, he starts jerking off crushing hundreds of thousands of screaming whores beneath his grip. Some flying off of him like shed water droplets and falling to their demise only to get up and try again. Nympholim! Long story! The Watchers messed up progeny.

“That’s horrible!” A gusher of milky blood shoots from a cavern sized urethra drowning more young beauties in its torrent. The screams could even be heard, the mirror trickling ooze. “I think the Devil just tried to cum on me.” Raven’s mark reacting to it began to turn full on pentagram as she licked her lips, her clit swelling with the lust that energized her soul’s demand. Lost in the waterfall on the other side of reality she undid her pants and slid her hand down between her legs. Fingers digging inside her cunt she moaned with a raspy growl.

“HEY! ZIP THAT SHIT UP!”

“NOOOO!” Raven leered at Heather Choi with a dark demeanor as the Detective slapped her door to break the trance, “I’m driving!”

“My car or that hummer between your legs? Dial it back Succubus unless you plan on detailing my ride. And don’t you dare say the Devil is in the details I’ll paddle your ass.”