Carl Prescott and the Demon Queen Read online

Carl walked out the front door carrying Barbie’s parents. A dog and two cats followed him, each in their own cocoon. Carl set the people down and turned back to the house. He pushed his hands straight up in the air, and the fire vanished. The house appeared totally unharmed. The shields around everyone evaporated. Carl walked up to the nearest firefighter. “Don’t worry. It’s just a dream. You and your friends are back in the firehouse and having the same silly dream.” He smiled. The trucks and the firemen vanished. All the neighbors who were outside vanished as well.

  “That was amazing, Carl,” Aida said. “I want to do those things too.”

  He walked over to her and kissed her. “You can do whatever you believe you can, my darling.” He picked up Barbie and set her with her parents. Carl picked up the dog and Aida picked up the two cats. Then, the entire group disappeared.

  An hour later, the headmaster and dean sat at his conference table with the Conway family opposite them. Brian Conway had been shouting for twenty minutes about how he would go to the police and charge the institution with kidnapping. His wife and daughter sat by quietly. There was a knock at the door, and Dorchester said, “Enter.” The door opened and Carl Prescott and Aida Whitehall stepped in. Carl closed the door after them. Mr. Conway looked at Carl and froze in midsentence. The two teenagers walked over and stood at the foot of the table.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Conway, let me present Carl Prescott and Aida Whitehall.”

  “I’ve seen his face,” Brian Conway replied. He looked to his wife who nodded and looked down. “Where have I seen you before, young man?”

  “I carried you both out of your burning house,” Carl replied. Mrs. Conway started to cry.

  “That was just a dream,” Mr. Conway replied. Carl and Aida shook their heads. “It had to be. There were winged demons too. They don’t really exist, do they, Headmaster?”

  “Well, I haven’t seen any myself, but I am not so talented as our Mr. Prescott.”

  “Carl, are you saying it wasn’t a dream and that my house is burned down?”

  “Yes and no, sir. It did happen, but I erased the damage. When you return home, you’ll see that nothing has changed.”

  “Frankly, that story seems contrived. How can anyone do that? Are you a magician?” Mr. Conway said with a chuckle.

  “We don’t really approve of that word here,” Dorchester noted.

  “I don’t really care if you approve or not.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Conway, but you might compare dreams with your wife or daughter. In fact, I’m sure Barbie’s dreams are a bit more frightening than a fire.”

  “Oh God,” Barbie said with a moan, “those monsters were trying to take me away.”

  “What?” Mrs. Conway exclaimed. She turned to Carl. “Why would they want my daughter?”

  “Let me get right back to you, Mrs. Conway, but let me finish with your husband first. Mr. Conway, you can also check with your neighbors, most of whom were watching the blaze. As well, you can call your local firehouse. Two trucks were dispatched, and both crews witnessed the events, although they believe them to be dreams as well. When you listen to the same story over and again, you might wonder if there is some truth to it.” Mr. Conway groaned and looked down. “One last point. You and your family retired for the night in Texas. Well, it’s the same night, only an hour or so later, and now you’re on the Azores Islands in the middle of the Atlantic.”

  “About Barbie,” Mrs. Conway reminded Carl.

  “Please pardon me, Mrs. Conway, but this part is difficult for all of us. There is a demon from Hell named Sylvia. She led a cult of Satanism in Eastern Europe for more than two millennia. She wants to come back and do it again. As a demon and as queen of that land, she looked identical to Barbie. She wants to rip the soul from Barbie and take her body. She will reestablish her rule, and try to take over the world.”

  “Rip her soul?” Mr. Conway asked. “Is that possible?”

  “Yes,” Aida answered. “It happened to me only a month ago. If not for Carl, my soul would have been alone to wander the world helplessly for eternity.”

  “Assuming all of this isn’t some kind of fantasy, what do we do now?”

  “Mr. Conway, first your family must stay here until it’s over. The teachers here will protect you. At some point, I believe they will take Barbie’s body. Aida or I will make sure her soul is secured until we defeat the demon.” Carl sighed deeply. “Then life can go back to normal again.”

  “What if you fail, young man?” Mr. Conway asked.

  “Aida and I will be dead. The demon will rule the world until another is able to defeat her. All of humanity will be reduced to slave labor and devil worship. Your daughter’s body will be queen, but her soul will be lost forever.”

  Barbie looked up at Carl. “If you’re sure she’s going to take my soul, why didn’t you let her?”

  He smiled. “Barbie, you are our friend. Right now, the demon knows that we are up for the fight, and she cannot win easily. That gives us time to find more Invisible Hands. I want to help you become one too. That will give that bitch something to think about.”

  It was two o’clock in the morning, and Carl was sleeping soundly. The demon Sylvia looked down on him and smiled. She sat on the bed and then lay next to him, her body pressed against his back. His eyes flew open. She whispered in his ear, “Do you really think you can defeat me, Carl?”

  He jumped out of bed. “I’m ready to die, Sylvia, are you?”

  She sat up with her back against his headboard and put her hands behind her head. “Calm down, Carl, that’s not why I’m here.” He smirked. “I want you to join me. With us together, the world is ours, perhaps even the universe. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

  “Do us both a favor and go back to your daddy. Why do you want to rule this dump anyway? It’s nothing but pestilence, poverty, and suffering.”

  She laughed. “That’s funny. Those are three of my favorite things, Carl. Have you ever thought how your life would be if you ruled the world? Imagine every human bowing to you and giving you anything you could ever want. And I will give you everything you want too.” She licked her lips suggestively. “That can start right now if you like.” She spread her legs and pulled her knees up.

  He shook his head. “No, thanks. I already have a girlfriend. Not to mention the fact that you’re a demon. Imagine the introduction to my folks. Hi Mom and Dad, let me introduce you to my demonic girlfriend who wants to enslave the universe.”

  “You’d forsake global domination and untold riches for some stupid girl? I thought you were smarter than that. Aren’t you supposed to be the Invisible Hand or something?” Her face and body changed to that of Aida Whitehall. “Is this better? I can take her body if you prefer this form.” Her breasts and hips expanded until she was very voluptuous. “I can be anything you want me to be, Carl.”

  “I want you to leave my friends alone. I also want the underground castle to stay where it is. Nothing can happen to this school.”

  She reverted to her original form and stood on the opposite side of the bed. “Honestly, you’re not in any position to demand anything. I simply offered you an opportunity not to die most horribly. Take it or leave it.”

  He smiled. “I’ll pass.”

  “You and your friends will die. I’ll kill your family and theirs as well. All records that any of you ever existed will be erased from time. Goodbye, Carl Prescott.”

  The entire room was engulfed with fire. Carl raised a cocoon around himself and extended his right arm to keep the demon from escaping. She fired balls of fire and lightning at him, pushing him back against the wall. She motioned with her arm and the bed and other furniture flew out through the windows. She began to laugh and move toward him.

  Carl concentrated as hard as he could. His cocoon extended across the walls and began to encircle the entire room. She was a foot away when she noticed they were both encased in the cocoon. She reached out to strangle him just as Carl stepped backward out of the cocoon, which
shrank quickly, until it was the size of a golf ball. Sylvia was inside, screaming, cursing, and firing lightning bolts that could not escape the cocoon. Carl waved at her. Then he put his arms out to the sides and slapped them together over the cocoon. He opened his hands. The cocoon and demon were gone. He sat down on the floor and panted for air.

  Burt had heard the commotion and pushed the door open. Its hinges failed and it fell to the floor. All the walls were scorched and the room smelled of smoke. The windows were gone, and the furnishings sat outside, still burning. “Rough night, Carl?”

  “You could say that.” Then he began to laugh.

  Chapter 4

  On Sunday morning, Carl and Burt joined Aida and Grace in the dining hall. Because all of his other belongings had been destroyed by the fire, Carl wore the same uniform as yesterday. A faint smoky odor remained.

  Aida twitched her nose. “You don’t have anything else to wear?”

  Carl shook his head. “Everything was burned to a crisp. The housekeeping staff is trying to get some new uniforms for me, but it will likely take most of the day. I’m probably going to be put in another room, since mine is pretty much fried.”

  Grace asked, “Carl, do you think that demon is really going to kill all of us and our families?”

  Carl set down his fork and thought for a moment. “Not specifically. I think it was more of a threat to get me on her side.” He chuckled. “That isn’t going to happen.”

  “But what if she does?”

  “Then, we’ll stop her. You have to remember, Grace, she’s not interested in this school or anyone other than me. That’s why we need to evacuate the school before anything bad starts to happen.”

  “Like her incinerating your room?” Burt suggested.

  Carl shook his head and snickered. “She was just upset that I rejected her, but I’m not too worried about Sylvia. So far, I’ve had no problems stopping her little tantrums. What bothers me is that Eight said there were two others. If he’s right, and they all get together, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop them alone. That’s why I want to teach you three and Barbie to be Invisible Hands. At the right moment, all of us should be able to end this insanity.” He smiled. “Then we all live happily ever after. The End.”

  “Maybe she’s been toying with you, Carl,” Aida noted. “She’s trying to decide if you are strong enough to stop her.”

  “You could be right, but that doesn’t change any of our plans. We can’t know whether we will win or lose, but we’re sure going to do everything we can to stop her from taking over the world.” Carl heaped scrambled eggs on his fork. “So, what do you guys want to do after breakfast?” He disappeared, and his fork fell to the plate.

  Carl found himself sitting on a log overlooking a series of waterfalls. The water dropped over several smaller falls to form the pond he was facing. From there, the water dropped over another falls to a river a couple hundred feet below him. An intensely bright light appeared on the opposite side of the pond, and he raised his arm to shield him from the glare. The brightness faded somewhat and resolved into the silhouette of a person with large wings. The figure began to walk across the surface of the pond in his direction, so Carl stood. While he waited for the other, he tried to ascertain his location, but the place did not appear to be on Earth.

  As the shimmering shape approached, it dimmed further until the features of a tall man with wings was visible. The angel stepped onto the shore and stood ten feet away. The brightness faded away, and he smiled. He stood about six and a half feet tall and had alabaster skin, a well-trimmed beard and moustache, and blond hair. “Hello, Carl Sandberg Prescott. My name is Gabriel.”

  Carl nodded. “Why am I here, Gabriel?”

  “You have met my father, correct?”

  “Is that Manny or Luce?”

  The angel laughed. “That’s a good one, Carl. Do I look like a demon to you?”

  Carl shook his head. “No, but Victor didn’t look like much of an angel either, and he was one of Manny’s children. Not to mention that nice people don’t generally steal others away from their friends and breakfast. What do you want?”

  “I want to help you understand.”

  “Understand what?”

  Gabriel smiled. “Understand everything. Our Father, Emmanuel by the way, thought a little perspective on reality might be helpful. And I’m glad you brought up Victor. This is actually his home planet. It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? Now this place is impossibly far from Earth, and no being from either planet has visited the other, yet Victor chose your planet to control.”

  “He probably thought we’d be easier to enslave.”

  “That might seem logical, but the truth is rarely that simple on our level. In his last life on this planet, his name was Viszreaagh.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  Gabriel shook his head. “He was a good, faithful, and pious man. When he passed, my father allowed him to serve all of the universe, similarly as I do. And he did for a long time. His recent rebellion was his first such attempt. He now regrets his decision, but, unfortunately that choice will require him to live more mortal lifetimes in order to redeem himself.”

  “How does that relate to me and the demon Sylvia?”

  “You see, as a living being Victor was also an Invisible Hand, although in his case, you would call him one of Those Who Sleep. Without his direct knowledge, he was using those abilities to help others all over this planet. After his passing, many on this world worshipped him for his saintliness and continue to do so up to this day.”

  Carl shook his head. “I still don’t understand, Gabriel. I know people make their choices, and all their talents can be used for good or evil.”

  Gabriel smiled. “My point is that helping others gain your level of talent is a two-edged sword. I believe you are a good man, and you will not fall victim to lust, greed, or avarice. That may not apply to the others. What my Cousin Sylvia told you is true. If an Invisible Hand sides with her, the chances of human survival are remote. It is also true that two other demons are now present on Earth. The good news is that the three despise one another. However, if none is succeeding, they may join forces.”

  Carl sat back on the log and held his head in his hands. After a moment, he looked up. “So I might be dooming humanity by creating more Invisible Hands.”

  Gabriel nodded and then sat next to Carl on the log. “Yes, that is precisely the situation.”

  “I am so screwed.” Carl moaned.

  “In light of the dilemma, our father has requested that I help you.” Carl looked up at the angel. “Tomorrow, several new students will be starting at the institution. My sister Constance and I will be among them. I apologize in advance, but neither of us will be your friend or particularly pleasant. That might be too obvious. We will both be terrible students of the talents and everything else. You will know who we are, but please do not tell anyone. We will not intercede unless the situation is hopeless. If you and your friends can handle the demons, we will stay away.”

  Carl smiled and patted the angel on the knee. “Thank you, but I don’t understand why angels are getting involved. I thought that only happened if there was a massive uprising.”

  “You saw the skeletons in the throne room. Do you recall what the queen told them?”

  “Not really.”

  “She talked about how they had started their adventure thousands of years ago. That did not mean that kingdom or just the queen, it meant everyone in that room. Sylvia is not a deity, although she does have enormous power. She could not make them immortal, but she did give them perpetual life, free from aging, illness, and decay. The only thing she could not prevent was death by accident or violence. Originally, she had four thousand demi-demons. During the Roman conquest, only four hundred survived. Another two hundred died from accidents or violence over the ensuing centuries, until only the two hundred in that chamber remained. They will come back too. While they lack her or your level of power, they are sti
ll formidable. That is a massive uprising.”

  “This just keeps getting more complicated, doesn’t it?”

  “Our father and I think you’re up to the challenge.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Before you go back, my father did have a question.” Carl nodded. “When you met after defeating Victor, he said you could come for a visit anytime. Why haven’t you?”

  Carl blushed. “I guess I forgot about that. I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time, and I’m sure Manny is about as busy as one gets.”

  “We always have time for you, Carl. Can we go there together now?”

  “Okay.”

  Gabriel put his arm around Carl’s shoulders. His wings then encircled them both. “Now close your eyes.”

  Carl was suddenly alone. He opened his eyes to discover he was seated on a marble throne inside a small temple. He stood and walked over to a set of steps leading down. He went down the steps, left the temple, and found he was on a small rise in a large field of grass. Manny, One, and thousands of angels were standing before him. The angels began to applaud, and Manny motioned for Carl to approach.

  When he arrived, Manny put his arms around Carl and held him tightly. He put his mouth to his ear and said, “Welcome to your home, my Son. Say hello to your brothers and sisters.”

  “Where have you been?” Aida asked.

  Carl opened his eyes and found he was sitting on the chair in the hidden storage room. “Heaven, I think.” He shook his head. “Maybe it was all a dream?”

  “You popped out of the dining hall again. Was it Mom again?”

  “No, it was an angel named Gabriel,” Carl replied as he stood. “What time is it?”

  “Noon.” She took his hands. “Are you okay?” He nodded. She released his hands and then grabbed them again. “Did you say an angel? What did he want?”

  He looked around the area and noticed several other students looking at the bookcases. “Not here.” He led her out into the hallway. Seeing no one around, they disappeared and reappeared near a tree deep in the forest.