Chapter 4

After Caleb took Tara to the sheriff's office, he quickly told them what happened. The police then put an APB out on Tara's father and arrested him. The police wanted to keep Tara there so they could find her a safe place to live, but she wanted to look up her Aunt.

Finding only one listing for a Megan Lennox in Santa Fe, they called her and told her what happened. As they got a squad car together to take her there, Caleb offered to take her instead. Feeling strangely safe with him, she accepted to go with Caleb.

"We have alot of driving to do young lady..." Caleb started in a cheerful tone. "So why don't you tell me a little about yourself ?" to his surprise she didn't say anything. Instead she just looked down at her hands.

"Na, I'm - I'm sorry I don't mean to pry."

"Oh no you're not prying." Tara said quickly, looking up at him. "It's just that...." She glanced up and then returned to studying her hands, which were twisted together in her lap.

"All I have to tell you is just all bad stuff." she said with a tear in her eye. She was about to shed some tears until Caleb held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Tara, I'm a priest and whatever you say stay's between me and you. I'm not like other people Tara, I'm not going to judge you."

With that said Tara looked up at him with a smile and she told him everything. She told him about her father's and brother's abuse. She even told him about her mother and how she thought she really died.

"I'm real sorry about your mom." Caleb said sincerely. "Instead of doing the things your dad did he should have been protectin' you. God knows I would have protected my little girls."

"Y...you have children?" Tara asked. When she asked him this Caleb's features visibly softened. With a smile on his face he reached in his back pocket and took out his wallet. Opening it he handed it to Tara. There was a picture of Caleb holding onto a beautiful blonde, who had two little girls on her arms.

"The woman is my wife Alyson." Caleb explained. " The little girl with the blonde hair is Tabitha and the oldest with the brown hair is Samantha."

"They are very pretty." Tara said as she handed him his wallet back. Caleb beamed at her until he saw her necklace with a wiccan symbol on it.

"So are you a witch?" he finally asks as he makes a turn down a dirt road.

"Wha... no I'm...."

"By the looks of that necklace I'd say that you're a wiccan." at her look he explained himself.

"Let's just say I wasn't always a preacher." Caleb says with a chuckle.

"As a matter of fact, I want you to have this." he said as he took an all silver cross off of his neck.

"W...what is this for?" she asked as she excepted the cross.

"Well when I was about your age I used to be in all kinds of things. But then just before my ma' died she gave that to me. Every since I had that it's brought me nothin' but good luck."

"But why are you giving it to me?" Tara asked as put it on.

"Because I can feel that there's somethin' special about you Tara." he said as he smiled at her. "And just like that necklace helped me in my dark times, I'm sure that It'll help you."

Before she could respond Caleb pulled into someones driveway. Looking up she saw a huge two story victorian house. Other than it looking really old, it looked creepy as well.

"So this is it sweet pea." Caleb said as he opened his door. "1750 Elm Street."

Before they could do as much as walk up the driveway, an old lady walked out of the house. She had long blonde hair with streaks of gray in it and she was about a foot taller than Tara.

"It's been a long time Tara." she said as she walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug. Tara winced a little at the force of the hug, so her Aunt let go of her.

"Sorry about that..." she said as she noticed a man standing behind Tara. "And who is your friend?"

"H...his..n.. name is Caleb."

"Ah Father Caleb, the man who rescued my Niece. It's a pleasure to meet you." she said as she extended her hand. Once the two shook hands Megan began to hyperventilate and then her eyes turned white for a second. As she held onto Calebs hand, she began to see images. She saw a roaring fire, a large black hulking demon, and then she saw Caleb breaking a young girls neck.

"Ma'am are you Ok?" Caleb asked as he noticed the panic striken woman. Getting a hold of herself, she looked up at him with a smile.

"I'm alright Father Caleb." she said as she released his hand. "Thank you for bringing my niece to me."

"It was a pleasure Ma'am." Caleb replied. "Take care of yourself sweet pea." he said as he got in his truck and left. Megan watched him go with a look of sadness on her face, until she turned and looked back at Tara.

"Come on Tara let's go inside and get you cleaned up. I think you and your friend have alot to tell me."

"My friend?" Tara asked confused.

"Yes, your ghostly friend." she replied as she looked over at Connor.

"You can see me?" he asked wide eyed.

It was nightfall when Caleb finally made it home. With a smile on his face he took his shotgun from the back seat and walked to his door. His first week as a Priest and he'd helped somebody. 'And I know she's going to grow up to be somebody special.' Caleb thought to himself as he opened his front door.

As he opened the door expecting his wife's kisses and his two girls hugs, he gets nothing. In fact all of the lights in the house are turned off. Fearing the worst he walks fully into the house and begins to call out to them. As he walks by the kitchen door he starts to hear strange noises.

Walking inside of the dark room he see's a shadow of something kneeling down on the ground. As he stumbles around in the dark, he nearly slips on something wet as he flicks on the lights. And almost lost his mind at all the blood and gore on the walls and on the floor.

Looking down by the end of his dinner table he see's something eating on his daughters. His oldest daughter Samantha had her throat ripped out and her little lifeless eyes were staring up at him. With almost super human strength Caleb knocked the thing (who was still eating on his youngest daughter) off of Tabitha.

As the thing straightens itself, it turns and growls at a now wide eyed Caleb. When it turned Caleb got a good look at the things face. It was his wife, or what was left of her. Her body looked battered and beaten and her skin took on an almost dark gray and black complextion. Her once beautiful blonde hair is almost non-existant and her teeth looked as if they belonged to a piranuh. With a snarl she begins to advance on him.

Saying a quick prayer he lifts his gun and shoots her in the head. The force of the shot put's a fist sized hole in her head as she drops to the floor and spasms. Through nerveless fingers Caleb drops his gun and sinks down on his knee's. Ignoring the blood and gore he grabs his two dead daughters into a hug and rocks them back and forth on the floor, as he cries.

Suddenly his wife's body starts to violently shake and her eye's shoot open. With a growl she grabs Calebs legs. As he tries to free himself, he trips on his daughters blood and falls to the ground. As he scrambles back up onto his knees, a black shadow comes out of his wife and enters him.

He falls back down to the ground and tries desperately to expel the demon. As he starts to loose control he hears a voice in his head taunting him. Telling him that it will be his new master. Not being able to take the pain anymore he collapses and is unconcious. As he lies on the floor his eyes suddenly snap open.

They are pitch black like ink and now like the predator he is, a smile spreads across his face.

tbc...