Chapter 4 - Angel Of Light

Constance's cool façade broke briefly while she sat in the dining chair next to me. Briefly I could see the fear burning behind those black pupils and I recognised that fear, I'd seen the same look in her eyes 15 years ago. April 5th 1994. She had the same look in her eye the day I returned home. The bitch had never been maternal, but that day her instincts had triggered a fear in her, a fear of me. She was sat upright at the dining room table, barely visible behind a cloud of smoke. As I got closer to her I realized she'd been crying and her eyes were red and puffy. She hid the evidence by constantly rubbing them, she refused to let anybody see her cry, she perceived any emotion as being weakness.

"Your home early." She took another furious drag on her cigarette.

"Yeah. Some sort of termination at school. Place was crawling with roaches." I thought I would laugh at my own sick joke, but I felt too numb to feel anything, especially humour. I left in her the dining room, I wanted her to feel alone and to feel frightened. I wanted to leave her feeling the pain which she caused this family, but this time she can't hide this families evil acts - I've done this for the world to see.

Alone on the bed I put on 'Nevermind', my favourite Nirvana album and lied down to face the plastic starts I'd stuck up on my ceiling years ago. In my mind I jumped from star to star. I thought about how long I had left. I'd left the Remington 870 in the library, I re-call it being near the cheerleader. I had thought about taking it with me, I'd become quite attached to it, but I couldn't risk being caught on my way back from school and I needed my plan to be perfect. I needed to die here, in my sanctuary. Nothing can fuck up my finale.

My thoughts were wandering back to that dark place in my mind, the place I store up every evil thought and memory I've ever had. Mr Harmon's voice caused me to snap back to the present meeting.

"Tell them what he's done Constance." He growled, he was speaking to her in this low, threatening way, pressing her to talk. All eye's were on Constance, hanging off her every movement, expect Violet's eye's, they fell on me and I could feel them burning through me. I couldn't find it in me to look back at her.

"There's just something wrong with him." She rubbed in hands in despair, for someone who is always composed the bitch was really struggling to string together a sentence. "He's different, to other children I mean. He doesn't play, he doesn't laugh, he doesn't smile and when he does it's .. wrong. I thought I could take care of him, I've dealt with difficult children before, but I can't be responsible for him any more!" I thought perhaps she was talking about me when she mentioned "difficult children" but then I realised she could have been talking about any of her three off-spring.

"To state the obvious here, and I know I'm not the only one thinking this, is anyone in this room really surprised the child's got issues when we are looking at the mother who raised that!" I flew myself towards Chad across the table, using my weight to hold him down I threw my fists everywhere, trying to connect with whatever I could, "I killed you once, and I would love to do it again!" I shouted while we rolled around, I smacked him across his jaw and knocked out a few of his teeth.

"ENOUGH!" Violet's voice was enough to clear my vision back from red to normality and we both sat, like embarrassed children on the floor breathing heavily, Chad bleeding from his mouth. "You're like animals, sit back down." She turned her back on us, and I struggled up and made my way back to my seat, embarrassment was not a emotion I was used to having and I hated every second of it.

"Look, I'm not even sure why Chad and I have been called to this meeting. The kid is nothing to do with us, and I'm not sure how we can help if your have parenting issues. Watch Dr Phil, or send him to a therapist. He's three, all three year old's eat play doh and wipe their shit on the walls." Patrick said and he held his hand out to Chad, who was still picking teeth out from his mouth, and went to leave.

"He killed his nanny last week."

The room fell into silence as each individual attempted to absorb the information. Although in reality I knew this was my child they were talking about, I'd had no paternal, or any connections at all to him until now. What have I done? And how? Am I seriously that evil that any child I have stands no chance of innocence, or normality at all? The only noise in the room came from Vivian who had began to splutter and bubble, using Mr Harmon's head as pillow and I wonder what, if any connection, she felt to the child.

"He's not human. The child, I mean." For the first time Billie Dean Howard had spoken.

"So he's a ghost?" Norma piped up from the window. She sounded cheery and it surprised me she had chosen to have any input on the topic as I assumed she'd given up all interest in children shortly after abandoning the "Noisy Little Monster", Jeffrey.

"He's neither. I feel him, like I can feel spirits, but I can't penetrate his thoughts or hear his voice. All I know is that it's evil, incredibly so." Billie said.

"He's the devil, isn't he?" Norma stated and she turned herself away from the window and faced the table, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies - John 8:44."

Vivian was now inconsolable, she continued to hold Jeffrey tighter and closer to her.

"Well, it doesn't surprise me that the things evil, it's Satan's spawn that's for sure. No offence, Vivian." Patrick said, which just caused louder wailing from her. "Look, all I'm saying is if this child is as dangerous and evil as what you think he is, can we put it out of it's misery somehow?"

"I don't have enough research yet to know whether or not the creature can be killed or exorcised. I've contacted a priest in Massachusetts who has given me contact details of a nun who worked at Briarcliff Manor a mental institution, apparently she witnessed a epidemic of possessions from the Devil himself and might be able to advise us on what we are dealing with." Billie said. "If you don't mind, I have a migraine, using my abilities like this causes me great strain, so I will be leaving." She got up to leave, "Vivian, Jeffrey is perfectly happy and a incredibly normal baby in every other way, other than the obvious. Please do not worry yourself so much. I will report back to you when I have more news." Her and Constance exchanged a friendly smile and she left.

"Well, that's settled then. We wait to hear more news from Billie before we do anything." Mr Harmon said.

"Not exactly. Look, whatever this infant is, I can not look after him any more."

Mr Harmon got to his feed and leant across the table, inches from Constance's face. "What's that supposed to mean constance? If he's a danger you can't leave him at a orphanage or outside a hospital. You have no other option!"

She rose out of her own seat and leant in further to him, un-intimidated, they're faces were nearly touching. "He's a danger to myself and others, no, he can't stay with me." She stood up and began swanning around the table, she had re-found her sense of power and aggression again and she was going to use it. " A child like this needs a fitting home. The devil can't take the souls of those who no longer have any to take."

"He can't stay here, Constance, and you know why!" Ben shouted, but the bitch was already halfway out of the door.

"It's too late, Mr Harmon. He's already here." And she waved a lazy goodbye and walked away down the drive.

Following her into the hallway, we gathered to gaze upon the Spawn of Satan. He sat on the grand staircase, rucksack thrown over his shoulder. He paid no attention to his audience, he continued to stare at his feet. He looked like the most beautiful innocent being in the world.

"For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, Corinthians 11:14." Norma's words rang like a bell in all our ears.