Chapter 14 #2
Hemah sighed. “Because the Grim Reaper would not have agreed. He would have made you doubt. I know now that my days of being the Higher Power are over, Daisy. Shitty Ritchie has taken my place. Jennifer has taken the place of Chamuel. Chamuel and I are dead. We can’t fight it.
Uriel can. Its alive and could still be the Higher Power who embodies logic.
If Alana Catherine dies, the spot goes to Uriel.
I don’t want that to happen. If I’m being honest, my hatred for Uriel plays into my reasoning.
I won’t deny it. I have been wrong about so many things in my time.
I am not wrong about this. Uriel is no longer logic.
It is rage, despair and bitterness. That cannot be changed for Uriel.
It’s too late. Let me help you give the true Higher Power who embodies the real meaning of logic a fighting chance. ”
“Once again… fuck me,” I hissed. “Take over my body, Hemah. Do what you have to do, but if you’re playing us, you will be sent to the Darkness to live the rest of your unending life in searing hot flames. Goddess Pandora will make sure of it.”
That gave Hemah pause. Pandora was terrifying. Period.
“I am not playing you.”
“Good.” I turned to Jennifer. “Here’s the deal, Jenn. I’m gonna slit my throat. Alana Catherine needs to drink my blood. I’m going to squeeze it into her mouth and you’re gonna massage her neck so it goes down. Got it?”
“Sure do,” Jennifer said, not missing a beat. “Then what?”
“Then,” I said. “Then… I don’t know what, but whatever I do, go with it.”
Jennifer leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m your ride or die until the end of time, Daisy. I got you.”
“Hemah, I’m ready. I’m ready for you to take over my body and save my daughter.”
“Slit your throat, Daisy. I will do the rest.”
“FUCK,” Candy Vargo bellowed as Uriel appeared looking about as unhinged as anything any of us had ever witnessed. “Cast the goddamned spell, Daisy. NOW.”
“SLIT YOUR THROAT,” Hemah bellowed.
He didn’t have to ask more than once. I was all over it.
With a steady hand and a wildly beating heart, I pressed the razor-sharp end of the blade into my neck.
The pain was intense, but I cut deep enough to feel the blood gushing out.
Immediately, I leaned over Alana Catherine, pried her lips open and pressed the open wound to her mouth.
Jennifer did her part and massaged my child’s neck and throat.
A good amount of the blood ran down her cheeks and onto the dirt floor, but a lot was going in.
I could hear the fighting in the background, but I didn’t have the luxury of figuring out if my people were okay. Pulling my neck away from my daughter’s lips wasn’t happening. I was doing my job, I could only pray that Gideon, Candy, Tim and Shitty Ritchie were successfully doing theirs.
“Hemah,” I called out feeling woozy. “Take over. Do it. Do it now.”
I felt a strange shift in my body—not painful, not scary… just odd. Then the words began to flow from my mouth. Beautiful words that I didn’t understand. The sentences flowed like music and the rhythm went from staccato to melodic. I spoke clearly and with passion.
Hemah was keeping Its promise. I was a few steps closer to believing It could be redeemed.
However, Uriel was losing Its mind. Redemption for Uriel felt millions of miles away. I’d never witnessed rage quite like It displayed.
“NO,” It bellowed. “Stop. STOP. I am logic. Kill the pretender. KILL IT. I must end the false prophet.”
“Keep It away from the cage,” Gideon shouted over Its screams.
“Shitty Ritchie is fucking ON IT. Can I eat Uranus, Gideon?”
I swear on everything unholy, I almost laughed. Instead, Candy Vargo laughed for me.
“Hell to the yes you can eat Uranus if you can get to It,” she shouted. “Not sure you should eat Gideon’s anus, though.”
“Fuck you, Candy Vargo,” Gideon said with a laugh as I heard an explosion.
The dirt was coming down again. I wasn’t sure who caused the explosion, but my guess would be Uranus. I had my fingers crossed that Shitty Ritchie would eat the monster. He could poop It out later. Right now, we needed It subdued so we weren’t buried alive.
“Mom?” Alana Catherine said, coughing and choking on my blood.
“Oh my god,” I cried out, hugging her close.
“What’s happening?” she asked, trying to get up.
How to answer that… “Uranus is back and your dad, Candy Vargo, Tim and Shitty Ritchie are trying to stop It.”
“Who is Uranus?” she asked.
“Shit. Okay…” I didn’t even know where to start. There was so much information.
Jennifer touched my shoulder gently then slid her fingers down to the gaping wound in my neck. With a light caress, she healed me. “Let me handle this, Daisy.”
I nodded with uncertainty. “Umm… are you sure?”
“Positive,” she said with a smile as the raging battle continued behind us.
Jennifer placed her hand on Alana Catherine’s heart and kissed the top of her head. She then pressed her forehead to my daughter’s. They were like that for thirty seconds before Jennifer pulled back.
“Do you understand?” she asked Alana Catherine.
“Perfectly,” Alana Catherine answered. “All of it.”
“What just happened here?” I asked, confused.
Jennifer giggled. “Higher Power business.”
“Daisy,” Tim shouted. “Watch out!”
I dove on top of Alana Catherine to protect her. Jennifer hopped to her feet and slammed the cage of the door shut. It wouldn’t keep Uranus out for long, but it might buy some time for the others to stop It.
“YES!” Shitty Ritchie screamed. His voice sounded weird. However, before I could figure out what was off, Uranus’ shriek of rage sent chills down my spine.
“I ate Uranus’ leg! I am the MAN!”
I now knew what was off. The little dude’s mouth was full.
“Mom,” Alana Catherine said, gently pushing me off of her. “I’m good. Let me do what I have to do.”
Her voice was sure. Her color had come back. Her body felt strong and capable. Me? I was still a freaking wreck.
“Maybe you should rest. Take a little nap,” I said.
“It will be fine if you stay right here. Your Dad, Candy, Tim and Shitty Ritchie can handle it. You were almost dead not even five minutes ago.” I was very aware that my voice was shrill and that I sounded somewhat insane.
It was impossible to mask my fear for my child.
It didn’t matter how much I believed. She would always be my baby.
“I’m fine,” she said, cupping my cheek lovingly.
I slowly backed away as the shrieks of Uranus grew louder and more deranged.
“Got an arm!” Shitty Ritchie grunted.
“You’re the fucking man!” Candy Vargo yelled.
Alana Catherine stood up, walked to the door of the cage and opened it. Jennifer followed her. As soon as Shitty Ritchie noticed his partners, he spit out the remains of Uranus’ arm and joined them.
“Everyone, stop,” Alana Catherine said. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t have to. Her authority was undeniable.
Everything and everyone in the room froze—including Uranus.
Alana Catherine, Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie approached the one-legged and one-armed monster on the ground. There was no remorse in Uriel. No fear—just pure and unabashed hatred.
“This is not the end,” It snarled. “You will not win. I will kill all of you over and over until you’re permanently dead. I am the only Higher Power.”
Alana Catherine stared at the abomination who’d tried to end her. My daughter’s face was expressionless—very rational, very stoic. Shitty Ritchie’s expression was furious and Jennifer’s displayed sadness at the situation.
They were three parts of a whole. It had never been more obvious. And it was obvious to Uriel.
The horrible being pulled a vial of poison from the pocket of Its robe with the only hand it had left.
The hand shook as Uriel ripped the cap off the vile with Its teeth then made an attempt to drink it.
It knew It couldn’t win. It no longer had the power to end Its counterpart, so It was going to end Itself.
I would have let It, but my daughter had other ideas.
Alana Catherine walked over to what was left of Uriel and removed the vile of poison from Its hand.
“You will not get off that easily,” she said coolly.
“You can’t control me.” Uriel spat at her, but the saliva didn’t land anywhere near Its target. “You’re not strong enough.”
My beautiful child spared a glance at the other two true Higher Powers and smiled. “Like you, I am only as strong as the sum of my parts, Uriel.”
“How do you know my name?” the vile thing hissed. “It’s impossible for you to know my name.”
Alana Catherine refused to satisfy Its curiosity. “Because I am three, I’m stronger than you could ever dream of being alone. You tried to trap Chamuel in the beginning. And you were caught by your own cleverness?”
Uriel’s eyes narrowed to slits. It was scary, but It had no real power to back up the glare anymore.
“You divided but ended up conquered. Correct?” Alana Catherine asked flatly. “Isn’t that how it turned out? You too could have been as strong as the sum of your parts if your desire hadn’t been to destroy the others the parts of you that gave you empathy and passion.”
“The parts that made me weak,” Uriel scathed. “Weak!”
“Cold logic without the context of emotion makes you weak.” Alana Catherine held out her hand and called to the two ghosts. “Hemah and Chamuel. Come to me.”
Uriel’s recoiled at hearing their names and tried to crawl away. Candy Vargo put a stop to that nonsense by stepping on Its robe.
Hemah slid out of my body and floated next to Shitty Ritchie. At the same time Chamuel left Jennifer and floated next to her—counterpart next to counterpart. The look on Uriel’s face was one of confusion. It couldn’t make sense of what It was seeing.
“You have a choice,” Alana Catherine said. “You may choose to do in death what you failed to do in life, or you can dissolve into nothing and harm no more.”