The Warriors of Light

It must've been my lucky day. I got out of the Lyft at the church to see Johnny Stan leaving after speaking with the priest. I thought logically about my next move. I would need evidence to take to the police since they weren't doing their jobs. I brought my camera and took several photos of Johnny, and once he walked off the church's steps, I proceeded to follow him.

I pulled my hoodie over my head to make me blend in more. Johnny, himself, was walking around like he was nervous. He constantly looked back, then to his side, and jumped anytime a whistle blew. I assumed it was because he was wanted for my brother's murder. The priest definitely had something to do with it. He was next on my list.

Johnny turned the corner and before I could approach him more, police pulled up to grab him. I cursed as I watched them carry him into the cop car. I calmed myself and pulled out my phone to

call Mallory. She answered, sniffling and distraught. I sighed, my heartbreaking for her.

"I think they caught the guy that killed Brad." I didn't bother to say hello. Just right down to business.

"That Johnny Stan guy?"

"Yeah. I saw them take him into custody. I'm on my way to the police station now."

"Wait how did you..."

"I need to find out why he killed him, Mallory." Anger from earlier started to boil over while I had her on the phone." How dare you even think I would do anything to hurt him?"

"I didn't, Ray. I swear."

She only cried harder. At the moment, I didn't know whether to believe her or not. I just hung up, going to the police station that took Johnny Stan. He was screaming "I didn't do anything!" over and over. I walked inside the police station seemingly very hostile as they had Johnny Stan right in the front pleading for his life.

I couldn't take any more of his whining. I walked boldly up to him, pulling my hoodie off my head, aggressively, as another officer called out to me to stop. Right when I was close to him, an officer detained me, pulling me away from Johnny Stan as I reached for his face-my fist inches from his nose.

"Why did you kill him you son of a bitch?" I screamed back as he looked horrified at me. "Get him out of here," the detective screamed.

Several guards pulled me back to wait in the lobby, threatening to put me in a cell if I didn't calm down. As long as it was with Johnny, I wouldn't mind it. I had nothing left to lose. I paced back and forth until Mallory walked in with Maddie and Brandy. Both girls ran over to me and hugged me tight. For some reason, I wanted to break down from them embracing me, but it was short- lived as Mallory pulled them back.

"They called and told me you were causing trouble." She said, not wanting to look at me. I didn't argue with that. "They find anything from the guy yet? Is he arrested or what?"

"They have been questioning him for several hours now. No updates." I replied, simply. "Uncle Ray, will you find the man that killed my papa?" Maddie asked, very sweetly.

"Of course, I will. You have my word on that." We all looked up as the investigator gestured for us

to come into his office. We all followed hoping for good news. There didn't seem to be any. Johnny stood when he saw us, remorseful and saddened.

An officer held me back by my arm as I rolled my eyes, annoyed. But Mallory walked up to Johnny, looking him in the eyes. Even from behind her, I could hear her trying to keep it together as tears fell from her face. Before anyone knew what she was going to do, the slap came out loud and echoed throughout the police station as the detective pulled her back from attacking anymore.

"I'm so sorry about your loss, but I didn't kill your husband. I didn't kill Brad Segal." He begged

so good I almost believed him. "There was another man there with us in that alley. Brad was only trying to save me from him."

"From whom?" Mallory asked, anxiously, trying to jerk away from the detective so she could punch Johnny this time.

"Don't believe this prick. He is clearly lying," I retorted.

"I'm not. I swear. I was running from a man who had been following me. They can double check the footage. Please, believe me." Johnny begged, nearly falling into tears. The detective slowly released Mallory, and pulled up the CCTV footage of them in the alley way. I looked closely, intently like everyone else. In the midst, there was a shadow that seemed to be following Johnny. Brad hadn't walked up yet. Again, it showed Johnny walking anxiously into the alley, looking over his shoulder at the shadow following him.

Then there. My eyes widened. I could see Johnny glance at me out the corner of my eyes as if he was waiting on me to see something that I shouldn't. He was pleading for me to believe him. The man walked up behind him and started attacking. The shadows that surrounded him, his aura, was definitely something that couldn't go unnoticed. I gulped.

"You see him, too, don't you?" My eyes only glanced back at Johnny for a second as if they were fixated on the screen. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The guy roughed up Johnny, throwing him against the wall. He turned with a wicked smile that was far more sinister than anything I have ever had to encounter. I jumped back.

"Pause it." I demanded, pointing to the screen.

"What do you see, Ray?" Mallory asked a little concerned as she tried to see what I saw, but looked at me rather confused. The detective looked at me the same way as he paused the screen. I looked at them in disbelief.

"You don't see that? That man, there, that just pushed Johnny...He... His eyes...he...." I stuttered unsure of what the hell I was truly seeing. Johnny stood as if he won the lottery.

"I told you!" he yelled. "You see him! You see that demon, too."

I looked at the detective then and he placed his hand on his chin in question. That made me angry. "He is right there for fuck sake. The man... he is wearing a red shirt and some jeans. Can't you see him?"

The detective shook his head. "Ray there is no one there."

I looked at my shaky hands as my world started to turn upside down. With realization, I looked down at the camera around my neck, glancing through snapshots to the photo I took of Johnny leaving the church. The same man was following him right in front of me. My heart nearly stopped and I took off running. Mallory and the detective called my name, but I wouldn't stop until I reached the church.

Everything that was happening to me had to be because of this place. This overcompensating building had something to hide. What, I didn't know, but I was determined to find out what the hell was going on. There was something unruly going on with the murder of my brother. That church was at the center of it all.

I burst into the doors, unaware of the hymn that was in progress, which caused me to shrink and feel small a bit embarrassed at my outburst. The singing stopped as everyone in the mass turned and looked at me. I sat in the back waiting for them to finish their prayer and worship. The hymns captivated me, drew me in into the melody, made me feel the problems I had, even if for a moment, were gone.

Everyone stood when it was time to go. The same priest I remembered being here the night before was walking around shaking hands and greeting the parishioners. He paused when he finally saw me. His eyes seemed to exhibit disappointment as he sighed. "Ray Segal. I never took you for a religious man. Welcome."

"I'm not. You know why I'm here." We stared at each other for a moment. The surroundings seemed to pass by me in a blur as I only focused on him. Eventually he smiled, possibly to hide his discontent with me.

"Stay until everyone leaves. I see you seek answers."

He walked off while my eyes followed him intently. From the top of the stands, I could see several priests in uniform staring down at me. I never took my eyes off of them until they faded into the background, looking ominously as they did so. It was clear I wasn't supposed to be here. I didn't want to be here.

The familiar, less threatening, priest walked up to me after everything was clear. He sat beside me on the pew looking straight ahead. "You have caused quite a ruckus around here, Ray." "I've been told that several times."

"I can see you have always been a troubled child." I nodded sadly, can't help but to think of my brother. The priest sighed, "But you are quite determined. I can give you that. This is the second time we have met without me properly introducing myself. I'm Gregory." I just glanced at him then back in front of me. "Why have you come back?"

"I saw..." My lips trembled as I shuddered. The images of the man, his face, his aura, all made me turn cold. The lights in the church started to flicker, then, as I looked around. A concerned look

on Priest Gregory's face caused me to be just as concerned. He stood, hands inside the thick cuff of his robe sleeve, as he looked around the sanctuary.

"What did you see, Ray?" He asked me, but wasn't looking at me. I stood, as well, hearing a screeching of something vile outside. Gregory turned seeing an image of something big outside the window. It caused the setting sun to disappear in its path. "Ray, tell me."

I hesitated unsure of what I should say, unsure of what was happening. A blast came from the church doors, carrying the wind and a foul odor with it. I turned looking at the woman walking in. My heart pounded restlessly in my chest as I took several steps back stumbling over the pews. But Gregory, he was calm. Much calmer than I expected a hopeless, defenseless priest should be. "Acknowledge yourself, demon. Why have you acted so boldly?" Gregory asked, walking out into the aisle staring at the woman head-on. She didn't look like a demon at all. In fact, she seemed fairly normal. But something about her aura was off. And her eyes... she glanced at me as if she wanted to eat me. Usually a woman looking at me like that would've been a turn on, but not this time.

"Aggggaaaarrrreeeesssss."

I looked at Gregory to see what he was going to do with that information. Her voice rung heavily in my ears, an evil vile creature that just about erupted my brain. I held onto my head as I closed

my eyes to the sound. When I opened them, the woman leaped right in front of me, fangs piercing through her lips as she screamed. I screamed right along with her, frozen in place for a moment until I leaned all the way back to falling over on the next pew. Gregory said something I didn't recognize, pulling the woman back down on the aisle away from me. I could only look on as Gregory pulled out what seemed to be a sword from his robe. "Holy fuck...I mean shit...I mean..." I tried to watch what I said, since I was in the house of the Lord, but shock overtook me as I watched Gregory slice his sword around like a fucking ninja. I knew something was up with these priests.

"Begone from this place, demon. You have no power here in the house of the Lord, but if you wish me to send you back to Hell, I will surely oblige you." Gregory got serious taking off his robe to reveal a combat black shirt and combat black pants underneath. I mouthed "what the fuck?" as I watched the battle. Gregory swung right diagonally swiping at the woman as she dodged leaning back. He kicked, catching her off guard as she hit several pews crashing into them.

My exact thoughts were that should've stopped anyone from getting up. He kicked her through the benches. These benches didn't look cheap enough to break so easily. But the woman, or demon, stood with another screech as Gregory prepared himself for another battle with her. She started to run robotic-like as if the spell that was cast upon her body was wearing off...as if she could not get any uglier.

"I said begone!" Gregory sliced again, but her clammy hands grabbed the sword, as she tried to bite into his flesh. She clawed her long talons at him as he jumped back, dodging another attack, then back at her in a swift motion that I couldn't keep up with. Gregory grabbed her, throwing her into the wall as she yelled from the pain. Gregory quickly stabbed her in her shoulder, then pulled the sword out slicing her back swiftly and quickly. There was another screech from behind me causing me to look up at the noise. It caused Gregory to look back at me. Several other demonic humans burst through the windows, skin nearly burning off, smoking from being in the house of their enemy. I gasped. Moving my ass as one of them, a tall man this time, came running towards me, jumping from bench to bench, like leapfrog, as I ran.

"Ray!"

I heard Gregory say my name, but I was too busy to respond. I ran over to the sanctuary as the demon growled right behind me. Before I knew it, I was being thrown against the podium, knocking it over. I clenched in pain from my back taking the brunt of the attack. The demon man crouched over me. If there was ever a time, I should've shitted my pants, it would've been then. The skin was human, but flaky and grayish almost as if they were sick or infected. The inside of their mouths were black and the drool was also black. Their eyes were dead as if they held no soul. Dread stared me in the face. His arms started to grow in length, stretching into something I had no way of comprehending. No human could shape itself as this thing did. It screamed at me, wanting me to piss on myself as it reached out to me with its diseased looking arms. I crawled my way from it, unable to look away from the horrendous sight as it captivated me.

It was only reflex that I grabbed the nearest thing I could. My eyes never left the demon as it inched closer to my face. It was as though it smelled me before deciding I was worthy enough to eat. I moved slowly, at first, as it teased me several times. Laughing at me, it chomped down the side of my face, purposely missing me. My hands caught ahold of something. I thought it to be the collection plate that the church passed around. I grabbed it hard. It turned out it was the blessed water bowl. I hit the man in his head, and he started to scream and squirm, melting from the holy water. I looked up to Gregory who just slew the other two demons and was walking up to me.