Lead us not into temptation

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. If anything, the world looked like one of those environmentalist pictures. One small safe haven left with the whole world around it having fallen into chaos. Staring out she drifted off as she thought of his last words. “Don’t come out until the circle’s completed! When it’s done, grab my sword to get out!”

Sitting in a ring of salt there was a Bible laid open in front of her, a golden cross necklace on her right, a glass of freshwater on her left, and a statue of the Virgin Mother, Mary, holding baby Jesus while stepping on the serpent. Too tired to think, too tired to pray, she smacked her lips. Reaching her arm out of the ring, she grabbed the cup of water and began to drink.

***

After having completed his weekly chore of mowing the lawn, John had taken a shower. Though he was never into the beauty industry like his sister was, he did his own form of primping and grooming. A simple glove exfoliator for his face, a loofa for his body, and a nice moisturizing body wash. Upon exiting he shower, he always applied moisturizer over his skin. “All parts of me need hydration.”

After checking himself out in the mirror, he got dressed and was prepared to head on out to the local mall in town.

“Hey Faith! I’mma head out. I’m gonna take the Ashton Martin.”

Walking down the unlit stairway, she responded to him, “You really need to stop calling the Ford Fusion that.”

“Awe, come on. It’s the closest I get to feel, let alone look, like James Bond right now.”

“I don’t blame you for trying, but if you’re headed out who’s going be here to watch me?”

“You’re twelve years old, when I was your age mom and dad left me alone all the time.”

“You mean that mom and dad left you alone with me,” she answered him sarcastically. “You’re not that much older than me.”

“Puh-leaze, by the time that you get to high school I’ll be off at university by then.”

“If you make it to university. Mom and dad weren’t so happy about the stellar grade you scored on your history quiz.”

“Come on, history’s not my strong suit, especially with all of those U.S. Presidents. Each one says that they're gonna do good things for the country, but none of them deliver and in fact even some don’t underperform, but they act underhanded.”

“Hey, what about Teddy?”

“Oh, yeah. Teddy’s alright, but Calvin’s my favorite.”

“Why?”

“He never really said anything. Dude was hands-off, especially with business.”

“You like him since you think he was never there at all.”

“You can’t speak about a guy that doesn’t speak. Kind of hard to do so, you know?”

“Even harder to write about him in a timed test. Besides, take me with you. What are you gonna even do at the mall anyway? Are you going to meet up with your friends and blow some cash on video games or trading cards?”

“No…”

“Then what?”

“I was gonna walk around and ask girls’ for their numbers.”

Rolling her eyes at him, he knew that look meant “Oh, brother.”

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that look. You won’t get game if you don’t ever play it, and you can’t play without learning.”

“You’re not learning, you’re failing,” slapping her hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. At least I’m not like you. You can’t even ask for extra ketchup with your McDonald’s order, and yet you think you can ask out the guy of your dreams?”

“Hey! I was just really nervous that day!”

“No, you’re just anxious of talking to any dude, especially ones that you think are cute. At least I got the gonads to talk to people I find attractive.”

“You’re not the only ones with gonads.”

“Yeah, and unlike yours, I know how to let mine hang. That’s why when a guy does something they say "he’s got balls." I remember two years ago when you were in fourth grade, you couldn’t even give your crush the chocolate you bought him for Valentine’s Day. You felt so guilty that when you got home you just ate the bar.”

“Yeah, well, - At least I know how to listen. You just drone on and on about yourself. You’re supposed to have charisma, not narcissism.”

They both glared at each other in the hallway, before breaking down into uncontrolled laughter.

“You runt,” he said, “got me good, there. Alright, I’m gonna head of out. See you soon. Later sis.”

“Hey, take me with you. Start the car, I’mma go grab my purse.”

“Awww, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Fine, hurry up!”

“Will do!”

Bolting up the stairs she rounded the corner into her bedroom, rummaging through piles of dirty clothes trying to find her wallet. Her purse didn’t need searching for at all, she always left that hanging on her door handle. Her wallet, on the other hand, was always getting misplaced. She waited for the day that she’d get her driver’s license like her big brother. Since she knew that once she’d get hers, that she’d also get a debit card too. More freedom was only four years away, and her brother was just a small extension of her freedom now.

As she continued the search, she hollered downstairs, “Hey John!”

“Yeah!”

“Did you get the lambchops ready!”

“Yeah, they’re marinating right now! Dad’ll throw ‘em on the grill when he gets home.”

“What you put them with?”

“Little bit of rosemary, garlic cloves, sliced onion, some lemon juice, cracked black pepper, and of course natural sea salt!”

“You didn’t use the pink Himalayan?!”

“Of course not! That’s a stupid flipping gimmick, and everybody knows it! When I want pink salt, I’ll grab some food coloring!”

She laughed through her nostrils at that.

“You ‘bout ready?!”

Finding the object of her desire within another pant’s pocket, she ran and grabbed her purse off her door's handle, then hastily traipsed down the stairs. “Yeah, I’m ready, let’s go.”

“Alright!” John said, spinning the car keys in his hands. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Walking out the door they were greeted with the blinding sunlight. After taking a few seconds for their eyes to adjust, they began to walk over to their car, shimmering teal in the summer’s light. Leaning in, reaching for the door’s handle-

BOOM!

A large explosion occurred; an enormous mushroom cloud of gray dust filled the air. Then, it churned from grey to a roiling red. John’s eyes were drawn up, while Faith’s were staring at the driveway. She was trying to pop her ears from the blast. A high-pitched noise reigned supreme, ringing in her ears for the while.

“Faith. Faith… Faith!” She looked at him. “Look.”

Turning her attention to the explosion, she saw what they thought was dust and debris falling. However, debris doesn’t usually fly. However, this did and it even started to fly in patterns.

“John- it’s not. It’s not.”

“I know.” He ran over to her side of the car, grabbing her by the bicep, he yanked her back into the house. “Follow me!”

“What are those things!”

“I don’t know, and I hope that we don’t have to know!”

Reaching their front door, they looked back to the plume with flying things, as they watched the whole sky shift from blue to red. The plume was beginning to spread and blanket the sky like grey clouds due during snowstorms of the winter months. Freezing for a brief moment, they both let out a scream as they saw the flying things start to zoom off in all different directions, and one especially flew right at them.

Pushing through the door, John slammed it shut behind them. Running upstairs, he immediately knew what he had to do. Going through the hallways, he opened one of the doors that led to the highest room in the house, the attic. Racing up there, he flung open the door, looked around the room and told Faith, “Wait here.”

Doing as he bid, she stared around her. Old pictures, sweaters, even a few old boxes of stale crackers and cookies were there. Yet, her brother was doing something of importance, and she didn’t know what. Hearing his noises, she could tell that he was in the kitchen rummaging around. Walking around, she looked at the window outside. The sky was turning, the cloud plumage cloud was still spreading. Sadly, for her, the worst had yet to come.

Turning her head back to the attic door, she saw John racing back up the stairs, his footsteps signaling his approach. “Here. Catch.” He tossed her a baseball bat. “Stand over here.” Not knowing why, she did as he bid. Looking at his hands, she saw that he held something. Working quickly his wrist went to work faster than his feet. Walking around her, the sound of minerals poured out on the ground around her.

“What’s that?”

“Salt.”

“Why?”

“To protect you from demons. That’s why.”

“John, an explosion happened. Not the rapture.”

“We don’t know what happened!” He recognized his volume was too high, “Faith. I’m sorry. I just- I want you to be safe.”

“I want you to be safe too. What about mom and dad?”

“Mom and dad are adults. They know how to take care of themselves.”

“Where do you think they are?”

“Hopefully somewhere safer than here. If not at a bunker, hopefully at a church or cathedral.” Looking out the window, he turned back to Faith and said, “Don’t come out until the circle’s completed! When it’s done, grab my sword to get out!”

Running out he slammed the door behind him. She also heard him blocking the door with something heavy, like a dressing drawer. Then, his steps left down the stairs.

Looking down at the salt ring around her she thought, “So this is meant for my protection, huh? What use will it have?” Stepping out of the circle, she saw a few other items that he had left her. The first was a bible that they had from their school, it’s leather bindings protecting its near see-through thin pages. The second was his cross necklace. It was a necklace made out of pure sterling silver that he got for Christmas several years ago. Ever since he got it, he’s never taken it off (except for when he goes swimming). Gold never tarnishes, but silver is known for making sweet music and used as weaponry against denizens of evil, such as werewolves and witches, and sometimes even vampires. The last thing was a crystal glass.

“Why the crystal glass? What could I use that for?” She looked over towards her right and saw a package of water bottles. “Oh, that’s why, but can’t I just drink straight from the bottle itself.” Looking out the window, she walked over to it and saw what John was doing.

Racing as fast as he can, he ran across the grass. Looking at the sky, she saw that he was running away from the things flying at him. Looking at his sides, she realized that he wasn’t running away from them, but that he was running to construct a bigger circle.

Looking at his arms, she noticed that he was carrying a plastic container. Squinting her eyes, she noticed that it was spilling red and yellow. “What is that? Cherry and apple juice?” Then, like a thunderbolt, the realization struck her in an instant, “THAT’S THE LAMB!”

Covered in salt, with olive oil, and rosemary, John was using the blood of the lamb in order to have a circle built around them. He may not have known what he was doing, but he had an idea. “If this worked on the Angel of Death in Egypt as the last of the plagues then hopefully this should work on fallen angels and lesser demons as well. Let’s just hope that the blood doesn’t attract them like sharks to a slaughter.”

Being the fastest kid on his high school’s cross-country team, he jumped and vaulted over the spots in the ground known for spraining ankles. With his stamina just kicking in, he was sure that nothing could take him down. Sure, he might’ve been sprinting, but he wasn’t about to fold just yet. He had just crossed the halfway point of their backyard.

Crack! His right arm had been torn into by the teeth from one of the flying beasts. “AHHHH!” It had taken him down, causing them both to roll in the grass. Although the thing had torn into him with a fury, it had spat him out as soon as they had rolled. His wrist was dangling off of him by a piece of flesh.

Spitting profusely, the flying demon was acting like it was a child that had just taken disgusting oral medication. When John had looked at it, it was as if its mouth was melting. “So, my blood’s acidic to you, huh? Guess, being a virgin really does have its perks.” Unable to find the bowl, he slugged the creature with the stump of his arm, his hand swinging around along with it. As his blood continued to spill out, the creature’s face dissolved until there was nothing, but a gaping hole left. Looking up at the sky, he saw that several more of them were coming his way, however, they had to travel along the outside of the ring.

“Good, so it is working. Let’s race.”

Breaking into a dead sprint, his legs tore into the grass so hard he was kicking up piles of dirt. The adrenaline was coursing through his veins faster than the turbulent waters of the Mississippi River. Peering through the window, glued to the action, Faith’s heart and throat were hurting at the sight of seeing her brother in pain, but all to keep her safe.

“RUN! RUN JOHN! RUN!” As much as she wanted to say, “SAVE YOURSELF,” she knew that he’d be too adamant to do so. No matter what she would’ve told him, once his mind is set on something, especially for those that he loves, it’s going to get done. Pressing her face up against the glass she tried to keep an eye on him as best as possible. Once he rounded the corner of the house, he was out of sight. She was glad that he wasn’t lacking in speed, but the sight that terrified her the most was watching those hellions fly after him, hearing the wind rippling from underneath their wings.

Wanting to see the rest, she ran to the door. Yanking on the handle, she tried to force it open, but to no avail. She was trapped for her own safety, or at least for the hope of it. Peaking through a crack in the door she saw down the staircase to the front door. The lights were off and appeared to be house was shrouded in darkness. She was surrounded in silence for a few brief moments. Waiting for John to burst in through the door, she saw the front door shake. In less than the blink of an eye, the door flew off its hinges. From the entrance of the house, something flew in with a fury of a bat breaking out of hell, and now it was targeting Faith. Screaming, she leapt back, and crawled her way back into the salt circle. In the fetal position on the ground, hands behind her neck, she waited for the beast to break the door down. Looking at the floor she saw the red light that poured in turned to white.

While Faith was locked inside incapable of seeing the ongoings of the world around her, John had managed to reach the front lawn. Knowing that the brutish fiends closing the gap behind him he was nearly gassed upon reaching the driveway. Running behind the car, he could feel the popping in his head. He’d push himself too hard too fast, and now he was paying the consequences of it. Like in a dream where he was incapable of running as his muscles proceeded to burn more than a forge’s fire, John was on the verge of blacking out.

Pale from blood loss and knowing that doom was inevitably behind him, he noticed that the door broken down. His heart lurched from his chest, but his body was incapable of performing the task that he urged them too. Seeing the crimson fiend up the stairway, John let out a pained, “NOOO!” In the corner of his left eye, he saw a trio of demons flying at him. Too fatigued to move, too fatigued to worry, lacking too much blood, he was asphyxiating from the inside out. Falling over, as his world faded to black, the world within the circle turned white.

Collapsing on the ground, the circle was connected. Partially formed with blood of the lamb, the blood of his self-sacrifice met the requirements. The circle was complete. Just as he had collapsed, with half of his body outside and his other half in, he lost consciousness. Hoping for Faith to be safe, whatever prayer’s he wished to have said left his lips. Everything inside of the circle was safe. The fiend that had traversed inside evaporated in an instant. Just as there is no such thing as cold, only a lack of heat, evil cannot exist where love is present.

Hearing that the beast was no more, Faith got up, and wandered to peer out the door. Seeing her brother, lying on the ground, she let out a heart wrenching scream. Grabbing her baseball bat, she began swinging at the door, trying to knock the dresser out of the way in hopes that she could wiggle out. Finally, being able to pry the door open just a bit, she squeezed out and began running down the hallway.

Just as she was down the stairs, she couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. Sprinting out the doorway she fell to her knees at his side. Grabbing him by his shirt, she desperately tried to roll him over to their side completely. Pulling him into her arms, all of her hope had turned to ashes in her mouth. One of the demons from the trio that was chasing John had survived the enclosing of the circle. Losing its left hand whereas John had lost use of his right, the being also had lost part of its wing. Yanking John out of her hands by grabbing his leg, it flipped him effortlessly into the air and held John by the armpit.

“NO! Don’t! Please! That’s my brother!” Looking down at the frail girl, all it did was chuckle in her face. Turning its attention back to the boy, the thing was pissed that this greenling had killed three of its comrades. Wishing to feast upon the fear that it saw in Faith’s eyes, it opened its jaws wide, letting out a serpentine tongue. Anticipating the kill, the demon was not expecting for John to wake up.

“Stay. Away. From. My. SISTER!” Rearing back, John threw his head forward, biting into the demon’s shoulder. Ripping off a chunk of flesh, he swallowed, not knowing the ramifications. Now having the flesh of the damned within himself, he bounced off the shield that had formed. No longer capable of entering, but incapable of being harmed by it, he began to transform.

Growing his wrist back, his bones seemed to have extruded around it for fortification. He fingers turned into claws. His ribs, like that of Adam’s were cracking. No longer protecting his lungs, several of them elongated, and became wings. It was like watching torture being performed. Even his face was reconstructing. His nose started flattening, there was no longer a small bulb on his face. Instead, his nostrils began to travel the length of his jaw. His neck was growing and his shoulders, like the rest of his body, gained in muscle.

Watching this all take place in front of her, Faith was at a loss for words. Wanting to bring him back inside the safety that was the circle, she reached out for him. Pressing her palms into his skin, she instantly pulled away. It was like he was burning on the inside, as if the fires of hell resided within him themselves. Pulling back and blowing on her hands, she watched as the creature that used to be her brother rose and proceeded to now dwarf the demon before them.

Clutching the demon in his clawed hand, the thing that was now John ignited the demon on fire, scorching it to a boiling bath of blood. Once there was nothing left but a soupy mess, he licked it up, consuming it.

“John! John! Can you hear me!” The beast turned around. Growling, it peered at her with yellow eyes. Igniting a ball of fire in its right fist the thing that was John threw a fist of fire straight for Faith, but the shield held up, repelling him.

Getting knocked back, the car was flipped along with the gargantuan being that was John. Angered at being bested by seemingly nothing, the red dragon blew a great breath of fire at the shield. Facing an inferno, Faith remained still as a voice inside of her said, “Be not afraid.”

As the fire dissipated like it was being spread around a glass bowl, Faith was unfazed through all of it. Disgruntled at being capable of doing nothing, the red dragon rolled over, flapped its mighty wings, and flew off.

“John! John! No, please, don’t leave me John!” With tears in her eyes, she watched whatever was left of her brother fly away.

***

“Ah,” she said after drinking the glass of water. Picking up a rosary, she turned around to face the statue of Mary. Praying the “Hail Mary,” she began praying the mysteries. Looking over to a box in the far corner, she saw it right next to one of the pictures that her parent’s had ordered.

Putting her rosary around her head she walked over to the painting. “What was this one again? I should remember John went on all about it.” Within it she saw a whole lot of darkness with a bunch of bright colors near the bottom. Looking at the two figures it compelled her to go through the box.

Opening up the lids, she remembered what it was. A slight tear came to her eyes. “These are… these are-.” Putting a hand over her mouth, Faith reached in for a small metal tin. “These are John’s cards.” Memories of Saturday cartoons in early mornings and late nights at friends all hit her at once. Opening the tin, she picked out a small plastic box. Lifting its lid open she pulled out a few of the cards. She remembered watching all of the shows, singing the theme songs with him, and then, she came across two of them.

Pausing for a moment, she looked at the painting and back at the two. Putting two and two together, she remembered what John had told her one day.

***

“These cards here are based off of this painting that dad bought.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the real thing. It’s just a replica.”

“True, but the meaning is all the same.”

“Who painted it?”

“Some English gentleman named William Blake.”

Looking at the cards she asked, “So this one is meant to look like that lady?”

“Yeah, in the painting she’s called the Woman Clothed in Sun.”

“And what’s that grey thing?”

“That’s the Great Red Dragon.”

“And these two cards are based off of this painting?”

“Yep, they’re actually opposing one another in their artwork. Beautiful right?”

“Yeah, but though this one is prettier, the other’s stronger.”

“That’s what you think, sis. Sure, one is physically stronger than the other, but the “prettier” one is just as strong, if not even stronger in its own right.”

“Really now, how so?”

“Just read the cards. The red one’s all about destruction, even to the point of destroying those around it. The white one’s all about sacrificing, especially self-sacrificing. If you sacrifice yourself for the right cause, it’ll all work out in the end and you get to savor the fruits of your labor.”

“Is that why dad’s always telling us to work hard?”

“I guess you could say so.”

***

Holding the cards in her hand she cried. As when she thought back to the dragon that John had become, she realized that he had resembled the one on the card. Looking at the painting and back to the cards, she stifled her tears and said, “You sacrificed yourself for me till the point of damnation. Thank you, John. Thank you. Now, it’s my turn to save you.”

Gathering supplies, she prepared to arm herself for the warfare that waged on outside of her house. With a backpack strapped with water and canned beans, a baseball bat in one hand, a saltshaker in her pockets, and the Bible in her right hand, she stared out at the world around the circle.

Remembering all of the demons that had surrounded the house once before, she feared about the evil that blanketed the rest of the world, and whether or not there were any safe havens out there anymore. Almost debating stepping back inside of the house, almost abandoning her plans, a voice inside of her calmed her down. “Be not afraid. For I will be with you, always.”

Taking in a deep breath, she stepped outside of the circle. Opening her book, she turned to the two bookmarks that she had, the white dragon and the red one. Reading a few pages, her nerves were calmed. “Don’t worry, John. I’m coming to find you. You sacrificed for me. Allow me to return the favor.” Kissing his cross, she walked off into the wasteland.