K. Marvin Bruce

  Terah rushed up and stood protectively in front of her.   Scanning the woods, he saw nothing.   “What is it?” he whispered urgently. “Let’s keep goin’,” Lindsey said.   “Night’ll be settlin’ in soon.” It had been a cloudy spring day and the woods were encased in shadow.   Trees had begun to leaf out and spotting a cave, or at least a protective jumble of rocks wasn’t easy.   The encroaching darkness drew Terah’s thoughts back to Wednesday.   He ached with hunger but knew complaining would help nothing.   She had to be feeling it too. The Pennsylvania hills here were ancient.   Americans equate mountains with the Rockies, new and sharp.   These ancient eroded Appalachians had hosted dinosaurs in their day, but time had worn them down.   The elements and their constant falling and blowing were even now breaking rock to dust.   “There are some cave systems around here,” Lindsey said, “but not many.   There’s Crystal Cave an...

  In an unusual move, as if anything could be considered usual for them, both Lindsey and Terah walked into Scotrun together for supplies.   The danger of being recognized and noted seemed less urgent than finding a way forward.   Their working hypothesis had been that demons would be deterred by consecrated ground had informed their decision to aim for the convent. Although Lindsey had indicated that it wasn’t a long-term solution Terah had been hoping that it might become one anyway. Since it was daylight they kept silence until they cautiously stepped out into view on the road into town.   “You haveta be careful in a really small town like this,” she said.   “Not many strangers pass through, let alone become regulars.   They’ll know nobody’s moved to town and we’re suspects already.   We need to decide where to go from here.” “It’s ridiculous that towns can’t accept strangers as strangers.” “I bet you thought differently when you lived with Danielle...

  Wednesday stood menacingly in the night.   The convent didn’t deter him.   Nothing would.   Conditions were right so that Terah could see him.   Lindsey hadn’t ever stopped.   Now he stood in the basement room they’d designated as their sleeping quarters, leering.   As a matter of safety they continued to share the same room, but chastely.   Wednesday clearly had other things on his demonic mind. “Why isn’t he doing anything?” Terah asked in the dark.   He couldn’t believe how calm and frightened he was. “Most of the time he doesn’t.   You saw him attack me at the asylum, but I’d never seen him do that.   Who knows what the end game is for demons?” “I wish I’d paid more attention to the supernatural while I was studying religion.”   The irony remained like a miasma in the heavy air.   Scientism had neutered the humanities, but to those able to see that only meant denial of what all people experienced.   “Do you supp...

  “I need you to lift some Always for me.” Terah, who couldn’t hear the word “Kotex” without blushing intense purple, simply stared.   Lindsey was obviously in a great deal of discomfort, and he’d helped her with some ibuprofen, but he’d never even been able to get feminine hygiene products for Danielle.   He’d actually insisted she buy his underwear.   Checking out at Target with some teenage girl looking at the exaggerated genitals stuffed into the cotton sheaths, but reading the word “small” on the top was too much for him.   He both wanted to say, “they sell by waist size,” and “I’m not like the models in the picture.”   Why’d they have to use real photographs anyway?   He stood in front of Lindsey with his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish with bronchitis. “Me?” he stupidly asked. “Look, I can’t.   An’ if we’re tryin’ to start livin’ like normal people,” she winced as she rolled up into a ball. Terah couldn’t bear to watch.   Alt...

  It wasn’t sunrise.   They’d been walking west all night.   The light came from a small town.   Rather like a candle in an otherwise darkened cathedral, it had appeared bright in the sky because beyond it lay miles and miles of undeveloped land.   “Up there,” Lindsey pointed toward a point in the darkness that seemed “down there” to Terah, “is St. Grosseteste.”   A few security lights, pinpoints in the distance, outlined the building like a constellation made mostly of darkness.   The ghosts and demons seemed far away with the prospect of a home.   Terah wanted to throw an arm over her shoulder, but knew it was out of the question.   “You’re sure it’s abandoned?” “No.   I know the order left it a few years ago.   The building may’ve been sold—how would I have found out?   The best we can do is hope.” “Should we try to get there before sunrise?” “No point.   Let’s find a place to get a few hours’ sleep.   And we gotta...

  Danielle stood right in front of them. “That’s her,” Lindsey asked.   “Danielle?” Terah wanted to run.   He was too close to this young woman, and the look on Danielle’s face revealed what he’d been trying to hide.   “What should I have done?   Stayed there to be questioned, prodded?   Accused?   I didn’t do it!   I panicked.   The terror of life was naked and raw.   I followed my instincts.   What was I supposed to do?   Life doesn’t come with instructions!   God, you’d think an education would give you some answers—it only raises more questions.   Danielle, I—“   He looked up the hill.   She was gone. Lindsey faced him in the moonlight.   “Terah, I can guess what you’re feelin’.   You know it can’t happen.   We can help each other, though.” He wanted to ask why she automatically discounted a relationship.   Was it their age difference?   Was she repulsed by him?   She’d only...