Jason Willow: Face Your Demons Read online

  ‘So the Watch is on its own?’ Jason asked.

  Dad nodded. ‘More or less. We still have a loose… relationship with elements of some religions but we don’t really trust each other.’

  ‘Wait,’ Jason said, shaking his head, ‘my brain hurts. Let me get this straight – our side is called the Watch and we hunt down the Brethren who summon demons; the demons possess humans or animals and the possessed can infect other people to make them into some sort of super slaves,’ Jason snorted. ‘It sounds like a really bad horror movie, Dad.’

  Dad stood up and stretched. ‘Where do you think all those vampire and werewolf legends come from?’

  ‘What – you mean Dracula and his furry-faced buddies were demons?’ Jason asked.

  Dad shrugged. ‘The Brethren have always hidden behind folklore and superstition.’

  Miranda stood up as well and handed Dad her empty Coke bottle for the rucksack. ‘You said you knew two things the Brethren did. Get their people into government and business and things and…’

  Dad nodded as he slipped the rucksack back on. ‘They try to track down Gifted people before the Watch finds them.’

  ‘Why – to kill them, stop them joining the Watch?’ Miranda asked, glancing at Jason.

  ‘No – they don’t kill them if they can help it. They take them away.’

  ‘And do what with them?’

  Dad shrugged. ‘They turn them… sometimes we have to face Brethren Gifted.’

  ‘So I need to be able to protect myself – I need to learn how to use these powers.’

  Dad shook his head. ‘You need to be able to hide. Using the Gift leaves a trace that Touched can pick up on…’

  ‘Yeah but we’re safe here,’ Jason said, ‘and Brash wasn’t afraid to do his stuff last night.’

  ‘Even so,’ Dad said, ‘blending in to the ordinary is the only way to stay safe.’

  ‘It hasn’t worked though, has it?’ Jason said, standing up. They’ve caught up with us how many times now and… and blending in didn’t help Mum, did it?’

  They went silent and Miranda glared at Jason before shaking her head and moving over to stare through the cracks between the window boards.

  Jason wasn’t going to let it stop there. ‘And what if I want to join the Watch, hunt down the people who sent Mum’s killers? You’re not even giving me that choice.’

  Dad took a slow breath. ‘Everyone from your grandfather to Brash and the Watch Council will be desperate for you to join – you could be really powerful. I don’t want to be any part of that pressure – I don’t want you to have anything to do with it.’

  ‘But why, I know it’s dangerous but…’

  ‘Because it’s a sickening world, an horrific life,’ Dad cut in. The demons often possess the young as they have less will power to resist and those are the ones you have to kill. I… I just couldn’t do it anymore and you shouldn’t be expected to start.’

  Dad stopped for a minute, calming down.

  ‘It must have been horrible,’ Miranda said from the window.

  Dad nodded. ‘It was unimaginable… and I started to make mistakes, to hesitate at crucial moments and that put everyone in danger. They didn’t need me anyway… there were others who were just as powerful and far more willing to do the job, too willing in my opinion – Alan Brash for instance. So I walked away. I wasn’t the first or the last. Gifted and their families have been drifting away from the Watch for centuries, there are others that can be found and trained to...’

  ‘Dad,’ Miranda cut in, edging back from the window, ‘there are a couple of Brash security guards watching the house.’

  Dad moved to the side of the window and slowly peered through one of the cracks. ‘Mmm. Probably wondering where we are – no pick up from the mikes inside the house and they didn’t see us leave with the front video.’

  ‘What do we do?’ Miranda asked.

  ‘I don’t want them to know we can get in here or they’ll cover it in surveillance as well. Come on, we’ll get out on their blind side. Quickly now.’

  Dad climbed the ladder to the second floor which was cluttered with moulding sacks and broken chests and then up a smaller ladder into the overhanging attic. Even as Jason and Miranda followed him up, Dad was hauling up the long rope with the hook on. He dropped it down through the overhang trap door into the garden and checked its strength. The mill completely blocked them from the security guard’s view.

  ‘Slide down, stop before you get to the hook.’

  ‘Yeah – thanks for the advice,’ Willow said. He grabbed the rope and slid down out of the attic.

  Miranda was right behind him and nearly landed on his head. She dropped lightly to the floor and looked up. ‘If they check from the front they’ll see the rope.’

  Dad was already sliding down. ‘Glad you’re thinking ahead.’ He moved them a little away and flicked one hand up towards the inside of the attic. Something shimmered through the air and the rope dropped down in a coil at their feet.

  ‘How…’ Jason began.

  ‘Don’t ask,’ Dad said, pulling off the rucksack and handing them back their coke bottles. ‘Now stroll out onto the lawn as if you’ve been lounging about here in the shade all along.

  As Jason and Miranda followed his instructions, Dad gathered up the rope and hid it in the trees that ran down one side of their garden. Then he joined them on the lawn, still drenched in afternoon sunlight.

  ‘They’re leaving,’ Miranda mumbled, not looking across the river to the woods.

  ‘I thought they might,’ Dad said. ‘Now remember the house is bugged so no more about the Watch for now.’ He roughly hugged Jason around the shoulders before he could object. ‘We’ll talk about how to avoid fights at school instead, okay Son?’

  Jason chewed his lip. He’d forgotten about Silent Hill and Richard Baldwin.

  Chapter 10

  By the time he crawled out of bed the following morning, Jason was already running late. He dived into the shower, snatched a banana and his school books and dashed out of the silent house and into a bright, sunny morning.

  Dad and Miranda had already left for Whitby. Dad was looking for some supply teaching work from September and Miranda was obviously desperate to catch up with some vital shopping for shoes and make-up.

  Jason had been mulling everything over for half the night before finally drifting off to sleep. There were real demons out there and he had special powers to hunt them and their summoners down. The hunted would become the hunter and he could avenge his mother’s murder.

  All he needed was someone to show him how to use his abilities, his Gift as Dad called it.

  Louisa could help him there. She was Gifted – he was sure of it now. That first meeting in the woods, she’d pushed him from a distance. They could talk about it now that Dad had explained so much - perhaps it would bring them Louisa closer together. Maybe she could even train him to use his Gifts, if Dad wouldn’t change his mind. That would mean they’d have to see an awful lot of each other, of course.

  He hurried out through the gates to see Mouse and Louisa already standing with the others at the bus stop. He reached them just as their bus came hurtling down out of the woods.

  Jason only had time to marvel at Louisa in tight jeans and a fresh, white blouse and to say “Hi” before the dilapidated old bus thundered passed them.

  ‘That man is what you would call a loser, I think.’ Mouse said as they all stepped back to avoid being run over.

  The three of them took the back seat as usual. Jason waited for the bus engine to fire up before speaking.

  ‘I think I need help.’

  ‘This is very true,’ Mouse chipped in, grinning.

  ‘Help to keep out of the fight with the web-face boy?’ Miranda asked.

  ‘Uhh… no – I’m not going to walk away from that.’

  Miranda shrugged and turned to look out of the window. Mouse just shook his head in a “you’ve got to make your own mistakes” type wa
y.

  Jason tried again. ‘Dad explained loads to Miranda and me yesterday but he still won’t help me learn my Gifts. Would…’

  ‘This is not the place,’ Louisa said, resting a hand on his knee to stop him. ‘We will talk after school, yes? If your father doesn’t take you away again, of course.’ She held him spellbound with touch and gaze a moment longer and then turned back to the window.

  Mouse was watching them. He didn’t look angry or even jealous. He just looked resigned and something else – sympathetic perhaps. With the briefest of nods, he turned to watch the moors bump by out of his window.

  Jason sank back against the seat and remembered to breathe. This could be where it all started between Louisa and him.

  Even the shadow of Drunken Abbot’s first terraces falling over them didn’t darken his mood.

  ***

  ‘Jason, Jason, wake up.’

  Jason snapped out of his day dream. For about the hundredth time, his mind had been on the bus ride that morning, staring into Louisa’s eyes with her hand on his knee.

  ‘Well, what’s the answer, lad?’

  Oh hell, what lesson was this?

  ‘Two reasons why the German people were so willing to follow Hitler’s ideas,’ whispered Violet, sitting next to him as always.

  ‘Uhh - resentment over World War 1 reparations and the resulting economic hardship, sir?’

  Mr Holmes looked at him in silence. Jason smiled, sweetly.

  ‘Do you think Violet will be sitting next to you in your examinations, Jason?’

  ‘Probably, sir,’ Jason moaned.

  Violet elbowed him and slid her chair further away. A secretive little smile slipped over her lips though.

  Mr Holmes glanced at Violet and then back at Jason. ‘Just try to stay in the same universe as us, Jason, all right? Now,’ he said, turning his round-spectacled gaze back onto the whole class, ‘The reasons Jason gave are correct and when you have a charismatic orator such as Adolf Hitler to capitalise on such strong feelings…’

  Holmes droned on. He was quite a good teacher really, making lots of cause and effect connections but he didn’t get down and dirty enough for Jason’s tastes… what must it have been like to be one of the thousands of angry Germans, whipped into a frenzy at the Nuremberg Rally, filling with a hatred so strong for anyone Adolf Hitler pointed the finger at? What if you were a Jew, passing by the stadium, hearing the massively amplified, resonating voice, the roar and chant of the party-faithful? What would you feel was coming down on you?

  Finally, one mind-map and four review questions later, the bell went for lunch.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Violet asked him as they packed away their books. ‘You’ve been really quiet all morning. Is it about yesterday – the fight with that Baldwin creep?’

  Violet’s eyes strayed towards the door. “That Baldwin creep” was just going out, not even glancing back. He’d steered clear of Jason so far today.

  ‘Oh, that was nothing – don’t worry about me so much,’ Jason said, glancing across at Violet. She was all right really, a bit fretful sometimes but she’d a good heart and an offbeat sense of humour when she loosened up. He was getting used to her being around.

  ‘Listen… you know I was only joking, moaning about you sitting next to me in the exams and all that don’t you?’ Jason said.

  Violet got up quickly but glanced back over her shoulder. ‘I know,’ she said, her crooked little smile appearing again for an instant before she walked off.

  Jason smiled and packed his books away. His day had gone much better than expected so far. Baldwin was keeping out of his face and the other Skins in the class seemed to be too wary or at least, under orders, not to start anything.

  ‘Wait your turn!’ Violet’s thin voice brought his head up.

  Just at the door way, a Drunken Abbot kid called Mick was trying to shove Violet out of his way. He was a big, act-hard ape who Jason had already worked out desperately wanted to join the Skins.

  ‘Leave her alone,’ Jason snapped, dropping his bag and pushing his chair back.

  He needn’t have bothered. Violet was back on balance in an instant and deftly snap-kicked the side of Mick’s knee.

  ‘Aagh.’ he yelled, catching hold of the door frame for support.

  ‘Don’t worry about me so much.’ Violet said, winking at Jason and flouncing away.

  ‘Prat,’ Jason said, picking up his bag and pushing past Mick.

  ‘Shut it, Jason, or I’ll set Baldwin on you again.’

  Jason span around but caught sight of a Brash prefect three doors along. ‘Any time.’ was all he could manage, before storming off down the corridor.

  It didn’t take him long to forget his anger however. It was lunchtime and before he’d even walked half way across the yard to the refectory, Louisa found him.

  ‘Listen, I have to hurry away, I have maths revision, but could we meet on the bridge this evening, after dinner, about half past six?’

  Could he ever?

  ‘Sure, no problem,’ Jason stammered, wishing there was something for him to lean against to make him look just that bit more cool and relaxed about it.

  Louisa smiled and dashed off. Darius, “Master of the Universe”, was waiting for her at the West Passage but even that didn’t bother Jason too much. Tonight was the night - alone at last with Louisa.

  The two lessons in the afternoon, English and Technology, dragged on forever. Jason tried to take his mind off his date that evening by teasing Violet how her kicking like a donkey was the only way she could get a boy to fall for her. She took it well and only ripped out and screwed up one page of his homework.

  Then at last, he was on the bus home. Louisa wasn’t talkative and stared out of the window the whole time. Mouse had simply said “bad day” as soon has he’d sat down and that was it until they reached Darkston Wick.

  ‘See you later,’ Jason said as they stepped off the bus. He must have had a stupid grin on his face because Mouse just shook his head in despair.

  ‘Half past six,’ Louisa said with a small smile. Mouse grunted his goodbye.

  Moody git, Jason thought, but then felt guilty. Mouse was actually being pretty good about him drooling all over Louisa. If he and Louisa did end up going out with each other he’d be really careful not to flaunt it in front of Mouse. What more could he do?

  ***

  At twenty past six, Jason was fed, washed, tooth-scrubbed and sitting on the bridge wall. This was it - he and Louisa were the same, both Gifted - what a bond that gave them. She was so gorgeous, he couldn’t believe he was sitting here waiting for…

  He caught his breath. Louisa rounded the corner, saw him and smiled. She was still in her tight jeans but had changed into a red T shirt that clung to every inch of her… and she was on her own. Should he get up? No, just sit here and look cool. He smiled back but stopped himself from waving.

  ‘You look like a grinning madman,’ Louisa said as she walked out of the shadow of the Highwayman Inn. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

  ‘Thanks. You look really nice too,’ Jason answered.

  ‘Ahh, how very nice of you to notice.’ She winked. ‘Come on, let’s walk.’

  Jason stood up and caught the merest trace of Louisa’s light, summery perfume. They set off up the hill and into the woods with his head swimming.

  ‘What have you done with Mouse?’ Jason asked, hoping he didn’t sound too obvious.

  ‘Oh, I am sorry – are you missing him? We can always go back to fetch…’ Louisa stopped and turned back towards the village.

  ‘No… no that’s fine. Just wondering, that’s all,’ Jason said, daring to touch her shoulder lightly to turn her back up the hillside.

  Louisa shrugged, a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth and carried on walking into the woods. Jason hurried after her. He couldn’t stop staring – her long legs, the movement of her hips as she walked, the curve of her waist, straight dark hair gleaming in a ponytail down her back and the
perfect, lightly tanned skin of her neck.

  They reached the huge oak tree where Jason had first seen Mouse, flat on his face after falling. Jason tried to clear his mind as Louisa leant back against the trunk, one leg bending slightly. She just watched him without saying anything, her dark eyes steady on his. Was he meant to kiss her now? No, not yet. Talk first.

  ‘We’re the same aren’t we?’ he asked.

  Louisa looked him up and down. ‘There are some differences, I think…’

  ‘You know what I mean. When you pushed me away from Mouse that time… you used the… uh… Gift.’

  Louisa slipped down the tree to sit on an exposed, mossy root. ‘How much did your father tell you last night, about the Gifted and… so on?’

  Jason sat down cross-legged opposite her. ‘He explained a bit about the Watch and the Brethren, how both sides want everything kept secret and told us about… demons, the Touched and possession and all that.

  ‘I see,’ Louisa said.

  ‘But he doesn’t want me to learn anything about how to use my Gifts,’ Jason continued trying not to blurt everything out like an over-excited toddler. ‘He says using them could attract the Brethren Agents and he wants to keep me totally out of the whole thing. He’s not giving me the choice to decide for myself if I want to help, you know, become part of the Watch.’

  Louisa nodded. She was serious now, not flirting. Somehow that made Jason less nervous. He felt less like he should try to be cool and witty. It was almost like talking to Miranda.

  ‘Do you believe everything your father has told you so far?’ Louisa asked.

  ‘Yes, of course. Dad doesn’t lie to us but… well it does sound like a bad horror movie – the Carpathian Mountains, demon cults, possessed innocents.’

  ‘It is not like a movie,’ Louisa cut him short. She took in a slow breath. ‘Not when you are there… not when your father is killed trying to redeem a young boy…’ her words drained away.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Jason stammered. He didn’t know what she meant by ‘redeem’ but now wasn’t the time to ask.