Lee - The Last Church

To the readers of horror

Thank you

Prologue

Summer 2363

T he Devil tucked his baby girl in bed and kissed her goodnight. A smile graced his face as he watched her snuggle under the covers and curl into a fetal position, pulling the blankets up to her chin.

Squatting down next to the bed, he gently pushed her nose. Go to sleep now. Ill see you in the morning.

She nodded her head vigorously, but didnt close her eyes.

Their eyes locked and without warning, a cold shiver ran the length of his spine, prickling the hairs on the back of his neck. Slightly panicked, he scanned the room, but saw nothing wrong or out of place. The steel shutters were secure, the closet door was open, and a soft night-light glowed inside; no shadow danced inside or on the floor.

He was overprotective and he knew it. Still, he couldnt shake the feeling that something was wrong. He could taste it in the air and smell the disgusting flavor of death. Something or someone was either here or on their way.

At the door, he blew his daughter a kiss to send her to dreamland, then activated sleep mode with the simple push of a button. He smiled as a blue wave of light washed over the bed and encased her in a protective shield.

A soft hum issued forth telling the Devil that all was fine. His daughter would be asleep in a matter of seconds.

He closed her door as she gave him a sleepy wave. In the hallway, he said, Computer, scan Jennys room, then the rest of the house.

Scan activated.

The Devil waited. His fingers twitched nervously and his chest grew tight waiting for an answer. After what seemed like an eternity, the computer said, Scan complete .

What are the results?

Life forms, three. All have been identified as Jennifer, Laura, and John Watcher. Electrical circuitry is at

Thats enough, computer. Thank you.

The house was clear, but that didnt mean a lot these days. The Meph-man had given him a gift, a foresight to know if trouble was set to pay a visit. And tonight, it jumped like a jack-in-a-box. With every passing second it grew stronger.

From the hallway, he rushed to the living room. Urgency kicked at his heels.

His wife, Laura, sat on a thorn colored sofa, punching air with her fingers, accessing the Net. Logged in, she neither saw nor heard him.

Tomorrow he would upgrade their account to the latest release, containing an intruder activator. Five versions behind was pushing their luck. The personal risks were too high. How many people had been attacked, raped and murdered all because they were plugged into the Net?

Striding past his wife, he said to the computer, Activate window.

The computer replied, Samoan Wonderland, activated . The steel shutters flickered and a beach scene came to life. Two teenagers ran hand in hand; their feet splashed soft ocean water.

On any normal day John Watcher enjoyed viewing Samoan Wonderland. It was a peaceful scene of freedom, happiness and not a care in the world. The perfect fantasy.

No, computer. Show me the front of my house.

The scene vanished and was replaced with a view of his front lawn and the quiet, empty street outside. No cruisers were parked on the street that he couldnt recognize or put an owners face to. Not many walked the streets after the sun had gone down and pre-programmed dog walkers seldom veered from the main street. He liked the suburbs and cul-de-sacs. It kept everything a little more private, a little more secure, especially for his daughter.

Yet the feeling that something was wrong continued to grow. The night felt different. He was glad Laura insisted on installing the security shield for their daughter. Jenny was the most important thing in his life.

John turned from the window. Laura was typing in the air, oblivious to everything around her. A slight smile graced her beautiful lips.

Computer, interrupt Lauras Net session.

His wife blinked rapidly. Her hands fell from the typing position to her sides as she was forced from the Net. The yellow glow of her eyes faded as the connection using her body as a router shut down and her mind re-entered reality.

Hey! I was in the middle of an email.

Somethings up, he said, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

Laura rose from the sofa. Are you sure?

John looked outside again. Yes, he said. Go into Jennys room and get under her shield.

What are you going to do?

John didnt answer.

Dont do anything stupid, please. Lauras eyes watered. If its them...

I doubt it. But if Im wrong, take Jenny and get out of the house. John grabbed her shoulders. Do you understand?

Laura stared at the floor a moment, and then nodded, tears spilled to the carpet and she rushed off.

Outside, he saw a cruiser gently land in front of his lawn. All four doors opened and five men climbed out. Their ages ranged from at least fifty to mid-twenties, and each one was dressed in standard street clothes.

He knew who they were.

They were the five chosen ones from the Order of the Black Snake. Then he saw her, the last one to get out of the car, the betrayer, the cheater, the woman for hire. For the past few weeks, they had been constantly bumping into each other. Suspicious that she was a techno-spy, he ran an ID check and discovered a private investigator known only as Samantha.

The Meph-Man had told him to be weary of new faces. But the warning had come too late. Apparently, shed learned as much as she needed to know, for here they were now.

He had fucked up big time.

John rushed to the bedroom as a knock came at the door.

He shoved the bed out of the way, activating a lever that opened a trapdoor leading to the basement he had built only two years ago.

He heard the front door slam shut, and a moment later, the back door opened on squeaky hinges.

With no other place to go, John opened the closet door and stepped inside, hoping the bastards in his house would take the bait and enter the basement.

They would find his dagger, altar and diary, but nothing more. Although no one could see the book apart from him, he had the foresight to hide it elsewhere.

The little paranoia that had assaulted him when he first came into possession of the book had turned out to be a good thing, in light of recent events, because they were here now and looking for him.

The bedroom door opened.

In another room, his wife screamed.

John almost bolted forth before he remembered the security shield was a DNA password protected device. For the moment, they were safe.