"Bobby, it's Lillie," an old voice said.
"Hi Lillie, what's up?" He knew what this call was about even without asking. Lillie and Ruth relied on him to correct their mistakes. Being the two oldest witches of the coven, The Dark Night, they made many mistakes with their witchcraft.
"We need your help."
"So, what's new? Let me guess, you turned Ruth into a frog."
"No, Ruth let a demon loose," Lillie said.
"Why'd she do that?" Bobby asked as he wondered if he should help them again. Mitzy, the High Priestess, didn't want him to help them anymore.
Lillie didn't answer and a heavy silence fell between them. Finally she said, "We were going to hurt Mitzy with it because of how she's treating us. Ruthie and I don't understand what we've done wrong."
"Well, you guys have been forgetting things lately and Mitzy's just trying to look out for the coven."
"That's bull, she has a geriatric phobia."
"Look, I'll help you one last time," Bobby said wanting to get her off his phone. Last week he helped them break a spell they cast on an almost bald neighbor because they wanted to give him more hair. The spell made the unsuspecting victim as hairy as a wolf and Bobby could barely keep from laughing as he reversed the spell. "What demon was let loose?"
"Geomighty," Lillie whispered.
"Okay, I'll work on it." With that Bobby hung up the phone. Oh Christ, why did it have to be the demon who inflicts major pain on its victims.
Standing in the middle of his library, Bobby read an ancient book on demons. Getting Geomighty back to the portal would be the best way to send it back to hell.
A slender long-legged woman entered the room. Her obvious brown hair fell around her shoulders, and a gray streak highlighted her bangs. She wore a black unitard with a thick belt and an oversized belt buckle. Her knee-high leather boots had a high pointy heel.
"Hi," Mitzy said taking off her sunglasses, "We were gonna talk about the gathering on Saturday night, remember?"
"I was just waiting for you to get here." Bobby quickly closed the book and leaned onto his oak desk as they discussed the coven meeting.
"I hope Lillie and Ruth forget we're getting together." Mitzy said.
"Do you know what could happen if they let some evil loose? I can't take the chance of the coven getting blamed for it or worse I'd get blamed for it. With the prejudices still out there, we'd have the burning times all over again." Bobby knew all too well what could happen, but he wasn't ready to excommunicate them. "We can continue this discussion later. Right now I'm late for an appointment." She picked up her bag and put her sunglasses on and left.
The next day Bobby went out on the street looking for Geomighty. But by the end of the week he had turned up nothing, and it was time for the gathering. In fact, Mitzy was already preparing for it at the clearing in the woods. She was placing black candles around the alter in a circle. Looking up from her task she smiled sweetly at Bobby.
"So where have you been all week?" she asked.
"Around," he replied
"Yeah, those two old witches have you chasing your tail?"
"No."
"I'm warning you, Bobby, if you're helping Ruth and Lillie I'll do to you what I plan to do to them."
"Mitzy, drop it."
"I'm just giving you fair warning, honey. I'm thinking of bringing back human sacrifices."
"You're insane."
Mitzy smiled a diabolical smile and continued to prepare her altar.
As the gathering came to a close Mitzy announced a surprise. "I have prepared another circle," she explained. "Those of you who think The Dark Night is a nature based religion, think again because it's not." Turning toward the empty circle she raised her arms and chanted in Latin.
A strong, hot wind moved through the trees and past the circle where all the members stood. In an instant a creature appeared within the confines of the second circle. Standing seven feet tall it was built like a line backer. The ring of thorns around its head just above the eyes were inset, and the nose was just two small holes drilling into its head just above its large lips. Thorns also ran down it's arms to it's hands.
"The demon of pain - Geomighty," Mitzy told the group. "It's been summoned by those two old hags." She pointed to Ruth and Lillie who stood frozen in fear. "Tell us, old ones, what were you planning to do with this demon?" Neither one said anything, they only stood huddled together.
"How do you know they let him loose?" Bobby asked in their defense.
"Who else would be so stupid? Besides, it told me it was the ancient ones."
"Maybe it was someone else," he suggested in an attempt to place doubt in everyone's mind. "Maybe you did this, Mitzy, to incriminate them. Why wouldn't you go this far?"
"Because we both know the truth, Bobby dear. You know it was them. I think we should give Geomighty a victim, but which one should it be?"
Bobby looked to the group. They huddled on the far side of the circle leaving Ruth and Lillie in the middle alone and he had to do something. Raising his arms he chanted, "Evil, stay locked within the moment. Let all who stand within this circle and ones that are caught outside be protected from this evil before us. Put a pain in the demon's chest if it touches the ones within and a bitter tongue if it tastes the ones outside. This I command."
A swirl of air gathered around the circle and then disappeared blowing out the candles. Bobby grabbed Ruth and Lillie and quickly headed them to safety.
Bobby searched the Religious archives on the internet. He needed to know how to get rid of Geomighty without bringing it back to Ruth's apartment. He could summon another demon to help him, but which one could he trust?
"You are a fool!" She said from the door of his library. "You're sticking your neck out for old bags of bones," Mitzy walked to his desk and stood in front of him.
"Are you willing to give up all this? The house, you're money, an endless parade of women through you bedroom? Do you really want to jeopardize that?"
"Of course not, but Ruth and Lillie are witches. You just can't expect them to stop being that after fifty years."
"I know that, Bob, I'm not expecting that. I want to kill them, and you better not get in the way or trying to rescue them. If you do, I'll kill you too."
Bobby looked into her face. For an instant he thought her brown eyes turned green. It happened so fast he couldn't be sure it truly happened. She turned around and marched out, not touching the door, but making it slam behind her. He shivered as a chill went down his spine. Lillie and Ruth weren't worth it. They'd have to find someone else to help them. He would tell them in the morning, but for now he would sleep.
He noticed how tired he was and how old he felt as he climbed the stairs to bed. He lay his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes he was as far into sleep as he could get.
Bobby sat on the floor cross legged, his eyes closed, his palms straight up resting on his knees. Once in a transcendental state he opened his eyes and concentrated on a plastic cup across the room. It started levitating and moving toward him. This was an exercise he did daily to maintain his telekinetic powers. The cup moved smoothly The phone rang and with his mind he moved the phone from the corner table to his side.
"Hello," Bobby answered.
"It's Ruthie, have you got the demon?"
"No, I don't."
"Mitzy's going to turn it on us."
"Oh, Ruthie, she is not."
"I had a dream last night. Mitzy sent Geomighty to kill us and you were there watching it, doing nothing."
"I'd never do that."
"It was like you were giving us to it."
"Ruth, I'd never do that," Bobby said adamantly. Deep down inside he wasn't sure what he'd do. He didn't want to face Mitzy's wrath. If he helped them she'd kill him. A knot formed in his stomach. What was he going to do? All his life he always knew exactly what to do and that was to look out for number one.
"You're not gonna help us any more, are you?"
"The thing is, Mitzy has threatened me. If I help you. . ."
"She'll go after you. Listen to me Bobby, you're the most powerful witch I've ever met. Both Lillie and me, we knew you had the gift that most witches have to practices for years, but you're a natural. You'll be more powerful than Mitzy."
Bobby slumped forward. His legs and back ached from the bad posture he enforced. The pain in his stomach grew worse. They weren't worth losing everything for, but on the other hand, did he want to let Mitzy win? She has beaten up on the weak and innocent for years. Anger stewed within him as he tried to figure out what he should do.
"I gotta to go," and he slammed down the phone. With a quick movement he threw it against the wall.
Bobby stood in the front hall of Mitzy's penthouse waiting to be announced. He had been there many times before but this time felt different. Runa, Mitzy's housekeeper, returned and motioned for him to go into the office down the hall.
Bobby opened the office door and much to his surprise the room was empty. He thought she would at least have Geomighty there. He stepped in and closed the door. The room was sparsely decorated. French doors opened to a roof top garden, and in the middle of the room painted on the wooden floor was an encircled pentagram.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" Mitzy said from the doorway. Bobby swung around and looked her in the face. He was trying to read her. He could feel the demonic presence but didn't know where it was coming from.
"Maybe I have it hidden from you," she said, reading his mind.
Maybe, Bobby thought, you're gonna prove you have it. All at once with a rush of hot air the beast appeared within the confines of the pentagram. Geomighty tried to step out of the circle that surrounded the pentagram but was unable due to the invisible barrier around the circle.
"What are you gonna do with it?" Bobby asked.
"It's gonna kill those two old hags. I was gonna do it the other night but you interfered. Because of that I'm gonna have you bring Ruth and Lillie to a special gathering and we'll have a human sacrifice."
"That's not a sacrifice, Mitzy. You're not offering anything to a higher being. You're just getting rid of things you hate."
"What difference does it make?"
"I think you've lost it. I don't want any part of this killing."
"Okay, you can sit this one out." Bobby walked to the door and stopped. He didn't like killing, that's not what The Dark Night was all about and that's not what he signed up for when he joined. He couldn't let some lunatic High Priestess get her kicks from killing his Grandmother.
Mitzy said, "I knew it! I knew there was something like that. Which one is dear old Gran?"
Bobby turned to face her.
"Is it Ruth?"
He stood still watching her for a few moments. "I'm not gonna let you do this. I'm gonna take Geomighty to the portal and send him back to hell."
As he moved toward the circle a vase flew through the air. He ducked just in time and it hit the wall. Bobby moved a few chairs across the floor, ramming them into Mitzy's leg.
"You've gotta do better than that," she told him.
Quickly he moved to the pentagram. His plan was simple, grab Geomighty and run, just like the other night at the gathering. His foot slid to the outer part of the circle and stopped. He would have to do a reversal spell to release it from the invisible barrier.
He dropped to the floor as a sharp pain inflamed his chest. It was so intense he thought he would pass out. Looking up at Mitzy, her usual brown eyes were an emerald green and he knew what he was seeing. Not a witch but another demon.
"That's right, Bobby." Mitzy's usual feminine voice was now a low growl, "I'm a demon."
Bobby clutched at his chest and gasped for breath. His heart was racing so fast he thought it might fly out of his body. His weakening arms and legs felt his life's energy escape them. He closed his eyes. Breath, he thought, relax your body, and mind and accept the pain. Snapping his eyes open he remotely ripped the hair from Mitzy's head, a clump at a time. Stunned, she stood frozen. Then Bobby concentrated on gouging her eyes until they popped. The pain in his chest was almost gone and his heart rate back to normal. Even though Mitzy was blind she could still harm him and the others. Bobby charged her, letting out a loud yell. He grabbed her and pushed her out into the garden and to the edge of the roof top. With one push she fell over the edge and he watched her hit the ground.
"I command you demon to hell for all eternity." The rain pelted Bobby's body and the wind wiped around him until like a puddle of water, Mitzy's body was absorbed into the asphalt.
When Bobby returned to the office, the pentagram was empty. He could no longer feel Geomighty's presence. He found Runa dead in the hallway, blood running from her mouth. Geomighty was still out there but with Mitzy's death the spell that held it was broken and it had escaped. Bobby knew what he had to do. He would summon another demon.
He called from his car phone and arranged to pick them up and use her van.
Once at the apartment Bobby told his Grandmother and Ruth what had happened at Mitzy's penthouse. Explaining his plan he asked Lillie to drive until he told her to stop. In the back he sat flipping through his Grandmother's demon book looking for the right demon to take Geomighty away. Then he flipped through her spell book where he found a summoning and a casting spell.
"Okay, Lillie you can park it, but make it some place out of the way."
"How about here?" Ruth asked from the passenger seat. Bobby looked out the window and saw they were on the cliff that overlooked the lake. Perfect, he thought, nobody comes up here in the daylight.
He jumped out of the van and went to the edge, standing back far enough so he wouldn't be blown off the cliff by the demon's wind.
"LaMarie, I summon thee to deal with the demon, Geomighty. I do not release thee, but hold thee fast until Geomighty is home."
Bobby's arms outstretched, his black silk shirt open and blowing in the strong wind. His hair whipped around his face and he squinted as the dust blew at him. "LaMarie, I call to you, banish Geomighty from this physical realm and take the demon home. This I command." He turned around the walked back to the van. As he slipped inside, Lillie shut the door behind him.
"Do you think it'll work?" she asked.
"Of course it'll work, silly. Bobby's the most powerful witch we know," Ruth said from the other seat.
Bobby sat with his eyes closed tightly, wondering why he let himself get into these situations. "All we can do is wait and see," he said.
"You two have to promise me you won't do magic any more." He looked from one to the other. "Promise me."
Lillie smiled sweetly. "But, Bobby, I can remember the incantations."
"No, you can't," Ruth protested, "You're the one who got us into this in the first place."
"No, Ruthie dear, you're the one that summoned Geomighty, not me."
"Yes, but if you. . ."
"LADIES!" Bobby rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I don't care whose fault it is. I don't want to hear that you're doing magic again. Do you understand? I'm not going to bail you out again."
"But," Ruth said in a small old voice, "magic is our life."
"Please, find another life." Bobby was exhausted.
"You're starting to believe what Mitzy said about us, aren't you?" Lillie whispered.
Bobby sat up and looked her in the eye before he said, "No, I'm seeing it for myself. You guys are no longer capable of doing this. Every time one of you decides to summon something, I have to clean up after you. I'm tired of it. Now, I want your solemn promise you will not do any magic, summoning, or incantations ever again!" Ruth nodded in agreement and then Lillie followed suit. Bobby leaned back again to relax. Witchcraft had gotten him to where he was today, the big house with the security system, the servants and the limos. He didn't work any more, thanks to some solid investments. He liked his life of leisure but he wanted out of the witchcraft business. After Geomighty was gone he was going to walk away.
"Listen," Ruth cocked her head to the side to hear better with her good ear. "The wind has stopped."
Bobby smiled, that was a good sign, but he had to get back out there to finish this. He got up from his seat and slipped through the door and went to the edge of the cliff. Raising his hands he finished his incantations in Latin. A swirl of dark dust hovered in front of him, then with a howl it fell to the ground. Geomighty was back in the abyss where it belonged. Bobby took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Please, oh great one, keep an eye on these two old witches. They are old and feeble-minded and need your protection from themselves." With that he turned and headed back to the van. All was well in Centerville again.
