We Come Out at Night

Mr. Sullivan came back to the living room to find Lynn still crying on the floor.

“Lynn!” He almost shouted as he crouched down beside her. He reached for her shoulder, but gasped and snatched his hand back. “Oh, god, it was Him?” Mr. Sullivan said as the steam began to subside on her body.

Lynn nodded and raised up to his level. “He knows about Trillian and Trina. He knows about you and me.” She clutched her head in her hands. “He says I have to finish the bounty, or He’ll kill all three of you.” The tears began to stream down her face again. “He knows, He knows, He knows.” Lynn chanted desperately.

“Listen, Lynn.” Mr. Sullivan said and shook her roughly. “It’s all a game to Him. He knew all along about you, me, and the girls. He hoped that when he appointed you to my bounty that you would come to love me. Then he would make you kill me.” He hugged Lynn tight while she cried from the searing truth. “It’s just a game to Him.” Mr. Sullivan told her again.

“A game.” Lynn spat when she stopped crying. “Our love. Our everything was just a game.”

Mr. Sullivan nodded. “And the game will continue long after I’m gone.”

Lynn pulled away from Mr. Sullivan until she could stare into his face.

“Then that’s it, then. I have to kill you.” She said, trying to hold back fresh tears.

Mr. Sullivan nodded again. “Yes, Lynn. I will have to die.”

“No.” Lynn said severely. “I refuse to play His game. I can not kill you!”

“You will, Lynn. You have to. For our children. Your enchantment will hold. As long as He can’t find them, they should be safe. For them, Lynn.” He helped Lynn to her feet. “Use your death magic.”

Lynn swallowed and sighed. She began to collect things around the house. Herbs, chalk, salt, talismans, and old ratty books. She brought them all outside to a concrete patio and began to draw a pentagram with the chalk. She drew ruins on all the points that I couldn’t decipher. She sprinkled dead plants around the chalk and then salt.

All the while Mr. Sullivan had gone into the knee deep grass and stood there silently. His lips were moving and silent prayers were sent to the moon. Suddenly, he yelped, but it wasn’t a pained sound. He levitated off the ground a couple a feet before a bright blast hit him. The light consumed his body and he began to change. When his feet hit the ground he looked totally different.

His skin was inky black and dark leathery bat wings hung between his shoulder blades. His eyes glowed silver. Despite the dark skin, it looked like a bright white light bulb was inside him. His skin glowed and silver vapor radiated off the surface.

He walked slowly back over to Lynn. “Is it finished?” Mr. Sullivan asked. His voice had remained the same.

Lynn nodded. Then she threw herself into his arms. “I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you.” He answered and the silver vapor consumed them both.

Lynn pulled back and the vapor fell. “Here,” she said and reached into her pocket. “Drink it. You won’t feel anything and it’ll go by faster.” Lynn’s voice was suddenly strained.

Mr. Sullivan took the small glass vial into his clawed hands and unscrewed the top. He dipped the contents into his mouth and stepped into the center of the circle. Immediately the wind picked up and the herbs and salt rose into the air and began to rotate around Mr. Sullivan. His hair was tousled and his silver eyes followed the wind.

Lynn bent down and held her palm to her mouth. Her tongue briefly touched her skin. Then she blew into her hand and a long flame touched to circle. Then, as if a lighter touching gasoline, Mr. Sullivan was consumed in blood red flames.

Lynn began to cry.

“Its okay, Lynn.” Mr. Sullivan said through the flames. “There’s no pain. Tell Trillian and
Trina I loved them.” The flames then consumed his head and his voice sound very far away. “Tell my son, James, that I love him.”

The flames stopped abruptly and was left were Mr. Sullivan’s ashes. Lynn retrieved the urn and swept the remains in it and clamped the top of it shut tight. She left the urn next to the long, black and emerald candle and in seconds, it was gone.

Suddenly I was back in the office room with the older Lynn in the Chyse bank.

“Now you know, Mr. Haner. You know the truth.” Lynn said quietly.

I got up from my chair and started for the door, but I paused when she began to speak.

“He has visited me again. And you could guess who he wants me to take down next.”

I ran out of the room and didn’t allow myself to think until I was in my car and driving down the road.

Oh my god, Jimmy.