A Gathering of Crows

ELEVEN

Donny didn’t want to move. Marsha felt good against him, warm and soft. She felt right. But when Levi urged them all back into the living room, he didn’t argue. Most of the others went quietly, too stunned and confused to question their unlikely champion. Only Gus remained behind, sitting on the floor, scratching at the linoleum with his fingernails and babbling about sea monsters that were part crab, part lobster and part scorpion. Paul and Randy pulled him to his feet and helped him along behind the others.

Levi put his hand on Donny’s shoulder and motioned for him to come closer. When the rest of the survivors were out of earshot, he leaned close.

“I’ll need your help.”

“You’ve got it,” Donny said. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“First, we need to get everyone upstairs. The wards and glyphs will protect them, but I need them all in one place, so that they don’t get in my way.”

“I don’t think anyone will argue with that.”

“I don’t either.”

“What happens after that? What’s the plan?”

“Let’s get them upstairs first.”

Donny followed Levi back into the living room.

Was it his imagination, or did the magus seem taller? Certainly his voice was more grim than it had been before. Even his stride seemed to have become stronger. His boots clomped on the wooden floor, despite the thick carpeting and rugs.

“Okay,” Levi addressed the group. “With luck, and God’s help, this will all be over soon.”

“God isn’t there,” Gus interrupted. “He’s been split in three, and one part of him is stuck in a loop. He is born again. And again and again and again, over and over. Poor guy.”

“Hush.” Paul ruffled Gus’s hair as if he were one of the mountain man’s beloved bear hounds.

“Can you stop them?” Marsha asked.

Levi nodded. “I believe so, yes. But again, I’ll need all of you to do exactly as I say. Otherwise…”

He didn’t have to finish, Donny noted to himself. They’d each seen enough horror for one night, and they had Gus as a living example of what could happen.

“I need all of you to go upstairs,” Levi continued. “Trust me when I tell you that you’ll be safe there. Certainly safer than you would be down here. Remember, our enemies can’t find you as long as you remain within this house. I want you to stay there until it’s safe to come back down.”

“And how will we know that?” Myrtle asked.

“Because I’ll still be alive. Donny is going to stay down here and help me—”

“No,” Marsha said.

Levi held up his hand. “He won’t be here the whole time, and he won’t be in any immediate danger. The same safeguards that protect the rest of you will be protecting him, as well. But I’ll need him to do something for me before he can join you upstairs. It’s something important. Indeed, without his help, my plan will fail.”

“I can help.” Randy stepped forward.

“No, you can’t.” Marsha grabbed her brother’s arm. “So can I,” Myrtle said. “Don’t forget, I know about this stuff, too. Tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll do it.”

“I appreciate your offers, but that won’t be necessary.”

“Bullshit,” Randy said. “Those fuckers killed my parents and my friends, yo. If you’re gonna kick their ass, then I want a piece, too.”

“The best thing you can do for your loved ones,” Levi said, “is to stay alive. That’s what they’d want. That’s all that matters now.”

“He’s right,” Donny told Randy. “Think about your sister, dude. You’ve both lost enough people tonight. She doesn’t need to lose you, too.”

Randy sneered. “Says the guy who keeps running out on her.”

Marsha gasped, and Randy shrugged her off. Donny opened his mouth to respond, but then thought better of it. In truth, the kid was right. He’d deserved that.

Gus took advantage of the momentary silence. He turned to Paul and said, “You know that Teddy Garnett fella? Old boy who lives up in Punkin Center?”

Paul nodded.

“I saw him. While we were in there. He passed by us in the hall. Except that it wasn’t him. It was a different him.”

Paul looked like he was ready to cry. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse with emotion.

“I reckon you had a bad dream is all, Gus. You’ll be okay. Just quiet down.”

“No, it wasn’t a bad dream. I’m not stupid, Paul. I know what I saw. It was Teddy, but it wasn’t. He had some other folks with him, too, but I didn’t recognize any of them. A real pretty black girl and some young guy dressed up like a mobster in one of those Tarantino movies and a fella our age. Looked like a farmer, maybe? He reminded me of Levi a little bit.”

Donny noticed Levi twitch at this, as if startled.

“Did they speak to you?” Levi asked. “Did this man give you his name?”

Gus turned to Levi and smiled. A thin line of drool hung from the corner of his mouth. “What?”

“This man. This farmer who reminded you of me. Did he give you his name? Was it Nelson LeHorn?”

Gus suddenly glanced down at his feet with a look of concern. “I want my Spider-Man slippers. Where did my Spider-Man slippers go?”

“Who’s Nelson LeHorn?” Donny asked.

“Someone from my past who disappeared a long time ago.” Levi shook his head. “Never mind that. It’s not important right now. I think we should begin. I’m anxious to end this, and I’m sure all of you are, as well.”

“You’re damn right,” Paul muttered.

“I can’t go anywhere without my Spider-Man slippers!”

Talking among themselves, the group headed upstairs. Marsha stopped halfway up and looked back at Donny. Her eyes shone in the darkness.

“I’ll be okay,” he said, trying his best to smile. “You’d better be.” She started to turn away.

“Marsha?”

She paused. “Yeah?”

“I love you. I always loved you. I know that now.”

“I love you too, you asshole.”

Marsha grinned. Donny grinned back. Then she turned and was gone.

“You should hold on to that one,” Levi said. “You’re meant to be together.”

“Did you read that in some tea leaves or tarot cards?”

“No. I read it in your eyes. And in hers. You’re soul mates.”

“I never believed in that stuff before.”

“I haven’t,” Levi said. “Not in soul mates, at least. Not in a long time.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“The two of you did. Now, let’s get started. We’ve got a lot to prepare.”

Levi returned to the kitchen. Donny followed him. When they got there, Levi stood facing the front door. He seemed to be studying the layout of the first floor. Donny remained silent while he did. The kitchen and front door were connected by a short hallway. One side of the dark hallway led to the living room. The other side led to the stairway, as well as the first-floor bathroom and a small bedroom. Apparently satisfied by what he saw, Levi turned and looked behind them, studying the rear door on the far side of the kitchen. He walked to it, parted the curtains and peered outside.

“Good. Only two entrances on this floor. I thought that was what I remembered from before, but we were pressed for time earlier, and I needed to make sure.”

“What do you need me to do?” Donny asked.

“Check the cupboards. I need bowls, coffee mugs—anything that I can burn sage in.”

While Donny did this, Levi opened the pantry door. Donny froze, half expecting to see the dark men leap out, but instead, the space was filled with shelves of dry and canned goods. Levi hunted around inside until he found a large canister of salt. He pulled it from the pantry and closed the door again. Then he grabbed the salt shaker from the counter and unscrewed the top of it. Thus armed, he began sprinkling lines of salt in front of the kitchen window and the back door. Donny grabbed an armload of blue ceramic bowls from the cupboard and sat them on the counter. Levi looked up and nodded.

“Those will be fine.”

“I don’t think Mrs. Laudry will be too happy with us. These are nice bowls.”

“I think she’d be even less fond of the alternative.” Levi reached in his vest pocket and pulled out the two dried bundles of sage. He tossed it to Donny. Donny caught it with one hand. “Put some of that in each bowl.”

“How much should I use?”

“All of it, but in even amounts, if possible.”

Donny spread the bowls out on the counter and began dividing up the sage. The smell was not unpleasant. He found it strangely soothing. While he did this, Levi left the room. Donny finished just as he returned.

“What now?”

Levi picked up two bowls. “We place these around the first floor and light them.”

He placed one bowl beneath the kitchen window and another next to the back door. Then he picked up two more. Donny did the same and followed along behind him. They put the bowls all over the house, and Donny noticed that Levi had salted most of the house. All of the doors and windows had a line of salt beneath them. The only areas that didn’t were the front door and the stairwell.

“Don’t we need salt there, too?” Donny nodded toward the front door.

“Not yet. Remember, I placed a ward above the door before we left earlier.”

Squinting, Donny looked above the door. Sure enough, the words were still there, written in black Magic Marker and almost unnoticeable in the gloom.

“What about the stairs?” he asked.

“That comes next. Listen carefully. They’ll be coming soon.”

“Wait—I thought you said they couldn’t find us as long as we’re in the house.”

“They couldn’t,” Levi said. “But now I want them to.”

“So you’re using us as fucking bait?”

Levi didn’t respond. “I’ll remove the ward over the front door. When I do that, they’ll be able to sense our presence. I imagine they’ll waste no time in coming here. The rest of the house will remain sealed, so they’ll have no choice but to enter through the front door.”

“And kill every one of us. This plan sucks, Levi.”

“They won’t hurt the others. It’s me they want most of all, and perhaps Randy.”

“All the more reason not to lead them here. We’re sitting ducks. Talk about a fucking ambush!”

“It is an ambush,” Levi agreed, “but we’re the ones ambushing them. They’ll go after me first. Trust me on this.”

“But there’s no salt in front of the stairs. What’s to stop them from going up there first and slaughtering everybody?”

“You. You’re stopping them.”

“How?”

Levi pulled out his copy of The Long Lost Friend and handed it to him. “All you have to do is stand firm. They can’t hurt you as long as you have this. If they go for you first—and understand, that is unlikely—then you’ll only need to stall them long enough for me to get their attention. But I don’t think that will happen. I think they’ll come in the front door, see me and let their anger and hatred consume them. In fact, I’m counting on it.”

“But without the book, they’ll rip you to pieces.”

Levi smiled. “They didn’t get me back at Axel’s house, and I’m confident that they won’t get me here. I still have a few other tricks up my sleeve. And again, that’s where you come in. I need you to hide on the stairwell. When they come in, wait until all five have gone past you. Then, I need you to sneak down the stairs behind them and salt both the front door and the bottom of the stairwell. Do the door first. Then the stairs.”

“And they won’t be able to get upstairs.”

“Exactly. Nor will they be able to leave.”

Donny shook his head. “I don’t know, Levi. This sounds like suicide to me.”

“I need to have them all in one spot. This is the only way to do that.”

“What happens after you’ve got them in here? What are you going to do? A big magic battle?”

“Hardly. Nothing so cinematic. That only happens in Harry Potter. The truth is, I still don’t know how to fight them.”

Donny’s heart sank. He gaped at Levi, speechless. After a moment, he ran a hand across his head, feeling his scalp tingle beneath his buzz cut.

“So… all of this is what? A bluff? A lie? Something just to make the others feel safe? Are we gonna die?”

“No.” Levi’s paused, and then softened his tone. “No, not if I can help it. I don’t know how to defeat them for good, but I do know how to make them someone else’s problem. If my plan goes accordingly, they won’t trouble our world again. They’re revenants, but of a type previously unknown to me. When we’re done, I can search for their physical forms— probably buried in a grave somewhere near the original Roanoke Colony. Usually, if you destroy a revenant’s physical remains, you destroy its spiritual form, as well. I’m hoping that rule will apply to our adversaries.”

“It damn well better.”

Levi leaned against the wall. His shoulders sagged. He seemed tired. When he looked at Donny again, he seemed ten years older.

“Go upstairs,” Levi said. “Join the others. But be ready. After you’ve completed your task, do not cross the lines of salt—for any reason—until you hear from me again. Now, I must pray for God’s guidance and strength. When I’m done, I’ll let them know where we are.”

Donny nodded. He started to leave and then hesitated. Turning, he thrust out his hand. Levi shook it.

“Good luck,” Donny whispered.

“May the Lord protect us all,” Levi answered.

Then Donny went upstairs and waited for Levi to ring the dinner bell.

After Donny was gone, Levi quickly went to the pantry door. He placed his forehead and palms against it, closed his eyes and murmured a prayer in a language not spoken on Earth. Slowly, the light returned and began to creep out from beneath the door again. Then the light changed color, first turning red and then pale blue, before settling on a sickly grayish hue. When Levi straightened up again and pulled his hands away from the door, they were shaking. His forehead was bathed in sweat. He placed his hand on the doorknob. It was warm and wet. He turned it, opening the door just an inch. More light leaked through.

He pulled out his cigarette lighter and, one by one, lit the bowls of sage. The thick, pleasant aroma quickly filled the house. Levi breathed deep, drawing strength from it. His aches and pains vanished. His mind was soothed. He patted his vest pockets and discovered that at some point during the night’s battles, he’d lost his knife. With no time to mourn the loss, he selected a steak knife from one of Esther’s kitchen drawers and stood beneath the front door. Gritting his teeth, he turned his right-hand palm upward and sliced it open with the knife, moaning slightly from the pain and hoping the others wouldn’t hear him. Then he made another cut, forming an X pattern in his flesh. Blood flowed over his hand and splattered onto the floor. It streamed down his wrist and crept beneath his shirtsleeve. Grimacing, Levi held up his red right hand and smeared blood over the words written above the door. He did this three times, moving from left to right, as if he were painting. Then, he stood back and surveyed his handiwork. Satisfied that the words were obscured, Levi opened the front door.

“Get ready,” he called to Donny as he hurried back to the kitchen. “They’ll be coming now.”

As if in confirmation, the creatures’ cries echoed across the town. Levi sat cross-legged in front of the pantry door, lit by the glow coming from the other side, and squeezed his wrist, hoping to stanch the flow of blood.

He did not have to wait long. His foes arrived within minutes. They made no attempt to mask their approach. Their cries and threats preceded their arrival. Even so, he felt their presence long before they reached the house. The sensation filled him with loathing…

… and terror. A terror he hadn’t felt in quite some time. He focused on his breathing and tried not to panic. He needed to keep his thoughts clear and his will strong. Was it his imagination, or was the scent of the sage fading?

“Your will be done, Lord.”

Shadows moved in the open doorway. There was a sibilant hiss, and then all five entities appeared. They paused, standing at the threshold. One of them sniffed the air.

“Sage, and salt. And blood. We know these ingredients. What paltry trick do you cling to now, Levi, son of Amos?”

“No trickery,” he called. “The way is open to you. Enter freely and of your own will. I give you my word that I will not harm you in this place.”

The creatures hesitated for another moment. Levi worried that they might not take the bait. Then, one by one, they entered the home.

The tallest pointed. “The remainders are clustered upstairs. See to them, that our work here might be done.”

Levi’s pulse increased. “Why? Are you afraid to face me instead?”

“Do not try our patience, bearded one.”

“I seek not to offend, but I must admit that I’m perplexed. The others cannot harm you, and yet you focus on them first. I would think that instead, you would wish to deal with me first. After all, I’m the real threat.”

The five shadowed figures crept closer, nearing the stairs. Levi held his breath, hoping they wouldn’t divert, and hoping Donny could hold his ground if they did.

“Your arrogance will be your undoing, little magus.”

“And your self-assuredness will be yours. It always is for your kind. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.”

“He has forsaken you. He has forsaken all of you.”

“He has done no such thing.”

That’s it, Levi thought. Keep coming. Just a few more steps…

The creatures halted at the stairs. Two of them glanced up, sniffing the air. One licked his lips.

“My God is stronger than yours,” Levi taunted. “You know this to be true. I serve the one true God.”

“Your God has no power over us, and neither do you.”

“If that’s true, then face me, cowards.”

That did it. Levi grinned.

Snarling, the revenants forgot about the humans upstairs and stalked toward him. Their eyes and teeth flashed in the darkness. The air grew colder and the gloom seemed to deepen. Levi shivered. Beyond them, he saw a figure sneak down the stairs, moving silently, and dart toward the front door.

Thank you, Lord. Just a moment longer.

The dark men entered the kitchen. Levi remained still, projecting calm. His legs were still crossed. He held out his hands, palms up.

“Now,” he said, smiling up at them. “I guess you’re wondering why I’ve called you here.”

One of the figures raked its talons along the wall. “Enough of this. You’ve stalled long enough. Now you die.”

“Go ahead, Levi,” Donny shouted.

The revenants turned at the sound of his voice, just as Donny fled up the stairs. Two of them raced over to the stairwell, but halted when they reached the salt.

“What is this?”

“It’s salt.” Levi stood up again. He was still grinning.

“You’ll note that it now covers all entrances and exits from this place. I know it’s not really a sphere, but according to the Law, it still counts as a circle.”

The figure closest to Levi smiled. “Very good, little magus. This was unexpected.”

“Thank you. I like to think on my feet.”

“Of course, it is a futile gesture. There is one thing you didn’t consider, Levi, son of Amos. There is one crucial flaw in this pitiful attempt to defeat us.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“You are trapped in the circle with us.”

“No.” Levi’s smile vanished. “It’s you who are trapped in here with me.”

Levi sprang to his feet as they charged toward him. Everything now came down to timing and placement. He had to be exact, had to make it look natural, or all of his efforts would be for naught. He would die here, in this broken circle, and Meeble’s minions would win.

He darted to the left and ran toward the slightly open door, seemingly attempting to evade his attackers and get behind them. The ruse worked. They slammed into him in front of the pantry. Their talons and teeth slashed at him, ripping and tearing. Levi howled in pain as his blood began to flow. The creatures howled with him, shouting angry curses in a language not their own. Levi let his knees go weak, allowing their combined weight and the force of their attack to drive him backward. He prayed they’d come with him, and his prayer was answered. They clung tightly, their claws sinking deeper into his flesh. Half-blind from pain, Levi crashed into the pantry door and tumbled through to the other side. The revenants fell with him. They toppled to the ground together, but his opponents were too enraged to notice that their surroundings had changed. Biting his lip to stifle his screams, Levi lashed out with his foot and kicked the door shut.

Esther’s pantry vanished, taking the rest of the world with it.

Slowly, their attack ceased. One by one, they withdrew from him and stood, staring speechless at their new surroundings. Levi did the same. The overcast sky was filled with grayish-yellow clouds of mist so impressive in size that they almost appeared to be floating landmasses. The soft ground was spongy and slick. White, fibrous strands of what looked like peach fuzz sprouted from the surface. Moisture seeped through Levi’s clothing and when he pulled his hands away, his palms were wet. His skin felt slimy, as if he’d been grasping earthworms or slugs. The landscape was featureless, save for a variety of sickly gray and white toadstools, mushrooms and other fungi. Some were miniscule. Others were as tall as redwood trees. The air was thick with the smell of mildew. Far off in the distance, a black river of what looked like tar wound its way through the fungus. It was spanned by a cyclopean bridge made entirely of mold. Beyond that, on the horizon, great gray mountains towered into the poison sky. They were dreary looking and somehow obscene, and the sight of their peaks filled Levi with dread. A city composed of windowless black towers stood in their shadow. Atop the tallest mountain sat a giant geometric sculpture, a shining trapezoid that spilled light onto the valley below. Despite his immediate danger, Levi was awestruck by its size. He’d read of the monolith before, but to see it like this, to actually view the shining trapezoid… No written account did it justice.

The shadows stirred.

“What trickery is this, little magus?”

Groaning, Levi stumbled to his feet. Blood ran from both of his arms as well as his back, chest and face. He’d broken the index finger of his right hand, and he was pretty sure that his right wrist was sprained, too. The flesh was already beginning to swell, and the pain made him nauseous.

“No trickery. I promised you that I wouldn’t harm you in Esther’s place, and I have honored my word. I have brought you elsewhere.”

“You speak in riddles.”

“No, I don’t. Welcome to your new home, gentlemen.”

They turned on him, growling. Their elongated talons had shrunk back into their fingers, and their clothes and faces weren’t so dark anymore.

“Don’t bother trying to shape-shift,” Levi continued. “You can’t anymore. In fact, if I’m correct—and I suspect that I am—you’ll find that you’re all quite powerless here.”

“Meeble’s strength follows us wherever we go. It is within us.”

“Back on Earth, perhaps, but not here. Not in this place. You see, this is not your master’s domain.”

Grunting, the tallest of the five made a dismissive gesture with his hand and pulled himself up to his full height. “After all your boasts, you have merely delayed the inevitable, Levi, son of Amos. You may be able to walk the paths of the Labyrinth, but bringing us here will not save you. What do my brothers and I care for worlds? We will lay waste to this one, just as we laid waste to your own. This world’s populace shall know of our master’s power, and we will feed here just as well.”

“Go ahead, then. Leave your mark. Carve Croatoan in the trunk of one of those great mushrooms. Carve your master’s name here, in the domain of Behemoth!”

They gaped at him. The fear on their faces was palpable, and Levi couldn’t help but laugh. After all of the terror they’d caused the people of Brinkley Springs, not to mention countless other human beings going all the way back to the original Roanoke settlement, it felt good to see them scared and to know that he was the source of their fear. He forced himself to ignore the twinge of pride.

“I see by your expressions that you understand now. That’s correct. We stand beneath the noxious skies of Yuggoth, home of Behemoth, the Great Worm and one of the Thirteen, who is the equal of your master.”

“You lie.”

Levi shook his head. “You know that I don’t. According to the Law, you are forbidden to do your working here, lest you risk a war between the Great Worm and your master—a conflict which would ultimately anger He Who Shall Not Be Named. I don’t think Meeble would appreciate such insolence.”

His opponents began to tremble. Whether from fear or rage, Levi couldn’t be certain. Perhaps both. Either way, they were still dangerous, even without their powers.

“Open the door,” the shortest one said. “Return us to our world and we will let you live. On this you have our word.”

Levi shook his head. “Not a chance.”

“Then you have doomed yourself, as well, little magus.” The tallest of the five stepped closer. “If you know of Yuggoth, then you know what grows here. Even as we speak, you are breathing the poisoned spores into your lungs. You are inhaling Behemoth’s seeds. They will take root in your body and begin to grow, ultimately transforming you—if the wounds we inflicted do not kill you first.”

“I’ve had worse,” Levi bluffed. In truth, his legs felt wobbly and he was growing weaker with every moment. He needed to stop the bleeding and attend to his injuries. His wrist continued to swell, and the skin around it felt hot to the touch and had turned an angry shade of red. His finger, bent and swollen, throbbed painfully with each beat of his heart. He took a deep breath. The air was sweltering and thick, and coated his tongue. Levi grimaced. It was like breathing hot soup. He smacked his lips and tasted mildew in the back of his throat.

“This will be the end of you, bearded one.”

“Perhaps,” Levi said, “but I’d rather succumb to the white fuzz than return you to my world. Better to turn into a mushroom than to allow you to continue your work.”

As he talked, Levi pressed his left hand to the wound on his chest. It was bleeding profusely. He cupped his palm and his hand filled with warmth.

“Open the door,” the shortest one repeated. This time, his voice had a pleading tone. “We promise to return to our place of rest and bother you and those under your protection no more. Again, you have our word.”

“And what of next time?” Levi asked. “What happens when you come out of hibernation and murder another town? What about all the others you’ll kill? No, I’ll not have that on my conscience. There’s enough blood on my hands.”

“Dead men don’t have consciences.” The revenant who said this glanced at his brothers and laughed.

Blood dripped through Levi’s fingers. “I’m not dead yet.”

“Then let us rectify that,” the tall one said. “Powerless or not, there are five of us and one of you. You are outnumbered and you are wounded.”

They moved toward him in a half circle. The two on the ends tried to flank him on either side. Levi flung a fistful of his blood at the one on the left, spattering his face and clothing.

“By His blood I bind thee. By His blood I command thee. By His blood, which was shed for me, do I trod on thee.”

Shrieking, the dark man recoiled, clawing at his face. Smoke rose from his clothing and skin. He collapsed to the ground and lay writhing and kicking as the smoke grew thicker.

“The power and the glory forever, amen.”

The others hesitated, glancing down at their brother in confusion and panic. Levi cupped his hand to his breast and gathered more of his blood.

“Now there are four of you,” he said. “Did I mention that without your abilities, my powwow works on you?”

They charged him all at once, rushing forward. Levi splashed a fistful of blood in the face of the closest attacker. The dark figure reeled backward. The other three slammed into Levi, pushing him to the ground. He struck the surface hard, yelping as his wounds were opened afresh. The ground itself yielded, seeming to suck him deeper. A flurry of blows rained down upon him. Their fists battered his face and chest. A punch to his stomach forced the air from his lungs. He gasped, breathing in more of the noxious, musty air and tasting mildew and blood. His stomach lurched. The pounding continued. Levi closed his bruised and swelling eyes and exhaled.

“He loses consciousness already, brothers.”

“He does, indeed. Stay awake, little magus.”

“We have only just started with you. We do not need our powers to rend the flesh from your bones or show you your insides. We can do it with our bare hands.”

Levi ignored the rough, chattering voices and focused on himself. The pain faded until he no longer felt the blows and punches, even though they continued to fall upon him. He could no longer hear his attackers, no longer feel their crushing weight. Gone, too, was the cloying, potent stench of the planet’s atmosphere and the wet, slimy touch of the ground. There was only Levi, floating above himself. He looked down at his body, watched with a sense of detachment as one of his attackers wrapped their hands around his throat and squeezed. Summoning all of his strength, Levi found his center and then returned to his body.

He forced what little air remained in his lungs through his nose and simultaneously pushed with his mind. His shoulders stiffened and his body trembled as he shoved harder, visualizing his will as a physical bludgeon. Then his eyes snapped open and all three of his attackers were shoved backward as if they’d been struck. They flew through the air like rag dolls, soaring away from him before ultimately slamming into the fibrous, fungal surface.

Levi struggled to sit up. Each movement was agony. One of his eyes had swollen completely shut and the other was only a slit. He strained, trying to find the spot where the doorway had been. If he couldn’t find it, he’d be trapped here with them. His opponents would never let him live long enough to open a second passage. Wincing, he turned his head. The three attackers lay still, apparently stunned by the force of his psychic defense. The other two—the ones he’d splashed with blood—were now just smoking piles of ash. He wondered where their spirits had gone. Here, or back to Earth, where their original bodies still lay buried?

One of the three remaining revenants twitched. Levi tried to stand up, but found that he couldn’t. The pain was too great. Resolving to try again, he bit his lip—and screamed aloud. It had been smashed and split by the beating he’d taken, but the pain helped him focus. It forced him on. Still, despite his best efforts, his body refused to obey his commands. Levi crawled forward on his hands, trailing his useless legs behind him. His feet carved shallow furrows in the ground, and his elbows made sucking sounds in the turf as he pulled himself along. Stagnant water pooled around him, welling up from below the surface. Levi was suddenly aware of being very thirsty, and for a brief moment, he considered drinking the loathsome liquid. Just a little bit, enough to quench his thirst.

“No…” He meant to shout it, but the utterance was barely a croak.

Whimpering, Levi focused on the terrain. He dragged himself through the ashes of his enemies, smearing them against his damp, bloody clothes, until he’d reached the spot where the door should be. The wind howled, racing across the gray-white plain. Levi raised one trembling hand and almost blacked out. His vision wavered. His ears roared. He forced himself to take another deep breath, inhaling more of the sickening air. It felt gritty, as if he’d breathed in sandpaper. The sensation passed, and his vision returned. Levi raised his hand again, stretching one quivering arm forward. When his broken finger brushed against the invisible door, he moaned. The crooked digit throbbed. His vision blurred again, and this time, it did not clear.

Running footsteps squelched behind him. Levi rolled over just as the tallest of the revenants flung itself at him. The attacker landed next to him, face first in the terrain. When he lifted his head, his cheeks and chin were covered with white fungus. Snarling, he bared his teeth. Despite his pain and delirium, Levi noticed how yellow they were now. They looked old and brittle, not at all the shining white fangs that had glinted in the darkness of Brinkley Springs.

Levi made a fist, grabbing a handful of the damp soil, and flung it into the dark man’s face. Then, using the last of his physical strength, he crawled forward and plunged both his middle finger and his broken index finger into the revenant’s eyes. There was a brief moment of resistance, as if he were pressing against a balloon, and then it vanished. His fingers slid into the sockets with ease. Jellied pulp squirted out around his knuckles. The revenant screamed.

“That’s it,” Levi whispered. “Scream. It’s better when you scream.”

His opponent shuddered and then lay still. Levi pulled his fingers from the ruined sockets and glanced over at the other two. Both were beginning to stir. The roaring grew louder in his ears and his vision blurred a third time. He tried reaching for the door again but for some reason, his arms no longer wanted to work. Like his legs, they had ultimately betrayed him.

He collapsed onto the spongy ground and stared through one slit at the empty space in front of him.

“Your will be done, Lord. On Yuggoth, as it is in Heaven.”

And then, a dark crack appeared in the air. Dim candlelight flickered inside of it. Levi heard voices— Randy’s and Marsha’s, followed a moment later by Donny’s.

“He said not to break the circle.” Donny sounded frantic.

“But he’s gone,” Randy said. “Let’s look in the pantry. Maybe he went back through that… other place, again.”

The crack grew wider. Moaning, Levi crawled toward it. Marsha and Randy stood in the doorway, gasping in surprise at the vista spread out before them.

“Don’t breathe,” Levi gasped. “Get back and don’t breathe it in.”

He heaved himself through the open door and tumbled onto Esther’s kitchen floor. The linoleum felt cool beneath his skin. Randy, Marsha and Donny hovered over him, their expressions concerned and alarmed.

“Jesus, Levi.” Donny scanned his wounds. “You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder.”

“We’ve got to get him to a hospital,” Marsha said. “No.” Levi shook his head weakly. “Must… close… door. Get rid… of… circle.”

“How?” Donny asked.

“The salt.” Randy stood up and then glanced down at Levi. “We’ve got to get rid of the salt, right?”

Levi nodded.

“How do you know that?” Marsha asked.

“I don’t know. I just do. He was fooling with salt earlier. I reckon it makes sense.”

The three of them brushed the lines of salt away from the doors and windows with their hands and feet. Slowly, the light beneath the pantry door faded. When they were finished, Donny returned. He knelt and pressed Levi’s copy of The Long Lost Friend into his hands. Levi couldn’t feel the book between his numb fingers, but knowing it was there made him feel better. He waited until Donny looked into his eyes again and then let his gaze fall upon the pantry door. Then he looked at Donny again.

“You want me to check?” the younger man asked.

“Yes…”

Slowly, Donny opened the door. He crouched as he did so, ready to leap out of the way should something charge through it. He relaxed when Esther’s canned goods stood revealed.

Levi smiled. He took one last shuddering breath, and then the darkness consumed him.