Chapter 6 - Do you want my help or not?
The door swung shut behind Cooper and he spun around to see Matthias. The alleyway behind the restaurant was dark and cold. The muscled dark-featured demon wore a tight white t-shirt and smoked a cigarette. Cooper stood in front of Kayla and gulped. The only way out of the alleyway was past Matthias.
“Stop this,” Cooper whispered.
Matthias took a long puff off of his cigarette and threw it on the ground, “you little bitch.” He shook his head laughing. “It wasn’t enough to embarrass me you had to go tell on me to the boss.”
“I didn’t know how to stop you.”
Matthias walked over to Cooper and flashed a horrible grin then smacked his aside. Cooper flew into the trashcans and fell to the ground. Kayla took a step back and Matthias grabbed her neck.
“So smooth,” Matthias gripped her neck.
“I moisturize,” Kayla responded with a scared smirk. Matthias lifted her off the ground hiding her neck. Her feet kicked at the cement trying to find a footing.
“I could kill your friend. That would hurt you wouldn’t it.” Matthias watched Cooper get up from the ground. Gripping Kayla tightly, he smiled maliciously at her. “I’m sick of people cutting you slack just because you’re supposed to be special.”
Kayla kicked feebly at Matthias as her face became increasingly blue. Cooper dashed towards Matthias but was swatted away to the cement again. Matthias was too quick for him. Cooper watched as Kayla started to drift in an out of confidence.
“Stop it! Kill me instead,” Cooper offered. Matthias flashed his demon smile and shook his no. He lifted Kayla up and she passed out in his arms her head turning blue. Suddenly, she flew backwards and hit the wall falling to the ground. For a moment her body was motionless, then Kayla’s eyes burst open and she gasped for air.
Matthias was thrown against the dumpster denting it. The demon tried to struggle but Xander, the other demon from the club pinned him down. The bleached haired demon, watched the two with a smirk on his face.
“Bartley, Xander…did Siskin send you?” Matthias spat out still struggling but unable to get free from Xander’s grip.
“You two,” Bartley, the bleached haired demon, ordered, “leave, now.”
Cooper didn’t waste any time and helped Kayla off the ground. The two proceeded to the back door of the restaurant and opened it. Kayla stepped inside but Cooper turned to see Bartley approaching Matthias.
“What are you going to do to him?” Cooper whispered. Bartley turned his head and winked at Cooper then made a “shoo” motion with his hand. Getting the hint, Cooper ducked in the restaurant and shut the door. He waited a moment then opened it again to view an empty alleyway.
“Cooper, what was that?” Kayla interrogated pulling the door shut again and putting on her pump.
“Just a gang.” Cooper lied, his mind still on the attack.
Kayla tilted her head and furrowed her brow, “That guy’s mouth, his teeth, it wasn’t human.”
“I don’t know what to tell you Kayla without sounding crazy.” Cooper answered, shifting nervously on his feet.
Running her hands through her hair, Kayla shook her head stressed. “Just tell me Cooper, were those vampires or something?”
“No, demons.” Cooper answered. He frowned and started back to the dinner table where his friends sat. “You go to the car, I’ll say you got sick. I’ll tell you everything.”
***
Pulling into a space right in front of his apartment building, Kayla’s mouth dropped. Cooper had finished telling her everything. From his relationship with the werewolf named Tobalt, to the battle with an evil religious cult of supernatural creatures, and finally his dealings with the demons. Kayla got out of the car and shook her head in disbelief.
“I would have thought your crazy.” Kayla walked up to the entrance and opened it with her keys. “If I didn’t see all that myself.”
“Yeah.” Cooper answered and pulled out a bag of burgers that they got from a drive through on the way back.
Holding the door open for her friend, Kayla replied, “You should have told me sooner though. I would have helped you if I knew you needed it.”
Cooper nodded and continued into the hallway towards his room. “That would have been nice to know that. But I suppose I don’t need much help right now.” Cooper reached his door and unlocked it stepping inside. The apartment still smelled clean and he moved to the kitchen dropping the bag of burgers on the table.
“Yeah?” Kayla shut the door behind her and threw her shoes in the corner. “Well what about that other guy from the museum. “ She moved into the kitchen, “The one that said he wanted to kill you.”
“Oh yeah,” Cooper mused and opened the back pulling out a burger with grilled onions on it. He took a bite.
“Cooper, you need help with this!” Kayla pushed and reached into the bag pulling out a cheeseburger and some fries. “You have so many people trying to kill you, you can’t even keep them straight.”
“Only two,” Cooper replied mouth full of burger.
“Well,” Kayla sat down, “that’s two more than I’ve got.”
“Well, one more, what about James” Cooper pointed out taking another bite. He didn’t realize how hungry he was, “and his shifter crony Gerome.”
“Hey,” Kayla protested popping some fries into her mouth. “I like Gerome, and I’ve only met James once from what I can remember.”
“Exactly, James has tized you. I’m sure of it.” Cooper put his burger down and reached for some fries.
“Fine,” Kayla took a bite of her burger and while chewing, “but I am okay now. So let’s focus on you.” She swallowed, “you said you went to the Getty to look at that painting, who drew it?”
“Salvador Dali,” Cooper responded finishing his burger and swallowing hard.
“Cool,” Kayla popped some more fries into her mouth. “So let’s research everything we can about that guy.”
“He is one of the most famous painters of the modern era.” Cooper stressed and Kayla shrugged her shoulders. “Just when you say that guy….never mind.”
“Cool,” Kayla put her half eaten burger down and stood up. “Well, I am going to take a shower and hit the sack.”
“Guess my life can just be put on hold then,” Cooper laughed. Cooper pulled off his clothes and slid into bed. He listened to the running water in the bathroom and fell asleep to the sound of it. Drifting into his dream Cooper saw himself sitting on his bed; he held a piece of glass in his hand and squeezed it watching the blood trickle out of his palm. Shifting around in his bed, his dream location changed. Now, he was in that back room again at the demon nightclub Fire, the dimly lit one with old antique armchairs.
“So,” The fiery red-haired demon, Siskin, smirked from the armchair at Cooper, “You’re back.”
Cooper didn’t have control of his body but he saw it move around the room smiling at Siskin. “I needed to check out my investment. If we are going to by a club to corrupt, I need to see if it is going well.”
“I thought you decided to run off with that whore of yours.” Siskin responded lighting a cigarette.
“Don’t call him that!” Cooper shouted at Siskin. The dream felt more and more real by the moment. His mind started to spin and everything became blurry. The anger surged and Cooper felt a hand on his shoulder pull him out of the dream.
“Cooper! Wake up! Are you okay?” Kayla, wrapped in towels, fresh from her shower, woke her friend up.
Wiping a cold sweat from his neck Cooper sat up in bed panting, the anger from his dream subsiding, “Yeah, just a nightmare.”
“With Saline Dairy in it?” Kayla inquired drying her hair.
“I hope you don’t mean Salvador Dali.” Cooper rolled his eyes then held up his hand, “No, this was at the club and with my hand.” Looking down at the wound he self-inflicted from squeezing glass a few days ago it was all healed now. “I think when I black out something else is taking control.”
“Like what?”
***
The following morning Kayla and Cooper didn’t feel like cooking so they went to the café down the street and sat watching people and cars move past the window. Kayla had a small strawberry filled pastry and Cooper a bagel. About halfway through his bagel Cooper realized something. He had a lead. Cooper remembered that one time he possibly blacked out was with someone he thought he could trust. His therapist/psychologist, Dr. Ilana Hillenbaum.
Arriving at Dr. Hillenbaum’s Beverly Hills office, the waiting room had a few people waiting to see the famous doctor. One of the patients had taken to reading one of Dr. Hillenbaum’s books. Cooper approached the front desk where the surly dyed brown haired assistant sat.
“Cooper Morris, you don’t have an appointment today.” The assistant said before Cooper could get a word out. She didn’t even look up from her computer screen.
“I know but I was just hoping.” Cooper began but was interrupted by the assistant.
“Sorry,” She twirled a long brown strand of hair around her finger, “the doctor’s schedule is back to back.”
“But this is really important,” Kayla urged coming to the desk and looking at the woman.
The assistant eyed Kayla up and down and rolled her eyes before responding, “I said, her schedule is back to back.”
“Listen…” Kayla’s voice dropped and her eyes narrowed at the girl.
“Amy,” The assistant responded with a cocked head.
“Amy,” Kayla continued, “We really need to speak with her…” It looked as if Kayla was about to rip Amy’s head off. Amy seemed to know exactly how Kayla was feeling and enjoyed the power she had over the blond girl.
The door to Dr. Hillenbaum’s office opened. Her long hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her eclectic style radiated off her body. She stood in the doorway her arms crossed and nodded to a tall boyishly handsome black haired white man. Kayla eyed him, the man was familiar to her in some way.
“I’m sorry Cooper, I will see you later this week but, here” Dr. Hillenbaum handed Cooper a small recorder. “I hope this helps.” She nodded then motioned her hands, sweeping Kayla and Cooper away. A tall elegant woman approached the office door. “Hello Janice come on in, how’re you doing?” Dr. Hillenbaum said as she shut her office door.
***
Back in the car, the two didn’t want to wait to listen to the recorder. Kayla quickly clicked it on and as it started Cooper realized it was his therapy session a few days ago.
“I don’t know if I want you to hear this,” Cooper tried to grab the recorder out of Kayla’s hands.
Kayla held it up and looked at Cooper, “Do you want my help or not?”
“Yeah but I don’t want you to hear all my private stuff.” Cooper tried one more time but couldn’t reach the recorder.
“Cooper? Cooper?” Dr. Hillenbaum’s voice came out of the recorder. “You’re what I sensed inside him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Cooper’s voice responded from the recorder. Something about it was deeper, more sinister than usual. Yet, Cooper nor Kayla could point out what it was. The two friends continued to listen in silence to the recording.
“So, tell me what you are?” Dr. HIllenbaum replied in a casual tone.
“You don’t want to know,” Cooper’s voice, or rather the thing inside Cooper responded.
“Try me,” Dr. Hillenbaum said but there was silence after it, a pause of about six to eight long seconds. “Okay, fine, why are you hurting my client?”
“I’m scaring him,” Cooper scoffed back at the doctor.
“Now what do you hope to accomplish by this.” Dr. Ilana Hillenbaum pointed out, “Clearly you need him as a host.”
“I don’t need him. I will soon take full control of his mind.”
“Now, I can’t allow that.”
“What can you do to stop me?” Cooper laughed through the recorder. This sent chills down the two friend’s backs. “Medicine won’t work, your little pad and paper won’t work.”
“Don’t patronize me,” Dr. Hillenbaum retorted, clearly annoyed.
“Shut up you fucking bitch.” Cooper shouted. “See, who has the power? I do. I know how to use it and I will soon gain full control of Cooper’s body.”
“What will happen, to his mind then?” Ilana asked clearly startled by the outburst.
“It’ll be gone. I will kill it.” Another silence followed before Cooper’s voice picked up on the recording again. “Now what time is it? I need to get to the nightclub.”
Another silence filled the gap before Dr. Hillenbaum responded. “Cooper, Cooper?”
“Yeah?” Cooper replied, his voice now normal again. Kayla let out a long breath and shook her head.
“Unfortunately our time is up.” Ilana replied on the recording when Cooper turned it off, taking it from Kayla’s hand. The two friends looked at each other then back at the small recorder.
***
Returning back to the apartment after an early dinner the setting Los Angeles sun cast an orange glow across the apartment steps. Kayla opened the door to the studio and moved into the kitchen. Cooper shut the door and collapsed on the bed. A shout and sound of clanking pots and pans startled Cooper.
He darted into the kitchen to see Kayla holding a butcher knife to the man from the museum, the tall handsome long brown haired man. He wore a long ragged black coat and had a silver cross handing from his neck.
“Who the hell are you? Why are you here?” Kayla shouted. “Cooper, call the police.”
“This is the psycho from the museum.” Cooper took out his phone.
The man held his hand out backing from the knife that Kayla pointed at him, “Hold on, I want to help you.”
“You said you wanted to kill me.” Cooper shouted dialing the 9 on his phone.
“No,” The guy shook his head, his long brown hair moving in front of his face. “I want to kill what’s inside of you.”
Kayla glanced back at Cooper, still not dropping the knife, “What’s inside of Cooper?”
The man took a deep breath and released it, “A demon.” He eyed Kayla as she lowered the knife, “And it’s slowly possessing you.”