Missing Years ( Part 28)

The call from her granddad had made her feel uneasy. Stacey decided to call in on him on the way to see her Mum in hospital. She arrived late that afternoon and knocked on the door. Eddie opened up and let her in; she could see that he looked worried.

“Granddad what’s the matter, you look terrible”

“Oh I’m Ok love, just a bit under the weather, you know, what with everything that’s going on”

“Where’s Ray, is he in?”

“Yes love he’s in the kitchen with his friend Trevor”

“OK, I’ll go through and say hello”

“No, no, don’t do that love, they’re a bit busy, you know, talking about old times”

“Nonsense, can’t stop by without saying hello”
Before Eddie could stop her, Stacey had opened the kitchen door.

She stopped dead in her tracks, what she saw frightened her and she took a step back. For a moment she did not recognise her Dad, her Ray, his eyes were different, his face somewhat contorted, he seemed to look up at her as if he had never seen her before but there was something else, she saw hatred in his eyes. Then suddenly it was gone, he was back to being her Ray. She thought maybe she had imagined it, but there was something, something else, the smell, the damp smell.

“Hello darling, you ok, how’s Mum?”

Ray spoke as though nothing had just happened.

Stacey was confused but tried to act normally.

“She’s fine Ray, off to see her now actually, just thought I’d pop in and say hello, whose this then?”

She looked over at a small, badly dressed, unshaven man, who smiled but said nothing.

“This is an old friend of mine Stacey from a long time ago, his name is Trevor, Trevor Wilson”

“Pleased to meet you Trevor, glad Ray’s got some company other than me and granddad”

Stacey smiled, so did Ray.

“OK if I take granddad with me to see Mum, she’d be grateful for the extra company”

“Sure, Stacey, take him off with you, Trevor and I have a lot to catch up with”

Stacey said goodbye and shut the kitchen door.

“Get your coat, Granddad; you’re coming with me to see Mum”

Eddie was confused, but got his coat and left the house.

They said nothing until they got to the car.

Stacey drove away until the house was out of sight.

“Granddad, what the hell’s going on, I saw something, something not right, something’s wrong with Ray, he seemed to change right in front of me and who the fuck is that lowlife with him?”

“I know darling, I feel the same way, I’m going to see Inspector Spencer in an hour, I need to talk to him”

“Ok, but I’m coming with you”

“I’m worried about him love, he’s changed, he doesn’t seem to be my Ray anymore, something’s not right, I just know it”

Eddie started to cry. Stacey pulled the car over to the side of the road. She put her arms around him, for the first time in her life she realised how old he was, he looked weak and frail not the strong man he had always been when she was growing up.

“It’s Ok Granddad, let’s meet up with the Inspector and find out what’s going on”

Spencer got to the pub early, he badly needed a beer. The first one went down fast and he was onto his second when he saw James Conroy walk in, James saw him and they sat down together.

“I’ve asked Eddie Samuels to meet us as well, that OK?”

“Perfect, I need to speak with old Mr Samuels; I think there’s a lot more he can tell us about Ray”

“So then, before he gets here James, what’s your gut feeling about all this?”

James didn’t have time to speak; Eddie and Stacey walked into the pub and joined them.

Spencer noticed that Eddie looked unwell; he seemed to have aged in the last couple of days.

“Everything OK, Mr Samuels? You look a bit tired”

“I’m worried about him Inspector, really worried, he’s, he’s changed, it’s like he’s not my Ray anymore”

Spencer asked Eddie to talk them through what had happened, every last detail since Trevor Wilson had arrived, he told them about the chanting, the change in Ray, the way that he spoke, the menace in his voice, everything. James Conroy spoke first.

“Exactly what did he say to you when he put his hand on the phone and cut you off?”

“He said, the old season is over, this is our time now”

“That’s exactly what he said?”

“Yes, word for word, why what does it mean?”

“I’ll come to that in a moment, and the chanting you heard, they were definitely saying those three names?”

“Yes, Balan, Jezebeth and Pyro”

Stacey was listening to all this with her mouth wide open she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Granddad are you sure, I know I said that I thought I saw something but what you’re saying is beginning to really worry me. I just can’t believe that Ray would say such things and to threaten you as well, it’s just not like him!”

“I know love, that’s why I keep saying, he doesn’t seem like my Ray anymore!”

There was a real sadness in Eddies voice, Stacey put her arm round him and kissed his cheek.

Spencer had heard everything and asked James Conroy if he could make any sense of it.

James Conroy took a deep breath and then began.

“Look everyone, I can only tell you what I think is going on here, you may have your own thoughts and you may laugh at mine, but here goes. When Ray mentioned that the old season is over, he wasn’t talking about a season as we know it; I believe he was talking about a SEASON as is mentioned in the Bible”

Eddie interrupted.

“Like in the Book of Luke, where the devil tries to tempt Christ?”

“Exactly, the Devil gives up with his temptation and decides to leave for another season; a season in demonic terms is more than a thousand years. So when Ray said that the OLD SEASON is over, he meant that thousands of years have passed and now it’s time for something to happen”

Stacey looked puzzled.

“But what, Mister Conroy?”

“Well if you link that with the calling up of the three Demons, who are Balan, the commander, Jezebeth the demon of lies and falsehoods and Pyro the Prince Demon of untruths, then I think that something evil and sinister is about to happen”

Spencer leaned forward to speak.

“So you think that Ray and this Trevor Wilson are demon worshippers trying to summon up evil spirits?”

James Conroy took a sip of his beer and also leaned forward.

“No Inspector, I believe that Trevor Wilson and Ray Samuels ARE two demons themselves. Ray is Jezebeth and Trevor Wilson is his assistant Pyro!”

Eddie Samuels clutched his beloved Bible to his chest and looked to the ceiling.

“God help us” He said loudly.