The Ring of Power

"An old man, you sure about that? How did he find you?" Wole’s eyes were faint, almost like he was watching or looking out for something. I described the place and the blinding light behind me as I ran away. Everyone at the table stood up and gave me a hug. They hugged with an intensity that was heart-warming. I felt different when they finished and the colors of the bar were stronger and sharper. I blinked my eyes and the image strengthened again.

"You saw them in their real image, huh?" Wole said and I nodded yes. "Now, that you’ve seen one, you’ll see them all." He said and motioned for me to look at the entrance. A couple walked in and their faces were shaded with glimpses of yellowish flames. One moment, their faces were human. Another moment, they were yellow flaming balls of fire. They looked at us.

"They know you see them, now they’ll change completely." He whispered to me and as their entire bodies burned, the whole bar shook and we all fell. The couple appeared above me and slowly, descended down on me. They hissed and drops of acid landed on the floor beside me. The wood charred and an indescribable stench came from what looked like their mouths.

Wole and my friends tried to help, but I was surrounded by some kind of force field? A transparent membrane? "You have to leave the spiritual aura because if we come in, we’ll be defenseless." He said and suddenly, he looked towards the door.

That’s when I saw her.

Again.

"Let him go, I want him." She said and the demons disappeared, but their stench hovered around me. I grabbed my stomach and covered my nose, but it still permeated through my nasal cavity. I vomited out dead worms and black liquid.

"His body repels the scent, he’s one of ours." Wole said and grabbed me. As I stood beside him, a ring of power encircled us. She smiled and walked to the bar and the bartender gave her a drink. I blinked and her face hovered in front of me and then I blinked again, she was back at the bar.

"That’s one of the demons I was with." I said and their eyes widened with terror. "What is it?"

"She’s the leader, how you got away I’ll never know." He said and he grabbed my right hand. A female grabbed my left hand and we bowed our heads, but I continued looking at her. Her eyes called me and an invisible force pulled at me slightly, then it grew stronger.

"You can’t have him. No!" The group said and the force pulled my shirt away. The others prayed again and my shirt reappeared on me. I flinched, shocked by these events.

"The world has changed banger. The old ways have returned and your life will never be the same. There are more of them than us as you can see. It’s our duty to go out into the world and pick up the stray ones still living." Before I could ask, he answered. "How do we live? We stay together as one. If one of us weakens or falters, we must straighten them or throw them out of the group. We can’t let one get us all killed."

A gentle hand caressed my neck and Wole stepped away from me. The others backed away from me and the hand became many hands. They touched me all over and I closed my eyes, the power of passion boiling in my blood.

That’s when I saw him again.