Not What He Seems Ch.6
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Chapter 6 – The Planning Stage
“Have any of you seen Tyrone lately?” Thomas asked, as casual as he could manage, while Eduardo perused the menu and Brad beckoned to the waiter.
The brasserie was pleasantly busy for this time of the day. Every table was occupied, and each time the door to the kitchen opened up the smell of fried food drifted out. On the other side of the room someone was celebrating a birthday party, judging by the amount of wrapped presents gathered around one of the women.
He did a quick scroll through his phone, checking for messages. Nothing from Tyrone, like there hadn’t been for way too long.
An ad popped up, he swiped it away. It was for that one online game that was so popular lately. He got way too many adverts for that one, probably because it was about demons. Could be fun to play with the group, if he got everyone on board for it. If Tyrone ever showed up again.
“No, he didn’t even come to our Amazing Luigi Bros night,” Eduardo said. “Kinda rude, but he gets busy, I get it. Hey, was that an ad for Within You?”
“Looks like,” Thomas said, distracted.
Brad pulled a face. “Do you guys get those constant pop-up ads too?”
“Not anymore… because I gave in and installed it,” Eduardo admitted. “It’s pretty fun, dude. You play as a group of survivors on a deserted island and everyone’s got to do these easy little tasks, right? But one of the group gets possessed by a demon and goes on a killing spree, and the game is actually about trying to figure out who's possessed before everyone is dead. It’s fun!”
“Er. Right,” Thomas said. Who would think to design a game around something so dangerous as possession? “It’s not like Tyrone to skip a gaming night, right? Not without letting you know. And you, Brad? Did you see him?”
“Nope, not for a few weeks actually,” Brad said. “I’m sure he’s fine, he’s immortal. Ah yes, can we order please?”
Thomas tapped his fingers on the table while the waiter took their drink orders. He only just barely waited until the guy was out of hearing range before he admitted, “I haven’t seen him either. It’s been eighteen days.”
“Maybe he lost track of time,” Eduardo offered, with a small frown. “That Mindscape place is weird, right?”
“He never stays away this long.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll show up eventually,” Brad said, with a dismissive wave. “Probably tonight, since I specifically sent him an invitation.”
“Maybe. Maria couldn’t make it tonight?”
“I didn’t invite her.”
Wait, what?
Brad went on before Thomas could ask why. “But anyway, let’s get started.”
“Started?” Thomas said, confused. Oh no. Eduardo and Brad were both looking suspiciously gleeful. “I thought this was just a random evening out?”
“Not exactly. We need to start planning your stag night, dude.”
Oh no.
“Oh no,” Thomas hurried to say. “I hardly think that’s necessary –“
“Of course it is! Now don’t worry, Eddy and I will arrange the whole thing, tonight is just to bounce off some ideas, so we know who you want invited and what we should avoid.”
Thomas looked at Eduardo in despair. “Eddy, please, let’s not do this.”
“Don’t worry, dude,” Eduardo grinned, no help at all. “It’s going to be amazeballs.”
“Besides, you’ve got to have a stag night,” Brad said. “Elisha is having one. A hen night, I mean. You don’t want to know what Maria has planned –“
“Stars, Maria is planning a hen night for Elisha?” Thomas stared at nothing as he flashbacked to the graduation ceremony ‘surprise’ Maria had been planning with Tyrone, most ideas of which she hadn’t been able to implement at the time. “Does Elisha know?”
“Of course she does – no reason to look so worried, dude, really. It’s going to be fun!”
There was a lull in the conversation as a waiter brought their drinks. This was a different one, with mossy green hair in an odd bowl cut.
“So, aside from us and Tyrone, who do you want to have invited? Your dad and uncle?”
“That completely depends on what you have planned. If it’s going to be a relaxing dinner, sure. But I don’t see any of them playing laser tag or something like that.”
“Yeah, I figured. But that’s for us to arrange, not for you. Maybe – excuse us, we’re good here, thanks.” That last bit was aimed at the waiter, who was still looming next to Thomas’ chair with a blank expression. This close, Thomas noticed a vague, rather musty smell emanating from him, a bit like damp mushrooms.
Brad’s words seemed to hit, because the waiter blinked and scurried away without a sound.
“… right,” Brad said. “I’m all for preter-inclusiveness and affirmative hiring practises and stuff, but that was weird, right? You all agree that was weird?”
“Tyrone!”
Thomas jumped up from his chair at the sight of Tyrone, who threw his coat over the back of a chair and fell in the seat across from him. His hair was messy – as usual – and he looked tired.
“Glad you could make it, dude,” Eduardo greeted him with a fistbump.
“Wouldn’t want to miss this.”
“Are you okay?” Thomas blurted out. He strangled his napkin, guilt thick in his throat. “You haven’t been around much lately.”
“You’re not the only one with a busy life,” Tyrone said, and waved over a waiter – the same one which had taken their drink orders. The one with the green hair was nowhere to be seen. “I had to dismantle a transdimensional portal. Long story. Maybe you’ll see some of it on tv.”
“Uh, what?”
“A transdimensional portal?” Eduardo said. “Wow dude. What is that even?”
“A lot of trouble, that’s what it is. If you do it wrong, you get this imbalance, right? Different dimensions rubbing together, it creates this, ya know, thing. Like a grit of sand makes a pearl. Which I had to pop, before it made trouble, so I guess it was more like a zit? Check out next season of Extreme Exorcists, it’s going to be a blast. I almost died. Anyway, we’re here about Thomas. Got some planning to do!”
“You almost died?”
“You?” Brad repeated, dumbfounded. “I thought you were basically invulnerable.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Tyrone’s expression could freeze the lemonade the waiter just brought him. His eyes were a flat brown, but flecks of gold and other colours swirled through them, hypnotising.
For a moment their table was quiet. Thomas could only look at his demon friend in worry, and after a moment of deliberation he gave in to the impulse to reach out and touch Tyrone’s arm. “Hey. Whatever happened, you’re here now.”
Tyrone blinked. The disquieting colours faded from his eyes. “Yeah. I am. Sorry, I’m just… feeling unsettled. Stopping a second Transcendence will do that, I guess. Hah. Seems like it’s catching up to me.”
“Okay dude, I have like, a thousand questions about that,” Eduardo said. “If you want to give us the whole story we’ll listen.”
Tyrone forced a smile, but it was a human one, not a creepy demon one. “Yeah, I know. Not here, though. Right now I just want to focus on something fun. So! Thomas’ stag night?”
“Okay,” Thomas said softly. Repeated, louder, “Okay. Fine, we’re planning this. Apparently I’m having one. Could be fun, I guess.”
“You’re not planning anything, it’s supposed to be a surprise. We just need some information from you,” Brad said, making an impatient gesture while still holding his glass of wine. It just barely missed spilling all over the table. “What are some things you really don’t want?”
“No strippers,” Thomas hurried to say. “And no excessive alcohol.”
“Being the sober one while everyone is drunk is no fun, anyway,” Tyrone agreed.
“Can demons get drunk?” Eduardo said, pondering.
“There’s stuff that’ll do it, sure. There’s this bar in the Mindscape that has literally everything.”
Brad gave Thomas a joking little punch to his arm. “Goody two-shoes. For the record, when I get hitched I do want both of those.”
“Sure. In the nebulous alternate reality where you actually settle down long enough to marry someone, we’ll keep that in mind,” Tyrone said, rolling his eyes.
“Hey! It could happen sooner than you think.”
“I’m basically semi-omniscient and even I think those are really slim odds.”
“Ouch. Really?”
“Nah, I’m just messing with you.”
“How do you feel about distant heights, dude?” Eduardo said, ignoring the byplay between Tyrone and Brad.
Thomas eyed him. “Er…. Not a fan? Please don’t take me skydiving, I’ll throw up midair and no one wants that raining down on their heads.”
“How about blindfolds? Wild animals? Light destruction of property?”
“Just what exactly are you planning!?”
“Aw man,” Tyrone groaned, dropping his head on the table. “Not again! Sorry guys, I need to leave.”
“Already?”
“Yeah, don’t go, I need a voice of reason right now,” Thomas said, before realising to whom exactly he was speaking. Still though. “You just got here.”
Tyrone got up and threw his lemonade back in one gulp. “Tell that to those idiots summoning me. I’ll finish this up in a sec and I’ll be back here before you know it, p̕r̨omįs̕e.”
“Okay,” Thomas said, with a niggling worry in the back of his head. “See you later then.”
Tyrone left, with a vague wave and a smile.
He didn’t return.
----
Her hands were shaking.
A loud bang from upstairs nearly made her drop the piece of chalk. Come on, come on, hurry...
The instructions had been slid underneath her dorm room door. No matter how careful she'd been, someone had noticed her predicament. She was lucky they hadn't made a big deal of it, like her roommate had done when she had found out.
("You've got to tell someone! Call the cops, at least! You can't let them do this to you, Val.")
Call the cops, sure. They were sure to believe her over her parents, pillars of the community, beloved by their entire church. While she was the 'difficult child'. Always running away, always lying.
Yeah. She'd seen what use the cops had been. No, she needed something more.
In the flickering light of the candles, the chalk lines seemed to tremble in anticipation.
Calling a demon though? It was… rash. But there were stories about this one. How he would help instead of hurt, how he traded favours for candy, how he went easy on desperate people like her. She had to try.
The sounds from upstairs were louder now. Doors slamming. Yelling.
She shouldn't have tried to run again. That had been her first mistake. No - the first mistake was letting her parents know about Dave.
It was the first time she actually had somewhere to run to, after all. Someone who would believe her, who would back her up.
Of course they were never going to let her leave.
She was nearly done. Now she could only hope the basement door held on long enough.
"Where is she!" Close enough to hear the words, now. Val held the crumpled paper with the instructions to the light of the candles. "Where is that ungrateful bitch!"
A crash. She flinched as she heard her mother rage.
Her father's voice was too quiet to understand, but it was near the basement door. Too close.
She never doubted her parents loved each other. How protective dad was towards that woman... But had they ever loved her?
She would never get away. Not unless she made them see. Made them let her go.
She took a deep breath. And recited the incantation.
The candle flames flashed blue, then red. In the thick black smoke forming in the centre of the circle, Alcor the Dreambender appeared.
When the demon left, some time later, the house was silent. A hint of sulphur lingered in the air, before that too dissipated.