Chapter 1 – Chap 1

Hello, My Name Is Alexander Crow, and I have many stories to tell. As you can tell from the title I am an exorcist, and a demon hunter.

What I’m hoping is that from these accounts of my journey, you may learn about what stalks the recesses of our minds.

Now I’m not a writer, I’m a highschool drop out. So forgive the grammar.

I suppose I’ll start these accounts with the first encounter I had when I moved to this humble little town.

It was 8 years ago, I was twenty seven, and I had been performing sigil magick and invocation for quite some time. A friend of mine that lived in the area who was also an exorcist and santeria priest called me.

“Hello, Alex, it’s Coco. Look I’ve got a problem out in the hills behind the Ollie’s place. I really need your help on this one” the words hurried out of the womans mouth in a rushed frenzy.

I was still using an old answering machine that made people’s voices sound staticky. As I listened to her go on about her situation down at the Ollie’s place the static became more pronounced.

“Damn machine” I mumbled to myself.

“You know this one may be important” said the familiar voice in my head. I let out a sigh, downed my whisky sour, and stepped toward the door. Grabbing my lounge jacket on the way out the door.

I drove to the Ollie’s mansion and took the trail that lead to the certain historical landmark in the hills.

When I got to the path that lead to the camping grounds Coco was sitting at the edge of the path waiting for me.

I got out of my car and looked up at the sky. The moon was a crescent and shining bright. The stars around it where burning orange and if I didn’t know better. I could have sworn a set of two stars was a pair of gargantuan eyes staring at me, but maybe it’s just all the mushrooms I’ve had over the years.

“Alex!” Coco shouted at me, rushing over.

I lit my cigar and asked “What’s going on?”

“Well a friend of mine called me. Telling me she had a vision of a bunch of campers being slaughtered in the early hours of the morning” she looked at the path.

“When I got here the only people camping were sound asleep, but there was this strange energy I felt when I walked into the camp grounds”.

I looked at her. “That’s it?”

“Well, no. When I looked around the camp grounds I found these tracks, they lead toward the river”.

“Why didn’t you check it out yourself?” I asked.

She just looked at me and mumbled something under her breath.

“What?”

“I was too freaked out okay!” She shouted.

Well, I had known Coco for some time now and come to realize she was probably the most pussy exorcist I ever met, besides santeria priests aren’t even supposed to be exorcists.

I took a drag off my cigar and said “look I’ll go check it out, but you need to just go home. Clearly this isn’t something you’re prepared for”.

She nodded, got in her car, and drove off. I checked my two revolvers making sure they were loaded, and proceeded down the path.

I understood what Coco meant when she said she felt a strange energy. As soon as I stepped into the campgrounds I could feel this strange, almost child like energy. It was confused, and a little scared, but it was strong whatever it was.

I began searching around the camp grounds, and it was about an hour into shining my flashlight on the ground searching for tracks I realized this was going to take a lot longer than expected. It was already late and I was tired. Was this even worth the bother? I asked myself that question quite a bit until I found a set of tracks.

They were very odd. There were two front toes with claws and a back to with no claw. They went deep into the mud. Whatever this was, was heavy.

I followed the tracks until I got to the river, and upon arrival I realized I wasn’t alone. I saw a half eaten deer sitting beside the river bank. Something had a good meal out of the poor doe.

I reached into jacket, pulled out my flask, and took a heafty drink. Right then I heard a jostling in the treeline. I dropped my flask and pulled out my gun, aiming it at the treeline.

I stared at the darkness under the trees for some time beginning to question if it was my imagination. At least until the creature began poking its head out from the trees.

I stared at the thing. It looked like a sad puppy. Just a puppy that was the size of a moose. It walked out of the treeline and looked at me, blood dripping from its mouth.

Did I mention the puppy was hairless? And had a large snaggle tooth? If I didn’t I’m sorry because this thing was indeed hairless, and had a large snaggle tooth on its bottom jaw.

I felt bad for it. This close to it I could feel its energy much stronger now. It was very sad, and very afraid.

It took a drink from the river and layed down staring at me. I walked up to it, and pulled out a piece of beef jerky I had in my bag of snack mix. The big puppy ate the little piece of meat and licked my fingers. Sniffing at them a little afterward.

“You sad big fella?” I asked and placed my hand on the creature’s back.

The puppy rolled over showing it’s stomach. I scratched it, and looked at him. “Yeah buddy, if I’m honest I’m pretty sad too”

It’s big bug eyes stared at me while I rubbed its belly. “You’re not a danger to nobody are ya? Just a big old teddy bear huh?” I asked.

The giant puppy proceeded to lick my face. Slicking back my slightly lengthy hair. The things short fork tipped tail flicked before it jumped up really quick.

It stared into the woods and growled. Its tail tucking between it’s legs. I stood up and stared along with him

I suddenly felt this dark power growing closer and drew my guns. “Okay new buddy. You’re gonna have to stay here. I’ll be back”.

I proceeded into the darkness of the treeline my cigar half way spent. I looked around with my flashlight on my shoulder seeing nothing.

I felt like I was going in circles when suddenly I heard a clicking sound to my left. I braced myself, aimed my flashlight, and saw what I didn’t want to see.

It was a little shorter than me, but very stalky. I had a head that opened up like a flower and stared at me one big infection colored eye being revealed by the moving pedals of flesh. It clicked again and lunged toward me.

I dodged to the sided rolling out of the way. The beast turned and screeched before ending the noise with a throaty clicking sound.

I aimed my gun and fired missing my mark. Shit, this thing was fast. I dodged another charge and took aim again firing two rounds missing one. My shot that landed pierced the things throat and it jerked back in pain. I stood up and fired three more shots all hitting the creature. It backed up and vanished into the trees.

I heard it circling me but couldn’t pinpoint where the thing was. Then I heard it, a clicky gurgle from behind me. I turned and fired my last three rounds out of my first gun. I got lucky and hit the thing in the chest, but it didn’t stop it’s flight path.

It landed right on top of me and I think it cracked a rib. I shoved it off and it popped back to its feet. “Goddamn what’s it gonna take to take this thing out?” I thought to myself.

It charged at me again and made contact, sending me flying into a tree. I perched up, took aim, and fired all 9 rounds out of my second revolver. Landing all 9 shots. The creature fell to its knees and I stood up and began approaching the beast.

I reloaded my revolver. Placed it to the infection colored bubble it used as an eye and pulled the trigger 4 times.. It slumped over. Its body began crumbling away turning into ash, and I walked away.

Thankfully I was deep enough in the woods the gunshots would be muffled enough as to not wake the campers. I lit a cigar, walked back to where the oversized puppy was, found my flask, and proceeded to take a hefty drink.

When I got back to my car the sun was coming up. I guess I had been deeper in the woods than I thought I was. It didn’t matter, all that mattered was getting home, and having a drink.

I got back to my apartment, and my neighbor Mrs Cheng was sweeping her welcome mat.

“Jason! How are you?” She asked when she saw me approach.

“Oh you know me Mrs Cheng. Can never complain” I said as I unlocked my door.

She could sense I wasn’t in the mood for conversation and stepped back into her apartment as I stepped into mine.

That’s why I always liked her. She could always tell when company was welcome.

I ended my night by making a whisky sour. I added three fourths of an ounce of simple syrup, then an ounce of lemon juice, and two ounces of buffalo trace. I shook the cocktail with a big cube and a cracked cube then double strained it and added a lemon twist.

I knocked back the drink and turned on the tv, and that was my first Saturday night in my humble little town. If I had only known what being here would do for me.

The next morning I was listening to the news. Something about the cost of the new bridge that was going to connect town to downtown. When suddenly a breaking news alert came on.

“The scene behind Mike Ollie’s property was horrific this morning folks. The bodies of 6 campers, all teenagers, were found this morning at around 10 am. It’s believed to be a bear attack” I stopped listening.

The only thought I had on my mind right then was “What happened to the giant dog?”.

I have to go perform and ritual now, to bless you readers. I hope you enjoyed reading my story, just remember. The more you seek out the darkness, the more it’ll search for you. Until next time, I am Alexander Crow, and I hope you stay safe out there.