Free Beneath the Flesh: They kept all the demons out … except one by Alex Kings

done. “Is everything alright?” he said.
     
    “Yeah,” she said. “I just want to make sure we're not missing anything. Better realise it now then when we're back home, right?”
     
    “Fair enough.” He went and started pulling away the beds they'd used to block the door.
     
    But at the end of the search, it seemed like they had everything they needs, plus extra. She began to search again, but seeing Luke ready and waiting made her stop. No, it was something else.
     
    Was it something they'd forgotten? No, that's didn't feel right. Something important felt better.
     
    She didn't want to delay things, though, and she knew Luke was right – it was better to get out of here. “Okay,” she told him. “We're good. Let's go.”
     
    They headed out with Luke leading. His machine gun was ready again. Jess followed with the cart, flashlight in one hand, pistol ready in its holster.
     
    Her mind was still running through it. Something important. Something important.
     
    Oh shit.
     
    The realisation made it feel like her insides were made of ice. The presence. The parasite. Maybe it was suggesting stuff to her.
     
    They rounded a corner into the main corridor. Even at this hour, in the full sun, it was poorly lit and full of dark sections.
     
    Could she communicate with the presence? It was worth a shot. She could still feel it moving in her, just about. She concentrated on it, tried to push it with her thoughts. If she could feel it, maybe it could feel her.
     
    It shifted. A response, or just another movement? She tried thinking about this need for something important that was bugging her. Then about the presence again. The need. The presence.
     
    It responded.
     
    Perhaps.
     
    It turned over in her mind. Wriggled. It felt there was something important out there too. But it didn't seem to be manipulating it. It didn't seem smart enough.
     
    On the other hand, if it was manipulating her, it would want her to think it exactly that.
     
    On the other-other hand (the hand made of spider-legs coming out of your arm, she joked to herself), if it could manipulate her, why would it let her feel any suspicion at all?
     
    She decided to herself that she wanted to see what was so important in any case.
     
    Which was useful, because at that moment they passed a side corridor, and she realised it's down there.
     
    Yes, that was it. There was something important down that corridor. She knew she could choose to walk away if she wanted – the same way someone might choose to walk away from an interview before the fall. She was in control, but she was still aware of its importance.
     
    They passed the corridor.
     
    She stopped.
     
    A moment later, Luke stopped. He turned. “What is it?”
     
    Well, this should be fun to explain, she thought. “There's something down this way.”
     
    He cocked his head. “Okay?”
     
    “Don't ask me how I know. I just do, alright?”
     
    He was silent for a moment. “Jess, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
     
    “I know. I know … but there's something we should look at.”
     
    “Like what?”
     
    Wonderful. “I don't know what exactly. But I want to see what it is.”
     
    Now he looked worried.
     
    “Look,” she said quickly. “I think with the parasite, I can feel things through it. It sees something important – important to demons – so I can see it too.”
     
    Luke held his hands out. “Okay, look, I believe you. But important to demons? Doesn't that mean lethal to us?”
     
    “Maybe it means something that can hurt them, or stop them. Or something that helps us understand them.”
     
    “That's kind of a long shot, don't you think? And what about that demon we saw last night – what if we run into it again?”
     
    “Yeah, it's a long shot. And if our moaning friend was chasing us right now, I'd drop it. But he's not, and we have a chance to do something.”
     
    Luke looked at her, his jaw tensed.  “Okay,” he said at last.