December 17, 2,008

IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
AN OVERDUE SOLUTION
By: Gerald A. Polley

The Ancient One summoned his new helper and told her to come in armor. When her guide brought her where he was she found him in the company of several others.
"Everyone," The Ancient One remarked, "this is one of God's favorites who is helping me out." The Ancient One began to point to people. "Queen Esther," he remarked, "King David. This one's called The Axe Man. You might know John Lennon here. And this is Josh McKennan, an associate who has a personal mission in this little affair."
Everyone bowed. "My wife's usual duty in these little things is to guard John's precious butt. So we'll give you that function until we get into the house. And McKennan will stay with you to keep you out of trouble. There's something I've got to warn you about. We've tricked the demons. We're going in a day early. A great many of them have been drawn off into another engagement and won't be able to get back. But there'll still be a lot of them there. Their looks aren't the worst thing, it's the smell. If you get sick, don't worry about it. It happens to people that have been doing this stuff for thousands of years. Just get back to the fight as quick as you can. Once we get into the house it's the same procedure. Once I've dispatched the man's soul you take care of the women, and then we're outta here! There's no sense fighting a prolongued engagement when our purpose is completed. You ready?"
"Hell, no!" The Ancient One's helper moaned. "But I suppose!" She drew her sword and looked at him.
"Don't worry," The Ancient One remarked, "Your weapons have been programmed to help you fight. You'll do fine."
The Ancient One's helper looked at McKennan. "Weren't you a renowned actor that just died?" she asked.
The Scotsman smiled. "Maybe," he answered. "Maybe I just resemble him."
"Oh!" The Ancient One's helper giggled. "I get it! O.k.!"
They attacked. The demons were taken off guard but they still put up a considerable fight. During the altercation The Ancient One saw his helper take off one's arm. He dropped his shield and went to his knees. She closed in to strike again and and McKennan stopped her, shaking his head and nodding towards the continuing battle. She quickly closed on a demon that was coming up behind John Lennon and made it wish it hadn't.
Finally they were in the house. Those that they were seeking were out of their bodies and fighting. But after a time they fled back into them. The Ancient One quickly pulled the male's soul back out of his body, ripped it to shreds and dispatched the pieces to The Afterlife. "Your turn!" he snapped to his helper.
She closed on the three women cowering in the corner, then stopped. "I can't!" she moaned. "They're not women, they're little girls! My God, look at them! This one can't be twelve years old. These other two look barely thirteen or fourteen. I can't! And they're awake, they know I'm here. They know what I'm going to do. I can't!"
The Scotsman came to her side. "They're not innocents," he told her, "far from it! Come out of her Mary, come here! Don't make her pull you out. Don't cause the child pain."
Something climbed out of the little girl's body. It had been a woman once but it was hardly recognizable any more. It was twisted and grotesque. Scars covered its body, and its expression was sinister. "Well!" it remarked in a voice that was irritating, "Daddy's found his little Mary again! Are you going to beat me senseless again so I have to crawl off and suffer for twenty or thirty years? Or are you going to have winged and obnoxious do it? You know how much he hurt me last time. He really relishes hurting the little girls!"
The Scotsman hit her and she staggered back. "Please! Stop Mary!" he begged. "Please? You know what I want. You know it's time. This has gone one for over three hundred years. It's time for it to end. Please, let her open a portal, accept peace. Atone for what you have done."
"Are you going to go with me?" the demon growled. "Are you going to go with me, daddy? Are you going to die forever, too? We were fighting for the cause, we were fighting for Scotland. They butchered us. They butchered the men and then used us as whores. We were justified in everything we did. Are you going to go with me? Are you going to disappear forever with me?"
"Yes," the Scotsman answered. "I'll be right behind you, Mary. I'll accept oblivion with you. I'll join you in eternal death! You're the last one, Mary. Your mother is gone, your sisters are gone. You're the last part of the hell that I created that still exists. When you are gone I can accept peace. Please, Mary? Please end it? I wish there was some way I could save you, but you know there isn't. I led you down the wrong path. I destroyed you. I'll have to pay for that, as you will have to pay for the little babies you burned in their cribs, and the other things."
He looked behind the demon. A young woman was entering the body she'd exited. The demon looked back and growled. "She won't be able to keep it long," she snapped, "two or three years at the most then it will fail her."
"She knows that," the Scotsman answered, "but it will be two or three years that she can serve Them and do harm to those that would destroy children. Please, Mary? Please?"
The demon took on the appearance of a young girl in a Scottish dress. She came forward and put her arms around

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