Tarot of the Demons

TAROT

OF THE DEMONS

Marty Drago

Published by Scruffy Dog Books

Third Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Marty Drago

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-291-07305-8

[email protected]

TAROT

OF THE DEMONS

Marty Drago

Published by Scruffy Dog Books

Copyright © 2012 by Marty Drago

ISBN 978-1-291-07305-8

PROLOGUE

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PROLOGUE

This tale has no beginning and no end. Life has no beginning and no end. It is infinite. All we do is transform, from one existence to another. Life has no mysteries really. The truth is just repressed from us. All we have to do is unlock it.

The end of an existence on this planet came for Winifred Mason at the ripe old age of eighty nine. To the locals, she was known as Winnie the witch, and a witch she was. She had spent most of her life like a hermit, after her husband had died quite young. She did manage to have children, but like Frank her dearly departed, they left her too.

Her two daughters moved out of their family cottage, married and had children of their own, but Winnie was glad they never kept in touch. She hated them. She hated everyone. Some say she murdered her husband by poisoning him, including her own children. She didn’t of course, but his death was sudden and unexpected, so accusations went flying around the neighbourhood. Maybe if she hadn’t had been a witch, the neighbours would have been more sympathetic.

Being different didn’t go down well in a neighbourhood like Winnie’s. Everyone’s house blended in with the next. It was a typical suburban hell, where competition to better your image was fierce. How your house looked on the outside was more important than having a personality. Being popular because you had more status, over saw being popular because you were actually a nice person! Being kind wasn’t one of the neighbourhood’s strong points.

Nobody knew the real Winnie, or how she came to face her fate. The neighbours rarely spoke to her, and the local kids would hurl things at her window, calling her names as their own parents once did as children. She would shout out from her front door, ‘You’ll pay for your wrongs. Karma will catch up to you!’

Most people laughed, and nothing ever changed.

Until the day that Winifred Mason died.

1

Winnie’s quaint detached house was burning furiously. The flames had engulfed the whole cottage, sending huge clouds of smoke into the sky. The usually quiet suburb just outside London, was now swarming with people. With no sign of the Fire Brigade arriving, the neighbours were drawing closer to the rickety old picket fence surrounding the property. It wasn’t for fear of Winnie the Witch’s life though. Oh no. Curiosity was to blame for the interest.

The house next door to Winnie’s was strangely untouched by the fire. Its occupants gazed on with the rest of the street, watching but doing nothing to help. They were the Richards family. Well to do, as were most of the neighbourhood, with a four by four in the drive.

Teenager Jake Richards stood with his girlfriend Clare, mesmerized as the smoke rose upwards into the heavens. They couldn’t understand why the wind hadn’t blown the smoke across to either side of the furnace. It only spiralled up like a cyclone, being sucked into a black hole in the night sky.

Clare shivered in the typically British cool summer air. She stood in front of Jakes parents, Rita and George, but even though she was feet away from the picket fence, the heat didn’t seem to reach beyond it. Clare was an eighteen year old, with a small enough frame and chiselled features to be a model. She was heavily into fashion, and would rather have frozen to death than look uncool.

Jake put his arm around Clare, and kissed her cheek. Then he looked down at her goose bumps on her legs. She was wearing a pair of denim hot pants, and a small vest top, that had less coverage than he liked.

‘Do you want to put my jacket on baby?’

Clare instantly frowned, shaking her head. ‘You have got to be joking right? I’m not wearing that big puffy duvet. It’s miles too big!’

Jake raised his eyebrows, but didn’t comment. He was used to her unreasonable behaviour. Clare delved into her shorts pocket, and pulled out a lipstick. She swiped it across her lips, and puckered up. That he had to comment on.

‘What are you putting that on for? You don’t need to worry about your image out here. It’s two o’clock in the morning. Everyone is in pyjamas!’

‘It’s not that, silly. The fire’s chapping my lips.’

Jake noticed she was still shivering, and offered his jacket to her again.

‘I know you’re cold, so why not cover up?’

‘I’m not looking like an Eskimo in the middle of August, and besides, you need it more. You’re skinnier than me.’

‘Suit yourself,’ Jake shrugged.

Jake wasn’t exactly muscular. He was more lean and tall. George Richards leaned forward overhearing the conversation, and butted in.

‘It is weird, how we’re standing close to a huge fire, yet you can hardly feel the heat.’

‘Probably the lack of wind this way,’ said Rita Richards. Then she looked at Clare still shivering. ‘Why don’t you go inside love? There’s not much going on out here. It’s far too late for you to be out here anyway. Your mum will kill me if she knew I let you walk the streets at this time.’

‘Mum! We’re eighteen not eight!’ Jake protested. ‘Why are you here? Haven’t you got to get up for work tomorrow?’

‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed son, but it’s a bit concerning when our next door neighbour’s house is burning down! And don’t speak to your mother like that,’ George moaned.

Just then the neighbours from the other side of the burning cottage joined them. They greeted the Richards family, and continued the gossip.

‘It’s been alight for an hour. Where the hell are the firemen? And how come the flames haven’t reached our house yet?’ Mark the neighbour asked. His wife nudged him, shutting him up with a smug reply.

‘Don’t complain dear. If the flames hit our house, we’ll be sleeping at your mother in laws!’

The Richards family laughed briefly, but it was odd how the two houses either side were untouched. George’s eyes followed the smoke up.

‘It’s like the flames have risen from hell, and are reaching up to heaven.’

‘Dad, that’s a bit dramatic mate. It’s a fire, and it’s got the whole street out. Admit it, it’s just entertaining!’

At last the sirens could be heard, as a convoy of three fire engines turned the corner into their street. The crowds started to scatter as the engines pulled up, and the firemen sprang into action to do their job. A couple of them ordered the remaining spectators away from the scene, as the rest pulled out their equipment to tackle the blaze.

Rita asked the fireman, as he shoved her back. ‘What took you so long?’

‘We only just got the call madame. Did you call us?’

‘No.’

‘There you go then. Seventy onlookers and only one bothers to call us. It’s not our fault.’

Rita felt her cheeks blush as she knew the fireman was right. It was because most folk were afraid of old Winnie. Most had remembered when they taunted her as children. Most would be glad to see her dead. It was a horrible thing to think, but it was the truth. Rita turned to George, and tugged at his jumper.

‘Let’s go home George.’

Rita kissed Jake, and bid them ‘Goodnight’. The couple made sure with the firemen that it was safe to go back, which it was, so they strolled home, looking back occasionally until they hit their doorway. Jake and Clare carried on watching as the firemen successfully extinguished the rest of the flames, and the remaining onlookers began to dwindle and walk home. The air was left smouldering and grey, as the fire fighters fought their way in to search for survivors.

Joining the teenage couple were close friends Danny and Alex, who were brother and sister, but were more like chalk and cheese. Alex was very different from Clare, not being blonde, not being wafer thin, and not caring what shoes went with what bag!

Alex wore her favourite floral Doctor Martens boots most days, even in the summer. Her hair had been most colours of the rainbow, always using organic vegan dye of course, but never really matching her clothes. Stereotypical of her style, she was into tarot, spiritual healing and the like. Being so different seemed to have worked for her friendship with Clare, as they were still going strong after ten years.

Danny her brother was just annoying, rude, arrogant, and cocky. He often tried to gain power over his sister with his dominance. Sometimes he would win, and sometimes the rest of the gang would just tell him to back off or else. He was still Alex’s brother though, and they had all grown up together, and learned to get on.

Danny snuggled up behind Clare and Jake, putting his arms around both of them.

‘Hey lovebirds, enjoying the show?’

Alex stamped on his foot. As far as she was concerned, he had only been on the scene five minutes, and was already outstaying his welcome. Danny let out a screech, and yelled at Alex. ‘What did you do that for?’

‘Because I hate you. There could be someone in there suffering, and you treat it like it’s some kind of entertainment.’

‘Chill sis, if there was anyone in there worth saving don’t you think the firemen would have rescued them by now?’

Alex ignored him, and moved away from him and next to Clare.

‘An old woman lives there doesn’t she?’

Jake replied, ‘Yeah, she’s a witch.’

Then Danny had to comment. ‘She probably conjured up a spell and it backfired,’ making himself laugh, but no one else found it amusing.

Clare elbowed him in the ribs as he stood behind her. ‘Danny cut it out! How would you know what she got up to behind closed doors anyway?’

Jake knew all too well. ‘Because when me and Dan were kids, we used to watch her through the window. It was weird in there. She had ugly statues, and candles everywhere and we’d see her sitting on the floor chanting.’

‘Is that so?’ said Alex at her brother.

‘Yeah so what?’ He defended himself. ‘You used to watch mum and dad at it through the bedroom door keyhole!’

‘I did not!’ The rest laughed, as Alex carried on. ‘You didn’t need to, coz you could hear them from downstairs. That was enough for me.’

The friends half cringed at the thought. It was always strange for them, thinking of parents having sex when they were old. As they held that thought, Clare noticed the firemen coming out of the house carrying a covered figure.

‘Look, they’ve got her body!’

‘It’d be charcoal by now. You wouldn’t even know if it was the witch or not.’

Yet again, Alex was vexed at her brother’s comments.

‘You’re so insensitive. Just shut up will you!’

‘What? Danny raised his arms in protest. ‘I’m just telling it the way it is.’

The gang ignored the siblings debating as they watched the body being hoisted into the ambulance. As the three fire trucks were no longer needed, the troops packed away their equipment and left the wreck up to the officials to investigate.

Clare yawned and rubbed her eyes, and Jake took the hint it was time for bed. He took her hand and gestured to leave.

‘We’re off to mine. We’re meeting in the morning at yours aren’t we?’

Danny nodded. ‘Yep, about elevenish. Dale and Brad will be there about then, if they decide to get off of the X box before dawn.’

‘Cool. See you tomorrow then. Night guys.’

Dale and Brad made up the gang of six, but spent most nights playing against each other in an online battle of fantasy fighting. World war three wouldn’t have dragged them away from their TV screens, unless of course it was fantasy world war three in 2D!

Jake stretched across to Alex, and gave her a peck on the cheek, and they all had a group hug, even Danny. They went their separate ways as Jake led Clare back to his home, and Alex and Danny walked up the street to the corner. Alex took a final look back before they disappeared into their own road.

She pulled out a small flat tin from her pocket, and lifted out a thin budget cigar. Then she lit it, and drew in its toxic smoke. Danny put his arm around her shoulder, and she tried to pull away, but he forced her back towards him.

‘Chill sis, I was only joking back there. You know I don’t mean any harm.’

‘Fine, just leave me alone. I’m not in the mood tonight.’

‘Don’t be a spoil sport.’

Danny kept his arm tightly around her as they walked through their front garden gate and along the path. He finally released his lock as they reached the door. Their parents had dozed off in front of the TV, and barely lifted their heads as Alex put her key in the door. Before they could ask about the fire, Alex ran upstairs to her room, locking her door behind her.

Danny didn’t want a full blown conversation with his parents either, so he followed Alex up the stairs. He tried her door handle but realising it was locked, he just called out. ‘Night sis,’ but Alex did not answer. She climbed into her bed and closed her eyes. Within fifteen minutes the whole family had hit their beds and dreamland.

2

The morning came too quickly for the Richards household. Rita rushed around before leaving for work, as George sat at the breakfast bar with his morning paper. Both were smartly dressed for their office jobs, while the two teenagers were still wrapped up in bed.

Jake