possess Satan’s knowledge of everything.” She made no attempt to temper her sarcasm.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll share it.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“I see you're as full of shit as a septic tank.”
“Your blindness to the true power of Lucifer will be your downfall.”
She wanted to rip open the cell door and smash his smirking face with her fists. She wanted to slam his teeth into his lungs and tear out his lying tongue. She wanted to, but she turned and walked away, knowing she would get nowhere with him. Whoever his accomplice was, he would never betray him.
Before reaching the door, she stopped and faced him once again. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"You put me here."
"I don't mean in jail. Mercer's Corner. Why did you come here?"
"I was compelled to do so." When she didn't respond, he continued. "Just as Lucifer tested Jesus in the Wilderness, he is now testing me. Here in this little corner of the desert. To see if I am worthy of his grace."
"I see. This is Satan's proving ground? Seems to me he could have found a better place. Las Vegas. The French Riviera. Someplace more decadent."
"Devil's Playground is more than a name."
"You mean Satan actually hangs out there? Amazing. I've lived here all my life and I've never seen him. In high school, we used to go parking up that way. Make out, drink beer, stuff like that. And he never showed up. I wonder why?"
"Oh, but he did."
"I guess I missed him," Sam said.
"You don't believe the stories?"
The room suddenly felt cold. "Those are just campfire tales. There never were any covens of witches or Satanic human sacrifices. That is until you came along."
Garrett smiled. "Joey Barlow?"
Sam felt as if a fist had slammed into her gut. She took in a quick breath and locked her eyes with Garrett's. "Don't you dare," she hissed. "Joey made a mistake. That's all." Then it struck her. How did Garrett know about Joey in the first place? Joey died 12 years ago.
As if he had read her mind, he said, "I know the truth of it."
She reached through the bars, wadded the front of his jailhouse orange jump suit in her fist, and pulled him toward her. "You don't know shit."
"I know he failed the test."
Sam released her grip. "He took LSD and tried to fly off the peak of Bristol Mountain."
"No. He failed his test of faith."
"And you passed? You're going to tell me you can fly now?"
"Each of us is tested in a different manner."
"And killing the children was your test?"
He nodded with a slight shrug. "Part of it."
"Roger and Miriam Hargrove? Were they a test?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe they were simply an amusing diversion."
"Yeah," Sam said. "Me and Charlie could hardly contain our laughter." Exasperated, she blew a wayward strand of hair back over her forehead. "So, if you passed the test, why hasn't Lucifer taken you to Hell or where ever else he hangs out?"
"My testing is not complete."
A cold chill danced up her spine. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that. My trial is not yet over."
"Actually, it is. You lost. You got the death penalty."
He laughed. "That mockery means nothing. My trial is before Lucifer."
"And what does he want from you now?"
"That's part of the test. I have to discover what he wants."
"You haven't figured it out yet?" she asked.
"Close."
"Well, let me know when you do. In the meantime, I guess you'll have to be content to stare at these four walls." She headed toward the door, but stopped when he spoke.
"I believe it will involve you though."
*
Sam walked into Charlie's office. He looked up from the file he was reading.
"Joey Barlow?" Sam asked. "He did take LSD, didn't he? That night?"
"Probably."
"What do you mean 'probably'?"
"The other kids, there with him, said they had taken some and they thought he had too. We didn't do blood tests, if that's what you mean. Why?"
"Garrett. He has another theory. Says Satan made him do it."
Charlie ran his fingers through his hair. "And that upsets you?"
Sam dropped
“That doesn’t mean I’ll share it.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“I see you're as full of shit as a septic tank.”
“Your blindness to the true power of Lucifer will be your downfall.”
She wanted to rip open the cell door and smash his smirking face with her fists. She wanted to slam his teeth into his lungs and tear out his lying tongue. She wanted to, but she turned and walked away, knowing she would get nowhere with him. Whoever his accomplice was, he would never betray him.
Before reaching the door, she stopped and faced him once again. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"You put me here."
"I don't mean in jail. Mercer's Corner. Why did you come here?"
"I was compelled to do so." When she didn't respond, he continued. "Just as Lucifer tested Jesus in the Wilderness, he is now testing me. Here in this little corner of the desert. To see if I am worthy of his grace."
"I see. This is Satan's proving ground? Seems to me he could have found a better place. Las Vegas. The French Riviera. Someplace more decadent."
"Devil's Playground is more than a name."
"You mean Satan actually hangs out there? Amazing. I've lived here all my life and I've never seen him. In high school, we used to go parking up that way. Make out, drink beer, stuff like that. And he never showed up. I wonder why?"
"Oh, but he did."
"I guess I missed him," Sam said.
"You don't believe the stories?"
The room suddenly felt cold. "Those are just campfire tales. There never were any covens of witches or Satanic human sacrifices. That is until you came along."
Garrett smiled. "Joey Barlow?"
Sam felt as if a fist had slammed into her gut. She took in a quick breath and locked her eyes with Garrett's. "Don't you dare," she hissed. "Joey made a mistake. That's all." Then it struck her. How did Garrett know about Joey in the first place? Joey died 12 years ago.
As if he had read her mind, he said, "I know the truth of it."
She reached through the bars, wadded the front of his jailhouse orange jump suit in her fist, and pulled him toward her. "You don't know shit."
"I know he failed the test."
Sam released her grip. "He took LSD and tried to fly off the peak of Bristol Mountain."
"No. He failed his test of faith."
"And you passed? You're going to tell me you can fly now?"
"Each of us is tested in a different manner."
"And killing the children was your test?"
He nodded with a slight shrug. "Part of it."
"Roger and Miriam Hargrove? Were they a test?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe they were simply an amusing diversion."
"Yeah," Sam said. "Me and Charlie could hardly contain our laughter." Exasperated, she blew a wayward strand of hair back over her forehead. "So, if you passed the test, why hasn't Lucifer taken you to Hell or where ever else he hangs out?"
"My testing is not complete."
A cold chill danced up her spine. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that. My trial is not yet over."
"Actually, it is. You lost. You got the death penalty."
He laughed. "That mockery means nothing. My trial is before Lucifer."
"And what does he want from you now?"
"That's part of the test. I have to discover what he wants."
"You haven't figured it out yet?" she asked.
"Close."
"Well, let me know when you do. In the meantime, I guess you'll have to be content to stare at these four walls." She headed toward the door, but stopped when he spoke.
"I believe it will involve you though."
*
Sam walked into Charlie's office. He looked up from the file he was reading.
"Joey Barlow?" Sam asked. "He did take LSD, didn't he? That night?"
"Probably."
"What do you mean 'probably'?"
"The other kids, there with him, said they had taken some and they thought he had too. We didn't do blood tests, if that's what you mean. Why?"
"Garrett. He has another theory. Says Satan made him do it."
Charlie ran his fingers through his hair. "And that upsets you?"
Sam dropped
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