Nephilim House of Mephisto

By Mandy Madrox

After a car accident that should have taken her life, Raven awakens to a revelation and a peculiar choice that turns her world upside down. She learns that an ongoing war between angels and demons has been playing out for centuries, and the world of man is the battlefield. She is tasked with stopping the arch demon Mephisto's plans, a task that leads to becoming mixed up with a dangerous cult. But lives are at stake and this ill-prepared hero in the making will have to make sacrifices to get the job done, as a new and unexpected chapter in her life begins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mandy Madrox
• Release date: May 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311004093

Mandy Madrox

If you’ve ever heard the old folk song, The City of New Orleans, you’ve at least heard the name of the city I’m from. “All along the southbound odyssey. The train pulls out at Kankakee.”I have always had a pretty active imagination and a fascination for all thing’s horror, fantasy and science fiction. One of my favorite childhood memories was pretending to be asleep, so I could stay up late to watch horror movies on the tiny black n white tv in my bedroom. To this day, I look forward to the Halloween season for all the horror marathons on tv. I can’t get enough — even the ‘cheesy’ old ones.An all-around geek, I’m into many different fandoms. I have an appreciation for older cars and older things. Music is pretty much anything. Video games? Yes, in my spare time.My first published work was “Curse of the Dark Heart”, a short horror story included in Bleed Black Volume 1, (January 2015) an anthology put together by Black Heart Comics to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes.I love to write. I don’t want to write the next ‘big thing’ I just want to tell a good story. Aside from the Nephilim series, I have a few ideas within the science fiction genre I’m working on, another in the fantasy realm and a few just for laughs.

Book preview

Nephilim

House of Mephisto

By: Mandy Madrox

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2016 Mandy Madrox

All rights reserved, no part of this work—names, settings or otherwise---can be reproduced without express permission of the author.

All characters and settings appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or otherwise is unintended and is purely coincidence.

Dedicated to my Family, especially my Mom, who could have discouraged me when I started showing interest in certain things, but didn’t.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter One

Everything happens for a reason. At least, that is what the motivational plaque on the wall, tucked between a beer sign and a poster of a bikini model, suggested. Raven stood in the empty bar, waiting, looking over the years of collected décor covering the old brick walls. This plaque stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the usual items you would expect to find in such an establishment. Besides the beer signs and a poster or two, there was a guitar, a stuffed boar’s head, and a set of signed record albums.

The minutes ticked by at record-slow speeds. The glow of blue and red neon signs reflected off the large, blank monitor she stood in front of. She idly tapped the remote in her hand against her leg. The place smelled like alcohol and old wood, with the faintest hint of cigarette smoke. She was hungry, but the prolonged exposure to the combination of odors was ruining her appetite. Pizza sounds good, she thought. Soft, doughy bread, zesty tomato sauce, and hot, gooey cheese. Just thinking about it, she could almost taste it, but the thought was tainted by the smells in the bar, which inspired the unappealing thoughts of pizza mixed with cigarette ashes.

The sound of boots on the creaking hardwood floor broke the silence and brought an end to thoughts of food. A man, maybe in his lower fifties, made his way over, stopping next to her. Sorry about that! I had to deal with that call now. You know how it is, right? Where are we at here? He had a beer in his hand and was dressed in worn-out jeans and a shirt from a rock concert from days gone by. His shaggy brown hair was tucked behind his ears, and he had a tattoo on his arm as faded as the print on his shirt.

Raven looked up at the taller man, her emerald green eyes peering past bangs of thick black hair. It’s ok, Mr. Myrick… she said with a smile, holding the remote up. I got everything hooked up for you.

Right on! How does it work? Mr. Myrick chased the simple question with a swig of his beer.

When you push this button… she pressed the on button, the screen lit up, showing an empty stage adjacent to the main room of the bar. …the feed starts on the main screen. You will need to turn the monitors in the back on by hand, then hit the record button, and it will start to record the feed in the main office. Hit stop to stop it.

Mr. Myrick watched and listened intently, taking another sip of beer. And if I want to stream it online?

That’s on the computer in the office. Once you got everything going, you want to click on the broadcast button on the desktop and click start, she explained briefly, hoping he was smart enough, or rather, sober enough, to know that after starting the live stream, to stop it, you pushed stop.

He stood there a moment, thinking before smiling wide. You’re alright, man. Tell your boss I’ll send a check over tomorrow!

Ok, sounds good, she replied, handing over the remote and heading over to the bar.

What was your name again, hon?

Raven. She pulled the strap of a laptop bag over her shoulder and scooped up a box of extra parts and equipment.

Hey! Wait up a second! He rushed behind the bar, barely depositing his beer on the counter. Raven turned as he came rushing back around with two bottles of beer and watched as he placed them into the box of supplies. Always tip hard work, I say!

Thanks. She eyed the bottles and debated pointing out that she wasn’t 21 just yet. Instead, she just smiled and headed toward the back. She let out a slight mumble and huff as she reached the back door. She would have appreciated it more if the man had offered to carry the box to the car instead of giving free beers, or to at least open the back door. With a little careful maneuvering, she got the door open and headed to the car.

Raven took a deep breath as she walked. The fresh night air was crisp, clean, and held the lightest hints of the coming summer. The back of the property lacked sufficient lighting, leaving it a less desirable place to hang out, and yet there were signs scattered about that told tales of late-night partying. A couple of empty bottles, cigarette butts, and food wrappers had been discarded carelessly on the ground. A single elm tree near a makeshift bandstand had unlit Christmas lights strung through it, stretching from the tree to the back porch.

The thought crossed her mind as she approached her car that, despite the place being a bit on the shabby side, good times had occurred there. Raven could imagine how cool it would be all lit up with a band playing and people lingering about just relaxing, maybe a few couples dancing.

Arriving at the car, she set the box on the edge of the bumper, using her knee to hold it in place, and pulled out her keys to unlock the hatch, then lifted it up. She leaned forward, stretching her arm out, and her fingers grasped at a faded yellow broom handle. Taking it out, she used the stick to prop the hatch up. As she lifted the box into the trunk, her cell phone started to ring. She hesitated but retrieved it from the laptop bag.

Hello?

Raven? Where are you?

I’m headed back to town. Took longer out here than I thought, and I still got two more stops, Raven answered as she lifted the hatch enough to pull the broomstick from its propped position and laid it down in the trunk before closing the hatch.

Are you going to miss dinner again tonight?

Yeah… she sighed. Sorry, Mom.

It’s ok, you can warm it up when you get home, but I do think you’re taking on too many extra jobs.

Raven opened the car door, putting the laptop bag in the passenger seat. Maybe, but I’m close to having enough money to finish fixing up the car. Then I can slow down… ok? she said, looking the vehicle over with a happy smile. An ‘87 Mustang, slowly rebuilt here and there over the last few years. All that remained would be a coat of shiny new paint to cover up the grey primer patchwork and original black faded paint. She still debated the hydraulic hatch lifts. While it made sense to replace them, she considered leaving them be as a reminder of how the car was before she rebuilt it.

There was silence on the other end for a moment, prompting Raven to head out into the alley, a little past the trees, assuming the signal was getting lost. Mom? Can you hear me? she waited for a response as she stood in the middle of the alley just outside the reach of the streetlight’s glow.

Yeah, I can. Be careful heading home, ok? We can talk about how much you’re doing later… right before your father speaks to you about these college acceptance letters.

Raven let her head fall back, looking at the night sky, shoulders sagging at the mention of the letters. A cool, crisp breeze caressed her fair skin and gently pushed at the flaps of her black leather jacket. Gaah... really? I don’t want to have that talk. How many different ways do I have to tell him that I don’t know, I can’t decide?

Hey don’t you grraah or whatever to me, he just wants what’s best for you, and if you don’t decide—

Then I’ll reapply for next semester. She spoke up quickly, I got to get going; I guess I’ll deal with this when I get home.

Alright, love you, see you later.

Bye, love you, Mom.

Raven took a deep breath, looking down at the phone as the call ended. Crap, she mumbled as she noticed the time and the two new text messages from her boss. She turned to head back to the car and was abruptly run into with a forceful thud. It was quick and disorienting, a stranger slamming into her and then awkwardly grabbing her to stop Raven from being completely plowed over. The two slid as one, kicking up dust and scattering gravel.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! the female voice called out, huffing from running down the alley. "You ok? I didn’t see you!"

Just … what? Raven looked up at the woman, not much older than herself. Her jacket was torn, and her golden, curled hair showed signs of a struggle. Or maybe a good romp in the back of a truck, she thought.

Are. You. Ok? the woman asked more slowly, looking Raven over before bending down and getting the cell phone that dropped in the collision.

Yeah, sorry… I’m ok. Are you? Why were you running down the alley like that?

The woman handed Raven her phone, brows rising as she took a better look at her as though something might be wrong. In a hurry, she said shortly, bright blue eyes settling on Raven with concern. Do you live around here?

No, Raven answered without much thought, brushing the gravel dust off the phone that had surprisingly survived the fall without a scratch.

Good, the woman said while glancing down the alley, Get home… and be more careful. I mean that! The woman ran off, leaving Raven standing a little spooked and confused in the alley.

She literally runs into me as she’s racing down a dark alley and tells me to be careful? Raven said to herself. Some people…

Then she realized that this had been time wasted, and she had to get going. She headed to the car, only to stop and cringe as she heard what sounded like someone running down the alley again. Raven braced for another impact, but nothing happened. A quick turn revealed only an empty alley.

With a shrug, she stepped into the car and took off. She was lucky enough to catch both green lights on the way out of the small town and eagerly hit the gas at the first 55 mph speed limit sign. With a good song on the radio and a somewhat clear night, it would be an easy ride back into Kankakee.

As she drove, she went over in her mind what she needed to do at the remaining stops. The one was fairly simple, and she guessed it might be as effortless as resetting the computer system. An easy in-and-out job, if not for the dreadful fact that the customer was a chatterbox and could eat up too much time gossiping. Maybe, Raven thought, the woman only pretended she didn’t know how to fix the issue to entrap her into listening to what she had to say?

Heh… she mumbled to herself. Maybe? She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on work for the entire ride home. It would be best to see what time she got back to town before deciding if calls would need to be made to reschedule the appointments for first thing in the morning.

She turned the volume on the radio up, opting to change the thinking session into a carefree ride down the highway. There was something about the rumble of a Mustang’s engine and a good song competing with each other to be heard that she couldn’t explain. In moments like these, nothing else mattered. Everything would work itself out, and life was good. Simple, but good.

As the song finished up, the clouds in the sky started to shift, slowly rolling back to reveal a blood-red moon. The silence between songs was interrupted by a crackling over the radio airwaves. Raven risked a glance at the moon, wanting to see it, but didn’t want to take her eyes off the road.

Yeah, that’s creepy, alright.

She reached for the radio buttons, figuring the station might be having some issues, which happens, but she wanted music. Her finger didn’t make it to the button before a darker cover of Creedence Clearwater’s Bad Moon Rising started to play. Not one of her favorites and the timing was a little ominous. She reached over and hit one of the buttons to try another station.

The song continued, making mention of trouble. She blinked, reaching over and hitting the button again. The song played on the next station as well. She looked at the station number to make sure it had actually changed. It had. She tried another, but the song continued without missing a beat. A knot started to form in her stomach, looking at the station number again. She began to slow the car down as she passed a sign warning of an S curve ahead, and she tried to change the station one more time. Maybe the stereo was shorting out? It was the first time she had put a new stereo face into an older car, maybe something had been done wrong, and it was malfunctioning?

The music continued on, the song coming to the part about something taking one’s life just as Raven came around the bend of the curve in the road.

Ok, what the fuck?

Raven’s confusion over the radio’s strange behavior was swiftly replaced with panic as she found herself face to face with the dual bright beams coming right at her. It happened so fast, yet at the same time, it felt like time stood still. Either the semi-truck was barreling down the wrong lane, or she was? Realizing in that split second that either way she was about to collide with it, she jerked the steering wheel.

Everything became a blur. The song on the radio was drowned out by a blaring horn and squealing tires. The semi-truck clipped the rear end of the car, causing it to spin onto the side of the road. The scream of the semi slamming against the steel of the old Mustang overpowered all other sounds in that moment. Metal slamming into metal, caving it in as the frame twisted from the impact. Followed by the heart-stopping boom of the front end as it crashed into a large elm tree.

The force of the impact threw Raven forward, slamming her body against the steering wheel. Just before she blacked out, the sound of tires squealing on pavement led to another loud crash as another vehicle ran into her in their attempt to avoid the semi-truck.

The radio stopped playing.

The sound of a car horn continuously blaring jarred her back to consciousness. In the distance, two more crashes could barely be heard over the horn.

Her mind jumped: am I getting hit again? No. Her car was still, and after the second crash, all she could hear was the horn.

It took a moment for it to sink in that she was resting on the steering wheel, and that it was her own car’s horn wailing out into the night. As this detail started to register, so did the pain in her ribs and chest.

"Help," she gasped out, trembling and reaching a hand up to steady herself as she tried to sit up to look around. She saw the tree and then the pickup truck that had slammed into her. Through its cracked and blood-splattered windshield, Raven could see the driver slumped over dead.

Tears came to her eyes as her mind started to process what exactly had just happened. She had never been in a car accident. She could have died; she still could. It was hard to take a breath, leading her emotions to run wild with fear and panic. More tears rolled down her cheeks as an overwhelming thought gave her the courage to move and clarity to function: she wanted her mom.

Another gasped breath as she looked at the passenger seat where her cell phone had been. It now sat on the floor, out of reach. More sensations started to rip through her, each pain and wound realized reinforcing fear and panic’s grip over her senses. Pain seized her neck and spread down through her back. A severe stinging pain in her side throbbed with any small movement she made.

Something wet and warm dripped down the side of her face. Her stomach lurched, and she felt nauseous as thoughts entered her mind that she was going to die out there, alone, never to see her family or friends again.

"That one’s moving! That one right there; she’s alive!" someone called out frantically.

Raven moved a little more, looking down at where her most intense pain radiated. Her mind just couldn’t seem to process what was happening; nothing seemed real. Something sharp jutted out from her side. The only thing her brain managed to transmit was not to touch it. Then it came to mind that she shouldn’t even be moving.

Miss! That same voice was now right next to her. "Miss, don’t move! Just stay still, we called 911 and help is on the way!"

Raven did as instructed, peering to the side at the man who had crawled through the ditch into the mess of things. Her eyes rolled away and fluttered as a flashlight was lifted to the window.

Hey, you need to stay with us, look over here! A new voice drew her attention back to the window. Do you smell gas? the new man asked, disappearing from view as he stooped down to look under the car. Popping back up, he grabbed at the door handle. We have to get her out of here, he said firmly, motioning to the other man. Raven’s vision started to blur. She could hear them talking but couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Suddenly, everything went black.

Raven awoke, lying flat on a cold marble floor. She took a steady, deep breath, able to do so without pain. She lifted her hand and ran it over the area where, from what seemed just a moment ago, something metal had been sticking out of her. There was nothing there. Her vision was blurry, but it slowly cleared to reveal she was looking at a ceiling of peculiar coloring. It was split down the middle: white on the right and black on the left.

She sat up slowly, looking to either side of a large gathering hall. The marble it was carved from matched the theme of the ceiling. Aside from the contrast in color, each side was identical and contained pillared arches along the wall. Each pillar was smooth, with its connection to the floor and ceiling being seamless. Their bases were basic bulky squares. At the top they curved and twisted into ornate carvings of strange symbols, like nothing Raven had ever seen. The space between the pillars and the wall appeared to have just the right amount of room for benches, but it was empty. In between each pillar was an orb of light bright enough to illuminate the hall.

At the back of the room stood two doors, each with a marble table in front of them that, like the pillars, seemed to be molded right into the floor. The doors were rather mundane, plain slabs of marble with a simple filigree pattern carved into the corners. Oddly, they had no handles and, if not for the frames, could easily go unnoticed.

Between the two tables stood a marble statue of a naked woman. Her coloring was split down the middle to match each side of the room she occupied. She stood tall, her feet flat on the floor. Her right hand was held up, with her elbow at her side, her open palm level with her shoulder, and her delicately carved fingertips pointed up. Her left hand was held down, palm forward, her pinky and ring finger folded closed. Whoever created the piece must have spent countless hours carving the intricate details. From the curliness of the hair to the creases in each finger, the statue was incredibly lifelike.

Raven was in awe of what she was seeing. But, where am I? Is there anyone else around? After a moment of taking in her surroundings, Raven turned to look behind her, only to see exactly the same thing. Her brows furrowed in confusion. It was disorienting to find the room the same, as if she hadn’t turned around at all, leaving her to wonder, did she turn around?

A woman’s voice calmly filled the room, There is no forward or backward, only a choice of left or right.

Raven turned back around to face the way she had started. Now, there was a man next to each table. Standing, she slowly walked toward them, staying in the middle of the hall. Getting closer, the details of the men watching her became clearer.

On the right, within the white-marbled side of the hall, an elderly gentleman with well-trimmed short white hair stood tall. His tanned frame was draped in white and blue robes trimmed finely in gold. The color of his eyes a strikingly blue, matching the brilliant ocean tones of the robes he wore. He had his arms folded in front of himself, with his hands clasped inside the widened sleeves of his garments. Standing with a humble demeanor, looking at her without moving as if he expected nothing at all. The most interesting detail that stood out to her was his pointed ears.

The man on the left looked more in his forties. Black hair roughly cut at the shoulders that looked unkempt and greasy. He was pale, dressed in tattered black robes. His serpentine eyes held a yellow coloring. With his hands clasped in front of him, fully exposed, Raven could see the jagged talons extending from his fingertips. He had an air of confidence all around him, and maybe a touch of smugness as he also stood without movement.

Raven Alexandria Ashlynn, the woman’s voice spoke out again, drawing Raven’s attention away from the two curious men standing at their respective tables and back to the statue before her.

The statue is talking? Raven said aloud, but her question was left unanswered.

You stand in this sacred hall, faced with a choice, the voice replied, coming from the direction of the statue. Its lips did not move.

Choice? Raven asked. I don’t understand, what choice? What’s going on here?

You are dead, the voice replied, holding an emotionless tone as it communicated.

"What?" Raven suddenly felt a pain swell through her chest. The same pain that had been present when she woke up in her car, hunched over the steering wheel. She looked down and saw that a stain of blood had formed around where the pain radiated. It bled through the fabric of her light grey shirt. Gasping with the realized pain, she could hear a steady, distant beeping for a brief moment.

"I can’t be dead! she blurted out, angry at such a statement. A feeling of dread overcame every fiber of her being. But then every sound and graphic detail of the car accident was suddenly remembered like a forgotten nightmare recalled. What about my family? Do you know how many comic book movies they just announced? Or the—"

Focus, the voice interrupted.

Raven absently pushed her fingers against the still-forming bloodstain on her clothing as her eyes focused on the statue. "What do I have to choose?"

You have to choose between the right-hand path of the light or the left-hand path of the dark.

Raven just stood still a moment. It dawned on her that she was talking to a statue, of all things, and that as their conversation took place, the two older men were staring forward as if she didn’t exist. Why do I have to choose? If I’m dead, aren’t I supposed to be headed somewhere based on the choices I made in life?

You are Nephilim.

I’m half angel? Raven replied with a pained half chuckle. She knew what a Nephilim was. A Passage came to mind: Genesis 6:4 When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children, Was my father an angel?

No, the voice replied to Raven’s thoughts.

Raven noticed this brought a grin to the man on