Thomas Sniegoski - In the House of the Wicked

Scrimshaw hungered for such an identity, and if he could not have one of his own, then he would covet the lives of others.

He was afraid that something might happen to his treasures and decided that he would carry some of them with him, just in case. A photo of a family picnic; three smiling children standing before a man and woman. He could see such love in their eyes, so much life that had already been lived and so much to come.

There was no denying what he truly was: an artificial life molded from clay infused with magick in his master’s lab, sculpted to look human for the sole purpose of carrying out his master’s wishes no matter what they would be. He should have been just like all the other golems that populated the Deacon estate, but from the first day he’d come to life, he knew that he was different.

He yearned for an identity, something to set him apart from all the others. His master was amused by this odd, independent thought, and encouraged him to grow, even allowing him the unique tattoos that he’d etched upon the pale, artificial skin of his face that had become his namesake.

Scrimshaw.

He hungered not only for the life he would create for himself, but for the lives of others-looking upon their life experiences like multifaceted jewels, bounty for the taking.

Selecting a few of the driver’s licenses and a pretty red bow he had claimed from a child on her sixth birthday, Scrimshaw placed the cover back on the box and slid it beneath his cot. Then he put his prizes into the top front pocket of the heavy denim shirt he wore, close to where his artificial heart pulsed with magickal life.

He remembered how he had acquired each of them on his occasional visits back to the earthly realm to check up on the golem vessels that Mr. Deacon had sent out to collect the life energies he needed for his continued survival. As Mr. Deacon needed those energies, so did Scrimshaw grow hungry for the life experiences of others. Life experiences that he took as his own. Images of murder flashed in his mind, but he was not bothered by them.

Killing was all part of the process, the final step to claiming what he needed to be his.

Scrimshaw looked forward to acquiring even more keepsakes, knowing that being back on Earth permanently would make his access to the thriving populace even more bountiful.

Standing up beside his bed, he felt the house begin to shake. It was a strange sensation but not unfamiliar, recalling when the Deacon estate had first been transported from the Catskills to the world of shadows.

His master was already at work, manipulating the magicks necessary to transport the entire estate back to where it had originated. Scrimshaw hadn’t a moment to spare. He left his room in search of the master’s son. Mr. Deacon wanted the boy prepared for the journey they were about to undertake.

Scrimshaw walked the tilted hallway to the wing where Teddy kept his room. The house shook again, the lights in the wall sconces flickering to darkness, before illuminating again, but this time at only half their brilliance. The passage was deep with black shadows now, and Scrimshaw grew cautious, taking a knife from his pocket.

Just in case.

Something moved in the deep darkness ahead of him, and Scrimshaw stopped, squinting his eyes to try to pierce the shadows. The sound of grunts and gurgles reached his ears as bounding feet drew closer.

Scrimshaw tensed the muscles in his legs, preparing to lunge and gut whatever it was that was about to pounce. It was almost upon him, and he brought his arm back, ready to drive the point of his blade up into the torso of his attacker, when he saw that it was Teddy.

The feral child scampered from the dark, dragging the angel’s little girlfriend on a leash behind him.

“That’s a good way to get yourself killed,” Scrimshaw grumbled, dropping the blade to his side.

Teddy grunted, rubbing his running nose with the back of his hand. He looked behind him and gave the leash a violent tug, causing the girl to stumble forward, tripping over her own feet and falling to the floor.

Having gotten more from the angel than they’d even anticipated, the girl was really no longer needed and had obviously been forgotten by his master. Scrimshaw stared at the young woman, who struggled to keep from crying as she slowly climbed to her feet on the uneven floor. He wondered about her life and what had made her so strong. He couldn’t imagine that an average girl of her age, taken from the world and brought to this place, wouldn’t have lost her mind.

Scrimshaw admired her and wished that there was time to speak with her about her life and its defining moments. He would have loved to have them as his own.

“Your father is taking us home,” Scrimshaw told the wild child.

Teddy just looked at him, head cocked, and then gestured to all around him.

“Yes,” Scrimshaw said. “All of it. He’s going to use his new power to take us back.”

Scrimshaw caught something from the corner of his eye and looked to the girl. One of her hands had shot to her neck and appeared to be undoing the leather collar.

“Don’t you…,” he began, but before he could get the remainder of his warning out, she was gone, running off in the opposite direction.

Scrimshaw couldn’t help but smile. Sure, he was frustrated, he didn’t have time for such things, but then again, this might give him the opportunity that he’d been hoping for.

A chance to spend a little quality time with a girl named Ashley.

Algernon Stearns entered the darkened television studio where history was about to take place.

He flipped on the lights, taking in all the sights that he had grown accustomed to over the past year as the place where little Angelina Hayward’s special message would be broadcast to an eager faithful.

And, in so doing, satisfy his hunger for ultimate power.

The center of the studio had been set up like a little girl’s bedroom: a fancy pink bed with fancy pink bedding, stuffed animals, and baby dolls yearning for a child’s attention. Everything that his little messenger would need to feel comfortable.

He still found it hard to believe that Armaros-a supposed creature of Heaven-had come to him, helping him to formulate this plan, helping him to refine his ideas for the largest yield. It had been the angel who had come up with the idea of a sick little girl with a message from Heaven. All Stearns had to do was assist in her creation and provide the means for distributing the message.

He quietly thanked any and all who had suggested he invest heavily in television during its golden years, and, more recently, the Internet. He could not have asked for better delivery systems.

Stearns’ thoughts started to wander to unknown territories again. He had no real idea why the angels were so keen on helping him achieve such a level of sorcerous power, although they had indicated that they were somehow attempting to reconnect humanity with its God.

Personally, he felt the killing of millions to be a bit dramatic, but, then again, he was dealing with a species that thought nothing of flooding the world in order to make a point about sin.

And besides, who was he to judge? Stearns was about to become one of the most powerful beings on the planet. He wondered, as he wandered about the empty studio, if having that much magickal power might put him at odds with his angelic comrades. It would be something he’d have to consider once he had his power. He might have to do some extensive research on the best way to kill angels.

Stearns’ phone beeped, interrupting his thoughts, and he snatched it from his pocket.

“Speak,” he commanded.

“She’s here,” said one of his golem security officers.

“Excellent.” Stearns was unable to keep the smile from twisting his features. “Bring her right up to the studio… I’m sure she’s eager to get started.”