Demon, What Demon? Part ll

As Harley stood transfixed, the dog seemed to turn to stone,... then it's eyes melted,... then it's skin and tissue fell away in big mushy lumps, dripping and running all over the fresh cut lawn. Finally, the entire organism burst into flame like a canine gas grill and Harley knew that it worked. It really worked!

On his way back home, Harley had visions of how Samantha, should he call her "Sam", would worship him once he handled that eight legged demon on her six. Smiling, glassy eyed, Harley felt dazed and dazzled by the great, new power that he possessed or that now possessed him. He climbed the stairs, entered his room and sat, still smiling, on the edge of his bed. He was still there when the fire department arrived. He was still there, smiling his rapturous smile, when the phone rang and his Mother said, "No, I haven't heard about the Hunter's dog. It's five o'clock in the morning, for God's sake!"

The damned dog burned like a coal fire and the firemen put it out any number of times, only to have it flair back up again. So after the fire department departed and his Mom was back in bed asleep and the smoke had drifted off to parts unknown, Harley went back to school, entered a side door and headed straight to the deepest, darkest sub-basement in the building. There, Harley prayed that he had enough caulk and candles, enough spells and time. He consulted his lazer printed pages and began his mystic preparations most meticulously. Harley Lippman, bane of demons everywhere, was taking no chances.

Harley laid out his best spell then backed it up with a second spell. He Slipped a spell over both those spells and then sharpened his Dad's hunting knife and put a spell on that too. He walked all the way over to Phys-ed and borrowed a baseball bat as well. Now, all he need do was to get that demon where he wanted him. So, Harley went looking for Aliester Crowley, writer, medium, mystic, warlock and, at
present, spider demon of Fairlawn High. He knew if he found the lovely Samantha Paterson, he would find Crowley and it would be "Demon Time".

Harley had little or no idea of the young lady's scheduled classes. After peeking into several classrooms, he realized that it might take all day. Not a Gothic Demon fighter to beat about the bush, Harley headed down to the Main Office. Out went Harley's voice over the PA system.

"Samantha Paterson, please report to the sub-basement. Samantha Paterson,
please report to the sub-basement at once." Well, it was worth a try and today Harley was a trying fool.

"Mr. Lipmann, put down that microphone and step immediately into my office,
if you please."

Harley didn't turn around. He didn't spew obscenities. He didn't even curse his luck. Harley only sighed and rose to go to Principal Toohey's office. He left the bat on the floor where he had dropped it.

"Busted, totally busted." thought Harley as he turned off the mic and the real everyday world of Fairlawn High rushed in on him like a summer storm. Dreams of power, dreams of glory, dreams of easy sex, all turned to dust as he walked the quiet hallway. As he groped for the words to explain his actions to the Principal, the whole thing sounded wildly insane even in his own mind. They were going to send him to counseling over this, he knew it. He would probably end up medicated by the time it was over. Well, his imagination had run amok and it was all a dream, a hallucination.

Harley skulked toward the Principal's office. He found the door slightly ajar and knew that it had been left that way for him. He was filled with dread. On the other side of that door was cold, hard reality. A world of endless detentions and a letter to his parents lay before him, not a world of magic and demons. Harley felt deflated and exhausted and in deep, deep trouble but what he found inside that office was worse than his worst nightmare. (To be continued)