Belgian Devil

Supernatural Stories | Aug 5, 2012 | 14 min read
16 Votes, average: 3 out of 5
Supernatural Stories

Belgian Devil

Bart Couder
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The red sleek Porsche turned fast from the smooth asphalt road onto the narrow dirt driveway that lead up to the red brick house. The advert in the real estate paper stated that it had two floors, an attic and a very large cellar. There was a large plot of green, grassy land right behind it that lead up to a large wooded area with tall pine trees where the edge formed a natural fence where private property ended. For a couple of New York city slickers they looked as high as the skyscrapers where they used to live in. Wall Street had given Jack and Amanda a great opportunity to become millionaires. It took a lot of broken eggs to get such a financial juicy omelette but it was worth it. Now they could retire out of America to Belgium. They were looking the past few months for a place in this country near the Dutch border. The Netherlands had a great soft drugs policy but a worse income tax. And here they made it easier to dodge them. It had it all to suit their needs for what the couple believed was complete freedom. The owners had ensured over the phone that this area was quite secluded. Jack made some quick calculations in his head how much it would cost to build a decent security system, a helicopter pad and of course a tennis court. The local government would with no doubt sell some extra land to him if he showered them with some cash. Money made sure that most people could be bought, especially during a recession.
The two brothers had put out a few garden chairs and a fold-able table on the patio. Some spread out newspapers kept the furniture from wobbling too much. You could see the stone slabs were crooked and tilted into the ground. Age had taken its toll and the entire thing needed renovation. When the couple stepped out of the super car, they could see her bronzed thin legs, seemingly longer than any pine tree lift up and place her feet on the dry soil. The high heels of her red shoes, made of some rare exotic leather, dug deep into the sand when she pushed herself out of the sport seat. The tight dress accentuated a slender figure where the only rounding were her two breasts almost pealing out the cleavage. Nothing on her body was untouched by a plastic surgeon, but the only thing that was noticeably altered was her voluptuous bosom. Every long sharp looking nail was encrusted with small crystal dollar signs. Her husband shut the door behind her. Blond hair fell in curls across her shoulders and back. He was dressed in an Italian silk suit, custom made in Milan. Treading carefully to prevent getting any mud on his Louis Vuitton shoes, he walked towards the pair. His face seemed made by a sculptor instead of a plastic surgeon. Especially his chin looked like a piece of marble had been glued on. His hair was dyed blond and stuck in a sort of knot on the back of his head.
The couple looked at the twin brothers, who were the complete opposite of them. The only way to tell them apart were the large tattoos on their lower arms and their taste for music, which was loudly displayed on the worn down t-shirts they wore. A large zombie breaking through his gravestone adored Simon's chest from a band called Iron Maiden. On Vincent's T-shirt there was an old guy with his fists in the air, wearing a red shirt from something called Thunder dome. Each had the same large eagle buckle that stood out against their black jeans. The doc martins boots were the most expensive part of their outfits. Amanda slipped her fingers into her handbag and touched the silver pistol. It gave her an instant sense of security, reassuring her that she would be safe. It was more for her husband that she was afraid. They would probably kill her quick, but Jack would probably suffer a hundred times more than her. You could never tell with hillbillies. Vincent pretended to check the cool box but whispered softly in Simon's ear: ‘'Look, Ken and Barbie have arrived. I hope their plastic doesn't melt in the sun." They both hid a chuckle behind their hand, whipping their beard so it looked like they cleaned their lips before greeting.

It was time for a tour of the house and the gardens. The only thing that was relatively new was the kitchen. The four bedrooms, bathroom and toilets were tattered and needed to be refurbished. Paint was coming of the walls, the electricity was barely working and some of the pipes had gotten rusty. For the couple this was heaven on earth. They had planned to get their friend Bruce over to completely redecorate regardless the state of the place. At least this house wouldn't need to be knocked down. The garden, covered with grass but otherwise barren, was huge and would need a gardener. Amanda would make sure they got the right one and if needs be, they could fly one over from the States. What really caught their eye was the long concrete barn that was used once to store produce and now served to store mostly junk and an old car. It was perfect to build a tennis court. Jack reckoned it would take a solid year and at least a budget of a couple million dollars to make this place suit their high standards. He couldn't resist when they sat down for a drink to ask something: ‘' I noticed on the barn door that there was a quite detailed mark on it, burned into the wood. The thing looks like a mastiff, crossed with a wolf and a large bone claw. What does it mean? And how could you get it so detailed? I can actually count the all the knuckles and bones. It looks like you branded the wood yesterday."The two brothers look at each other hesitantly but Simon turned towards the couple and started to tell the story behind it.

"Well sir, the marking dates from 1831. And before you decide to buy this house, there is our family history that you need to hear. In good conscience, we can't sell it without telling the tale as it still has some consequences in the present day. This used to be a poor area here. Land was very cheap and worth nothing because not a lot grew in this soil. To make some extra coin, people here smuggled gin, butter, salt and later livestock to avoid taxes. Let's just say that it was a family trade, passed down from father to son. Peter, so was our ancestor called,was 19 years old at the time and it was his first solo run. The neighbour next door had rented him a horse and cart for transport. It was filled to the brim with wooden crates containing the typical brown clay bottles with gin from Holland. Straw made sure it could take a little bump. With this load my grandfather would be able to buy his girl a ring so they could finally get married. I must stress that he wasn't a coward. Anybody that brawled with or him could have confirmed this. His knife was always sharp and that staff of his had cracked a few heads so to speak. A full moon lit the way through the trees of the forest. It was a cold a November night and fog crept through the forest like a sea of cotton. A cold shiver ran across the length of his spine when he saw in the middle of everything, a small ball of white fluorescent light. And even if it was only a few inches in diameters, it radiated no heat nor shone light. There were plenty of legends about lost travelers being lured to an untimely death in the marshes. However this one floated towards him and hovered right before his eyes. A soft humming sound of pleasure filled his ears. Quicker then he could flinch, the ball flew towards his cargo. It was if it could smell the booze out of the wood like a dog sniffing for a bone. "

Briefly stopping to talk as he saw the yuppies had problems to cover their laughs, Simon only continued when they had regained their composure: "Peter didn't hesitate when the ball kept hovering over the crates. Taking a firm hold of the reigns, he started to spur his horse on. Being more afraid now for his life, our grandfather disregarded any hazards on his path. Whatever it was, giggled out loud and started to pursue him while zigzagging through the trees. There was nothing human or natural about it as the thing could apparently see perfect in the dark and thickening fog. A harsh tug on the reigns made the leather straps slip through his fingers. The horse had freed himself from the cart. The whole darn thing was heading straight towards what was possibly the biggest tree of the forest. He had no choice but to jump off from the seat and pray for a soft landing. But instead of falling at a high speed, time slowed down, making him land gently with both feet on the ground. The loose cart tapped the stem of the pine tree gently, keeping the precious cargo whole. Grabbing a firm hold with both his hands, he pointed the staff towards the now hovering light. It was just too much for him and with a loud scream, he swung the weapon hard like a baseball bat with all his force. The cedar wood cleaved straight through and caught fire. Big white flames ran straight across the length but his hands didn't burn. Peter could feel his hands freezing instead of heat so he threw the wood straight towards the ball, turned around and ran. He understood the devil was really on his tail. Making his way towards home, something helped him. Branches of trees folded away to make him a path, fallen down trunks rolled away as if they were pushed and when he jumped across a large brook, a hand seemed to lift him over the water. The thing was playing him like a cat with a mouse, guiding him with the cruelty of false hope that he could escape.

But he got a lucky break, you see like all things that have power, the ball got to cocky. He made it out of the woods across the very edge you see there and as you can see, it is not a long way from the barn. The door was usually locked but this time he didn't because he had planned to store the smuggle ware inside. He dashed inside and with one hand he held the door knob, with the other he held the crucifix of his pendant. Our family has been religious for a hundred generations, but Peter will always be the one who on that day prayed the hardest. A lot of Our Fathers came from his lips, sometimes interrupted by a Hail Mary. Light now poured bright through the windows and any cracks. Everything started to vibrate and shake like the building got struck by an earthquake. Some potatoes rolled in front of his feet so he lifted himself up to make sure the crates didn't crash to the ground. A loud bang could be heard and the light disappeared. Darkness returned and Peter fell exhausted asleep on the ground where his parents found him the very next morning. Normally his father would get a belting, but he had seen those marks on the door. No sane man would punish his son for wrestling against the devil. First thing they had to do and be really quick about was to find the illegal merchandise. It took a lot of convincing and a stiff drink but both men went into the woods. Soon they found the carcass of the horse. All the meat and organs were gone. The skin was burned to a crisp and all of the bones were scorched. There was no trace of a campfire nearby, just the marks of hooves. Not far from the grizzly remains, lied the cart and crates. They loaded all the wares and pulled it all to a place where they covered it with branches and leaves so they could retrieve it a few nights later. Then a priest was sent for to bless the grounds, house and barn.

Now the couple really couldn't hold their laughter. Big tears rolled over their cheeks while their hands held their tummy. Jack even had troubles to stay in his chair. The two brothers just sipped their beers because to them it did not matter what outsiders thought of their family. After awhile you grow an elephant skin instead of getting angry. When they had calmed down, Vincent started to continue the tale as the story was not over yet:" You don't understand, you can't...We don't blame you. Remember this, Peter's neighbor, called Andrew also reacted the same way. With the money from selling the gin, he got compensated for the loss of his horse. But He just couldn't let go of what happened. Every time Peter and him met, they started arguing which ended in a fight. This man was unusually tall and just as wide for that day and age, but Peter could give as good as he got. After being knocked down to the floor, his former friend got up in a rage and shouted to everybody watching that he would get the devil in a cage to show that our grandfather was a no good coward. People tried to stop him from doing anything foolish but he had grabbed his musket , loaded it and walked of into the woods. Nobody dared to follow him as they heard the loud back chilling howl of a wolf. There was an unnatural sound to it, but that only made the will to catch this thing greater for Andrew. His wife waited for a couple of days and nights but he never returned. Peter couldn't let this go by and formed a search party. He had to twist some reluctant members their arms but there was 25 men with a couple of hounds in total. It didn't took long for the dogs to catch a scent. They let them loose to start the chase that took them deeper and deeper into the dark forest. At a certain point the animals pointed their nose down to the ground and walked into circles. A trail of footsteps crossed with a trail of hooves. On the bark of tree under which they crossed, was the same mark of the dog and bone claw that Peter had found on the barn door. Every smuggler in the area now avoided these woods and took a longer route. Even to this day not a lot of people dare to go in there. Our family still gets a priest on the day of 1 November and bless these grounds. Should you forget, the howl of the wolf will remind you. If you still forget, you will see the light hover at the edge. We recommend that you don't forget a third time."

Jack was the first one to answer, still sniggering softly: "That will make a fabulous story for Halloween parties. But you can't expect rational people to believe such fairy tales. We are interested in purchasing this place. I will e-mail you my first offer this evening, after having discussed it with my wife." Both Vincent and Simon nodded in agreement while the latter spoke: " That is ok, you do as you see fit. We have told you what you needed to know. You got our e-mail addresses. Thank you for coming. My brother and I will look forward to what you have to offer." And with those words they said their goodbyes. Next time they would meet, it would be to sign the paperwork to finalise the sale. It took them just over a year to refurbish the entire estate. The barn still looked the same but inside was a luxurious spa just for two people and a couple of guests. They kept the outside and even better that door so it could serve as a Halloween trinket. Outside they had now a brand new grass tennis court, It made part of an extensive garden that even had a maze. Jack was also about to purchase a large area of the forest so he could cut them down and create room for a swimming pool, stables... The house outside still looked the same but if the two brothers were here now, they would have not recognized the interior. There was a new kitchen with the latest induction heating stoves, a home cinema, bathroom with golden tabs, several bedrooms with each their own entertainment system and so on. All of it was the best money could buy. The entire perimeter of the grounds was protected with a security system. There were guards with dogs patrolling at night while somebody monitored the security cameras attached to the 9 foot fence.

Amanda had organized a Halloween / housewarming party for their friends. The last one had just gone home this afternoon. She was sure this one would not be outclassed by anybody. A sudden shiver ran across her spine while she walked past the lifelike skeletons, ghouls and witches from the sauna towards the house. She pulled the thick warm robe closer around her body, snuggling inside, increasing her pace as she bumped into Jack at the door. His blue silk pyjamas gave away that he was also ready for bed. With a pleasing smile, he rubbed slowly with the palm of his hand over her cheek before he asked:" Ok darling, I give in. Which guard did you ask to go with a flashlight into the woods to scare our guest. Marie-Ann was truly frightened. It sure took our finest brandy to steady her nerves although I also needed a drop to steady my nerves. Best gimmick you..." He stopped as he saw Amanda shake her head: " No sweety, that wasn't me. I thought you did? Oooohh stop playing Jack, Halloween is over. That wolfish howling from the night before, that served as an appetizer for our guests, that was you as well, just confess it." His unbelief made her grew quiet and both could read what was on each other's mind. Were the brothers right? The light bulbs flickered twice before going out and putting them both in the dark. Amanda really reacted agitated: " Oh, damn and the electrical wiring is brand new. We just fitted the entire place out. Jack, go check it." When she was this irritated, Jack knew better then to argue with her. Looking for a flash light in the cupboards, two hard knocks made him jump up and bump his head on the edge. Growling loudly while rubbing his fingers through his blond strands of hair. Pulling the door open rather rudely, there was no time for him to utter a scream. His mouth opened but with a hard thud the man fell with one hit unconscious to the floor. Amanda in the meantime had heard the loud knocking on the door. It was probably the neighbor but just to be safe she had found her purse with the gun inside. It was always loaded so no need to check when she heard the hard thud. Unsure her hands clinched around the pearl handle while walking towards the front door. A fright gripped her heart when her eyes saw the ball of light hover slowly above her husband. The thing zoomed and buzzed with a happy like sound. Then it noticed the frightened woman. It flew closer to her while she screamed and fired four rounds wildly. Two hit the wall behind it, one barely missed the man on the floor but the last one got lucky and hit him dead center. Amanda cheered wildly: " Take that, you little bastard!" To her great dismay, the sphere spat out the bullet out in front of her feet. In its light, she could see the projectile was scorched. She started to let out a high pitched scream while an unknown force pulled her by her long hair, pulling her across the floor. Not forgetting the husband, it preferred the struggle of the woman while dragging the couple towards the woods.

Simon had come home to an empty but peaceful house. His wife and kids were out for a few days to visit her parents. He had to work and would go at the week-end. His dinner was being pre-heated in the oven. There was still plenty of time for a whiskey and reading the paper. Settling in his comfy chair, the smile on his face disappeared when he read the headlines. They read: ‘'High roller Wall street couple gone missing" Quickly he read the entire article about the guards being numbed mysteriously. The entire security system was disabled so the first suspects was the mafia. FBI investigation had divulged the couple had some unhappy investors from the criminal sector. That could explain the initial move from the US to Belgium in the first place. Simon drank his glass bottoms up and rose to pour another one. The brown liquid soiled the carpet while glass broke when he dropped it, hearing one loud bang on his door. Reacting instinctively he jumped out of the way to get no glass on his feet. Who would knock so loud so disgruntled he walked to the door. Looking to his left first, then to his right into the dim lit street, he could not see a lot. It was November and a fog made the street lights shine dirty yellow. What a contrast to yesterday when something set off all the dogs in the street to howl like mad. Then he saw it, rolling on the footpath before him, a small ball of light. Turning around to walk indoors, he saw the markings on the door, a bone claw above a disfigured dog. Quickly he kicked the door shut and poured himself a drink to calm his trembling hands. First call a priest and after that his brother. The police? Screw the police, they wouldn't believe him anyway.

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Emma Aug 14, 2012

awesome hope to see some more, liked the twists and turns.

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