Excerpt: The Saints Of Belvedere Road

“Look, Mom,” Liam motioned toward his brother. “I think Chad’s winning.”
Everyone watched as Chad appeared back in his own body. He was panting, his face showed the strength he was using trying to keep what ever it was from taking over.
“Mom,” Chad said between clenched teeth. “Mom, What’s happening to me?”
Amelia turned and inched closer to the corner. Tears began to stream down her face again. “You‘re changing, into some kind of a creature.”
“Why?”
Amelia looked back at her two other sons, then faced Chad again. “This is your father’s doing. He bargained away your soul.”
At first Chad looked as though he didn’t understand. Then he eyes widened and he screamed out in agony, throwing off his shirt, to reveal the grotesque chest of the creature. The amulet was glowing red hot, and had welded itself to his chest. The smell of burnt flesh grew strong as the skin bubbled up around the edges of the metal.
Morgan and Liam pulled back from their mother, a look of terror on their faces. They clung to each other as they watched their brother writhe around in pain, unable to stop their crying. After a moment, Chad regained control, and looked a them with pleading eyes.
“Mom, help.” he cried. “It hurts so much, and I can feel it trying to take over!”
“I don’t know what to do.” Amelia sobbed. “I have no idea what to do!”
She tried to reach out to him, but something forced her hands back. It must have been the protective properties of the herbs. It kept the evil from touching them, but it also kept her from touching her son.
Suddenly Chad’s face became angry. “It’s strong,” he said, clenching his teeth. “I feel what it’s feeling, know what it knows.”
Amelia clasped her hands over her mouth, unable to keep control of her sobbing.
“It wants to kill.” Chad arched his back, as the creature pushed forward. “That’s all it wants to do is kill!”
“Fight it Chad!“ she screamed at him.
“I don’t know if I can!”
“You have to! You have to fight it. You can’t let it win!”
Chad pushed himself up along the wall into a standing position, but still struggling with the creature inside. He looked at his brothers, and gave them a wicked smile before turning his attention to his mother.
“I can’t stay here, I have to get out!”
“NO!” Amelia yelled. “You leave here and I’ll never see you again!”
“If I stay here, I’ll end up killing you.” He looked at the boys again with the same wicked smile. “All of you.”