Loving Merritt Forever

Loving Merritt After 43

She kept pushing forward. What Merritt was not expecting to find tonight was a version of herself to appear in front of them as her and Xi stepped from the tree line. Making their way under the awning that stretched from the home to the driveway. It was a face so much like her own, dark inky tresses falling around her face. Burnt orange colored eyes. "We have been waiting for you to return." Neither Merritt or Xi could ignore the double voice one an imitation of Merritt's own voice and the other from the demon coming from the specter in front of them. This time it was one both Xi and Merritt could see.

There was a crack of heavy wings in the air as the manananggal screamed it's battle cry. The dark, demon copy of Merritt flicked her hand, dark magic like an icicle shot from her hand severing the head of the manananggal from the deformed torso. The wings ceased to maintain the torpedo flight path and instead spun towards the ground like a maple seed. Landing with a heavy crash through a tree to the forest floor. Merritt hadn't been able to see where the head had gone. "Since you have come so easily, I no longer needed such a blunt tool." The demon said to Merritt and Xi.

Looking once towards each other, they nodded. Xi and Merritt were both in this until the end, willingly following a demon into the beautiful mansion Merritt had recently been thrilled to escape from. Mary met them at the door. "Hart!" Mary called, the handsome husk of a man appearing. His eyes looking even more vacant to Merritt. His body riddled with bruises. "Go find the head and set it on fire, I'd rather not have it regenerate here." Hart nodded, grabbing a pack from the door and heading out into the dark night.

Merritt knew she was walking into a lion's den. This time Merritt was better informed. Still every step took more effort to overcome her instincts. Everything in her body told her it was time to run. That she should not be here. It took everything she had to willingly walk one foot in front of the other, following the bad clone of herself into the living room where Hart and Libra had fucked for entertainment.

The Demon turned, facing her and Xi. Merritt and Xi sat down in the formal drawing room. Unprepared when bands of air sought to cut Xi off from oxygen by strangling his throat. "No!" Merritt had flung her hands out, watched the dark magic that was suffocating Xi flowed into her hands. It was cold, whispering to her that she could be more powerful. The demon was smiling like it was winning a game Merritt couldn't see the board for. The dark magic crackling around her body until she pushed its influence away.

"It's finally time." The demon said, Mary, and most of the humans Merritt had seen last time, slowly and methodically walked into the living room. Everyone holding candles, chanting in a language neither Xi nor Merritt could understand. Walking in a strange two steps forward, one step back pattern while swaying or turning at intervals. Xi recovered quickly from the short strangulation, coming to try and stand to protect Merritt as she experienced another stabbing pain in her own abdomen. The same time, there came a gush of liquid from between her legs.

Merritt knew the signs, she knew what she was feeling regardless of how impossible it was. "I'm in labour Xi." She panted out as contractions began to take away her ability to think. All Merritt could think was that she needed to deliver this baby. It was hers. And she needed to know it would be safe. Her human instincts and the urge to preserve life taking over.

Xi was very close to experiencing a panic attack. There was so much dark magic in the air around them. The demon warping everything around it. Merritt was no longer barely above room temperature, she was growing warmer as the heartbeat encased in her body grew louder.Xi helped Merritt arrange herself on antique cushions and blankets as she screamed.

All Xi cared about was doing what he could for Merritt, to help her beat this demon. He took her hand, as her labour intensified. He had listened and overheard this event many times in his life. Trying to ignore the chanting and magic all around them.

"I can't" Merritt had pleaded. "This isn't possible." She protested. "I need help."

Xi hated that he had to ignore her words. Reaching between her legs, ripping the leggings apart he felt for what was real. "Regardless of what is possible, you are about to deliver a baby." The ring of life fully open, Merritt was ready to deliver. Whatever it was that had taken residence in her womb. Whatever nightmare this could turn out to be.

A sharp pain cut through Merritt, her body ready to break itself apart for the baby. "This isn't real." Merritt protested again. Xi again felt between Merritt's legs. There was no denying what was coming. He could feel a fuzzy head ready to crown.

Large french double doors opened with a bang. Levi and Asher both strode into the room. The severed bonds and empty spaces inside Merritt's heart filling again with their presence. Reminding her how it had been, as Merritt struggled to control her body, to do what was needed to birth what had taken residence in her body. There was another voice. "Merritt, take control, you have all the power here." A whisper on the wind.

Merritt tried to do as she could. Fight against the influence that so desperately wanted her to give in to the easy seduction. Thankfully, Merritt was full of memories when she had been able to do good. Regardless of the situation, Merritt was only ever working towards good.

Merritt moved on all fours on the carpet of the ornate sitting room. Groaning with every movement from inside her body.

"Go away!" Merritt had screamed as she felt the baby inside her body start to descend, ready to be born. Levi and Asher were there, in her heart, in her soul. Making what was already difficult even harder. Struggling to ignore them. They were gone, they weren't real.

"You could save us Merritt." She heard Levi's voice in her ears as she was just about to bear down and push, Merritt's eyes had shot open.

"Sacrifice and you can have all you want." Asher's voice promised. A lie that Merritt in her vulnerable state couldn't fight against. She missed them both, she loved them so much it hurt her. She did not want to be in a world without them. Merritt screamed as her body broke itself apart, her mind fracturing from too many impossible desires and wants.

Merritt groaned. "What do I need to sacrifice"? Merritt asked the ether of the demon all around her, knowing the air was listening right now. Letting the demon be real, letting it in for just a moment.

"Merritt no!" But it was too late, Merritt had given in and let the demon seduce her. One moment Xi had been about to catch a vampires baby as it was born, to being alone in a room with empty vessels. The humans continued to chant. The vampire woman stilled like a doll that had been put away. The two men that Xi knew were Merritt's dead lovers turning to smoke and vanishing in front of his eyes. They were no longer needed to torment Merritt. Xi had failed.

There was a loud chirp from one of the devices on his vest, communication in his ear, "Merritt? Xi? Alpha team? Delta? Fuck anyone?" Xi heard Marisol in his ear loud and clearly again.

He touched the earpiece he was wearing, just like he had been shown. "The demon has Merritt. I failed." He reported back to Marisol. Looking around dazed. Shock setting in. "The demon has Merritt, and she is having a baby." Xi said. Sitting back on his behind on the floor. Eyes looking at nothing as defeat and shock left him unable to move from where he was. Desperately wishing the humans would stop chanting. It sounded too much like Central. Reminding him of things he did not want to remember.

He nearly instantly regretted his wish, as every human and the vampire stopped their chanting, standing straight, each slit their own throats with small blades unflinchingly, or in the case of the vampire, staked herself. Falling to the floor as their blood ran from their ruined veins, pooling around their faces as the last bit of life left their already empty bodies.

Marisol teleported directly to the point on the map where Xi's satellite tracker showed. Thankful when he was actually there. Then horrified as she looked around and knew the ritual that had been performed here. Snatching Xi away in a hasty teleport back to the base came to get the full story of what exactly had happened here. Grateful that none of the blood from the sacrifices had touched him.