black and nothing really mattered.
* * *
It was a full hour before Jett brought Addie back to the movie set. They landed just outside the makeup trailer, and it took her a minute to get her balance after the transfer. She was still shaky. Her wounds had been worse than he’d realized, but teleporting between dimensions pushed the healing. She wasn’t a hundred percent, but at least he knew he wasn’t going to lose her.
Locan wasn’t in the makeup trailer, but he must have sensed they were back and ’pathed an update. I’ve sent all of the humans home. They’ve got mixed memories of a job that didn’t pan out, but they won’t remember they’ve been possessed. The cameraman’s a different matter.
That could be a problem. Jett knew the man had not only witnessed their battle with Moloch, he’d captured just about everything on film. All he lacked was the final battle with Yush, but by now the demon’s body would be gone, decomposing shortly after death in this dimension.
He walked across the lot with Addie, headed to the spot where Locan stood in front of the cameraman. His arms were crossed over his bare chest and his white leather pants and long silvery hair were as pristine as ever. In fact, Jett thought Locan looked every inch the leading man. He was surrounded by at least three dozen video demons as he spoke with the cameraman.
“You realize no one will believe what they see, no matter what you show them on film. It’s too easy to Photoshop stuff nowadays, and these little guys”—he gestured at the small crowd of video demons listening avidly to the conversation—“look like CGI animations to begin with.”
“I know,” the cameraman said. “But this stuff is amazing. I can’t destroy it, even though there’s not nearly enough for a full-length feature. If nothing else, I can put it up on YouTube.”
Locan glanced at Addie and Jett. “What do you guys think?”
Jett shrugged. “It’s his film.” He glanced at the spot where Moloch had died. All that was left was a greasy black smear on the pavement. Even as he watched, that was beginning to fade. “There’s no proof of what’s happened here. Dead demons decompose almost immediately in this dimension, and we’ll be sending the little guys home to their realm as soon as we can.”
Then he remembered the most important loose end. “What about the assistant director? We came because we were told he’d been eaten by someone.”
The cameraman shook his head. “When the police showed up, there was no one missing and no sign of blood. I didn’t catch it on film.” He shrugged. “I was watching the action, not what happened behind the scenes, but I imagine it was either Moloch or Yush eating another demon.”
Nodding in agreement, Jett glanced at Locan. “That makes sense.” Then he focused once more on the cameraman. “I’m curious, though.” He grinned at the guy, who seemed way too calm and collected for all he’d witnessed tonight. “How is it that you’re not more upset by all this? And why are you the only one who escaped possession?”
The man’s grin was infectious as he shook his head. “Would you believe that The Trials of Moloch is my nine-year-old daughter’s favorite video game? I recognized the demons right off the bat . . . well, at least the little guys when they had their human avatars, because I play it all the time with Hannah. I’ve reached master status on it, and according to my daughter, that’s supposed to protect me from demonic possession.” He laughed as his gaze wandered to the tiny demons standing all around. “It appears to work.”
Jett had to agree. “Take care, and be on the lookout,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot more demonic activity than we used to, and a lot of it appears to be coming from video games. Not everyone’s as cool as these little guys.” He shook hands with the cameraman. Talk about a weird ending to an assignment.
Locan shook the man’s hand as well.
* * *
It was a full hour before Jett brought Addie back to the movie set. They landed just outside the makeup trailer, and it took her a minute to get her balance after the transfer. She was still shaky. Her wounds had been worse than he’d realized, but teleporting between dimensions pushed the healing. She wasn’t a hundred percent, but at least he knew he wasn’t going to lose her.
Locan wasn’t in the makeup trailer, but he must have sensed they were back and ’pathed an update. I’ve sent all of the humans home. They’ve got mixed memories of a job that didn’t pan out, but they won’t remember they’ve been possessed. The cameraman’s a different matter.
That could be a problem. Jett knew the man had not only witnessed their battle with Moloch, he’d captured just about everything on film. All he lacked was the final battle with Yush, but by now the demon’s body would be gone, decomposing shortly after death in this dimension.
He walked across the lot with Addie, headed to the spot where Locan stood in front of the cameraman. His arms were crossed over his bare chest and his white leather pants and long silvery hair were as pristine as ever. In fact, Jett thought Locan looked every inch the leading man. He was surrounded by at least three dozen video demons as he spoke with the cameraman.
“You realize no one will believe what they see, no matter what you show them on film. It’s too easy to Photoshop stuff nowadays, and these little guys”—he gestured at the small crowd of video demons listening avidly to the conversation—“look like CGI animations to begin with.”
“I know,” the cameraman said. “But this stuff is amazing. I can’t destroy it, even though there’s not nearly enough for a full-length feature. If nothing else, I can put it up on YouTube.”
Locan glanced at Addie and Jett. “What do you guys think?”
Jett shrugged. “It’s his film.” He glanced at the spot where Moloch had died. All that was left was a greasy black smear on the pavement. Even as he watched, that was beginning to fade. “There’s no proof of what’s happened here. Dead demons decompose almost immediately in this dimension, and we’ll be sending the little guys home to their realm as soon as we can.”
Then he remembered the most important loose end. “What about the assistant director? We came because we were told he’d been eaten by someone.”
The cameraman shook his head. “When the police showed up, there was no one missing and no sign of blood. I didn’t catch it on film.” He shrugged. “I was watching the action, not what happened behind the scenes, but I imagine it was either Moloch or Yush eating another demon.”
Nodding in agreement, Jett glanced at Locan. “That makes sense.” Then he focused once more on the cameraman. “I’m curious, though.” He grinned at the guy, who seemed way too calm and collected for all he’d witnessed tonight. “How is it that you’re not more upset by all this? And why are you the only one who escaped possession?”
The man’s grin was infectious as he shook his head. “Would you believe that The Trials of Moloch is my nine-year-old daughter’s favorite video game? I recognized the demons right off the bat . . . well, at least the little guys when they had their human avatars, because I play it all the time with Hannah. I’ve reached master status on it, and according to my daughter, that’s supposed to protect me from demonic possession.” He laughed as his gaze wandered to the tiny demons standing all around. “It appears to work.”
Jett had to agree. “Take care, and be on the lookout,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot more demonic activity than we used to, and a lot of it appears to be coming from video games. Not everyone’s as cool as these little guys.” He shook hands with the cameraman. Talk about a weird ending to an assignment.
Locan shook the man’s hand as well.
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