Chapter One of Leviathan

The synopsis: After losing his wife to circumstance a man attempts to fight for his soul after waging a bargain with a particular demon that accepts no substitutes.

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Fiction writer Efrain Hernandez presents

Leviathan

Chapter One

David Arnold quickly shut his car door, slid the seat belt over him and laid the seat as far back as possible. He wasted no time in crossing his arms and slamming his eyes closed trying to focus every ounce of his strength to separate his self from the ice water spraying over the sides of the Triton. At least that’s what the paint on the back of the ferry read.

Inside his car David was safe. It was a thousand times more quiet there compared to the winter storm of the Atlantic bay. Sound was mute. His windshield was now a complete watery white that was bubbling by the splatter of rain and seawater. A thunder rolled overhead but he was deaf to it as his heart made him so. Every single heartbeat was a pounding in his ears.

His breathing stopped. His tiny two-door had only slid half an inch to the right but it felt more as if the car had broken free and was now six feet closer to the sea.

A half hour left, he reminded himself as he twisted his wedding band around his finger.

The Triton moaned and David felt the car move again. Thousands of pounds of steel on top of a thousand ton of more steel was pushing most of its weight on one side, swaying to the left as the tides began to pick up. Dozens of other cars surrounding him were jostling in their place. His car was closest to the railing.

Just as the sporadic beating of rainwater was hitting the roof of his car his sweat was easily crawling down his face, trailing behind a cold chill that reminded him of his own trail he was leaving behind. He was like a snail that was too slow and obvious. He might as well have left flags and signs pointing to the ferry tugging across the bay and they were all white flags.

There was a knock on his window and David bolted right up. An attendant wearing a water repellent poncho was peering through the fogging window with an encased clipboard. He motioned for the window. As David lowered his window a blast of chill air exploded into the car and he was exposed again.

“Sir, the operator has asked that everyone leave their cars and go inside. It’s gonna get bad and much worse than it already is.” The attendant was serious.

David shook his head. “I can manage.”

“Sir, please.” The attendant tried to open the door but David’s finger was already on the LOCK button.

“Let me go.” David looked at up him sent the biggest distress call through his eyes but he knew better. The attendant said nothing and warned the next car. David slid two ferry tickets lying on his dashboard in his pocket jacket. As the window rolled back up he saw dozens of riders get out of their cars to follow other attendants in a single fashion that resembled “follow the leader.” They were all families, couples, businessmen and some even runaways all heading for protection from a sky of black clouds and heavy downpour. They had nothing to fear in the rain.

David saw the rain that was already inside the car with a careful eye. As the window closed a few tender beads of water slid down the glass. Another bead of sweat landed on his top lip from the edge of his nose. Although he wasn’t too sure about how much water had gotten inside his car he was completely certain that it was there. He continued to watch the bead slide until it finally rested on the bottom seal with a fixed stare. David was petrified, cold and exhausted. He had everything to fear in the rain.

That fear began nearly two months prior.

David was a credit application clerk who was on a list of laborers “to go”. He and his wife were aware of the struggles that were before them. As David sat down with his wife in a living room spot where their television used to be, he gently laid his head on his wife’s shoulder and allowed his mind to wander. Their bodies were bathed in a warm light by the corner heater. As they sat huddled together in front of a pile of opened envelopes and the letters that came with them they kissed and comforted each other in silence. The last letter, the top most page that was folded in a tri-fold, began its declaration with an “We regret to inform you…” and ended in an “..was denied.” In fact all of the letters save for one had some if not all the words such as: rejected, denied, refused, canceled, post-due, terminated and their favorite word regret.

Debt collectors regret so much, David thought. Only a matter of time now.

Alone in their living room the Arnolds had unplugged their telephone and were already packing what was left of their belongings in boxes that either read MOVING or SELLING. David still had his coupe sitting outside the apartment but he knew that wouldn’t last too long when the collectors would start knocking.

His wife pecked him on the cheek and began rubbing the back of his ears. Her eyes were shiny and full of concern.

“It’ll be fine.” David answered her look with a smile.

No, we won’t be. He fought back the thought. Everything’s going to hell and I don’t know what to do.

Somehow she read his mind and frowned.

“Sophie, it will.”

Her eyes screamed liar but she tightened her arms around him even more.

David loved the way she clung on to him. “Your man’s gonna fix it, Sophie.”

“I know he will.” Her voice was like a warm liquid filling his ears. “Promise me he will.”

“Promise.”

Sophie showed her engagement ring that glistened red and orange, to David. David immediately shook his head. She smirked and thought how silly the idea was. David went through so much trouble trying to find the perfect engagement ring and to give it up so easily was a more or less a punch to his scrotum.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Then she pulled out a small necklace from beneath her blouse. “Well, if nothing works anymore I want to use this and y’know…sell it.” She held a small amulet that looked like a golden circle with a bar going across the diameter. A small ruby was fitted in the middle of the bar. “I think it’s worth enough for us to buy us some tickets to leave the island.”

“Babe, I’m not gonna let you do that.”

“Do or die David.”

David tried fighting the idea but at that point anything else seemed useless. Sophie’s amulet was a family heirloom, albeit a strange heirloom but a piece of hope nonetheless.

“Tomorrow morning I’m going to head out to the creditors again. If I can talk with that supervisor one more time I think I can win us some time.” His voice was shaky but it was a start.

Sophie kissed him on the corner of his mouth. “You can do it.”

David felt the words touch him harder than the kiss.

You can do it