The Four Horseman

Johnny liked looking at his new shrink.
She was very pretty, wide eyed and with violet hair that she pulled into a messy bun for work. He had glimpsed tattoos and noticed that she always wore black. He had stored the information away for later and played the game he had become accustomed to with shrinks. Tell them what they want to hear and do a lot of nodding. It was harder when the voices got insistent or when Michael visited but Johnny hoped that it would lead to release. In that regard he had two problems.
One : Johnny was as sane as the next guy.
Two : He needed to be out by Thursday and today was Wednesday.
Awkward.
“How are you today Johnny.”
“Great thanks.”
Claire watched the boy. It was impossible not to like the guy and he had proved to be interesting company quite apart from his psychosis. Over their two weeks of sessions he had told her more about his friends and their lives before the accident. They had discussed his rehabilitation and Johnny knew that sooner or later they would discuss what happened after and she would write him off as crazy.
It had seemed crazy to Johnny at first. When they had first woke him up with the news of his broken bones, skull fracture and the devastating loss of the guys he had loved as brothers Johnny had allowed the grief to overtake him in a great wave. It was worse than with Jimmy, he had been surrounded by Matt and Syn and Zack, able to cope because he could lean on them and they leaned on him. In this new world he had felt so alone.
Until the day Michael showed up.
It had been four months after the accident and he had moved in with his parents to try and rebuild his life as his physical injuries healed. Johnny had decided that the only way he could cope was to do as he had done with losing Jimmy. He would carry on and take his friends with him, he would get fit and make music with the flood of people that had known the band on the circuit and had offered to jam. It was one of those he had thought was at the door when the bell rang one afternoon. He had rushed to open it and his smile had become bemused.
“Can I help you?”
The tall man on his doorstep turned back and looked at him. They were roughly the same age but this guy was a fair bit taller and rail thin with glasses perched on an intelligent face. He wore black skinny jeans and a Metallica shirt, his gaze making Johnny shiver.
“You most certainly can Johnny.”
“Do I know you?”
“My name is Michael, you can call me Mikey. How about we go for a coffee?”
Johnny had found himself agreeing, grabbing the crutches he still needed without thinking about it. He hadn’t been out since the accident and winced as they took the first steps down the street. Mikey didn’t help him, watching the short man struggle until they turned a corner. The next road left to the café near the beachfront and it was warm, usually the place would have been packed with people but now it was mysteriously empty.
“Hold on a minute.”
Johnny gasped, the smile on Mikey’s face was quite beautiful as he leant down and ran his hands over the splints and fractures in Johnny’s legs. There was a deep warmth climbing up his body, a feeling of such hope and relief that Johnny found tears in his eyes. Mikey stood up and took the crutches from him, allowing Johnny to walk forward. He gazed at the other man, his voice tight as he realised that there was no pain from anywhere, he felt…well.
“How did you do that?”
Mikey shrugged.
“I need you healthy and you have shown strength in suffering as your friends said you would.”
Johnny stared, carefully following as the tall man headed on towards the café. The conversation that followed would have been ridiculous to the outside world but Johnny had not been able to see it as anything but truth. The Archangel Michael was a thin gothy kid in glasses who had come to tell him that he, Johnny Christ, would break the first seal and unleash the four horsemen. Who were his dead friends.
It did sound nuts but Johnny knew, just knew, that it was true.
He had spent something like a week with Mikey, learning about what would come and somehow seeing that everything had led to this one point. His friends had been exceptional, talented and it had been the worst part for Johnny to see their lives and promise stripped away. Except now he knew they had been taken for a higher purpose and so had he.
Except Johnny and Mikey found there were glitches.
The “other side” was fucking with them.
Hence the need to score bloody words into his skin. His mind would empty of the important things he needed to know and dark shadowy figures and possessed addicts tried to kill him. He hadn’t wanted to throw himself off the bridge at all, the police had actually saved his life and Mikey had told him to play along. It would be safer to be in an enclosed space where no human could be forced in to get at him. Michael made sure the drugs they fed him had no effect. Now all he had to do was find a way out and open the seal. Then he would see Syn again.
“Johnny?”
Claire stared at him as the boy shook himself back to the present.
“I asked if you had any friends in here.”
“A couple. Lily is nice and so is Mad George.”
Claire giggled at the nickname for an elderly resident who was indeed very mad. The other name bothered her more. She had only seen Lily from a distance, a violent and somewhat haunted woman with wild hair that she had not expected to be a friend of the short man. She made a note of it on he pad and mentally so that she could ask the other doctors about the other patient.
“What do you talk about?”
“All manner of things.”
Johnny stared at Claire, unwilling to give anything away that would prevent the plan that was growing in his mind. He could use the lady to get out, force her to help him if he needed to, Michael said he could do that but only if really necessary and Johnny didn’t want to force anyone but it was important he be at the right place.
“I am glad you socialise. Do your friends visit?”
Johnny was about to nod as the lights above flickered. He smiled.
“Ma and Pa sometimes….”
Claire glanced up in annoyance as the lights flickered again.
“Anyone else?”
The lights went out. Johnny could feel the energy in the room changing as the blackness swirled about him. He wasn’t scared, this wasn’t a threat it was help and he knew now that Claire was important to his mission too and would have to come with him. Her voice sounded calm and controlled as he heard her move towards the intercom.
“Don’t panic Johnny, the backup should kick in.”
“I’m fine Claire.”
She paused, her eyes widening at the power that seemed to slap her in the face at his words. Claire was scared, more so when the lights came back on and Lily was somehow in the room and standing behind Johnny, her hand on the chair. He was smiling and shrugged sadly at her.
“Looks like you’re coming to.”
Claire straightened up, furious as the smirks on their faces as Lily pushed her hair out of her eyes and stared at her. The intercom did not work and when she tried to summon the front desk on her pager that didn’t work either. Neither of the two inmates moved as she went to the door, frowning as she realised it was locked. Johnny tapped his fingers on the table, the other hand reaching to his shoulder to lightly run over Lily’s fingers.
“Show her who you are Lily….”
The lights brightened and now Claire felt a scream lodge in her throat. The wild haired woman was bathed in a glow, her face changing as she straightened up. The dark hair tamed itself, the hospital gown was replaced by black leathers and finally she put a hand out.
“Lilith, mother of demons, guard of this idiot and you…huh. Anyways, lets be going. Some of Satan’s little helpers just twigged about seal number one.”
“I…..don’t understand.”
Johnny stood up, he looked stronger than Claire remembered and very focused as he wrapped an arm around her and then reached out for the other woman.
“You soon will but we have a Syn to call forth.”
Every electrical device in four blocks died as huge amounts of energy poured into the little room and its three occupants disappeared in a flash of divine light. Nothing in the hospital would even remember that they had ever been there.

Notes