Putting away my phone I picked up and examined the blade – who was still very livid with me mind you – and besides its flame-like design I had noticed earlier I realized that this was a work of beauty.

Raindrop damascus steel, an exquisite crossguard, a fine greenish-leather handle, and nice sparkling onyx was deeply embedded in its pommel.

Too bad it lives off souls.

I sigh at this realization and proceed to the waiting room with the dagger and pull out a small cloth pouch from my coat.

Opening the pouch I pull out some purifying salts throwing towards the waiting room door and after seeing no flash I knew my protection circle was still up, but just to be safe I sit down in the chair next to the hallway that leads to the doctors office and began reloading my gun after setting the dagger beside me.

It isn't long before I hear faint footfalls walking towards the door, so I calmly level my revolver barely above my torso as the door creaked open seeing a familiar face behind it.

I briefly smile and holster my gun before jumping to my feet, "Hello Robert."

The middle-aged, lanky man with salt and pepper hair, and a navy jumpsuit turns to face me with a shocked expression before it morphs into a sly grin.

"Mike! It has been awhile, how have you been man?" He chuckled with his hoarse voice.

"Same as always Robert, not many actual clients, just the occasional Fleet disturbance and sometimes I get shit like this." I say presenting the dagger from a reasonable distance.

Robert leans backward with a frown on his face, "Ya know Mike I ain't exactly sensitive on the paranormal scale but even I can feel that thing's hatred."

"That is the other reason I asked you guys to come, the main one is I need a case to carry this damn thing around so I don't look like a serial killer while it is sending out waves of bloodlust."

Robert nodded and pulled out a handheld radio, "Hey John, we have the object already in custody. Can you have a Class C containment case ready to go? Over."

I hear some scratchy radio static before I hear a very tired sounding man respond, "Yeah Bob, I can have it done. Just need to dig through the back. Over."

After we confirmed the case was going to be ready I showed Robert around the office where the shooting went down, whilst keeping the dagger wrapped up in my suit jacket for the time being.

Robert shakes his head looking at the disfigured corpse and tells me that despite her head being blown off, and some buckshot in the floor, not much has to be worried about when it comes to cleaning this place up, just that the corpse disposal is going to cost me for this job.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

That figures, as someone that freelances I am responsible for my own clean up bill, but I rather foot that than be working for some government puppet with a five dollar smile and fifty dollar suit.

On my way out of the building I see one of the association's black, panel vans sitting out in the parking lot with a younger, blond guy wearing a uniform similar to Robert hanging out the side with a briefcase in hand.

"Mr. Bloom, yeah?" He says walking toward me.

"Yes I am him, and I don't believe we met," I say, shaking his hand.

"Name's John, nice to meet you sir." He said, sounding much more perky, and excited than he did on the radio.

"Thank you." I say trying to be as friendly as possible despite the handshake going on for too long.

That was awkward.

Breaking away I plucked the case from his hands, thanked him once again and placed the dagger into it and began walking towards the nearby bus station.

Yes I said bus station, I have my own motorcycle but I ain't dumb enough to roll up to a job like this in my personal vehicle; the possessed corpse could have escaped our little scuffle and tracked me back home.

It didn't take me long to reach the bus station, it was only about two blocks away from the 'office' building.

I stepped inside the little booth and not even five minutes later the bus appeared.

Right on time, it was exactly 7:05 on the dot. Got to love punctual people.

My ride only brought me so far as I had to walk down the long winding dirt road to reach my office; which also functioned as my home.

You know you'd think I would get much traffic out here on the outskirts of town, but the Association isn't cheap and I have a fairly good success rate; and not to brag but I have a nice little two story ranch house outside our 'fair' city of Amalgam. I could have gotten a nicer house in the city, probably for cheaper as well but uh, I don't deal well with big crowds.

After entering my house I swing by my living room and drop the suitcase on my couch. I went upstairs past my office to check up on my protection circle.

After making sure my house is locked and secure I walk to my office in the middle of my house and take off my coat and tie and slip on a thick, dark gray set of pinstripe pajamas and crash into bed early tonight.

Unfortunately I begin to dream.

I am suspended in space standing in a room resembling my own with the ceiling and walls being translucent, barely able to make out the opaque shapes swimming in the darkness behind these walls.

I jump up and dash past my dresser as I hug closer to the middle of the room as I see a figure blur past outside my wall almost behind me.

I can hear the faint clicking of something with many legs coiling around my room and positioning itself just right outside the front of the door as an envelope slid underneath to my bed.

I grabbed the envelope without hesitation, unable to control my movements anymore and opened it to read three words boldly written, as if the author couldn't steady their hand, "ANSWER THE CALL."

My body jerks up looking up from the note to hear the thing outside my bedroom gouging the door with what I could only assume to be claws.

I can feel myself getting lighter as I rise above as the door suddenly starts to open and I can see a luminous, eye glowing like a moon and about as large as a dinner plate with staring at me with a ravenous longing; then it all goes black and sit up awake, in a cold sweat on the floor hearing my landline ringing on my nightstand.

I stand and pick up the receiver and hear an excited James on the other end of the line before I can even get a word out,"Mikey, I got a job for you man! Be here at noon today!" That is all I hear before I hear a man yelling at James to get back to work and the line goes dead.

I place the receiver back and notice it reads 4:30 on my clock.

So I sit down on my bed wiping my face before I go and check the door. No cracks, no marks. I sigh and let out a little laugh.

It's a dream, get over yourself man.

Open the door and go down to get an early start with some coffee, before I notice something on the other side of the door that makes my heart sink.

Deeply clawed into the wood lies one word, 'REMEMBER'.

I walk down my stairs to check my protections and locks.

Left untouched.

I sigh before recomposing myself, as I realize I am going to have to see a friend of mine that specializes with the occult and summoning rituals.

After all, it isn't everyday a demon decides to take an interest in a mortal.