scent on the air . I took a deep breath , filling my nostrils . I closed my eyes and focused on the new scent , then contemplated my next move . I was already losing the fiend ’ s scent , but this new one was close , and I knew that my expertise would be required . I wanted to push ahead , drive forward in my pursuit of the fiend , but quickly turned left instead and ran toward Thesden Avenue .
The new scent led me to a two-story white house , small but nicely maintained . A lined stone path stretched from the sidewalk to the front door . The walkway had not yet been shoveled of the previous night ’ s snowfall , but heavy traffic to and from the house had managed to dishevel the fresh snow haphazardly , as if in emergency . The attached garage was open with an older black Camaro parked inside , at an angle and its back end exposed .
I stopped , cleared my mind , and dropped my gaze to the ground . With my eyes closed and heart calmed , I breathed in the cold morning air slowly , as if meditating and finding peace . I canvassed my surroundings , searching for any sign of a fiend – smell , breathing , blood . There was nothing . I breathed in quickly and sighed relief . I glanced around nonchalantly and proceeded up to the front door .
As I came to the doorstep , I reached into my coat pocket and took out a small bottle of holy water . Using the bottle , I marked the air in front of the door with the sign of the cross . Then I carefully twisted the lid from the bottle – making sure not to spill the contents , and meticulously poured a small stream of holy water around the outer sides of the stoop . No fiends may enter now , I mumbled , by the power of God . I screwed the lid back on , put the holy water back in my pocket , and knocked on the door .
115