Page 89 of Coven of Corpses

About an hour later, a soft knock at the back door made everyone freeze.

"That'll be Jugs," Cody said.

"Wait," Tracey warned. “Make sure.”

Cody gestured to the hex bags she’d set in each corner. “Won’t those protect us?”

“Briefly,” she said, “but if Baron was able to release that demon on his own, he’s more powerful than we knew.”

“I’ll check,” Cody said, approaching the back door. He looked through the peep hole and saw Jugs standing under the buzzing LED light above the door, cradling Enid Helen. Figuring the dog wouldn’t let Jugs hold her like that if he was possessed, Cody unlocked the door.

"Jesus, what the hell is going on now?" Jugs said, rushing inside. He stopped short at the end of the hallway and blinked when he saw everyone staring at him. "Uh, I mean… Wow, big turnout."

"Thanks for coming," Demmy said, walking up and clapping him on the shoulder.

Enid Helen barked, but she quieted when Jugs shushed her.

"Where's Agatha?" Cody asked.

"At the clinic," Jugs replied. "She took the other dogs with her today because Enid Helen keeps barking at them when they come near me.” He scratched her head. “She’s a little overprotective of her big bad daddy.”

“Good God,” Cody said. “Get a room.”

Jugs narrowed his eyes. “Wait a minute. That sounded a lot like Cody.” He looked between them. “What’s going on? Who was that creepy dude outside my house? Why am I here? How did you all get in here?”

“Jugs ol’ buddy, let’s go in the break room for a minute and talk,” Cody said.

A short time later, Cody had finished catching Jugs up and answered as many of his questions as possible. Enid Helen had remained remarkably calm during it all, content to be in Jugs’s arms, her eyes half closed. When Jugs had asked again why they’d brought him there, Cody gestured to the main office space.

“Let’s go talk with the others,” he said and led the way out of the break room. “Jugs wants to know why we had him come here.”

"It’s because you’re a direct descendant of Abigail Brewster, one of the original witches who settled Parson's Hollow in the 1600s."

Jugs blinked. “I’m…what now?"

"A descendant," Tracey said. "Like me. And Margie from the diner. And Cody." She gestured toward him. “And Amelia.”

"Hold up," Jugs said, making a time-out gesture which earned a displeased grumble from Enid Helen. "Are you saying my great-great-whatever grandmother was a witch?"

"Yes. And we need you to help us trap a demon."

Jugs looked around the room as if searching for someone who might admit this was all an elaborate prank. “You’re talking about a demon. Like from Hell?"

"More like from another plane of existence," Tracey said. "But yes, basically a demon."

“It’s been possessing people throughout town,” Demmy said. “And trying to stop us. It seems to be able to find the descendants on its own.”

“It possessed the mayor,” Cody said. “And a tree.”

Jugs stared. “A tree?” He looked around at the others, then at Demmy. “Bonker… what?”

Cody raised a hand. “Nope. I’m over here.”

Jugs looked at him, eyes even wider. “Chainsaw pancakes. This is all way too much.”

“Man up, dude,” Cody said. “You were a werewolf at one time.”

“He was?” Greg said, taking a step back from Jugs.