Kendra Temples: The Demonic Diaries - Volumes 1-3 (Boxset)

Kenda Temples:

THE DEMONIC DIARIES

BOOKS 1-3

Eve Harms

Copyright © 2020 Eve Harms

All rights reserved.

eveharms.com

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No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental

Table of Contents

The Secret Name

Cover

Title Page

Contents

Hellcrafter

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Contents

Shadow Puppet

Cover

Title Page

Contents

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About the Author

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Trigger Warnings

Kendra Temples: The Demonic Diaries Vol. 1

THE SECRET NAME

Eve Harms

2016

December

I Got An Interview!

Posted by Kendra on December 13th, 2016

Finally! It's for a private librarian position at some rich guy's house. I can't imagine why you’d need a librarian for a personal library. I mean, how big could it be? But I'm not complaining, if somebody wants to pay me to hang around books all day, I'm down. I found the job on craigslist, so I'm really hoping it's not some creepy guy whose fetish is to have a topless librarian dusting his crusty old books. That would probably be better than retail but yeah… not happening. So I'll bring my pepper spray, just in case.

I really hope I get this job.  Then maybe I can finally start paying my boyfriend Steve* for the rent I've missed and get him off my back. I'm tired of doing all the chores! I probably won't get it, though. I don't really have any experience, unless you count my apparently useless degree in literature from that sketchy online college I attended. Wish me luck anyways!

* Name changed to protect the not-so-innocent

The Interview Is Tomorrow

Posted by Kendra on December 15th, 2016

I got an email from the rich guy saying I’ll be interviewing with his lawyer at a coffee shop, not with him at his mansion. He asked me to bring a book that changed me and three significant objects from my childhood. The situation keeps getting weirder, but this kind of stuff just seems to happen to me for some reason. Some witch must have put a weirdo hex on me in a past life. Or maybe I hexed myself. But I kind of doubt it, just because weird things happen to me, it doesn’t mean anything supernatural is going on. Steve says all of that stuff is bogus, and while I love thinking about it and writing about it, I’m pretty sure he’s right. Mostly sure.

I think I’m going to bring a picture of my birth mom (who I’ve never met), my ragged bunny plushy (so well-loved it’s just a head with some scraps dangling off), and a tooth from the cobra that put me in a coma when I was 5 years old. Those should be some good conversation starters, lol.

I’m still not sure which book to bring. There are so many to choose from! I’m trying to decide between The Witches by Roald Dahl, VALIS by Philip K Dick, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, or The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. What do you think? What does he want with all of this stuff anyways?

The Interview Went Okay...

Posted by Kendra on December 17th, 2016

I met the lawyer at a coffee shop for the interview yesterday. He was so skinny—looking like a skeleton with his suit hanging off his bones—and had these huge dark circles around his eyes. His handshake was cold and limp too. He didn't want any coffee, but offered to buy me some—obviously I picked a dirty chai with four shots of espresso!

As soon as we sat down, he asked to see the three significant objects from my childhood and the book. I showed him the picture of my birth mom, my stuffed bunny head, and the cobra tooth.

Steve said the bunny head would make them think I’m childish, but I brought it anyways. I decided to bring The Metamorphosis since it relates to the book I’m writing. I told him why I brought each one, and he didn’t comment. But he did take pictures of them—and me—with his phone. I guess the rich guy will scrutinize them with the rest of the applicant’s photos, probably in a dark smokey room with the photos all over the walls, connected by string, and the faces scratched out. Totally not serial killer behavior.

He asked me some standard questions about my experience, about me, why I want the job and what kinds of books I read. He seemed interested when I told him about my writing, especially that I write horror.

Then he asked some pretty weird questions:

What’s the longest time you’ve spent alone?

Can you work under stressful conditions? (In a private library?)

Do you believe in an afterlife?

Have you ever seen a dead body?

If you were to run off to join the circus what job would you have? (Obviously I'd be a freak! Maybe the bearded lady, ha ha.)

The job pays $25 per hour, which would be a real step up for me. My duties would be to create a system to catalog and organize the library, find and purchase books requested by the rich guy, and seek out new titles to complement the collection. Pretty much a dream job for me.

I tried to turn on the ol’ (questionable) Kendra charm but the guy barely had a pulse. He didn’t seem to enjoy my jokes and I doubt he was impressed with my resume—if you could even call it that.

I don’t think I’ll get the job, but maybe that’s for the best. The whole thing is a bit too creepy— even for me. But I can’t help being curious, I’d die to see this guy’s library!

A Shit Day

Posted by Kendra on December 21st, 2016

It's one of those. I still haven't heard back about the weird librarian job, and I'm broke. Like really broke. Like -62 cents before overdraft fees broke.

Freaking overdraft fees… all because I treated myself to the nice tampons instead of the cheap ones I usually buy. Has anyone ever keeled over after seeing their bank balance? Here Lies Kendra Temples, Broke Idiot.

I guess it's time to start looking again, but it's so hard to find a job in this city. Maybe I shouldn’t have moved out here in the first place. I don't have any friends in LA, but I don't really have any friends back home either because of the… well that's a story for another post. A long one.

Steve’s still being a total dick about me not having a job, and he’s threatening to kick me to the curb if I don't find anything by February. I guess I can't blame him with the amount of back rent I owe him. But shouldn’t he cut his awesome girlfriend some slack? Does he really wanna date a hobo? Because at this rate that’s what I’ll be.

I hope you're having a better day than I am. If you are— let me know in the comments to cheer me up. If you’re also having a shit day, let me know too. Misery loves company, doesn’t it?

Totally Awkward Christmas

Posted by Kendra on December 27th, 2016

I spent my first Christmas out here with Steve and his parents. I guess this is my family now— I’m not in contact with my mom and dad after what happened back home. Steve’s mom borderline hates me, and his dad is kind of creepy. I don’t like the way he looks at me.

This isn’t how I expected my life to be like in glamorous Los Angeles. I guess you shouldn’t have too many expectations when you suddenly move across the country with just a suitcase and shack up with your internet boyfriend you’ve never met IRL before.

But are a couple of friends and a little fun too much to ask for?

Steve’s dad offered me a receptionist job at one of his tanning salons. I think his mom was offended when I said I’d think about it instead of faking a smile and jumping at the opportunity. I’ll probably go for it, there’s no doubt that I need the job, and I’m getting some serious pressure from Steve. But my initial reaction was that it’s a bad idea. And I guess I’m still hoping to hear back about the library job.

Steve gave me a scuffed up U2 CD for Christmas. It looks like he got it from a thrift shop. He should remember that I hate U2. I’ve literally said the words I hate U2 to him. But maybe he forgot, since he got mad because he thought I said I hate you too. I guess my gift to him was pretty lame also. I just made him a card with a poem I wrote. I thought the poem was sweet and funny but he didn’t even crack a smile.

The whole ordeal was pretty bleak. I never thought I’d miss the cheap plastic tree and kitschy light-up Jesus statues my mom would pull out of the attic every year. How was everyone else’s holiday?

2017

February

What Should I Do?

Posted by Kendra on February 15th, 2017

Hey you guys! I’m back. Sorry for not blogging for awhile. I’ve just been working at Steve’s dad’s tanning salon. Other than the weirdo customers and Steve’s dad being a creep, there wasn’t much to report.

But I just got an offer for the private librarian job I applied for two months ago! The lawyer emailed me and said the rich guy finally looked at my application and photos. He told the lawyer that I was ‘perfect’. What does that even mean? The perfect victim? The perfect unsuspecting contestant on a prank TV show?

Should I take it? It’s full time, so I’d probably have to quit my job at Steve’s dad’s tanning salon. I haven’t told Steve about the email, he would be so pissed if I quit.

Other than the 9% chance that I’m walking into a trap set by a serial killer, it sounds like my dream job. I was kind of enjoying my new boring life and slightly-lucrative career, but I can’t be Kendra Temples, Pasty Tanning Consultant forever, right?

I Took The Job

Posted by Kendra on February 19th, 2017

Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions! I accepted the job, and I start Wednesday. I haven’t told Steve that I’m quitting my job at his dad’s tanning salon yet, I’m still waiting for the right time.

He was in a bad mood yesterday. It didn’t seem like a good time to tell him—he might overreact. And today he was in such a good mood—I didn’t want to ruin it. Well, I’ll tell him… eventually.

The Library From Hell

Posted by Kendra on February 22nd, 2017

I sent Steve a text this morning telling him that I took the librarian job, and that I won’t be showing up to my shift at the tanning salon today or ever.

So, what happens next may sound unbelievable. I have a pretty good memory, but I had to use my writerly skills to recreate some details that were a smidge foggy, and dialogue that I couldn’t remember verbatim.  With a job this weird, I’m guessing I’ll have to keep doing this to give you guys the full experience. Sure, it’s probably good practice for my fiction writing, but I promise that this is all true, even if it didn’t happen exactly how I wrote it.

Armed with my military-grade pepper spray, I took a Lyft up the winding road to the rich guy’s mansion tucked away in the hills. It’s a gorgeous Victorian—angular with triangle roofs, an archway for the entrance, and a rectangular tower jutting out of the top that has windows and balconies on each side. The entire house is freshly painted gray without an accent color on the trim. Victorians are unusual in this city, in this Palm tree speckled ocean of concrete and stucco.

The rich guy greeted me at the door—let’s call him Eli. Eli is tall and handsome with olive skin and distinct black eyebrows. He was casually but smartly dressed. I think he's middle eastern, but I’m not sure. He exudes an unassuming self-assurance. It’s strangely calming and puts you at ease the moment you meet him. I found out later that he’s some sort of big-time movie producer.

He must have knocked down some of the walls inside because the entranceway was very open for a Victorian. He gave me the abbreviated tour. The house is too big to tour in one sitting, and many of the rooms are still a work in progress.

First, we toured the giant kitchen, decked out with marble counter tops, brand new appliances, and lots of nooks and other places to eat. Then he showed me the family room, the living room, and a couple of parlors. Do any of you guys know the difference? I sure as heck don’t. The rooms were all tastefully decorated with a modern interior design sense, and a variety of folk and contemporary art hung on the walls.

Next, we climbed the large spiral staircase to the second floor to see the master bedroom and a small room lined with full bookshelves. Was this little room the library? Eli laughed. No, it's not. This is my study. The library is downstairs, we’ll head there soon, but first I want to show you one of my favorite features of the house.

You know you’re rich when your house has  features.

Eli took me up the staircase until we reached the tower with the balconies. He told me it's called a Widow’s walk. The spouses of mariners would watch the ocean from here for their husband’s hopeless return. You could almost see the ocean and smell the salt in the air.

I asked him why all the weird questions in the interview, and he said that he wanted to make sure I wasn’t boring or squeamish. And why would being squeamish matter? Well… Why don’t we crack open that library of ours?

When he opened the double-doors to the library an overwhelming musty smell shot up my nostrils. It was dark except for some rays of sunlight, thick with dust, beaming out of a row of windows. He turned on the lights and… books! Tens of thousands of books! And they were all… disgusting! Rotting, covered in dust and cobwebs!

The library was two stories tall with wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookshelves. A flimsy metal catwalk lined the perimeter so that you could access the shelves on the second story. There were piles of books everywhere—all over the floor, all over the stairs and all over the catwalk. The books that were actually on the shelves weren’t organized in any meaningful way and were sometimes stacked instead of in rows.  As you can see, I haven’t spent much time in here. Yeah, no shit.

It turns out one of the reasons he bought this house was because it came with the library. He loves books and thinks there might be some rare ones in here. The house was sold as-is and the library was neglected for decades. It’s an absolute disaster. And guess who gets to clean it up? Me.

Remember when I told you I was worried the rich guy would want me to dust his crusty old books topless? Turns out a hazmat suit would be more appropriate than a topless maid costume. I have to go through every book and decide if it’s salvageable. If it is, I clean it. Every. Single. Book. You’d think he could have just hired a cleaning crew before I got here but noooo—The job is too important and nuanced for a cleaning crew.

I thought this would be a quiet gig where I could sit pretty in a plush mansion surrounded by books and work on my novel!

It’s 11:45pm here, and I’m writing this from a 24 hour McDonald’s. Steve still hasn’t responded to my text, but I got that ominous read receipt. In Steve language that means he’s extra cheesed off that I quit his dad’s tanning salon without notice. He should be asleep in about an hour, so I’ll sneak back into the apartment then, and sleep on the couch. Hopefully he’s not too mad.

The Aftermath : Poking and Yelling

Posted by Kendra on  February 23rd, 2017

I’m pretty sure poking and yelling is in the top ten most annoying ways to wake up—along with our neighbor practicing Bring Me to Life by Evanescence on her out of tune violin and suffocating on Stanky’s furry cat butt (RIP Stanky).

I took you in when you had nowhere else to go! I was the only one there for you, and this is how you repay me? My Dad was nice enough to offer your broke-ass a job and you abandon your shift and quit? You’re an irresponsible ingrate!

Yep, he was super pissed.

I said that working at a spooky library is my dream job, and I would’ve told him sooner but I knew he was going to freak out like this. He doesn’t understand how much it means to me to get paid to do something I care about, and even if he did he’d probably still be a dick about it.

He asked why my clothes were so dirty. I told him that I was cleaning and he laughed. So this is your ‘dream job’? A glorified maid?

I didn’t know how to respond so I screamed and stomped off into our room. He just slammed the front door, I guess he went to work. It’s time for me to get ready too, I’m skipping the makeup today and wearing my grungiest clothes. I’ll be scraping mold off books all day, after all—I’m a librarian.

Kendra’s Super Cool N Spooky Book-O-Rama

Posted by Kendra on February 27th, 2017

After three days of cleaning books at the creepy-crusty library, I'm finally getting over being overwhelmed by this massive project. All of your encouragement has really helped too! Thanks, you guys.

Eli has been great at making sure I feel comfortable and have everything I need. He said any books that need serious restoration will be sent to a book binder, so that takes some pressure off of me.

The only other regular employee at the mansion is Chef Amos, who’s there nearly every day. Amos is an older Jewish man, and as warm as they come—he takes your hand in both of his when he shakes it and has wrinkles in all the right places. He’s a little spacey but a total sweetheart. I'm eating some super gourmet