The Devil in the Form of Those That Follow: Calamitous

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

TW: Violence

"...I can refuse to let it have control of me."

"If I get my nose broken, it's all over," Elena declared, "Someone will die."

"Can you even fight?" Lance asked.

"You're about to find out,"

"Oh please do not fight," Ophelia said, "There's already too much happening."

"What she said," Lana added, "And Ophelia, you're staying in here with Tommy?"

"Yes. As much as I want to attempt to rescue everyone, I don't have the skills for that," she replied sadly.

"That's fine. I probably shouldn't be going in there anyways. I mean I've never been in a fist fight, so that's not helping,"

"I remember my first fist fight," Lance stretched his arms out.

"First?"

"Yeah. I was like twelve and I stole some kid's pencils," he explained, "It was during recess. He had planned out the timing so that his dad was the teacher on duty. I'd still say I won," He looked beside him, "What about you Elena? Ever been in a fist fight?"

"Do you remember last year? I almost got my nose broken that time," she said.

"Oh yeah," He looked back in front of him, "Hey Lana, how do you know where we're going anyways?"

"Most of it is based on luck," Lana spoke, "But I was doing some searching and found out that there's a smuggling port not too far from the actual port. They've cracked it down multiple times, but it seems to make a return after the news media settles down. Supposedly it's run by some influential French family, but I'm not too sure. I'm just hoping that that'll be where they'll take everyone. It seems like the most logical option, at least to me."

"And what do we do if they're not there?" Elena asked.

"We found another plan. If we don't truly leave, then they'll stay here. Like Aisha said, they'll follow us no matter what,"

"Okay, I think Aishas getting the most punches in," Lance said, "I'll bet ten dollars."

"Do you think she'd actually fight though?" Elena retorted.

"She threatened me when I got the last piece of cake at Mariah's birthday party. Ask Tommy. He watched it all happen,"

Tommy, who had been zoned out, finally snapped back after hearing his name. Even after coming back to reality, he still didn't talk.

"I remember him telling me," Lana spoke up for him as she took his hand, "Didn't she say that she would use your hands as gloves?"

"I saw my life flash before my eyes,"

✥

"Finally out of that goddamned chair," Beatrix said. She was standing beside Vincent as they waited in the back of some sort of container. They had been blindfolded while they were dragged in here, so they weren't exactly sure. All they could see was light barely making it through the cracks of the door.

"Is that really any better?" he asked her.

"You were barely even handcuffed, so you can't talk,"

"I mean we're practically being smuggled, but you can believe what you want," he shrugged, "You still got the bobby pins?"

"Yeah. I've been stuck in these pants forever,"

"And you're sure you can actually get it unlocked?"