Love, Basketball and Demons

Chapter 21: Torture

The rain pelted against the windshield as Deb's car sped down the slick city street, her tears blending with the droplets streaming down the glass. The distorted neon lights of the city blurred together in a haze of pain and confusion. She could hardly see through the cascade of her own emotions, but she knew one thing: she had to get as far away from St. Jerome's as fast as possible.

"Eighty in a sixty zone? Really, Deb?" she chastised herself between sobs. But it was too late. The flash of red and blue lights filled her rear-view mirror, and she pulled over to the side of the road, her heart pounding in her chest.

An officer emerged from the police car, her uniform soaked from the relentless downpour. Her expression was stern as she approached Deb's window, which reluctantly rolled down with a creak. "You were going eighty in a—" she began but stopped short when she saw Deb's tear-streaked face and trembling hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Are you alright?" The young officer asked, concern overriding her initial anger. Deb tried to speak, but all that came out were choked sobs and unintelligible mumbles. It was as if her words were trapped beneath the crushing weight of her terror.

"Please...just give me the ticket," Deb managed to choke out, her voice raw from crying. The officer hesitated, taking a step back to assess the situation.

"Look, I'm going to let you off with a warning this time," She said, her voice gentle. "But I want you to stay pulled over until you can pull yourself together, alright?"

"Okay," Deb whispered, nodding shakily. The officer gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before returning to her patrol car and driving away.

As the officer's taillights disappeared into the night, Deb's mind was flooded with the horrific images she had just witnessed. The secret underground facility beneath St. Jerome's Parish, where Abby revealed a side of herself that Deb could never have imagined.

The way Abby smiled as she electrified Ethel, the captured vessel, discussing how to determine if someone was a vessel—the fangs, glowing eyes, claws, aversion to salt, and holy water being poison to them.

"Deb, you're strong," Abby had said, smiling reassuringly at her. "I can feel it. I think you have the most potential I've ever seen to become an exorcist."

But Deb was horrified. She couldn't believe that Abby was torturing Ethel, but more terrifying was the fact Ethel wasn't human. But she hid her shock, not wanting Abby to turn on her too.

"An exorcist?"

"Heroes wiping out the dark creatures of this world." Abby explained, "Your parents are some of the best exorcists in the world and they sent you here to learn and train." Abby grasped Deb's shaking hands, "Killing monsters is in your blood." It was a chilling revelation, one that left Deb questioning everything she knew about herself and the world around her.

"Help me hunt the other vessel," Abby had asked.

Deb hesitated, "I need time to think about this, It is all just so much to take in."

"of course, it is a choice that shouldn't be taken lightly," Abby agreed, " it means being willing to put your life on the line for others." Deb had nodded and fled the room, unable to bear the sight any longer.

Now, sitting alone in her car with the rain pounding against the roof, Deb shivered as the memories played over and over in her mind like a twisted film reel. Would she ever be able to look at Abby—or herself—the same way again?

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Meanwhile, Zack lay recovering from his wounds in Paulina's office, his body's healing slowly sealing up each bullet hole but his spirit remained intact. The front door creaked open and Kyle glided into the establishment, he scanned the bar with a look of disdain.