Love, Basketball and Demons

Chapter 23: Hourglass

The frigid night air filled Deb's lungs as she stood in the parking lot. Snowflakes gently drifted from the sky, sticking to her face and glasses. Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to break free. She stared wide-eyed at Zack, who was surrounded by a shimmering barrier.

As the car screeched to a halt inches from the barrier, Zack glanced over at Deb, fear playing in his eyes. His once blue eyes glowed a dim pink, the same color as the barrier that shielded him from harm. He looked like a demon straight out of her nightmares.

"Deb..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. The sight of terror etched across her face seemed to break something inside him. He dropped the barrier, clenched his teeth, and shot into the darkness with impossible speed.

"Zack, wait!" Deb called after him, but he was already gone.

Jessica emerged from her car, looking grim and apologetic. "Deb, I'm so sorry you had to find out about all this like this," she said, her brown eyes filled with regret.

"What the hell was that, you could have killed him. What is Zack exactly?" Deb stammered, her mind racing with questions and confusion.

"First years aren't supposed to know about this stuff, let alone be involved," Jessica replied, avoiding Deb's question. "We need to get you back to St. Jerome's dorms. They're on lockdown while we take care of this situation."

"We? Who are we exactly? I need to know what's happening!" Deb protested, her voice shaking.

"Sorry, Deb. Rules are rules. You'll get your answers when you are ready," Jessica said firmly.

As they drove back to the dorms, Deb couldn't help but be bombarded with all the questions swirling around in her mind. She knew Jessica would remain tight-lipped, but how could she just sit in a dorm when she knew what would happen to Zack if they caught him?

Upon arriving at St. Jerome's, Abby marched up to Jessica, her hazel eyes blazing with annoyance. "Zack is our best shot at finding Gluttony, and you let him slip away?" she barked.

"Deb needed to be taken care of," Jessica retorted defensively.

"Deb can take care of herself," Abby huffed, storming off.

Deb trudged to her room, her thoughts consumed by images of dancing with Zack at the winter formal, their all-day birthday date, and his heartfelt confession of love. And then the images of Ethel convulsing as Abby electrocuted her, flooded her mind.

Collapsing onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling, haunted by Zack's terrified expression as he fled from her. She knew she had to find him, taking a breath she gathered her knives and slipped out of her room.

-----

The cold wind whipped through the abandoned storefront, causing Rob to shiver as he struggled against Gluttony's iron grip, before being tossed across the dingy floor. Gluttony towered over him, a sinister grin plastered across his monstrous face.

"Alright, Rob," he said mockingly. "Tell me where Ethel they are keeping Ethel, and I might just reconsider killing you."

Rob swallowed hard, his throat dry from fear. He had no choice but to trust this demon if he wanted to survive. "She's... she's at a secret underground facility beneath St. Jerome's Parish. She told me about their training ground when she escaped from there the first time."

Gluttony's twisted smile widened. "Exorcists are just so predictable." Dragging Rob towards the exposed pipe, he used some loose wiring to tie him securely. "Stick around, Rob. If Ethel's where you say she is, I'll be back for you." With a menacing laugh, Gluttony vanished into the night, leaving Rob to contemplate his fate.