Not Just the Family Business

All Hell Breaks Loose

As we walked through the town, I tried to make sense of this situation. Why on earth would yellow-eyes—or Azazel or whatever you want to call that bastard—want to put us all together like this? What is he trying to achieve?

I caught a glimpse of a little girl in one of the buildings. Jake followed her in. I met eyes with Sam and raced into the classroom after Jake. We got there just in time. The girl had turned into a fiendish creature. I swiped through it with the fire poker that I was pretty sure was iron. Thankfully, she disappeared.

"Out!" I yelled. Everyone filed out with Sam in the front. I brought up the rear.

"Now, that thing," Sam said. "I'm not sure, but I think it was an Acheri. A demon that disguises itself as a little girl. That still doesn't tell us where we are. Andy, are you with me or what?"

"Give me a minute. I'm still working through, 'Demons are real'." Andy rubbed his forehead.

"Cut them some slack, Sam," I said. "They aren't used to this. That was an Acheri, I'm sure of it."

Sam grabbed my arm. I raised the poker again but noticed it was a bell he was staring at not another demon.

"I've seen that bell before." Sam looked around again. "I think I know where we are now: Cold Oak, South Dakota. A town so haunted, every single resident fled."

"Swell. Good to know we're somewhere so historical," Ava said.

Lily clutched her sides. "Why in the world would that demon or whatever put us here?"

"I'm wondering the same thing," I said.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Clearly, the only sane thing to do here is get the hell out of dodge." Lily marched away from us.

"Wait, hold on. Lily, the only way out is through miles of woods," Sam said.

"Beats hanging out with demons." Lily raised her arms.

Sam walked toward her. "Lily, look, we don't know what's going on yet. I mean, we don't even know how many of them are out there right now."

Jake followed him. "Yeah, he's right. We should—"

"Don't say 'we'! I'm not part of 'we'. I have nothing in common with any of you!" Lily shouted.

Sam held up his hands. "Okay, look, I know—"

"You don't know anything!" Even from as far back as I was, I could see tears in Lily's eyes. "I accidentally touched my girlfriend."

Everyone met eyes. I stepped forward. "I'm sorry. That must've been awful for you."

"Whatever." Lily's sniffle gave her away. "I feel like I'm in a nightmare, and it just keeps getting worse and worse."

"I've lost people, too," I said. "I have a sister and a dear friend out there right now that could be dead, for all I know. We're all in bad shape. But I'm telling you, the best way out of this is to stick together."

Lily looked around at each of us. "Fine."

I nodded to Sam. He nodded back. "We're looking for iron, silver, salt—any kind of weapon."

Jake raised his brows. "Salt is a weapon?"

"It's a brave new world," Sam said.

"Well, hopefully, there's food in your world because I'm frickin' starving." Andy hugged himself.

"Let's find a place to camp for the night." I also felt the chill in the air. "If we can board up one of the exits in a big room, we should be able to wait this out."