Escaping Demons

Chapter 4

"I told you i'd found you," A sultry voice whispered. Brian, being held opposite the sidewalk behind one of the houses, was breathing heavy with panic. His eyes darted around, looking to the hand over his mouth, the one gripped around his stomach, and to the face of the woman he'd seen once before.

"I know you're new to this, honey. But, you take orders from me, and there's no question." Her voice was ridiculously alluring, almost soothing to hear. The arms holding him in place seemed unmovable. No movement seemed to be able to budge anything. Not even his legs were moving, somehow held by another arm. His head wouldn't move far enough to see what the third arm was coming from.

"Who's that other broad? She's pretty. Recent catch?" Her voice only confused Brian further. "Oh, yeah. You can't speak. Silly me." The hand let free of his mouth, and he immediately belted a scream. The only problem being, no sound came out. Panic set in further.

"What did you-" pausing, realizing he spoke without issue.

"I knew you'd scream, obviously. It's what new recruits like you do. So, lets just keep our voices down and talk this out. Yeah?" She smiled, showing jagged teeth. Brian shivered, remembering the sight of an unhinged jaw. Her arms unwrapped from him, and he promptly bolted to run. Though he collapsed onto the ground, still having his knees grasped together. Looking at this third arm, he saw what he could only assume was a... tail. The woman laughed, properly amused by the failed attempt to run away.

"You humans are always so funny! It's like you think we're stupid!" She sighed, standing him back up. "Like I said. We're going to talk this out. Let's start with names, yes? I'm Sabrina." Brian stared at her, in a neverending expression of bewilderment. He blinked a few times, shaking his head. Grasping at the base of his neck, Sabrina laughed again.

"Oh, that silly little thing? I tossed that somewhere along the way. Not necessary where we're going!" Brian shook his head, finally deciding to accept he wasn't escaping anytime soon.

"What do you want from me?" He asked. Sabrina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"I'm trying to make this bearable for you, y'know. But fine, ruin it all." She glared down at him, before continuing. "I bit you, if you don't remember that much. Because you'll be turning to a demon within the next few days, being one of the few who survived... I thought I'd pay you a visit to coerce you into the right path. For you, and I. Because I bit you, rather than some other random event... That means you are my pawn. So." She leaned in close to him. "I think it'd be best if you listened." The whole time, Brian was nearly entering a coughing fit from the smell of her breath. Pure sulfur. His face remained cringed, as he turned to the side to gasp for air.

"You want me to listen to you? Just because you attacked me? I didn't ask for this." Sabrina flashed a small smile, squinting. The smug look on her face was angering.

"You asked for this," she said. "Right when you joined that little charade of a 'business'? All of you asked for this. When you all started capturing us, experimenting on us, all for the betterment of who? Yourselves." Brian stared blankly, concealing his anger.

"Because you all don't hesitate to do things like you just did, any other time."

"Perhaps..." she replied, "But, holding us captive is a good way to put targets on your back." Squinting angrily at her, he knew she was right. It was unnerving just how nonchalantly she shrugged off the horrors that her and her fellow demons orchestrated out of thin air. Though, as stated, she was right. As demons, what more could one expect? The horrors associated are feared for a reason. Mercilessly killing for the good of their own, with no remorse. As Brian thought it over, they blankly stared at each other. He could feel as if she was trying to reach into his mind, like fingers on his brain. An unsettling feeling, though he attempted to hide the discomfort. A voice broke the silence, and it was neither of theirs.

"Looking for this?" Both turned, seeing a small golden cross be held up toward them. Sabrina screamed, as she staggered away. Her tail yanked Brian to the ground, but subsequently let go of his knees. The voice quickly helped Brian up, running with him away from the woman. The smell of burnt flesh vaguely passed them both. Barely present once again, Brian searched for who grabbed him.

"Jane!" He said, as they ran back to his house. Both of them ran inside, locking the doors behind them.

"Yes! It's me. Sorry that took so long- I completely lost you! What did you even- What did you see?!" Looking around his house, Brian sighed.

"I saw an ambulance, down the street... and something was telling me to go search... next thing I knew, I was grabbed, and yanked behind a house. I heard you scream, but... I had a hand over my mouth."

"You didn't try and scream back?" Jane replied, shaking.

"Of course I did! No sound came out of my mouth, I could only make enough noise at a talking volume. As if something was... literally limiting my voice." He watched as Jane raced around the room, closing blinds and locking windows.

"Demons are cruel beings," she said. "But I did hear her say... she bit you. Its the first thing I heard out of your conversation." Looking around some more, she ran to the other doors in the house, locking them as well.

"And that means... what?" Brian asked. Jane stopped, turning to him. She took a second, panting after running about. She sighed.

"If we don't stop your transmutation into a demon, as she is..." she shook her head, then continued. "Your mind will be nothing more than a chunk of meat on her skewer." Brian stared for a moment, watching as Jane went off to lock the rest of the house.

"Well- What're we going to do?! We need to get there now and figure this out!" Jane ran back into the room, and grasped him by the shoulders.

"HOW are we gonna get through that building without being ripped to shreds?!" Brian grasped her hands, trying to reel in the sudden panic that she'd fallen into.

"Jane!? Jane!! Calm down- please! I may have an idea." Staring in unblinking eye contact, Jane calmed her breathing, and nodded to him.

"Go ahead..." She took her arms off of his shoulders. Brian then spoke,

"While I was still within the second chapter, I knew of someone who was... like, a nun. Or becoming a nun." Jane turned her head to the side.

"A nun? In the second chapter?" She paused, trying to think of why a nun would want to be associated with demons so directly, to no avail. "Okay, go on."

"I don't think she's officially one, from what I heard. There was something about 'becoming' one, but she always wore the black and white kind of stuff, carried a bible, had crosses, etcetera." Jane still seemed unconvinced.

"Who's to say she wasn't mauled by the rogue demons?" Brian sighed.

"I think if anyone would've had proper protection against demons, it'd be them. I don't know them any bit personally, but it seems crosses work. Holy water? Uh.. more crosses? ...Whatever else nuns carry? Probably some memorized verses?" Jane, after another moment of pause, sighed, nodding.

"I guess so. Where are we going to find them?"

"Call me crazy..." He said, laughing to himself. "What if we checked the church?" Jane stared at Brian, realizing that it was an obvious answer.

"Oh- duh."

"And if they aren't there, maybe we can ask around."