The shadows of our town

chapter 17: two thomases

The night was dark and heavy as the group returned to Melissa's house, their clothes still damp from the rain that had started earlier. Inside, the living room was quiet, save for the faint creaks of the old floorboards beneath their feet. The tension was palpable. Thomas—or what was left of him—was out there, hunting them.

But Carla was resolute.

"We'll bring him back," she whispered to herself, though the words sounded like a plea.

Adam locked the door behind them, checking the windows to ensure they were secure. Melissa stood by the kitchen, fiddling with her phone, trying to get a response from Lydia.

"Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath.

"Do you think she'll answer?" Billy asked, pacing nervously.

"She has to," Melissa replied, her tone sharper than she intended.

The Attack
A sudden crash at the back door made everyone freeze. Adam spun around, gripping his crowbar.

"He's here," Carla whispered, her voice barely audible.

The door burst open, wood splintering as Thomas's form stepped into the room. But this wasn't the Thomas they knew. His eyes glowed faintly with an otherworldly light, and his movements were unnervingly jerky, like a puppet on strings.

"Thomas," Carla called out, her voice trembling. "It's us. Please—stop!"

But he didn't. Instead, he lunged at her, his speed unnatural. Adam intercepted him, swinging the crowbar, but Thomas caught it mid-swing and hurled him across the room like he weighed nothing.

"Get the salt!" Melissa screamed, running to grab the bag from the kitchen counter.

Billy dove for Thomas, tackling him to the ground, but the possessed Thomas threw him off easily. Carla hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the bag of salt from Melissa and tossed a handful at Thomas.

The reaction was immediate. He let out an inhuman scream, his body writhing as smoke rose from where the salt hit him. Melissa quickly threw more salt in a circle around him, trapping him in place.

Thomas—if it was even him—collapsed onto the floor, groaning. For a moment, the glow in his eyes dimmed.

"Get something to tie him up!" Adam called out, limping back into the room.

They worked quickly, binding his hands and feet with duct tape and tying him securely to the sofa. As they stood back, panting, they could see him struggling against the restraints, his eyes flickering between the warm brown they recognized and the eerie, glowing light.

Lydia's Advice
Melissa's phone buzzed, and she snatched it up. "It's Lydia," she said, holding the screen up to read aloud.

The message was brief but chilling:

"You have to separate them. There's a ritual, but it's delicate. If you don't do it perfectly, you could create something worse. The demon will cling to Thomas like a parasite unless you completely sever the connection. Here's how to do it..."

Melissa read the instructions out loud, her voice steady despite the fear creeping in. The ritual required candles, a protective circle, and an invocation of the demon's name—again. This time, they would use an artifact Lydia had mentioned earlier: a small mirror Melissa had found at a local thrift store, supposedly imbued with protective energy.

"Are we sure about this?" Adam asked, his voice uneasy.

"We don't have a choice," Carla said. "If we don't, he'll die anyway."

The Ritual
The group worked quickly, arranging the candles and drawing the protective circle around Thomas. Carla knelt beside him, her hand brushing his for a moment.

"Thomas," she whispered, her voice breaking. "If you can hear me, hold on. Just hold on a little longer."

Melissa began the invocation, reading from Lydia's instructions. The air grew colder, and the flickering candlelight seemed to dim.

As the final words were spoken, Thomas let out a guttural scream, his body convulsing violently. The mirror in Carla's hands began to glow, emitting an eerie silver light.

"It's working!" Billy shouted.

But then something went wrong. The light from the mirror grew too intense, and the circle began to crackle with energy. Thomas's scream split into two distinct voices—one his own, and the other a deep, guttural growl.

The air around them seemed to ripple, and with a deafening burst of light, two figures appeared.

Two Thomases
One was Thomas—weak, pale, and barely able to hold himself upright. The other was an exact copy of him, but with glowing eyes and an aura of pure malice. The demon had taken on Thomas's form completely, standing tall and menacing as it surveyed the group.

"What... what did you do?" the real Thomas croaked, his voice barely audible.

"We... we separated you," Carla stammered.

The demon smirked, its face twisting into a grotesque mockery of Thomas's. "And now, you've made me stronger."

It lunged at them, moving faster than any of them could react. Billy shoved Carla out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack. He cried out as the demon's claws raked across his shoulder, leaving deep gashes.

"Billy!" Melissa screamed, grabbing him and dragging him toward the door.

"Get out of here!" Adam yelled, swinging his crowbar at the demon to buy them time.

The demon batted him aside with ease, but the group managed to grab Thomas and drag him out of the house. Carla and Melissa hauled the weak, real Thomas into the car, while Adam and Billy limped behind them.

The demon, still in Thomas's form, stood in the doorway, its glowing eyes burning into them as they sped away.

Planning Their Next Move
Back at Melissa's house, the group tended to Billy's wounds. He was in bad shape, but Melissa's first aid kit held enough supplies to stabilize him for now.

The real Thomas lay on the couch, his breathing shallow and his skin pale. Carla sat beside him, holding his hand tightly.

"We messed up," Melissa said, pacing the room. "We messed up, and now it's worse."

"What do we do now?" Adam asked.

Carla looked at Thomas, her heart breaking. "We find a way to sever the connection completely. We have to kill the demon, for good this time."

"But how?" Billy asked weakly, his voice strained.

Melissa's phone buzzed again. Another message from Lydia:

"You've unleashed something far worse than you realize. The demon and Thomas are still connected—its life force is tied to his. If you kill it, he may die too. But if you let it live, it will destroy everything in its path. You have to find a way to break the connection permanently."

Carla clenched her fists. "Then we'll find that way. Whatever it takes, we'll save him."

Outside, the wind howled, and somewhere in the darkness, the demon—wearing Thomas's face—was waiting for them. Watching.

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poor billy cant catch a break 😭