Izzy and I had been friends for almost a month now. When I was around her, I forgot about the nightmares. Forgot about the demons. They were visiting me in my sleep every night, but when I was with her, it didn't matter. We laughed and talked about music. I'd see her band play every time they had a gig. I'd crash their practices. We were always around each other.
But one night, as I lay asleep, the demons visited me again. The nightmare was always the same. Except this time Izzy was with me, and they were after her too. Just before they caught us, I woke up in a cold sweat. I sat there straight up in bed, my throat closing up with fear. I flicked on the lamp and looked around the room quickly. Nothing was there, but it had felt so real. They knew about her. And they would take her just like they would take me. "You leave her the hell alone. You want me, you can have me. But you leave her out of this," I said to the empty room.
I arrived at school later on that day and Izzy was nowhere to be seen. She usually met me right as I pulled up in the parking lot, but today she wasn't there. She wasn't at lunch either, and I was starting to get worried. About midway through my English class, I was called to the office. Puzzled, I followed the monitor there and found Principal Ryan there with a man and a woman. "Principal Ryan, what's going on?" I asked.
He turned to me and motioned for me to sit. I sat in the chair behind me and waited for his response. "Mr. Matthews, this is Miss Marin's parents. She hasn't been home since yesterday morning, and sources tell me you were the last person with her."
"I was. I helped her pack up her guitar after band practice yesterday afternoon. But then I went straight home. I called her when I got there and she was fine."
"She never made it home last night."
I frowned, but there was a slight panic starting to build in my chest. What if they'd gotten to her? "That doesn't make sense. When I talked to her, she was on her way home."
"Bella's usually home by eight because that's when we eat dinner. She never came home," Mrs. Marin said.
"Do you have any idea where she could've gone?" Principal Ryan asked.
I shook my head. "Not a clue. I've only known her for a month. The only place I know she's been is school and band practice. And that's in the auditorium after school."
Principal Ryan nodded. "Well, we'll let you get back to class. If we hear anything, we'll let you know. And we expect you to do the same."
"Of course."
"Well, off you go."
I opened the door and exited into the hallway. I started to make my way back to class but changed my mind halfway there. I made my way to the parking lot and hopped on my Harley. I drove it all the way to a place I knew of that a lot of the Black Magick kids hung out at. I stopped the bike and climbed off of it. "I know you have her," I said to the air around me. "And I will get her back. If it's the last thing I do."
Before my eyes, a red vortex opened up and I stepped through, leaving my motorcycle behind.
Once through the vortex, my eyes had to adjust to the gruesome and horrible things I was seeing all around me. I'd never imagined Hell...but I assumed this was it.
