Thirteen
'Look, Dexter man I'm sorry, but I brought lunch!' I said, opening the hotel door and waving a brown paper bag around. 'And it's healthy! Mediterranean! Dexter?'
Looking around, I couldn't see Dexter anywhere- or any signs that anything had happened.
'Dexter?' I banged on the bathroom door as it swung open creepily. Drawing the sig saucer out of the waistband of my jeans, I slowly stepping inside, looking around carefully.
The mirror was clear, the ceilings were fine, and still there was no blood or any other signs that anything had gone wrong.
'Maybe he just went out?' I whispered, even though I knew better.
There was a flash of red on white, and I saw the bandage hanging out from under the sink- opening it, I pulled it out slowly, reading it as it went along.
'John O'Connell?' I whispered. 'He hasn't used that since-'
I jumped up and ran off, leaving the front door open and swinging.
I walked through the park, the streetlamps casting eerie glows through the maze of trees, fountains and park benches. The gun pressed against my side, as if to enforce my anger and annoyance, and I pulled my jacket tighter around my body.
'Isn't this fun?' I heard Ruby's voice, then had to remind myself- it wasn't Ruby. It hadn't been Ruby in a long time.
I heard Dexter dry wretch, and saw him nod, a fake smile on his face.
There were a couple dead bodies in front of them- ripped open and bloodied, blood sprayed across both their faces but all over Gloria's hands.
Standing behind a massive Willow tree, I pulled a flask of holy water out of my back pocket and pulled the gun out too.
'I love playing games, and I've never played with a boy as cute as you before.' She giggled, and I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat. If she freaking put one finger on him I'd send her demonic self roaring back to the pits.
'Yeah.' He laughed nervously, sounding sick as Hell. How a Hunter could be squeamish, I don't know. Didn't make any sense to me.
'We should play another game! And Bella will become so jealous!' Her laughter cut off halfway as I cocked the gun, and she must've heard it.
'Oh, I'm just GREEN with envy.' I said sarcastically, stepping out from behind the tree, raising the gun but keeping the flask out of view.
Gloria giggled, and Dexter's eyes filled with relief.
'You could play too, you know.' She offered, smiling. 'But I don't play with guns. They're mean.' Her face fell into a childish pout.
'Bit too tired to play today, sorry- but not too tired to blow your brains out.' I raised the gun to her head, but Dexter jumped in the way.
'What are you doing, Dexter?' I asked slowly.
'Don't shoot her! Ruby's still in there, she-'
'No, she's not Dexter.' I said. 'Ruby's been gone for awhile now, and this BITCH has been possessing her for...months.'
'I don't want to play with you.' Gloria snapped. 'You're mean.'
'Dexter, move.' He slowly stepped out of the way, but was thrown back, landing in the grass and staying there. I fired three shots off without hesitation, without flinching, and they all hit their mark in her chest.
Blood exploded out, and she fell back, crying out.
Dexter gasped and sat up, not held down by the demon's bonds.
I ran over to him and helped him sit up. 'You OK? What she make you do?'
'Besides the screaming urge to throw up, I'm fine. And nothing- I just had to watch.' He shuddered, and I winced in sympathy.
I turned back just as Gloria stood up, black eyes flashing and I was thrown back again- feeling more and more like a ragdoll.
'You're not very nice.' She let me drop, and I stood up to shoot off another round- that was the last of my bullets, but they all hit her in the stomach and chest. 'That's not nice either.' She brought back her fist but I blocked it, about to punch her back myself when her other fist snaked out a hit my jaw, hard. I stumbled back as she kept going, punching over and over as I barely got a few in. Stepping back, I jumped forward and hit her in the mouth- she fell back and spat blood. Looking around, I couldn't see Dexter anywhere, and it felt like she had opened up the stitches around my temple.
'Get the hell out of Ruby you little bitch.' I spat, throwing the whole flask of holy water as it poured over her body. She hissed and writhed, steam streaming up as she started to scream.
Standing over her, I spat blood and growled, 'You take a message back to the hole you crawled out of. My family is safe, and while I'm alive, I'll kill all you bastards. And when I die, and see you in the pit- I'll get you there, too.'
Her black eyes focused on me, and roared, 'You'll never be safe from us!'
Then she screamed, and blackness exploded out of her mouth- the demon trying to escape.
'Shit.' I muttered. I forgot to exorcise it- it drifted away into the night, and Ruby was left there, finally dead and left alone.
I looked away, clenching my jaw hard. 'Dexter!' I yelled. 'We've got one last thing to do.'
