Hell's Love

Chapter 9

   I stood in my living room and watched Zorohm search my house. My body was weak from exhaustion and hunger. Zorohm hadn't let me eat or sleep in days.  
   What are you looking for?  I asked him. A smile grew on my face and he chuckled. 
   "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you." He replied as he turned to the kitchen. "Someone's hungry and I'd hate for you to starve to death before I finish my work in this world."
    I'm fine. I said and felt a rumble in my stomach.  
   "It doesn't sound like it." He said and took us to the freezer. As he opened it, a bunch of raw meat and frozen vegetables came into view. My stomach growled from the sight of real food. 
  I don't see you preparing meat anytime soon. 
"Who said you were going to eat meat?" He replied and closed the freezer. I turned around and came face to face with a huge spider. I would have screamed if I could open my mouth. My stomach turned as I urged my body to move away from it. Zorohm smirked and reached for the 8 legged creature. 
  Don't you dare!! I shouted at him. 
  "You have to eat," Zorohm replied and lifted the spider to my lips. My stomach gagged as Zorohm laughed. "I won't let you starve."

   Declan and Dominic pulled up to Declan's house and Dominic turned off his truck. They sat in silence as they thought about what just happened. 
  "We need to prepare you for the exorcism," Dominic announced. "I should be giving it, but we should have you learn how to perform one just in case."
  "I thought it takes a lot of experience to be able to give one," Declan said with his eyes on the dashboard. 
  "It does." Dominic agreed. "This is just our last resort. Zorohm isn't going to survive another exorcism. I'll make sure of it." 
  "So when do we start?" Declan asked as he turned to face the other boy. Dominic's green eyes seemed to have dimmed even more over the last few days. As if he had been drained by Zorohm. 
  "Tomorrow, after school," Dominic replied.
  "Why are we waiting so long?" Declan asked and crossed his arms. "Every second we wait, the worse it'll be for Ava."
  "We can't keep missing school," Dominic said. "They're already going to question Ava's parents and they have no idea she's missed so much school. If we miss that much too, her parents will draw it back to you." 
  "That's the least of our problems," Declan argued. Her parents barely paid attention if she'd stay out past midnight or had even come home at all sometimes. Her class attendance could easily get past them.

  "It may not seem like a big deal, but when Ava returns to normal her parents will blame you for what happened," Dominic stated. He leaned back in his seat and rubbed his neck. 

  "Her parents aren't like normal parents," Declan said. 
  "They will be when the school calls and tells them their daughter missed two weeks or more of school, along with her boyfriend and the new kid. What would people think of that?" 
   "Fine. Is there something I can do tonight?" Declan asked and turned his attention to his house. The house was empty now, but his brother would be home any minute. 
   "Rest and pray," Dominic instructed him. Declan took a deep breath and moved in his seat. "You're not religious, are you?" 
  "I hadn't believed in God before Zorohm, but now I'm not sure," Declan admitted. His family never took him and his brother to church or even had a Bible in the house. 
   "What about Ava?"
   Declan shrugged. "She believes in God, but she hasn't been to church since her grandma passed." 
  "I'm not going to tell you what to believe. Religion should be a choice, not something people throw at you," Dominic said and picked his dad's necklace off the seat. "But it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind." 
  "I will," Declan responded and took the necklace. "Is there something else I can do tonight?" 
  "Become familiar with Hell and demons and start thinking of a lie for Ava's parents," Dominic replied and turned the truck back on. "She'll be okay, Declan. We'll save her." 
  "We will." With that, Dominic left and Declan went to start his long night of research. He wouldn't rest until this was over.