Age of Demons

Chapter 6 - Ashlyn

Deliverance Safe House

Joel's hand gripped my arm. His nails dug into my skin, etching red crescent moons to remind me he was the one in control. The last few remaining people trickled out of the sanctuary. A few of the candles had flickered out from the movement of people departing, and I pondered what would happen if the darkness swallowed us whole. Please don't leave... I thought, but no one would have done anything anyway.

"Nicely done. It would have been difficult explaining why the woman who would lead us to salvation is having a panic attack—again." Joel chuckled to himself. His voice grated against my ears.

I remained silent.

"Come with me." It wasn't an invitation.

We left the sanctuary. I thought about one of the candles falling and fire spreading and eating at the wood, devouring everything this place represented.

Rather than walking toward the stairs to the second floor, he took me down the hallway to the kitchens. At first, I puzzled over whether I had left something at work or if one of the managers had a bone to pick with me. But when we kept going past the kitchens, I understood where he was taking me.

"No—No—I haven't done anything wrong!" I halted in my steps, but Joel tugged and dragged me along. My heart raced, beating against my ribs as if it, too, was trying to escape.

"Relax. I'm simply showing you something."

But my body didn't believe him. My skin went cold and my gut twisted into painful knots. I gasped, as if my lungs had shrunk and couldn't hold in air.

He forcibly guided me to the large door tucked away in a narrow corridor and forced me inside.

I knew every shadow that pooled below the weak lights. They nestled inside the cracks scarring the concrete wall.

At the end of the hall was another door, and the very sight of it drenched me with dread. "Please, Joel, I've done everything you've told me," I beseeched, but he stared straight ahead, keeping me in line beside him.

We reached the door, and he yanked it open.

White walls blinded me. It was a large room. At the back were cells, with dark forms slumped behind the silver bars.

But all that didn't draw my attention. The chair in front of me did. It was like a dentist's chair, both in the shape and in the fear it inspired. Straps lay open at the armrests and at the bottom, as if already prepared to tug me in and wrap me up.

And then Joel's assistants were there. They were much taller than me. They weren't buff, but lanky, which was even scarier because they hid the strength of heavy men underneath their pallid skin.

They took me from Joel and hauled me away.

I thrashed, kicking at air as they pulled me nearer to the chair. "No! Let me go!" I screamed, but it was useless. Their fingers dug into the soft flesh of my arms, and I knew I'd have bruises there later.

But they stopped just short of the chair, leaving me draped between them.

My heart was beating so quickly, I was afraid it'd burst. The room spun until Joel appeared in my view. He was gray skin against the white blocks.

"Please," I begged one last time, "I've done everything you've told me. I haven't even tried leaving. Please let me go." My gaze darted back and forth between Joel and the chair. I could feel cold needles piercing my flesh, but the only thing breaking my skin were the rough arms holding me up.