In the dimly lit chamber, Jessica stood before the sacred altar under the parish, watching Father Bill''s face as he prepared a tea. The candlelight flickered as he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve the small vile of cyanide. The scent of Earl Grey tea hung heavy in the air, mixing with the sweet almond smell as he opened the vial.
"Please, Bill," Jessica pleaded, her voice strained with emotion. "You don''t have to die. You could live as a vessel."
Father Bill shook his head firmly"You know the exorcist code, child. As exorcists, our soul must remain pure." His eyes, filled with regret and sorrow, met hers. "I brought this upon myself, I was so blinded by my own beliefs I couldn''t see how I had become the villain."
"But if we find Ethel and kill her for what she has done to you," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You could be freed from the curse."
Father Bill extended his hand. "You''re not listening, all Ethel did was protect Zack from me, and then try to save my life. I instigated it, I kidnapped the boy and I intended to kill him. I became like Abby, so lost in my own experiences that I couldn''t acknowledge something new like the love between an exorcist and a vessel. I hope that Deb shows us the way otherwise the exorcist may just die out. Now if you truly want to help me, get me a pen and some paper."
As Jessica fumbled in her pockets for a scrap of paper as Pablo entered the chamber, his eyes flashing with intensity. "Is the Father ready yet, the council has approved your request," he urged, his voice firm yet gentle. "Jessica you may carry out the exorcism in any manner you see fit. Please ensure Father Bill will die with dignity and the demon is cast down to hell."
-----
At Rob''s birthday party, laughter and cheerful conversations filled the air. The guests had reached the giggly stage of drunkenness, their faces flushed with amusement and desire. Ahmed, seeming dazed, continued passing out jungle juice to as many guests as possible. As he came around the corner he spotted Sarah all by herself without a cup in her hand.
"Here you go, Sarah," he said, handing her a red solo cup filled with the deceptively sweet concoction. As Sarah raised the drink to her lips, her gaze locked onto Deb, who stood across the yard. Deb caught her staring and glared at Sarah before slipping deeper into the crowd. This was all Sarah needed to confirm that in her mind Deb saw the photos on her camera.
"That bitch," muttered Sarah under her breath, tossing the drink into the garbage. Ahmed watched the cup disappear into the trash and seemed almost annoyed but continued to his other guests.
Ahmed then approached Zack, holding out another glass. "Come on, have a drink!" he insisted.
"I can''t drink tonight," Zack replied, casting a wary glance toward where Deb had disappeared. He didn''t want to risk ruining his apology to her. "It''s...I have something I need to do."
"Is this about Deb?" asked Ahmed following Zack''s gave.
"Maybe," Zack admitted, "Things have been shakey since she told the exorcists about Boon. I know she was just trying to keep people safe but it felt like she was giving the enemy our secrets. Like how can I trust her with vessel info if she is just going to turn around and hand it over to the people who want to kill us?
"Wow, sounds like you actually could use a drink," Ahmed said as he took in Zack''s words.
"You know what," said Zack with a sigh. "You''re right." He downed the glass of liquor in a couple of swigs, hoping to calm his nerves. He turned to thank Ahmed for listening but he was nowhere to be found, shrugging it off he decided to continue looking for Deb.
Deb had made her way back into the house with Sarah close behind. They entered Ahmed''s room which was being used to store the guests'' coats, stacks were piled high on the floor and bed. Sarah moved to close the door, but Deb shot her a warning glance, prompting her to leave it open.
"Look, Deb," Sarah said, wringing her hands together and avoiding eye contact. "About those photos, you saw... they were just candid shots. That''s what photographers call them."
"Really?" Deb replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because police officers call it stalking."
Sarah bristled at the accusation, her cheeks flushing red. "Oh please, leave it to someone like you to see a few photos of yourself on a camera roll and immediately jump to stalking. Not everything is about you."
"You had photos of me and Zack that you took from outside my dorm room window," Deb shot back, her voice dripping with anger. She turned to leave, but Sarah reached out and grabbed her arm in desperation.
"Please, just hear me out!" Sarah pleaded. But Deb was having none of it. In one fluid motion, she grabbed Sarah''s shoulder and twisted her arm with surprising strength, causing Sarah to crumble onto the floor.
"Touch me again, and you''ll regret it," Deb hissed before storming out of the room.
As Deb walked down the hallway, her surroundings began to warp and distort. The once-straight walls seemed to twist and bend, creating a disorienting maze. Panic clawed at her chest as she tried to navigate the shifting passageway.
"Sarah, what the hell did you do to me!" she called out, her voice wavering with fear.
A hooded figure emerged from the stairwell, wielding a gleaming sword. The cloaked figure charged toward her, Deb''s hands searching her pocket for any kind of weapon she could use to protect herself. She looked up just in time to feel the cold metal cut into her shoulder, blood spilling from the wound. Gasping in pain, she watched as the figure removed their hood with their free hand revealing Deb''s face beneath it.
"Pathetic," sneered Deb''s doppelganger, mocking her for yelling for help. "Look at you, how can you protect anyone? All you do is get others to fight your battles for you. You should have died by now." Pulling back, the doppelganger freed her sword from Deb''s shoulder, causing her to collapse in pain.
"You betrayed the exorcists and you betrayed Zack, there truly is no place for you in this world." the the doppelganger raised the sword again, aiming for Deb''s head this time. But as the weapon descended, both the hallucination and the wound vanished. Deb found herself gasping for breath in the empty upstairs hallway, her heart pounding against her ribs. The vision had been so life-like and she looked down at her phone to discover she had lost an hour. Something was very wrong and she knew she needed to find her friends quickly.
-----
Rob lounged on his makeshift birthday throne in the backyard, basking in the glow of the full moon and the laughter of his friends. Guests wandered through the garden, their faces flushed with euphoria, fingers tracing patterns on each other''s skin or lingering on the leaves of the trees.
"Rob!" a voice called out, high-pitched and distraught. He looked up to see Lindsey, her face pale and eyes wide with distress. But this wasn''t the Lindsey he knew from college; she was younger, wearing a black dress that clung to her slender frame. He could feel his stomach twist itself into a tight knot, he remembered that dress from the worst day of his life.
"Ryan''s dead," she sobbed, pushing her way through the crowd toward him. "And it''s your fault!"
As she approached, Rob started to breathe heavily, this can''t be real he thought. She locked eyes with him, her gaze accusing and cold. "You were supposed to go to the creak with him," she spat. "But you were too busy racing your stupid bike. You killed my brother."
"Lindsey, I–" Rob stammered, he felt like the world was spinning faster than normal. Before he could form a coherent thought, she jabbed a finger at him, her voice rising to a scream.
"You killed Ryan, and now you''re killing me! You''re killing me with the lies and the secrets!" Rob remained frozen, watching his worst nightmare come to life.
In an instant, the hallucination evaporated, leaving Rob shaken and disoriented. He glanced around the party, his heart pounding as he realized none of it was real. "Zack!" he shouted, scanning the crowd for his friend. "Where''s Zack?"
-----
Inside the house, Zack made his way to the basement in search of Deb. As he reached the laundry room, he spotted Boon and Deb making out, Deb sat on the dryer while Boon stood in front of her. A surge of anger and confusion welled up inside him as he made his way over to them. But as he got closer Boon shifted into the Familar and dug his fangs into Deb''s neck.
"Deb!" he shouted, his voice cracking as he started to transform into his vessel form. But before he could fully transition, the hallucination disappeared, and Zack was left standing in the empty room, his body trembling with adrenaline and fear. What was happening to him? And why did he have a vision like that? All he knew was he needed to figure it out before the vision became reality.
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-----
Boon staggered into the bathroom, his stomach churning violently. He slammed the door shut and turned the lock, desperate for a moment of privacy. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he leaned over the toilet bowl, trying to force himself to throw up. But it was too late—the tainted alcohol had already taken hold.
As Boon struggled, his ears picked up the sounds of a man and woman arguing outside the door. Their voices were muffled, but their distress was unmistakable. The woman pleaded with the man to stay, her voice strained with desperation. The man''s response was cold and dismissive: "You and the kid are holding me back, I want to make something of myself."
Curiosity getting the better of him, Boon cracked open the door slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of the couple. To his shock, the man''s reflection in the mirror looked exactly like Boon himself. His heart pounded in his chest as his own face began to fade before his eyes until the mirror reflected nothingness at him.
"Wh-what''s happening?" Boon whispered, terror gripping him as he slammed the bathroom door closed once again. He slid down the door and curled up in a ball on the floor, too afraid to leave the small bathroom.
-----
Meanwhile, at Ethel''s apartment, Kristian and Olivia continued to lose control and attack Ethel. With their water control abilities, they sent her flying back into the fridge. Not wanting to harm the vessels, she fought back as best as she could, trying to find a way to subdue with without killing them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure race by, John was caught between shifting into a vessel and fled through the door.
She swore at herself for not watching him but Ethel didn''t have time to go after him right now. She froze time and managed to lock down Olivia using some electrical tape she had in the utility closet, but her time stop didn''t last long enough for her to do the same to Kristian. He wiggled free from her grasp and made a B-line to the door. To Ethel''s astonishment, John returned to the apartment in full vessel form, he seemed more in control than before. John touched Kristian''s arm causing Kristian''s eyes to change to a silver colour before he sat down calmly on the floor and began acting like he was playing video games.
"John, you''re in control?" Ethel asked, her voice tinged with relief and admiration. "How did you get Kristian to do that."
"Yeah, all that stuff you said about having an anchor worked," John replied, his gaze steady. "I thought about my father and the metal of honor he was awarded, how I want to make a difference in this world like he did."
"He would be proud." Ethel said, recalling their earlier conversations. "and what about Kristian
"He believes we are playing video games together," John admitted. "I am not sure how I did it but I didn''t want him to escape and I wanted him to calm down. I remembered all the time we let off steam playing Mortal Combat and it was like I could make him feel like he was actually there in that memory"
"You unlocked your secondary ability," Ethel explained. "Every vessel has two unique powers tied to the demon within them, but only when you truly gain control can you use the secondary skill. Thank you for saving." Ethel embraced John, thankful for his progress.
-----
Rob searched the yard for Zack, his vision still playing in his head. The guests had reached the point where all they wanted was to be left alone to sleep.
Zack heard Rob''s calls and found him stumbling around the backyard.
"Rob, thank God you are ok," Zack smiled pulling his friend into a hug. "Something isn''t right here."
"I know, my head feels so fuzzy," Rob groaned, stumbling back when Zack released him.
"Amateurs," Cole muttered, appearing at Zack''s side. "Here, let me handle this."
Before Zack could protest, Cole grabbed Rob''s head and forcefully dunked it into the cooler. Water splashed around them, drenching Zack as well. As Rob''s head emerged with a gasp, his eyes snapped wide open.
"What the hell, Cole?!" Rob sputtered, coughing water from his lungs.
"Cleared your head, didn''t it?" Cole retorted smugly. "Your friend wants to speak to you."
"Fine," Rob grumbled, pushing himself to a stand. "Thank you Cole." he waved Cole away before returning his attention to Zack.
"I just saw the weirdest shit," Zack said, his voice laced with urgency. "It felt so really but it wasn''t, it was like...." Zack struggled to find the words to describe his vision.
"Like your worst fear was brought to life?" Rob asked a look of realization washing across his face. "We need to find Deb and Ahmed right now!" the boys nodded and headed into the house to search for their friends.
-----
Meanwhile, beneath the parish, Father Bill knelt before the sacred altar, the explanation he wrote for Deb clutched tightly in his trembling hands.
"Jessica," Father Bill began, his voice heavy with regret, "This is for Deb. She''s going to need your help to understand all of this."
"Of course, Father," Jessica replied solemnly, her eyes also brimming with sadness.
As the moon rose higher in the sky, casting an eerie glow through the chamber, Jessica began to recite the incantation and sprinkle him with holy water. His skin burned where the tiny droplets made contact and he knew he truly had changed.
"Are you sure about this?" Jessica asked hesitantly, she made her way over to the tainted tea.
"Absolutely," Father Bill replied firmly. "It''s the only way to protect those I care about. This demon inside me must be stopped."
As Jessica poured the Father a cup, he took a deep breath, feeling the demon within him clawing at his insides. "Jessica," he said with a pained expression, "we need to come up with a plan for what to tell parishioners when... when this is over."
"Of course, Father," Jessica replied, her hands shaking as she brought him the cup. "What do you suggest?"
"Tell them I had a history of depression," Father Bill suggested, his voice heavy with worry. "That way, they won''t think to ask questions. They will just accept it."
"I will," Jessica reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And your fellow exorcists know that you did the hardest thing you''ve ever had to do, all for those you loved."
"Thank you, Jessica," Father Bill whispered, his green eyes glinting in the candlelight. "Thank you for everything." he took the cup from her hands and began to drink.
-----
Hours later at the hospital, Deb rushed through the sterile hallways, anxiety and anger knotted together in her chest like an unbreakable cord. She spotted Jessica in the distance, talking to an officer, tears streaming down her face.
"Jessica!" Deb shouted, pushing past the unsuspecting medical staff and patients. As she approached, she noticed the sheet-covered body on a gurney in the room behind her mentor. Her heart hammered in her chest, threatening to burst. "You''d better tell me if this is another one of your sick training sessions!"
"Deb..." Jessica choked out, reaching out to embrace the distraught young woman.
"No, this isn''t real!" Deb screamed, struggling against Jessica''s hold. But the force of her emotions was too much, and she crumbled in her mentor''s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Deb, I''m so sorry," Jessica whispered into her hair, the pain in her voice palpable.
-----
Back at the party Rob and Zack continued their search, the party had taken a turn for the chaotic. Guests stumbled and laughed, their inhibitions lowered by the tainted drinks Ahmed had been passing out all night. The once orderly gathering had devolved into a spectacle of reckless abandon, with people daring one another to perform increasingly dangerous stunts.
"Hey, check it out!" someone shouted, pointing to an old inflatable pool that had been hastily filled with water. The air was thick with anticipation as two guys hoisted a struggling young woman above their heads, ignoring her pleas not to be thrown in.
"Please, don''t! I am afraid of water!" she screamed. But her cries fell on deaf ears as the two revelers tossed her into the pool with a triumphant whoop.
"What the hell! Are they nuts?" Rob asked as he pushed his way through the crowd to help the woman. Zack followed suit, concern etched on his face as they drew closer to the small pool, taking in the wild scene before them.
The woman flailed in the pool, bobbing up and down as panic began to set in. Just as Rob and Zack reached the pool''s edge, Boon appeared from the crowd, reaching down to pull her to safety.
"Sarah!" Zack exclaimed, realizing who the girl was.
"Thanks for nothing," Sarah spat, Boon''s hand still wrapped around her and glaring daggers at Zack and Rob. "You could''ve done something!"
"Sorry, Sarah," Rob said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "We tried but the crowd was thick and Boon beat us to you."
"Whatever," she replied icily, stalking away, water still dripping from her clothes. "The two of you are useless!"
"She might just be right," Zack muttered, watching her go.
"She is just upset, we got to her as fast as we could. Don''t beat yourself up over this, she made it out OK" Rob tried to reassure Zack but he could tell Zack was already blaming himself.
Before Zack could respond, the wail of police sirens cut through the night air. "Cops!" someone shouted, and a mass exodus of partygoers ensued, each person scrambling to make their escape.
"We''ve looked everywhere and Ahmed and Deb are not here. We got to go!" Rob urged, grabbing Zack''s arm and pulling him toward the side gate.
As they ran, Zack spotted Sarah making her way down the street with Boon, her eyes glowing an eerie yellow in the darkness. Boon''s body contorted as he began his transformation into the Familiar. And then, just as suddenly as she had appeared, Sarah and Boon vanished from sight.
"Did you see that?" Zack gasped, stopping short. He wasn''t sure if it was another vision or if he had actually just witnessed Sarah as Sloth.
"Later, Zack," Rob insisted, pulling him along. "We need to get out of here before we get arrested and give Lindsey another reason to worry."
-----
Ahmed had left the party hours ago in a trance, he wandered the street with his backpack. He reached Ethel''s apartment and entered her code to get into the lobby. As he reached her floor, he removed the key from his pocket that he had stolen earlier when delivering the pizza, with a click from the lock he was in. Everyone inside was asleep, their exhaustion evident from having to subdue Olivia and Kristian earlier. Ahmed entered Ethel''s room and stood over her sleeping form.
"Ethel," Ahmed whispered, readying the holly berry powder in his hand. Ethel didn''t wake, Ahmed blew the fine powder into her face. Her eyelids fluttered but remained closed, her breathing slowed, and she seemed at peace.
"That should keep you out for a while," Ahmed murmured, quickly snipping a small lock of Ethel''s hair before slipping out of the apartment.
His next stop was Kyle''s burned-out home, the moon hung heavy above him. The air felt charged with energy, and Ahmed felt drawn into the home. Entering the house, his trance took over, and placed a series of mirrors around the door frame, angling them so that the moonlight would reflect onto the scorched wooden door frame.
Ahmed placed the lock of Ethel''s hair and a lily under the door frame. Then, with careful precision, he poured fungicide around the mushrooms growing around the home, watching as they withered and died almost instantly.
Ahmed muttered, beginning to hum a haunting melody that echoed through the hollow shell of the house. The moonlight intensified, reflecting off the mirrors and onto the door frame, which began to glow with a terrifying red light. Orange eyes appeared within the crimson illumination, staring right at Ahmed.
Within seconds, the door frame seemed to buckle and warp as Kyle emerged from it, no longer trapped in his otherworldly prison. He spat out the blood moonstone onto the grass as he stepped out onto it.
Ahmed continued to stare blankly ahead as the sin approached him. "You won''t remember any of this, but I do owe you a thank you," Kyle said, he placed a hand on Ahmed''s shoulder. "With a gift like yours, I''m surprised the Wiccan didn''t see this coming."
Kyle pushed past Ahmed taking the sights and sounds of the night. He turned back to Ahmed. "Now the real question is where to start, you''re gone for a few months and suddenly other sins begin to think it is open season on your territory. Shameful really, but I think I am going to need some help in my current state to get them to disappear." Kyle looked over at Ahmed as if he was expecting a response. "Oh right the trance thing, well we are all done here you can go." Ahmed''s eyes clouded over, and he began his walk back home.