“Is it locked?”
“Yes.”
They slide across the gravel, coming to a stop beside Dana’s car. Keely turns quickly and starts spraying. The mist hits its target before her eyes even find him. He shrinks back. She sprays again and he retreats, moving backwards toward the building.
Dana gets the door open and Keely dives across the seat. “Come on, hurry.” Once they are both inside with doors locked, Dana turns to Keely.
“What the hell is going on?”
“I will explain as much as I can. Just go. We need to get to Nick. Do you have your phone? I lost mine.”
Dana feels her pockets. “No,” she cries.
Keely looks out the window trying to spot Nick in the dark lot. It’s empty, no one in sight. She doesn’t even see the freaky old guy. “Where are all the people?”
“What?”
“There are no people. Nobody’s trying to leave. I don’t see anybody.” Keely puts her hand on the dashboard, pulls herself forward for a better look. Her hand slips on something. Without thinking, she picks it up and keeps looking. “That’s weird. Should we go back? They might be trapped or something.”
“I am not going back in there. We can drive to the gas station down the road and get help.”
Keely nods. “O.K. That sounds like a good idea.”
Dana starts the car. Keely sits back and looks down at the item in her hand. A gray beanie. Her mouths opens, her brow crinkles. She lifts it to her nose and smells it.
“You said you didn’t see him. You said Bryon never showed,” Keely murmurs. She tries to remember the last time she saw Bryon. Yes, he was wearing his stupid gray beanie even though it was much too hot for it. He wore it as he begged her for a second chance. She remembers looking down at it as he kissed her shoe, then again when they pushed their desks together in Giordano’s class.
“What?”
Keely holds the hat out accusingly. “Why did you lie?”
Dana bites her lip. “Well, hell. You were not supposed to find that.”
Sixteen:
For a heartbeat, Keely stares at Dana. Watches her face pass from confusion to annoyance to anger in less than a second.
Keely grabs for the door handle deciding she has stayed a second too long. Dana grips her wrist tightly. The pain comes instantly. Her other hand searches across the seat for the special mace.
“Uh-uh-uh. We don’t want to spray this in the car.” Dana plucks up the small bottle just as Keely’s fingers graze it.
“Why are you doing this? Who are you?”
“Why are you doing this?” Dana mocks in a whiny voice. She makes a face and pretends to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. “Do you know how sick I am of you? I mean, I cannot wait until this is over.”
Keely reaches for the handle again and is once again stopped. Dana snatches a handful of Keely’s hair, pulls her towards her. Squeezes her cheeks, trying to open her mouth. Nails cut into Keely’s skin; she tastes blood on her tongue. She tries to pull away. Hits at Dana, but she only exerts more pressure and Keely’s lips pucker open.
Keely is unable to turn her head, but from her peripheral she sees black smoke rising from the floor on the driver’s side. As it snakes up toward her, she realizes it’s not smoke. What did Nick call it?
Leech Demon.
The thick black gelatin slithers in the air in front of her. Moves closer and closer to her face. Keely squirms and thrashes out. A sound bubbles in her throat. She is already gagging on the thought of that thing shoving its way down her throat. Fisting her hand, she punches out at Dana’s face. It slips through with a wet squishy resonance, comes back black and gooey.
Keely screams and reaches for the door handle. Jiggles it repeatedly. It’s still locked.
Something hits the car with a thud. Another thud. Glass breaks. Dana squeals and shrieks. Releases Keely. And then she is left alone in the car. White sand covers the seat where Dana sat a moment ago.
“You gonna sit there all night? Shake your tail feather.”
“Coach? Wh-what are you doing here? How did you know? What…?” Keely trails off as she takes in the thick rusted piece of piping in her gym teacher’s hand. She pinches some sand off the seat, runs it between her fingers. It’s salt...
“Time is a luxury we don’t have right now. Move it.”
Keely fumbles with the lock and stumbles out of the car obediently. “Who are you?”
Coach gives a half smile. “I’m a friend. Let’s move.” She gestures with her head and Keely starts walking, unsure where they’re going or if she should really trust the coach. “I’m parked on the street. We need to get you somewhere safe. I’ve never seen so many Demons in one place at one time. You are a very wanted young lady.”
“But my parents-”
“Are fine for now. It’s you I’m worried about. Where’s your Guardian?”
Keely shrugs. “I don’t know. We got separated.”
“Carelessness.” She stops beside an older gold Volvo. “Get in.”
“I think I want to find Nick first. Do you have a phone?”
Coach sighs heavily. “We don’t have time for this. Get in. You can call on the way.” She opens the passenger side door. Keely takes a step back.
“Nick never told me about you. I need to talk to him before I go anywhere.”
Coach stares at her for a long time before smiling. “You’re a smart one. You have spunk too. I like that.” She reaches into her pocket. Keely holds her breath anticipating a weapon, but she produces a small black cell phone. Holds it out.
Footsteps thunder across the ground. Keely jumps, startled. Coach doesn’t flinch.
“Keely,” Dustin calls breathlessly. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He stops a few feet from the women, forming an awkward triangle. “Coach? What are you doing here?”
“Hierarchy sent me to save your butts.”
Keely meets Dustin’s gaze. Questions him with her eyes. “Keely, come here.” He reaches out his hand to her.
“What are you doing?” Coach asks confused.
“Come on, Keels. We’re going to go find Nick.”
Keely moves sideways to Dustin, afraid to turn her back on Coach. He grips her hand in his and pulls her close to him. They back away slowly.
“We need to get her someplace safe. This is not protocol.”
“Screw protocol,” Dustin spits.
“Dustin, don’t do this. Keely, please, you need to come with me,” Coach shouts. Keely shivers. It was only a few days ago she was in this very same scenario. She didn’t choose door number one or door number two. She was saved by a third option. Where was Bryon now? God she hoped he wasn’t dead. She looks up at Dustin then back at Coach. Nick trusts Dustin. Lila trusts Dustin. Nobody ever told her about Coach.
Keely shakes her head. “I’m going to find Nick.”
Coach moves surprisingly fast. Rushes at Dustin like a quarter back. Dustin barely sidesteps in time. Coach rolls across the ground, jumps to her feet. She can move for an old lady.
“Run Keely. Go back inside,” Dustin yells at her. She turns and runs, pumps her legs as hard as she can. She doesn’t need to be told twice. All she wants is to find Nick. She stumbles to the door, pulls it open. It’s dark; very few blue lights still shine. It’s quiet. All she can hear is the pounding of her heart, the panting of her breath. She isn’t even winded, it’s just because she is so insanely scared. She wants to call out for Nick, but is too afraid of who else may hear her. Moving slowly down the hall, she makes her way to the main room where the band played earlier. At first she doesn’t see anyone. Her eyes are too busy focusing on the blood trails across the floors. Eyes following the bizarre path. Stopping on the large puddles. Continue on to the smudges and smears. The handprints. Her lips tremble. Fear seizes her as she wonders if any of this blood belongs to Nick and before she knows what she’s doing, she screams his name.
That’s when she sees them.
All of them.
>
Apophis stands in the center of the stage. He’s dressed in an immaculate white suit, legs shoulder width apart. Arms crossed in front of his chest, hair combed neatly to the side. Down on the floor in front of him stand twenty or so people. Kids. Like Keely. All turned to face her now that she has drawn attention to herself by screaming.
Their eyes are wrong. All of them. She can tell even from where she stands. They are no longer whoever they were before they came here tonight. No control of themselves. Something behind their faces flickers or shimmers, making them hard to see for a moment before her eyes settle back on their black eyes.
“You’re late,” Apophis calls. His gaze falls lazily on her. “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Keely is frozen, gripped with dread and anticipation. “Where are my mom and dad?”
“They’re here.” He shrugs as if he’s already bored.
“Well, so am I. You need to let them go. That was the deal.”
“The deal? The deal was you come alone. The deal was eight o’clock. You didn’t exactly hold up your end.” He slides his leg. Moves to the steps. “Why should I worry about holding up mine?”
Keely can’t think. All those people just stand there, staring like statues. She backs up, one step. Then two. “Just wait.” She puts her hands up, palms out. “I was here. Something happened so I went outside, but I never left.” She licks her lips nervously. “And I’m alone now. Let them go, please.”
“You’re not alone.” He steps on the first stair. It creaks under his weight.
“I am. I have no one. I don’t know where anybody is.” She takes another step backwards.
Apophis descends another step. Points his finger at Keely. “Then who is that?”
Keely takes another step back right into someone. She feels a solid chest against her back. Hands rest on her shoulders. She turns her head slowly.
“Dustin.”
“It’s all right, Keels.”
“The deal is null and void,” Apophis sings. He clears the final step.
“No. Please.”
“Do you want to renegotiate?” He moves closer to her. Step, slide. “What are you willing to give me? My price has gone up. After all, there are two parents and only one you. Who else are you willing to give up to save your parents?”
Keely is shaking her head. She can’t stop. This can’t be real. It just can’t be. This is not how it’s supposed to happen. This is all wrong. “I can’t give you anybody else. Just me. You can’t own people.”
He laughs, rolls his eyes dramatically. “Sure I can. I mean, you maybe can’t…” He spreads his hands out, palms up. “But I can and I do.” He snaps his fingers and the kids turn their heads from Keely to him. Turn their bodies in unison to face him. Their feet thunder like drums. They remind her of an army. A Demon army.
Keely pushes back against Dustin, urging him to move with the pressure of her body. He holds firm in place. “It’s O.k. Keely. It will all be over soon. I’m sorry.” His grip presses into her shoulders firmly. She doesn’t try to look back at him. Doesn’t try to get away. She just stands there, too weak, too defeated to do anything.
“I thought you were one of the good guys,” she whispers. His fingers dig into her skin silencing her.
“There are no good guys left beautiful little sister,” Apophis says as he slides up in front of her, his army of possessed flanking him. “Deep down, we are all monsters. You just need to know how to bring the darkness to the surface.” He winks at Dustin. Keely feels him stiffen behind her. “If you’re dealing with a mother, just threaten her child. A child, her parents.” He smiles at her. “A man, his woman.” He shifts his mocking gaze to Dustin.
He turns away, staring out at his blind followers. “Take your dear friend, Dustin, here. It was so simple. He turned quicker than I have ever seen. He sold you out like that.” He snaps his fingers, flicking his index finger out at Keely. Turns to face her again. “I just snatched up his pretty little pink haired angel. That’s all it took.”
Dustin squeezes her shoulders.
“Now just imagine who you would be willing to sell out if I had your parents and your friend. And your boyfriend.” His eyes lock onto Keely’s.
“I don’t believe you. You don’t have Nick. You probably don’t even have Lila. You’re a liar.” She squirms under Dustin’s grasp.
Apophis laughs loudly. “I never said I had Nick. But it would be easy to retrieve him. Especially now that I have you. Threaten a man his woman, he will come running. For. You.” He bops her nose with the tip of his finger. Keely turns her face away. Glares at the wall.
She slides her hand slowly to her back pocket hoping Dustin doesn’t notice what she’s doing. She pulls out the small dagger. “Not if I’m already dead,” she says calmly.
It’s the calmness that alerts Apophis. He glides back to her in one big step and slaps the dagger out of her hand. Punches her in the cheek. Keely sees nothing but a flash of white before everything goes black.
***
Before she has even opened her eyes, Keely knows she is dream visiting again. Her face hurts. She can only imagine what she looks like between Dana squeezing her face off and Apophis punching her. That’s the least of her problems right now though.
“I know you are awake. I can tell by the way your breathing has changed,” Asmoday says quietly. “What happened to you now?”
Keely opens her eyes, squints at her brother. “Apophis happened. I thought you guys were going to be there to stop him.”
“The Demon King went. I did not.”
“Really?” She spits sarcastically.
Asmoday sits back in the chair next to the bed and chuckles. Everything is always funny to him. “You are not afraid of me at all, are you?”
Keely swallows. She is, but at this point, what does she have to lose? “No, I’m not. Irritated, infuriated, disgusted, yes. But afraid? No.”
He leans forward again. “Those are passionate feelings.”
She sighs. “Those are bad feelings.”
“You are like the boys who pull the girls pigtails.”
“Excuse me?” She sits up, not surprised that she is once again in the ridiculous nightgown.
“You like me so you act as if you do not.”
Now Keely laughs. “I don’t think so.”
“To feel so strongly about someone, good or bad, you must care something about them in the first place. You detest me, so therefore you must care passionately about me.” He smiles radiantly at her.
“Yeah, there’s a flaw in your logic. I hate our brother. I hate him with every inch of my soul and I do not care if he lives or dies a long agonizing death.”
“But you do care. You would much rather he dies that agonizing death than be free to roam the Earth.”
Keely cocks her head to the side. “I would. You have a point.”
Asmoday grins. “See?”
“I still don’t like you.”
“But I bet you would not want me to die, either.”
“You’ve never really done anything to me so I guess not. But I would be happiest if I never saw you again,” she says honestly.
“We shall see about that.”
Keely shakes her head. “I need to go back.”
Asmoday flips his hand at her. “Then go back.”
She stares at him, bites her lip. She’s been sitting here insulting him and is about to ask him for help. Great. “I don’t know how.”
He shakes his head and laughs. “You are so fun.” He reaches out and messes her hair as if she were a child. “You are the only one who ever sends yourself back. Didn’t dear old daddy ever tell you?”
“Tell me what, exactly?”
He stands up. Stretches, revealing several inches of perfectly sculpted abs. He runs a hand through his honey colored hair and rests his eyes on hers. “You just need to truly want it.” His voice goes all silky at the end and he winks at her.
“O.k. I want it.” Asmoday smirks at h
er devilishly. “To go back, I mean,” she adds quickly.
He throws his hands out in a shooing motion. “Then go.”
Keely’s eyes are slow to open. The pain is worse in real life. She touches her cheek gently with the tips of her fingers. They’re cold. It feels good on her face. It’s very dark. Wherever she is, it feels damp, musty and cool. She picks up the scent of dirt, and rock, and old stale air. The floor is hard and freezing, smooth and slick. She sits up but cannot see anything. Moves her hand in front of her face, but she can’t see it. There is absolutely no light at all. Moving on her hands and knees, she feels her way around slowly. She quickly hits a wall. Follows it and finds another wall. The next wall isn’t solid. It is made up of a series of thick icy cold rods. Bars she decides. She runs her hand across them until she hits another wall. She’s in jail. Some sort of cell. She wiggles every bar, trails her hands up and down until she finds the door of her cell. Shakes it, but to no avail. She considers yelling out, but that didn’t work out all that well last time. So she falls to her knees and cries.
“Keely?” The soft voice startles her. She stops crying immediately, but there’s only silence. Did she imagine it?
She wraps her arms around herself to keep from shaking. It’s so cold. Her teeth chatter loudly and she tries to gain control of her body.
“Kiem, is that you?”
“Br-Bryon?”
There is a scuffling sound then his voice seems closer, a little louder. “Oh, Keels, they got you too.”
Seventeen:
“Where are we?”
Bryon shrugs his shoulders though no one can see the gesture. “I’m not sure, but I think we’re in the tunnels under Pandora.” He raises his face upward.
“Have you been here the whole time?”
“Yeah, I think so. Time gets a little confusing here. They come down twice a day, bring food and water. It’s my only method of telling time.”
“Who are they?” Keely hugs her legs, scrunching her body up as much as possible to keep warm.
“The Demons.” He runs his hands across the bars. “Dana and another one.”