In the dimly lit archives of the Dana Porter Library, Professor Bobby Dowding's eyes scanned over the dusty words on the pages of an old leather-bound book. The musty scent of worn paper filled his nostrils as he carefully turned each delicate page, engrossed in the history of the Waterloo Region. Suddenly, a soft scuttling sound echoed through the silent room, making him pause and look up, curiosity piquing.
"Who's there?" he called out tentatively, his voice sounding unnervingly loud in the quiet space. As he turned toward the source of the sound, his heart nearly stopped when he locked eyes with Gluttony, their glowing orange eyes locked on him. Terror gripped him like icy fingers around his throat, leaving him breathless and trembling.
"Give me that book," Gluttony demanded, his voice a guttural growl that made Bobby freeze on the spot. Desperate to escape this nightmare, the professor began to hand over the text when Ethel burst into the room, her dark eyes ablaze with determination.
"Leave him alone!" she shouted, snatching the book from Bobby's shaking hands. With a last glance at the terrified man, she raced up the stairs, Gluttony hot on her heels. Bursting through the library doors into the night, she was momentarily blinded by a powerful spotlight, and the authoritative voice of a police officer rang out.
"Freeze! You're surrounded! Surrender now!" the officer commanded. Confused and panting for breath, Ethel glanced back to see no sign of Gluttony. How had they disappeared? She didn't have time to ponder on the question, and with a surge of power, she paused time itself, allowing her to slip away to the parking lot, where Zack awaited her in the car.
"Step on it," she urged, slamming the door shut as Zack peeled out of the parking lot. "Gluttony was at the library as we suspected you sense them if you concentrate hard enough, and I think they tipped off the cops about my arrival. They can sense you like you can sense them, which makes sneaking up on them nearly impossible."
Zack's blue eyes flashed with frustration as he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "So how do we get close if they can see us coming and why was he at the library?" he asked, jaw set in determination.
"They wanted this old book for some reason," Ethel answered as she flipped through the pages. They raced down the street, and Ethel suddenly stiffened, sensing a familiar aura. "Jessica's after us," she muttered, just as the piercing wail of sirens filled the air and red and blue lights reflected in the rear-view mirror. Cursing under her breath, Ethel directed Zack down a narrow side road, hoping to lose their pursuers.
Once they were safely tucked into a dark alley, Ethel returned to flipping through the tome. She knew Gluttony wanted it for a reason, and she had to find it first. Flipping through the old pages, her eyes widened when she found it.
"This is why Gluttony was so interested in this book," she said, pulling out a scrap of paper with a strange symbol scrawled upon it. Zack glanced at it briefly, his eyes wide in recognition.
"I've seen that symbol before – on Deb's ring. The gold one with the blood moonstone in the center," he revealed, his instinct told him he needed to let Rob know. As they processed this new discovery, Ethel made a quick decision.
"Stop and get out," she ordered, Zack shot her a look of confusion. "We can't be caught together. I just had a vision and if you stay that is exactly what will happen." With a nod, Zack stepped out of the car and melted into the darkness, leaving Ethel to speed away alone.
---
Elsewhere, Boon sat on the cold, sterile examination table at the doctor's office, recounting his recent nightmares. The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
"They always start out so normal but then there are these glowing eyes that seem to be looking into my very soul," as he spoke, a sudden wave of fear washed over him, and the quiet office began to shift, he found himself struggling to breathe as the air in the office began to thicken.
YOU ARE READING
Love, Basketball and Demons
Teen Fiction(Completed) (Demonology Book 1) Demons are very real; once every hundred years when the right conditions are met, a sin can step foot on Earth. Zack learned this the hard way when he accidentally crossed paths with a sin on his way home from a party...
