Revenge, Photos and Covenants

Chapter 2: Funeral

The cold wind whipped through the city streets, tearing at the flimsy posters plastered on every lamppost and wall. Racing down the sidewalk, a figure stumbled to a halt as one particular flyer caught its eye. A moment of recognition flickered in those brown eyes before the creature shifted back into human form. John Matthews, once more in his own skin, stared at the missing person's poster bearing his name and face.

"Missing since Halloween night," he read aloud, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. "John Matthews, age 22, last seen leaving the Pub on King." He traced a finger across the photo, the face so familiar yet distant after months spent locked away by Gluttony.

"Hey, buddy, you okay?" A passerby called out, shooting John a concerned glance as he took in the man's dirty and torn clothes.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," John replied, forcing a smile. He waved the concerned stranger off and returned to his memory of that night.

He remembered stumbling out of the pub, the alcohol coursing through his veins and clouding his judgment. His vision had been blurry, but he could still recall the weird sensation coming from the alleyway, beckoning him to venture closer.

"Hello?" John had called out, his voice slurred. "Is someone there?"

His heart raced with a mixture of curiosity and fear as he stepped into the darkness, searching for the figure he thought he had seen behind the dumpster. Suddenly, a cold, clammy hand gripped his leg, yanking him downward with incredible force. Panic surged through him as he struggled to break free.

"Who the hell are you?" he had demanded, breathless and terrified.

The creature said nothing but tightened its grip.

"Wh-What do you want with me?" John had stammered, his mind racing for a way to escape.

An intense burning sensation filled John's body, radiating from the creature's grip.

Back in the present, John rubbed the back of his head, feeling the lingering effects of that awful night. As he stood there, staring at his face on the poster, he resolved to return to his normal life.

"I know you are gone now, I can feel it," John murmured to himself, the suppressing aura Gluttony had given off had faded weeks ago. He crumpled the flyer in his hand, he was going to get his life right this time with this second chance he was given.

-----

As they continued their search for Ahmed; Zack, Deb, and Rob ventured through the darkened streets towards the charred remains of the house where they had sealed Gluttony only weeks prior. The wind whispered through the skeletal branches overhead, filling the air with their haunting song.

"Ahmed's aura stops here, he must be close," Zack murmured, his blue eyes scanning the area with concern.

"Would he go inside?" Deb asked skeptically, her glasses glinting in the pale light. "Could Gluttony get one of his vessels to release him?"

"It's possible, we aren't exactly the most knowledgeable people when it comes to the supernatural," Rob replied, shaking his head. "But judging by the creep factor this place is giving me, Gluttony is still trapped in there." His eyes caught a brief reflection of the sin in the window. "Let's check out the back before we go in there."

As they stepped around the burned-out husk of the house, Rob's keen eye caught sight of a tripwire lying inconspicuously near the edge of the woods, and he carefully stepped around it. Zack was too distracted by Ahmed's curious aura to take note of the wire, causing him to unwittingly trip the wire. A snare sprang up, leaving Zack hanging upside down from a tree branch, his blond hair dangling towards the ground.