Revenge, Photos and Covenants

Chapter 5: Entropy

Deb frowned as she walked back to her dorm room at St. Jerome's, they had spent hours trying to figure out a way to prove John was innocent and ended up nowhere. As she turned the corner she was suddenly aware of just how empty the park was. Her dark brown eyes scanned the area, her grip tightening on the strap of her bag. The only other person she could see was a large man, sitting on a bench and engrossed in his phone. Deb squinted at him, her glasses reflecting the dim light.

"Evening," the guy muttered, barely glancing up from his phone as he gave her a curt nod.

"Thanks," Deb replied hesitantly, quickening her pace. She could feel his eyes following her as she went.

As she put some distance between them, the distinct sound of crunching gravel rang out behind her, shattering the eerie quiet. Panic surged through her veins, and Deb broke into a sprint, her heart pounding in her ears. In her haste, she dropped her phone, the screen cracking upon impact with the ground.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, skidding to a halt and bending down to retrieve it.

But before she could grasp the broken device, a rough hand yanked a bag over her head, cutting off her vision and muffling her startled scream.

-----

When Deb finally regained her senses, she found herself bound to a chair, her wrists chafing against coarse ropes. Beside her, Jessica was similarly tied up, fear and anger battling for dominance in her racing thoughts.

"Comfortable?" a deep voice echoed through the dark, its source seemingly invisible.

"Who are you?" Deb snapped, her thoughts racing to make sense of the situation. "What do you want?"

"Ah, straight to the point. I like that," the voice responded, amusement tinging its tone. "Tell me where the exorcists are hiding and I will let you go."

"Exorcist?" Deb asked incredulously, there was no way she was going to risk putting people in harm's way. "I have no idea what you are talking about?"

"Don't play coy with me," the voice continued, undeterred by her response. "There are forces at work in this world that most people cannot even fathom. Demons and other supernatural beings pose a constant threat to humanity, and I know you fight them."

Deb's eyes darted to Jessica, who stared back at her with a fearful glint in her gaze.

"I have no clue what you are talking about! You are confused, there are no such things as demons! Please just let me and my friend go and we won't tell anyone about this." Deb lied, her anger flaring as she struggled against her bindings.

"So you're saying you have no idea what I am talking about," the voice replied cryptically. "You're not a very good liar."

"I am not lying, I don't know anything about exorcists. You have the wrong people!" Deb challenged, unwilling to give up anything to her captor.

"I am very impressed with your resolve," the voice answered calmly. "The exorcists have existed for centuries, the force that shields humanity from the true darkness that lurks beneath the surface. You have been chosen to join our ranks, and you've just passed your first test."

As silence settled over the basement once more, Deb realized this was planned from the beginning, she was being tested and that meant that Jessica was in on it too.

"Awesome," she whispered finally, annoyed with her situation. So guessing this is the part where you come out and untie us."

"Not exactly," The voice informed her.

As if on cue, Jessica's bindings seemed to unravel and fall away from her wrists. With a confident smirk, she stood up and walked over to the source of the disembodied voice. To Deb's surprise, Jessica revealed a man behind a false wall. Deb immediately recognized him as the man from the park bench.