Revenge, Photos and Covenants

Chapter 17: A Birthday

Ahmed stood under the water, letting it cascade down his face and shoulders, his thoughts drifting back to Kyle and what he was planning. As the water ran off his body, he tried to silence his thoughts, but he could still feel the sin watching him.

"Ahmed..." Kyle's voice rang out, barely audible yet undeniably real. Startled, he scanned the mist as if Kyle was going to come charging out of it.

"Ahmed!" Kyle cried out again, this time sounding closer than before. With trembling hands, he pulled back the shower curtain and found himself standing on the quad, a gentle wind whistled through the trees. He looked down to see he was wearing his navy blue suit from the winter formal.

Darkness began to creep in from all sides, hiding the path ahead of him. Ahmed looked back to find his shower had disappeared. Kyle called out to him again, layered with a demonic tone, and with no other way to go Ahmed stepped onto the gravel pathway, his breath visible in the chilling air.

"It's almost time," Kyle whispered.

As he walked farther down the path, Kyle emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing orange like embers in a dying fire. Ahmed paused, unsure if this was a dream or reality. Kyle's body began to ripple and jerk, his muscles expanded as his limbs twisted and elongated. Fangs sprouted from his jaw and his transformation to Gluttony was complete.

"It's almost time," Gluttony snarled once again, saliva dripping from his fanged jaws.

"NO!" Ahmed screamed, jerking awake in his bed. He was drenched in sweat, he could feel his heart beating in his chest. He rolled over in bed and caught a glimpse of the hanging mirror in the far corner, glowing orange eyes stared back at him in the night.

"Just leave me alone" Ahmed trembled under the covers.

"If only I could," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But if all goes well, you and eye will be parting ways soon."

"Wh-what do you want?" Ahmed stammered, trying to catch his breath.

"Ah, all good things come to those who wait," Kyle explained, his grin widening. His orange eyes seemed to drill into Ahmed, forcing a vision to emerge. He could see his house, with colorful strobe lights flashing from the windows. The sounds of pulsating music filled the air but Ahmed could feel something was off. The vision pulled him closer to the window and horror overtook him, bodies, dozens of bodies laid out on the floor.

"And now you can see the future," Kyle warned. "Follow my plan, or everyone will die."

"Y-you're lying!" Ahmed shouted, but fear gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. Kyle shook his head, feigning disappointment.

"Care to test your theory?" Kyle asked, Ahmed fell silent. Kyle simply smiled as he faded from the mirror, leaving Ahmed alone with his thoughts.

-----

In the dimly lit basement of St. Jerome's Parish, Jessica paced back and forth, her eyes never leaving Father Bill, whose eyes shift between his regular blue and a lime green, his hands shaking as he tried to stop the transformation. Jessica knew the rules around what happens if an exorcist is cursed, she prayed that Bill's body would reject the curse and he would remain human but every passing hour made it feel less likely.

"Bill," Jessica whispered, kneeling beside him, "I believe in you. You're stronger than this curse."

"Jessica..." Father Bill rasped, sweat beading on his forehead, "I don't think that I..."

"Don't say it," she urged him gently, her hand gripping his. "We'll figure out a way to fix this before anyone else finds out."

The sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs echoed through the otherwise silent basement, causing Jessica to tense up. Pablo appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.