Demon 🔥 Reddie

26

They came to a stop in a city in New Hampshire. It seemed like a business city, with tall buildings but not many people outside.

Avi parked the car beside what looked like a storage unit. She stepped out of the front seat, beckoning Richie and Eddie to follow her. They did, and she stopped in front of the door to the until, knocking on it three times.

A buzzing sound made Eddie turn his head, grabbing Richie's hand. To his surprise, Avi walked toward the sound and they realized it was a security camera. She waved to it, smiling brightly.

The door to the garage opened and Avi walked in with the other two following her at a distance. The door closed behind them, encasing the group in darkness.

"Is this where you kill us?" Richie asked, trying to ease the tension, only to feel Eddie elbow him in the ribs.

"Not yet," Avi's voice said.

They saw purple orbs come from where Avi was standing, moving around the room so a gentle purple glow was filling the room. Intrigued, Eddie spread his wings and flew up to one, staring at it.

"Powers aren't always bad," Avi said, walking toward a metal staircase. "There's some beauty to them."

"I didn't think you'd come back for another year or so," came a voice from the top of the stairs that Avi was walking up.

"I'm full of surprises," Avi said suggestively, earning a scoff from the person standing atop the stairs. "How have you been, Kali?"

Lights turned on in the room, the purple orbs disappearing. The girl standing on the stairs had on a leather jacket and jeans, and was smiling at Avi. Her skin was dark, but not as dark as the eyeliner that was on her brown eyes.

"We've been alright. I saw Jane last week. She told me to say hello the next time I saw you, which I thought would be a long time from now."

"I wish I could visit them, but it gets difficult," Avi said, walking back down the stairs and sitting on a couch in the room. "I don't want to be the reason the world finds out about her."

"You won't be. She moved and she's safe," Kali said, following Avi down the stairs and walking to a small kitchen area. She grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to Avi, then to Richie and Eddie who had sat next to Avi.

"You have what I need?" Avi asked and Kali nodded, handing her a box.

"The fact that you need them concerns me, but I know better than to question an enchantress."

Avi chuckled. "It's actually a funny story. These assholes opened a portal to Hell because they thought that was a good course of action to get the extra soul out of one of them, but it obviously failed."

"One of them is a demon?" Kali asked, glaring at Richie and Eddie.

"Yeah, but he's not dangerous. Two souls, born with them. He still has anger management issues, but there's not much I can do about that besides telling him to not be a bitch. Not that he listens to me."

Kali nodded, then looked to the necklace around Eddie's neck. "They caught one?"

Avi turned and noticed the necklace for the first time. She had seen it but hadn't processed what it was.

"Apparently," she said. "Can I see that?"

Eddie handed her the necklace, knowing that she hated demons and wouldn't be at risk of trying to use it or free it. It was a better option than trying to fight her, since she'd proven to be difficult to defeat.

"Incredible. How'd you catch it?" Avi asked, looking at Eddie and Richie. "I mean, no offense, but the demon in here is powerful. There's no way you two should be able to capture it."

"It was trying to make me fully demon and suck out my human soul with a device that looked the same but was the worse version of it," Eddie responded, feeling both Avi's and Kali's eyes on him. "Richie stopped it."

"Can you make it more docile? Suck out its primary soul and just leave the power?" Kali asked. "It could be beneficial to have the extra energy, Avi."

Avi shook her head in disapproval. "I'm not messing with demon power. Not again." She stood up, grabbing the box of containment devices. "Tell your gang I said hi."

"Wait!" Kali said, stopping her. "Give me the demon. Payment for the devices."

Avi scoffed. "I saved your life. This is a favor. I'm not giving you a demon. It'll control you," she said, handing Richie the box and putting the necklace around her own neck.

The room faded to a dark purple hue and Richie, Eddie, and Avi saw three people walk down the stairs. They were all young women, focused on Avi.

"You think I'm as weak as you were?" came Kali's voice echoing around the room. "Are you
scared more lives will be lost? I can control a demon. Give it to me."

"Get out of our heads," Avi snapped as the women got closer. They looked to real, and all the three could feel was fear, confusion, and guilt.

"You're weak, enchantress. You lost. I won't. Give me the demon. I can use its power," Kali said, the three women walking and standing in front of Richie, Eddie, and Avi.

"No!" Avi yelled, and the vision faded as Kali was slammed into a wall across the room. She walked toward the girl, refusing to drop her. "How dare you use your power on me? You're a coward, hiding behind your gift."

"How are you different? You're using them right now!" Kali hissed, struggling against Avi's power and rage.

"I have a reason, you bitch," Avi snapped, dropping Kali to the ground. "You're weak and pathetic. We're done here."

Avi walked toward the door, the demon in the device held tightly in her hand. She took the box and put it in the passenger seat, driving off without another word.

"Who were those women?" Richie asked as they drove toward Maine.

Avi sighed. "They were the hosts to the three most powerful demons to ever enter Derry. I couldn't extract them, so I had to kill them," she said quietly, but both Richie and Eddie could hear her.

"That's good, though. You did what you had to do to protect everyone," Eddie said, feeling bad for the girl who had clearly struggled to keep people alive and safe.

Avi laughed. "I appreciate your optimism, demon, but it wasn't that simple. Those three girls were my sisters. They're dead because of me."