Jan tears off his vest and throws it to the floor, "Scott, if you were a second more, we would've been captured!" I wave at him, "Oh, we're fine!" He shakes his head, "He could have killed you!" El rushes in, "It sounds like a success!" Jan stumbles and grabs where he was shot, he grunts and nearly falls over. El quickly rushes to him, "What happened?" He laughs, "I've been shot." I look back to his vest, it's bloody on the inside. "I thought you were fine!" He sighs as El sits him down, "Not like you ever asked or cared if I was." I scratch my scalp, "If I knew that-" He laughs lightly, "You wouldn't change a damn thing." I throw my hands up, "Oh com-" "You've got tunnel vision." El sighs, "I'm just glad you two made it back in one piece."

  Puppers and Markus come in, "1904 Heart Street is definitely underwater." I groan, "How do you-" I grab at my forehead- Right, he saw us almost get caught. "All I know is we'll need diving suits." El turns from Jan's chest, "How is Carter even setting a trap up down there? He thinks we can just train for a dive?" Markus gets up and marches out,

  Thadius lays on the ground, "Hey Thadius." He turns slowly, "I'm trying to sleep." I nudge him, "Come on, I need some information." He puts his arm over his ear, "Let me sleep." He's never like this. I pat on his back, "Come o-" He swings his arm across my face and fall onto my butt. "Just leave me be." I grab his shoulder and he curls up into a ball, "We couldn't even beat a demon. Now I can't even beat a couple worms. I fought and fought as the worms picked off everyone that showed me kindness. I barely escaped with my life and then you just left us to be captured and then whipped by devil-serving humans." I lay down next to him, "I-" "Just go away, Markus."

  Jan waves, "It's a minor wound, El." El pats on the wound and he winces, "Doesn't sound minor, bullet's still in there." He laughs lightly as El grabs a pair of forceps, "You ready?" He sighs, "Let's do it." He jolts forward as El works the metal tool inside his skin, I wince with him, "Is he still good to fight Carter?" Jan grunts, "I'm fine." El rotates the tool, "Three inches to the right, his lung would've got you both captured." Jan huffs, "If it did, I would've left his sorry ass behind." How are we going to win this? My eyes shut as I remember Carter's giant bloodied body following me in the vacuum of space. Kaylin was probably ordered not to kill me, that must the only reason he let me live. I stand up and grab my coat, El looks up, "Where are you going?" With a deep sigh, "I won't be gone too long."

  The door shuts behind me as I wade through the puddles, I bend forward and grab my face, "Shit." So many mind games, it's hard to tell what's real at this point. I kick water and jerk my arms. So many people are counting on me and they might end up dead. I scratch aggressively at an itch on my scalp. A bell rings out, a church bell? Since when? Ever since I've got here, none have gone off. Carefully, I approach the source of the bell's rings. A huge crowd of people cheer as the bell swings in a new church tower. Looking around, there's not a patrol car in sight. This is way too many people. I'll get noticed. I turn around and a hand goes to my shoulder, I jump and pause as a old man's voice beckons, "Where are you going, my son?" I remain perfectly still, "We will turn no good soul away here." I smirk, "What about those demon terrorists?" He sighs and let's go of my shoulder, "God wouldn't turn them away." I turn around and glare at him, he takes a step back, "You sure?" He nods, "Come in and keep your hood on tight." I nod as he shouts, "Come, everyone! We will start!"

  I should run, right now. Far, far away from this. Even so, my feet still take me inside, past hands reached out to me, "Peace be with you." Everyone sits down as I remain in the back. Jesus lies on the cross as the priest looks down at his bible. "Ever since the flood, only the most righteous have seen the Lord. In the bread the UGA gives, to the wrathful rain pouring from above." The old nod as the children grab at their parents for warmth, "But now there is a place where all his children are welcome." They cheer as he looks at me, he then looks to the crowd, "There has been so much talk of demons in the news. I believe the ones that fell from the sky and that were hunted down like dogs-" Oh, here we go. I march towards the doors, "They are actually the anointed. Not demons." A man stands up as I lower my hand from the door, "What are you talking about? They sold their souls for black magic!" He holds out his hands, "My son, God has come to me and told me of these people. They are god's warriors, they're meant to take down the real demons." The man scoffs, "God has already left us to drown! You are the liar." A woman shouts, "The priest is a liar!" Soon enough, the whole church starts chanting it as the priest prays in silence. Everyone gets up and leaves as I sit tight.

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  I sit in a pew and sits down next to me, "What garbage was that?" He clutches his cross, "The truth. Our God's truth." I shake my head, "You don't speak for god." He nods, "It's hard not to tell people of my visions. The anointed will change everything." This guy's crazy. They were right not to trust him with this information. "You've got it all wrong." He turns, "Why is that?" "Your anointed are going to die to a real demon." He leans in and I scoot away, "Good always prevails over evil." I shake my head, "Evil already won. And-" He looks into my eyes, "After he torments me, he's going to swallow me whole." He laughs lightly, I growl, "What's so funny?" He sighs, "The devil can only make you torment yourself." I jerk my hands at him, "He can literally rip me apart." He makes the sign of the cross, then gets up, "Then I pray you don't let him." I grab at my hair as he walks away, "Why did I even come here?" I look up at Jesus, Why must I face that? Tears roll down my face as I exhale, I don't want them to die, but- I try to take a deep breath, but I sigh with more tears, Can you give me strength? To fight such a thing? I'm almost at the end of mine. All of the crew is dead or possessed because of me. Am I still worthy of heaven? I lean my weary head on the pew in front of me and cry my heart out.

  A hand rests upon my shoulder. With great effort, I ache to move, but it was already too late. A bright light envelops me, then I'm somewhere else entirely. At my side, Markus stares ahead with glowing eyes. He turns to me, "Scott, you must be brave. Just a little longer."

  I shake my head, "There's no backbone left in me!" He sighs, "And yet, we're all counting on you. Jan's a liability, Jack, Rose and Mama, they need us. And Carter-" As golden rain smacks me, his face is laid bare before me, a blackened skull, big red and swirling eyes, silver tongue and wide smile. I scream at his face incoherently. My saliva spews out my mouth as I scream at him, skin molds over his skull like his face splits. Minutes pass and my voice finally fails me. I break down and cry, he's still there, slowly forming into Carter's face. There comes a point where there's no more tears left to cry. Carter smiles wide regardless of what I do. My voice, hitting him, crying, nothing works.

  I grab at myself, as lightning flashes far away. One blink and I open to myself, naked on the beach. Carter's giant face still smirks from above. As wind and rain slaps against me, I shiver from the cold and frown. A word quickly comes into my ear, "Obey." It suddenly stops, he frowns. Waves crash against the shore as I stare up at him, I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. All the screaming, crying-doubt, all the hopelessness. What was the point of any of it? I smile as I remember the gun to my head, there was no chance that would end my suffering either. Carter's head shrinks somewhat.

  I trudge through the sand and grab a scrap of cloth trapped under a rusted support beam. I'm going to turn my back on you now, Carter.