Crimson Church

Chapter 11- The Pendant

As Elizabeth stood feeling hopeless, she begged to no one in particular, "Please, I just want to save my friends."

At that moment, Elizabeth felt something warm near her chest. It was the heart-shaped ruby pendant she had been wearing. Then, Elizabeth realized something. During one of her podcast episodes, she had a guest who could channel energy into crystals. Maybe she could do the same here.

"Help me find Xezbeth."

Following her instincts thanks to the pendant, Elizabeth headed upstairs to the place where it all began: the attic.

"Where are you?!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Above you."

Xezbeth dropped down from the ceiling onto Elizabeth, knocking her to the ground. They struggled, rolling on the floor until Xezbeth was on top.

"Give me that pendant!" the demoness shouted.

"Never!" retorted Elizabeth.

"Ok then... how about now?" Elizabeth looked down and saw that her heart pendant was genuine and beating. Disgusted as she was, she knew better.

"That isn't real. None of your tricks are real!"

Xezbeth flinched, then smiled. "How about this, then?" She then started violently choking Elizabeth.

Then, even though she was losing consciousness, Elizabeth felt a sudden rush of power as she channeled whatever energy she still had left into the pendant. She then used that energy to knee the monster in the stomach, knocking her back.

Elizabeth managed to stand up, still struggling to breathe. "That all you got?"

"Not quite!" Xezbeth answered. She then did something that would scar anyone for life. Her cloak opened up, revealing the bodies of Elizabeth's friends. The demoness then brought her hands down and started scratching her torso. The three trapped souls began screaming in agony as blood poured over her lower half and onto the floor.

Elizabeth did not seem to freak out as most people would. In actuality, Xezbeth's actions made her angry.

"You're sick... you think this is funny? Well, what if I told you that my friends aren't feeling anything at all?"

The demoness gasped. How could this be happening? "What? Look at these fools! They're practically annihilated!"

"Not as annihilated as you're going to be," Elizabeth stated. She then took off her necklace and held it out, so it aimed at Xezbeth's face.

"I COMMAND YOU TO GO BACK TO HELL!"

The pendant gave off a dazzling red light that hit Xezbeth's forehead like a laser. It caused her to screech out in pain as she stepped back from the sheer force of the shot. She did not know she was rapidly walking backward toward the attic window. Xezbeth took another step, and with a large crash, she fell out the window and violently hit the ground below.