DEMONitized

Chapter 9

"That was definitely something," marveled Bethany as she turned to everyone the demonic firestorm left behind. She was somewhat troubled about her mother's death, but more so that of her father - since his fate was decidedly undeserved. 

"I can't believe Madelyn was the threat this whole time," lamented Gwen. "I'm sorry for both you and your brothers."

"You know, it's weird," Bethany replied. "She seemed perfectly normal to me but now and then..."

"Hey!" Michael shouted from afar.

The group of young women turned to look at him. 

"Forgetting someone?" he asked, coming closer into view. He held Philip's gun in one hand and the squirming cultist's robes in the other. The weakened former assistant groveled on the ground, unsure if he was worthy of speaking to his former boss and current God.

"Gwen," Bethany nudged her frenemy, "You're a God now. Whatever you say goes."

Gwen straightened her back in response, trying to make herself as proper and tall as she could as a means of deterrence. 

"I suppose this means I'm fired?" Philip asked, still on the ground.

"Start talking," Gwen prodded. "Did Madelyn put you up to this?"

Michael released Philip from his grip and threw him forward.

"Was that necessary?" grunted Philip. "Anyway, yes. Madelyn put me up to it, okay? She said you were the ticket to infinite riches, happiness, popularity, whatever. There's your explanation."

"And the murders?" Michael demanded. 

"Sometimes the True Gods' will needs a little help to get going."

"So you killed people to help out!?"

"It's not like we weren't going to bring them all back."

"Bullshit." Michael seemed awfully close to firing the gun. "You killed my wife. Your reasons mean jack shit to me."

"You guys just killed the only person who knew what a successful ritual looked like, and I'm the bad guy?"

"Shut up!" 

Michael kicked the cultist in the stomach.

"Stop kicking him," Gwen instructed. "Let's get our answers -"

"Did you kill Elise Briarberger!?" interjected Bethany.

Gwen put her head in her hands and muttered, "Oh, not this again."

"No, she killed herself," Philip wheezed. "But I won't pretend that I didn't provide some... encouragement."

"Dick!" 

It was Bethany's turn to kick the man while he was down.

"Guys, seriously!?" Gwen huffed. 

"Sorry," Bethany and Michael replied in unison.

"Last question - how the hell do I get this True God thing to leave me alone?" 

Philip struggled to his feet, clutching his stomach all the while. 

"You can't," he snarked. "If you break the statue, she'll find a way to kill you, as she did to you-know-who."

"But there has to be some kind of reverse-ritual we can do to exorcise this thing."

The cultist shrugged.

Another epiphany hit Bethany, and she turned to Gwen.

"What if you use your powers to get an answer from him?"