BLACKOUT; JR [1]

13.4

Phoebe lagged, as she wasn't really one for athletics. I found myself often turning my head over my shoulder, checking to see if she was still with us. When I saw that she was there, I would speed up, either leading the group or following behind Andy. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of what was going to happen, and I sensed the anxiety creeping up on me, but I couldn't let it stop me. Felix needed us, and we had to help him. A strangled gasp escaped Andy's mouth as he came to a halt right in front of me, sending me reeling back into Sam. "It's the demon!" He wailed, crying out to the others. I would have fallen down if it wasn't for Sam's arm around my middle, preventing me from collapsing. I peered over Andy's shoulder, and my eyebrows furrowed at the sight before me. Roland was there shaking his head vigorously and waving his hands around in a frantic blur of movement.

"No, it's me." He claimed, placing a shaking hand on his chest. That small action made us all visibly relax, as we recognised that a possessed man would not have trembling hands. Sam released his grip around me, assisting me as I regained my stance.

"Dude, you scared us." He commented, taking his hand away from me as he stomped toward Roland. "Have you seen Felix?" He asked, causing the man to abruptly whirl around on his heels. He pointed to the sky, dragging our eyes toward the dark clouds in the form of a large twister. He didn't have to say anything for us to know that Felix was there, so we fled instantly, hopefully running in the general direction of our friend. I had to make a conscious effort not to trip over any logs that were laying in my path, and I was constantly leaping over things I couldn't get around. The wind had picked up a great deal, signalling our closer proximity to Felix. I jumped over a dead tree, and in that same second, the sky turned dark. Due to my sudden lack of light, I nearly fell down, but Andy was there to hold me up. Considering that we were trying to save Felix, these boys were saving me an awful lot. We dodged low branches, sinking our feet deeper into the soil as a means to keep our heads. Then there was a scream, an ear splitting cry of pain. It made my head snap up, and I physically jumped at the horrifying sound. There was no mistaking that it was Felix, as we were familiar with his desperate yelps. I felt all the remaining colour drain from my blank face, and the wind seemed chillier as the heat left the upper parts of my body. I looked to Jake, and he met my eyes with the same terrified expression. Sam was the first to bolt, and he sprinted in the direction of the cries without any sense of hesitation. We chased after him, seeming to run right into the heart of the magical storm.

Felix was there, tied to a tree that forced him directly in front of the altar. His face flattened as he spotted us crawling through the green blanket of leaves, but I think it was because he didn't expect to see us. His entire body seemed to drop in relief as we emerged, exposing ourselves to the enemy. Bates was standing before us, with Sargent Riles and Oscar by his side. The sight shocked me, although I knew it was coming. Seeing Oscar like this frightened me, and the demonic cloud that covered his features like a mask made my jaw drop. Felix screamed again, but it wasn't only fear that laced his words. He was upset, dreading this fight just as much as the rest of us were. It was that exact second that I realised Jake wasn't with me, as he was lingering to my left, too far away. His father approached him, his suddenly mechanical limbs taking him closer toward his son. Another shriek pulled my attention away from my boyfriend, but this time the sound didn't come from Felix. There were no words hidden in Oscar's painful yell, which seemed to echo around me. He was doubled over, both of his hands against his ears like he was trying to prevent an awful noise from entering. He turned his head to his screaming brother, and suddenly he wasn't possessed anymore.

Roland abruptly jumped forward as Bates neared us, raising his weapon above his head in an attempt to harm the demon. His actions were paused as Bates appeared in front of him, doing nothing but staring so intently he could have been looking into the man's soul. Roland shook, dropping his spear in the violent process. His neck twisted in an immensely unpleasant way, but there was no way for it to be stopped. It was clear that he was being possessed, and when his eyes flashed the shockingly familiar blood red, we knew the demon had taken over. The supernatural force had a plan, as it had just displayed. Oscar was like a toy, but so were the men. He was only a child, small and weak compared to the adults that stood before him.