The Forgotten Angel ✔️

Chapter 13: The Truth is Expelled

Luke was running. It was after midnight. He was running away from the darkness, yet it engulfed him. He was running away from reality, yet it was the present. His mind was racing as his thoughts argued with each other over what he had just witnessed.

They're not possessed. Maybe they just have a sore throat and those weird words they spoke was just them coughing up phlegm.

No, the way their voices changed, it was like two separate entities were having a conversation at one moment while Gio and Alex had a conversation at another.

Luke didn't know who to tell. His two closest friends were freaking possessed. And to confront them about it could be extremely dangerous. How did this happen to them? Why them?

Luke ran pass Caldwell and stopped outside Campus Ministry with a sliver of hope that Father Matthew would be inside at work, but the lights were all turned off. He looked up at Caldwell at night, and the building had an ominous stare. Staring up at the sole stained-glass window whose image was interrupted by normal glass was like seeing a giant staring down at you with one eye socket empty and filled with scabbed flesh. It sent shivers down Luke's body.

The Tower articles, a thought passed his mind. The dates—they were both from last semester...

Luke was a Freshman, and so were his two friends. They were all here last semester, and what type of college student would get lost or go exploring where they shouldn't?

A perplexed and lost college freshman.

Could the nameless victims of those articles be Gio and Alex?

Luke kept making many connections, but all were focused on connecting his friends to the demons. There were other questions that fogged the back of his mind like what were they looking for in the Basilica? What was that language they were speaking? Most importantly, who was Lilith?

Luke found himself running pass Leahy Hall and stopping outside. Should I alert campus police about the incident? He quickly flicked that thought aside like a fly that landed on his shoulder. Yeah and become the butt end of a joke for the next week amongst the officers whenever I come in to sign out my Safe Walk gear—no thanks.

But if he couldn't tell the authorities established to protect the campus, then who could Luke really turn to at this time of night?

Luke was too anxious to let this wait. Whatever his friends were looking for, they found it. Tomorrow they were going to get their hands on it, and whatever it was, it could really make these pockets of evil appearing on campus tear open like a sinkhole about to swallow the campus whole.

He looked off into the distance and saw a light flicker on like a candle and then quickly disappear. There was a shadow standing in the dark side of Curley Court, the residence for the priests on campus. The shadow walked into the light and Luke's heart leaped higher than a show dog for a biscuit.

It was Father Matthew. God bless his smoking addiction.

Like a flash flood of anxiety, Luke rushed towards Father Matthew to the point that Father Matthew dropped his cigarette and retreated towards the steps of Curley Court.

"Stay back criminal! I'll have you know the police department is right behind you." When Luke stepped into the light, Father Matthew's heart sighed in relief. "Boy are you mad? Do you know what time it is for you to be rushing an old man like a lioness hunting a gazelle? Are you on drugs?"

"No," Luke huffed as he placed his hands on his knees to get some air. "The demons, my friends, the Basilica..."

"Slow down boy and speak coherently," Father Matthew said descending back down Curley Court's steps breathing heavy himself. "I haven't moved that fast in decades."