Chapter 53
Addam’s family Cabin
A haunted cabin on stunning destination gave the allure to all those that rest their eyes upon this cabin to stay the night. Forcing the notion of spirits to the back of their minds. Legend has it no one can last the night. No one, except for Addams family and friends.
The gang stepped out of their cars, facing the rundown Cabin in the middle of lush forest and with a thriving lake on their doorstep. One of many that surrounded the lake. With gleeful anticipation to put those haunted rumours to the test. Hanna still would have liked Cira coming along with them, but she understood her friend’s need for work. Hell, her mothers and aunties are also working this weekend. She turned to her left and frowned at Persephone’s presences.
The woman had apologised for her behaviour and unnaturally fast put on the act everything was fine. Hanna hadn’t forgiven her friend yet. In fact none of the gang have. It left a tension on the group even the Crew were worried about.
“Are you all sure about being here by yourselves?” Beatrice questioned concerned.
“We’re fine mum” Hanna answered. She turned to her mothers and grinned. “It’s going to be fun”
Beatrice hummed. “Your friends and yourself are not going to try and summon another ghost?”
“What?” Hanna squeaked nervously. “what makes you say that? No?”
“Uh Huh”
“Sweetpea we know you too well” Ava chuckled impressed. “Just be safe yeah”
“Yes mum” Hanna promised. She tilted her head to her mothers and asked “are you two going to be safe tonight?”
Beatrice nodded confidently with a warm smile while her wife chuckled.
“We’ll be safe” Ava promised. “We’ll see you Sunday”
In the hunt, in town
The moon was full and it, along with the town’s streetlights, bathed the battleground with light. Everything was going to plan. The Angelic soldiers didn’t stand a chance against the Crew. Almost too well.
As the last Angelic stumbled back from Ava’s sword. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach with one hand and grasped a broken sword with the other. Angelic looked up and growled. His friends had fallen, not dead yet, but their battle was drawing to a close. “why…” he turned his head and hacked loudly, spitting purple dust. He turned back to Ava and sneered, the effects of the Old God’s curse crawling under his skin. “do you protect the half breed?”
Ava pointed her sword to the angelic and answered calmly “because she’s my daughter”
“No” he scoffed, shaking his head. “She’s your destruction”
Ava raised her sword for the kill and suddenly the darkness closed in swallowing every Angelic whole. The Angelic screams and the Crew stumbled back, closing ranks. Ava held out her hand and kept her sword close, ready to strike anything that came to harm her friends.
“what is this?” Camila questioned.
“I got one idea” Ava whispered.
Suddenly the darkness flooded back, casting the Crew into light. The fade of gold light flickered out of existence. A wicked laugh echoed from the shadows, followed by the glow of red and yellow eyes peaking from the shadows. Moving slowly to them. The laughter faded and replaced with slow hand clapping. “My my” Abyss’s voice called out. “Why didn’t you tell me this world is full of Angelics”
The Abyss stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Her hands dropped to her hips. “You’re group is full of surprises, aren’t you”
“Abyss” the Crew spoke.
The Abyss bowed as she said “in the flesh”
“Why are you here?” Ava asked.
“Because I’m hungry” The Abyss answered truthy, standing up straight. Her wicked smile shown brightly. “I have to say” she began as her body twisted to the right and she started to walk around the Crew. Their eyes never moving off her. “If I learned how many times the Angelics love to come here, I would claim this town as my hunting ground long ago. I just can’t help myself, their souls have such a particular taste”. She turned back to them, gesturing to the spaces where the angelic once stood. “I’m going to propose something, no being of Hell has ever said to you mortals or Tarasks”
The Crew were suspicious, but intrigued none the less.
“what do you want?” Beatrice asked.
“An alliance”
“An Alliance?” Ava questioned surprised. “Really?”
“Really, I’m not going to trade away this opportunity for perfect hunting ground because of a few disgruntled neighbours. Besides…” she trailed off with satisfied smirk. “My offer will never be repeated again”
“So far I’m not interested”
“Oh you will be” Abyss insisted. She stopped and faced the Crew, twinkle of delight in her yellow and red eyes. “I have been watching you and your family, I know your intentions quite clear” she stated and the Crew glared warningly. “You don’t want some ‘Noble’ war, you want peace, for your family, for your town. You want to live life and I can give that to you. Let myself and my army take care of these feral Angelics, and peace you shall have”
“And what exactly do you want in returned?”
“Quite simply, just answer one question”
“And what is that?” Ava asked, her eyes taking on white glow.
Abyss walked closer, her smile faded as she asked “why exactly are they after Hanna?”
The Crew didn’t bother to hide their confusion. Of all the things Abyss could trade for, the answer to this question wasn’t what they expected. They looked to each other, wondering why they should give Abyss the answer.
Abyss eyed the Crew suspiciously. “Is it something that she did? Or is it something you did?”
“We did nothing” Ava confessed.
“Then what exactly is it” Abyss snapped. In the short time they knew her, it felt uncharacteristic for her to lose control of herself. Even now the tension raised in her voice, proving to the Crew how highly she valued this question. “I know she’s angelic, same as them” she spoke. “But why is that infernal race so determined to hunt her down. Tell me, is it you or is it her" she asked. Her smile twitched sideways as she asked a deeper question “Did she take something of value?” her smile widen as she continued, her tone deepen with curiosity “something that can change the worlds?”
Ava sighed, shaking her head. “she didn’t steal, she is the change”
“Then what is it?”
With the Crew’s permission, Ava looked to Abyss and explained as briefly as she can manage “She’s half Angelic, half human. That’s why she’s being hunted”
Abyss frowned. “That’s all?”
“That’s all”
Abyss pulled her head back. Contemplating their answer thoughtfully, her lips curled inward as she focused on the Crew. “okay” she spoke. A quick turn of her heels and she started walking away from them.
“Where are you going?” Ava demanded.
Abyss stopped and twisted her head to them, but her eyes never met their gaze. “do not threat, we have an alliance”. She turned back to them. Surveying the group one last time before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Ava frowned confused at the empty space where the Demon once stood. She turned to her Crew and found them sharing her same concerns. She sighed loudly. “Well that was weird” Ava comment.
“You think we can trust her to keep her word?” Camila asked.
“I doubt it” Ava answered. “But right now, its nice to know we’re not facing a war on both sides and even better to have an ally…for now”
“For now” Beatrice comment. “We’ll return to the Cradle and update the others. Prepare for the worst”
“Alright you lot quit your stalling, let’s move it!”
Meanwhile with Abyss
Arriving on her ship of demons and mortals. She was greeted with the usual welcoming from her legion. She landed on deck and marched her way to the control room. She paid very little attention to the people. After they paid their respects to their commander, they continued working on the troublesome portal. It’s half-finished warped frame gave little hope to its master.
Bursting through her office doors. Her right-hand man, Harlow, stood facing the outer glass wall. He greeted her with a short bow of his head. His under eyes were dark from restless nights and the twitch of his body from weary patience. Abyss figured what he desperately wanted to discuss was nowhere near the topic she was focused on. “I leave you alone for five hours and they are still at it” she quipped. Taking her usual stance facing the window.
He handed her the latest reports he document on the scientists with a disgruntled scoff. “Five minutes” he corrected. “We believe power maybe the issue. The equipment burns out before it reaches stability”
Abyss sighed, shaking her head. “Hook up to the town’s main grid”
“A team is working on it”
“Good” she replied. She continued reading through the reports, flickering through the pages. When she was done, she tossed the file on her desk and looked up. Surprised he was still here, she raised an eyebrow and asked “is your mind troubling you?”
“Yes” he confessed. He turned to her and spoke with quiet reserve. Despite them two being the only souls in the room. “I fear this proposed alliance with the sister warriors has blinded you and that blindness, may make you…weak”
Abyss laughed at the way he said that word. Weak. As if it was unforgivable curse. Her laughter trailed off and her devilish smile broke wide, full of her sharp teeth. “come now, weak, Ha” she scoffed. “can’t blame a girl for taking a good opportunity” she turned and strode for her desk. Dropping in her chair sideways, kicking her legs on the desk.
He sighed. “Master, I don’t see why you sort their permission for the hunt?”
“Permission, bitch please, I don’t need permission for anything” she laughed. She pointed her finger to Harlow and explained “those sister warriors can be powerful allies. Look at what they archived so far. My armies are starving and now I secured fresh Angelic souls to devour and battles to conquer. This will satisfy their blood lust. Can’t have an empire when its starving”
“Very well Master” he spoke approvingly. “Now what of the Target?”
Her smile dropped at the name. Her composure darken, teeth clenched and her eyes narrowed. “what of it!” she demanded.
“The mistress demands results, she wants the Target and now our resource team has dropped the mission, she suspects you done it for two reasons…you found him or you have not. Which is it?”
“I have not” she lied. So perfectly well even Harlow believed the words as gospel. Call it one of her many blessings.
He looked at her surprised for a moment. Quickly apologising insisting “I’m sorry for the demand, Master. I will pass the message on quick smart, I doubt she will bother you again”
“Then you don’t listen to my mother” Abyss insisted. “Back to work”
He bowed and vacated the office quick smart. Shutting the door firmly behind him.
Abyss starred long and hard at the door. Her elbow pressed against the desk and her hand held high and formed tight fist. She suddenly forced her fist into her desk and it crumbled down the middle. She leapt from her desk and marched towards the glass window. She watched as her people tried to start up the portal again. It’s struggled whine echoed through her office. The violent red lights sparked to life in it’s metal frame. White sparks of light twirled inside the ring three times before it glow expanded, filling the portal then exploded outward in a flash. The portal’s power died and her people, started working on the machine once again.
Her disappointed sigh was deep and long. “I’m missing something” she spoke aloud. “what do you need?”
Starring at the broken portal will not solve her problems. She concluded. So, she turned her back on her project, her body transformed into smoke cloud and darted through solid steel. Flying into the night.
Abyss let her mind wander as she flew through town. The humans didn’t notice her, not for the lack of trying. They were too busy on their own little lives, their own problems. To spot a Devil flying through their town.
The small frighten cries of a child drew her back to earth. She found the child curled inside a tree. Shivering body in summer evening heat. Not too far from where Hanna and her Crew were staying the weekend.
She landed light footed in the dirt. Abyss crouched low and crawled to the tree’s opening. “hello little one” she called. The little boy whimpered, scrambling inside the tree. “It’s okay” she quickly reassured. “It’s okay, come out and join me in the moonlight, little one”
The little boy was frighten of the shadow, his scared brown eyes starred shakily at her. She beckoned him out of the tree and soon, he followed. Crawling out of the trunk. The boy was sickly and bruised black and blue.
Abyss’s teeth clenched at the sight of him. “tell me little one, who did this to you?”
Meanwhile across the lake
Hanna sat on the back deck, watching the stars reflect off the lake. The others were inside, doing their own thing for the evening. Until the witching hour, when they can properly do some ghost hunting and no matter how much Hanna and Kit begged Addams to start now. Addams insisted they had to wait, so wait they shall.
The door creaked open and out crept out Persephone. “hey” she whispered. Closing the door behind her.
Hanna gave her a trouble take look “hey” she greeted back. “are they ready yet?”
Persephone sighed, shaking her head. “Apparently it’s not time, but soon”
Hanna hummed, turning back to the lake.
Persephone fidget by the door, starring at Hanna, hoping she will look at her. “Anything good out there?”
Hanna shrugged. “just the neighbours” she spoke. She focused on the cabin across the lake and wondered aloud with a concerned tone in her voice “very noisy tonight”. The cabin lights were bright in the darkness and if she squinted hard enough, she could just make out shadows of people darting back and forth across the room.
Persephone bit her lip, turning her head down to the floorboards. “Look about that bar-“
“What about it!” Hanna snapped. “I’m sorry Persephone you made it perfectly clear that night how you feel” she turned to her and asked confused “or was all you said to me a lie?”
Persephone snapped her head up to face Hanna. Starring at her ex wide eyed. “I love you” she insisted.
“I loved you too” Hanna admitted, then turned back to the lake.
Persephone wondered forward, taking the railing into her hands and leaning against the frame by Hanna’s side. She looked up Hanna, she sucked on her lip and suggested “we could go back to the way things were. You and me, we were good together. We had fun you and I, that mistake was nothing”
“it wasn’t nothing”
“I don’t want to throw it away”
“We’re not throwing away” Hanna insisted, she turned back to Persephone and informed the woman. “I just…I just need time”
Persephone nodded hopefully, full of energy and excitement.
Hanna frowned, shaking her head. “time apart” she clarified.
Persephone’s excitement dropped and she whispered a disappointed “oh”. She pushed herself off the railing with a regretful sigh and marched back inside grunting “fine then”.
Hanna watched her leave, watched the door slam with a hard bang. She rolled her eyes, sighed and turned back to the lake. Watching the stars and the moonlight over the lake.