The Raven Part 4: Devil of the Falls

Chapter 6

Jake and Beth sat in the cellar in tense silence. Pam had been gone for a little while and Beth was beginning to worry. She knew that Pam could handle herself, but she hated being left defenseless and alone. Jake wasn't much of a comfort either, unfortunately. She wasn't sure if it was because of their predicament, or if it was because of his recounting of Ashley's demise. He'd been more off than usual since opening up to her and Pam.

Jake sat beside Beth on the dirt covered floor. His mind kept wandering, but it wasn't about what might happen to them. Sharing what had happened between him and Ashley that night had proved to be more taxing than he anticipated. It felt like he'd reopened the wound and now it was gnawing at him. He hadn't told them about the hallucinations, but that had been more out of fear than anything. Lately, the visions of Ashley had started speaking to him. He'd seen one the night before they left for this hellhole, and it had warned him about coming here. He'd ignored it and thought it just nerves, but now he wasn't so sure.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see her silhouette standing in the filth around them. He tried to ignore it, but then he heard the click of her heels approaching him. He couldn't help himself as he looked up to see her pale face with a worried expression on it. Then she spoke, "She's coming, my love, and she's not happy. You're both in danger, but whatever happens you must stay strong. The longer you can hold out, the longer you will live. Pamela needs time to work, but she will not fail you, either of you."

"What do you mean she's coming, who?" he asked.

"What?" Beth asked, drawing his attention away from Ashley.

He looked away for a second and she was gone. He shook his head and turned to Beth, "I think something went wrong upstairs," he said.

"What do you mean?" Beth asked, "You think Abigail managed to get to Pam?"

"No, but I think Pam probably pissed her off," he replied, "If I'm right, she's not going to be happy and we're going to pay the price."

"How do you-" was all Beth could get out before the light from the door above flooded the room and heavy footfalls filled the room.

They both stood up and braced themselves against the wall as Abigail stormed down the stairs and into the room. Jake took hold of Beth's hand and whispered, "Whatever happens, don't give into her torture."

Beth was about to respond when they heard Abigail kick the battered corpse of her fallen family member, "That bitch mutilated him! Open the damn door, you idiots!"

Neither was sure what had happened between their friend and their tormentor, but it clearly hadn't gone like she'd wanted. Two men stepped up with keys and unlocked the cage. "What's wrong, Abby, was my girlfriend too much for you?" Beth asked with a smirk.

"Your whore has just earned the both of you some alone time with me," Abigail responded as the two of them found themselves imprisoned on fungal tombs, "I am going to teach the two of you what happens when someone forgets their place!"

"Don't call her that, you ugly-mphf!" Beth started before her mouth was covered in Abigail's toxic sludge.

"Now, now there will be plenty of time for you to run your mouth later, Beth," Abigail said, "We're going to get an early start on the festivities. Let's see if we can't teach you some manners and earn me some cash. Grab them and come on. Be quick about it, you fools, I don't know how much time we have!"

Jake wasn't sure, but it sounded almost as if Abigail was afraid of Pam. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. Pam had an intimidating personality before, but now that her powers had evolved she was a force to be reckoned with. Combined with her sheer hatred for Abigail and you had something terrifying. Fear made people unpredictable and irrational, however, and if Abigail was afraid that meant problems for him and Beth. For once, he hopes that his hallucination was right. He and Beth needed Pam to get to them before things got too bad.

Pam growled as she tried to retrace her steps through the house. She could worry about the book later; right now she needed to get Jake and Beth out of their cell. That woman, that repulsive creature of a woman was going to do unspeakable things to them if she didn't hurry. She would make her pay, even if she reached them in time. Nobody threatened the people she cared about and lived. She rounded a corner in the maze of slimey hallways and saw yet another fork. "How big is this damn place?!" she cried out in frustration.

The castle had been a literal labyrinth, but she had had time to learn its layout. This place was as unfamiliar as it was repulsive. She paused to collect herself and decided to try something different. If she could hone in on Beth's collar then maybe she could track her. The stench of the dried sludge on the walls made it much more difficult, though. It would be doable, but it would take time that she didn't have. She had sensed the dread within the so-called Devil of Ravenfalls, and she knew that she was already moving against them. Growing more agitated by the second, she chose a direction and charged down the hallway. It may have been a mistake to run blindly as she was, but she was desperate and more than a little annoyed.

She could hear cries, thuds, and footsteps behind the closed doors in the hallway. She shuddered to think what was going on back there, but she could worry about that later. Her empathic senses were being bombarded by the sporadic changes that came from room to room. This place was truly horrific. She hadn't felt despair this deep since walking through the slave quarters back in Citiville. Were these people all truly under Abigail's control, and if so how much was her bidding and how much was their own sickness?

There was a faint sense a panic and fear nearby, three to be specific. She glanced around and recognized the strange symbols on the door along with the filth coated photos. The door to the cellar was close by! She hurried further down until she came to the one door that was offset by the others. Wooden planks formed a makeshift door that barred the entrance to where Beth and Jake were being held. She flung the door open and rushed down the stairs, but something was wrong. Even before she reached the bottom, she could feel an absence in the cellar. She barreled down the stairs two by two until she came to the bottom and spotted the open door. The room was empty, she was too late.

She clenched her fists in rage as a feelings of anger and failure filled her very being. She had swore to both of them that she would protect them, but she had left them alone. The sound of static drew her attention, and she looked down to see a small radio lying on the ground. She bent down to pick it up just as a voice began speaking, "Ms. Lavely, too slow and too late."

That was Abigail. She resisted the urge to crush the transponder and angrily spoke into the device, "Where are you and what have you done with them?! Lay a finger on either of them and I will make sure you come to know what true suffering is!"

"I haven't done anything yet, Pamela, but I'd suggest you rethink your position," Abigail replied, "You're in my world and I have the two people you care about at my mercy. Teach me the secrets of that book and you can have your little cat back."

"I will never help a monster like you, never again," Pam said.

"Very well then, their blood is on your hands, my dear," Abigail replied coldly.

"I swear that if you hurt them I will-" Pam began before Abigail cut her off.

"Yes, yes vengeance and suffering, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, child, you are a broken record. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure they both scream until they're begging for death! I wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun, however, so I've decided to let some of my more...unique followers give you a proper welcome. I'll speak to you again, child...if you survive that is!"

The line went dead shortly after Abigail finished speaking. The last thing she heard was her laughing. She decided to keep the radio with her in case Abigail decided to talk more. That was the problem she had always seen with major villains; they felt the need to gloat. Rebecca had even been guilty of it, and in the end that had been what caused her downfall. It was a safe bet that the woman would eventually give herself away, or at the very least reveal something that could give her an extra edge. She clipped the small device to her belt and turned to leave the filthy holding cell. Something still wasn't right, however, she could feel something strange in the air.

She froze when she heard a sickening squelching noise behind her. She canted her head to the side just as she heard something hit the floor with a plop. She slowly turned around and felt her stomach turn at the sight before her. On the ground before her was a disgusting mass of sludge that looked humanoid and massive. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her at first, but slowly the thing on the ground started to climb to its feet. What was this thing? It looked human, but it was covered from head to toe in the sludge that was on the wall. It staggered forward once it was on its feet and scanned the room. Its eyes, two yellow slits with flecks of red in them, landed on her and its mouth opened. She got a look at its maw as it released a blood curdling screech; repulsive jagged and yellowed teeth lined the inside of it. It lurched forward towards her, and she instinctively took a step back.

"Stay back!" she ordered, but it continued its slow approach, "I won't warn you again, stay back!"

It held up its arms, ooze dripping from the elongated appendages, in response to her warning. It was like it was reaching out to her, but there was nothing friendly about this gesture. Those eyes held a hunger in them. She snarled at it and readied a spell, but before she could react one of the arms stretched out and latched onto her shoulder. She could feel the thick sludge rolling down her arm just before it pulled itself forward and her towards it. The sheer strength of the creature was surprising and terrifying in its own right, but seeing its jaw practically unhinge was what really tipped the scales for her. She tried to plant her feet and resist, but she couldn't stop herself from being pulled into the dripping monstrosity. Her body collided with its, sludge rolling off of it and onto her, and she screamed as she felt its teeth bite down on her shoulder and neck.

Anger flared behind the pain and she slammed her palms into the beast's chest. Raw power pumped through her veins as the air around her lightly crackled, and the creature cried out in pain. It released her from its grip and jaws as it staggered backwards in agony. She panted and touched a hand to her neck; she saw blood when she withdrew it and looked at it. She grit her teeth and allowed the adrenaline to take over. She charged forward and leapt into the air, placing a hand on its shoulder as she vaulted over it. She clenched her fist and threw her entire weight down to drag the hulking mess downward with her. To her shock and disgust, its back seemed to bend instead of it falling to the ground. Its eyes stared up at her, and she felt fear mingle with her disgust. She channeled the fear and anger into arcane power her hand, and she swiftly swung it across the monster's neck. It's body convulsed for a second before the head fell off and the rest of it went limp. It writhed in the ground for a moment before dissolving into a puddle of sick goop on the ground.

She stared at it for a moment before looking at her hand. It was stretched out and her palm was open, but what caught her eye was the purple glow that surrounded it. Her hand looked almost like a blade of sorts; something she hadn't seen or practiced before. She moved her hand back and forth, watching as a trail of energy followed her movements. "This is curious," she said before grimacing as pain caught up with her and she glared at the puddle, "And that was horrifically disgusting. What the hell has been going on here?"

She didn't have long to think as the sound of more shuffling behind her touched her ears. She spun around in time to see another shambling creature pulling itself off the wall. It looked almost identical to the previous one and had the same hungry look in its eyes. She needed to heal herself, but it would have to wait until she dealt with whatever these things were. She heard a scraping sound followed by a snarl not far from her feet. She glanced down to see another one crawling along the floor without legs. The blinking light from the camera overhead caught her eye, and she shot it a look before readying herself for a show. Abigail was surely watching this, and she wouldn't show fear or weakness to that woman.

She stepped back and entered into a crouch. She could feel latent energies from the foundation beneath her feet, and she spotted translucent orbs bubbling up around her. She drew them into her and let the power from them fill her being. She reached out and pulled twin chains from the ground, one in each hand, and coiled them around her arms. She stood up and stepped back; watching both creatures carefully. The one on the ground was moving slower than the one in the back, but it was closer. She needed to time her next move and end this fight quickly. She was already starting to feel light headed from the blood loss, and she wasn't sure she would be able to withstand another attack.

The one on the ground growled as it pushed up and threw itself at her. She jumped back and shot her left arm out at the creature. The chain on her arm flew out and pierced the monster's jaw midair. She twirled around, dragging the beast and pouring her energy into the chain. The links began to ignite inside of the creature and it howled in pain as she slammed its body into the ground. She clenched her fist and the chain inside of it burst causing its body to burn from the inside out. She dispersed the weapon once it began to dissolve like the first one, and she turned back around to face her next victim. It continued shambling towards her, undeterred by the demise of its fellow abomination.

She looked around for a means of keeping the creature at bay, but the narrowness of the room and cell made it seemingly impossible. It drew closer and closer with every second, and it opened its mouth to display its jagged teeth dripping with saliva. It lifted its arms just as the first one had, and she knew it was about to try to draw her in. She rolled out of the way and flung her arm outward sending the summoned weapon for the creature's legs. It swung around them and bound them together. With a forceful tug she drug its legs out from under it and sent it crashing to the ground. Even with its legs bound, it continued its advance towards her. It growled from the floor, and she could feel her skin crawl from the noise. She summoned her second chain and sent it flying into the monster's skull. Its body stopped, began shuddering and convulsing, then it let out a strangled howl as it dissolved into nothingness.

Pam looked up at the camera in the corner and heard her radio go off. She retrieved it from her hip as Abigail began speaking, "My, my aren't you looking a little worse for wear. I fully expected my children to finish you, but you are full of surprises."

"Your children?" Pam repeated, "Those things were people?!"

"My family has taken to calling them Defects," Abigail replied, "A name given out of fear and misunderstanding, I assure you. The creatures you fought are the future soldiers of my empire."

"Funded by an OnlyFans page, my how devious," Pam said with a roll of her eyes, "You really are an idiot."

"My page is merely a means to an end, dear child," Abigail said, "The amount of people willing to follow my every command and donate healthily to me are the first step. My vision requires money, dear child, and this way nets me both profit and subs who will obey my every command."

"You're insane," Pam replied, "People like you make me sick."

"We aren't so different, little girl," Abigail said with a laugh, "You once served a woman with ambitions similar to my own, and if you just accept my deal then you can be by my side. You'll be an equal, but you first must agree to my terms."

"Go to hell," Pam spat, "Goth was mad, but what you're proposing is disgusting! Turning your own people into those...those Defects, it's nothing short of monstrous."

"Those are merely the next step in evolution, girl, and with the knowledge in that book I can perfect my formula," Abigail said coldly, "The first attempt is seldom one of beauty, but they are effective nonetheless. With your help, they can become so much more. The world will be ours, and you can have any girl your gay little heart desires!"

"All I want is my friend and my beloved, you twisted bitch," Pam said, "Your vision is sickening and I will have no part in it!"

"You realize that every time you refuse me, you cost them both more and more, right?" Abigail asked.

"If you touch a single hair on their heads you will regret it!" Pam threatened.

"Let us see if you can find us first, child," Abigail said, and she could hear the smile she wore, "My home, my family, and my town are all working against you, girl, by the time you reach me your friends may already be begging for death. Don't worry, I'll make sure to contact you again before then. I wouldn't want my esteemed guest getting bored or feeling unwanted!"

"You miserable-" Pam began before Abigail cut her off.

"Tick tock, girl, tick tock. That's the sound of their lives slipping away and your failure."

The line went dead after that, and once again Pam had the urge to smash the radio. She took a deep breath and holstered the radio, "I'll make sure you regret fucking with me and mine," she said to herself as she started up the stairs, "I don't care who or what stands in my way, I will find you both and make her pay! This I swear."

"Your girlfriend is both surprising and irritating, Beth," Abigail said as she stepped away from the monitors.

Beth and Jake were freed from their fungal tombs, but had been shackled to their own respective chairs. Their arms were held in place by strong steel restraints, and their legs were locked tight in a similar fashion. Abigail had taken them away from her house of horrors, and moved them to a small chapel near the outskirts of town. They were in the basement of the building, and from here both Jake and Beth could see the full extent of the surveillance system. Nearly every corner, house, street, field, and even the outskirts of town was displayed on one of the many screens. Abigail had allowed them to watch, probably in hopes of crushing their hopes, as Pam encountered the Defects that Lisa had mentioned. Those things were equally revolting and horrifying, but Pam had managed to destroy the three of them before having it out with Abigail.

"You should do what she says," Beth said, "Trust me, she isn't someone who makes idle threats. She's only gotten stronger since leaving Goth, and you don't want to see what she's like when she's angry. Take her deal, let us walk out of here, and keep making your shitty content for your freaky followers."

"Do you think I'm afraid of that little twig of a girl?" Abigail asked.

"You seemed pretty spooked when you had us moved out of that nasty cellar," Beth replied, "But no, I don't think, I know you're afraid of her. You should be too, the longer you keep us from her the more dangerous she's going to get."

"Then I suppose we should make the most of our time together, shouldn't we?" Abigail asked, rhetorically, "My fans have been clamoring for some girl and girl action, and it's been ages since I last posted one!"

Beth's eyes widened and she tried in vain to fight against her restraints, "Don't you dare!" she said, "Stay the hell away from me!"

"Oh, but I haven't been able to sit since you three arrived," Abigail said with a wry grin as she walked over to Beth, "With everything going on, it seems I've also forgotten to shower as well. You know my fans do love a good ass worship and facesitting video, Beth, and I think a nice long tongue bath from you will do wonders for both myself and my viewership!"

"Get away from me, you sick freak!" Beth screamed as Abigail continued to approach.

Abigail circled her and took a fistful of her hair, "This is all because of your girlfriend, Beth, every second of pain and suffering is because of her," she whispered into her ear, "I want you to remember that for the next hour while your worshiping my ass. The more she resists the worse it is going to get for both of you, that I can promise you. Now, let's go somewhere more private so I can see if you're still as nice a cushion as I remember."

Beth whimpered as Abigail drug her and the chair into another room. "No, no, please God no!" she screamed as they walked through a door.

Abigail let out a maniacal laugh just before closing the door, "This is only the warm-up, Beth, the real fun hadn't even started! But please, feel free to scream and cry all you want. I do love it when my toys resist, and my fans love seeing the raw domination and power that I have. I'll be back for you soon, Jake, after I show Beth her place in life!"

The door slammed shut. Jake was left alone in the room with nothing more than candlight and the cold light of the monitors. He had closed his eyes once Beth had started to scream and plead; it was just too much for him to bear. There was nothing he could do to help her, and there was no telling how long it would be before Pam found them. He hated feeling so powerless and pathetic. He felt something touch his arm and he tensed before a familiar voice graced his ears, "She will survive, my love, though she deserves better than what she is receiving. Do not give into those feelings of fear and failure."

He looked up to see Ashley's pale face painted with concern. He closed his eyes and tried to get the image to disappear, "It's not enough that I'm trapped with a mad woman, now I'm plagued by the woman I loved and lost?"

"I wish I had more time to savor those words, Jake, but I need you to listen to me," she said.

"I'm talking to myself," he grumbled, "Jesus, I really am losing my mind…"

He felt a sharp sting across his face, "I don't have time for this, Jake!" she yelled, "These communications are taxing on my being already, and the longer this takes the more pain I'm in."

That felt real. His cheek burned from the heat of the slap. He shook his head and asked, "Ashley, how are you here?"

"I already told you, I don't have time," she said before sighing, "Believe what you will, my darling, but please listen to me. All you can do for Beth is draw attention away from her and remain strong. You are one of the strongest men I've ever met, and I know first-hand how far you're willing to go for your friends. That woman is terrified of Pamela, but that fear is going to drive her deeper into the depths of madness. Do not give into her torture, for the moment you do she will bring your lives to an end."

"How do you know all of this?" he asked, "How can you?"

"I know because I do, because Pamela and the Witch are not the only ones with a talent for magic," Ashley replied, "My time is running short, my love, but please stay strong for the both of you. We will speak again, but I must go. Pamela will find you two, you merely have to hold on until then."

He blinked and she was gone. He was once again alone in the room and he shook his head before leaning it back, "Great, now I'm talking to myself or a ghost," he said to himself, "Not sure if I've finally snapped or if you were really here. I guess it doesn't really matter right now. Hurry up, Pam, please."

Pam rushed through the halls of the plantation home growing more on edge with every step she took. This place was a maze of filth and rot. She needed to find where Abigail was keeping her friends, but that was easier said than done. She had healed the wound from earlier, but she was still highly agitated. With every wrong turn she made Abigail was undoubtedly subjecting her friends to unspeakable acts. Her first guess as to their whereabouts was the master bedroom. Abigail had mentioned that once they were ready she would be moving them someplace special. If nothing else then surely there would be a clue to where they were being held.

She needed to find the main hall of the house. Disgusting as this place was, it was still just an average house, albeit a rather large one. She could hear movement from behind the closed doors, but she ignored it in favor of making progress. If anything got in her way she would deal with it then. A door opened not far ahead of her, and she could feel a blanket of aggression even before whatever it was stepped out. She growled as she channeled some power into her arm and launched a glowing blade at whoever was trying to get the jump on her. A man had just stepped out of the doorway when her attack connected. The blade embedded itself into his head, and the force of the impact knocked his limp body back into the room.

She could feel a collection of hateful emotions down the hall. This had to be the right way. It felt like an ambush was waiting for her. She readied herself for another confrontation as she continued running down the hall. She couldn't afford to waste precious time battling with whatever was waiting for her. Fighting was unavoidable, she knew this, but she needed to end it quickly. She channeled her power back into her arms, and felt the familiar weight of her summoned chains coil around her forearms. She wouldn't hesitate and would strike at the first opportunity. As far as she was concerned, everyone in this town was an enemy and opposition to her and her friends.

She could see an opening coming up, and she prepared for her first move. A man wearing tattered brown overalls stepped into the entryway, and she vaulted into the air and over him. She spun in a corkscrew fashion, something she'd learned from training with Beth, and extended her arms outward. The chains rattled along her arms as they unfurled themselves to their full length. They spun outward with her and the links ignited as they picked up speed. They slashed across the back of the first man, slammed into the face of another equally filthy one, and wrapped around the arm of a third. The men cried out in shock and pain, and she completed the symphony of agony by yanking her arms back and dragging the ensared man down on his face.

She had landed in a crouch, and she surveyed the room as she slowly rose back into a fighting stance. This was defintly the main hall of the house, and it was filled with members of Abigail's family. Counting the three she had already struck, it looked like there were roughly ten men and at least two more of those repulsive Defects. The room was large, however, which meant she had ample room to move about. The stairwell was in the center of the room, floorboards were either coated in grime or slightly raised up from neglect, small tables with small objects lined the walls, and two chairs that were weathered and worn rested by the fireplace. The environment would prove to be an aide in this fight; she'd be able to draw on some of her more rudimentary magic to deal with some of these foes.

The men snarled at her with common farming instruments in hand. They moved as a group to try to catch her off guard, but with a simple twist of her wrist cut off some of them with the furniture. The unseen force of her telekinetic powers pulled the chairs into their path along with the tables. Picture frames fell to the floor along with a few vases with wilted flowers. Grunts from the men filled the room as some of the slammed into their stomachs, and Pam wasted no time in following up with her next attack. She fired one of the chains from her hand and watched as it pierced the skull of one of the men, and with a pull from her arm his body was sent crashing to the ground. The weapon snaked its way back over to her just as another man moved in to attack. He swung a gardening hoe in a downward arc at her, but she was able to dodge out of the way. The end embedded itself into the floorboard and the man growled in frustration. She stomped on the hoe, snapping it with ease, before leaping over the man and wrapping her arm around his neck. She drug him to the ground and poured more of her power into the chains causing them to burn his neck as they fell. He let out a strangled cry before his body went cold and limp.

Two men were over her before she could get up, but she slowed their attacks with a temporal shift around them. They snarled in confusion as their arms bodies slowed to an almost comical pace. She delivered a rising uppercut to one of their jaws, and then a roundhouse kick to the side of the other's head that sent his body spinning. The one who had received the uppercut staggered backwards, but a powerful kick to the chest knocked him back and into the waiting arms of one of the Defects. It became clear that these things knew only hunger when it began devouring the flesh of its ally. The man screamed for help as it dug into his flesh, but none of the others even batted an eye at his pleas. The fact that they ignored him was confirmation of an almost hive mind for these poor fools.

They were slowly closing in around her. She needed to put some distance between herself and these rabid villagers. She shifted the tables closer to the banister of the stairwell, and made her move. She gathered a handful of the objects that littered the floor with her telekinetic powers, and hurled them into the crowd as she sprinted off towards one of the tables. It wasn't enough to put any of them down, but it was enough of a distraction for her to have a clear path. She jumped onto one of the tables, spared a second to kick one of the men in the face, and leapt onto the outside of the stairwell. She wrapped one arm around the banister and used her power to shatter one of the chains on her arm. The links once again morphed into dozens of small blades and began buzzing about the room. Rather than focus on directing them, she sent her flaming swarm soaring around the area wildly while she hopped over the railing.

The sounds of pained and panicked cries filled the room along with the agitated growls of the Defects. Footfalls from behind her caught her attention. Without thinking, she fired her remaining chain into the ceiling and pulled herself up just as two more of Abigail's family members dove for her. They tumbled down the stairs, but she maintained her aerial vantage. She drew from her anger as she hung there suspended and felt raw power begin coursing through her. Images of Beth and Jake suffering at the hands of the mad matriarch flooded her mind, and before she realized what was happening her body began to burn. The chain that had dug into the ceiling above flashed white for a second before the area around it began to dissolve. It fell from its position, but Pam remained suspended in the air. Her eyes flashed purple and her body began to glow. It began moving of its own accord with her mind occupied by the horrific images.

She floated downward and into the center of the small mob. They rushed her, but their progress was halted by a mysterious barrier that neither they nor she fully comprehended. Abigail's words rang out in her mind, "There blood is on your hands, tick tock, girl, tick tock!"

Pam let out a scream of fury, and the heat that engulfed her exploded. A wave of violent violet energy burst from her body and flooded the room. The people trapped in the room didn't have a second to register what was happening as their bodies were scalded by purple flames. Her anger flooded the room in the form of a blaze of pure arcane energy and emotion. It lasted only a minute, but it felt like an eternity. When she finally came out of her rage, she fell to her knees and panted. She looked around expecting to see someone or something moving to attack, but instead all she saw were the charred remains of the townsfolk. The Defects had been reduced to little more than scorch marks and puddles on the ground.

"What is happening to me?" she asked herself as she slowly forced herself to stand.

She felt somehow both drained and invigorated. She'd never used such an attack before, even in her time training with Dilatrix. She would worry about it later. Right now, the room was cleared and she had a clear path upstairs. She shook off her surprise and bolted up the stairs. There was an eerie silence and a void of emotions on this floor. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she ran down the expansive second story. There were no locked doors here, but there was also apparently no life. As far as she was aware, there wasn't a material that could block her empathic senses. This meant that there was a high likelihood that her friend and girlfriend weren't here. She pressed on regardless, and searched room by room for some sign or clue of their whereabouts.

Jake had watched the monitors carefully while Beth was off being used and tormented. It was the only thing he could do to block out his friend's screams and Abigail's insane laughter. He was currently staring at a screen that had just turned black. Moments ago Pam had been on it and surrounded by Abigail's family and those monsters. He knew that they hadn't stood a chance, but he hadn't expected the explosion that had erupted from his friend. She had glowed for a moment before landing and releasing a shockwave of energy. He knew that she'd been training with Dilatrix in the past and with Beth during their recovery, but he'd never imagined she was capable of something like that. The last thing he had seen before the flames shorted out the camera had been a group of villagers screaming in pain and terror.

He heard the door behind him open and heard Beth's chair being dragged in. There was a foul odor that wafted into the room with the return of his friend and Abigail. Beth looked ready to puke and pass out. It was clear that Abigail had put her through the ringer by the look on her face and the awful smell coming off of her. "Your friend does an excellent job rimming and absorbing farts, Jake," Abigail remarked as she walked in front of him, "I can see why your witchy friend keeps her around."

"Fuck you," Beth wheezed out.

"Your tongue has already done that, dear," Abigail replied, "That was just the beginning of the fun I'm going to have with you. Consider that an appetizer. Each time your friend refuses we are going to increase your punishment, and if she still refuses then I'll make you both beg for death."

"You should quit while you're ahead, Abigail," Jake remarked.

"What did you say, boy?" Abigail demanded, "Don't you dare think to threaten me from your position!"

"It's not us you need to worry about, but you already know that don't you?" Jake replied.

"You think I'm afraid of that skinny little twig?!" Abigail asked, "I am older than time itself, and I will not bow to the likes of you or your bitchy little witch."

He nodded towards her monitors, "Shame you missed the show," he said, "I think you might have to redo the main hall of your house. She just blew it up and burned everyone in it."

"You lying little-" she froze as she looked over her shoulder, "What the hell happened?!"

The sound of Beth letting out a strangled chuckle slowly filled the room, "You pissed off my girlfriend, that's what happened. She's not a woman you want to anger. She's going to kill you, slowly and painfully."

Abigail stormed over to her and slapped her across the face, "Shut your mouth, you little slut!" she roared.

"Let us go and give her the book, Abigail," Jake said, attempting to reason with her, "Do that and I might be able to talk her into just leaving."

Abigail looked ready to explode, but she took a deep breath and her chilling demeanor returned. She spoke with confidence and a tone that sent shivers down both of their spines, "If your little witch friend is so intent on saving you, then she will do as I say. In the meantime, since she's ruined my parlor I'll just have to take out my frustrations on you two. Why don't we start with you, Jake? I'll give your little fart cushion of a friend a break so she can rest up; you two are going to help me send a message and make some money while doing it!"

Jake grit his teeth instead of showing the terror that washed over him. He remembered what Ashley had said; whether she was real or fake, there was clearly some truth in her advice. "Do your worst, you rotten bitch," he said.

She loomed over him and flashed him a nasty, toothy grin, "Oh I will, dear. Trust me, you're going to beg me to stop, but please keep that precious attitude. My viewers thoroughly enjoy it when my toys resist!"

Pam burst through a large and ornate door at the end of one of the second floor's halls. It was, undoubtedly, Abigail's private quarters. A large and ornate bedroom set sat in the room. Chains, ropes, and manacles sat off in the corner with a camera setup on a tripod off in the corner. Closer inspection of the items revealed dried blood and other bodily fluids spilled on them. The air was thick with a mixture of rot, feet, urine, and a host of other nauseating odors. The ever-present fungus from the madwoman's feet coated nearly every inch of the room. It was disgusting and infuriating.

Pam searched through the room with her senses, but found nothing holding even a slight hint of arcana within. She did, however, find a note with surprisingly elegant handwriting atop a chest in the corner. She picked it up and read it over.

To the Victor go the spoils!

Whosoever manages to capture and subdue our escaped rat may have the contents of this chest. The trinkets of heroes belong in the hands of whomever becomes my champion. I've moved our guests to our secure place of worship. Our benefactor has given us the means to repel the Witch from our place of worship, but for any who manage to capture her the key can be found in the archives. Have your fun with her, but do not kill her. I need her alive so that our family can achieve what we were meant to.

Love,

Your Goddess and Matriarch.

Pam crumbled the letter and incinerated it with fire. So that was how Abigail saw her. She would show her and the other members of her family. The remark about a benefactor was curious, but more so was the mention of something able to negate her magic. Was there someone else pulling the strings here? If so, who were they and what did they want? She would have to speak with Jake about it once she rescued her friends. At least now she had an idea of where to look. She clenched her fist and shattered the lock on the chest. She lifted the lid to find Jake's suit, Beth's jacket, her helmet, grenades, holsters, Jake's utility belt and staff, and Beth's pistols. She took out the hood and Jake's suit, and cast a quick storing incantation to hold them in her ruby. She did the same with Beth's coat, after removing her cigarettes, since it was too small for her.

She decided to give her girlfriend's methods a try. She fastened the holsters to her body with one on her thigh and another under her shoulder. She adjusted the utility belt to her waist, and checked the compartments. A plethora of odd gadgets and gizmos were in each, and she could feel some magic radiating from some of them. His staff was slung over her shoulder with a makeshift holster from some of the rope, and she placed several grenades into the empty pockets of Jake's belt. A quick glance in the filthy mirror told her she looked like a walking arsenal. She plucked one of the grenades from her hip, pulled the pin, and dropped it as she walked out of the room. She surrounded it in a temporal bubble to buy her some extra time. The resounding boom that filled the house along with the flames at her back sent a message to anyone watching: she was not prey, she was not some pawn, she was pain, she was suffering, and she was a woman on a mission.

"I'm going to save you both," she said to herself, "Hold on for me, I will find you and save you, and I'll make that woman pay for whatever she's done to you."