The Raven Part 4: Devil of the Falls

Chapter 8

Storm clouds were beginning to roll in. The sun fell behind the ominous black clouds as Pam made her way through the town of Ravenfalls. It was getting late, and the dark clouds ushered in a foreboding atmosphere. Street lamps flickered to life, and cast eerie shadows along the streets. She caught glimpses of the state of decay that this village had fallen into as she walked. Heavy machinery littered the grounds, and several of them were covered in rotting overgrowth and some had crashed into buildings.

She was trying to keep as low a profile as she could, and as a result she was trying to stick to the side streets and ruined homes. She could hear footsteps in the distance, and she slipped into a hole in one of the houses' walls. She ducked behind some debris, and hid herself in the shadows. She listened carefully as a group of men searched for her. She could hear them muttering as they passed. It was difficult to suppress the urge to decimate the lot of them. It would be child's play for her, but she needed to save her energy in case she found herself surrounded down the line. So instead she held her breath and waited for them to pass.

Once she was sure they were gone, she stepped out of her hiding spot and into the house. It was dilapidated and there was a stench tainting the air. She passed by a small table, and ran her finger over the top of it. Her fingertip cut a line through the thick dust. A quick glance into what she assumed was a dining room revealed rotting food still sitting in a pot. Had all of these people just stopped living when Abigail took over? She shook her head and prepared to make an egress through the back-door. Her hand knocked over a notebook, and it fell open as it clattered to the ground. She picked it up and read the page it opened to.

January 23rd, 2006

They came again last night. This time they brought Edgar back with them. His clothes, hair, and skin were all stained with what looked like blood...what have they done to him? He was definitely different than before they took him to see the new mayor. He didn't say much outside of grunts, and when he did talk, all he spoke about was how great Abigail is! He refused to eat anything other than something slimy he brought back with him. He tried to get me to try it, but I couldn't even watch him stuff his face with it. He also kept looking at Luiza with this look of lust, his own sister! I don't know what they've done to him, but something isn't right here…

January 25th, 2006

Edgar came back downstairs today. He's still wearing the same clothes, and I don't think he's even bothered to try to change. Luiza hasn't been seen since he came back, but I swore I heard her crying last night. Uncle John questioned him, and Edgar lashed out! He started going on about how meaningless our lives are, and how we should try some of the delicacies he brought back. When John refused and asked what happened to him, Edgar jumped on top of him and forced him to eat some of that nasty stuff from his pockets! I don't know what happened, but John immediately got sick. The scariest part was when John came back down later. He had the same look in his eyes as Edgar, and his whole demeanor changed. I've got to get Claire and Luiza out of here before things get worse! I'll try to sneak them out later tonight. I'll be damned if I end up like them, and I'm not going to let them hurt my family anymore!

She frowned as she read, and closed the book. She had an idea of how this little story was going to end, and she couldn't stomach reading about it in any more detail. Was this what happened when Abigail first took over? People turned on one another without warning. Families fighting amongst themselves, and doing unspeakable things to their loved ones. She wondered what happened to those that resisted. Were they murdered or roped in with the rest of the turned's playthings? The dread in the pit of her stomach grew as she wondered just how long her friends could hold out.

"She's over here!" a man's voice called out from the doorway, "Hurry, I've found the heretic!"

She'd lingered too long and been discovered. She growled in irritation as Abigail's drones started moving in. She dove to the floor to avoid the blast of a shotgun, and she pulled one of Beth's pistols from its holster. The weight of the gun felt slightly awkward, but she could make due with what she had. She summoned a tendril of dark energy from the shadows, and directed towards the man who'd spotted her. He was reloading when it wrapped around his ankle. He looked down just as it pulled him off of his feet, and he screamed as it dragged him towards a shadowy mass. With a minor bit of concentration she opened a doorway within the darkness. What would come through it, she hadn't a clue. It was a gamble, but judging by the pained screams as he was submerged in the abyss it wasn't anything friendly.

She aimed at the doorway, and opened fire when another man stepped in. He hadn't been expecting gunfire, and his body fell backwards with holes in his chest. There was a clattering noise behind her as they tried to sneak in behind her. She got to her feet, and grabbed one of her girlfriend's smaller throwing knives. Channeling a small amount of energy into the weapon, she launched it in their direction. The blade took on a slight glow as she guided it with her fingertips; she tethered it to her own energy. It pierced through the man's chest, and a quick turn of her hand caused it to slice upward and cut his throat. She glanced back and saw another one climbing in through the wreckage. She crooked two fingers, brought the blade away from the fallen man's chest, and redirected it towards the eye of the other one. He screamed as the sharp blade pierced his skull, and fell to his knees.

Satisfied that the bodies of those two would at least stall any others that might try to ambush her, she turned her attention back to the doorway. One of the Defects staggered through the entryway. It's body twitched with every step, and she could hear its ragged breathing as it slowly approached. She opened fire on its torso, but all it seemed to do was anger it. The bullets passed through its rotting flesh and out its back. The only upside was that two of the bullets sunk into another of Abigail's henchmen. She heard him cry out before dropping to the ground. The Defect continued its advance towards her, however, and she considered her options. The sound of bodies being shuffled alerted her to more men trying to catch her off guard. She cursed as she brought up a wall of bone from the bodies of their fallen comrades. It would hold them off as long as she kept her focus on the barrier.

Having her powers diverted like this meant that she would have to deal with the oncoming monster by hand. She knew the clip in her gun was nearing its end, so she holstered it and decided to try a different approach. She hoped that Jake hadn't disabled any of the features of his modified staff. She unclipped it from its make-shift holder, and ran towards the foul beast. She anticipated its attempt to grab her, and successfully ducked beneath its extended arms. Taking the staff in both hands, she closed the gap and began swinging it back and forth horizontally. Her strikes were hard and fast, but all it seemed to do was agitate the creature. She jumped back and spun the staff as tried to wrap its arms around her. She managed to knock its arms away, but she needed to get away from it before it was too late.

She jumped backwards to avoid the monster's grasp. She searched for the right buttons on the staff as the Defect lurched forward. She found two in the center, and pressed them both hoping that they would do what she wanted. The staff shot out as it extended, and the base of it opened to reveal three prongs. The spiked end went through its head, and she noticed a switch near her hand. The creature roared just as she flipped the switch. The staff hummed for a second before the end crackled with electricity. The Defect howled in pain as its body was filled with electricity. She held the switch down until its head exploded and freed her weapon.

With the threat before her taken care of she was free to focus on the growing number pounding on her barrier. She turned towards it, held out her hand, and began morphing the bones into a massive skeletal hand. It moved as an extension of herself, and with a quick twist of her wrist she snatched up one of her would-be assailants. She hurled his body into the growing crowd before clenching a fist and slamming it into the ones still standing. She could hear footsteps coming in through the main doorway, and she quickly returned the staff to its holder. She retrieved the fully loaded pistol and began firing into the doorway. More of Abigail's followers dropped, but there were still more fighting to get in. She was quickly finding herself at a disadvantage. She would run out of ammo and energy at this rate.

An idea came to her just as she emptied the clip. She holstered the pistol, dispersed the skeletal hand, and grabbed a flashbang from her belt. She pulled the pin and dropped it while making a run for the shadows. She heard it clatter to the floor before the explosion went off. The deafening boom and blinding light was at her back just as she entered the darkness. Not caring where she ended up, she immersed herself in the inky blackness and faded into the ground. She shadows pulled around her as the ambush fought to regain their senses. The last thing she heard was the roar of a chainsaw before she disappeared.

Beth was currently suspended from the ceiling of Abigail's personal playroom. Her arms were bound above her head, and her legs were tied together. She'd spent the last hour getting beaten by the Devil herself while Jake was forced to watch. Her hair and face were covered in various bodily fluids from Abigail and her henchmen. The will to fight had been nearly completely sapped from her very being. After the two men had victimized her completely, she'd almost given up entirely. Her back and bite had been reduced to meager whimpers and sobs. Every inch of her body hurt, especially her more intimate areas. Bruises had formed between her thighs and on her back from the abuse she'd suffered from those crazed fanatics.

"Please," she whimpered, "Please, just let me go...I want to go home, please."

Abigail had been fully indoctoring the poor girl with a bullwhip. She coiled the menacing leather tool as she walked around her toy. She gently stroked her jaw, "Oh, dear child, you are home, and you are never going to leave me again," she cooed before gripping her face tightly and sneering, "This is all because of your bitch of a girlfriend, mind you. Every ounce of pain you're enduring is because of her. Tell me, my sweet girl, what do you think of her now?"

"Pam?" Beth mumbled, "I love her."

"Get away from her," Jake wheezed, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, "She's had enough."

Abigail snarled at him before looping her finger through Beth's collar, "She's had enough when I say she's had enough!" she yelled before ripping Beth's collar off, "You still have love for that worthless bitch?! She's abandoned you, child, I'm all that you have left."

"She...would never…abandon me," Beth breathed.

"I see you've still got some hope in you," Abigail said as she rolled the small stone from the collar around in her hand, "Don't worry, dear, we'll soon beat that out of you. Let's start with this, shall we?"

Beth watched as Abigail crushed the pendant from her collar in her fist. She felt a rush of outrage at her one link to her girlfriend being destroyed before her eyes, "You heartless bitch!"

"That's the spirit!" Abigail said as she reached for one of her many tools, "Now let's see if we can't turn that anger towards you precious girlfriend."

Pam was surrounded by darkness. A smoky atmosphere was all around her, and the ground bubbled with tendrils of darkness. She was running through the dimly lit area between the veil and reality when she felt it. The tiny connection she had with Beth from her runsestone was gone. She froze as she searched for the link, but it was nowhere to be found. The signal had never been blocked by her magic before, and something inside of her knew that something bad had happened. Most likely, that twisted psychopath had destroyed her pet's collar. She felt a wave of anger wash over her, and her eye twitched. She clenched her fists and cried out in rage. The fabric of the veil around her shifted without her realizing it, and her body slowly started to glow. All she could think about was making Abigail pay and saving her friends.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a field in the open. She blinked as she slowly regained her composure. Looking around she saw that she was outside of town. The rush of a waterfall in the distance told her she was close to the lake. With fists still clenched in rage, she stalked off in the direction of the noise. If it was the last thing she did, she would see that woman and this town suffer for what they had done. She hadn't realized it yet, but the air around her was crackling from her anger. The overgrowth and grass surrounding her bent with every step she took, but she couldn't see it. Her focus was solely on finding the caverns and that damned key. Gone were the feelings of pity for these people, and in its place was contempt and hate.

She saw the lake in the distance just as the rain began to fall. Small droplets fell from the sky as she approached. She could see the majesty of the town's namesake in the distance. Once upon a time, this place had probably been a true thing of beauty. Now, however, it was merely one of horrific nightmares. The ground was muddier than usual, and there was a distinctive scent or decay in the air. She walked over to the water's edge and peered into the depths. How many innocent lives had ended in this spot? How long before Beth and Jake ended up here? She couldn't afford to waste time wondering, however, and she would be damned if she would find out.

She started in the direction of the waterfall when she heard it. The sound of water bubbling up behind her. Slightly curious and mildly annoyed, she looked over her shoulder. What she saw she almost couldn't comprehend. There was a boat with some of Abigail's family in it on the water. They were throwing something into the water, but even she hadn't expected what happened next. Something burst forth from the waters, and the boat was quickly overturned. The cries of the men in the boat were drowned out by a monstrous roar. Their bodies hit the water, but before they could swim away they were gone. She couldn't see what had gotten them, but whatever it was had created a wall of water. She had a bad feeling about whatever it was.

Then she heard it. It sounded like a chorus of pained screams piercing the air. She felt waved of pain, suffering, anguish, and terror from the center of the lake. She didn't have a clue as to what it was, but it felt like she was in the dungeons of her old home. She caught sight of something horrendous and disgusting in the distance. A creature, massive one by the look of it, had come from the depths below. A twisted mass of flesh and limbs that looked like it had been strung together by Abigail's fungal growth was wading its way towards the shore. There was an angry hunger behind the torment that this thing was feeling. Hate, bitter and unbridled hatred rolled off it in waves. What was this thing, and what the hell did it want? The answer became clear as it locked onto her and quickened its pace. She still didn't know what it was, but it clearly had its sights set on her.

She readied herself to deal with this newfound monster mass; if it wanted a fight then she would be happy to oblige. A brilliant flash of lightning cut through the darkness, and illuminated the beast. She faltered for a second when she saw legs along its distended arms. They kicked and fought for freedom, but they were bound together by the moldy mass that was Abigail's power. The screams came again, and she realized just what this thing was. It was the countless bodies of whipping girls, rotting and tortured, bound together by the will of this town's Devil. She still didn't know how many girls had suffered this fate, but she knew this thing was easily over fifteen feet tall. The boom of thunder brought back her focus, and just in time for her to leap out of the way of a mangled fist as it slammed into where she had just been.

She focused all of her power inward, and prepared herself for a battle unlike any she had endured before. She pulled out one of Beth's pistols, recently reloaded while she had traversed the depths of darkness, and fired while running. To her surprise, the bullets that fired from the gun took on a vibrant glow. Throwing caution to the wind, she unloaded the entire clip as she ran. The stream of seemingly enchanted bullets drilled into the mass of the creature before creating small explosions. She hadn't meant to do that, and she honestly didn't know how she had done it. Dazzling as it was, all it seemed to do was spur the giant mass on and anger it further. Chunks of limbs and fungus flew from the beast, but the wounds were quickly covered in more of Abigail's repulsive gunk. Hearing the click of an empty clip, she holstered the pistol and dove out of the way of another attack. Mud and muck were thrown up from the force of the blow, and she was knocked to the ground from it.

She managed to roll with her landing, though, and she quickly got to her feet. Turning to face the monstrosity she watched as it drug itself out of the water. It looked like some sort of mangled golem now that it was closer, but the pictures she'd seen had never been like this. If this was what a flesh golem looked like then she was glad she'd never experimented with those spells. It was fast for its size, and she knew she would have to find a way to slow it down. Thinking quickly, she concentrated on the grenades she had left, and telepathically pulled them from her belt. Six frag grenades floated around her, and she launched them all at the tormented monster pursuing her. The collided with its mangled body; one in each arm, two in its chest, and one in each leg. She cast a bubble around herself as the explosion boomed behind her. She felt the warmth of the fire and heard the screams, but she was protected from the shrapnel of the blast.

The ground shook as the creature fell to one knee, but she knew that it wasn't over yet. She continued her sprint to put distance between her and the beast, but she suddenly found herself tangled in a sickening substance that stunk. It was reminiscent of Rebecca's feet with the added revolting sensation of slime. The creature had extended itself and wrapped her in its rotting flesh. Her arms and legs were trapped in the mass as it lifted her up. She hadn't anticipated it being able able extend itself like the Defects she'd already faced, and she cursed herself for not considering the similarity. A crushing weight started to apply itself to her body, and she screamed as she felt her bones pop. Was this the end for her? Had she really come this far just to fail?

The pain set in and began to overwhelm her senses. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness as this thing attempted to absorb her into its body. Was she destined to become a part of this revolting mass of twisted flesh? The substance seeped in around her, and she could feel the world around her beginning to fade into an abyss. She heard Beth screaming, calling out to her from the back of her mind just as the world around her began to fade. That was when it happened.

A bolt of lightning cut through the sky, and rocketed down onto the beast. It howled in pain as thousands of volts of electricity pumped through it. Stunned and staggered, the beast could only cry out in agony. Pam was suddenly awake and found the gooey substance dripping off of her. Her body pulled itself out of the revolting sludge, and she continued to float into the air. She rose until she was face to face with the mangled monstrosity. She opened her eyes and saw through the beast for what it was, who it was. This was the first of Abigail's sins, this was Regina kept alive through the suffering of others. Pam's entire body was glowing, and the sight of the poor girl beneath the monster broke her heart. If she didn't end this now then she and Beth would share an eternity alongside this creature.

Her body burst into purple flames, and she slowly drifted forward. The creature swatted at her, but its attacks were thwarted by bursts of raw power. The limbs and slime were burned away as she continued onward into the center of the beast. She held out a hand as her aura cut through its body. The mass of it gave way to her will, and she saw the body of none other than Regina trapped in a web of limbs and fungus. She grabbed the girl, and tore her away from the torment she had been trapped in. As she passed through with Regina in her arms, the monster froze and began falling apart. A proverbial shower of ooze and corpses rained down before crystalizing and turning to dust.

Pam landed on the bank of the river, and her body reverted to its usual state. She gently set the girl down, and she watched as her body began to deteriorate before her very eyes. Regina reached up and took her hand before muttering, "Thank you."

"Rest now and be at peace," Pam said while taking the girl's hand in hers, "No one can hurt you anymore, and I promise to make the ones who did this to you pay."

Regina weakly smiled before her body turned to dust. The remains were scattered to the wind, and Pam was left kneeling by the lakeshore alone. She slowly got to her feet, and she set her sights on the falls in the distance. She was close now. All she had to do was make it through the caves, grab the key, return to the church, and then she would show Abigail what a true devil looked like. This wasn't just about her anymore, no, this was about avenging those poor girls. This town had suffered long enough at the hands of this lunatic. With that in mind, she walked towards the cascading water pouring from the mountainside.

She spotted the opening as she neared the mountain. The rain had begun falling in earnest as she approached, and her body was now soaked. She entered into the dark opening and started her descent downward. The caverns were coated in the now familiar thick black substance that was Abigail's toejam. She held up a hand and an orb of light drifted from it. The ball floated beside her as she walked through the dank caverns. It wasn't long before she came across the stairwell she'd read about in Abigail's diary. Beyond the powerful odor infecting the cavern, there was an odd and eerie silence. The only sound was that of her boots either crunching the dirt beneath her feet or echoing through the rusted steel of the steps. She kept her guard up, however, as she walked down the stairs and deeper into the Devil's den.

She expected some kind of resistance any second with every corner she rounded, but this place almost seemed abandoned. Someone still had to be down here, though, there was no way that Abigail would leave her key unguarded. Regina had surely been used as means of protecting the key, but even Abigail wouldn't put all of her eggs in one basket. The woman was foolish, but she wasn't stupid. Her eyes scanned the floors, walls, and ceiling for any signs of movement. After seeing how those Defective things could come from anywhere she was on high alert.

The cavernous corridor opened into a large space with various steel pieces of furniture. Tables, chairs, shelves, and various instruments and books sat throughout the room. This must have been one of the Brunswick facilities The Wanderer had mentioned. This place looked like it had been used, though, both for advancements and personal gains. She remembered Abigail's statement about creating some new kind of soldier. Was this where she did it? A quick look at a large flask told her this had to be the place. It sat atop a bunsen burner with several beakers beside it, and inside of it looked like Abigail's toejam in liquid form. She'd seen setups like this before back at the castle; Rebecca had been fond of her alchemy labs, and she'd learned a thing or two from her former mentor. The concoctions in the containers beside the flask were foreign to her, however.

She left the table, and made a startling and disgusting discovery. A filthy and stained mattress sat off in a corner with crude cuffs and chains fastened to the stone walls. Closer inspection of the cuffs revealed dried blood on them. Whoever had been chained here had fought against the restraints. That much was apparent from both the blood on the metal cuffs and the way the bolts had started to come loose. How many? How many people's lives had this woman ruined? She felt sick thinking about it, but what was more concerning was the thought that she was almost like her. She may have never have reached the height of Abigail's insanity, but had she not found Beth when she did there was no telling how fat gone she would have been. The thought turned her stomach.

She decided to step away from the depraved corner, and she pulled out Beth's pistols to reload them. She ejected the clips, stowed them in the empty pouches, and slapped the last two full ones in. She ran her finger along the engraving she'd had done for Beth months ago, and felt a bit of sorrow behind her anger. She pushed it aside; unable to bear the thought of herself being too late to save her friends. She holstered the guns and continued her march into the abyss. There was something in the air, a feeling of malice that wasn't her own. It was further down the dark corridors, though, and she decided to follow it. Perhaps this was the guard keeping the elusive key from her.

There was something else. A sound somehow familiar and yet she couldn't place it. Whatever it was, it was coming from the same place as those hateful feelings. Cables were strung up along the wall, and old fluorescent lights were embedded into the rock. They flickered as she passed under them and walked deeper into the cavers, and she kept her light spell around her just in case. Outside of the feelings of malice and the distant noise, there was nothing of note in this subterranean hellscape. She couldn't, however, shake the feeling that there was something watching her, something waiting for her just around the corner.

A door opened down the hall on its own. A bright light came through the opening. Curious, she drew one of the pistols and slowly approached the door. She pushed it open and looked around, but she hadn't expected what she saw. A small room encased with steel and with monitors lining the wall on the far side greeted her. The screens were dark, but there was a control panel at the base of them. She walked over to have a look when Abigail's voice came through her radio, "Ms. Pamela, still alive I see. You're quite the resourceful little thing, aren't you? Did you enjoy your little play-date with my old friend?"

"You mean Regina?" Pam asked as she grabbed the radio and brought it to her lips, "What kind of a sadistic person does that her own friend? You used her, abused her, and then threw her body into the lake! Just how many innocent lives have you ended, you psychopath?!"

Abigail chuckled darkly before replying, "Everyone and everything in this world exists to serve me. When their purpose has been fulfilled, I return them to the earth from whence they came. You may think it cruel, you naive little shit, but I offer unity and purpose to those who have none. It is a mercy and a kindness to become one with me."

"I felt their pain, their misery," Pam seethed, "All that those women wanted was death, but you stole even that from them! Where is Jake, and where is my Beth?"

"See for yourself, child," Abigail replied, "Hit that switch near your fingers, and turn that dial beside it. I'll allow you to see them one last time before they take their rightful place in death."

"If you've done anything to them, I swear-" she began.

"Do as I say, girl," Abigail cut her off, "Consider this your last request."

Pam snarled and angrily flipped the switch before turning the dial. The screens flickered to life after a moment, and Pam's heart dropped at what she saw. There was Abigail standing beside her beloved pet who was suspended from the ceiling. Her body hung limp, and she could see blood splattered on Abigail's gown. It was faint, but she could faintly see Beth's chest rising and falling. A rage unlike any other pumped through her, and she failed to notice the roar of something drawing ever closer. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen, and she slammed her fists down onto the console when Abigail took a fistful of Beth's hair.

"What do you think, Pamela?" Abigail asked with a wicked smirk, "I've finally managed to get rid of that defiant spirit of hers. Quite the improvement, wouldn't you say?"

"You bitch!" Pam screamed, "Get your filthy hands off of her, now!"

"Last chance, Pamela, take my deal or else," Abigail said, "I can't guarantee your safety or theirs."

"I will rend the flesh from your fucking bones, I will rip your soul from your chest, and I will show you what true fear is unless you let them go," Pam threatened.

"So still no then?" Abigail asked, "Very well, it's been fun, Ms. Pamela, but you made your choice. Kill the vermin."

The screens went black, and Pam slammed her fists onto the console, "No!" she screamed as she fell to her knees and began sobbing, "Bring her back. Bring her back!"

Her body was wracked with guilt ridden sobs as she sat on her knees. She failed to notice the echoing footsteps as a group of five men surrounded her. A large man with several scars on his face led the pack, a chainsaw in hand, "Looks like we've finally cornered the rat," the man rasped out, "She's a pretty one. What say I cut her fucking legs off and we can have some fun, boys?"

"Yeah, I wanna fuck this little whore!" another man cheered.

"Cut 'er and fuck 'er!" another agreed.

Their voices may as well have been a distant whisper to her. She opened her eyes and felt a powerful burst of energy come over her. Her eyes were glowing, and even the menacing men could feel a weight filling the air. She slowly got to her feet and spoke in dual tones, "You want to play with me? I will make the lot of you scream and cry like all those that you've hurt!"

She turned around and one of the men took a step back at the sight of her. Electricity crackled around her body, and her aura appeared like dark fire surrounding her body. "What the fuck is this shit?" the man asked.

She raised her hand, and a chain shot out of the air and through the man's neck. He stumbled back and gargled out his shock. She pulled him forward, and flipped into the air over him. His face slammed into the ground l, and his last moments were that of the cold steel floor. She spun around with her arms outstretched, and two chains fluttered in the wind. They wrapped around two more of the men, and she drug them through the air. They were flung into the walls, but the large chainsaw wielding man blocked the chains with his blade. Growing more annoyed by the second, Pam cried out in rage. A massive surge of power transformed her body into a being of pure energy for a moment, blinding the four survivors. She floated forward, brought her hands together, and created several small explosions from her body. The Shockwave sent tremors throughout the room, but the blasts of power continued to grow in size. With a final scream, all of her power shot out and filled the tunnels. The bodies of the men were torn to shreds, and their blood painted the entirety of the room. There was nothing left of them beyond their entrails, and she sent a single powerful message through the air.

Abigail had been about to resume playing with Beth when there was something like an earthquake that shook the room. She froze as the power briefly flickered before going out. She was left in darkness along with her toys, but what happened next chilled her to her core. A massive skull formed in the center of the room, purple flames billowing from it. It morphed into the face of none other than the woman who had become a massive thorn in her side. She could feel the hatred rolling off of her even before the image spoke in a bellowing dual tone voice, "I am coming for you, and I am going to show you true pain and true terror! Make your peace with whatever God you worship, you disgusting harpy, nothing will stop me from dragging you to hell!"

The image exploded in a massive burst of purple flames. Her electronics shorted out, and she had to fight to keep standing. She would have to rely on the backup generator for her grand finale, but right now she had bigger concerns. "What the hell was that?!" she demanded.

Jake wheezed out a low chuckle that slowly built into a crazed laugh. He threw his head back and laughed before leaning forward and speaking, "You stupid, psychotic fucking bitch. That was a taste of the wrath of Pamela Lavely. She is coming for you, and none of your little goons are going to stop her. You really are a fucking idiot. You should never have taken Beth's collar, and you definitely shouldn't have shown her what you've done to her. You'll be lucky if she kills you."

She stomped forward and backhanded him, "You'll keep your pathetic mouth shut, you worm!" She ordered.

"Go ahead," Jake spat, "Kill us if you've got the stones for it, but nothing is going to save you from her. Best to do what she says, make peace with whatever the hell you worship."

Abigail snarled at him, but deep down she knew he was right. She was just going to have to move her plans up. She would use everything at her disposal to deal with her intruder. She knew one thing for certain, she was coming and there was sure to be a battle. She'd keep the two of them alive, and use them against her if need be. She wasn't going down without a fight. Magic or not, she was a Goddess among men and she would not bow before some little girl.