Devil's Elbow

Act II: Chapter 11

Five years before…

“Cole? Oh Cole,” A voice said in a singing voice, trying to wake him up.

He smirked, recognizing it and opened his eyes to find the face of an angel before him.

“Gav, lemme sleep. I only have fifteen minutes,” He chuckled.

“And your loving girlfriend wants to spend it with you.”

“Look, if I don't get any rest now, I'm going to be passing out in Fet’s class all day and you know I need that Mechanics class.” He smirked.

She smirked. “True, but I bought a gift for you yesterday.” She laughed and sat up to grab a toolbox.

“A toolbox, you shouldn’t have.” He smiled at her sarcasm in his tone.

“Just open it, smartass.” She said, grinning.

He rolled his eyes and was shocked by how many tools were inside with the name Dewalt on top.

“Gav is this-”

“Dewalt 192 piece tool set. I remembered you and your dad talking about it and I figured I would surprise you.”

Cole stared wide-eyed at her at a loss. “Gavri, these sets are over two hundred dollars, how-”

“Teaching snobby privileged snots can actually make bank. Don't stress about it and just accept your gift.”

He stared at her shaking his head, smiling and leaned in to kiss her, which she returned giggling victoriously, causing him to sigh.

“What would I do without you, Gavriella Nelaon?”

She looked up thinking and smirked. “Honestly? You would crash and burn.”

Present....

As Cole began to wake, tied to the base of a tree, he saw the two people he cherished most staring at him with guarded eyes.

“So this is how you treat family?”

“Cole, you may be family to us, but right now, after what you did at the Cabin, we have a zero chances policy.” Shani said.

“Not blaming you.” Cole glared , the rage within already beginning to boil as he heard the Entity speak.

They don't trust you. They never did.

“It's not like you ever trusted me.” He said, repeating the words in his head.

Shani stared at Cole, hardened and sad all at once. He knew that Cole wasn't himself and the fact that his charred face was contorted in contempt didn't make it any easier to hold the gun. But he knew if he wavered, Cole would try to kill us again.

“I take it you didn't find Seth? Is he still out there somewhere?” Cole asked, grinning, a question to an answer Shani did not in any way want to give to the friends staring at him.

“Shani?” Gavriella asked, making him look at her with distant eyes.

“I found him alright…” Shani said haunted. “What was left, anyways.”

Cole, as well as the gang, looked confused. “What do you mean, what was left?”

Shani looked down for a full second before looking back. “Seth’s body was torn apart… looked like wolves based on the tracks…”

Everyone went silent, Gavriella holding her hand over her mouth and Vincent puking on the ground from the stress. All Mica could do was move to Shani, comforting him, holding his arm.

“Shani… I…”

Shani turned his head slightly, his eyes showing as to having already mourned his friend.

Cole stared and, despite his boiling rage, he felt a deep sadness inside his heart. “He… suffered..?”

“I imagine so... Bet you must have a had a good kick out of that,” Shani said before furrowing his brows as he saw the tears on his friend's face. “Wait Cole… Is that you?”

“It is always me… God, you think I want this? Any of it?”

Shani began to realize that the Entity didn't have Cole fully and knelt before him, taking a chance to get some answers.

“Cole, what can you tell us about this thing? Does it have any weaknesses?”

Cole remained noncompliant and silent until Gavriella walked up beside Shani. “Cole, what did it do to you?”

As she asked, Cole looked up at her and Shani before looking back down, clenching his teeth as though he were in pain.

“Things....” Cole whispered slowly, remembering. “Words that haven’t even existed. This… thing has a way of taking you apart… one tiny bit at a time.”

“But that was only hours ago. How the f**k can it change someone so quickly?” Vincent groaned, standing and limping.

“Time isn't quite the same when it comes to this thing. What could be an hour can feel like days… years even. After a while, I lost count…”

“What did it do to you, Cole?” Mica asked, draping her arm around Shanirepeating Gavriella’s question.

“Plucked what was left of my soul apart. Everything I had inside my heart, regrets, resentment, anger… all of it. He even twisted how I…” He didn't finish as he looked as though he were choking on his words before getting them out.

“How I felt for you…” He said, looking at Gavriella.

“You mean you still-?”

“C’mon man, you knew I never stopped…” He said to Shani as Mica asked. Shani couldn't deny it, Cole even admitted how he wished he could turn back to that day when things went wrong. But that was in the past, Gavriella was with Austin and she was happy, more than she ever was with Cole.

“Is there a way to save you?” Gavriella asked as Shani looked at her, seeing the tear on her cheek. Cole saw it too and looked at her. “Just one…” He said and looked at Shani. “Kill me.”

“What?!” Gavriella asked.

“Man f**k that, we aren't doing it. No way.” Vincent said, crossing his arms stubbornly.

“Guys, we have to think about this... if Cole stays alive, this Entity will only keep having him come at us until it gets us. He may have a point.” Mica said reasonably.

“Mica, we aren’t going to kill him! Tell her, Shani!” Gavriella said, looking at Shani, who only stared Cole in the eyes. For nearly a minute, the two just stared silently as if they were having a conversation in their minds, with Cole reading his eyes and nodding. Shani blinked, swallowing hard before checking the clip of his pistol, making his decision.

“Shani,” Gavriella stared shocked at him as she saw him put the clip back in and c****d the gun.

“Gavri, this isn't saving him. We owe him a chance to choose how he dies, don't we?” Shani asked, looking in her eyes, his eyes threatening to shed tears despite his resolve. She bit her tongue before quivering and nodded. “Give us a minute guys…” She asked Mica and Vincent before Vincent clenched his teeth.

“This whole trip has been bullshit…” He said, limping off. Mica kissed the side of Shani’s head and walked with Vincent.

“The three amigo’s all together…” Cole chuckled sadly.

“Not how we hoped though…” Shani shrugged, forcing a smile to keep from crying.

Gavriella cupped Cole’s charred cheek sadly. “When I said you would crash and burn without me… this isn't what I had meant…”

“I know… Gavri, you have always been stronger than you are now. Keep that resolve, get married and have a whole litter of babies... and love Austin in a way you couldn't love me... How we both know I didn't deserve to be loved…” He told her and looked at Shani. “Protect her, Dee.”

He nodded at Cole adamantly as the two gripped and locked their hands tightly. “Brothers for life.”

“Brothers for life , Cole.” Shani said as he and Gavriella stood and aimed his gun at Cole as he closed his eyes. He then swallowed as he shot him in the head, ending his friend's life.

Gavriella stared deeply into Cole's lifeless eyes as silence took over and she turned to Shani as the two began to walk off.

“Oh. My. GOD! So dramatic!” A voice said behind them, making the two jump as Cole’s lifeless body started to inhumanly stand like a puppet being lifted up.

“You mortals are always acting like this is a movie, or are you just too young?” The unknown voice said in Cole’s body, grinning as his arms dropped into a slouch with eyes that Shani recognized; the same eyes he saw inside the cave.

“You.”

“Me, boyo.” The Entity laughed.

“I thought killing Cole would end his suffering!” Gavriella said, shocked.

“That, my dear, is because I put that little hint in dear Cole’s brain. Honestly, there is no freedom from me.” He shrugged. “Just more of a tortured soul to satisfy me until he can't.”

“Let’s just kill this b***h!” Vincent glared, making the Entity tilt Cole’s head to the side like a cartoon spinning it's head.

“Shhh little boy. Grown ups here talking. Or at least the grown-ups who have gotten some while you whined about ‘f**k relationships’ like a little baby.” He said, egging Vincent, who glared and stepped forward.

“You sonuva-!”

He stopped as Shani held him back with his arm. “It's what he wants, man. Get your s**t together.” Shani said sternly.

“I could take him.”

“Sorry little boy, but I don't do handicaps for cripples.” The entity said in Gavriella’s voice, which disturbed the group since it came from Cole’s body.

“Oh I am sorry, is this too weird?” It asked as it turned its head back to its straightened position grinning menacingly. “How about this voice?” It said in Kodi’s tone.

“No…”

“Oh yes. Good ol’ Kodi is in lala land right now... though not as far gone as Cole was.” He grinned, stalking toward them.

“You bastard.”

“Or this one too?” it asked in Seth's voice, laughing hysterically. “I gotta say, this one's death was so satisfying. Thinking he or any of you could stop me. Would you like to see his final moments?” it asked them before images were displayed in their minds as they felt and heard Seth’s screams of agony as the wolves tore into his muscles and tore him apart. The entire group then broke down again, screaming in pain-filled tears as they witnessed the torture of their friend.

Shani clenched his pistol, unable to hold back his tongue. “IF YOU ARE GONNA DO SOMETHING, THEN MOTHERFUCKING DO IT YOU p***y!”

Gavriella smirked past the pain from the images and stood as the Entity stared stunned at Shani. “He can't, that is why he used wolves or Cole to do it. He is a coward.”

At that, the Entity’s expression contorted and his eyes began to look everywhere at once as it growled and laughed in an inhuman voice, making them step back. “You think you children can stop me?! I have stared down your GODS and spat in their faces! Killed mortals far more superior!” The Entity growled in an echoing voice before it took a long deep breath. “But I am not without mercy.” It said, regaining composure. “You will have two hours,” It said, holding up two fingers as the bones in it's arm cracked and popped from the rigamortis. “You will have half the night to prepare. Maybe even get your bones jostled for the last time, what with all this s****l tension in the air. Well,” It smiled, sniffing the air and looked at Vincent. “All but you, Golden Boy.” The Entity mocked mercilessly, stunning them, Vincent especially, into silence.

“No one is dying tonight.” Shani responded sternly, glaring at the Entity in its eyes.

The Entity smirked as it saw the fire in his eyes. “Knew there was a reason I liked you, Shani Boy. Sadly you will. Three down. Four to go. It's only a matter…” it said as it began to fade in black smoke out of Cole, leaving his body and making it drop.

Of time…

Shani stared at the smoke as it vanished and stared at the body of his best friend. “We should bury him…”

“Shani, I don't think we have time, man.” Vincent added quickly, but the three looked at him, making him look down in silence.

“It’s the only good thing left we can do…” Gavriella added sorrowfully to the body of her ex-boyfriend.

Shani nodded and, with Vincent’s help, using the machete, using it as a makeshift shovel, Gabriella and Shani both placed his body inside the soil, with Shani never looking away from his friend's face until it was gone. As they finished, silence consumed the group until Shani broke down beating the dirt they had just placed over Cole. Mica and Gavri both hugged him as he screamed in pain.

“Shani, it's okay…” Gavriella whispered to her brother.

“How..? Kodi is gone, Seth is dead and we just buried Cole in what has to be the most f****d up mountain in the world. This is too far from okay…”

Mica then lifted his head in her hands and looked in his eyes. “Look Shani, you have been through as much as all of us, but we can't break yet. You heard that monster. We need to prepare for it. The way I see it, we need to weaken its grasp of this forest. And I for one,” She pressed her forehead to his, finishing the words she needed to speak for them. “Have no intent on dying like a coward.”

Shani stared at the girl who for years had lurched her way into his mind and within her eyes. She was the rock, the one stubborn thing he knew would outlast the group at its lowest. And it was only then he found his resolve, and stared at the cave on the mountain. “C’mon guys. We are not dying today…” He said as the four walked their way up, mentally preparing for the nightmares to come.

The night was far from over, but closer than the Entity knew. Krista watched and felt something in her thoughts for the first time. Something she gave up on: The hope of peace.