Devil's Elbow

Act III: Chapter 18

Shani starred as the girl he loved stood in the damp pathway, grinning at them all with black veins along her wrists.

“Since you wanted to play the hero, let's see if any of you can kill someone you love,” She grinned, stalking over to Shani on her tiptoes.

“NO!”

As Vincent tried lunging, the possessed Gavriella threw her hand in his direction, sending the young man into the graveled wall.

“Vincent-!”

Mica winced as her body froze, eyes clenched in fear as she felt her feet leave the ground. Opening her eyes, she found herself in the literal hand of Gavri, who’s inhuman smile was stretched cheek to cheek.

“You were on the money there, my pretty little redhead. But you really shouldn't have kept your secrets close to your heart...” She giggled as her elongated nails dug into Mica's throat.

"Gavri..! I-"

"OH SAVE THE f*****g EXPLANATIONS." She snarled before sending Mica flying next to Vincent.

“You’ll both have your turns soon enough, I promise. As for you, on the other hand though,” She turned to Shani with luminescent dark eyes as she stalked over. “I am going to make your day so much worse than it needed to be, my boy.”

Shani looked in shock as he tried to find his best friend, his sister, in her eyes… only to be met with the eyes of a sadist and a monster.

How can I reach her without killing her…

“You can’t, DeShan! There is no scenario you get out alive!” She smiled and slammed her palm into his throat immediately closing his windpipe as she lifted him. “All you had to do was kill that little vixen who used you. Then you and the last of your friends could have left, but now,”

She then jammed her finger in his gaping wound, causing him to shout in agony as she twisted her finger in his chest.

"Now I am just going to have to take my sweet time with all of you!"

Leave him alone!

The Entity ignored the girl who screamed at it, trapped within her own body, and threw the boy into the bones, cutting his face in the process. Standing amid the bones beneath him, Shani stood and looked at her before glancing at his axe and sighed, realizing the truth. He couldn't kill Gavri.

“I am sorry-”

“Aww he’s sorry! For what, Shani?” The Entity laughed before leaping at Shani's back, stomping on it with both feet and gripping him by his hair. “Being a liar?” She asked as she clawed fresher cuts in his cheek to which all he could do was wince intensely, breathing heavier.

“Being a murderer?” She asked with a snicker in her tone to which Shani just looked at the Entity with a weak smile.

“For not being the best man at your wedding.” He said, coughing up blood from his injuries. But the words were not for the Entity itself, but the person it was wearing. And through the tears in the Entity’s eyes, Shani realized she was there. A realization not ignored by this demon within her.

At this new sensation within, The Entity shrieked a battle cry of sorts before standing and stomping on Shani’s shoulder, knocking the wind out of him.

“You sonuvabitch!” Vincent growled, trying to get free.

“Save it, you little gnat.” The Entity said and found the machete, picking it up.

“You have been hacking me left and right with this machete all night.” The Entity said, walking over. “Time to give that same kind of pain back to your friends. Shame you won’t live long enough to try and stop me.” It said and rolled him over.

“It's been fun, my boy. But let’s finish this game.”

Shani looked at her as Gavri’s eyes were now red, staring blankly as her tears hit his scars.. “I will never hurt you…” He echoed to which Mica and Vincent saw him finally lose his effort to fight. “SHANI!”

“DIE!” She raised the blade for a swing that Shani then closed his eyes to accept… A swing that never made contact.

Opening his eyes, he looked and saw the horrified expression of a shaking Gavriella above him.

“I-I can’t…”

Shani furrowed his eyes at first, taken aback by the familiar tone, and widened his eyes upon realizing it wasn't the Entity talking.

“Gavri?”

“Oh God…” Mica said and tried breaking free.

Backing away, Gavri began to scream and cry out, holding her head. “I-I can't get it out..! Shani, I can't push it out..! I...”

“Gavri, listen to me, you can do it, you can beat it!”

“No I can't… It's like Krista said… I’m corrupted… got stupid..!” She cried, dropping to her knees before looking at Mica trembling. “Mica… I am so sorry…”

Mica shook her head. “Baby you got this..!”

“No I don't… but there is a way we can stop this fucker..!”

“Tell me!” Shani said, dropping in front of her and cupping her cheeks. As the two locked eyes, Shani saw a look of resolve in her eyes. “You know what you need to do.” She said and only then did he realize the blade in his hands; and the demand she was asking of him.

“No… NO!” He said and stood walking backwards. “I’m not doing it, Gavri!”

“Please..! Kill it while I got it-”

Her eyes rolled back gasping as her veins blackened, the ground beginning to shake beneath them.

“He won’t do it, sweetheart. He’s got more love for you than that little witch over there!” The Entity snarled as it gripped Gavri’s cheeks, as though they both were fighting for control.

“Gavriella Nelaon, I am getting you through this and getting you back to Austin! You hear me?!”

Gavri started crying as she clutched her head, her whimpers turning into a mixed voice of growls. “Shani..!”

“You are Gavriella Nelaon and I am getting you to your fiancé!” He repeated to her as she gripped the skeletons.

“Shani run!” Mica shouted to him as he just stood his ground.

“You are Gavriella Nelaon and I am getting you to your fiancé!”

The girl then shouted and gave an inhuman screech as she sprinted towards him, the screech deafening everything to Shani.

“DIE, MY BOY!!!”

As she closed in, Shani clenched his eyes shut… and welcomed Death.

“Thank you…”

He opened his eyes to see the horror in his friend’s eyes and froze as he felt something familiar in his hands. Shani looked down, horror glazing over his eyes as he saw the hilt of the machete in his hands... the blade embedded clean through her sternum.

The warm feeling of blood dripped onto his hands, with the smile of the girl behind them in his arms.

Convulsing as he held her, Shani felt as though his entire world had shattered as the girl offered him a weak smile.

“No… nononononono….”

As he screamed in the air, Gavri’s-or rather the Entity’s-shriek echoed with the black cloud of smoke evaporating in an explosion of wind. Mica and Vincent dropped into the dirt. Shani held her as both fell to their knees, his eyes locked in hers as she kept that same smile.

“I am sorry… I didn't…”

“I know… you would never have done it… that's why I did…”

Shani looked confused and realized that what he heard - the “Die, My Boy”- wasn't the Entity itself… it was the girl it was using.

“BUT YOU HAD TO LIVE! I PROMISED TO GET YOU BACK HOME!”

She shook her head. “One pure thing… that's what could kill this thing for good.” She smiled sadly as Mica ran over in tears.

“Gavri…”

Gavriella looked at her best friend and cupped her cheek sadly. “I caused this… I wanted us to come here… I f****d up the plan… It's okay.”

“What do I tell Austin..?” Shani asked, his voice strained and exhausted.

“That a pack of wolves took us… he won't believe it… but he will have to accept it.” She said and pulled them both in, as Vincent stood before falling next to them.

“Live on, you three… for… m…”

As she failed to finish her words, Shani clutched the girl's shirt and dropped in tears sobbing as he saw the light fade from her eyes, the color of the hazel within dull as her body went limp... the feeling of it all quite telling.

Gavriella Nelaon... Was gone.

All the while, the ghost of Krista frowned sadly but began to dissipate, feeling a slow smile form as her body faded. Knowing the nightmare had finally ended.