Chapter 13
Monica didn't waste another precious second of her nor her daughter's time. She knew exactly where to go and what to do. She did nothing more than follow her heart and whatever connection she had with her daughter until she found herself in a dark, polluted alleyway that looked as though it belonged anywhere else but here. It seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the world. Smoggy and littered, even difficult to see down. Monica forced herself to stay calm as she made her way further and further into it. The very air here seemed to be giving her a hateful, evil vibe and something, somewhere deep inside her screamed a warning to her to get out of there while she still could. But she was going no where until she found Eliza. She would stop at nothing now to get her daughter back. She didn't know what on earth she had been thinking before when she thought Eliza was gone for good and she was just going to leave her there. No, she was going to save her child and carry her home in her own arms. She wasn't going to lose her too.
She thought of the morning yesterday when she had walked through her front door and seen her own daughter standing there in her kitchen. She was so beautiful and practically all grown up with her young, innocent eyes, her long, strawberry blond hair and her smile. Oh that sweet, sweet smile. Monica just couldn't bear the thought of never seeing it again. Eliza was her child. Her precious gift from the Father and she would gladly put Eliza's life before her own any day. Yes, she knew where she was, but she didn't care. She knew God was on her side and whatever happened earlier this afternoon had only made her stronger. She would do just as Raphael told her. She would fight. She would fight for her daughter. She would fight for her Father…She would fight for Andrew.
But the further she moved into the darkness of the alleyway, the more nervous and uneasy she felt. It was almost difficult to even breathe in here without wondering if you did, what sort of evil creature would hear you and come for you. But then Monica pulled herself together when she recalled the sorrowful, loving look in Andrew's eyes before he died and she just knew she couldn't let them win. She wouldn't let them take Eliza from her as well. She was stronger than they were and she wasn't about to give up so easily. She wasn't going to give in and quit just like that. Andrew may be gone, and Eliza may be missing, but the truth of the matter was, she was still here and she was going to do everything in her power to get her little girl back.
It was just then that Monica was sure she heard a faint set of footsteps behind her and she felt her stomach begin to do flip flops of anxiousness inside of her as she glanced over her shoulder, but found no one. She quickly scanned the alleyway behind her with her wide, light brown eyes just as to make sure she was in fact imagining things. She wasn't about to let herself start panicking now that she had come this far. Ignoring the tiny, red warning flag waving loud and clear in her mind, she forced herself to turn back to face the path ahead and, after taking a deep, cleansing breath, she pressed on, immediately dismissing any further suspicions in what she could only assume was her imagination.
But as she took another step forward, her suspicions were confirmed when she could've sworn she had just seen some sort of movement or shadow out of the corner of her eye. But as she stopped walking once again and glanced around her, again, she saw nothing and found no one. Now she wanted nothing more than to remain calm, but her heart was beginning to pound so loudly in her chest that frightened her even more, for she was sure anyone around for miles would be able to hear it. Her breathing quickened and became shallower as she glanced around her uneasily, knowing certainly now that someone or something was out there, watching her. She had known from the beginning this would happen. For, if she intended to find her daughter, she would more than likely find some other evil being holding her hostage. That hadn't frightened her before, but now that she was alone, in that very situation, it was beginning to make her feel more than a little uncomfortable.
Just then, all of her dreadful thoughts and notions were certainly confirmed when several dark, menacing figures stepped from the shadows throughout the alleyway, surrounding her as if to make sure she didn't escape Satan's wrath this time. But once she saw them, Monica was no longer afraid. She was agitated, but more in an angry manner than a fearful one. Once she was looking them all in their, vile, shining red eyes – which were pretty much all she could see in this eerie light – she realized they no longer had the element of surprise and she was simply determined and furious at the recollection of what they had done to her best friend and her child. They couldn't so much as touch her as long as the Father was on her side. At least that was how she felt. Although somewhere in her heart she knew she was in their domain now and they could very well do anything they wanted to her.
And then one of them, the most disgusting and most evil one of all stepped forward to address the angel and his minions around him, his horrible eyes glimmering scarlet in the nearly black darkness of the alleyway around them and hate dripping like poison from his words as he spoke. "We've got her now boys!" He exclaimed in an almost unbearable tone to his servants, though he still seemed to refuse to take his gaze from the fine looking angel standing before him. To him, all she was, was an ideal prize to be won, and now he was sure she had lost as he continued, not really bothering to be careful with his words for he was sure she would never get a chance to go back and tell her coworkers what he said anyway. "What'd I tell ya? The bate worked perfectly." He cried out triumphantly to the others around him, though he still never took his eyes away from Monica, who held his gaze with equal despise and determination.
It was then that she realized what he had done and what his plan had been. He hadn't intended to hurt Eliza at all. Or at least not until Monica came looking for her and he had them both on a platter in a manner of speaking. Well, as much as she hated to admit it, Monica now felt incredibly stupid for falling for such an intention, as he had done his job and it had worked. But that wasn't stopping her now. That little voice in her heart was crying out to her again, reassuring her that she still had a chance if only she could find Eliza and get out of there. But she was impossibly outnumbered as she stood there and, though she wasn't planning on using force to complete her mission, she realized she hadn't a hope. But she knew she had to try either way. "Where's Eliza?" She demanded bravely as she summoned up all the courage and valor she could possibly find within herself. But her question fell on deaf ears, as the devil only laughed an amused reply and began to follow through with his plan, nodding to one of the demons behind Monica to restrain her before she did any more damage.
And before she could do a thing about it, Satan's minion, this time called Derek, hastily rushed forward on his boss' command and almost violently forced both of the angel's arms behind her back, holding her wrists so tightly that she dared not move for she could feel the bones in her petite arms straining a great deal more than they were supposed to and she was sure they would snap in two if she struggled in any way. She didn't know what she was going to do now, but she suddenly realized she had made the mistake of cornering herself with these…beasts. It was that sort of feeling – if you can imagine – of climbing down into a lion's den and being cornered by every one of the pride, knowing how helpless you are now and just waiting for one of them to pounce and get it over with, for you are certain, you are as good as dead anyway.
It was then that Satan spoke again with such a victorious tone in his wicked voice that it was all Monica could do in her power not to hate him so much that she became just like him. "Ah Monica Monica Monica, you're in up to your neck now aren't you? And this time, your Angel Boy isn't here to get you out…"