Chapter 8

Chloe's Pov

Later in the evening, Father Kinley thankfully took me out of that small room of nightmares. He held an eerily, yet blissful smile on his face when I curiously allowed him to explained to me how he could send Lucifer back to hell. Guiding me on a long walk through some dark hallways with only a one bulb light shining above and then another one after every ten metres. I was walking behind him, unknowing for else he could be hiding in front of his eerie path. No-less than a minute, we arrived at another small room but happily this room has some two windows on one side of a wall. I could see the orange light of the evening shiny through, sensing a natural hope in my lungs to breathe calmly and to crack a weak, but blissful grin. The room was very similar to the other room, same small table with two chairs on either side. Father Kinley pointed to me a chair on the other side of the table where I should sit. Once, I settled down and Father Kinley did the same on the other side, I stared at him waiting for his next move. Knowing he has prepared for something more up his sleeves, always has something while he tried to persuade to see his point of views. Seconds later, his right hand reached down to his secret pocket on the side, as a cop I expected to be a knife or a gun. However, he revealed a small, innocent vial in front of me and my puzzled eyes narrowed.

I slowly picked up the small, circular vial and scanned around the tiny corners including the round lid at the top. I gazed back Father Kinley and asked, "A vial?"

"Yes, it's an ornate thing. And it would sedate the devil, because this does involves a little bit of poison" Father Kinley explained with a dark tone and wicked grin.

Father Kinley included, "In Rome, my colleagues and I used this vial for demonic possession, and we thought it could work for the Devil. Supposedly, we uncovered a ceremony that would, and bear with me trap the devil in hell for all eternity."

My heart skipped a long beat that drowned me into a deep silence after hearing the priests' ceremony plan. I stare down at the bottle and my dry mouth began moving slowly, "So... this vial would..." the words sharply got stuck in the middle of my throat, "...kill Lucifer?"

"Precisely" Father Kinley creepily grinned at my understanding.

"So, why not you or any of your friends do it?" I questioned with a strong tone.

"Because only you can make Lucifer vulnerable" Father Kinley answered.

"But how? And why?" those were the only two questions that echoed loudly in my head as I questioned loudly to Father Kinley. When I told Lucifer he makes me vulnerable and I did the same to him, all I meant was I could trust him. But, now clearly he meant something else, because now I understand that I could actually physically make him vulnerable. Remembering how he always say he is immortal, so he doesn't bleed, I remember my small conversation in the car by the warehouse where he explains to me how it feels when he gets shots. However, something wrong triggered me, Jimmy Branes shot Lucifer in the back shot and Lucifer still alright, yet the rest of all the dangerous cases we been through he sometimes get hurt. What the hell was the different?

"We are not entirely sure, my dear. But, perhaps God bless you with the gift" Father Kinley answered.

I quickly shock my head, for I didn't believe in God. Yet, if Lucifer is the actual Devil, then it must be all true, Heaven and Hell, God and angels and demons. I shortly chuckled, "Why the hell would he do something like that?"

Father Kinley didn't answer straight away as he reached for something else in the other side of his pocket. His hands flatten it down on the table and revealed a square shape photograph based in the 1980s. My eyes widen in shock as it my mum who was in it, but what shocks me to the core was that Amenadiel was there sitting with her. The closer I leaned in, the colder I could feel the chills down my spine, which means it must be real too. I was in shocked as much as earlier when I saw Lucifer in one of those Nazi German photographys.

My puzzled eyes rolled up back to Father Kinley and gaze him a confusing gaze, "Wh-What is this?"

Father Kinley pointed his finger at Amenadiel in the photograph, "You know him as Lucifer's brother, do you not?"

Of course, how could I have missed that! When I first met Amenadiel with Lucifer I figured that one of them adopted into the other ones' family, possibly explain Lucifer rough childhood as he keeps repeating that he dislikes his dad. But now could the bigger picture, Amenadiel is an angel and Lucifer is the Devil, the fallen angel from the rebellion he committed against his father, God, that was the horrific childhood he had. I rapidly focused back on the photography, wondering why was Amenadiel there with my mum?

"What... How... Why is he there?" I opened my mouth and a hundred questions wanted to race out for answers, but I lost the words to speak.

"We did a bit of reached on your mother and father, and found out that your mother couldn't have children?" Father Kinley explained, my heart stopped, like literally stopped. I lost the courage to breathe, to move, or to even think, I mean what I could respond to that. Sat there frozen yet the only thing moving were the small tears flooding up to my eyes. Father Kinley painfully continued, "God blessed you to live. He wanted you live for a purpose."

I was about to asked what was that purpose, however Father Kinley quickly answered for me, "The purpose to kill the Devil."

Time stopped, everything was frozen, coldness consumed the bloody cells rushing through my red veins. I shocked my head a few head like I was trying to wake up from a terrible nightmare, I didn't want to believe it, believe in all of this. Not just the fact that he's the Devil, but the fact that he only wanted to use me. Same for God and all of that catholic crap, because created me for what! To watch me suffer when my dad died, giving me a horrible childhood, when my marriage didn't work out, nearly getting Trixie killed. Now, allowing me to fall for Pierce, or Cain, the world's first murder. Damm I forgotten about him, I suddenly remembered a picture of him in the 1950s, he looked so the same.

I gazed at Father Kinley and sobbed a question with tearfully eyes, "Was Pierce parts of this? Cain, whatever."

Father Kinley paused for a second to think about how he should answer, till he replied, "Pierce came to us for help, as you may have heard of the legend, Cain was cursed by god to walk the Earth for all eternity. Pierce wanted to die so he agreed to find a way with Lucifers' help, in return he would get the Devil back to hell. However, he failed yet we noticed he was spending his time with you."

Now, I resolved a small, unseen puzzle, since I could somehow make Lucifer bleed, Pierce was using me so he could die. But, why was he making me fall for him if he knew he wanted to die. Now, I'm sucked with the Devil in disguise, creating a whole lie for me to believe, using me and making me feel stupid for Lucifer telling the truth since the beginning yet he knew I never believed him.

"So, none of it was real? From Pierce, or... Lucifer?" I whispered underneath my breathe in depression. I was living in lie, used by some many, first treated like I was meant to be someone special now I'm just someone who is being used. The first example I remembered was Lucifer and I kissed on the beach, I nearly died and he disappeared for to weeks, then surprising he came back married to a stripper. I felt the aching cracks on my heart grew deeper and spread wider. The pain was sharp and sure, making me bend my head down hiding my tearful eyes as I tried to sob quietly. I sniffed and huffed in depression as I closed my eyes tightly so I could hold back the tears, but they keep on falling out.

I heard Father Kinley got up slowly and gently rested his hand on my shoulder. I allowed him to touched me, I didn't shivered to knocked his hand off. Because for once I want to know I am near something normal, something human that can comfort me, nothing supernatural or anything.

"We knew this path would be difficult, Chloe" his voice ghostly whisper in a friendly tone, "But you must understand, that this won't just be better for you, but to all those innocent lives you could save."

I couldn't help but looked up to Father Kinley as his words sunk into my pale skin. Feeding me a clear vision of pain and suffer of other people like me suffering from Lucifers' tricks and lies. My eyes meet his and replied quietly, "Okay."

Father Kinley revealed a small, but ghostly smile on his face as he walked back to his chair on the other side of the table and sat himself back down. He rested his arms on the cold, wooden surface and his fingers roundly tucked in between each other. Then Father Kinley began instructing, "First things first, Lucifer must drink the vial. Once he's dead, we will perform the ceremony that trapped the Devil in hell, forever."

My heart skipped a beat again and was dropped in a pool of horror. Every time Father Kinley mentioned Lucifer, I kept thinking back on the man I knew from the last three years. The man who may be self-centred, egotism, reckless, but I saw his care nature, how loyal and trustworthy he is. However, this man, or this monster, Father Kinley is describing is ruining my vision and my belief in Lucifer. Now, I couldn't see him anymore.

Father Kinley raised his head and was aware of my tears still falling out from my eyes, "How about I get you some water?"

I respected his suggestion, yet I didn't fall for his kind grin. Unexpectedly, I then asked a request, "Can I go to the restroom, please?"

"Of course" Father Kinley unpredictably agreed.

He opened the door for me to exist and pointed out the directions for me to follow. I started walking through the shadowy hallway while Father Kinley walked the opposite way. My suspicious for Father Kinley increases as he simply allowed me to walk alone without being aware that I may be looking for a way to escape. Unless, he figured that solution and planned out to cover some escape roots. After walking around some dark corners, I managed to find the restroom and saw how surprising clean it was. But honestly, I didn't need the toilet or anything, I just want some space and time to myself, in a different room than in one of those insane, small rooms. There some balance lighting in the room, not too dark and not bright, just steady.

My heavy breathing weaken my arm muscles as I dropped my hands on the side of the sink, my head was looking down at the round pool inside of the sink. Soon, I slowly raised my head to look at my reflection gazing at my wet face. The wetness darkly purpled underneath my eyes. My checks were red from the tiredness for I couldn't sleep as the horrific pictures of the Devil haunted in my mind. Yet, my skin was sickly pales as fear easily consumed me. I stared right into my own eyes from the mirror, seeing how wrecked my soul was, how fearfully fast my heart is beating. I thought of Trixie, God, I cried for me. Knowing how much in danger she is, how she is now part of all of this craziness. Being roommates with a demon, how Maze could have killed as she could with one of her knives. Angels and God are all real. Then, my thoughts came to Lucifer, he is the Devil. The man I knew, the man I trusted, the man who I cared deeply was a lie. Now, that version burned into flames form the blazing hellfire that painfully sure in my mind. I sobbed more tears as I laid my right hand on my forehead. Thinking how could I have been so stupid, he told the truth this whole time.

I didn't want to stay in the restroom for long in case it could paranoid my niche claustrophobic. I walked up to the door and was began to open it widely until voices echoed outside in the halway. The door was open slightly for me to hear what the voices were saying, recognising that the voices were the other priests walking down in the shadowy hallway.

"The cops got Oscar" a questionable priest name Sam, who was picked along with Oscar to work for Father Kinley. He walked through the hallways with Father Saxon, who I first thought was a wound man back in the dark alleyway, but tricked me into being kidnapped. That son of a bitch!

"Has he mentioned anything about us" Father Saxon questioned back.

"Not that I know of" Sam replied back, "Listen kidnaping someone is fine by me, but a cop than that's big leap man."

"Father Kinley said she's important" Father Saxon stated, "She must be here and alive."

"What is it for again? Some prophecy or shit?" Saxon wondered, which caught my ears. I swear Father Kinley never mentioned a prophecy to me, especially if it's a reason for me to be here. But, this sounds ridiculous, seriously a prophecy, what's next shouting out a magic spell.

"When the Devil walks the Erath and finds his first love. Evil shall be released" Father Saxon spoke the prophecy to Sam, I felt the deep anxiousness and the fear sharply struck into their hearts like a knives as it did to mine. My eyes were narrow in confusion wondering why the hell does this have to do to me. They do they actually think I'm Lucifer first love, no he must have love someone else before, hasn't he?

"And is she it?" Sam repeated the question I had in my mind.

"Possibly, but I believe in Father Kinley's results" Father Saxon answered, "If we must stop the prophecy, then the Devil must go back to Hell.

Then, Sam suggested, "Either that, or we could just kill her?"

My breathing stopped as a huge ball of frozen air was caught in the middle of my throat. Time suddenly stopped as well my entire body stood still like a statue, like I was already preparing for death to take me. I never took my eyes off from the two priests as they continued talking.

Father Saxon commented, "No, of course not. But in case, lets stick that for plan B."

"Plan B? I'm Plan B? Why am I Plan B? Then, what's Plan C? Kill every single women, so Lucifer won't fall in love" I screamed crazily in my mind, "No wait, I remember Lucifer mentioned that he sometimes sleeps with men as well."

But now, my head was spinning non-stop, like a round frisby flying fast in the air while spinning around and around. Why am I part of this madness, as it was already consuming my mind like I was in an asylum. After the priests walked around the corner of the shadowy hallway, I crept out of the restroom silently and looked both ways of the hallway checking if there's no one else walking. My heart was beating faster than the tickly sounds of a clock. I checked both sides again before my feet began tiptoeing on the cold floor to the other direction. Every step I took it feels like the hallway was getting darker and darker. I locked my eyes up ahead starting into the unknown darkness while my ears pricked up to catch any strange sound near by. I was crept around the edgy corner and was welcome again by another pathway of dark shadows.

I continued tiptoeing through the shadowy hallway until my ears pricked up a sudden footstep. My entire body froze still and my eyes were moving from side to side focusing ahead. Staring into the darkness to spot a moving figure like I had x-ray vision. Luckily, the small light bulbs above could vision me a shadow from another corner, and I'll willing speak the phase, 'Thank the Lord' when I noticed that there a fire extinguisher standing by the side of the shadowy, grey wall. Quietly picking up the fire extinguisher by my hands and lifted it up till it was held at chest level. My left arm carried underneath it like I was holding a baby, and my right hand silently pull the hose out from the holder then hold it close to spray nozzle. The footsteps where getting louder, meaning the person was getting closer and closer. I pushed my back up against the brick wall, even when I'm wearing clothing I could feel the icy wall breathing through the fabrics and freezing my shivering spine.

A young man finally arrived as he was another dressed up priest. My left hand squeezed the releaser from the fire extinguisher and my other hand holding the spray nozzle as a rapid spit of white chemicals were aimed and plunged into the man's face. He cried from the white chemicals scared near his eyes while slipping backwards away from me. I slammed the fire extinguisher to his side to knocked him down so he wouldn't have the advantage to rise up and fight against me. Once he was down, I dropped the fire extinguisher by my side, quickly kneed down and punched him in the face as hard as I could to knock him unconscious. After three punches, I stop and felt the crumpled pain that coiled through the bones in my hand. Straightaway, I scanned around the priest trying to see if there's anything he has that could of use, and thankfully there a set of keys banded together hiding at the top side pocket in his trousers. Gripped them tightly as my panic grew wildly focusing my legs to run without caring if anyone might have heard me or noticed me. I ran straight in the centre without a look back, I had my doubts and fears weighing on me, but I didn't stop.

The hallway is endless, and the priest laying on floor was far behind was soon swallowed by the dark shadows. It felt like I was to run endlessly, yet I never stopped. Until I stopped and spotted a quiet door just around a short corner hidden away by the darkness. I could already smell the fresh and cool air form the outdoors smoking in between the gaps from the side doors and the wall. My fingers rushed through every key, fitting them one by one through the keyhole, I was half way yet none of them had work so far. But, the worse was yet to come when I heard voices echoing far in the hallways, knowing that they must have realised I'm escaping. I focus back on trying out the keys, however my fearful anxious was making me butterfingers. "Come on! Please! Not now!" my mind was screaming in terror, as my heart was beating so fast and hard like it popped out right from the middle of my chest. My fingers were slipping the keys around losing my grip on them, then my hair was sticking as I panicky sweat around my forehead. My vision was a bit blurry from my messy strings of hair, which aggravated my worriedness.

Then there was a small click, music to my ears. Twisting the key all around and twisted the door handle with my hand. Swing the door open widely and was first welcome by a large bulb of bright, orange light. The orange sun greeted me with its' warmth, and the cool wind blow along through my hair and kissed softly on the sweaty sides of my face and around my neck. Once I slammed the door behind me, my vision was clear from blocking the sun's powerful light and I could see that I existed into another clear alleyway. I never thought I won't miss the smell of trash or the car gas in a small area, my ears pricked up the small pigeons singing above on a wire. I grew a tiny smile on my tired face.

Suddenly, my mind alarmed me about the voices who were behind me and are inside. I should have run away when I got out of that building, now I feel too weak to run, they'll catch up in a second. I looked both ways and couldn't measure which one has the short distance for me to run faster. Till another plan came up, I rushed to one of those large wheelie bins and opened the huge lid to see that there's nothing in but dirty marks or dirt and gun and all sort of filth. Waisted no time as I climbed myself over the edge and allowed myself to be dropped down heavy like a fallen rock on the stone floor. My short earthquake shivered the lid to slammed down itself above me, hiding in in the calm darkness.

The sound of the door was slammed again but harder in rage. Once more, I froze still with none of my muscles moving or none of the air in my lungs breathing in and out through my mouth. Before, I made sure that my ears weren't covered by any of my hair so any sounds may be echoed into them. Then voices appeared.

"Damit!" one of the voices spoke first, and I recongised it as one of the young priest, Sam, "The bitch is gone."

"She could be anywhere" another voice appeared, it was Father Saxon.

"But she won't run far" Father Kinley was there, the confidence in his voice still gave me chills down my spine.

"How do you know?" Father Saxon questioned.

"She knows Lucifer is the Devil" Father Kinley answered, "So, where would she go, now she can't possibly run back to him."

Silence was all I could hear now, until Father Kinley broke it, "Come now. We must be prepared for the ceremony" Father

The priests walked out of the alleyway and entered back into the building. Silence was here again, I waited for a minute or two to see if the priest had really left. My heart raised as well as I raised the lip up for my eyes to peak through the gap and quickly scanned around the area. The tip of my sweaty fingers lifted the lid up and slowly opened it till it stood up by the break wall. I stretched my legs over the edge and slide myself down quietly. Once both of my feet touched the ground fully, I dashed out of the alleyway as fast as lighting. I didn't know where I was or where to go, I just continued running. Even running across the busy street, nearly getting hit by cars and getting angrily honked at. Finally, I was on the other side of the street and continued running on the pathway. But I didn't care, if I got roughly touched by some care, or drivers shouting at me, or people staring at me like I was a crazy person. I was glad I was out of that bloody building.

My legs gradually got tired so I finally stop. I was only a few blocks away from the building, which I soon realised it was a church, of course. I stood by a small pathway from the main road to the spinning beach, taking a breathe. Thinking I need to find a nearby police station and call up my , I remembered what Father Kinley said before and it began to haunt my mind, because sadly he was right. Truthfully, I was scared of going back. Thinking that I could just walked back to my ordinary life, when it all of a sudden, my life shattered when Lucifer comes in. Everything has changed now. Because he's the Devil, the art pictures of him tortured my mind of screaming the words, "He's the Devil! He's Evil!" everything was lie, my life was a bloody lie. What the hell am I supposed to do? The tears raced out of my eyes out of my eyes. I didn't know what to do, I was literally clueless. Felt more trapped than in that insane room back in that building. Thousands of questions twirled sharply around in my mind, questions that I can't ignored because needed them to be answered now. Was everything in my life a lie? Where should I go? Who should I trust?