Chilly howls blew across the dimensional whiteness that William had summoned Jack in. It’s eerily quiet and it went on for some time, roughly five minutes. When William revealed himself dramatically to Jack, he scared Jack to death. He waited for the young man to say something but didn’t think ahead after doing his grand entrance. William felt embarrassed and found the situation funny. He grinned for a moment, he didn’t mean to scare Jack, it was accidental. To break this silence, William decides to clear his throat loudly, calm the air down a little by waving once and scratch a finger against his noggin. That didn’t do anything but scare Jack even more.

“Ah, poor child… I didn’t mean to make the young man shit his trousers. Oops, I have sinned, forgive me for my dirty mouth, God.” William muttered.

William didn’t mean to scare him this much, he just wanted to be dramatic and make a big reveal like all the movies he’s seen throughout television's existence. William continues scratching and taps his cane two times to form steps to walk down his monument.

But before he could take a step forward, he wanted to calm poor Jack. “Uhh… Terribly sorry there! Uhm, are you really that afraid? Because from what I’ve been told by some of my companions, you don’t seem the type to be easily intimidated nor be scared to the point your trousers turn brown.”

Jack remained quiet, and stumbled a bit.

William chuckles awkwardly. “Again, I do apologise for being so… incoherent? Ah, what am I talking about? Ahem, now then! Let me introduce myself again…”

William swirls his cane around one more time. “I am William H. Christ the sixth! Lovely day we’re having, aren’t we? Jacqueline.”

Jack still couldn’t wrap his brain around the strange setting, but he decides to relax and talk to the mystery man. He wanted to know more about who he was and their objectives.

“Ni-Nice to meet you… It seems you already know who I am from the way you call me by a girly version of my name?”

“Stand on your knees boy! Come on now, let’s talk properly, like real gentlemen!”

“So-Sorry… it’s just some asshole is forcing me to take a knee.”

William laughed from Jack’s insult. “That’s the spirit! There’s the man who my comrades have spoken about! Hahaha!”

Jack stands on his feet, and William begins walking down the staircase of heaven that he created.

Jack watched William walk down the cloudy stairs, shaking to death. “So? Who are you exactly and the statement about you being alive for six centuries, is-is that true too?”

“My my! Already you’ve recovered from your cowardness and are already full of curiosity and want every bit of me, don’t you?”

Jack still didn’t have a serious face, rather, he was hiding his fear at this point, keeping his face still. “Co-Correct… I am very curious, that part of me still hasn’t faded, it just waits for the right moment to come out and feed my needs of greed to get an answer.” He swallows, nervously. “So-So? Again… what exactly are you, you and the other guy, the creepy one in the hooded robe?”

William was halfway down the staircase. “Well you see my child! We two, my partner and I! We’re Exorcists! The most powerful, respectful, beings in known existence. We’re also the ones who keep balance to this—Cruel world of man.”

So, that girl was right? The fact that they're both Exorcists… Jack thought.

“But what’s the meaning of such a statement?! Do-Do you guys like, kill spirits, and go into people's dreams and such? Freeing them of their demons!” For a moment there, Jack’s voice sounded a bit excited, even William caught onto it.

Reaching the last step, William claps his hands twice, and the foggy white ground starts to rise, expanding, forming into the shape of a building. It explodes out and as the smoke simmers down, now, there was a bar of some sort. A complex building which would take construction workers weeks, months to build was created in seconds in front of Jack’s very eyes.

“That’s more like it!” William said with a smile. He noticed Jack’s frightened expression. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a pub before?!”

William approaches the pub's door, and opens it, gesturing to Jack to tag along. Jack couldn’t believe this, any of this. At this point, he’s given up and doesn't want to question these bizarre things anymore, for now.

Jack scanned the pub in disbelief. “What are we—?”

“I thought it would be more polite to discuss these things inside of a nice environment, you know? Have a drink while we talk our hearts out and potentially fill you in your dastardly situation!”

Jack moaned. “Alright… I guess that works, but you’re telling me everything, alright old man!”

“OH!! Jack my child, how dare you call me old! I may be four hundred plus years old… But I’m still in my prime!” William laughs.

Jack swallows nervously. “Ho-How old are you then? If we abide by how you currently look and to human standards.”

“Hey! Who says I’m still not human? Hahaha, but to answer your question, my child, I’d say around, early forties. Still find me to be old huh?!” He laughs again and walks inside.

Jack sighs, and follows behind, but before opening the door, he looked back, so he could observe the environment one last time. “I don’t know what to believe anymore… This is growing rather annoying, it’s like the world we knew was never real to begin with.”

Feeling conflicted about his new problematic feelings for reality, he finally opens the door and walks inside the pub that William created out of his supernatural powers, closing the door gently, and the world around them fades.

Back in reality, Eric managed to get inside the hospital and get to the lobby, having to find one of the backdoors wide open almost as if he was being welcomed back in. Finding Jack missing and the hooded fellow gone, he presumed that Jack was kidnapped by the stranger. He felt irritated with himself for allowing this to happen so he quickly went back into the elevator to grab something from Angela’s room instead, now that Jack’s gone.

“Fuck man, where did that scary ass looking bum go to?!” He slams the button to her floor out of anger for letting them take Jack away.

I’ll find you my guy, no matter how long it takes, I’ll search everywhere in this bigass place if I have to first! Eric thought.

Thinking that the mysterious man might still be here and not conceding to Jack’s mysterious disappearance, he made sure to check if his gun was fully loaded and to call Jack’s phone, hopefully to track down its ringtone to at least answer his presumed kidnapping.

Finally reaching the floor he needed to grab the important item, as Eric continued ringing Jack’s phone to track down its noise, he miraculously heard it. It was coming from down the empty carnaged hallway. With his phone still against his ear, slowly raising his gun to aim down the hallway; as he begins to walk carefully, his senses as sharp as a knife, he noticed that Jack’s phone was not only ringing from down the hall, but to his left now. He aimed and as he turned to his left, it was to his right too. He started sweating. Jack’s ringtone started to distort, creating a horrific high pitched sound of scratching torture, enough to make ones ears bleed.

Eric held his ground though, fighting off the sound of new found torture. “Whatever’s happening, I ain’t giving up… I have to keep pushing.”

Eric presses on, determined to find the source of his phone’s location. He ignores the sounds to his sides and walks down the hallway to Angela’s now old room. As the sounds of what would’ve been a bad ringtone, were now creating screams of tortured victims and damaging Eric’s ear drums; He felt annoyed and eager to find the source of the creepy phenomena. With his gun still pointing at his frontal view, still dialling Jack’s broken sounding phone, he was getting closer to her old room, until all the noise came to a halt.

Eric scrunched his face. “Everything’s quiet now. Eh, damn, I don’t like the feel of this.”

The huge boulder of a man gazed at everything, seeing if anything was about to stand out or pop out. Feeling that a jumpscare was about to happen, Eric wanted to shoot the ceiling once to see if someone or something will attack or surprise him. His instincts quickly told him that that was a bad idea so he loudly groaned and lowered his firearm. When Eric thought everything became too quiet, something else erupted from the atmosphere. In its place, the sound Eric heard was that of hearing pure white noise, and someone’s muffled chuckles behind it.

“You’re quite the curious one, aren’t you?”

Eric loudly gasped. The voice of a man cut out the complete static silence and the sunlight that was penetrating the windows down the hallway shone an orange dawn light. They laughed and it was clear to hear and made Eric tremble.

“I see, I see. So, you’re probably here to rescue your dear buddy Jack. I presume, strange fellow?”

“Who’s there?!” Eric shouted out of fear, “Show yourself, p-punk!” He raised his gun and it trembled badly because of how shakened he was.

What the fucks going on… is this what Jack was talking about? Eric thought.

His breathing was growing heavy, he was actually scared for once. The man laughed again, and now footsteps were disrupting the air.

“I’ll show myself again, and this time, I’ll make sure you’ll forget any of this ever happened.”

Heavy boots echoed throughout the hallway of solitude. It made Eric’s skin crawl, and he wondered where he was coming from. The heavy footsteps came from everywhere.

“Child…” He said menacingly, “You may be a sinner, but you're more of a man to God than Jack ever was, so I won’t harm you too much.”

His threats sparked anger in Eric, bringing out a vein out of his temple to express it.

“You and along with the sinful people of this atrocious city.”

The footsteps grew closer, so close in fact Eric thought he was coming from behind. Eric turned round, pointed his gun and out saw someone’s legs coming out of Angela’s room to then expose their whole body. The gleaming curtained lights evaporated as soon as the stranger fully stepped out into the hallway, revealing himself to Eric and coming to a showdown between the two. Eric turned blanched, it was the man with the hooded robe who stood down the hallway, staring menacingly in Eric’s direction.

“Time for your cleansing, child.” The hooded man muttered. He glared at Eric. “You’re nothing but a sinner for pointing a tool of mass destruction at someone so close to God such as myself.”

Eric didn’t say a word, he couldn’t see the man's face because of his hood's shadow covering it. Although he did notice a small glow of gold coming from what would be his blacked out pupils glaring directly at him. Eric wanted to fire, shoot the man on the spot, but his body was telling him it would be the most regrettable decision he would ever make in his life thus far. So, to get some answers out of the man, he was gonna test him.

Eric let out a struggling sigh. “Wh-Where’s Jack? What did you do to him?”

The man only replied with his ominous glare.

“Who the hell are you…” Eric asked.

The man replied by lowering his head more. Eric tried one last effort to get something out of him.

“HEY!” Eric shouted with a toughened tone, “Creepy man, you-you like to fight?” Eric lowered his gun and put it away, “Because I do. So why don’t we fight like men and if I beat your ass, you’ll tell me where you took my guy Jack, and who you are. Is-Is that okay?”

Eric cracked a knuckle, nervously but managing to hide it enough to seem less scared than before.

That did something, he definitely got a reaction out of him when he mentioned the word ‘fight’. The hooded man raises his head again, now half his face could be seen, but only his lower half.

He lightly growled in excitement. “Why yes, I do? A man of both action and words, how naive, how thoughtful and generous you are.” He lowers his arms, and chuckles slightly. “I would definitely answer and take part in your request but for now…”

He raised his arms to the ceiling, making Eric raise and aim the gun again. He shook violently, afraid of what supernatural occurrence he might ensue.

The hooded man knitted his brows and grinned. “...I’ll think about it; for later on, kind sir.”

Eric tilted his head slightly yet nervously, waiting to see what he was about to do. “Wh-What are you talking about?”

The hooded man's fingers twitched. “I’ll see you some other time, sir Eric.”

“Huh? What do you—?!”

A sudden flash of white light exploded out of the man like an expanding sphere of pure blindness, turning reality to black and white. Eric screamed while being engulfed by the expansion. The light flashed his eyesight, the man groaned as the light erupted out of the floor they were on. Candy was outside across the street from the hospital, sitting on a bench with Angela laying by his side. He too saw the light flash out of the window and panicked, screaming.

Candy grabbed Angela while his eyes bugged out. “Oh shit, Eric!”

Once his eyes were back on the hospital setting, he saw every room, floor, and window being engulfed by the flashing light of purity. He was amazed and in disbelief, but grew in a panic state when he saw the light starting to engulf the whole hospital. Candy picked Angela and started running. The flash of light grew bigger, reaching vastly to Candy’s tail. It suddenly exploded, distorting and smearing whiteness everywhere. Candy screamed his lungs out as he covered Angela while being consumed by the flash. The explosion made white noise of complete silence, muffling out not only Candy’s screams but, eventually, the population of the entire city fell victim to it. The white explosion shrunk down and then re-exploded, nuking a flash of distortion that consumed the entire city of Detroit, erasing every colour from existence.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

The entire white sphere of purifying white destruction continued expanding until it had no victim. It flashed one more time and then, pure silence as it flashed the world white.

“Hehe, Haha!” Archard clapped his hands once and brought everything to a complete wipe out. “Good luck, Jack, may Sir William bless your poor dreadful soul.”

***

Inside the pub that William created, he was walking around, feeling nostalgic and at home from the bar, a hung up Winchester rifle above the bar, pool tables, and wood made by the finest trees. The seats were crafted well, the mugs were the cleanest Jack has ever seen, finally, the lighting inside made it feel like he was back in England.

William was about to make his way to one of the pool tables, but prevented himself from enjoying the environment, he had to stay serious. “So Jack, why don’t you take a seat and have a drink with me?” William said, walking to a table and releasing a calm breath. “There’s not much we can talk about if you just stood there with your eyes prowling around my odd satisfaction that is my powers.”

William chuckles and takes a seat. There was already whiskey poured into shot glasses. He grabbed one shot glass and drank one, feeling more relaxed than ever. Jack stood baffled but eager to find out some if not all the answers he's been seeking.

William lowered his shot glass and felt flustered. “Ooo, so strong but does it ease the stress away. Now, come, child, sit, we don’t have much time now.”

Jack did hear William but he wanted to look around one last time, he couldn’t help himself, all this was too much to comprehend. Though William was right, there’s no time to waste so he nods and shakes his head.

“O-Okay.” Jack said in a shaky tone.

He walks over to William’s table and pulls a chair out, taking a seat. William observes Jack as he’s sitting down, pouring himself another shot while he keeps his eyes on the young man.

Having sat down, Jack eyes William as he takes another shot. “So, what do I—?”

“Hold on there, I’ll ask you something first, I’m very curious if you mind?”

“Fine…” Jack replied, frowning.

William stretched for a moment and laid his arms on the table, putting aside his new shot of alcohol. “Tell me Jacqueline… what is it that you desire?” William clasped his hands and cleared his throat. “What’s coursing through that toughened broken blackened heart, mind of yours, hm?”

Jack scrunched his face. “I-I, I’m not really following what your—?”

“Answer the question, Jack. And don’t you lie to me, you know I can read people like books by looking directly into their eyes.”

“Re-Really?” Jack nervously replied.

“Yes, really, I can, like their deepest most either greediest or wholesome thoughts, and more. But, eh, let's leave it at that, shall we? So, please do go on, carefully.”

Feeling pressured and slightly threatened, Jack answers his question before asking him his own set of questions.

“To protect the things that I—” Jack stops, noticing William’s glare, “I-I love… or—do I?” He bites his lip, and looks down, starting to frantically breathe.

Why-Why am I hesitating? Did-Did I just lie?

William sighs. “Well, at least you tried, child, but for failing to answer my question; You can only ask me three questions for now.”

“Huh?! What type of bull—!”

“Shut your mouth and don’t you dare raise your lowly voice at me, you rude prude.” William lays back on the chair and crosses his arms. “Alright now, go on then, ask me anything that you desire, sinner.”

“Why-Why you… Damn it.” Jack slams his fists on the table but without any energy put into it because he didn’t want to trigger anything else to shorten their conversation.

What do I ask? Is he just tricking me into something, none of this makes any sort of sense… Jack thought.

“Hurry Jack-O-lantern, I don’t have all day you peleck.” William grabbed his shot glass and took another shot.

“Okay… M-My first question is—” Jack swallows, nervously. “Wha-What are you, exactly? I-I know you said you’re an Exorcist, but who are you really? I-I would like to know more, please.”

William was intrigued, Jack even made him raise an eyebrow out of interest, so he was more than happy to answer Jack’s first question.

“Alright then, Ahem! To start it off, I am what I say, Jacky boy, I’m an Exorcist, but not just any Exorcist; I’m a man of God, faith, and goodwill. As I said before, Jack, I’ve been around for a very, very long time, precisely six centuries.”

“Six centuries?” Jack responded, surprised.

“Over six hundred plus years you donut.” William replied, bouncing his head.

“Oh, sorry, I’m not very educated with some words.”

William blinks and pours himself yet another shot. “You don’t say… Well then, to finish off your question, as an Exorcist I’m hired to exterminate spirits and, uncommonly, demonic beings that are very rare cases that appear every so decade or two.”

Feeling intrigued about his mentioning of demons and having to deal with one of his own, he wanted to ask him more about it, but decisively, he chooses not to. Instead Jack follows it up by continuing the conversation.

“Ha-Have you ever met one?”

Having asked William his follow up, it triggered something in William because before indulging another shot, he paused. With a blank stare on William’s face, Jack felt a little weirded out. William snaps back into normality and his eyes set on Jack in a very serious way, making him feel more nervous.

“Why… yes, I have—plenty, and, currently so.” Williams chuckles and takes one final shot. “You have one last question to ask, sir Jack.”

Jack gasps, he felt stupid now because he was so intrigued about the whole demon stuff that he forgot he was only allowed to ask three questions, but he accidenlty asked two in the conversation.

“Fuck… What do I ask, Goddamn—”

“Watch your tongue child, you don’t have to put God’s name in vain you plonker.”

“Sorry.” The pressure was on Jack now, all he had to ask was one final question.

But what? What?! What could I possibly ask—?

Suddenly, Jack thought of something. A reasonable question and undoubtedly, one William can definitely answer.

Glancing at his golden watch, William rolls his eyes and sighs. “Have you come up with something? We’re wasting precious time here, sir Jack.”

“Yes, I finally do. What is your purpose here then? What’s your intentions and are you working with Dr. Cato?”

William raises both brows, smiling even. “You know what? Even though you’ve asked me three questions just now, I’ll answer them all since they correlate with each other.” William stands up calmly and walks next to Jack.

“Alright, then answer them.” Jack said, sounding serious.

“Impatient are we? Well well, if you must know, my priority here or should I say, objective is; very simple, Jacqueline.” William eases in on Jack’s face. “I’m here to deal with the tragic monstrosity that’s inside the poor girl known as Angela, I do believe so?”

“Angela?! So my gut was right, you’re after her and… wait, wh-what did you just say, the last part?!”

“You heard me correctly, Jack. Unless you’re death? I said, I’m here to Exorcise the tragedy that’s inside her. The very being that has not only infested you, but others as well.”

Jack’s jaw clenched, his fists tightened, he was shocked to hear what William had just told him, and that was the known existence of the girl inside not only his dreams, but it answered his question about the connection between both her and Angela. Jack felt baffled, surprised, so much that he began chuckling in amusement because he was happy a question he wanted out of Angela was answered by none other than a stranger whom he never met. Jack was so blinded by this shock that he ignored the statement said about others also infested by the very being who he has blamed these past years for his suffering.

Though the pub was silent with their voices being the only noise being made, its silence was shattered by Jack’s chuckles. The more he chuckled, the more noisy it got, quite annoyingly at that.

“Sir, Jack? You find this news amusing?” William said, sounding annoyed.

William hated this sight, watching Jack chuckle like a buffoon brought utter annoyance to him. He expressed utter disgust, twitching an eye to then clench his teeth as he watched a dumb fool like Jack laugh for no reason. To make the broken man stop his senseless laughter and bring them to an end, he slams his cane on the ground, shattering the floor beneath them. Although, that didn’t do anything, actually it made it worse. Jack laughed hysterically now, slapping a palm against his forehead from how uncontrollable his laughter was becoming.

William had enough, as he was about to do something unthinkable to Jack, Jack finally stopped laughing and sighs out of relief, bringing out a smile afterwards.

“So-Sorry man… it’s just, what a relief you know?! Wow, I-I can’t believe what I’ve just heard!” Jack lets out one last burst of laughter.

“Shut your bloody trap already!” William claps his hands, wiping away the reality they were in, he’s had enough of this circus act Jack was putting up.

“I’m sorry! Wait… wh—?!” Jack’s chair disappeared and he was floating now. “Holy shit! What a mad man you are!”

“You dare call me Mad?! You’re the one who’s taking the piss, Jack! So enough of your charades, this conversation is over.”

“Whoa Whoa, hold up there, if you're here to Exorcise her? Then can you do the same to me! Can you free me as well?!” Jack opens his arms out and as far as he could. “Free me man, free me of the wretched bitch! I welcome thee! HaHa!”

From the beginning Jack felt scared and was a nervous wreck when he first met William. But after hearing he had the power to wipe entities, spirits, and erasing nuisances like her made all those feelings go away. Instead he welcomed William's presence and embraced the idea of this technique he’ll ensue on Angela to get rid of the girl. The joyment in Jack’s broken mind, it was unbearable for him, he couldn’t resist sharing such emotions, so he returned his annoying laughter and spun around the floating white nothingness.

William on the other hand had enough, he’s grown tired of Jack. So he claps his hands twice, bringing this meeting to an end. The whiteness transitioned to static, a horrible noise sounding close to that of loud ringing made Jack stop his senseless laughter so he could cover his ears. William watches the static override the white world and engulf it to a static noise dimension. William sighs as he watches Jack suffer from the noise only Jack could hear. The noise grew louder, making Jack’s ears bleed. Finally, Jack had enough and screamed out in pain, begging William to stop on whatever he was ensuing, but William responded by shaking his head, tapping his cane once on air.

“Sorry boy, but you’ve annoyed me, so I must punish you, though I will say this!” William points his cane at Jack. “Tonight Dr. Cato will attack you, but I won’t say where.”

Jack conitued screaming, groaning loudly in pain.

William grinned. “You’re probably asking yourself, why did I just rat out his plans to seize the girl from you?” William was the one chuckling now.

Jack wanted to say something but the white noise, the static, was overwhelming him, to the point now his eyes were bleeding. “Ahhh! A-Ahh—!” Jack yelled and let out an angry scream full of his agonised pain.

William stopped his chuckles and got serious again. “To finally answer my own question Jacky, boy… It’s because I too detest that selfish man, so what better way to foil someone I find vulgar than to expose his plans to his foe! Haha! How lovely, right, ol chap?” William spins his cane, and brushes his hair with his fingers. “I have my own way of getting the girl and freeing everyone along with a broken man like you from that thing inside the poor soul… But, you’ll soon find the answer when we meet again. Until then Jacqueline! Farewell and don’t die on me… yet.”

Jack screams bloody murder, his eyes were still bleeding, turning his vision red, then darkness engulfed his sight. The last thing he heard before blacking out was Williams muffled laughter. As darkness overtook Jack’s mind, he felt all the pain he experienced moments ago disappear. Once the pain was gone, he then opened the shut lids over his eyes, fully bug eyed and awoke from a bed. He sat right up and coughed, panting erratically too. While catching his breath he looked around and noticed he was back on his bed in the hotel.

“Wh-What… the, he-hell?!” Jack dug his fingers into his hair, feeling quite agitated. “Je-Jesus Christ… What-What a fucking monster th-that man is… to think people like him exist too, how fucking freighnting!”

For once, Jack was actually terrified of someone other than Mathew, much different than being afraid of the big oaf.

The difference between the two was night and day. As he caught his breath, wiped his forehead, laid back down, and stared at the ceiling; He quietly said, “Though I’m still afraid of Mathew… this guy, William—is a nightmare come true. I better be careful or I’m dead.”

While staring at the ceiling, Jack then remembered as he was being tortured by the static, it was what William told him before blacking out. It was about Dr. Cato and his involvement with him, although they seem to be working together, that William guy didn’t like him from his description. Jack wondered if Dr. Cato thought the same about William, it definitely raised more questions for Jack, and more for him to find the answers to.

Jack got off the bed, and glanced to his left, spotting Eric asleep too. Jack wondered why Eric was here, asleep, when they were at the hospital with everyone else. After bringing everything together, Jack’s eyes grew wide, he started panicking and noticed Angela wasn’t here. Everything started falling apart inside his mind, he screams, waking and scaring Eric out of his sleep.

Eric too screamed and clutched his head. “Yo?! What the fuck man?!” Eric shouted as he saw Jack freak out, he was gripping his hair and still screaming. “Yo, relax? Wait… hold up?!”

“No no no no! Why-Why are we back here!” Jack shouted.

Eric too wondered why they were back in the hotel. “Wait a minute, you’re right! Where the fuck…? How did I…! Yo!” Eric then noticed Angela’s absence too, “Where’s Angela!”

Jack stopped his senseless yelling, and bolted out of bed. “Angela, I’m coming!” He stormed out of the room with nothing but his socks and clothes.

Eric on the other hand puts his shoes on, grabs his gun, and quickly runs after him. Jack rushed out of the hotel lobby, pushed his way through the entrance doors, and ran into the streets like a madman. He ran across the busy intersection, cars honked, people cursed at him, he rolled over hoods, running back into the busy sidewalk full of people. Eric was right behind him now, he tried reaching for him but Jack was running like his life was on the line.

“Go-Goddamn my gu-guy… You’re ne-never this fast!” Eric’s muscles were slowing him down. “Fuck… I’m not meant for running ma-man!”

As Eric continued chasing the crazy madman Jack had become, his phone rang. While running Eric reaches into his pocket and pulls it out, answering it. “What?! Who's thi-this?!”

“Wow… so rude as usual dark chocolate, Hmph!” Candy said, puffing his cheeks out.

“Awh man! Frui-Fruit loop! How’d you get my number?!”

“Look here honey, it’s not about how or why I have—okay we’ll answer that later. Right now, where are you and why does it sound like your… ooo, don’t tell me you’re—?”

“Stop right there gay boy!” Eric’s shouting made Jack stop because he heard Eric mention the word Gay.

Both men finally came to a halt in front of some bakery. Eric was relieved because he could catch his breath now. Jack on the other hand didn’t bother, he rushed up to Eric and grabbed his phone out of his hand.

“Hey! The fucks wrong with you? You could’ve said please at least crazy ass.” Eric said, taking the moment to catch his breath.

Jack’s eyes were wide, their vessels showing, he didn’t hesitate and shouted into the phone. “Candy!”

Candy, who was standing in front of the hospital, pushes the phone away from his ear. “Oww! What the fuck was that for?!”

“Candy, tell me where you’re at and where’s Angela?!”

“Not even an apology you asshole, Hmph! Whatever, but I’m standing outside the hospital, I don’t know what happened but like it's strange, sweetheart.” Candy places his hand on his hip and sways it, “Like shits not normal, you know what I mean?”

Eric grabs Jack's shoulder, turning him around to face him. “Relax man, what the hell’s going on? Why are we asleep in our hotel beds when we were at the hospital with fag boy and Angela?”

Jack’s eyes still wide, sweat dripping down the side of his face, he lowers the phone and looks to the side. “You’re right… we were there, and wait!” He brought his gaze to Eric. “What’s the last thing you remembered?!”

“Me? Uh, well I remember you wanted to talk to Angela alone then me and gay boy walked outside into the hallway and now we’re here!”

“Anything else?! Like… hold up, it couldn’t be?” Jack then raised the phone back against his ear, “Candy, what’s the last thing you remembered and why are you outside when you should be in the room with Angela?”

Candy smacked his lips. “The last thing I remembered was exactly what Eric said honey, and to answer your second concern it’s because the doctor told me to step out for a second, he wanted to do tests on Angela to ensure her leave.”

“Ensure her leave? What’s happening, what is going on?” And then, it hit Jack. Before having a conversation with William, he remembered a man in an elegant robe, and when he tried escaping from him… he was transported out of reality.

This must've been that man's doing, this was all a part of your plan, wasn’t it? William H. Christ. Jack thought.

As Candy stood outside, his hip sticking out, he saw a familiar face, and that was Jack’s friend Veronica who was just strolling by out of coincidence. Candy shouts her name and when she hears her name being called, he waves at her to make himself be noticed. Veronica walks up to him with books in her arms, and smiles.

“Hey! How are you? Wait…” She glances around Candy, “Jack wouldn’t happen to be around, right?”

Candy sticks the phone in front of her. “Hello to you, too beautiful, but he’s right here, but on the phone teehee!” He winked at her, and she got nervous.

Candy saw her arms quiver as she held those books against her chest. Even her eyes were rattling too.

“You okay cutie? You seem troubled?” Candy asked.

“Huh! No no, it’s just that… it’s—”

Both of them then heard Jack shout her name, Eric smacks Jack’s back.

“Relax yo!” Eric said, massaging his hand. “Damn you got a strong back.”

“So-Sorry… Uh, Veronica! Can you hear me?”

Veronica stood there, silently shivering out of nervousness. She hadn’t forgotten what Jack had done when he came to her rescue a couple of nights ago. It’s possibly the most freightening experience so far in her entire life, not because she was almost violated, but because the boy she once knew was about to commit a murder right in front of her, causully too. Jack kept asking if Veronica could hear him as Candy held the phone in front of her, waiting.

“Sweetheart, you gonna let him hang? Or are you gonna answer him, because he’s starting to annoy me boo boo!”

Giving it some thought, she gives in and grabs the phone out of Candy’s pale hand, holding it against her ear. “Ye-Yes… I can… Jack.”

Jack sighs out of relief. “Thank goodness, okay listen, can you do me a big favour?”

Veronica pauses, now a sign of anger was showing. Her eyes were narrowing and her Jaw was tightening. “Fa-Favour? The audacity…”

“Huh… wh-what do you—?”

“You really think you have the right to ask me a—Favour?! After what you almost committed in front of me not too long ago!” Although she was angry, when the words were coming out of her mouth, it didn’t appear like she was, her voice sounded too soft.

Luckily Candy’s a master reader of body language and he knew she was angry, so he says, “Uh-Oh” because he already assumed what she meant by committed.

Dumbass Jack probably almost killed someone from the sounds of it, honestly that big asshole. Candy thought. He crosses his arms and sighs as he shakes his head in disappointment.

Jack already knew what she was talking about, so to lessen the situation, he takes a deep breath. “I know, I’m sorry, but right now is not the time to talk of the past. Right now, I want you, one of my closest friends, to help me. This isn’t for my selfish needs, this is about Angela’s safety, so… could you please brush this aside and we can talk it through later? Like uhh—”

“Date… say date.” Eric whispered to Jack.

“Date! We can talk it through a date! How about it, Veronica?” Jack said as he scrunch his face in confusion.

At first she was truly about to go off, but when she heard the word ‘Date’, her face turned red and her eyes were becoming erratic.

Da-Da-Date! Veronica thought.

Veronica lowered her voice, sounding childish. “Ar-Are you serious… or is this another escape goat for something serious?”

“No no, we’ll go on one tomorrow. Promise!” Eric thumbs up Jack and he nods repeatedly still confused.

“Really… Do you really mean it—? Wait a second… do you even know what a date even is?” Veronica asked, raising a brow, growing suspicious.

Jack raises a brow too, and tries remembering what it meant. “Yeah! If I remember, I went on one with Sarah a couple of days ago. Is that what you’re referencing?”

Upon hearing that, her face turned even redder, but because she was furious. “Wh-Wh-What?! Oh I’m going to have my word with her!” She puffed her cheeks out and stomps the ground, “Stupid Sarah, dummby Jack!”

As Veronica was having her temper tantrum, Candy took the phone out of her hand and took control. “She’s going berserk, anyhow we’ll wait for you two here at the hospital, okay sexy guys! Chow!” Candy hangs up the phone and watches the smart bratty girl go haywire.

Jack and Eric stood there scratching their heads, but this wasn’t the time to stick around and think, they had to get back to the hospital and get back to Angela.

Eric tapped the young man's shoulder. “So, whats the situation?”

Jack looked off to the side, and started speaking to himself quietly. “To think we’re here… when all of that chaos was happening right before our eyes; the guns, the people, our men, everything… And now no one remembers a damn thing, those guys really are a force to be reckoned with.”

Eric cringed and quickly grabbed his phone out of Jack’s hand. “Why are you talking to yourself like crazy?” Eric started walking forward, “Come on, we gotta get back to them and find out what the hell is really going on because I’m just as freaked out as you, my guy.”

Without saying another word, Jack nods and follows Eric. Both men were on their way back to the hospital to see both Candy and Veronica; when it felt like minutes ago they were already there. With concerned looks on their faces, both made sure they were locked and loaded, just to be safe if anything else truly did go south.

William… you’re unbelievable. And I’ve never been so afraid of someone or something—until now. Jack thought.