The rest of the Ebony abode was nowhere as horrific as the basement. The living room was filled with sofas, cases and tacky motivational sayings hanging from the wall.
Whatever was happening to Raven in the basement, he certainly wasn't Eat, Loving and Praying, unless it was for blessed mercy from his mommymatrix.
Winona immediately remarked as she passed another floral vase with fake plastic flowers in it. "Leave it to a suburban housewife to secretly be a total freak down below."
Mina paused for a second to ponder this Devillia character. She really knew nothing of the woman aside from the times she tried to damage control for Raven's eccentricities as mayor. The woman's face and blonde curls of hair were perfectly benign. But much like Georgia Peach, who knew what kind of psycho lay behind those doe eyes. They'd have to be careful, lest they find themselves chained up and hypnotized.
Mina jumped when she heard a loud moan. It was coming from the top of the fancy spiral staircase, in the area of a bedroom. It did not sound pleasurable at all. More like the sound of audible pain.
The young attorney's blood boiled at the thought of Raven being tortured by the aptly named Devillia.
Glancing from Trudy and Winona she whispered. "Let Operation: Savin' Raven commence!"
They pump their fists together and raised them dramatically.
The three of them rushed up the stairs running on the tips of their toes. Another moan came from the master bedroom. Mina gave an audible gulp wondering if the trio would have to get into a cat fight with Devillia. Unfortunately, other than crusading against the catty Ashley, Mina wasn't too experienced in physical cat fights. Still, she'd do anything for Raven, even fight this nasty hypnotist.
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When they burst into the room, Mina gave a sigh of relief. Nobody was there except…Raven.
But worry crossed her mind quickly. He was lying on the bed, his arms and legs tied up. His eyes were tightly shut and his jaw clenched as he writhed uncomfortably. As they approached, he didn't look conscious. He did not acknowledge them, just continued to squirm and cry. A few words came from his mouth. "No…please…don't take her… don't take HER!!! I'll do anything! I beg of you!!!"
"Take who?!" Mina said, and she started jostling her poor mentor. "Raven. We're here. Please answer me!"
As she reached to touch him, his demeanor changed. "NO PLEASE! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!"
His birdlike screams echoed loud from the room. Mina realized immediately he had been hypnotized into some sort of stupor. It was almost unbearable to see until there was a snap.
Mina and her friend turned around. Standing at the edge of the door was Devillia.
Accompanying her were two men in black helmets, tight body armor and white skulls across their visors. It reminded Mina of the Dark Persecutor. A sallow smirk stretched across her normally cherubic face.
"Well…" she said, grinning widely like a curved butcher's knife. "Look what the cat dragged in. Or should I say, the bird!"
Her finger was in the air, and with a quick snap, Raven settled down into his hypnotic stupor.
"It's a displeasure to meet you…for real, Mina Hawkins!" Devillia said, her Walkford wife demeanor in full display. "I've heard so much about you. How you've put away many of our finest associates while merely being a tiny little law school girl."
She turned to the men in skull masks. "Take them…" she said, and the men quickly seized Trudy and Winona, leaving Mina alone.
The burly size of the soldiers quickly overpowered two girls in their late teens.
"Mina!" Trudy cried. "Help me!"
Winona looked over the skull mask. "I appreciate the goth aesthetic, but can you stop manhandling us!"
"Hey what gives!" Mina exclaimed. "This was my plan and I order you to take me and not my friends!"
"Oh?" Devillia said, tilting her curly blonde head of hair. "But this is my plan. To end you once and for all, Mina. Once I have executed it, you will never work in this town again. And even better, you'll be languishing in the prison vault for the rest of your sweet little life!"