Boon's eyes fluttered open, the dust danced in the sunbeams that slipped through the old blinds. But this wasn't his room, it was coated in dust and he was laid out on an old mattress. He winced and raised his head, noticing the graffiti-covered walls.

"What the fuck!" he muttered under his breath, his head was still in a bit of a fog from when Zack had punched him out.

"Where the hell am I?" Boon shouted, his voice echoing through the empty house. Outside, Rob and Zack exchanged concerned glances, Boon was awake and they weren't sure how they were going to explain why they locked him into the old shack in the woods.

"Stay calm, Boon," Zack called out, trying to sound calm and collected. "We've brought you here to protect you."

"To protect me? Protect me from what?" Boon demanded, as he tried the door and realized it was sealed shut.

"Ethel and possibly the exorcists," Rob replied, deciding telling him the truth may be the best course of action. "You know because you turn into an invisible creature and have killed a few people."

"Bullshit, you are not making any sense," Boon muttered, feeling a growing sense of unease as he processed the information.

"I know it is a lot," Rob said, "I bet you are hungry, you've been out for a while." he pulled a sandwich out of his backpack. He hesitated for a moment before sliding it under the door, revealing Boon didn't touch the sandwich, even though his stomach groaned in protest until he knew exactly what was going on he wasn't going to trust anything.

"I didn't hurt anyone," Boon said, "The curse didn't work on me, I know because I have tested it all, I am just a human." Boon finally picked up the sandwich, his stomach growling louder than his pride.

"You don't remember any of it," Zack asked, surprised Boon couldn't remember killing anyone or attacking them.

"Any of what? I am telling you I haven't done anything!" Boon insisted.

Zack and Rob exchanged glances "How is that possible?" Rob asked.

"I don't know but I am going to find out. Stay here, I'll be back when I know more." Zack stepped off the front porch, he needed to know why Boon didn't remember any of it.

In an attempt to keep Boon's friends and family from worrying, Rob sent each a text from Boon's phone while Boon ate. "and with that, we have time to figure out exactly what is going on with you." He showed Boon the last text he sent to his mom.

"You idiot, I don't say that shit to my mom," Boon snapped, anger and frustration boiling inside of him. "Now they're going to know something's wrong."

"You don't tell your mom you love her?" Rob asked, clearly confused by Boon's response "Who doesn't tell their mom they love them."

"That is none of your business," Boon said bitterly, taking a bite of his sandwich. " But any time you thought you bought yourself, you just lost."

-----

In Pablo's office at the University of Waterloo, sat across from his hand-carved mahogany desk, she shifted on the velvet green chair as she waited for him to speak. Pablo leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing her with piercing blue eyes.

"Deborah, I must know," he began, tapping his fingers on his desk. "Where were you during the Familiar attacks last night?"

"Studying with Ahmed," Deb replied, it was true for once. They had spent the night memorizing mathematic equations.

"Ah, yes," Pablo said, with a slight smile. "'Know your enemy. It does seem odd that where that boy goes, the familiar seems to follow."

"Ahmed isn't our enemy," Deb said, fidgeting with her glasses.

"So it is just a coincidence that Ethel targeted him," Pablo asked, narrowing his eyes, "Do you think I am stupid? I have eyes everywhere."

"No, that isn't what I'm saying" Deb stammered, heart racing.

Without warning, Pablo stood and moved behind her chair, placing two fingers on her carotid artery. "Is Ahmed the familiar?" he asked.

"No," Deb responded, trying to free herself from his grasp but he held firm.

"But you know who the Familiar is, don't you?" He demanded.

"No, I have no clue who the familiar is, I swear." Deb cried, her whole body shaking with fear.

"Your pulse jumped," he observed, releasing her neck.

"Y-you scared me," she managed, still shaken.

"I'm sorry," he said with a nod, returning to his seat. "But you must understand, we are searching for a killer and time is of the essence." He waited for Deb to respond but she remained quiet, sunken into the chair. "You may go."

As Deb left the office, she noticed an abundance of new surveillance cameras lining the hallways. She swallowed hard, uneasy under their watchful gaze. She rushed back to her English class and away from the man who terrified her.

-----

Back in the woods, the wind rustled through the trees as Rob paced on the front porch of the shack, frustrated. He knew they were running out of time but Boon was still insisting he didn't know anything.

"This doesn't make any sense," he said, " You attacked Leona at the club, trapped Ethel and me on ice, and killed Maria at the Pizzeria. But you don't remember any of it?"

"None of it" Boon interrupted, his voice tinged with desperation. "I remember none of it! After the game, I went home, there is no way I was at the rink trying to kill you."

"Are you certain?" Rob asked, searching Boon's eyes for any hint of deception.

"Positive," Boon replied firmly. "I can't explain it, but it wasn't me."

"But it is you, your cologne is what I smelled when the familiar tied me up and you disappeared from Ahmed's house when John and Olivia attacked us," Rob conceded, deep in thought. The pair still could not figure out how Boon was and wasn't the Familiar at the same time.

-----

Deb reached her English class but spotted Father Bill leaning against the wall outside the classroom, his piercing eyes fixed on her. It was clear she had missed the class and was about to get the third degree from the old priest.

"Deborah," Father Bill started warmly, pushing off the wall and approaching her.

"I know, I know, I'm late but Pablo" Deb started but Bill cut her off.

This isn't about that, I couldn't help but notice there have been quite a few calls between you and...the odd one, Rob."

"Ah, yeah," Deb replied, hastily gathering her thoughts. "We have classes together, not to mention we have both been looking after Ahmed since Gluttony attacked him. Rob kind of has a thing for him."

Father Bill nodded slowly, his gaze searching Deb's face for any hint of deception. "Your loyalty is commendable, my dear. But Rob is too connected to Zack," he added with a sympathetic smile. "It must be difficult enough for you having to be in the same classes, knowing what you felt for him. I am worried being around Zack's friend may stir up old emotions."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Deb felt a surge of emotion tightening her chest. "Trust me I am fine," she admitted quietly. "I know Zack and I can never be together, I would never go against the exorcists." she felt the weight of her lie.

"You are very strong, Deborah," Father Bill said, his voice filled with compassion. "As long as you remain steadfast, Zack will live through this."

The words hung heavily in the air, and Deb nodded solemnly, she knew their secret relationship was dangerous but she also knew whose side she would choose if she had to.

-----

Zack stood at the entrance of Leona's hospital room, trying to figure out how to get her to talk without letting her know about the supernatural. The rhythmic beeping of machines and the faint hum of fluorescent lights filled the air as he took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"Hey, Leona," Zack greeted softly, pulling up a chair beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Been better, They said whatever cut me had some kind of toxin on it," she replied with a weak smile, her voice strained from the recent ordeal. "What brings you here, Zack?"

"I need to ask you something." Zack leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concern. "Is there any reason anyone would be mad at you? I just don't understand why anyone would do this to you."

Leona hesitated, her gaze shifting away from Zack's earnest eyes. After a moment, she sighed, relenting. "I don't think anyone is mad at me but I did have something that someone might have wanted." She paused trying to find the words to explain " Boon's been filming himself, don't ask why because I don't know. But someone tampered with one of his tapes, I was restoring it."

"So you think whoever tampered with the tape was the one who attacked you and went through your car?" Zack pressed gently, hoping to coax more information from her.

Leona bit her lip, reluctant to divulge further details. "It would make sense, if someone went through the trouble of breaking into Boon's house to delete whatever was on that tape, they clearly don't want it getting out," she said, finally meeting Zack's gaze again. "My laptop with the video was in my trunk, that has to be what they were after. Whatever was on that tape was serious."

"Yeah," Zack agreed without hesitation, this is what they needed, Boon couldn't be acting alone or he wouldn't have had Leona restore the video in the first place. Not to mention Boon was attacking the club while Leona's car was destroyed, meaning someone else could be pulling the strings. "I'm glad you made it out safe, hopefully, you won't be in here much longer.

"Thank you," Leona said as he walked out of the room

Zack entered the hallway and his phone buzzed, it was an email from the University. He scanned it quickly, and his heart sank. He was failing three of his classes and the email informed him he would be put on academic probation until further notice. He didn't have time to dwell on it though, lives were at stake and he needed to get back to Rob with this new information.

-----

Zack, Deb, and Rob stood on the rotting front porch of the shack as the sun dipped below the tree. They huddled together trying to ensure that if Boon was listening in, he wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Alright, let's lay it all out," Zack began, his voice low and steady. "The Familiar didn't kill any of us when it had the chance. It just ran past Deb, tied Rob up at the pizzeria, and only seemed to keep Ethel and Rob trapped on the ice."

"Kind of like it was trying to buy some time," Deb suggested, her brow furrowed in thought. "If someone else is involved it could explain the line about having a master in the Demonology book."

"Right but there is still something we are missing," Zack insisted. He paced back and forth, his mind working furiously to piece together the puzzle. "Why kill the dean and two other random people? how were they connected?"

"I am more concerned about the fact someone could be controlling Boon," Rob interjected darkly, "If that's true and Boon can't control it then we aren't safe here. We might need to consider getting rid of him."

"Kill Boon?!" Zack snapped, sound betrayed. "We aren't going to kill anyone. Remember Boon has helped us before and we are going to do the same for him."

"Zack, he only helped because he wanted to become a vessel himself," Rob countered, his voice tight. "He's dangerous, and we have no idea who is next on the kill list."

"Rob, listen to yourself," Zack pleaded, trying to make his friend see reason. "Boon doesn't know what he's doing any more than I did when I first started turning. I had Ethel and you to help me figure it out; Boon has nobody. We can't give up until we know we can't save him."

"Guys," Deb interjected, her voice wavering slightly, "right now all we can do is watch over Boon and make sure he doesn't kill anyone else."

They thought they were quiet but Boon had heard every word, his supernatural hearing had kicked in at the worst possible time. He really was a monster, and as this thought settled in an overwhelming wave of despair washed over him, and silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Rob, you've been out here all day," Zack said, seeing the fear and tiredness in his friend's eyes. "Go home and rest, Deb and I can take the night shift. This will seem better after a few hours of sleep."

Rob wanted to argue but deep down he knew Zack was right. He was tired and frustrated that he still couldn't figure out how all these victims were connected. "Ok, I'll go but you two need to actually watch him, not spend the night making out."

"Go!" Deb insisted as her face turned red, Rob laughed and retreated into the woods.

the hours passed and Deb and Zack sat in her car, the radio playing a soft melody as they watched over the shack. They held each other close and Deb whispered, "I love you, Zack."

"Deb, I love you too," Zack replied, his voice full of emotion. Their lips met, and they lost themselves in a tender embrace, their secret meetings had been put on hold for so long they couldn't help but take advantage of this moment together.

In the shack, Boon's breathing grew labored as he felt a sudden surge of energy. His body began to vanish from sight, fading into the background. His eyes shifted, and spiraling DNA strands replaced his pupils. His breathing became ragged gasps as his humanity slipped away.

The Familiar wasted no time, with a single strike it sent the front door flying off its hinges before it fled into the night.

"Did you hear that?" Deb asked, breaking their kiss. Her eyes scanned the darkness until they came across the door to the shack lying in the snow. "Boon's escaped!"

Zack's eyes widened, and his heart raced. "We need to find him before he hurts someone – or worse."

"We have to call Rob," Deb said, "The more people we have looking, the better." The phone buzzed for only a second before Rob picked up.

"Boon got out," Zack explained. "I think it is time we tell Lindsey about all of this, we could really use someone who actually knows how to investigate." There was a silence on the phone as Rob mulled it over.

"Ok," Rob relented. "I think I should be the one to tell Lindsey. Zack I'm going to need your help too. If things go sideways you're going to have to show her your vessel side." Zack nodded, agreeing with Rob's plan.

Zack hung up and looked over to Deb, "I'm going to go back over to Boon's, maybe he will show up there" she said with a slight grin, "You be careful ok." she instructed.

"Always am," Zack leaned in and gave her a peck before the pair split up in search of Boon.

As Zack and Rob approached the police station, Rob could feel the knot tighten in his stomach. He had no idea how Lindsey would react to the knowledge that the supernatural existed, or if she would even believe them in the first place. What if Zack shifted and she shot him or she had them both locked up in a mental hospital somewhere? With so much uncertainty Rob felt like he was going to be sick.

As they entered the station, they found Boon standing in the lobby of the station, his mother and an attorney by his side. Boon caught sight of Zack and Rob, and his eyes widened in surprise and fear.

"Zack," Boon whispered, his voice tremulous. "I don't know how I got here, but please – help me."

"Boon," Zack said softly. "We'll do everything we can to figure this out. I promise."

"Stay away from my son!" Boon's mother placed herself between them. " I want these two arrested for kidnapping." she insisted.

"Now hold on there Mrs. Boon, your son never said he was kidnapped," Lindsey explained, unable to mask her worry that Rob was about to get in a kind of trouble she couldn't protect him from. "I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for what happened." The woman turned their gaze to Boon.

"I just want to go home," Boon said, not looking his mother in the eye.

"This isn't over." his mother warned as they walked away. "You'll be hearing from our lawyer!"

Zack and Rob watched them leave before turning back to face Lindsey's wrath. "The two of you really did it this time! What were you thinking? Oh don't answer that because clearly the two of you weren't thinking at all." she huffed.

"Look Lindsey we can explain everything," Rob started, but Lindsey wasn't having it.

"I don't want any more excuses, I want the two of you out of my sight. And you better pray that Boon doesn't press charges because there is nothing I can do to protect you from this."

The boys hung their heads, aware there was no talking to Lindsey now. They slipped out into the night, completely defeated.

-----

Deb walked back to her dorm room, her eyes glued to the messages from Zack explaining the fallout at the police station. The day's events had taken a toll on her, leaving her feeling emotionally and physically drained. She reached her building, only to find Ahmed waiting by the door, his eyes wide with urgency.

"Ahmed, what are you doing here?" Deb asked, her voice strained.

"You said if I had any questions I could come to you," he replied. He fidgeted with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, clearly agitated.

"Look, I really don't have time right now," she said, rubbing her temples to fend off an impending headache. "I've got enough on my plate."

"Please, hear me out," Ahmed pleaded, he reached for Deb, accidentally knocking her phone from her hand. "I'm so sorry." He reached down and picked up the phone.

Deb reached the device, he thumb accidentally tapping her notes app and opening up the Familiar translation. "Thanks, and I am sorry for snapping. Let's just say we took a major loss today." Deb's expression softened but then she noticed Ahmed was staring at her phone.

"That's not right," Ahmed said, pointing to text on her screen. "Desidia doesn't mean slow."

"Then what does it mean?" Deb asked, leaning in closer to examine the text.

"It means Sloth" he explained, he said factually. "Sloth is the master who creates it."

Deb's eyes widened as she absorbed the implications of this revelation. Of course, another sin was on the loose in Waterloo and Boon was its puppet. It all made sense now, Sloth was using Boon to kill those on its host's list.

"Ahmed, this changes everything," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

"Really? I helped?" he replied, a genuine smile spread across his face. "So what do we do now?"

"We tell the others and then we take Sloth down," Deb assured him as her mind raced with possibilities and strategies.