Grant and his team did not stay long in Los Angeles. Wasting no time, Grant rented a black Honda sedan after being dropped off by the minivan driver who had graciously given them a ride into the city. Within two hours they were all well on their way to Nevada. Grant, Roruke and Estelle took turns driving as they were all running on reserve energy at this point. Franklin had bought them all sandwiches and energy drinks at a convenience store, more than enough to sustain them the whole trip.

“If we weren’t running from a monster I would have liked to stop at Vegas,” said Estelle. “I’ve actually never been there.”

“Me neither,” said Roruke. “Though I doubt I could afford to stay more than one night.”

“After this is over I could treat you all to a week in Vegas,” said Franklin from the back seat. “I’ll pay for the finest suites and the most luxurious restaurants. It’s the least I can do to say thanks.”

“I’ll be glad just to keep my life,” said Estelle.

“Three more hours and we’re there,” said Grant, checking the car’s gps. “Everyone doing good so far? God I could really use some sleep. The energy drinks aren’t doing it anymore.”

Seven hours after leaving Los Angeles, the team found themselves at the front door of a modest looking house in the suburbs. If Grant hadn’t been told, he would have never guessed that it was the home of a former cult member. Grant rang the doorbell and a moment later a friendly looking man in his forties wearing loose jeans and a grey polo shirt opened the door.

“Can I help you?” he asked, glancing between them.

Grant stepped forward. “My name is Grant Foreman and these are my companions, Franklin, Estelle, and Rourke. We’re here to talk to you about the Grace of the Fountain.”

An unmistakable look of horror crossed the man’s face for a second. Grant almost didn’t catch it.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said. “Now if you will excuse me I got a conference call.”

“The woman is loose,” said Estelle quickly, before he could shut the door. “Please sir we wouldn’t come here if we had any alternatives. We need your help. An associate told us you know of a way to undo the ritual that anchors her to this world.”

“You can erase your past for good,” said Grant. “The cult’s been wiped out by the demon lady they loved to worship. Now it’s fallen to us to clean up their mess.”

The man sighed and let go of the door handle. “You all look pretty tired. I can tell you’ve seen some real nasty shit. Come on inside. I’ll put on some tea.”

Grant nodded to his team and they all followed the man into his home. It was very plainly decorated and well organized. It was as plain and everyday as a home could look. It was clear that the man had completely let go of his past with the cult. Grant felt sorry for disturbing the peace but they had no better options..

“We know the grave of Aldo Ricci is not far from here,” said Estelle, stepping into the kitchen. “Is there something there that could help us get rid of the woman Mr.--”

“Just call me Trip,” said the man as he heated up a pot of tea. “And yes, the ritual is quite simple and unfortunately it will involve us disturbing the grace of Aldo Ricci. The only one who can really send back the demon is the one who put her here in the first place. Now of course our friend Aldo has been dead for a long while so we’ll have to settle for what’s left of his body. A knife, fashioned from his bones will do. One stab from a weapon like that will send her back.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Sounds simple enough,” said Franklin.

“If she doesn’t rip you apart first,” said Grant. “I’ve seen her handiwork. She brought down the Dutchess of Scotland. We’d never get close enough to land a hit like that.”

Trip rubbed his chin and gestured towards the dining table where he set down the pot of tea. Estelle helped to arrange some cups.

“I can set up something in the local church,” said Trip. “In a place of opposing divine forces she won’t be as fast or as strong. Still dangerous though so I can’t promise that you get slashed. But at least fighting on our turf we will have a chance.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Grant. “We must hurry though. I’m sorry but the woman’s after Franklin here. She wants to uh...mate with him so to speak.”

“Oh you're in some real deep shit kid,” said Trip, raising his eyebrows at Franklin. “She’ll give you a good demon pussy, but your offspring won’t be pretty.”

“Ok can we not talk about that?” said Franklin, turning pale. “The girl I fell for was Gabriella anyways. I was deceived.”

“Ah yes poor girl,” said Trip. “Trapped in there for a century. I don’t know what will happen once we get rid of the demon. It may drag Gabriella back with her. Maybe it will kill them both, this ritual. I’m afraid that is something we are all going to have to live with.”

“So be it,” said Roruke. “We will go to the graveyard. You go to the church?”

“I’ll be done with preparations hopefully by the time you all get back,” said Trip, nodding. “Exhume the bones then meet me there.” He wrote down an address on a napkin and handed it to Grant. “You can borrow a shovel from the tool shed out back.”

A thirty minute drive took Grant and his team to the cemetery where Aldo Ricci was buried. Even though the body they were about to exhume belonged to the man responsible for the creation of the painting and its dark history, Grant still felt sick knowing they had to break into a grave.

“Franklin keep a lookout,” said Grant, as they entered the cemetery. He saw tombstones of varying shapes and sizes. There were no gravekeepers or visitors in sight for which Grant was thankful.

Grant, Rourke, and Estelle spread out to search as Franklin stood at the entrance gate to the cemetery to look out for anyone approaching. Several minutes passed and the team hadn’t found the right grave. Grant began to fear that the grave had no marker, or that it had already been exhumed before.

“Over here!” Estelle called out and Grant rushed over.

Estelle was standing over a plain tombstone that sunk to the side into the earth. Sure enough the name Aldo Ricci was barely visible, carved into the stone. Without another word Grant began to dig with Roruke joining him a few seconds later. They had to work fast before anyone caught them in the act.

Grant and Rourke dug hurriedly until their shovels struck something hard which mde Grant dig even faster to clear the dirt around what he was sure to be a coffin. Sure enough a very old and worn looking wooden coffin came into view.

“Did you bring a crowbar?” Grant asked Rourke.

“Yeah here,” said Roruke, handing him the tool. “I brought a hammer too. You sure you want to remove the nails one by one? Might be easier to just smash open the coffin.”

“Forget it,” said Grant. “Maybe the ritual requires the bones to be intact.”

Removing the nails was tedious work. A part of Grant wanted the process to last forever so that he didn’t have to deal with whatever was inside the coffin. When at last the final nail was removed Grant threw open the coffin and Estelle held open a large plastic garbage bag.

The bones inside the coffin were undisturbed and all flesh had rotted away. The skull of Aldo Ricci stared up at them almost in a condemning way. The jaw hung open as if agony over the fact that his rest had been distrubed. Grant was quick to collect the bones and dump them into the trash bag. He left the suit that the corpse had been dressed in at burial in the coffin.

“Sorry friend,” said Grant. “But we need your bones to undo this mess you’ve put us in.”

Rourke shoveled all the dirt back into the grave after Grant placed the cover back over the coffin. Estelle called Trip to let him know that they had accomplished their task.

“Great,” said Trip, over the phone’s speaker. “Come on over to the church. The pastor of the church is my friend and he was kind enough to vacate the staff for us. We won’t have to worry about collateral damage now.”

Estelle tied up the garbage back and with Rourke’s help hauled it back to the rental car and placed it in the trunk. Franklin looked sick upon entering the car.

“What is it?” Grant asked as he started up the car. “What’s wrong?”

“Let’s hurry,” said Franklin. “She knows we have the bones.”