Evil Dead

"I think I remember the general area where the church was," Eduj shrugged. "We could probably find it. How will we make the groups?"

Cameron:<No one else has a car? It's safer than walking.>

Tirea:<Monu's if it still...exists.>

Azuma: "Take a bus?"

L"There we go, Thiera & I can take this to the school library via bus."

Cameron:<Hopefully we wouldn't get a bus full of people killed.>

Eve:<I will accompany you.>

"Chances of survival might be increased with numbers," Eduj suggested. "I will go to the church."

Azuma: "How many of us were on that trip?"

Mimiru: "Don't think of it like that."

E"Someone else should go to the church."

N"Count me out. Creepy old abandoned church run by a creepy old priest who's now dead? Yeah, you're gonna get mauled by monsters for sure. Hell, I'm half-expecting to hear the girl at the counter being murdered any minute now."

Tirea:<We'll go.>

*She points at herself and Cameron, who looks surprised*

<Come on, someone else volunteer.>

Azuma: "Might not hurt if we go."

Mimiru: "It could."

"Might get hurt wherever we are, whatever we're doing," Eduj stated. "Got to do something."

N"So it's agreed. I'll go to the library."

E"Taiyo should go there, too. I can take the church."

Cameron:<I'll drive the group going to the church.>

Eduj looked over at Astarte sitting on the floor, "Astarte, to the library?"
She nodded.

Taiyo: "Are you sure?"

*Euryale looks over.*

E"Who, me? Yeah, Nero's probably right, & I can't take you into that kind of danger."

Cameron:<Let's go.>

*He heads out to his car*

Eduj followed him out, Astarte left to wait with the group going to the library.

Taiyo kisses Euryale and heads out with the library group.

*They eventually manage to catch a bus & are dropped off at campus. By this point, it is twilight, & many students are migrating westward, entering classroom buildings along the way. Lilith, Thiera, & Nero head through the gates.*
=====================================
*When the other group arrives at the church, it's mostly the same, except for a few extra scratches & pockmarks, worst of which being the sign, which doesn't say anything & is covered in scratches. 1 of the windows is boarded up, but Euryale said it was already like that. She now gets out of the car. Looking around to see that, aside from a few cars & only the occasional passing pedestrian, they are alone. So she approaches the broken window, taking off her backpack & reaching inside.*

E"Be careful. Who knows what could be in there."
=================================
*The Shadow stands, blocking the doorway of the church as it burns. As its victims burn, the scene seamlessly transitions to the crashed bus & the burning forest. Stefan's shout can be heard, "Sin & witchcraft! You brought this demon upon us!"*

They can never be forgiven.

*A pale light drowns out the image of the burning forest, projecting instead a scene of Grimm watching the news, which features a photograph of the group.*

"...Students emerged from the forest, claiming to have seen strange things--"

*The scene vanishes just as quickly as it had appeared, & now a police officer is opening the back door of his car & gesturing inside.*

"Let's go for a ride."

A little Good Cop Bad Cop?

*A blur of trees. Sudden impact. The sound of crunching glass & shrieking metal. Looming out of the shadows, someone aims a gun in his direction & fires. Turning, he sees a hobo lying against a tree, eyes misted over & throat torn out, trench coat stained all over with dried blood.*

They did this.

E"Euryale Rakshashi--my girlfriend, Taiyo--the gods--tried a spell--monsters following us."

*While she's talking, Roatha emerges from the bushes, runs up, & grabs him by the collar. Though he can't be heard, lip reading suggests he's saying something like, "I know it was you! What are you plotting?!" He suddenly sneers & begins punching the man in the face, not stopping even after he falls to the ground. Amidst the haziness & headache, the Shadow can be seen appearing behind Roatha & putting a hand on his shoulder. Roatha stops punching & pulls out a pocket knife, flicking the blade open & holding it in an icepick grip. The man now notices that around Roatha's neck is a crucifix necklace with bloodstains on it, & Stefan's burnt & bloody corpse can momentarily be seen superimposed over him, throat torn to the bone, a brow sunken in, emaciated & covered in cuts, but still vaguely recognizable.*

Who else but the Devil could do this work? Clearly, he is leading them.

S"The Shadow's powers must be rubbing off on us."

*Roatha begins speaking & it is now audible.*

R"Basically, I offered to deliver the Shadow's victims personally, far away from prying eyes. In return, my flesh was scoured away so that I could live forever."

Astarte followed close at their heels.

Eduj followed her to the broken window, "Maybe we should try the doors first. Around the back, maybe."

*Eve follows Lilith*
===
*Cameron and Tirea get out their flashlights*

Taiyo follows the group.

===================================

Azuma: "See anything?"

Mimiru: "How long ago was anyone here?"

E"Tough to say. There are no footprints & I don't see anyone inside."

*Euryale heads to the front entrance.*
===================================
*When they get to the library, Lilith heads for the scanners & Eve gets a message.*

N"...We've gotta do something about Roatha."

T"What do you mean?"

N"He has all of our numbers, many of our addresses, a lot of personal information, MY room key, & that's just the stuff that he has legally. If he can get the cops on his side, then--"

*Nero raises his eyebrows.*

T"...Then what?"

N"...Then it's not just Roatha. There's someone else. There's no way that Ira jackass could get away with all of the shit he does only by controlling Roatha. Someone covers for him."

Astarte listened intently.

Eduj peered through the window as Euryale approached the door to see for himself.