Chapter 52: Evil Dead

"David. Listen to me. I don't think a tranquilizer's gonna do shit!"

Eric looked down at the floor; thumping and yelling could be heard beneath them. Looking up, he saw his old friend David squeezing his shot shoulder in pain. David wore a light blue denim shirt over a white t-shirt, and a light scratchy beard sat on his jaw.

"'Cause I don't think we're dealing with a freaking panic attack here." Eric said nervously as guilt and fear filled his chest. "I know this is gonna sound pretty damn crazy, OK? But I'm scared that what's happening to Mia may have something to do with that fucking witchcraft in the basement."

"Eric, come on, man. You're losing it." David shook his head and looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"Oh, man... I really hope you're right." Eric said as he looked down at the wooden floor with fear. At the same time, he took comfort in his friend's words, but deep down inside him. Eric knew that what he read in that book caused everything that happened to Mia.

"I hope you're right..."

•••

VROOM

A man in a black leather jacket drove on his black Kawasaki motorcycle through a long, lonely road. The man wore a full-face blackout helmet with a white skull painted on the front.

It was nighttime, and the thick woods surrounded him and the road. Slowly, he stopped when he saw the road up ahead be flooded entirely over. Thus making it impossible for any road vehicle to pass over. The man took off his helmet and looked out ahead of the flood.

"We're getting closer. Whatever is trying to come up is giving off some of the most sinister energy I've ever felt." Harvey spoke as he glared ahead.

'It's an ancient evil.' Zarathos said from within. 'He's gone through many names over the centuries. The Taker of Souls is the most common name he's gone by.'

"Taker of souls? That doesn't sound very good." Harvey then kicked out the bike stand and got off his bike. "Damn... I just sensed another soul being extinguished. There's people dying over there."

'Most likely, we should hurry before he becomes too powerful.' Zarathos said. 'If we transform into the Ghost Rider, he could sense our presence and return to hell.'

"In other words, we must get there without alerting him." Harvey concluded. "This flood won't make things any easier."

Harvey then looked at his motorcycle and some trees, walking over to the wide, beat-down road sign. Harvey felt an idea pop into his head.

"I'm about to make my inner daredevil proud."

•••

"No! Please, David, don't! "

David looked at his now-possessed friend, Eric, walking slowly to him. Behind him, he could hear his now returned-to-normal sister bang repeatedly on the door. David turned to the side and noticed the shotgun from earlier resting against a table.

With a kick, David caught the falling shotgun in his left hand. Tonight's events were horrifying and tragic; one by one, all his friends and girlfriend died at the hands of whatever this demon was. David was happy he could save his sister from the clutches of the evil entity by performing his elaborate plan. At least she would make it out of here after all this was over.

Slowly raising the shotgun, David felt pain course through his mangled body. The possessed Eric stabbed his neck to kill him, but somehow, David was still alive. Just as he was about to shoot Eric, he spoke in a low, raw voice.

"He's coming..."

David smiled weakly and pointed the shotgun away from Eric towards the gas canister. With a pull of the trigger, the room exploded into a wave of fire. As David felt the fire consume him, he smiled in satisfaction. With that, his sister could escape and be free. David could die knowing he did his best.

•••

"No... David..."

Mia sobbed as she watched the cabin slowly be consumed in flames. Hearing nothing but the cracking from the fire, Mia knew her brother couldn't have survived.

Looking down, Mia noticed the necklace her brother gave her. Walking over to it, Mia knelt and picked it up. Tears slowly streamed down her face as she held the last gift she would ever receive from her brother.

DRIP

Mia was confused when, out of nowhere, a huge drop of blood fell directly on the necklace. Looking up, Mia saw that it started to rain blood from the sky.

"What the hell?" Mia looked around as the bloody rain continued to pour all around her.

"AAHH!"

Mia screamed in pain as a hand unexpectedly punched out of the dirt and grabbed her wrist. Somehow, having mere contact with the hand managed to burn her. With a scream, Mia tore her wrist away and backed away from the monstrous hand.

Slowly, a body crawled out of the dirt as if made of a liquid substance instead of a solid. Mia looked on in horror as the dirty, bloody figure crawled out with a mop of filthy black hair on its head. Once half its body was out of the ground, the creature looked up at Mia with a demonic face.

Snapping out of her shock, Mia stood up and ran towards the parked red Jeep. Opening the door, she jumped inside the cabin and closed the door. Pulling out the Jeep's keys, Mia fumbled, trying to find the one for the vehicle. In her panic, she foolishly dropped the keys. Mia quickly reached down and grabbed the keys; after sitting up straight, she turned to her left and saw a dark, bloody figure at the door window.

"AAHH!" Mia backed away as the creature punched through the window with ease.

Glass exploded into cubes as the demon reached inside to try and grab her. The monstrous growls and moans it released sent shivers down Mia's back. Mia tried to kick away the demon, but whatever strikes she landed seemed not to affect it. Looking down, Mia saw the creature reach down at her leg, but before it could grab her, the beast was yanked away from the Jeep and thrown into the burning cabin with a crash.

"Huh?" Mia asked as she looked out the Jeep's window and saw someone in a leather jacket and a motorcycle helmet with a skull painted on the front walk in front of her.

"You okay?" Mia couldn't hear his voice too well due to the helmet. Mia quickly nodded her head at the question. "Good. Are there any more survivors?"

"...N-No, j-just me." Mia spoke sadly as she thought about her friends and brother all being dead.

"I see... I'm sorry I got here too late." The man said as he opened the Jeep's door and held a hand to her.

Mia slowly grabbed his hand and let him help her out of the vehicle. Once she stood outside, she looked at his outfit and couldn't help but think he was some sort of biker. Mia had to turn her head due to his height. At the sound of wood shattering, Mia jumped up and saw the demon jump out of the cabin, a ferocious look on its terrifying face.

"You cocksucker!" The demon roared. "What are you?!"

The man then walked in front of her and took off his helmet, holding it in front of her. Mia grabbed it instinctively and looked up at his handsome face and silky brown hair. What entranced her were his glowing orange eyes. The browned-haired man then walked forward without a hint of fear.

"You know who I am."

The man spoke as he walked towards the demon. Suddenly, the man's head exploded into flames, leaving behind a white naked skull. Mia jumped up in fear, almost dropping his helmet. But for some odd reason, she didn't hold any fear towards the flaming man.

"Zarathos!" The demon said fearfully, shocking Mia.

"It's time I did something I should have done a millennia ago." After the flaming skull finished his sentence, he somehow summoned a long flaming chain made of magma.

"You should not be here! YOU SHOULD BE SEALED AWAY!" The demon screeched as he ran towards the flaming skull.

Without wasting a second, the man who saved her dashed towards the black-haired demon and spun around, delivering a powerful kick that sent the demon through several trees. With a jump, her flaming savior flew towards the demon in a blazing arc. Mia looked on in confusion.

"... What's going on?"

•••

"How pathetic."

The Ghost Rider looked down at the struggling Taker of Souls as he struggled to get up from underneath the pile of trees he was under. Reaching down, he grabbed his skinny leg, ripped him out of the rubble, and slammed him into the ground.

"Blackheart promised us all you were gone!" Taker spoke weakly as he struggled to escape his powerful grip. "You're supposed to be in the in-between realm!"

"Not anymore."

Ghost Rider then summoned his trusty flaming jagged blades and cut off Taker's right leg, eliciting a horrible scream from the demon.

"It seems our Binding Vow was rendered mute once I was sealed." Ghost Rider said as he summoned forth a long spear and stabbed it into Taker's left leg, pinning him. "Your insatiable thirst for human souls was always a nasty aspect of yours I detested."

The spirit of vengeance continued to stab spears into the demon until he was crucified by every limb. Each stab caused the demon to cry in pain.

"P-Please Zarathos… Mercy." Taker pleaded weakly from his position. "I-I'll enter another Binding Vow! I will!"

Shaking his flaming head, the Ghost Rider walked around until he was right over the Taker's head; crouching down, he stared into the pinned demon's eyes. Taker grew nervous and sweaty, fearful of the Rider's stare.

"No, today will be your last." The Ghost Rider said as he grabbed Taker's neck and performed his penance stare.

"RAAAGHHHHH!"

Looking down at the still soulless body of Taker, Ghost Rider commanded his spears to ignite on Hellfire. Completely burning away the demon to nothing. Not even ashes. Looking over to the burning cabin in the distance, Ghost Rider knew he had to destroy Takers Naturom Demonto to eliminate his existence fully.

So, with a throw of his blades, Ghost Rider pulled himself forward into the air by his chains.

•••

"You sure this is where you want me to stop accompanying you?"

Harvey stood in front of his motorcycle, and Mia was leaning on her red Jeep—a forlorn expression on her face.

"Yeah… I'll be fine from here." Mia said as she looked at him with a tired smile. "Thank you… for saving me back there. I'm not sure what I would have done if you didn't show up."

Harvey shook his head and looked around the small town; they were parked in front of a diner. Every now and then, people would enter or exit the establishment.

"I think you'd come up with something." Harvey said with a smile. "You're a pretty strong person, Mia. One doesn't just survive an encounter with a demon like that by having luck."

"It's thanks to my brother… he's the reason I'm standing here now." Mia looked at her necklace with a sad frown. "I owe him my life."

Harvey frowned and looked up at the morning sky. If only he could have made it sooner, her brother could have survived. With a shake of his head, Harvey dismissed the thought. It would do him no good to think about what-ifs.

"He sounds like a good man."

"He was… now I have to be a better person, better than before." Mia then walked over to him and held her hand out. "Thank you for letting my brother's sacrifice not be in vain."

Harvey nodded and shook her hand. Mia then got in her Jeep and drove away.

With nothing left to do here, Harvey got on his motorcycle and started heading home.