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It happened at night. Saint John’s Eve, to be precise. It was a night that had lost meaning as people abandoned old religions and traditions. But even as the rituals were left to rot, it didn’t mean the things that traveled through the night stopped. And this night was one of their favorites. For many decades, the fire had protected people against evil; large bonfires were lit on this night, offering protection to the town. But as people left or died, that tradition ended with them.
It’s been a few years since the town has seen a bonfire, so on this Saint John’s Eve, a dark being gained enough strength to escape his prison. The wind blew wild, and birds flew to leave the woods and get far from its dark tomb, which had finally opened. If someone in the town noticed that the night was more silent than usual, no one said anything. The night trembled with the dark energy of the being, his smile bigger and brighter than it should be. As he moved towards the town, he almost felt how sweet revenge would taste. This town had imprisoned him, so he had decades to plan what to do when he was finally free. But his plan wouldn’t be complete until he found her. Luckily, he could feel the presence of light in the town. He walked towards that light, staying out of sight by hiding in the shadows. He stopped outside a house. Inside, there were two women preparing food. One of them shone bright in his eyes. She will do nicely, he thought. Disappearing back into the shadows once more.
An alarm blasted Ava awake; she rose, trying to wake up and leave her dream behind. It was a nightmare, unlike the ones she used to have. It wasn’t about the accident or the orphanage; this time, there was a man or something that looked like a man. He watched her, and she could feel her heart racing as she trembled under his gaze. We’ll meet soon, he whispered before disappearing into the dark.
“Good morning, darling,” Beatrice said from the bedroom door, already holding Ava’s coffee.
“Good morning, babe,” Ava said, approaching her and kissing her lightly. Then, she took the coffee and gulped it down.
Beatrice burrowed her eyebrows, “everything ok?”
“Yep! Why wouldn’t it be?”
Beatrice started at her. Ava knew she could never lie to her girlfriend; she could read her like no one else. But she didn’t want to discuss her nightmare. Not when she had a whole new day in front of her. Beatrice decided to drop the topic.
Life in the town was calm; after years of traveling the world and trying everything she could, Ava came to live here following Beatrice. Even though Ava had more energy than she knew what to do with, she had found a home in this little community. She thrived in her conversations with others, so it wasn’t a surprise that she worked at a coffee shop. Ava had met Camila through Lilith, Beatrice’s childhood friend. They hit it off immediately, and that same day, Camila offered her a job at her coffee shop.
“Hi Cam!” Ava greeted her as she made her way to the employee’s room.
“Good morning, Ava!” Camila answered.
The morning passed quickly since it was rush hour for people going to their jobs. When that quieted down, Camila and Ava had time to talk.
“Did you hear about what happened last night?” Camila asked.
“No. What happened?” Ava asked.
“This morning, they found dead birds surrounding the church. Father Vincent was scandalized and promised to find the culprits.”
“That’s fucked up. He thinks it was a joke?”
“That’s his theory, but” Camila leaned closer, “last night was Saint John’s Eve.”
“Huh?” Ava was confused; she hadn’t heard about that before.
“Some people say it’s a night for witchcraft, where dark things roam, and strange things happen.”
Ava laughed. She knew Camila was interested in the occult, but Ava had never encountered anything supernatural during her travels. “So, you think some dark thing killed those birds?”
“We can’t be sure, but it’s too coincidental, right?”
“I’m going to give it to Father Vincent this time. It was probably some kids playing a prank. Why would they kill birds for it? I don’t know, that’s sick.”
Camila looked at Ava curiously but didn’t add anything.
As days passed, Camila’s theory seemed to gain more evidence. Birds kept dying all over town, and soon, they were joined by cats and even dogs. Ava tried not to overthink it, and the consensus in the town was that there was a wild animal loose in the woods that had been killing the animals. Camila kept insisting something unnatural was happening and warned Ava to be careful.
One day, a man dressed in white showed up at the church. He called himself Adriel and charmed Father Vincent, the town priest. Soon, Adriel was giving sermons, even though no one knew for sure if he was a priest.
Ava started hearing rumors about a new church, the Church of the First Born Children, at the coffee shop. She scoffed at the name and listened to people talk about the place, keeping her opinion to herself. It wouldn’t do to alienate their clients.
Ava had never been religious, probably because of her experience in the catholic orphanage where she was raised. So she was surprised when Beatrice announced she would see what the fuss was about this new church. Ava knew Beatrice’s relationship with faith was hard; it was too entangled with the memories of Beatrice’s parents and the hurt that she still felt to this day. However, Ava was nothing but supportive of her girlfriend and offered to go with her. Beatrice turned her down, understanding that Ava had no interest in those types of things. That’s why they worked as a couple; they respected each other’s boundaries and did not push more than they knew the other could handle.
Beatrice returned late, and Ava was almost asleep.
“How was it, babe?” Ava asked, repressing a yawn.
Beatrice stayed silent.
“Bea?” Ava asked, more alert and sitting on the bed.
“Sorry, darling,” Beatrice looked at Ava apologetically. “It was ok, nothing too special.”
“Will you go back?”
Beatrice looked tired; her eyes were glassy. “I don’t think so, no. Now let’s get to bed.”
While Beatrice prepared for bed, Ava lay thinking about what happened. Beatrice acted a little strange, but it was probably for being near religion again. Ava was sure Beatrice would tell her about what she saw in that church when she was ready. With that thought in mind, she fell asleep, not hearing Beatrice murmuring something under her breath.
Beatrice didn’t mention the First Born Children church again; Ava almost forgot about it. Almost, because after a while, the church leader, Adriel, had started to go to the coffee shop. He sat at a table surrounded by people all the time, preaching and charming all who heard him. Except for Ava, who couldn’t shake the ominous feeling she got when she looked at him.
“Ava,” Adriel told her one day, “you should join us in the next ceremony. It promises to be life-changing.”
“No offense, dude, but I don’t do religion.”
“Does your girlfriend feel the same?”
“Leave her out of this!”
“I was just saying. She keeps appearing in the services and has become an integral part of our organization.”
That couldn’t be right. Beatrice never mentioned going back to the FBC church after the first service she went to. Indeed, she arrived home later than usual, but she told Ava it was because of work. Ava trusted Beatrice completely, but now Adriel had planted suspicion in her.
This doubt grew until Ava couldn’t help it anymore, and she confronted Beatrice.
“Bea,” Ava said while watching TV on the couch, “I need to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth.”
Surprised, Beatrice nodded and added, “Of course, Ava. What do you want to know?”
“Have you returned to the FBC church after the first time?”
“I haven’t,” Beatrice replied way too fast, almost like she suspected Ava knew that wasn’t true.
“Would you tell me if you went, right?”
Beatrice hugged Ava as best she could since they were sitting. “Yes,” she said.
And with that simple word, Ava felt her heart break.
The days passed, and Ava started noticing strange things happening in town. People stopped talking or doing anything wherever she went and just stared at her. It gave her chills and one day, she decided to confront JC, a police officer she knew liked her.
“JC, why are you looking at me like that?” Ava asked as she approached him.
JC was standing at the side of his police car. The town was safe, and almost no crime ever happened, so the police were mostly for show.
JC smiled at her, “Ava. I found the most life-changing thing. And I know you’ll love it if you give it a chance.”
Ava noticed the use of the term life-changing, which Adriel had used to describe his ceremonies, and was immediately on guard. “What do you mean?”
“Come to the FBC church, and all will be revealed.”
“No, JC,” Ava shook her head, “Adriel already tried that, but I’ll never set foot in that place.”
JC just smiled brighter: “You’ll go; it will happen. And we’ll be there, ready to welcome you to our family.”
Ava felt a chill at his words, disturbed by his smile, which looked unnatural. She started backing away, but JC followed her. “I-I’m just going to go.” Ava turned to leave, but JC grabbed her arm.
“Don’t leave Ava. There’s still so much I want to tell you.”
“Let me go,” Ava warned, trying to free herself but failing as JC tightened his grip. “You are hurting me,” Ava struggled.
JC acted like he didn’t hear her, leading her to his car. But he was stopped by a woman. “You heard her. Let her go.”
“This is none of your business.” He said, but the woman grabbed his hand and turned it until he released Ava’s arm.
“Leave,” the woman said, still clasping JC. He almost growled but started walking towards his car, and the woman let him go.
“Remember what I told you, Ava. You’ll come sooner than later.” With that, he drove away.
Ava rubbed the spot where he had grabbed her. “Thank you,” she said to the woman.
The woman was still looking at JC as he drove away. She turned to Ava and gave her a friendly nod.
“I’m Ava,” she extended her hand, which the stranger shook.
“Mary.”
“You are not from around here, are you?”
“That obvious, huh,” Mary said, “I have some unfinished business here.”
“Well, let me know if there’s anything I could do to help. I know most of the people here.”
“Actually - do you know where I could find Camila?”
Ava’s eyes widened, “sure! She’s my friend and boss,” she added as an afterthought. “Follow me!”
Mary spoke little, and Ava was quieter than usual. Her encounter with JC had left her unsettled, adding to the uneasiness she felt when anyone talked about Adriel or the FBC.
They arrived at the coffee shop, which was empty since it was almost closing time.
Ava led Mary inside, “Hey Cam! I ran into someone who’s looking for you.”
Camila raised her head from where she was cleaning a coffee machine. “Mary!” She approached Mary and hugged her.
“Hey, baby girl. How have you been?”
“All good, except,” Camila looked over at Ava, “you know,” she said pointedly.
“Ok, I know when I’m not welcome,” Ava raised her hands.
“It’s not that Ava, it is just that I haven’t seen Mary for so long. We have to catch up.”
“I understand. See you tomorrow, Cam! See you, Mary. Thanks for the save.”
“Bye, Ava!” Camila hugged her.
“Goodbye, kid, see you around.” Mary nodded at her.
Ava didn’t know why she decided not to tell Beatrice about what happened with JC. Maybe it was all because of the doubt Adriel had planted on her. Or perhaps it was because of how strange her girlfriend was acting. Besides arriving late, which Ava now knew meant Beatrice was going to the FBC church, she didn’t touch Ava.
Ava had always been a physical person; touching was a significant part of how she demonstrated her love. Even when Beatrice didn’t like PSA, in their home, it was different. Beatrice always held her when Ava asked, caressed her face or any part of Ava’s body she could find, and generally reciprocated each touch Ava gave her.
But now, every time Ava approached Beatrice or tried to touch her, Beatrice flinched and moved away. Ava was deeply hurt by this and decided to discuss it with Beatrice to find out what was happening.
As Beatrice returned from the church one night, Ava awaited her on the couch.
“Ava?” Beatrice asked, surprised. “What are you doing up?”
“Waiting for you. We need to talk.”
Beatrice inhaled and walked uncertainly to the couch to sit beside Ava, but as far as she could. “What do you want to talk about, darling?”
Ava gestured to the space between them, “This. I don’t understand why you don’t want to touch me anymore. Why do you flinch when I get near you? What’s happening, Bea?”
Beatrice was silent, and suddenly, a grin appeared on her face. “Nothing is wrong, Ava. I didn’t realize I was doing that.” The smile on Beatrice’s face was so unnatural that it gave Ava pause.
“Don’t lie to me!” Ava raised her voice, more in frustration than anything.
Beatrice’s face returned to neutral, “Don’t yell at me, Ava.”
Ava flinched; she didn’t mean to do that, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Beatrice stood, “I think it would be better if I stay at Lilith’s tonight.”
Ava stood as well, “No, please, Bea. I didn’t mean it.”
“I just need some space, Ava.” Beatrice grabbed her things and left the apartment before Ava could react.
Ava felt the tears fall. She knew how much screaming triggered Beatrice and reminded her too much of how her parents had treated her. Ava would give Beatrice her space, even when it hurt.
Beatrice didn’t appear the next day, and Ava started worrying. She also didn’t answer her phone. Ava was pacing at Camila’s house, unsure of what to do. “I fucked up Cam.”
Camila looked at her, “She loves you, Ava. She just needs a little time.”
“You don’t understand; this is one of the things I promised never to do. And I did it.”
“Beatrice is not a child, Ava. She’ll come back to you.”
Ava plundered to a chair, “I hope so, Cam. I’m not sure what to do without her.”
Beatrice didn’t show signs of life for the whole week, and Ava was really starting to think something terrible had happened to her. She told Camila and Mary at Camila’s place. Ava had been staying there, not having the courage to return to her home without Beatrice. Mary was also staying at Camila’s, doing whatever had brought her to town. Ava had also called Lilith, who told her she was out of town and would return next month, but Beatrice had asked her for her keys. When Ava went to Lilith’s house, no one answered.
“It is strange,” Camila agreed, “I’m going to see if I can track her phone.”
While Camila worked on her computer, Ava talked with Mary to find out why she was here in town. But Mary was a sealed tomb, not disclosing anything she didn’t want to.
“It’s turned off. I’m sorry, Ava. We’ll go look for her in the morning, ok?”
Ava nodded, feeling her throat tighten with unshed tears.
Ava lay in bed, unable to sleep because she was worried about Beatrice when her phone rang. Ava grabbed it immediately, her heart almost out of her chest as she saw a message from Beatrice telling her to meet her at an address and go alone.
Ava jumped out of bed and started dressing while debating whether to wake up Camila or Mary. She finally decided against it, thinking it was Beatrice she was going to meet so she would be safe. Still, she left them a note informing them of what she was doing.
Ava arrived at the address and shook her head in disbelief. She was standing outside the FBC church. Scoffing, she decided to enter; her only worry was to find Beatrice. Ava opened the door and went inside.
“Welcome, Ava,” Adriel spoke from the altar, a semicircle of unlit candles surrounding him.
Ava walked slowly, seeing almost everyone in town at the church. Including the person Ava came to find. “Bea,” Ava whispered.
The eerie thing was that everyone was smiling at her, but with a forced smile. No one spoke to her as she approached Beatrice, but everyone followed her with their eyes.
“Babe, we have to get out of here. I don’t trust Adriel.”
Beatrice didn’t reply, and that’s when Ava looked at her closely. Beatrice had the same forced smile as the other people and was staring at her without any emotion in her eyes.
“Bea?” Ava tried tugging at her arm, but Beatrice remained unmoved.
“Leaving so soon?”
Ava almost jumped at the surprise. She hadn’t noticed when Adriel had approached her.
“Sorry, gotta go. Many things to do.” Ava lied and kept trying to move Beatrice.
“That’s a shame. Look around, Ava. Everyone here wants you to stay, even your precious girlfriend. Isn’t it right, brothers and sisters?”
“Yes, Ava. Stay.” All the townsfolk said in unison, including Beatrice.
Ava was scared now. She had walked alone into an unknown situation and didn’t know how to leave. Adriel had always given her bad feelings, but now she realized something more was happening here - something unnatural.
“See? Everyone wants you to stay. What do you say?”
Ava looked at Beatrice, “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t think so,” she said to Adriel and started running towards the exit.
“I wanted to make this easy for you, Ava.” Adriel snapped his fingers, and four people approached Ava. They grabbed her and started pulling her towards the altar. Ava fought and kicked, but they restricted her too well, and she couldn’t help as they put her on the altar. It was cold and made of marble. The people who dragged her there also secured her to the altar. Ava could only move her head, and that’s how she saw Adriel approaching, Beatrice dutifully at his side.
“Let me go, you sick fuck!” Ava struggled in her restraints.
Adriel laughed in her face, “I will let you go after I’m done with you.”
“What do you mean?” Ava asked, afraid of the answer but hoping she was buying time for Mary or Camila to find her.
“My dear Ava. Maybe you should be blessed with my truth and my path.” Adriel touched her face, and Ava spat at him. Adriel cleaned himself with his clothes and laughed a humorless laugh. “Let’s do this more interesting.”
Ava couldn’t process those words until she felt Beatrice caressing her face. Heart full of hope, Ava dared to look at Beatrice’s face. It still has the same sick smile as the rest of the town. Ava wanted to cry; how did they get into this situation in the first place? “Bea, please. Help me.”
“She can’t hear you.” Adriel unhelpfully replied. “It’s a thing of beauty, really. The damaged ones are easier to convert. They are just waiting for a chance of salvation and a gentle touch. After that, they will give you anything you want. In this case, you.”
Ava couldn’t stop the tears from falling, betrayal burning hot in her veins. “She wouldn’t.”
“You are here, so she clearly could. She tried to fight it in the end, but your yelling at her pushed her over the limit. So I should be thanking you. What you did allowed me to control Beatrice fully, and now you are here.”
Ava could barely follow Adriel’s explanation. Her heart was beating wildly in her ears, and all sounds and people around her disappeared, except for Beatrice, who slapped her, making Ava yelp in surprise and pain.
“Pay attention!” Adriel looked angry.
Ava just sobbed, losing hope of making it out of the situation.
“Foolish child. Still, since you’ll help me be free, I can offer you the same. After the ritual, you’ll have a choice: become my follower or die.”
Ava cried harder at that but managed to speak, “Why?”
“I can’t let you go free.”
“I mean, why are you doing this? Who are you?”
“Don’t you know? I heard your friend Camila has been digging where she shouldn’t.”
Ava struggled against her restraints, “don’t you dare hurt her!”
“So protective. Don’t you see how emotions have hurt you so much in your life? Wouldn’t it be easier just to let go, to give in?”
Ava shook her head, “Never.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it. After the accident, when you couldn’t move. Didn’t you want everything to end, for the world to feel the pain you’ve felt?”
“N-no!” Ava’s voice cracked. “Of course not.”
“And that’s precisely why you are here, even after how the world treated you, all the people that hurt you. You, Ava, still chose to love this world and its people. Disgusting.” Adriel spat on the floor.
“I still don’t understand. Please let me go,” Ava pleaded.
“Not yet, not until I get what I want from you. Beatrice, be a dear and stab your girlfriend, would you?”
And Beatrice, with the smile still plastered on her face, dug a knife deep into Ava’s stomach. Ava screamed in pain, and it got worse when Beatrice took out the knife.
“That’s perfect. Now we wait.” Adriel said with a smile.
“For me to die?” Ava asked between sobs.
“No. For your hope to die.” Adriel approached her. “Let me tell you a story so we can end this faster. I’ve been roaming this earth for millennia, thriving with the violence and darkness of humankind. Your ancestors did everything they had to survive, killing each other and conquering their enemies. It was the best of times.” Adriel’s voice was nostalgic. He seemed lost in his memory. “My children and I lived free and collected souls like candies. But then, some religious groups decided to attack us, to drive us out of this dimension. They didn’t know I couldn’t be killed here, but they tried. They managed to expel my children, and realizing they couldn’t get rid of me, they tried to contain me. They failed until her.”
Adriel stopped, lost in thought, while Ava’s blood kept flowing out of her. “Areala. She was the embodiment of light. Her soul shone so bright I could barely look at her. And she trapped me. Here, in this town, destined to be trapped in a cave, feeling humanity around me but unable to reach them. Do you know how an eternity like that feels?”
Adriel started walking around Ava, ignoring her whimpers of pain. “The worst of it is that she found out how to contain me, how to keep me trapped there. And she taught the townsfolk. To light bonfires on Saint John’s Eve, a night where my power grows. The good thing about immortality, though, is that I had a lot of time to plan my revenge. I know she’s long dead, but the town is still here. This will be the place from where I’ll conquer the rest of the world. A place of so much depravity and pain and violence that hell would look like heaven. I will sully Areala’s name and use her people to enslave all humanity.” Adriel smiled, a wicked smile on his face.
“And what does that have to do with me? Why I am here?”
“When I left my prison, I felt you. A soul made of light, just like Areala. If I can have your soul, nothing will be able to stop me.”
Ava laughed humorlessly, her strength leaving her from her blood loss. “You got the wrong person, dude. I’m not who you think I am. I’m no one special.”
“But you are, Ava. You’ve seen the worst the world offers and decided to give it a chance. Now I can end your pain; you could be with Beatrice for eternity. You don’t have to die. You only need to give yourself completely to me. I’ll get your soul, and you’ll live blissfully unaware under my command. I would reward you and your lover with the power to do whatever you want.”
“You are full of shit. If I accept, I couldn’t do anything you didn’t want me to do. I can’t live like that. I’d rather die.” Ava was defiant, choosing to sacrifice herself if that meant Adriel couldn’t have more power.
Adriel punched her in her injury, and Ava saw white, almost passing out of the pain. “I didn’t want to come to this, but you leave me no choice. Beatrice.” He commanded. Beatrice stood still next to him, awaiting instructions. “Take this knife and cut your neck. And do it with a smile, would you?”
“No, no, no. What are you doing?” Ava’s voice was desperate as she saw Beatrice go for the knife. “Bea! Please stop! Don’t do this, please. I love you.”
Beatrice didn’t hear her; she just picked up the knife, smiled, and lifted it to her neck.
“Wait!” Ava shouted, “I’ll do it.”
“Stop,” Adriel told Beatrice, who froze with the knife almost to her neck. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Adriel gestured to some people close to the altar. “You two, prepare the ritual.”
Ava could barely see through her tears but could recognize the people who lit the candles around the altar. “Hans? Chanel?” Both were good friends: Hans, a bartender in the local bar, and Chanel, a clothing store owner. “Please don’t do this.” Ava’s voice broke.
“Shh, not much longer now, love,” Beatrice said, caressing her face again. “It’s not so bad.”
Ava cried harder; she didn’t think she had more tears to cry. “Can you hold me?” Ava knew this wasn’t her Beatrice, but she could pretend if she closed her eyes.
Ava closed her eyes and heard Adriel speaking in an unknown language. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her chest, like someone was burning her inside. She couldn’t help but scream as she felt something starting to leave her. Ava wanted to throw up, but all her strength left her. A numbness came over her, her breaths shallow, and when she thought she couldn’t handle it anymore, there was a huge bang, and Adriel stopped chanting. Ava felt as if whatever was leaving her entered back into her, and she could move and breathe normally.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Adriel shouted.
Ava moved her head, trying to look better towards the place the sound came from. There was a lot of dust, but when it cleared a little, Ava never felt as much relief as until now. Camila and Mary were standing with a group of women, all holding torches. They stopped momentarily, surveilling the scene until Camila’s eyes met Ava’s.
“Ava!” her friend shouted, but an older woman held her back.
“I don’t have time for this.” Adriel waved his hand dismissively. “Take care of them, fast.”
At his command, all the people in the church turned to the newcomers, still smiling unnaturally. “Hail, Adriel,” they said as they moved as one towards the group.
Since Adriel approached her, Ava couldn’t look at what was happening anymore. He grabbed her head so she was looking at him. “Your little friends are too late. Maybe they’ll join me later if they don’t die first, that’s it.”
“They’ll stop you.” Ava spat, trying to move her head away from his touch.
“You know. This momentary hope only makes your soul stronger, more powerful for when I have it. So, let’s resume the ritual and get this over. I’m getting impatient.”
Beatrice took Adriel’s place by Ava’s side, holding her hand. “Help!” Ava tried her last attempt to break free, but soon enough, Adriel was chanting again. Ava’s vision clouded; she couldn’t see anymore, only hear as Adriel spoke. Then she heard a gurgling sound replacing his chant as he stopped once again. Ava’s vision cleared, and she could see a woman holding a flaming sword and Adriel grabbing his neck as black blood flowed out.
The woman kicked Adriel down, striking him in his arms and legs. Then, she drew a circle on the floor and started chanting in another language.
“No!” Adriel shouted. “Not again. I will not be imprisoned!”
“Let this ritual keep you here. As long as there is a believer in the old ways in this town, you’ll never leave.” The mysterious woman raised her sword and drove it through Adriel’s chest. She left it there, and Adriel looked in surprise when, from the wound, a sizzling injury grew, making him disappear with a scream.
Ava stopped looking at the woman when she heard a familiar gasp.
“Ava? What happened?” Beatrice was grabbing her head, and looked like she just woke up from a nap.
“Bea,” Ava sighed in relief, “you are back.”
“What do you mean?” Beatrice furrowed her eyebrows. “Wait, where are we?”
Ava wanted to tell her; she wanted to talk for hours, but she could only manage a cough. The cough was wet, and Ava could see faint red drops.
“Ava!” Beatrice looked at her with panic, scanning her and seeing her in detail for the first time. Ava saw Beatrice’s eyes widen when she found the stomach injury. Beatrice tried to press the wound, making Ava wince at the contact. “Help!” Beatrice shouted desperately.
Ava had never heard that tone in her girlfriend, so she knew it was bad. Honestly, she didn’t expect to leave the church alive, so she had made her peace with that. “Bea,” she whispered, unable to raise her voice. “I love you.”
Beatrice’s tears were mixing with Ava’s, eyes full of love. “Please don’t leave me,” Beatrice pleaded.
Ava wanted to reply, but she doubled over in a fit of cough. Her body couldn’t stand any more abuse, so it started to shut down. First, her legs stopped moving, followed by her arms. Beatrice was the last thing she saw before she surrendered to the darkness.
A rhythmic beat woke Ava. She couldn’t open her eyes, and her body felt heavy. She could hear voices talking close to her.
“When will she wake up?” A familiar voice asked. Ava took a moment to recognize it as Camila’s.
“It’s unclear. Her body is healing well, but her mind is probably trying to protect her.”
Ava wanted to tell them she was awake, but a drowsiness overcame her, and she knew no more.
The next time Ava woke, she felt better. This time, she was able to open her eyes and saw that she was in a hospital. She felt a pressure in her hand and looked over to see Beatrice holding her, sleeping soundly from a chair beside her bed.
“Bea,” Ava tried, her voice coarse. Her girlfriend didn’t stir.
Ava pressed her hand, which did the trick, and Beatrice woke up, looking confused. When her eyes stopped in Ava, they filled with tears. “Ava, you are awake.”
Ava smiled. “Bea,” she tried again, but her throat dried up, and she had to cough.
“Don’t speak,” Beatrice said, grabbing something from a nearby table and bringing it to Ava’s face. It was water, and Ava felt relief.
“Bea,” Ava said, this time with more success.
“I’m sorry, love,” Beatrice looked destroyed, which was the first time Ava looked her over. Her hair was messy, her clothes rugged, and her face dirty.
“Have you been here all the time?” Ava asked, and Beatrice nodded. “How long?”
“Three days,” Beatrice looked at her with sorrow.
“Shit,” Ava laughed humorlessly.
“I’m so sorry, Ava. “Beatrice cried. “I understand if you want me to go.”
“What? No!” Ava tried to raise herself into a sitting position, but the pain made her grimace and lay back on the bed.
“I hurt you.”
“Beatrice. Look at me,” Ava commanded. Beatrice looked into her eyes, eyes red with exhaustion and pain. “I don’t fully understand what happened, but I know you’d never hurt me. Something unnatural was happening.”
Beatrice looked like she didn’t want to believe her, but before she could argue, Camila entered the room.
“Ava! You are awake!”
“Cam!” Ava exclaimed, “you saved me.”
Camila entered the room, followed by Mary and the mysterious woman who had defeated Adriel.
“Glad to see you are ok, kid.” Mary smiled at Ava.
“Who are you?” Ava blurted to the other woman.
“I’m Suzanne.” The older woman replied. “Nice to meet you, Ava.”
“You too? I guess.” Ava looked at the three women and decided to get answers. “Could any one of you explain what the fuck happened? Who was Adriel, and how did he manage to do that to people?”
The three women exchanged knowing looks, and Ava saw Suzanne briefly nod at Camila. “You know I’m interested in the occult.” Camila started, and Ava nodded. “That’s actually how I met Mary. We were part of a community; I suppose you could call it. In our free time, we gathered to exchange hidden and ancient knowledge passed down through generations. Suzanne is the leader of that community, but I have not been part of it for a few years since I decided to move here. Still, we knew a dark tomb was here, so I was still watching for any signs of its opening. After Saint John’s Eve, when more weird things started happening, I called Mary for backup so she could help me research what had been released from the tomb. We suspected it was Adriel, but we didn’t know his endgame.”
Ava could fill out what happened next. They found her note and followed her to the FBC church, where they defeated Adriel.
“So, he’s gone?” Ava asked, voice trembling with fear.
“Not exactly gone, just trapped back in his tomb,” Suzanne replied. “No one has ever found a way to banish him from this dimension, but now that we know he’s here, we can strengthen the protections of his tomb, ensuring he doesn’t escape again.”
Ava laid back, suddenly exhausted. It was a lot to process. An immortal evil being tried to steal her soul to conquer the world. No one could say her life was not exciting.
“You ok?” Beatrice whispered.
Ava shook her head, closing her eyes and trying to make peace with what had almost happened to her.
“I think you should go,” Beatrice addressed the three women. “Ava needs rest.”
Suzanne nodded and exited the room, followed by Mary and an unhappy Camila.
Ava opened her eyes and looked at Beatrice, caressing her face. Beatrice closed her eyes and leaned into the contact. “Are you ok?” Ava asked her.
Beatrice opened her teary eyes. “No. I almost killed you, Ava.”
“It wasn’t you, Bea. You heard what they told us. Adriel was an immortal bad guy; we could have done nothing to stop him.”
“I was weak. I let my emotions win when I went to satisfy my curiosity at the church. That first service did something to me. I needed to keep going and stay away from you. Adriel thought it would be the best way to get you to give him your soul. I couldn’t say no, and after every service, I felt more at peace and detached from my life, from our life. All I thought about was how I could serve Adriel better and how I needed to turn you in. But my love for you was stronger, and I refused until-”
“Until I yelled at you.”
Beatrice nodded silently. “After that, I returned to the church, and everything was fuzzy. It was like I was seeing my actions through a TV, unable to control them. But the worst part was that I didn’t want to control them. I wanted to make Adriel happy, even if that meant betraying you. Giving you to him.” Beatrice moved away from Ava, standing to look out of the window, refusing to look back at her.
“Bea,” Ava missed her proximity. “It wasn’t your fault.” Beatrice still didn’t turn. “I will keep saying it until you believe me.” Ava sat on the bed, gasping at the pain. The sound made Beatrice turn to look at her. “Come here, please. I need you.”
Beatrice could never resist Ava’s puppy eyes and complied. She went to sit on the bed. Ava grabbed her hand. “Promise me something, Bea,” Ava said seriously.
“Anything.”
“Tell me you won’t leave me. When things get rough, and the guilt is eating you, stay with me. We can work it out together. It might take a long time, but we’ll be ok. He’s gone, and we are still here.”
Beatrice looked at her wordlessly and nodded.
Ava exhaled with relief and grinned. “This was not how I imagined doing this, but if I learned something from the experience, life is too short, and anything can change any second.” Ava kneeled on the bed. “Beatrice, my love, my life. I want to have forever with you. Be by your side in the best and the worst. I have traveled to places I could never have dreamed of, but I have never found something as precious as you. I know this is it for me; you are my home. Would you marry me?”
Beatrice was crying again, but this time, there were happy tears. “Yes,” she managed to say before Ava kissed her deeply.
They stood there, kissing and laughing for the rest of the day, and everything that happened in the church was forgotten for a while.
Now, every Saint John’s Eve, if you go close to the town, you’ll see large bonfires lighting the way. And sitting next to one, Ava and Beatrice, enjoying each moment next to each other.