Finally, the last chapter is up! I hope you enjoy the ending!
My knee shook. I had been sitting in this room for 20 minutes. No one had come in to talk to me. I was alone, and running out of time. It was going to be dark soon enough, and if I didn’t get out of here, Belphegor would win. Or Logan would go after him alone, but I couldn’t let that happen. He would get hurt, and I couldn’t let him get hurt, mainly because he was my friend. The other reason was because Marina would do so much worse than just kill me if he got killed.
Finally, Elliot walked in. I tried to move a little, but my hand was handcuffed to the table. Elliot sat across from me. He sighed. “David, you really did it this time, didn’t you,” he said. He looked defeated, like he couldn’t believe what happened, even if it was sitting right in front of him.
“Elliot, you got to know I wouldn’t do this. We’ve been partners for how long? 3 years,” I asked.
Elliot shrugged. “Yeah, and after all that time I barely know anything about you. I don’t know if you have any family, if you have anyone at all. I don’t know your favorite color, or your hobbies, I don’t know who the hell you are. Who’s to say you don’t have a checkered history, or that you don’t have some sort of anger issues?”
I wished I could argue, but I couldn’t. I knew a good amount about Elliot, but I had never sat down and talked to him. I didn’t tell anyone about my family or past. And my private life? Well, it was called private for a reason. I never liked talking to people about myself. Why would I?
Now it had come back to bite me.
“Fine, you want to know everything about me? As a kid it was only me and my parents. I haven’t seen them since I was 18, after I left for college. My dad was in jail last I saw him, and my mom continued to ignore it by drowning any and all bottles of alcohol we owned. What else, you want to know, my favorite color? It’s green, dark green,” I said. Elliot looked at me, head tilted to the side. But I continued.
“Hobbies, reading and my job. I don’t do anything else. Boring, I know. And who am I? I’m David Locke, and I’m not crazy. I’ve been framed for a crime I did not commit, but I know who did. His name is Joseph Piper, but that’s not his real name, and that’s not important. What’s important is I know he’s going to do something horrible if we don’t stop him. It’s bigger than us, bigger than everything. He’s not stopping at one, he’s not going to be finished until he’s killed everyone. Everyone I love, everyone you love, everyone.”
Elliot sat there in silence for a minute. “Damn David,” he finally said. “You’re really off your rocker.” I groaned. “I’m not crazy,” I exclaimed. “Why can’t you just believe me?”
Elliot stood up, slamming his hands on the table. “Because this is insane! Don’t you see that? You’re saying this guy’s trying to practically end the world, that you’ve been framed, David, you got to see how crazy all that sounds.”
I never saw him with so much anger. He had always been happy-go-lucky, always cracking jokes. I never realized how much it calmed me down, but now, the way he was taking what I was saying, it hurt.
I sighed. “Elliot, I know. I know you think I’m crazy. I can’t blame you for it, I would too if I were in your shoes. But I need you to trust me on this. If you want, you can lock me up right after and throw away the key, but I need just a few hours.”
He looked at me and hesitated. “I-David, I…” He sighed.
“How long do you need?”
I let out a deep breath of relief. “Just 3 hours. At most 3 hours. Please Elliot. I don’t think I’ve asked you for anything before.”
He hesitated again before standing up. He walked to the window, ran a hand through his hair, and then turned back to me. “Fine,” he said. “But you only get 3 hours. Then, if you can’t prove your innocence, you’re gonna end up back here.”
He walked towards the video camera before turning it off. Then he unlocked my handcuffs, and I rubbed them to get back some feeling.
I stood up. “Thank you Elliot. But what are you gonna do about the camera? It’s going to look suspicious,” I said. I didn’t want my freedom to come at the cost of his.
He shrugged. “I’ll just wipe it. I know how.” I smiled lightly. “I’m almost proud,” I said.
Elliot grabbed my arm and led me out of the room. “There’s a backdoor down the hall,” he explained. “But isn’t it locked,” I asked, looking over at him. Elliot just showed me his keys and handed one to me. “Won’t be if you use this.”
I looked down at the key and then back to my partner, who, while still seeming unsure also seemed to be getting more confident. “Thank you, Eliot,” I said genuinely. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
The man shrugged. “Just prove them wrong. You're my friend, but if you don’t prove you’re innocent…” he trailed off. I nodded. “Believe me, I understand.” Then I began walking down the hall.
“It won’t be me you know,” Elliot said. I turned around. “What?”
“I won’t be the one who comes for you.”
At first I didn’t know how to react. Then I decided the best way was to smile, act like everything was okay, and keep going.
Getting out was fairly easy, other than the cameras. But I learned how to turn them off back when I started working here, so the only problem was doing so discreetly. But in the end I did it and made it to the door.
I turned the key almost too eagerly, and I probably would’ve broken it with any extra pressure. But I didn’t really care. I had bigger problems than a broken lock. When the door opened, I began running.
I had no idea where Logan was since they let him go. If I were him I would’ve kept going to the Gates of Hell, but Logan didn’t seem like the kind of person to leave someone behind, and at this point if we had switched places I would’ve came for him too.
Finally, I got out of the police station’s vicinity. Thank God. I decided the only place I could go was Marina’s, so I ran there.
I knew Logan wouldn’t be there, even if I tried convincing myself he was. But maybe he had called Marina or something. She was practically his mother after all.
I finally made it to the house and knocked on the door frantically. I heard a crash of some sorts, and I wondered if Marina was okay. Then she opened the door.
Seeing me, her eyes turned to be wide as saucers, and she cursed under her breath. “I didn’t know if-I thought,” she tried to speak, but her words were jumbled. I put my hands on her shoulders, which probably looked a little weird because of our height difference.
“Marina, I’m okay. I just need to find Logan,” I said, trying to make my voice steady. She nodded. “He called me after you got caught. Told me he didn’t know what to do. I told him to keep going, that you were a smart enough boy to figure a way out yourself-“
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“Don’t take it like that. I still had my doubts,” Marina said. “Anyway, I think he listened. He usually listens to me.” I nodded.
“Any chance you have another car,” I asked. Marina nodded slowly. “Yes, mine. You need to go.” Again she began to push me out the door.
“Weapons,” I asked. She shook her head. “Logan got them all.” I turned to her, as if to say “are you kidding me?” But Marina glared, and I refrained.
She got me out the door. “Don’t get yourself killed David,” she said. I nodded. “I’ll try my best.”
Marina raised her eyebrows. I sighed. “I won’t get myself killed.” She accepted that. Then she got me out of the house.
The other car wasn’t as fast, but for now it was what I had to settle for. I pressed the gas pedal so hard I thought I might break it, but I didn’t worry. If the world ended, it wouldn’t matter if this car broke or not. No one would be around to drive it anyway.
The drive felt painfully long. I had always liked being alone, but now I wished I at least had Logan. It was too quiet, and even if I was riding to my death I preferred to do so with someone.
After what felt like 12 hours (but was nothing of the sort) I made it. I only saw one gate at the moment, which was normal, and lucky. If the others weren’t around yet, we had time.
I noticed another car and almost let out a sigh in relief. It was the car I had been taking with Logan. He was here.
I ran out of the car as if it were going to explode and looked around for Logan. At first I didn’t see him. Then a hand grabbed me and pulled me behind the trees, the other hand covering my mouth. They belonged to Logan, which I could tell first from his hand and then from his face. When he saw it was me, he let go and stumbled back.
“You’re here.”
“Well I wasn’t letting you face a demon alone.”
He gave me a big dopey grin before hugging me. My body still hurt a little from Drizella’s attempt at draining me of blood, but I hugged back all the same and just as tight.
When we both let go, I asked him if he’d seen Belphegor. He shook his head. “As far as I’m aware he’s not here yet.” I again thanked God.
“Alright, good. You have my gun?” He handed it to me, and I never felt more glad to have it in my hands.
It only took a few minutes before Belphegor did get here. Me and Logan were hiding behind a large rock, clutching to it as if our lives depended on it, which at the moment it felt like it did. My breath hitched as the demon walked up to the gate.
“That’s the big bad demon,” Logan whispered. I looked over at him. Logan smirked. “I thought he’d be taller.”
We stayed hidden behind the rock as Belphegor walked up to the gate. As he did, I started to see the outlines of some other archways, 6 more. The other gates. Belphegor walked up to the first one, the one that was fully visible, and smiled. Right before he touched it, we came out.
“Hey, moron,” Logan yelled. Belphegor turned, but the smile didn’t leave his mouth. That made me unnerved. He had no reason to be happy.
“Well, the little ghoul. I must say, it’s disappointing to learn you aren’t siding with me and your brethren. But you know what people say, you are what you eat.” Logan didn’t like that. He took a step forward, but I held him back.
“Belphegor, we’re not letting you do this. It’s either you leave, or we kill you. It’s your choice-“
Belphegor groaned loudly. “Why do those who try to be heroes always give the villain so many chances to kill them? It’s honestly boring…and kind of pathetic.” He raised his hand and I felt something around my arms and legs. Then I lurched forward, my legs dangling off the ground. I flew to Belphegor, who put his hand down. I dropped to the ground.
“Ouch,” I said sarcastically. I quickly stood up and tried to shoot him, but Belphegor was too fast. He grabbed my gun and turned it in a different direction than him. Then he made me let go of it and threw it away.
“What an ending,” he exclaimed, punching me in the face. I guess he was super strong too, because I flew back a little and into the ground.
“I’ll admit, I thought you could see the bigger picture. A detective and all, you’ve seen a lot, haven’t you? But, I didn’t factor in the fact that you sir, are stubborn,” he said, continuing to beat me up. I couldn’t even land a hit, or attempt one.
“I didn’t think it was necessary to kill more than just one person. Alice was all I had to do. But you just couldn’t let things go. So, I guess the new plan is to kill you first,” he said. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me up, so we were face to demon face.
“And then I’m going to kill everyone else you love, because at this point, you had to make it personal,” he said in a malicious undertone. He still had a bit of a smile on his face, obviously taking joy in my pain.
Suddenly, Logan swung his sword to Belphegor, and I thought he was about to drop me.
But instead his grip just loosened a little.
I opened my eyes (which I had closed when I saw Logan). Belphegor had grabbed the sword, not even flinching, like it was nothing. My eyes went wide and I looked at Logan. He had the same look as me.
Belphegor sighed and glared at Logan. “Really? You really thought that was gonna work? Honestly at this point I don’t know which one of you to kill first,” he said. He threw the sword to the ground like my gun. Then he punched Logan in the face, and my friend fell to the ground.
Belphegor let go of me, and I fell to the ground like a sack of rocks. I felt too weak to fight. How could I beat a demon?
I watched as he walked towards Logan and twisted his arm back in an unnatural way. I heard a sickening snap, and that gave me more energy.
I saw the sword Logan had tried to use and gripped it tight. I forced myself to stand, even though my entire body was against it. Slowly and with a slight limp, I walked towards Belphegor, who had left Logan unconscious and decided it was time to start the apocalypse. He walked towards the gate.
I don’t know if it was adrenaline or just the last strength I had left, but I ran to Belphegor. He may have sensed me, but in the end it didn’t matter. I stabbed him in the back, literally.
The demon stumbled and turned his head to face me. That grin of his was gone, finally. I dug the sword deeper into his back, not letting go of the grip.
“What the hell is this,” he asked. I gave him a grin. “Sword drenched in holy water. See you in Hell,” I said through gritted teeth. Then there was a small glow that came from his body, and he went limp.
I refused to let go of the sword for a solid minute before Logan (who must’ve woken up) came over and put his hand over mine, gently pulling them off the weapon. “It’s done, David it’s over,” he said. I listened and the sword fell out of my hands. I turned to face Logan and he smiled a genuine smile.
“You got a black eye,” I said, motioning to the bruise. He shrugged. “Yeah, well you got a scar on the side of your face.” I felt the wound.
“Does it at least look cool,” I asked weakly. Logan chuckled lightly and nodded. “Yeah, it looks really cool,” he said.
I smiled back at him, before practically collapsing.
When I woke up, my body felt sorer than it ever did. I sat up, wincing but alive. I saw Logan and Marina talking with someone, but I couldn’t see who. I stood up and slowly walked towards the noises.
The person they were talking to looked like an official, a police officer. The captain, I remembered, seeing his beard. I stood up straighter and watched what Logan was showing them. It was a video of me and Belphegor. I almost wanted to look away, but found I couldn’t.
It was of Belphegor admitting to murdering Alice. It cleared my name.
The police captain nodded. “Well this does change things,” he said. He seemed to have noticed I came in and turned to me. “David, I am sorry this happened to you. We are going to have to check the video for tampering of course, but as long as it doesn’t have anything, you’re free to go.”
I nodded in respect. “Thank you captain,” I said. He smiled at me. “From what your friend here has told us, maybe I should be thanking you for getting that psychopath off the streets.” I turned to Logan, who just smiled brightly at me. He walked away with the phone and handed it to another man. I saw Elliot was here too, and he looked at me as if wanting me to come over. I did so, and we walked outside.
“I’m sorry,” Elliot said to me the minute the door was closed. I shrugged it off. “Believe me, it’s fine. I wouldn’t have believed me either, I was sounding kind of crazy.”
Elliot stopped. “Things aren’t going to be the same at the precinct,” he said. I paused. “What,” he asked.
To be honest, I had been thinking a lot. The feeling I had while fighting Belphegor was a feeling I had never felt before. The adrenaline rush, the success of killing him.
“I don’t know if I’m going back,” I admitted. The realization struck Elliot, and he didn’t take it as bad as I worried he would.
“If that’s really what you want,” he said. “But remember you can still call me. You need help-”
“I’ll call you,” I said. “I’m sorry I haven’t been as good a friend as I should’ve. But I’m gonna do better.” Elliot nodded.
“Did the cold hearted detective’s heart melt,” he asked teasingly. I rolled my eyes and he laughed. “I’m joking! Now come on, we should go back in.”
About an hour later, the police had finally left the premises, and Marina went full on mom mode. She checked me over, scolding me for not listening to her and being careful. I never really had this happen before, so I didn’t complain.
When she was done with that, I asked Logan if we could talk, without a listening ear. He agreed, and Marina left the room. I sat down on the couch and he sat down next to me.
“What’s up,” he asked. I fidgeted with my hands. What if-oh shut up brain.
“Logan, I’ve been thinking. I don’t know if I can go back to the police department.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Wait, really?” I nodded. “I’ve been thinking, what if we worked together to help people? Help in ways that they don’t understand.”
Logan looked at me, with shock at first, then with excitement. “Wait, are you suggesting we become like, a supernatural detective duo?”
I shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it’s called occult detectives, but yeah,” I said, sweating a little more. “If you want, that is. If not, that's okay, believe me.”
Logan didn’t answer me. Instead he hugged me. I didn’t know how to react, so I didn’t respond until I realized I should’ve been hugging back, but by then he let go.
“David, that sounds awesome. And Marina can be like our man in the chair!”
“Woman,” I heard her yell from the kitchen. I wondered if she was listening in or if she was using her psychic abilities. It didn’t matter either way though I guess.
I looked over at Logan, who looked like a child on Christmas. I couldn’t help but grin too. I hadn’t just defeated a demon, or saved the world, even though both were pretty good achievements if I do say so myself.
I had figured out what I needed to do with my life. And the right people to do it with.
And it's done! This was a lot of fun to write! Which is why I have a question for all you!
Should I write more? What I mean is should I write cases they do and things like that? I have some ideas if I do. I've been thinking I could either make this a Halloween tradition, or I could just write whenever the inspiration hits me, but it's up to you! Would you like to see more of David, Logan, and Marina? Maybe a bit of Elliot and Alice? Tell me!
And what did you think of the story? Who's your favorite? Answer in comments!
Links to past chapters:
@gracepro/accused
@gracepro/accused-part-two
@gracepro/accused-part-two (part 3)
@gracepro/accused-part-4