Nick was regretting his return to Invidia. He’d heard the screams coming from some other island the day before, but now they were here, so close that his ears were ringing. He ran from them, searching for a means of escaping the awful cries, and nearly tripped on a strange pink tree root in the process. He didn’t want to get involved with whatever was going on—how could he? He didn’t have...no.
The sinking feeling in his stomach hit him like a ton of bricks. How had he not realized it sooner? He didn’t have his gun, nor his scissors! Shit! If those screams meant trouble, he was as good as dead. The wailing sounds drew nearer, and to his horror, he recognized a voice among them. That was Charlie’s voice! That was his boss’s voice; it had to be! His gut reminded him of his boss’ death, but then again, he was dead too. He owed that man his life, and it sickened him that Charlie could be in danger, or maybe in pain—worse yet, both—and he didn’t have a means to help. He had to do something. He couldn’t keep running away; not now. “Lucifer! Help me out! Tell me what’s going on!”
He yelled for his demon over the nearby cries, and his personal representation of Pride materialized beside him, placing hands over his ears and speaking into his thoughts. “They are banshees, Master. Your boss is not among them. That is a trick to lure you to them, and they will kill you if they find you.”
“But...Charlie...” His voice cracked, and he would have shaken his head if not for the hands on either side of it. He wanted to believe what Lucifer was saying and ignore the screams, but he just couldn’t. The cries sounded too real; hit too close to home. Tearing away from Lucifer, he blindly ran towards the screaming—and straight into someone else. The impact caused him to stumble and reel back, and he put a hand to his shoulder, rubbing a sore spot. “Oof! Ouch...dammit.”
Wait—a person? “Boss...?” He blinked, taking a step back to look at the man he’d run into. His shoulders drooped, and the disappointment showed clear on his face. “Sorry—never mind. I’m looking for someone.”
