"Ash, keep shooting!" I cry.
And he does. One shot after another, the disciples explode into small winged insects that immediately die.
I turn and see that there are more of them coming out of the portal. Their hands claw at the edges, and their skeletal bodies take form only outside of the entrance. Ash lifts me off my feet, and he runs as fast as he can.
We escape and somehow manage to get to the car in one piece. Quickly sliding the key into the ignition, Loki slams his foot down on the pedal and takes off into the night.
My heart thumps at a racing pace, but that's the least of my worries. I open my mouth and try to speak, but nothing seems to come out. It takes us all a few minutes to come to terms with all that we saw, all that I saw, and when we do, we all come to the same conclusion.
I say, "So, that's the army that we're up against."
"They're small in numbers and damn easy to kill," Loki grunts.
I get the idea that he's more afraid than I am. He's all muscle and outward strength, but inside, he's just as worried as the rest of us.
"Don't underestimate evil. They're big enough," Ash argues.
"Unfortunately, Ash is correct," Heimdall says. "Small armies can take a toll on great nations. All it takes to win is an idea to spread. Raven, you went inside that thing. What the hell happened to you back there?"
Ash is also interested. "Yeah, what did you see?"
I swallow and shake my head. It was like I was summoned. How could I allow myself to be controlled like that?
Finally, I speak. "I saw... I spoke with... I...."
My voice cuts out as I realize what exactly it was that I came face to face with. "I saw the end. The apocalypse was right in front of my very eyes. There were the four horsemen. The world was filled with thick smog. Death was everywhere I turned. But that wasn't the worst of it," I say.
At this point, I can feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. The images were so vivid. I have no doubt in my mind that I entered some kind of alternate reality, or some wormhole into the future. Whatever it was, I never want to see it again.
Somehow, I know I will.
"Spill it, sister," Loki grunts.
Ash grabs his shoulder and squeezes hard. "Hey, lay off her. If she doesn't want to talk about it, she has the right to stay quiet."
Loki forces his hand off of him and says, "Bullshit. Look, guy. I might understand your argument if this was two days ago. But it's not. This is life or death, and the whole fucking world is at stake. We don't have time to stay quiet. Who knows what the state of the world will be tomorrow?"
The tensions rising in the car is palpable, and it brings me nothing but extreme anxiety. If we want to beat the dark forces of the world, we need to stick together. But how can we remain a strong force if so many doubts keep creeping into our heads?
Knowing that I have to remain calm, I take a deep breath and tell them everything. "I talked to him, Satan. Or maybe it wasn't Satan. That's the part I can't figure out. It was a voice that contained all voices, all tones, and it came from all directions," I say.
"Beelzebub," Heimdall mutters.
Ash asks, "What did it want? You looked catatonic."
I gulp hard and feel lightheaded. "My sight. Specifically, my eyes. It commanded me to take out my eyes and give it to him. When I didn't, it took some of my hair."
"Fuck," Loki whispers under his breath.
"I was definitely under his control, but there was some strength inside of me that wouldn't let him take full control. I felt... magic."
"Magic?" Loki scoffs.
Heimdall glares at him. "Loki, chill. You're causing even me unimaginable stress."
Loki huffs but allows me to continue.
"We're talking about Satan here. The literal devil. Is it so crazy to believe magic exists?" I ask.