Only the Living

60.

Reverend Timms chuckled. They'd been driving for a day now, almost none stop since he didn't really eat anyway, Shirley was a ghost and Clarissa didn't seem like she was interested in food at all. The whole car ride had felt like going to a funeral, Timms had mused taking a hearse was probably the first mistake, but no one in the car seemed that interested in laughing.

"Something funny Reverend?" Clarissa was absently staring out the window. They were driving through what felt like an endless cornfield.

"Just you're the only living person in this car right now."

"Well she was." Timms slammed on the brakes immediately after hearing the Santinni's voice. The demon was in the back seat next to Shirley his feet up like he'd been there the whole time.

"Demon I ain't even going to give you one warning." Timms had his revolver out and pointed at Santinni's face.

"Reverend Timms so..... hostile, so angry, I'm only trying to help you all." Clarissa put her hand on Timms gun.

"Let him speak."

"He's a tool of Satan Clarissa the great deceiver." Santinni chuckled but didn't say anything.

"Lets just hear him out."

"Listen... to the girl... reverend Tiiiiiiiimmmmms, I'm only here to help." Timms put his gun away, but still gave Santinni a death glare, "Well now that's.... over, lets talk shop, you are looking for Gilbert yes?"

"You know what we are up to." Shirley finally spoke and Santinni gave her a wide toothed smile.

"Lost soul I know sooooooo much of what you're up to, and I'm going to be polite and say I'll look past to unlicensed hunting Clarissa, just. this. one. time, but I'm not here to chastise I'm here to help," Santinni looked around the car again and then smiled, "Where you are going is wrong, Mr. Dunkley is not in West Virginia, there is... something there, but nothing for your current problem."

"Why should we believe you?" Timms doubted the demon wanted to help, he'd run into several demons over the years and every time they'd been liars.

"You shouldn't I guess, but if you want to save Gilbert.... you should." Timms wanted to take his gun back out, but Clarissa believed Santinni if only because she felt he had no reason to lie.

"Where is he then?" Santinni held his hand out, Clarissa assuming he wanted her phone handed it over and he pulled up a map without even touching the screen, and then handed it back to her.

"You will find Mr. Dunkley there." His task finished Santinni exited the car, Clarissa followed after him.

"Don't you want to help us?"

"I did?" And then he was gone no further discussion offered.

"So where we headed Clarissa I assume you want us to believe the demon." Timms didn't want to, but he assumed he was overriden by Shirley and Clarissa.

"Green Bluff Asylum."

"Oh that sounds like a lovely vacation destination, lead us on."

****

"You play a dangerouuuuuuuuuuuuss game Dunkley." Gilbert was setting up in the basement of the asylum, he had a bunch of pylons and sigils written everywhere.

"So they are on their way." Santinni chuckled.

"Yes, I assume, though what if they had decided west Viriginia was the real route?"

"They wouldn't have, she wouldn't let them, she can feel my presence and would know I'm not that way when they passed the asylum."

"You sound so sure, but you can never tell with things like this." Gilbert sighed and kept working.

"Anything else Santinni?"

"Nope." And he was gone, which Gilbert appreciated, he had a lot of preparing to do.