Round 11 Transcript

I stare at the officers in horror, my heart pounding so hard I'm sure they can hear it. Jeane's magic pulses around me with every beat, the dark energy visible to anyone looking closely. Halie is trying desperately to talk them down with some nonsense about a "spiritual ritual," but her voice is shaking and she clearly has no idea what she's doing.

Suddenly—the sound of breaking glass shatters the tense silence. Everyone freezes as a voice calls out from the darkness behind us: "HELP! Somebody's attacking me back here!" The officers immediately spin around, their attention shifting to the new threat. I catch a glimpse of Silra disappearing back into the shadows before the spotlight sweeps away.

One of the officers speaks into his radio: "Possible second incident—send backup to the rear of the property." Fuck. Fuck. This is somehow worse than before—now there are multiple incidents and more officers on the way.

I stand frozen inside the church, my heart hammering against my ribs so loudly I swear it must be audible outside. The muffled voices and the sound of breaking glass tell me everything is falling apart out there. My eyes dart around the dark interior, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon or escape route if this goes wrong. Silra's plan to lure them away isn't working—they're calling for backup, I think frantically. Oh God, what if they search the building? What if they find us? My mind races, trying to piece together what might happen next. If they find Jeane and Hera out there... if they realize this is some kind of cult... no, I can't let that happen. I have to do something. But what? I take a shaky step towards the back door, then hesitate. Going out there will only make things worse—it'll confirm we're all involved. My eyes land on a heavy wooden candlestick holder near one of the pews. It's not much, but it might be enough to scare someone off if they try to come in.
I pick up the candlestick, feeling its cold weight in my hands. The metal feels solid and real, grounding me for a moment amidst the chaos. This is crazy, I think as I move towards the main doors, trying to look casual even though every nerve ending screams at me to run. But if they come in here... if they find us all like this... I push that thought away and focus on what needs to be done. I reach the heavy oak door leading outside, my hand resting on the cold iron handle. I can hear muffled voices getting closer now, the sound of more approaching footsteps. It's now or never, I tell myself, taking a deep breath. If anyone tries to come through this door, they're going to get a surprise they won't soon forget.
I grip the candlestick tighter, my knuckles turning white with the force of my hold. My mind is made up. Whatever happens out there, I'll face it head-on. We have to protect each other now more than ever before. "Come on, Silra," I whisper under my breath, "make this work."

I watch from the shadows as Halie tries desperately to talk her way out of this mess while Jeane maintains her death grip on Hera midair. This is a fucking disaster in progress—if those officers get any closer or try to investigate the magic, we're all arrested and probably locked up for good. The sound of breaking glass was just a diversion I created by throwing a bottle into the woods behind us, but it's not enough.

I need something more. Something that gets them off the property completely before they start searching the building or calling for backup. My eyes scan the surroundings—there's a large tree about twenty feet away with low-hanging branches near the ground. If I can create the illusion of an actual attacker, maybe they'll call in proper backup instead of investigating themselves.

Immediate intent: Create a visual diversion that looks like an active attack to justify them calling for real backup and backing off entirely. Emotional reaction: Cold fury at Jeane for putting us in this position with her temper tantrum magic display, but also genuine concern about Hera's safety. I need to act fast before Halie makes this worse with her emotional pleading or before the officers get too close.*

I signal to Abby inside through the window—make sure she's ready at the back door with something heavy just in case. Then I grab a handful of dirt from near the tree roots and streak it across my face, making myself look more threatening. Deep breath. This is going to be either brilliant or incredibly stupid.

I burst out from behind the tree with a loud shout, waving my arms like I'm wielding an imaginary weapon while running directly at the officers. "YOU LEAVE NOW OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!" I scream, throwing more dirt clods at their feet for effect. One of them stumbles backward while the other draws his weapon and takes cover behind the open car door.

"CALL FOR BACKUP! THIS IS AN ACTIVE ASSAULT SCENE!" The officer with the gun yells into his radio while keeping his eyes on me. "SUSPECT APPROACHING FROM THE REAR—SEND UNITS IMMEDIATELY!"

I skid to a halt about ten feet away, still brandishing my imaginary weapon and panting like I'm actually threatening them. Inside, I'm calculating how long it'll take for real backup to arrive—hopefully long enough for Jeane to disperse her magic and get Hera inside.

The officer behind the car door keeps his weapon trained on me while his partner backs toward the original scene with increasing urgency. "Stay where you are!" he shouts at me. "We have multiple incidents in progress—stay put or we will use force!"

I nod slowly, keeping my hands visible and trying to look unstable rather than tactical. In reality, I'm watching every move they make while also listening for any sounds from inside the church that might indicate Abby or Halie fucking things up. This diversion needs to buy us at least three minutes.

I release my grip on Hera just as Silra creates the distraction—smart girl, using diversion tactics instead of force. The officers shift their attention away from us, buying me precious seconds to dispel the magic without witnesses.

I let the energy dissipate in a shimmering wave, Hera dropping to the ground with a thud just as Halie turns to face me again. The look on her cleric's face is pure horror—she knows exactly how close we came to complete exposure. I don't have time for her emotional crisis right now; the officers are calling for backup and we need to get off this property before more arrive.

With a sharp gesture, I signal for everyone to move inside immediately. "We're leaving," I snap at Halie, my voice cold with barely contained fury. "Now. Before those assholes decide to search the building." I grab Hera by the arm and haul her upright—she's still stunned but mobile enough to walk if dragged.

Inside, I can already hear Abby moving around, probably securing the rear entrance. Good—that means she's thinking tactically despite being out of her depth. I shove Hera towards a pew in the back row, away from the main door where anyone might see through the windows. "Sit," I order, my tone brooking no argument.

Halie is still standing there with her hands clasped like she's about to start praying. No—she looks ready to burst into tears or try to comfort Hera instead of focusing on our immediate survival. I grab her shoulders and force eye contact. "Halie," I say, my voice low and dangerous, "you need to pull yourself together right now. We're not out of this yet."