The Possessed Page 17

  After he allowed his incredulity to fade, Father Demetrius allowed a healthy sigh to exit his mouth. “Well, I appreciate that you—”

  “Everything happens for a reason, Father. You know that.”

  He finally turned and met my gaze with tears glistening in his eyes.

  “I didn’t come here to ask you to believe me,” I said, shocked at the words that left my mouth. This contradicted what I’d said up until now, but hearing those words echo in my mind, my spirit soared. “I thought I came here to get you to do this exorcism.” I realized how selfish and self-serving that would have been. “No, I came here…” I stopped speaking because a joyous feeling surrounded me, a sensation that made me feel at least thirty pounds lighter. I felt stronger, more alert, and surrounded by so much love that tears spilled from my eyes. It was beautiful and wonderful. I’d never known such contentment in my life, followed by the notion that everything would be okay.

  “I came here,” I continued, moments after regaining some control over my emotions, “because I needed to believe in God, and trust that He will guide me when I do this exorcism.” It took me a moment to continue. “But you know what? I do believe in Him. And I’ll do this exorcism myself if I have to.”

  18

  When I slid into the backseat of Eloise’s car, she looked at me through the rearview mirror. “If Father Demetrius isn’t with us, I guess we’re on our own?”

  “He’s still filled with doubt.” Every person had to travel their own road, and Satan constantly tempted us and put roadblocks in our path, while God often remained out of it to test our faith, to learn how much we truly believe in Him. I sincerely hoped Father Demetrius walked that road and came out the other side with even stronger faith in God than before. Regardless, if I survived this ordeal, I’d visit him at church and support him as he’d always supported me.

  “It might be better this way,” said Nona in a grim tone. “A demon will feed on a man of the cloth without faith.”

  “Hopefully,” I said, “a demon won’t feed on a woman who believes in God.” It shocked me that I’d had such a revelation at such a dark time, but maybe that’s where God needed me to be…before I opened myself to the idea of completely trusting Him to guide me. My mind reverted to my old logic that I couldn’t defeat the forces of evil, but I returned to my experience in church, and my confidence shattered the doubt that had gripped me. While I did have a revelation, there was more to it than that. I’d always believed in God. Obviously, I didn’t like Him for a stretch, but now, I had faith in Him once more. I believed in him and trusted Him to guide me.

  “So you’d like me to carry out this exorcism?” asked Nona, wide-eyed.

  “I need to do this,” I said.

  “Would you,” Nona said tentatively, “like to visit another diocese?”

  Obviously, she didn’t think I could handle this. “No thank you, but I’d really appreciate your help.”

  She inspected my gaze for a long moment. “With all due respect, I’m not comfortable with that arrangement. Performing an exorcism is not something you can just do without training.”

  “I have to start somewhere, right?” Had Nona resisted because the demon had thrown her around, and she wanted payback? Was her pride a factor? Or did she mainly believe that the demon might kill me? Without hesitation, I figured that all three possibilities might have played a part in her determination to perform the exorcism.

  “Reading about the rite is not the same thing as performing one.”

  “You have to start somewhere,” I said.

  “Did you collect holy water from the church?” Nona asked. “Or get a crucifix?”

  I’d been so consumed by such an overwhelming experience inside the church that common sense had left me as I’d left Father Demetrius and walked toward the car.

  Nona shook her head. “Child, I worry for your safety.”

  “And I worry about yours too,” I said.

  “And I,” Eloise piped in, “worry about both of you.”

  That remark broke the tension between Nona and I. Yes, I wanted to play a part to help my sister, but I had plenty to learn, and I needed to trust God, which meant believing in Nona. “Look,” I said to her, “you’ve obviously done this before, and you know your stuff, so I’ll be here if you need me, okay?”

  She nodded. A gentle smile appeared on her face. “Wise girl.”

  “And this wise girl would like to know everything you know.”

  Nona’s smile vanished. “It’ll take some time.”

  “Do we have enough of it before my sister caves in and lets the demon take over?”

  “If you plan to help out, I guess we’ll need as much time as we can get.”

  A couple of hours later, after we’d sat in the car as Nona regaled me with tales of over a half dozen exorcisms she’d performed, she instructed me on how to conduct an exorcism.

  Eloise parked her car at the curb outside of my house.

  Nona withdrew a water bottle from the door’s side compartment and a Bible from underneath her seat.

  I walked over to her, and she handed the bottle to me. “Holy water?”

  She nodded and made the black rosary more prominent as it rested against her chest. “An exorcism can last anywhere from thirty minutes to four months.”

  “Four months?” I asked, incredulous. “That’s nuts! I can’t wait for even one day. There’s no way—”

  She lifted a hand to silence me. “It can last one month. Obviously, the exorcism wouldn’t continue for four months without a break. There might even be long periods of inactivity, say a month or so, depending on how much time the exorcist needs to once again confront the demon. Otherwise, most exorcisms I’ve conducted last between four to eight hours.”

  I didn’t want to express my misgivings because I wanted Nona to get started as quickly as possible. If I waited too long, I feared that I’d lose my nerve and back out. At the same time, I needed to throw off the nerves nipping at my skin. My heart knocked a little too loudly for someone supposedly confident that the Lord would protect her. All of the stories Nona had shared had that effect. I flushed those thoughts away. I needed to harden my heart while keeping it open for the Holy Spirit to work and fill me with Jesus’s guidance.

  “As I’ve said,” Nona went on, “this demon has already admitted what it is, and getting to that stage is most often the longest part of the process. Once we get its name, things will move along quickly. Don’t lose your concentration. Stay in the moment. Whatever happens, only react if I’ve instructed you to do so. Otherwise, don’t do anything. Don’t say anything. Don’t lose your poise. Don’t show any emotion. Don’t—”

  “Can I breathe?” I asked. “Or is that also a no-no?”

  Eloise chuckled, but when she glanced at Nona, she said, “What? It was funny.”

  Nona allowed a brief smile to flicker, as though she’d been method acting, only to allow herself a brief respite before returning to the persona she’d taken on.

  The instructions Nona gave were more frightening than I’d anticipated. I needed a break from so much information. It would be difficult to retain all the knowledge I’d learned, and I dreaded that I’d forget what I’d need at the most inopportune time.

  “You told me what not to do, but what will it try to do?” I only asked because I quivered with anxiety, and I needed some expectations.

  “It may try to distract you, confuse you, lie to you, or burn you. It may spit at you, scratch you, bite you, choke you, or kick you.”

  “So,” I said, “expect an attack. Got it!”

  “Not always,” Eloise said. “It depends on the demon.”

  Nona lifted a finger to eye level. “You saw this demon lift me with no real effort, so don’t get too close unless we’re going in for the kill.” She paused, letting a tiny grin take hold of her. “That was just a figure of speech.”

  “Not funny,” said Eloise, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes.

  Nona threw he
r hands up in defeat. “Oh, so it’s okay when Jocelyn cracks a joke, but I don’t get the same leeway?”

  That made me smile. For Nona to go out on these missions at her age…well, I admired her so much for risking her life to help my family.

  “Remember,” Eloise said, “with a demon in the driver’s seat, it doesn’t want to leave the host, so it might resort to self-sabotage.”

  I shivered at the idea of the demon taking delight in injuring my sister’s body, while Noelle looked on, helpless to stop it. In those cases, did she feel the pain? I had to stop thinking about it, or I’d be unable to focus, which might block any efforts to act objectively.

  “All told,” Nona said, “If I ask for you to do something, do it. Don’t hesitate. It could make all the difference. Can you do that?”

  I don’t know. “Yes.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “No,” I admitted.

  Nona quirked an eyebrow, looking less than confident in me. “I appreciate the candor.” She gestured to the holy water in my hand. “That is your backup. If the demon gets away from us, sprinkle that on Noelle’s body. It’ll stop the demon in its tracks.”

  Eloise held up a purple cotton pouch. “And I brought some salt. Add that to the mix, and it’ll do some damage. Oh, I almost forgot.” She opened her car door, hunched over by the driver’s door, and pulled out a spindle of rope three feet in length. “For the demon’s arms and legs. If we can tie it up, we’ll be able to work without waiting for an attack.”

  Nona hadn’t gotten a chance to get that far. After all, when Nona closed in on it, the demon hoisted her in the air and threw her into the sofa. So what makes Eloise think we’ll get that opportunity?

  “Just remember,” I said, “my sister’s in that body, too.”

  Nona nodded. Without another word, she strode toward my home, not with the gait of a woman less than a decade from the century mark, but with the determination of a warrior who couldn’t conceive of defeat. Beside her, Eloise matched her stride for stride, full of confidence.

  I hurried to catch up. Even then, I felt like an imposter. Someone who didn’t belong here. Someone who didn’t know what she was doing. Someone who didn’t think she could hold off a demon that looked, talked, and for the most part, acted like my sister.

  Both women reached the porch, and I came up behind them. Nona turned to me. “You should walk in first.”

  “Why?” My thighs quivered. This won’t work.

  “You wanted to take the lead,” Nona said in a distant tone as her unyielding eyes pierced mine. “You wanted to show them you’re not afraid. Here’s your chance. Enter first and set the expectations for the demon in your home.”

  Trust God. He won’t let you down. Feeling a jolt of spiritual strength, I grabbed the doorknob.

  “Remember,” Nona butted in, “it’ll have your sister’s memories. It may try to use them against you.”

  “Hey, Sis,” said the demon from behind the front door in a childlike voice. “Are you going to be long? I’d like to murder you now.”

  19

  Hearing the demon taunt me from behind the front door, I lost my breath and my hand slipped from the doorknob. My vision swam before my eyes, making it difficult for me to concentrate.

  “Courage,” Nona said, “means moving forward despite your fear. Get moving.” She nudged me.

  I continued through the threshold a little too quickly for such a slight poke. Startled by the intensity in her voice, I followed her command without a second thought.

  “Again?” Lilah asked. She stretched out on the sofa like a cat after taking a long nap. “I thought we already discussed this: visiting hours are over.”

  Suspecting that Nona would push me again if I didn’t move, this time even harder, I walked about seven or eight feet across the floor. It was chilly. At least five degrees under seventy. Despite that, the heating system was blowing full force, trying to catch up to the chill the demonic entity brought to our home. I stopped beside the flat screen as Nona and Eloise flanked me.

  The demon grinned. “Are you ready?” It started toward us.

  I’d expected the demon to act like my sister, but I’d figured the darkness in its soul would have affected my sister’s body. I’d imagined that her hair would have been thin and limp. I’d also assumed that she’d have sores on her lips. Things like that.

  None of that occurred. My sister looked as radiant as ever.

  I adjusted my mind frame to remain on guard at all times, telling myself to see my sister as nothing more than a façade for the demon.

  Nona removed the rosary from around her neck and wrapped it around her right fist with the cross dangling off her knuckles. She extended her hand. “What is your name, demon?”

  “You don’t think it’s that easy, do you?” it asked, placing a hand to its chest. The demon pivoted towards Lilah. “You better be in the mood for twenty-one questions.”

  My mother flicked a wrist at her and in the middle of a yawn, she said, “I need a drink.”

  “That’s a shocker!” said the demon. It turned back to Nona with a grin. “All right,” said the entity, throwing its hands up in the air with a nonchalant shrug. “Let’s do this.” It rushed Nona, raising its arms, ready to attack her.

  Nona stood her ground and even stepped into the demon’s path, raising the rosary at eye level. “Our Father Who art in Heaven. Hallowed by Thy Name.”

  The demon skidded to a stop and let out a blood-curdling shriek. It lifted both hands to its ears, covering them. It slanted its body to the side as though it had taken a blow to the face. “Dirty bitch!” it said in a harsh masculine voice.

  Lilah scooted up on the couch. Startled, she watched the proceedings with a horrified stare. “What the…?” Her voice died as she looked on, ramrod straight.

  I stood five feet away from her, uncertain when she might comprehend that “Noelle” was under attack, at which time she might dart in their direction to protect her “daughter” or fight off Nona. In the meantime, I snuck glances at Nona and Eloise, the latter standing beside her mentor with a stone-faced expression, holding the purple pouch of salt and the canister of holy water.

  “Thy Kingdom come,” Nona continued, stopping three feet away from the demon, now hovering over it. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

  “Bitch,” the demon repeated, turning aside and backing up. “You’re no match for the Daring One.”

  “Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

  The demon scowled, stepped back, and plugged her ears with her palms. “You don’t deserve life.”

  Nona proceeded unabated: “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

  “Evil?” It cackled with laughter, hunching as it knelt to the ground. “We’re not evil. You’re evil. You’re the sinners. You’re the sickened. We’re the truthful. We’re the righteous.”

  “That’s a new one,” said Lilah, pushing off the sofa and getting to her feet. “I must’ve had some bad booze because this…” She shook her head as though she’d fallen asleep and awakened to a nightmare. “I definitely need another drink. Yes, that’ll set things right: another drink.”

  I followed her, unable to keep my eyes off the sight of the demon cowering before Nona.

  The demon chuckled. “Dicks and pussies…licking, sucking, fingering, fucking.”

  I turned to Eloise and set both hands at my sides, hoping for some explanation for this explosion of disgusting rhetoric.

  “Demons aren’t human,” she said, “so they don’t understand romance or love. They get caught up on prostitution and anything that might hurt us when it comes to sex: cheating on loved ones, diseases, pedophilia, or necrophilia.

  “What is your name, demon?” asked Nona, stepping forward, angling the cross at a downward angle towards the demon. “Your name: what is it?”

  The demon, squatting and rocking on its
tiptoes, let out a drawn-out moan. “Believer of lies,” it groaned. “Fury like the Black Anus. Scorn-filled corruption. Beholden to fantasy, to disbelief of the rightful order.”

  I waved at Eloise, arched my hand in a circle, and shrugged, seeking more information.

  “Black Annis” she said, her voice wavering. “That’s a bogeyman from English folklore.”

  Nona gave a shrewd nod as she considered that bit of information. “Your name, demon. Under the name of Jesus and the church He built, tell me your name.”

  “Living among squalor, such disease-infested vile. Death and darkness. Fury. Follower of the bloody anus.”

  “By the splendor of our Savior,” Nona said, “the Son of God, the one who took all sins upon Himself to free humans from living in your darkness, Jesus demands you to give me your name.”

  “Such fury. You’ll feed upon the disease-infested anus. You’ll—”

  Nona’s left eyebrow rose. Her eyes shined bright. The left corner of her lips curved upwards for the briefest moment as if she’d come upon a secret. “Fury Anus,” Nona said in a soft, uncertain manner, hoping to hit on his name.

  The demon laughed at her. “Despicable sod. Lecherous fool. You’re no match for—”

  “Fury…Annis,” Nona tried again.

  The demon gasped, its eyes now alert, as though it were on the edge of disappointment.

  It was odd to see surprise register on the demon’s face. Then again, as Nona had pointed out earlier in the car during our study session, when pressed to provide a name under the authority of Jesus, a demon will have no choice but to divulge the truth because God created it, and for that reason, the demon had to acknowledge that truth, thereby relenting to the Lord’s power.

  A spark of excitement lifted the air on my arms. Nona and Eloise were a perfect team. I pressed closer, hoping the final showdown was upon us.