The Salvation of Kora

by Yolanda Olson

  I lean over and rest a hand on his arm, only just realizing that he’s trembling.

  “It’ll be okay, Father. I promise.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  What’s he doing here?

  I raise an eyebrow suspiciously as Father Whittaker slows the car to a stop in front of my childhood home, and see Devyn sitting on the front steps.

  “He’s here to help us, Lily,” Father tells me quietly as he cuts the engine to the car. “I asked him to come.”

  “When?” I ask, suspiciously.

  There couldn’t have been nearly enough time for him to talk to Devyn about our trip, when even I didn’t know we were taking it.

  “We can talk about that after, Lily. I promise I’ll tell you everything, but first we have to get you inside.”

  “No,” I reply, vehemently shaking my head. Father Whittaker reaches for me, but I jerk away from his grip and huddle against the passenger door. “I won’t go back in there. You don’t know what it’s like.”

  “Show me,” he replies simply as he steps out of the car.

  I move quickly, leaning across the way and pressing the lock button on the driver’s side door. I reason that if Father Whittaker can’t get back into the car, then he can’t make me go back into that hellhole.

  “Wait! No!” I screech as the passenger door opens and I feel a pair of strong hands grip my arms.

  “We have to, Lily,” a soft voice tells me.

  Devyn.

  “No, you don’t understand,” I plead, doing my best to struggle against him.

  “Actually, I do. I’m surprised you don’t remember me,” he says with a low chuckle as he lifts my feet off the ground. “But we’ll get into that once we’re inside, okay?”

  I start crying because I don’t know what else to do.

  This wasn’t supposed to happen.

  I thought I had run far enough away from home that I wouldn’t have to worry about ever coming back to this place, but the person I thought was my friend—the one who would let me sleep in his stone chapel when the nightmares became so real I felt like I was living through them again—has betrayed me.

  And he’d had a helping hand all along.

  I should have known better than to think Devyn didn’t want to know about Kora. He lied to me; just like everyone else has.

  “Don’t cry, Lily. It’s for your own good,” he promises me with a gentle whisper as he climbs the stairs with my body firmly cradled against his.

  All the way up to where Father Whittaker is waiting with his small, leather satchel.

  His look of determination is so fierce and bright that his normally hazel-blue eyes look damn near white.

  But the true fear doesn’t set in, not until he puts his hands on the doorknob of the now abandoned home and pushes it open.

  It’s when the darkness engulfs him—the shadows that have followed me for years since it happened swallowing him up—that I know things won’t be okay.

  They’re going to fight to save her, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I used to live next door to you, Lily,” Devyn says quietly as he sets me down onto my feet. He knows there’s no way I can get out now that Father Whittaker has locked and barricaded the front door.

  “I heard everything that happened: every screech, every scream, every guttural laugh… but this,” he says, pointing at his eye. “This is what happened when I saw it.”

  “You said you were born like that,” I spit at him accusingly. My body is starting to feel hot with anger at the revelation that he lied to me, and my fists are clenching and unclenching at my sides.

  “Yeah,” he agrees as he rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably, “I knew you wouldn’t believe me unless I would be able to prove it.”

  “Shut up!” I bark at him.

  I take a step backward, ready and willing to jump out of one of the fucking windows if I have to, but end up bumping into Father Whittaker’s strong form instead.

  “Lily, tell me about Kora,” he says as he rests a hand on my shoulder. “I have to know what we’re up against.”

  “’We’?” I ask him incredulously as I glance up at him over my shoulder. “I’m not helping you. You won’t even be able to help yourself if you go down this road.”

  “Lily,” he snaps, finally losing his patience. “If you don’t want to help us that’s fine, but you need to tell me about her.”

  “You’ll find out. Go ahead. It happened upstairs. First room on the right,” I snap back as I cross my arms over my chest.

  Father Whittaker grabs me by the elbow and jerks his head toward Devyn.

  “No!” I scream as he starts toward the stairs.

  “Grab her legs,” Father instructs Devyn. “I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I wasn’t expecting it to start so soon.”

  “This is gonna get wild, are you sure you’re up for this?” Devyn asks him as he reaches for my bucking legs. With a grunt, I try to mule kick him away, but he manages to grab them mid air, using my own momentum to lift me off the floor.

  “Do you have a better idea?” Father asks him tiredly as they start to carry my writhing form up the staircase.

  He lets out a heavy sigh as they continue, doing their best to keep their respective grips on me until we’ve finally reached the second floor.

  I let out a loud sob as Devyn reaches for the bedroom door.

  I don’t want to do this again.

  It almost killed me the last time.

  But I understand how they knew I was lying to them about who I was.

  Devyn’s seen me before.

  He knows.

  God help them, I think as I shut my eyes tightly, and inhale a sharp breath as the cold temperature of the room begins to lap at my skin.

  Once it starts again, I won’t be able to help them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Devyn is sitting on the bed with his arms wrapped tightly around me, while Father Whittaker finally sets down his satchel and begins to remove the contents.

  A cross.

  A bottle of holy water.

  A purple stole which he kisses before he places it around his shoulders.

  Everything he thinks will help him with this fight.

  “Do you want me to hold her while you do it?” Devyn asks curiously as he shifts behind me.

  “No, that will be much too dangerous. We’ll lie her down and secure her in place,” Father responds quietly as he pulls out the last item from his satchel.

  A Bible.

  The book that made it all happen before.

  The book that brought the things out of Kora.

  I have to stop thinking of her as a separate person; it’s the only way that I can do my part.

  I’ve never wanted more than anything in my life to finally be done with this, but it claimed so many lives the first time someone tried to help me, that I’m scared that Devyn and Father Whittaker will be the next victims.

  Then where will I run to?

  How far do I have to go to get away from all of this?

  Will I ever be able to?

  “Lily. That’s a pretty name. How did you come up with it?” Devyn asks as he gently slides away from me and puts his hands on my shoulders.

  My lower lip begins to tremble as he lies me back against the bed and I do my best not to sob again.

  I reach up and clasp my arms over my head because that’s how it was last time.

  Devyn gives me a small smile and a nod as he reaches for a folded bed sheet at the foot of the bed, and places it between his teeth. I do my best not to cringe at the sound of ripping the fabric as he pulls it apart.

  It amazes me how everything has been so meticulously planned out; only I’d been too blind to see it.

  Too desperate to live a normal life where no one would know who I was but Dad.

  Too many hopes and dreams were riding on the whim
s of a desperate young woman who could never outrun her demons—because hers are real.

  “It came to me one day,” I tell him in a shuddery tone. “I don’t know how. I just thought of it one day and liked it.”

  Devyn secures my left wrist around the bedpost, then glances toward Father Whittaker who’s waiting patiently for him to finish. He walks around to the other side of the bed to secure my right wrist, then sits down next to me.

  “That’s one name,” Father tells him quietly, and Devyn nods. It’s almost like they’re both sharing the same thought, and no one wants to tell me what it is.

  I’m a third wheel at the worst possible time in my life, and I’ve never wanted so badly to fall out of the goddamn car and crash into a wall before the real damage has a chance to start.

  “I was scared, you know? When I saw what happened, that’s why I couldn’t help. But I saw when you—they—killed your mom and the priest. And they saw me too,” he finishes, pointing at his unique eye. “But, I promised myself that if I ever found you again, I would help because I saw you through all of it. How scared you were and how much you wanted it to stop. I guess that’s why I ran past the church grounds every day. I saw how close you had become with Father Whittaker, so I told him. I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

  “Take a deep breath and try to remember who we are, okay?” he says as he leans down and gives me a gentle kiss on the forehead.

  I close my eyes tightly and nod.

  I won’t be able to; I know I won’t.

  I think lying to them is the only way to help them stay strong, because no matter how tough they’re acting, they both still seem plenty scared to me.

  And that’s okay, because I am too.

  But when Father Whittaker begins his ritualistic blessing and splashes my body with holy water, I feel the earth drop out from underneath me.

  I’m sorry.

  Part Three

  Save Her Soul

  Chapter Nineteen

  In the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.

  “Wait. Father Whittaker, don’t. You’re going to make them angry,” I grunt out as the room starts to turn a hazy, gray color.

  The response, Devyn.

  Amen.

  Deliver us from evil, oh mighty God; save your servant who wishes to be freed from the torment…

  Grant us the strength to do your will. To save your child, Kora Parslow. To expel the putrid hosts from her body…

  “Look, I appreciate what you’re doing, but it’s starting to burn,” I whine.

  Silent, serpent!

  “Father!” I snarl at him.“The holy water hurts, don’t do that!”

  Let her find in you a fortified tower.

  And watch over her.

  “Wait. I won’t tell anyone if we can just stop now. Please?”

  I don’t mean to sound like an insipid child, but I’m losing my sight, my skin is starting to blister, and I can feel them getting closer to the surface.

  Lord, hear my prayer.

  And let my cry be heard unto thee.

  “I can’t see! Please stop!”

  May the Lord be with you.

  And also with you.

  … Father, please?

  I command you, unclean spirit, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of God—

  Oh, it’s been far too long since we’ve been able to play. Priest, this boy won’t be able to help you. But speak on; say your fucking prayers, because they’ll be the last words you’ll ever speak.

  Is that?

  Don’t listen. Don’t be afraid, Devyn. We’re here to help Kora and love will prevail.

  Fucking pathetic! You think whispered words and soiled water will drive me from this bitch? She belongs to me!

  I command you to obey me—

  Obey? Oh yes; you do need a lesson in obedience. You’re not as strong as the others. You’re make believe; a false prophet of your God, and you have no dominion over me.

  See the cross of the Lord; be gone, you hostile serpent!

  You’re beginning to bore me.

  It’s not working, Father—

  Don’t show fear! Stand strong in faith and we’ll deliver her.

  Tick, tock, Priest.

  Saint Michael the Archangel—

  Now, we’ll have fun! Call another. See how many give a fuck about your pathetic attempt to save this girl.

  Holy Mary, Mother of God—

  Careful, Priest.

  Pray for us sinners, now and—

  At the hour of your death? Oh, how you tempt me.

  Fuck! How do we get her down from there? Kora!

  Devyn, don’t! It wants you to—

  Reach for me, Devyn. I want to show you something.

  Let him go! I command in you in the name of Almighty God—

  Because that’s worked so well for you? You command nothing here. Sinner! Sinner! SINNER!

  Kora… you have to… fight…

  The boy is getting weaker by the moment. Shall I take his head, Sinner? Shall we go across the ceiling? Or perhaps you’d like to watch me drag him down the wall by his entrails?

  Put him down!

  Only when you confess, sinner.

  Father, help me! It’s getting harder to breathe!

  Be silent, boy, or I’ll make this much more painful. Rustle your pages, Priest. Find the words that will free you from your own sins before you can free anyone else from their own.

  Lord, heed my prayer! Save your servant, Kora Parslow! Deliver her from the wretched grip of this foul being, and—

  How poorly you speak of others when you should turn that hatred on yourself, Sinner!

  What do you want?

  Oh, how the mighty fall! On your knees already? Giving up without a fight? Good; now that you’re there, CONFESS.

  Father… help… us…

  Silent, boy! You test my patience!

  Holy Father, I am wholly sorry for having offended thee. It’s been three months since my last confession…

  Pay attention, boy.

  I… I’ve had impure thoughts—

  SINNER! Confess the real crime against your god!

  Three months ago when Lily slept in my stone chapel, I laid my hands on her body. I slid my cock inside of her as she slept. God help me, I fucked her under your holy roof where she found the most comfort. I took away the sanctity of your house. That is why this is happening again. God forgive me!

  What else, Sinner? Do you want to see the boy die? Continue.

  She came to me and told me that she felt different. I feared that life may have been growing inside of her, so I waited until the next time she slept in your house and I–I drugged her so I could dig the baby out of her, but there was nothing there. Save me, your humble servant –

  You see, boy? Now he wants salvation for himself.

  Silent, you evil–

  I’m growing tired of this charade. I’ll make a deal with you, Sinner. You tell me who you want the most and I’ll let the other go.

  What?

  Choose wisely.

  Father, save Kora, that’s why we’re here—

  Silent, boy! You have no say in this matter!

  No! You can’t make me choose! Lord—

  ENOUGH! Your pathetic rabble has become too incessant, and you’ve bored me beyond measure. Boy, I now give the choice to you.

  I choose Kora! Let her go!

  And what will you give me for this?

  Anything! Just let her go!

  Done.

  Part Four

  Deliverance

  One year later

  Epilogue

  I roll my shoulder as I lean down and pick up a heavy piece of lumber, then toss it into the chipper.

  I can’t believe all of the shit that happened back in Ashford Falls, and it’s even weirder that the memory of something so terrible is slowly fading with each passing day. />
  It let me go.

  It let Kora go.

  Father Whittaker, on the other hand, was a casualty in the war. Kora—no, not Kora; us—made him kill himself.

  There was too much shame in his confession, too much false piety that he kept trying to convey.

  Although, he did finally tell her about the watering cans they left on the steps near the ocean.

  Father had been spitting up blood and hiding them in the cans. He had hoped to get rid of them that day, but he didn’t want her to see how sick they were making him, all because of what he did to her.

  He wanted her to carry one because he hoped that she would have felt his pain—his shame—and knew of a way to help him atone.

  I close my eyes tightly for a moment as my bones begin to ache, then open them again.

  I still hear from Kora, from time to time.

  She sends me postcards of every new place that she visits, and I have almost an entire box full of them at home.

  I’m happy that she’s doing so well.