Battle of the Soul

by Carl Alves

  After a period of time that could have been five minutes or five hours, Monsignor Curran gripped his arm. “Perhaps we should see Mrs. Haines.”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  Mr. Haines led them to a basement. When Andy saw the woman’s face, all purple and distended, he nearly fainted. Drool dribbled down her chin. Her eyes held the hatred of a thousand furies. He was hoping she would show some sign of recognition, but there was none. Instead she stared at him with cold malice and shouted incomprehensible words.

  Andy whispered, “What are we going to do?”

  “What do you think we should do?” Monsignor Curran asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Look within yourself to find the answer.”

  Andy took a deep breath and slowly approached the woman. She seemed so tortured and helpless in his dreams. Now she was just scary.

  Monsignor Curran turned to Mr. Haines. “If you don’t mind, can we have a moment alone with your wife?”

  Mr. Haines nodded. His face looked sunken and defeated.

  Andy stared at Monsignor Curran after Mr. Haines left the room. He desperately wanted advice, a direction on where to go, but all the priest gave him was a smile. Look within yourself. Andy took a deep breath. The only thing he could think of doing was laying his hands on the woman.

  He touched her shoulders, and his world was never the same again.

  The moment they made contact, it felt like he was being sucked through a vortex, stretching him like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four. His head seemed like it was miles from his toes. Darkness surrounded him. He had the strong sensation of falling. He held out his arms but had no feeling in his extremities. He looked down and discovered that he was free-falling into a dusty, arid desert.

  He curled himself in an attempt to break his fall, but it was futile. He landed on the hard clay surface with a heavy thud. When he hit the ground, he tumbled several times before coming to a stop.

  He expected his body to be crushed from the fall. When he flexed his hands, he felt…fine. No, he felt more than fine. He got to his feet and took a deep breath. He felt alive for the first time in his life. It was like he had been living in a fog that had just lifted. He felt vibrant and powerful.

  Dirt, rocks and tumbleweeds surrounded him. In the cloudless sky, three suns beat down on him. Despite that, he did not fret. Nothing could harm him here.

  It did not take long to find the same dungeon from his dream where the monster tortured Marilyn, except he no longer believed it to be a monster. It was a demon that possessed her soul.

  He ran toward the dungeon. Always being slow of foot in the world he came from, he looked at his feet in amazement as he ran with blistering speed. He smiled widely. It was thrilling to be in this place. In gym class, he was always the last one chosen on the basketball team, if he got picked at all. Now he felt like a world class athlete.

  He stopped in front of the labyrinth, surveyed it for a minute, and entered. It was just as he had remembered from his dream. He navigated through the corridors. Before long, he reached the room where he had found Marilyn and the demon in his last dream. Marilyn was strapped to a table. Massive gashes lined her abdomen. Her left cheek was hanging from her face.

  The demon stood a few feet from Marilyn. He looked like an overgrown insect, and smelled like rotting fish.

  “Stop it.” Andy’s voice boomed, nothing like his normal voice.

  The demon looked up with a dazed look on his insect face. His eyes went wide and his pupils swirled.

  “Who are you?” Andy asked.

  The demon swayed. “I am known as Lalenhorg.” When the demon spoke, his voice sounded garbled, like he was speaking from underneath water. “How did you get here, human?”

  Andy didn’t bother coming up with an explanation. “You’re hurting this woman. Leave her the fuck alone.”

  The tentacles on Lalenhorg’s chest swayed. “And why would I do that?”

  Andy felt emboldened. “Because if you don’t, I’m gonna destroy you.”

  “You’re a worthless human. I don’t fear you.”

  Lalenhorg’s words didn’t echo truth. The demon was afraid of him. Lalenhorg gave off a different scent now. It struck Andy as a smell of fear.

  “You should fear me.” Andy advanced forward. He had been in a half dozen fights in his life and had lost every one of them, even to a kid who had been three years younger than him when he was in seventh grade. He sucked at fighting, but in this place, things would be different. He could feel it.

  He charged at Lalenhorg. Before the demon could react, Andy tackled him to the ground, punched his bug head a few times, then picked him up by his antennae and flung him across the room. The demon crashed into the stone wall.

  The demon’s legs wobbled as he tried to stand. Racing across the room, Andy picked him up by his throat and squeezed. The demon was immense, well over six feet tall with serious girth, but Andy lifted Lalenhorg effortlessly. After choking him for a minute, Andy dropped him and proceeded to bash his head against the wall until he went limp. His leg twitched, then he became still.

  Lalenhorg disappeared as if he was being teleported like in the old Star Trek episodes.

  He stared at Marilyn and nearly vomited at the sight of her exposed intestines. Looking away, he gently lifted her off the cot.

  She winced.

  “I’m Andy.”

  Marilyn’s hands shook, and she appeared to struggle as she lifted her head. “You heard me.”

  “I sure did. Why did you call me? How did you even know who I was?”

  “I’m not sure,” Marilyn said. “Something inside me told me that you were my only hope.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I got here when I did. Let’s bust out of here.”

  Andy had no idea how he was going to leave, but he was confident he could manage the task. He hugged Marilyn and thought about the room he had just come from in her house. The sky darkened as the world of the soul faded. The ground beneath them lost its substance, and he was back in the room.

  When his eyes opened, he found himself staring at Monsignor Curran, who had a tight grip on his shoulders.

  Sweat dripped from the priest’s brow. His eyes were wide, and concern was etched on his face. “Are you all right?”

  Andy smiled. “Never been better.”

  He tried to piece together what had just happened. He had entered Marilyn’s soul and was back after he had destroyed Lalenhorg. Pulling away from Monsignor Curran, he turned toward Marilyn. She seemed at peace now. “Mrs. Haines.”

  She opened her eyes and looked around the room. After a few moments, tears streamed down her face. “Andy!” She stood and hugged him fiercely as if the fate of the world depended upon it. “Oh, thank you. You saved me.”

  Chapter XVI

  Andy could see the struggle in Holly’s eyes as he told his story.

  “Did all of that really happen?”

  Andy nodded. “I didn’t ask for this. I never wanted to be an exorcist. It chose me. I’m not good at nothin’ else, but here’s a chance for me to do good, something that can help people, so I’ve embraced it.”

  “I want to believe you. You seem sincere. But this all sounds…”

  “Crazy?” Andy grinned.

  Holly nodded. “The truth is you’re here because I’m desperate. I love Kate more than anything. She’s my whole life, my reason for living. Before Kate, life was one pile of shit after another. Kate changed all that.”

  For a moment, he yearned to be like Holly, to feel what she felt. He had never cared so completely for another person. “I want to help you get your life back. You and Kate both deserve it. Ya mind if I ask you something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I haven’t heard you say anything about Kate’s father. What’s his deal?”

  Holly looked down. “He isn’t around, and I’m thankful for it.”

  Andy waited for her to continue.

  “I was pregnant at age sixteen.
I was young and foolish. Phil, Kate’s father, seemed so glamorous at the time. He was older and rode a Harley. When I found out I was pregnant, I thought everything would be all right because he was such a great guy. I couldn’t be more wrong. He wanted nothing to do with me. He offered me money to have an abortion and wanted me out of his life for good. I contemplated getting an abortion but couldn’t go through with it. No matter how tough it would be, I was going to keep her. I did take part of Phil’s advice. I never spoke to him again. Thank God. He’s been busted twice since then for dealing crystal meth.”

  “Good for you. I mean the part about not having anything to do with Phil. He sounds like a real piece of shit.”

  “It’s been a struggle. My mom helped take care of Kate while I went to nursing school. She’s been helpful, but…” Holly sighed. “She’s had a hard time coping with Kate’s problem. She tried at first, but I haven’t even spoken to her in the last few weeks. She just couldn’t deal with it and dropped out of our lives.”

  Andy frowned. Possession was a nasty business. He knew that more than anybody, but that didn’t excuse Kate’s grandmother for giving up on her like that.

  Tears formed in Holly’s eyes. “So, I’ve dealt with this alone. Father Christopher tried to help, but then he died performing the exorcism.”

  Andy clutched her arm. “You’re not alone now. I can’t guarantee results. I mean, I used to be like that, like I was all king of the world. This won’t be a picnic, but I’m going to be with you every step of the way. I know I’ve given you no reason to believe me after that chicken shit performance the other day, but I’m through with running.”

  Holly wiped away tears. “Thanks. I appreciate you being here.”

  “It must be tough, being a single mom and all.”

  “At first, but now it’s become my life. It helps that Kate’s easy going. She’s a real sweet kid.”

  “I can tell.” Andy stared at the little girl playing by the stream. Where were her demons now? Were they still inside of her, lying dormant?

  Kate ran up to the picnic table and grabbed his hand. “Mr. Andy, come here. I have to show you something.”

  Andy glanced back at Holly as they walked on the damp earth. She had a strained look on her face, but damn, she still looked like an angel sent down from heaven to guide him as he navigated through the dark currents of the world of the soul.

  ***

  Later that evening, Andy was in their living room showing Kate some card tricks. They were lame, but Kate seemed to find them fascinating.

  He went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. Holly had been on the phone and disconnected when he entered the kitchen. As he was filling the glass, she gave a deep sigh.

  “What’s wrong?” Andy asked.

  “I’m supposed to work tomorrow. I’ve been taking so much time off because of Kate. For the most part my bosses at the hospital have been okay with it, but this is starting to push their limits. Kate’s babysitter is unavailable, so I’m stuck.”

  “No you’re not. I’ll take care of Kate.”

  “You will?”

  “It’s not like I have a day job. Exorcisms are what I do, and Kate is my only focus now. I can watch her.”

  Kate burst into the kitchen. “Can Mr. Andy stay with me? Please.”

  Holly glanced at her daughter and then at Andy. “Okay.”

  Kate hugged Andy. “That’s so awesome. We can play games, and I have to show you my dolls, and then we can watch Glee. It’s going to be so much fun.”

  ***

  Andy hid behind the sofa as Kate ran down the stairs. As she got closer, he raised the Cinderella doll and spoke in his wicked stepsister voice. “You have fallen for my evil plot.” He leaped up behind the sofa, causing Kate to give a startled yelp. “I’ve captured you and will now throw you into the pit of giant termites.”

  Kate put down her Snow White doll and put her hands on her hips. “Giant termites? Really? Cinderella’s a good princess. She invited Snow White to a tea party.”

  Andy maintained his evil stepsister voice. “It was a massive plot to gain your confidence. Now that I have lured you in, it’s off the pit of giant termites for you.”

  Kate got back in character. “Oh no, where’s my Prince Charming?”

  From his backpack, Andy pulled out an Incredible Hulk figure. “No Prince Charming. Hulk here rescue Snow White and smash evil Cinderella.”

  Kate giggled. “Oh, Hulk, please save me.”

  “Cinderella betray Snow White trust. Now Hulk mad.” Andy poised the Incredible Hulk figure at the top of the sofa and used it to pounce on the unsuspecting Cinderella doll. “Now Cinderella go to pit of giant termite. Hah-hah. You no mess with Snow White.”

  Kate burst into laughter. “That’s what happens when you mess with the wrong princess, sister. That’s the last time Cinderella’s going to betray me.” She gave Andy a high five. He then picked her up and twirled her around.

  Andy couldn’t imagine hanging out with an eight-year-old girl could be so much fun, but he was having a blast. As with most children, he found a way to relate to her at her level. He had always considered himself a big kid.

  Kate sat cross-legged in front of him. “So what do you want to do now?”

  “I need to ask you about the monsters.”

  Kate drew back. Her face scrunched, her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed.

  Andy held her hand. “Look, I know it’s scary, but it’s important.”

  Kate looked down. “I don’t want to.”

  “I know you don’t, but I have to know more about the monsters.” Andy raised her chin and looked into her eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  Kate nodded.

  “Do you remember the monsters?”

  Kate closed her eyes and nodded slowly.

  “Tell me about them.”

  “They’re ugly and scary.” Kate wrapped her arms around herself. “And they like to hurt me. They always hurt. I ask them to stop, but they never do. All they do is hurt. Sometimes I just want to die so it can end.”

  Andy thought his heart was going to shatter into a million pieces. It wasn’t right that this sweet, little girl had to go through this.

  “There are five monsters, but one doesn’t hurt me.”

  Andy guessed that was Kra-lex. “What about the others?”

  Kate shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about them.”

  “Okay.” There was no point in making her endure further agony. He already knew about Asmodeus, Malachai, and Baphomet. The one he really needed to learn about was the new demon that had rendered Andy impotent from his power. “Tell me about the super huge one. The one with the jagged spikes coming off his back.”

  Kate did not respond.

  “You know, the one with the fiery red hair, pointy nose, and deep, dark eyes that look like empty pits.”

  Kate’s body began to shake. “No.”

  Andy held her tight as she shivered hard. “I promise I'll help you, Kate, but you need to tell me about him.”

  “He does really bad things to me. Please don’t make me talk about him.”

  “I wish there was another way, but I need to know. Did he say anything to you in your nightmares?”

  Kate looked up into his eyes and began crying. “He…he said I was his pawn, but I don’t know what that means. He told me he was waiting for the coming of his son, and our world would never be the same. Then he laughed so hard the ground shook. Then he hurt me more.”

  Andy frowned. The coming of his son? This was going from bad to worse. His head hurt just thinking about it.

  Andy didn’t want to prolong her agony, but he had to ask one more thing. “Kate, do you remember seeing me the last time when I was fighting against the monsters?”

  She nodded.

  Andy held her hands. “This is very important. If this ever happens again, call out to me. Scream my name at the top of your lungs. I’ll come and find you.”

  Kate frowned. “But how can you
be there with the monsters? They’re bad, and you’re my friend.”

  “You have to trust me. I’m going to be there the next time it happens. Call out to me and I’ll find you.”

  Kate nodded. “I trust you, Mr. Andy.”

  “Good.” Andy kissed her forehead, and then they returned to playing with her dolls.

  ***

  An hour later, Holly came home from work. She had a startled look when she found Andy walking around the living room with Kate sitting on his shoulders as they sang songs from Glee.

  Holly smiled. “Wow. You guys are getting along famously.”

  Andy lowered Kate so she could get off his shoulders. She ran toward her mom and gave her a big hug and kiss.

  “We had so much fun today. Can Mr. Andy stay for dinner?”

  “Of course he can.”

  Andy waved. “Hey, Holly. How are you doing?”

  “Good. It was nice to go back to work. I almost feel human again. I was at ease knowing you’re with her, you know, just in case something happened.” As Kate went to her room, Holly asked, “How was she?”

  “She’s a great kid. I had fun. I like spending time with her, with the both of you.”

  Holly hugged him. “Thanks for being here. Thanks for everything.”

  Andy’s eyes went wide. When Holly touched him, it felt electric. “Um, it’s nothing. It’s not like I have anything better to do.”

  “Well, the least I can do is make you dinner. The only problem is that my cupboards are mostly bare. I haven’t done much shopping lately.”

  “That’s okay. Give me a list, and I’ll go to the grocery store.”

  Holly smiled. “You got yourself a deal.”

  Chapter XVII