Battle of the Soul

by Carl Alves

  Rage surfaced inside Andy. This couldn’t be true, yet when he looked deep inside, he knew it was true. Still, he could not accept it. He would not accept it.

  He let out a low, guttural growl and charged at the big demon. He felt initial resistance, like a wave of energy, but broke through it. Andy lifted him by his legs and slammed him on the ice. He wrapped his hands around the demon’s neck and squeezed as hard as he could.

  His attack did not last long. Baphomet was the first to reach them, roughly pulling him off. He tossed him into Malachai’s waiting arms, who used his claws to flay Andy, slicing and dicing him until he fell in a heap.

  Asmodeus stepped on his neck. “How dare you disrespect your father like that? I’ll tear your throat out, you ungrateful bastard.” Asmodeus thrust his fingers into Andy’s neck, doing his best to fulfill his promise. Andy gasped for breath as Asmodeus continued to drive his fingers into his neck, nearly crushing his larynx.

  Andy thrust his leg, sweeping Asmodeus off his feet. He then sprung toward Baphomet, who took a long swing from his axe that grazed Andy’s chin, slicing it to the bone.

  Andy wondered if he had an inexhaustible supply of blood in Kate’s soul. He had already bled buckets yet still continued to bleed profusely from this latest wound. If this was the real world, he would have died ten times over by now. He would continue fighting until there was nothing left of him except an empty shell.

  He jumped in the air and landed an axe kick to the top of Baphomet’s head, sending him flying into the snow. Attacking Baphomet with ruthless aggression, he was hell bent on killing at least one demon, but Asmodeus thwarted him by plunging a knife into his back.

  Andy fell to his knees. The world grew dark. He crawled to Baphomet but collapsed before he could reach him.

  What happened next was a big blur. After some indeterminate period of time, he was kneeling in front of the demon who claimed to be his father.

  He spoke in a stern voice. “You have tested my patience for the last time. You have a choice to make. Bear in mind that once you die here, you will be dead in your world as well. Is that how you want to leave, without a chance to say goodbye, dying in the most horrible way possible? Join me, and we’ll leave the little girl alone. This is where you belong, my son.”

  Calling him his son felt like a slap to the face. Andy swayed, hardly able to stand. He felt so weak, so close to death. The physical and emotional damage he sustained was just too much.

  He looked into his father’s eyes, which seemed filled with remorse, as if he knew the choice Andy would make and regretted following through on his promise.

  Andy had another option. He hated to do this, but the other choices were death or damnation. He drew in a deep breath, not sure that he had enough strength to execute his plan. He had promised Kate that he would not abandon her, but he would have to break that promise. He drew deep within himself and blasted a massive wave of flames at the demons. It spread in wide sweeping arcs, scorching the frozen wasteland with fire.

  He did not wait to see what damage he inflicted. He turned and ran as fast as he could to the edge of the cliff. Without hesitation, he jumped and plunged into the dark abyss.

  Chapter XXVI

  Holly put her hand to her mouth as Andy began to convulse. “What’s going on?”

  His eyes wide with apprehension, Monsignor Curran shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  When Andy first grabbed Kate’s hands, instantaneously, their eyes closed and neither moved. For a while, nothing happened. Holly could not begin to comprehend what was happening between Andy and her daughter. The whole possession ordeal had been a huge leap of faith, but she had no choice but to accept what she saw.

  In her dream-like state, Kate looked serene, as if no demons inhabited her soul and she did not have a care in the world. After ten minutes, Andy began to fidget. His head and shoulder began to move as if he had a tic. Meanwhile, Kate still appeared in her relaxed state, unperturbed.

  After a few minutes, Andy’s agitation grew. Every so often, his hands would tremble. Then his body would have a violent spasm. Twice he almost fell off his chair, but through it all, he held Kate’s hands.

  Holly’s anxiety grew as Andy began to shake more violently. His eyelids shuddered and his face grew pale. She wished she could find out what was happening. Not knowing was eating away at her.

  “Should we do something?” Lucas asked.

  Monsignor Curran took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve seen Andy in these trance-like states when he is occupying the person’s soul. I have never thought to disturb him. My guess is that it will do more harm than good. Not just to him, but to Kate. For now, let’s leave him alone, although I don’t like what I see.”

  “Has this ever happened before?” Lucas asked.

  Monsignor Curran shook his head.

  Holly chewed her fingernails as blood began to flow from Andy’s nose. “We have to do something.”

  Monsignor Curran shook his head. “We have no way of knowing what’s occurring.”

  Holly nearly shrieked. “He looks like he’s going to die.”

  Kate opened her eyes and looked around the room.

  Holly knelt and stared at her daughter. Her eyes were wide as if she had awoken from a nightmare. Holly held her hands. “Kate, are you okay?”

  She turned, glanced at Andy, and began to scream. “What’s wrong with Andy?”

  Holly shook her head. “I don’t know, baby.”

  Blood covered Andy’s face and shirt. Copious amounts of saliva oozed down his chin. After a couple violent spasms, Andy stopped moving.

  Kate began to sob loudly. She hugged Andy fiercely. Holly tried to pull her daughter away, but she would not be deterred. She clung to him as if her life depended on it, blood now covering her shirt. “They’re killing him down there. I saw what they were doing. They’re going to kill him. Andy, please don’t die.”

  Lucas felt his wrist for a pulse. “He’s still alive.”

  His face ashen, Monsignor Curran said, “Let’s get him to a hospital. Holly, where’s the closest one?”

  “The one I work at is fifteen minutes away.”

  “We’ll take separate cars,” Monsignor Curran said. “Please lead us there.”

  Holly nodded.

  Lucas lifted Andy in his arms as if he were a small child. “Let’s go.”

  They raced out of the house. Holly did not bother washing up Kate or changing her shirt. There was no time. Andy looked horrible. She doubted he would last long if he did not get medical attention. Kate continued to sob hysterically as Holly strapped her into her booster seat.

  She sped out of her driveway, Lucas and Monsignor Curran following her. During the drive, she prayed for Andy to make it through. Despite her early misgivings about him, he had showed how much he was willing to sacrifice to help Kate, even if it meant risking his own life.

  Andy was in the car with Lucas and Monsignor Curran. He had looked so terrified before he and Kate linked together, his arrogant, self-confident demeanor she had first witnessed gone. He had to live. Andy was the only person who could save her daughter. If he died, then where would she turn?

  Kate stopped her hysterical crying, letting out an occasional sob and whimpering sounds.

  “Kate, honey, do you remember what happened to you when the bad guys came?”

  She looked in her rear-view mirror and saw Kate nodding.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  In a small voice, Kate responded, “He came for me.”

  “Who came for you?”

  Kate’s words came out in a rush. “There was ice everywhere, and it was so cold. I was freezing to death, and they put me in a jail made of ice. I was alone until Andy came. Andy wanted me to leave so he could fight them. I found this room to hide in and I saw all of it happen in my mind. They were hurting him so bad… and then I woke up and saw Andy all bleeding like he was going to die.”

  “He’s no
t going to die. We’re going to get him help. Do you remember anything else?”

  Kate shook her head.

  She glanced back at Kate, who folded her hands and was saying a prayer. Holly had never been religious. Wanting Kate to have a religious and moral foundation, she enrolled her in Sunday school. This was the first time she had ever seen Kate pray. If Andy could make it out alive and find a way to rid Kate of her demons, then Holly would make her own religious conversion.

  “I don’t want Andy to die. Please, God, don’t let him die.”

  Holly wiped tears from her eyes. “He’s going to be okay.”

  Thankfully, there was little traffic on the road, and they reached the hospital quickly. Holly pulled in front of the Emergency Room entrance.

  Lucas pulled up behind her, opened the back door, and lifted Andy out of the car. Blood covered Andy’s face. He looked unconscious.

  They brought him inside, where a wide-eyed intern stared at Andy. “What’s the situation?”

  Monsignor Curran stepped forward. “He has suffered severe acute injuries and requires medical attention immediately. Is there an attending physician or resident available?”

  The intern still looked shell-shocked, so Holly went to find an ER physician. She found Dr. Hartley and signaled for him to come forward.

  Dr. Hartley was well respected among the hospital staff. He had worked at the hospital for at least a dozen years and was one of their most prominent physicians. In life-threatening emergencies, Holly had always known him to remain calm under pressure. He immediately took control of the scene. “Tell me what happened?”

  “He does not have epilepsy or any condition that would lead to this, but he suffered what appeared to be a serious seizure,” Monsignor Curran replied. “He was convulsing and shaking violently. He bled from his nose and mouth. This occurred for a few minutes and then it suddenly stopped.”

  Dr. Hartley put his ear to Andy’s chest and listened to his breathing. He then checked his eyes. He signaled to a medical technician. “Let’s put him on the monitors and check his vitals. I want a toxicology report stat. Is he allergic to any medication?”

  Monsignor Curran shook his head. “No, he’s not.”

  The technician and a nurse put him onto a rolling bed and wheeled him to one of the ER rooms.

  “Walk with me,” Dr. Hartley said. “Anything else you can tell me about the nature of his injuries? Has he been using drugs?”

  Monsignor Curran said, “Andy isn’t a drug user, and I can assure you that this has nothing to do with any narcotics.”

  “Any idea why this happened?”

  Holly glanced at Monsignor Curran. He was a religious man, so she did not expect him to lie, but if he told Dr. Hartley that this happened during an exorcism, then he would think they were all crazy.

  “I wish I could provide you with some insight, but I simply don’t know what happened to Andy. The only thing that I know is that he experienced a traumatic episode, and his life appeared to be in danger. It occurred suddenly, and it stopped abruptly as well.”

  Dr. Hartley glanced at each of them. “You’re not giving me much to work with. In case things go south in a hurry, who are the patient’s next of kin?”

  “I suppose that would be me,” Monsignor Curran said. “He has no family, and I was his legal guardian until he became an adult.”

  Dr. Hartley narrowed his eyes. “Very well. If it comes to the point where someone will need to make decisions on his behalf, then you will have to provide documentation stating this. In the meantime, we’ll see what we can do for him.”

  Chapter XXVII

  When Dr. Hartley walked into the waiting room, Holly rose to meet him. Monsignor Curran followed, while Kate sat with a blank stare.

  “How’s he doing?” Holly asked.

  “Not well,” Dr. Hartley said. “We’re still at a loss as to the cause, but I can tell you that Andy appears to have a whole host of issues. He suffered a mini-stroke. His brain was deprived of oxygen for a period of time. He was severely dehydrated. In addition, he experienced liver and kidney damage.”

  Holly put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, God!” If she had any lingering doubt that what had been happening with Kate was the figment of a child’s imagination, then this put those doubts to rest.

  “What is his prognosis?” Monsignor Curran asked.

  “It’s hard to say,” Dr. Hartley responded. “I’ve never seen anything like this, so it’s all guesswork right now. He appears to be stable. If there are no further changes, then we will transfer him to the internal medicine floor. We will continue to monitor him and run further tests. The good news is that his condition does not appear to be worsening. I can only hope that what occurred to him was a onetime event, and with the passage of time and treatment, he will recover.”

  Holly gave an exasperated sigh. Her life had been hard but simple until a month ago. Kate’s possession had turned her world upside down.

  “Is Andy conscious?” Monsignor Curran asked.

  Dr. Hartley shook his head. “He has not so much as stirred since we began treating him.”

  “Well, I can only hope that he will regain some lucidity soon.”

  Dr. Hartley eyed him curiously. “Yes, we can only hope. Holly, do you mind my asking what’s your relationship with Mr. Lorenzo?”

  Holly hesitated. “Andy’s, um, helping my daughter with a problem she’s having. He was over my house when this happened.”

  “I see.” Dr. Hartley hesitated before speaking. “Well, I have to say this is one of the most bizarre cases I’ve ever seen. It was like his body staged a revolt against itself.”

  “What are his chances of recovery?” Holly asked.

  “Only time will tell,” Dr. Hartley said. “We’ll continue to monitor him. Since we don’t know what caused his condition, we will have to react to things as they happen. Normally, I prefer to be proactive while treating patients, but I don’t think Andy’s situation lends itself to that approach.”

  “I’m sure you will do your best,” Monsignor Curran said. “In the meantime, we will pray for his recovery.”

  After Dr. Hartley left, Lucas entered the waiting room. He spoke in a low voice. “I’ve arranged for a couple members of my team to be here while Andy is being hospitalized. I’ll still be primarily responsible for his security, but I can’t be here twenty-four-seven, and I want to make sure he has constant protection.”

  Monsignor Curran folded his arms. “Are you expecting another attack?”

  Lucas nodded. “He’s immobile and vulnerable. Legion will know he’s here, and it will give them a perfect opportunity.”

  “Then we’ll need to be vigilant,” Monsignor Curran said.

  “We will.”

  Kate walked toward them as if in a daze. Holly could only imagine what her daughter was going through. Monsignor Curran had told her that each time the demons took possession of Kate, it would take a further toll on her and might do permanent damage. Holly felt helpless. There was nothing she could do to protect her daughter. Andy was her only hope.

  Kate tugged at Lucas’s arm. “Mr. Lucas, you can’t let them hurt Andy. They’re going to try to hurt him just like they hurt me.”

  Lucas patted her shoulder. “Listen to me, Kate. I’m going to protect Andy, just like he protected you. He’s in good hands.”

  Kate nodded and walked away.

  ***

  Holly stared out the window on this cloudy October morning. The overcast skies reflected her dreary mood. On his third day in the hospital, Andy still had not shown any signs of improvement. Still unconscious, at least he remained stable. His doctors tried to be positive, but Holly could tell they were not optimistic.

  He was being treated by a host of physicians, including members of the neurology, oncology, and cardiology departments. He drew quite a bit of attention at the hospital due to the unusual nature of his ailments. Many of her colleagues had asked questions about him, questions she did not care to answer. She
knew bringing Andy here would raise unwanted attention, but she also knew he would receive top-notch care.

  Kate sat in a chair next to Andy’s bed, reading him a pirate book she had brought from home. Reading to him seemed to keep her content.

  Kate insisted on spending every possible moment with Andy. They shared some kind of bond that Holly could not comprehend. It was more than obvious that she adored him. Her daughter’s affection towards him was infectious. Holly wanted more than anything for him to pull through, not only because he could help Kate, but because she truly began to care for him, especially when she saw her daughter’s devotion to him.

  Kate could be very persistent when she wanted something, and Holly could not convince her that she should spend less time in the hospital. She put up a convincing argument that being here would make it easy on Holly. When she was working, Holly could check up on her. Since Monsignor Curran or Lucas would be there at all times, she would have constant adult supervision. Monsignor Curran had seen to it that she was well nourished, providing food and drink for Kate, Lucas and the agents protecting Andy.

  Besides reading to him, Kate spent her time talking to Andy about whatever she fancied, or watching television and giving him a blow by blow description. Holly couldn’t imagine Andy was absorbing any of it, seeing as how he was comatose, but that did not deter her daughter. At the end of each day before they went home, Kate would kiss him on the head and plead for him to get better.

  It was agonizing to watch Kate go through this. Her daughter was desperate to have Andy recover, but no amount of coaxing made a difference.

  Kate’s shriek broke her out of her daze.

  “What is it?”

  She pointed at Andy. “He opened his eyes.”

  Holly looked down, but Andy appeared to be in the same stupor he had been in for the past few days.