“Yes.” Father Francis answered coldly.
“Uh…hello Father, this is Father Gabe.” Gabe stuttered, his heart beating a little too fast.
“16 Campbell Street, three o’clock. Bring your bible.” Father Francis said icily.
Gabe was about to respond by asking the elderly priest a round of questions pertaining to exorcism protocol when he heard an audible click from the other end.
The priest had hung up.
Gabe stared at the receiver for a moment, tempted to call the old man back and decline the invitation. Stunned by the old priest’s rude behavior, he closed his eyes and tried to center himself.
Every time he closed his eyes, however, all he could picture was Lily’s eyes blazing passionately at him.
Glancing at the clock, Gabe realized how late in the day it was. Already two thirty, his stomach flipped as he anticipated all the horrible things he might experience at the exorcism. Packing his ceremonial robes and rosary into his back pack, he then retrieved his personal bible from the desk.
A present from his mother on the day of his graduation from seminary school, the bible was black with gold letters on the front. Inside was an inscription written in Greek.
My Dearest Gabriel,
Your father smiles down upon you from Heaven this day.
Love Mama
Tucking the bible into his back pack, Gabe wondered how much more drama he could endure today.
Leaving the church, he hopped onto his bike and pulled his helmet on. Revving up the bike, listening to the roar of the motor beneath him, he again thought of Lily.
Where on earth could she be? Gabe thought worriedly as he pulled away from the church parking lot.
~
The wind blew lightly through the trees, making the leaves quiver like a million butterfly wings. In the distance, the sound of chattering chipmunks echoed through the forest. The pond ebbed silently onto the shore; its waters sparkling like tiny diamonds dancing on glass.
Lily huddled in a far corner of the old tree house, her knees hugged tight to her chest. Sighing, she tried to push away the pain that had been burrowing through her chest all day.
After the church incident with Gabe, she drove home with angry tears streaming down her cheeks. She decided she needed to be alone for a few days. Devising a plan that would deter her parents from looking for her, she called her childhood friend, Sarah, when she arrived home.
“Hello?” Sarah answered.
“Sarah! Hi, it’s Lily.”
“Oh! Hey Lily! How’s it going?” Sarah asked.
“Well,” Lily began, “it could be better actually. I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really, it’s...a long story. I need you to pretend like I’m at your house for a few days.” Lily stated, hoping it would be alright.
Sarah paused for a moment, “I guess so, you’re not in any trouble are you?”
“Oh no, I just need some time to think, get away from everybody.” Lily confessed, “Please Sarah. I promise I’ll explain everything later. All I need is for you to tell my mom I’m there if she calls to check, okay?”
“Okay,” Sarah still sounded unsure, “where are you going?”
“The only place where no one will find me.” Lily said as she thought about Gabe and how she yearned to hate him for what happened, but couldn’t.
After discussing a few of the details, the girls hung up. With her plan in motion, she retreated to the tree house behind her home. After Lily’s little escapade when she was twelve, her father forbade his children to play in the tree house.
Lily often sought refuge in her quiet cottage in the trees, she never told anyone, as it was her own little sanctuary. Until today, however, she hadn’t visited the tree house for at least a year. It was in dire need of a good cleaning as many spiders had made it their own.
After Lily tidied up, she set out all her food, blankets, candles and many necessities she figured she’d need for a few days.
An old abandoned outhouse sat a distance from the tree house, she felt it would suffice for the few days that she needed it. It was decrepit and awful smelling, but she and her brothers endured it when they were too lazy to walk back to the main house.
Lying on a pillow she’d brought from her room, she turned onto her side and balled up into the fetal position. Depressed and alone, Lily finally allowed the searing crevice that had been forming in her chest all day to rupture. A hot fire trickled from her heart, causing her to sob uncontrollably as she clutched her pillow.
Many versions of Gabe’s face passed through her mind, one where he smiled lovingly at her, passion flickering behind his crystal blue eyes. Another vision of his face danced in front of her consciousness as it laughed kindly while watching her trip over herself. The final portrait painted the horrific scene from the church. Gabe’s handsome features morphing into an accusing scowl. His eyes burned with disgust and betrayal, as though Lily were the devil herself.
The sound of her sorrow reverberated within the walls of the tree house. Today, the quaint retreat that once held memories of her happy childhood became Lily’s dark and melancholy prison.
The Exorcism
Turning onto Campbell Street, Gabe’s pulse slowly increased as he scanned the ascending house numbers. Ten, twelve…as the number sixteen neared, he felt an impending doom.
What am I doing here? He thought incredulously.
This wasn’t what he had in mind when he entered the priesthood. He childishly concluded his days would be filled with inspiring others to find God, uplifting humanity and visiting sick children in the hospital; not to mention making his father’s last wish come true. This was the furthest thing from his idea of bringing peace to his belated father.
Parking and switching off his bike, he pulled off his helmet. His wavy black hair disheveled, a long portion draped over his left eye. Sweeping his hair back, he made a mental note to get a haircut soon.
Looking at the house, he thought it strange that this home, surrounded by so many others, would find itself so disrupted by evil. What would make this house, out of so many on the block, so appealing to such a dark fate? Like a tornado selecting which houses to devour in its path, choosing one to spare and another to destroy.
Breathing deep and mustering up as much courage as he could, he dismounted his bike and walked up the cobblestone pathway to number sixteen Campbell Street.
Knocking on the door, Gabe heard light footsteps approach.
The door opened to reveal a tired, middle-aged woman. Dark circles sat under her eyes like ashen sediment. He could tell that under other circumstances, this lady was normally well kept.
“Hello…um…I’m Father Gabe.” He stated nervously.
The woman’s expression lightened as she invited him in and guided him upstairs. Holding onto the handrail, Gabe glanced at the pictures hung methodically on the wall. The collage of images told stories of happier times.
A picture of a beautiful dark-haired child stood out from the rest. Her eyes lit up as she smiled at the camera. The girl’s spirit sparkled as the camera captured her shy smile. All of the photos seemed to portray a happy story of a young girl’s ascent from childhood to puberty.
Coming to the top of the stairs, one last picture caught Gabe’s attention. Obviously the girl’s graduation photo. Wearing a blue graduation gown, the girl’s expression was angry and dark. Her long, black hair hung lifelessly on either side of her sallow and hardened face. Soulless eyes stared out from the picture, though they bore little resemblance to the child in the other photos.
The woman led Gabe to a closed door at the end of the hall. A large wooden cross hung at the top and a rosary dangled from the knob. The apprehension was causing beads of sweat to form on the back of Gabe’s neck.
From inside the room, Gabe could hear the quiet murmur of a man’s voice. The woman paused to form the sign of the cross before she opened the door. Gabe followed
suit, whispering a quick prayer for good measure.
As she opened the door, Gabe realized his breathing was very shallow. Taking several large breaths to steady his nerves, he became aware of a terrible stench emanating from the room, a smell that reminded him of rotting meat.
Once the door was open, Gabe recognized Father Francis sitting in a far corner. He looked haggard and irritable as he glanced up from his bible. Nodding curtly, he dropped his head and continued reading a passage from the book of Mark.
On the floor, hands and feet bound together, was the young girl from the photos. She was emaciated and her ashen skin looked to be bruised from head to toe. What remained of her long, black hair was greasy and stringy. Peeking through the sparse cords of hair were several bald patches on her scalp, many oozing and seeping, as though she’d torn it out from the roots.
Several long, red gashes veined across her face, marring her pale complexion. She wore a light t-shirt and shorts, both stained beyond recognition with what looked to be vomit and blood.
Facing away from Father Francis, she appeared unconscious. If it weren’t for her chest rising and falling sharply, Gabe would have surmised he was looking at a cadaver.
Though the room was decorated tastefully, the energy would make a morgue seem like a massage parlor. A dense, negative charge swallowed the air, suffocating any positive energy that dared enter. Gabe shuddered as he felt the weight of the atmosphere on his soul.
The girl’s mother stood in a far corner, wringing her hands. A look of agony chiseled on her face as she stared helplessly at her daughter.
Not wanting to disturb the woman, He slipped quietly out of the room in search of somewhere to change into his robes. Finding a bathroom down the hall, he opened his backpack and slipped into his ceremonial garb. Grabbing his bible and rosary, he bravely went back to the room of darkness.
~
Several hours passed as Father Francis relentlessly prayed to the unconscious girl. He read passage after passage from several locations in the bible. Psalms, Revelations, Matthew, Mark and John, but there was no response from the battered young woman. Gabe whispered prayers as he delicately held each bead of his rosary.
After four strenuous hours of praying with no movement whatsoever from the girl, Father Francis suddenly paled.
“I’ll return in a few minutes, Father Gabe. I…don’t feel well suddenly.” The old priest said weakly. “Come sit here and keep reading.” The old priest instructed.
Complying, Gabe watched as the old priest shuffled wearily out of the room. Clutching the door knob on his way out of the room, he slowly closed the door behind him.
The second the door clicked shut, the girl’s eyes flew open and her head swung sharply towards Gabe. An evil sneer spread across her face, her lips curled into a snarling grin. She smiled horribly, exposing blood-stained teeth as she’d apparently been gnawing on the insides of her cheeks. Her pupils were dilated to at least four times their natural size making her eyes appear like shiny obsidian marbles.
Gabe gasped as she growled a low, guttural rumbling from the back of her throat. Her skin was so mottled and ashen; she looked like a half rotted corpse. The snarling growl soon turned to wretched laughter as she was obviously amused with how she’d frightened Gabe.
Panicked, he wondered if he should get Father Francis or if he should continue to read from the bible.
“Mmm mm….” she purred, “My, my, you are delicious looking, aren’t you?” As she spoke, a line of white foam tinged with blood trickled out of her mouth and down her chin.
Gabe frantically flipped through sections of the bible, attempting to find anything that might contain this dark creature.
Eyeing him seductively, she moaned and flicked her tongue at him.
“Come on,” she taunted, her voice deep and thick. “You know want to. Just touch me…come on. Poor little church boy, haven’t even had a piece of ass yet, have you?” She cackled.
Gabe’s mouth went dry and his head spun from fear as he debated what to do. Finally, he decided he would recite the Lord’s Prayer, the only thing his mind was able to produce from memory at the moment.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name…” Gabe began; the entity giggled and mocked him as he spoke.
“You know none of that crap works, don’t you!” She spat angrily at him, her black eyes furious. She pouted darkly for a moment, and then her demeanor once again altered to the sly, taunting personality.
“Do you know why you became a priest?” She asked, watching him intently. “Do you!?’ She yelled, provoking Gabe to answer.
“Yes…yes, I do.” Gabe stuttered, not looking her in the eye.
“Okay, you tell me your reason, and then I’ll tell you mine.” The creature stated smugly.
Slightly annoyed, Gabe said defensively, “I became a priest to serve God…”
“Nope!! Wrong!” She interrupted loudly. “You’re afraid…” she whispered, staring intensely.
He shook his head and frowned, unclear as to what she meant.
“You’re afraid to live, afraid to die, afraid to love, afraid to hate…afraid, afraid.” Her voice trailed off as she seemed to lose focus, her eyes wandering crazily around the room as though she didn’t know where she was.
As Gabe listened to her words, he found himself reluctantly considering them. Am I…just copping out on life? He wondered to himself.
“Mommy?” She suddenly whimpered, a little girl’s voice emanated from inside the monstrosity. Gabe eyed her anxiously, not sure if this was one of the entity’s games. The young girl’s eyes appeared to be a normal shade now, and she looked frightened as she examined the ties on her hands and feet.
Looking desperately at Gabe, she began to cry and beg for him to let her loose. After several moments of listening to her pleas, Gabe reached to loosen the ties on her wrists. At that moment, Father Francis entered the room and witnessed Gabe untying her.
“Stop!!” Father Francis roared. “It’s a trick!”
“Please!” The young girl’s eyes pleaded at Gabe.
Tormented, Gabe left the ties and dropped her hands. The moment he dropped his hand though, he saw something move near the girl’s head.
A shadow.
It appeared to coil itself around her neck. Barely visible to the naked eye, Gabe squinted and leaned closer to determine if he was just imagining things.
As he inched toward to the girl, his eyes focused on the dark mist entangling itself around her neck, her eyes suddenly flooded black again. The girl’s head thrust forward, teeth gnashing and snapping at Gabe’s face. She spat and growled furiously as she struggled, writhing on the floor.
Leaping back, Gabe decided he’d had enough of this exorcism. Grabbing his things, he uttered his apologies to Father Francis. Leaving the room, he glanced back at the terrible, loathsome creature on the floor as she thrashed violently and screamed obscenities.
“Coward!!! Coward!!! That’s all you are! Afraid to live!! Hiding in the church so you don’t have to live!! Hiding behind your bible so you don’t have to face the truth!!!” The girl screamed, her hips bucking and head whipping back and forth. She screamed so loudly that her mother had come running up the stairs.
Gabe ran from the room, his heart thudding against his ribcage. All he wanted was to get out of there!
Running passed her mother he couldn’t even muster a polite good-bye. He just ran out the door and far away from 16 Campbell Street.
Revving up his bike and putting on his helmet, Gabe roared down the street, unaware of the dark shadow following closely behind him.
Deceptions
David’s eyes fluttered beneath the cover of his lids. Sweat beading at his hairline. His body convulsed involuntarily as he fought the fear that threatened his unconscious mind.
Liquid invaded his ears, smothering all sound to a muffled hum. His heartbeat was the only sound he could hear.
Black tides embraced his body like a vice. The unforgiving
pressure on his chest as his airways pleaded for atmospheric nourishment.
Swimming aimlessly in any direction, David’s sense of equilibrium would not guide him to the surface...if there was one. He could not sense what was up or down.
‘the light…David…the light’ The haunting voice echoed through the darkness, as though guiding him to a hidden trapped door.
Frantic, David struggled to find the source of the voice, his lungs screaming for air. With a final muffled cry, he inhaled, feeling the cold, wet sensation ooze down his windpipe.
His body succumbed…sinking slowly, down into the depths of the liquid black hole. Dark tendrils of water licked at his face as his lifeless body sunk into the abyss.
As David watched his body being swallowed by the darkness, he sensed something new, something he hadn’t felt in his dream before. A presence…behind him…but who…or what?
As he turned to face this new anomaly, he became aware of his body awakening.
No! Wait! He thought lucidly, I need to see!
His eyes opened, hair drenched with salty perspiration and heart beating.
“Dammit!” He swore loudly. David felt as though he was on the verge of an unconscious breakthrough with that one.
Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around his knees, hugging them as he rocked back and forth until his heart stopped racing.
He’d only been asleep for two hours when he was awakened by the recurrent nightmare. The golf tournament would be starting in an hour, so he decided to get up and force his weary body to have a shower and get dressed.
If it weren’t a charity tournament, he probably would’ve just called and canceled, but the hospital had already put his name down for the four o’clock tee time.
His muscles felt unusually achy today as did his head. He recalled the young lady he’d assisted in the emergency room a couple of days ago, the one he’d diagnosed with food poisoning. Considering he felt like he was getting the flu, he wondered if he’d misdiagnosed her and caught whatever virus she might have had.
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