Lilith's Awakening

by Viktoria Ballavoski

  “Viktoria, when Brandon came out of the room, he looked straight at me as if he could see me! And his eyes were red!”

  “That’s impossible,” I said with a shake of my head. “Maybe his eyes were wandering, and it felt like he could see you.”

  “You’re right,” she said, but she didn’t sound sure. “It might have been like that.”

  “Is he in the kitchen now?”

  “Brandon left an hour ago. He’s going to get coffee.”

  “Then I will wake the rest of the gang,” I said before going back upstairs to wake my children. I knocked on each of their doors and hollered, “Come on, kids! Get up! Breakfast should be ready in ten minutes!”

  I went downstairs to start making breakfast. I was done making three French toasts by the time they started showing up one by one.

  “Mom,” Melisa asked as she took a bite of her food, “can I borrow your car today? My tires need to be rotated.”

  “I’ll drop you off at school; I need my car today,” I said as I put a plate of food in front of Lacey and Cameron.

  “Okay, but we have to leave early. I have a class at ten after seven.”

  Once all my kids were ready to go, we got in the car. I dropped everyone off as I made my way to work. When I was almost there, I heard Gabriellele mumbling.

  “Talking to me, Gabriellele?”

  “I’m sort of talking about you but not to you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know the case Michael told you about? I suppose you’re going to see Michael about it. Well, one of the victims in the case is here with us but not showing herself because she is scared.”

  “Oh, God, Gabriellele, how long has she been with us? How did she get here? How did that happen?”

  “Last night after you went to bed, I started searching for her and I found her. I told her who you are and that you are the only one who can help us. She’s been among us since this morning. Her name is Carmella.”

  “Why didn’t I see her earlier?”

  “Because she did not want to be seen. She wasn’t ready. She just tagged along with us today so she can see if she is able to trust us.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Carmella. I’m sure together we will do what needs to be done. We’re going over to the station now.”

  I pulled my car into the parking lot and then into a spot. “Okay, we’re here. Remember to be aware of everything around you, and if you feel uncomfortable, let me know. You can also stay next to me if you both need me. Please just say my name, and I will help you.”

  We got out of the car and walked to the door. Once inside, I saw Michael. “Good morning, Michael. Did you get the reports from Washington?”

  “Yes, they’re right here. I have been going over the autopsy files. It’s the same thing; her heart failed, and there was no blood left. She was driving when the heart attack occurred. But this happened weeks ago.” He put the paper down and looked at me. “Viktoria, we need to go over there, because this case is exactly like the other one—the blood was drained out of the body.”

  “You mean, just like Gabriellele?”

  “Autopsy shows that there was not a single drop of blood left in the body, and there is no sign of any cut.”

  “Then we don’t have any time to waste. Let’s go now to see the body. I believe we are dealing with more than one kind of demon.”

  “Viktoria, what are you saying? Who are they? What do they want from these people?”

  “I’ll tell you everything on the way there. Come on, let’s go!”

  “I can’t believe my ears! I’ve never heard of any thing like this before. But how are we going to find these people?”

  “You have to get files on all the deaths and disappearances,” I said, changing the topic, since I didn’t know quite how to answer him.

  “What about the remaining six hundred sixty-four people? How are you going to find them if they’re all over the world?”

  “My friend Greg Cheveyo is a Native American demonologist who will come with us. We have to find them and protect them from Lilith, the jinn, and Lucifer.”

  “You mean we are dealing with demons?” he asked, shocked. “We don’t know how to handle a situation like that!”

  “You could say our hands are full with the demons. Luckily, we do know how to fight back and have people to back us up. When we get there, Michael, be sure to take pictures of anything suspicious. Look around the body to see if there is any kind of mark.”

  “I’ll try to record anything out of the ordinary.”

  “Don’t be scared of anything that happens or that might pop up. Make sure to have your cross showing and have this holy water handy. You’ll also have to repeat a verse.”

  “Which is?”

  “Repeat after me: ‘There shall no demon touch me or hurt me. I am the creation of God, and I obey him; He is the father of Jesus. I shall be protected by him and the archangels sent by him.’”

  “Why would we need all this for protection if they’re both already dead?”

  “We may need a ritual in case their bodies have been taken over by another demon. Then we need to do an exorcism and baptize them. Otherwise, the priest won’t be able to bury them.”

  “Why do we baptize them?”

  “Their mothers were impregnated by jinn. They are also servants of Lucifer. A priest, imam, or rabbi would not able to bury them. They will know that this is Lilith’s doing. They cannot take a chance of a fight with Lilith or any jinn. Therefore, they will baptize them at the burial, or at the morgue.”

  “I’m going to get the jitters all ready,” he said, walking away.

  “Don’t worry,” I said, following him. “Greg’s meeting us over there. We have the best demonologist on our side.”

  We decided to go in my car. Michael gave me directions as we drove. “We’re here,” he said when I pulled up to the morgue. “We need to see Captain Murray first; he’s going to help us with this case and take us to the morgue.”

  “I see Greg is here too,” I said as I got out of the car. “Let me get him caught up on the case.” I walked over to him and greeted him with a smile. “I’m so glad you made it. We were going downstairs.” I turned and saw Michael looking at me. I motioned for him to come closer. “Michael, I would like to introduce you to my friend Greg. Greg, this is Michael. Greg will join us if it’s okay with Captain Murray.”

  “Why not?” Michael asked. “He can join us, Viktoria.”

  As we were going downstairs, Greg suddenly stopped.

  “Why did you stop, Greg?”

  “We have company, Viktoria.”

  “Who is it?”

  “I believe it’s Lilith. As to why she is here, we will soon find out.”

  Captain Murray opened the door. Before I could comprehend what Greg had just said, there was Lilith. She looked so evil, yet so beautiful. Now I understood how easy it was for her to seduce men.

  As she passed by me, she whispered in my ear, “I am not finished yet. You cannot stop me. Even your God can’t.” Then she vanished.

  Michael asked, “Who is she?”

  Captain Murray replied, “Must be related to the deceased, but she is gorgeous!”

  Greg and I approached the bodies. It was so strange; one person had died one week before the other one. Only it looked like nothing had happened to them; they still had their color. Suddenly, Greg pushed me away. He started spraying holy water and placed the crosses on them.

  “Viktoria, these bodies have been possessed by demons! They knew we were coming. She’s trying to stop us. Get the rest out of here or stay back; we need to do an exorcism.”

  Captain Murray rejected the idea. “They’re dead!” he said.

  “I’m a demonologist,” Greg said. “Viktoria and I believe these two were killed by demons, and their bodie
s have been taken over by demons. If you come a bit closer, you will see they’re still alive. This means that the body has been taken over by a demon or a lost soul.”

  Greg and Captain Murray approached the body. The captain moved his hand closer. Her eyes were wide open, and when he got close enough to her, she pulled him toward her and said, “Try to get rid of me.”

  “Oh Lord, this is not real! You must be kidding me!” the captain yelled, becoming terrified. “Is she still alive? What the hell is that? She even spoke to me. Did you hear what she said?”

  “Yes, we did,” I said. “No, we’re not joking; if you read the autopsy, you would have seen that she has been dead for a couple of days now. The blood has been drained from the bodies, but there were no scars or cuts.”

  “Let me see those records,” he demanded. When Greg handed them over, Captain Murray looked at them for a long time. Finally, he said, “You’re right. Do you think this was caused by a vampire?”

  “Wouldn’t there have been fang marks on the body? But there was no sign of any. Only the queen of bloodsuckers, the demon Lilith, would be able to do this. This is how we’re going to find out: check the mouth for any loose teeth. This is how they draw out the blood of their victims. She is the head demon of vampires. Lillin, her daughter, is one of the commanders of the vampires.”

  “You know, Greg, if I had not seen this with my own eyes, I would not believe you. But go ahead; do whatever you need to do.”

  Greg and I started the exorcism first, since the body had been taken over. As soon as Greg put the cross on the victim’s forehead, she hissed and jumped at us. We continued to spray holy water and commanded the demon to leave the body. It would not respond to our command.

  “Michael, what are the victims’ names and religions?” I asked.

  “Check her toe,” he told us. “She should have a tag.”

  We moved down to her feet, pulled back the sheet that was covering her, and looked at her foot. “Greg, her name is Azalea; she is Jewish. We have to do it their way.”

  Captain Murray replied, “I know someone, Rabbi Rubenstein. Let me call him; he lives close by. He might be able to help us.”

  While the captain made the phone call, Greg tried to explain how the Jewish exorcism ritual had to be performed by a rabbi who had mastered practical kabbalah.

  “The ceremony involves a quorum of ten people.”

  “Ten people?” Captain Murray said. “We can’t do this over here.”

  Greg replied, “We have to do it here; we cannot move her. It’s too dangerous. There is too much risk. We need those ten to gather in a circle around the possessed person. The group recites a psalm three times, and the rabbi blows the shofar—a ram’s horn. They blow the ram’s horn in a certain way, with certain notes, in an effort to shatter the body, so to speak, so that the soul that is possessed can be shaken loose. After it has been shaken loose, they can begin to communicate with the demon and ask it what its purpose for being here is.”

  “Do you really think it will communicate?” the captain asked doubtfully.

  “Well,” said Greg, “don’t be so pessimistic. If it doesn’t, they can pray and do a ceremony for the soul to feel safe. Then they will baptize her. We need Rabbi Rubenstein over here as soon as possible.”

  After a minute of silence, Michael asked me, “Viktoria, you’re not serious, are you? There is no way they will let us do this. We need permission from the family and the DA. No one can perform exorcisms in a morgue.”

  “What about it, Captain Murray? You have given us permission. We don’t have time, Greg, to find her family, but you could get whatever you need before the rabbi comes or let us do what we need to do.”

  While we were waiting for Rabbi Rubenstein, Father Johnson joined us, and we started the other victim’s exorcism.

  “In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, by the intercession of Mary, spotless Virgin and Mother of Jesus, of St. Michael the Archangel, of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, and by the authority residing in our holy ministry, we steadfastly proceed to combat the onslaught of the wily enemy.” Father Johnson’s voice started to tremble audibly, though he tried to hide it, and bullets of sweat dripped down his forehead, but he continued with a trembling voice: “God arises; His enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish before God.”

  As he finished his speech, Father Johnson was blown backward. He asked Greg if he could help him with the rest of verse. They said, “See the cross of the Lord; be gone, you hostile powers! The stem of David, the lion of Judah’s tribe has conquered. May your mercy, Lord, remain with us always. For we put our whole trust in you. We cast you out, every unclean spirit, every Lucifer in power, every onslaught of the infernal adversary. Every legion, every diabolical group and sect, in the name and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, be gone and fly far from the Church of God, from the souls made by God in—”

  I felt Lilith’s presence and knew things were getting worse. Father Johnson had to stop for a moment.

  I asked him if we could get someone who had the same knowledge to come assist them.

  Father Johnson shook his head as he said, “No,” and continued with, “His image and redeemed by the precious blood of the divine Lamb. I can see, Father. No longer dare, conger serpent, to deceive the human race, to persecute God’s Church, to strike God’s elect, and to sift them as wheat. For the Most High God commands you, He to whom you once proudly presumed yourself equal; He who wills all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. God, the Father, commands you. The Son of God commands you. God, the Holy Ghost, commands you. Christ, the eternal Word of God made flesh, commands you, who humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, to save our race from the perdition wrought by your envy; who founded His Church upon a firm rock, declaring that the gates of hell should never prevail against her, and that He would remain with her all days, even to the end of the world. The sacred mystery of the cross commands you, along with the power of all the mysteries of the Christian faith. The exalted Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, commands you, who in her lowliness crushes your proud head from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception. The faith of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and the other apostles commands you. The blood of martyrs and the devout prayers of all holy men and women command you.

  “Therefore, accursed dragon and every diabolical legion, we adjure you by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by God, who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish but—”

  Things where not looking good, and I was starting to worry. It was getting ugly as Father Johnson continued, “… have everlasting life; to cease deluding human creatures and filling them with the poison of everlasting damnation; to desist from harming the Church and hampering her freedom. Be gone, Lucifer, father and master of lies, enemy of man’s welfare. Give place to Christ, in whom you found none of your works. Give way to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, which Christ himself purchased with His blood. Bow down before God’s mighty hand, tremble and flee as we call on the holy and awesome name of Jesus, before whom the denizens of hell cower, to whom the heavenly Virtues and Powers and Dominations are subject, whom the Cherubim and Seraphim praise with unending cries as they sing: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbath.’

  “Lord, heed my prayer. And let my cry be heard by you. The Lord is with me. May He also be with you. Let us pray.”

  We all started to pray. “God of heaven and earth, God of the angels and archangels, God of the patriarchs and prophets, God of the apostles and martyrs, God of the confessors and virgins, God who has power to bestow life after death and rest after toil; for there is no other God than you, nor can there be another true God beside you, the Creator of all things
visible and invisible, whose kingdom is without the end; we humbly entreat your glorious majesty to deliver us by your might from every influence of the accursed spirits, from their every evil snare and deception, and to keep us from all harm; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  As Greg and Father Johnson were spraying the holy water, the demon was reacting. “You will never get rid of us until we are done with the rest of them!”

  “From the snares of the devil, Lord, deliver us,” Father Johnson continued. “That you help your church to serve you in security and freedom. We beg you to hear us. That you humble the enemies of the holy church. We beg you to hear us!”

  Suddenly, black smoke began to roll out of her mouth. It vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The demon finally left Carmella’s body. Then the priest baptized her, and as soon as we were done, the victim looked so calm and so peaceful.

  When we finished with Carmella, Captain Murray came up to us. “What are these marks on the victims? Only holy water burns?”

  “Don’t worry, Captain Murray,” I said. “A few little burns from the holy water. This happens when the body is obtained by evil spirits. With makeup, the families will never notice them.”

  “When are the victims’ families coming to see them, Captain Murray?” Greg asked.

  “The family of one of the victims will be here this afternoon, but we could not find the other’s family. When she was found, there was no identification except her hospital internship ID. We got the address from the personnel office, but, unfortunately, the address they gave us was not the right one. We’re still searching for her next of kin.”

  “Would you have a copy of the address?”

  “Yes.” He went to get the address out of a file and talked as he searched, “It’s strange. Maybe it was some sort of mistake made by the hospital. There must be another address.”

  “Michael, why don’t you call the hospital? They might be able to find the proper address.”