“Jake?” Jane said.
“Yeah?”
“What’s in your pocket?” Jane asked.
Jake opened his mouth, then shut it.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Jane instantly felt foolish for prying.
“No.” He closed his eyes as he shook his head quickly. “It’s just not something I usually share, but in this case… it’s a sliver of the cross that Christ was crucified on.”
“Oh.” Jane instantly understood why he wasn’t eager to reveal ownership of such a priceless treasure.
“But how—” Courtney began.
“It’s not important,” Jane interrupted. If Jake was uncomfortable sharing the knowledge that he owned the precious item, it went without saying he’d be less than enthusiastic to divulge how it was obtained. Not that she thought it was through nefarious means, but that it was something he valued and preferred to keep to himself.
“Let’s just say it was a gift from a man I loved and respected very much,” Jake finished. “Now, you ladies get ready while we prepare the men.”
When Jane returned from freshening up, she noticed everyone already flanking Alyssa. “Where do you want me?”
“Grab her head,” Jake answered.
Jane got into position and laid her hands on the woman’s temples. Surprisingly, Alyssa didn’t fight being touched. Jane noticed Jake’s St. Michael’s medallion over his shirt in plain sight. Alyssa appeared to be transfixed by it. Jane had asked Jake about it their first night together. He told her that he never took it off. He said the Archangel Michael was his protector against evil.
“In the name of the Father.” Jake began to cross himself. “And of the Son. And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
A round of amen circled the room.
Alyssa began to fidget.
Jake clenched the medallion in his right hand. “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”
They all murmured amen.
Jake picked up the holy water and Alyssa squinted at him as if in warning. He flicked his wrist and sprinkled her forehead. The water acted like acid on her skin; a red streak appeared.
A gut-wrenching scream filled the air.
“In the name of the Father.” He splashed her with holy water, she screamed and squirmed. He repeated this as he completed the prayer.
“I’m going to hunt you down and kill you slowly and painfully,” Alyssa snarled at him. Then she laughed, deep and raspy.
He pocketed the small bottle and picked up the black book Jane originally thought was a Bible, but the gold lettering was too long. The title was quickly obscured by Jake’s large hand once he opened it.
Latin poured from Jake’s mouth, his voice boomed throughout the room.
Alyssa growled as she thrashed about. “Stop it.”
The bottle appeared in Jake’s hand again. “In the name of the Father.” Flick of the wrist. “Depart. In the name of the Son.” Flick of the water. “Depart. In the name of the Holy Ghost.” Flick of the wrist. “Depart. In the name of Jesus Christ.” Flick. “Depart.”
The animal sounds coming out of Alyssa’s mouth became deeper, more vicious, and at a greater volume, as if trying to drown out the sound of Jake’s words. Black foam bubbled from her mouth. Her head jerked back and forth. Jane lost her grip on more than one occasion.
“I invoke the power of Christ to give me your name!” Jake yelled over and over again. The beast clenched its eyes while it growled, and the fowl stench grew stronger.
Jake pressed the crucifix to its forehead and Jane heard sizzling. The room became unbearably cold. Jane could see everyone’s breath as she looked about.
“Keeper of Souls!” bellowed from its mouth in a deep baritone.
“With the power of Christ, I demand you give me your name!”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” the demon barked.
Jane was tired of standing and struggled to do her part. Jake’s voice was becoming hoarse; he was greatly fatigued, but still continued. “Hail Mary full of grace…”
“Blah, blah, blah,” the demon said over and over again as it tilted its head from side to side, grinning. That awful foam dripped down Alyssa’s chin onto her chest.
*
Hours later, Alyssa’s eyes rolled back in her head so far you could only see white. Jane was certain they’d killed her. Then without warning, her restraints broke away and her body rose in the air. Her back bowed as if unseen hands were holding her up under her waist, her head and legs hung down unsupported.
Everyone backed up.
Jane couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d seen this pose in every picture for every movie ever made with an exorcism. Never had she believed it really happened.
The room was silent as a tomb.
Jane searched the faces in the room, all eyes were on Alyssa, but with one difference: Jake and Sara’s expressions. They acted like this was no big deal.
Alyssa floated back down and Jake set her back in the chair.
“Is it done?” Brandon asked.
“Shhh,” Sara warned.
Jake went to his bag and pulled out a velvet pouch. He returned to his position in front of Alyssa, who looked around as if lost. He pulled out a wafer and placed it in front of Alyssa’s lips. “Body of Christ.” She opened her mouth and accepted the wafer.
“Brandon, get her out of here immediately. Do not return until you hear from me that it’s safe.” Jake’s message was delivered with acute abruptness.
Brandon scooped up his wife. She lay in his arms like a rag doll as he made his way to the foyer.
“Danny, unlock the front door and assist him to the car,” Jake said. “Sara, you can cut the music. By the way, you couldn’t have found a better song for us to hear over and over again? Credence Clearwater Revival will never be the same for me.”
Sara shrugged. “That 45 was already on the phonograph.”
“What was the music for?” Courtney asked.
“To muffle her screams so the cops outside didn’t run in to save her,” Sara replied.
“It obviously worked,” Jane said.
“Lucky for us.” Jake smiled for the first time since it all began. “I’m not keen on spending the night in jail.”
“Has that happened before?” Jane asked.
“A story for another time,” Sara said on her way out of the room.
Jane was relieved when the music stopped. If she had to listen to another round of Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog, she thought she might slit her own wrists. It was her mother’s favorite song once upon a time. Now Jane would always link it with what went on here today.
TWENTY-NINE
Later that evening after making love, Jane lay curled in Jake’s embrace, tracing circles through the hair on his stomach.
“So, I guess you’ll be leaving now that this is all over.”
“This is far from over,” Jake answered.
“But you let Brandon take her away.”
“We’ve exorcised the demon from Alyssa, but he is by no means gone. I need to make him give up his name. Until then, it’s impossible to banish him.”
“He told you, Keeper of Souls.”
Jake stroked her hair. “All demons are known as keepers of souls. By taking over a human body, they own that soul for as long as they have control. It’s not a name, but more of an occupation. For humans, money is power. To demons, souls are power and to a demon, power is everything.”
“Then how were you able to banish the demon from Alyssa?”
“Fortitude. You see, demons are not of this plane and as such they can only stay so long. It’s akin to a person holding their breath under water. No one can hold their breath indefinitely, at some point they will need to resurface.
�
�Our job was to weaken the demon enough that he had to flee until he yielded the resources to enter her again and finish the task. The instant he departed, I needed to reclaim Alyssa’s soul in the name of Christ. The problem is that she’s still vulnerable because he knows her inside and out. That’s why it was imperative that Brandon eradicate her from the equation immediately.”
“What’s to stop the demon from seeking her out?”
“Us. We need to go back to that house before his strength is restored and eliminate him. Close the portal and set the spirits who have been held captive free.”
“Oh, is that all?” Her chuckle held no mirth.
“Don’t sell yourself short. What we were able to accomplish today was nothing short of a miracle. I haven’t felt that much determination during an exorcism ever before. Not one of you buckled under pressure. That’s extremely rare. Not only because of the endurance needed, but with the insults the demon spewed forth, we normally lose at least one, if not more, who find it impossible to continue. Because of this we had success in one day. One day!”
“How long does it normally take?” Jane asked.
“The average is three days to a week. The longest lasted almost two weeks,” Jake informed her.
“Holy crap. I’m glad you didn’t tell us. I don’t know if I would have been able to hang in there if I thought it would take that long.”
He kissed her forehead. “And that’s why we didn’t mention it.”
“Good call.” She patted his chest. “Okay, I know ghosts gather their strength from electricity by way of batteries, water, lights, any source of electricity. But demons don’t need those things to exist. So how do they grow stronger?”
“Besides acquiring souls, they use spiritual energy. Like positive and negative ions, there is positive and negative energy. Demons need negative energy to exist like we need oxygen.
“Remember the story Courtney told us about the children playing in the hall? They were laughing and having fun, so they were omitting positive energy. That’s like nails on a chalkboard to a demon, so he appeared and terrorized the children, turning the energy negative. This is how he feeds.”
“If the bodies dug up today are any indication, he has a veritable smorgasbord from which to feed. Didn’t Detective Shelly say they were up to sixty-seven when we left this evening?” Jane said.
“I knew when I first walked through that front door there were many souls trapped there, but I had no way to distinguish just how many. Sixty-seven is an astonishing amount, but to know they aren’t finished yet boggles the mind.
“It seems this demon has been controlling at least one resident of that house for decades by way of demonic possession in order to kill and fill his coffers. In the underworld he must be considered a king,” Jake finished.
“So for the two years that no one lived in Seacliff Manor he what… just waited?” Jane asked.
“Not exactly. The souls he chose for his pleasure were people who were weak for one reason or another. He knew they’d be easy prey to frighten. The only person we know who died of natural causes is Bess and she stayed to protect those she loved.
“Then one day a bunch of people arrived and began restorations, stirring up all the dark corners of the house. Like giving a kid the key to a candy store, he had his own personal playground with a fresh batch of unsuspecting humans to terrify. Think of him as a vampire feeding to his heart’s content growing stronger every day, all the while seeking the perfect vessel in which to occupy next.”
“Alyssa,” Jane said.
“Yes, Alyssa. She was under a great deal of stress having to make all the day to day decisions on such an enormous project with mounting bills. The fact that her husband was consistently MIA only made it worse, she was lonely and depressed.
“Both Vera and Bess found in her a kinship. For Bess, it was missing her husband and feeling the burden of running a household alone. For Vera, it was the loneliness and depression that followed. So they set out to warn her.”
“The visions, the dreams,” Jane guessed.
“Exactly, but the idea backfired. Instead of helping, they only made matters worse. Each night the disturbing dreams resulted in fitful sleep. The continued lack of rest built up until it broke down all her defenses, which in turn made her vulnerable. As the only living being actually staying in the house 24/7, the demon had ample time to learn her weaknesses and prey on them.”
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Jane said.
“Literally in this case.” Jake kissed the top of Jane’s head. “We’d better get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow and we’ll need our strength.”
Jane turned off the light. Jake snuggled up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
*
They arrived at Seacliff Manor the following evening around eight. Jake calculated that the demon would need a full twenty-four hours to recuperate and since he fled last night after eleven, they had plenty of time to get a jump on him. While the others went directly into the house to prepare, Jake and Jane sought out the detective for an update.
They found him talking to Dr. Walsh in the first tent.
“What have you learned?”
Dr. Walsh cleared his throat. “The body count is up to eighty-two.”
“But we’re nearing the end,” Detective Shelly added.
“How do you know?” Jane asked.
“We’re running out of land to dig up,” Shelly announced.
“But aren’t there over twenty acres?”
“Yes, but most of it’s covered with trees that have been here since the late 1800s. The root span would make it near to impossible to dig around them,” the detective said.
“Have you found any evidence to point to who killed them?” Jake asked.
“We’ve collected a lot of evidence by way of carpet fibers, hair, a piece of thread here and there. It will take months to sift through it all,” Detective Shelley said.
“Will you keep us in the loop?” Jake asked.
“Sure. Just make sure you give me your information before you leave.”
“Will do,” Jake answered.
This time when they approached the house, Jake was carrying two bags. Jane followed him into the foyer. He moved the vase from the round table and began removing different objects. The items from the day before were laid out first. “Would you light the candles for me, Jane?”
“Sure.” She picked up the box of wooden matches.
Jake opened the second box and laid a large gold ball with a chain attached on the table. Then he produced a boom box.
“Are we having a dance party?” Jane said.
Danny came over. “You’re dating yourself again, Jane. It’s called a rave now.”
Jane placed her hand across her heart dramatically. “Well, pardon me for my ignorance.”
Danny smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”
Jane rolled her eyes at him. “Gee, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Danny grinned.
“You’re both wrong. I’ve made a special tape recording of religious music: Gregorian chants, gospel, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, stuff like that. Oh, and the Carmelite Nuns. Have you heard about them?”
“Sorry, no,” Jane answered.
“They all reached out from their cloistered monasteries in twenty-four different countries to do a virtual concert to honor St. Theresa of Avila. The way it was put together was genius. They skyped them together so all you see are their faces on a screen as they follow the choir director. Have you heard it?”
“Can’t say that I have.” Jane loved the way Jake’s eyes sparkled talking about it.
“It’s as if the angels themselves are singing through them,” Jake finished.
“I can’t wait.” She brushed his arm and was rewarded by a tiny smile she found endearing as if he were embarrassed by his passion.
Sara and Courtney showed up and he quickly turned away, focusing on setting up. It would be ju
st the five of them tonight. Brandon was watching over Alyssa.
“We’ll start at the bottom of the house to push the demon up and out. We need to turn on all the lights. Demons prefer the dark so they can hide.” Jake faced them. “Let’s do that now and meet back here.”
At that point they all went their separate ways. Jane returned last because she had climbed to the top of the center tower, the highest point in Seacliff Manor.
“Okay. Danny, do you have enough flashlights for each of us?” Jake said.
Danny walked across the room to his command post and began replacing the batteries to make sure they all worked. When he returned, he handed them out with a set of extra batteries. Since entities were known to drain electricity, there was a good chance they might need them. “Should we wear the walkie-talkies for this?”
“Maybe we should to be on the safe side.” Sara glanced at Jake.
“Sure. Although we will be moving in a group, it’s best to be prepared for anything,” Jake said.
Danny left to take care of those. Jake picked up a few bottles. “Sara will be in charge of sprinkling the holy water in the four corners of every room.”
Sara took them and put the extras in the pockets of her cargo pants.
Jake reached for the large gold ball and opened it up. “Jane, you will carry the incense.” He lit it and closed the top, handing it over to her by the chain. “Just wave it about as we go along.”
“Courtney, you carry the crucifix.”
Danny handed each a walkie-talkie. “And what do you want me to do?”
“Danny, you will bring up the rear. I need you to be my eyes and ears. Stay alert. Make sure the women stay safe. Although I’ve done this many times, I prefer to read the rite of exorcism to make certain I make no mistakes. This could get pretty hairy. I need to completely focus on the words and their meaning to be effective.
“The demon will do everything in his power to fight back. He’ll try to separate us, to cull the herd if you will. We are much stronger as a group and he knows that. So he’ll try to take us out one by one. I’m counting on you to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“10-4,” Danny said.
“Is everyone ready?” Jake looked at each face and waited for the nod.
Spirits 04-Spirits of Seacliff Manor Page 19