The cries echoed around the corridors of the hospital ward. The odd visiter wandering between rooms and the day room. The cries turned in to shorting, the familiar voice of of one of the nurses and Eve.
Her pace quickened. Reaching the closed door she pushed it open.
"Get away. Get away get away" screened the eve backing her self in to the corner of the room away from one of the nurses and a priest.
"What the hell. Are you doing to her?"
Eve shaking and crying scratching at the bandages on her for arms ran between the two of them and straight in to arms of her sister.
"Don't make me go with. Don't make me go with" she muttered quietly to her.
"Your not going any where..."
"I'll get the doctor to give her something"
"No she just needs him to get out of here. Now “ looking at the priest.
"I'm sorry I did not mean for her to get so distort" his voice sincere and look of concern on his face as he left the room as requested. The nurse picked up the chairs that had been push over while Anna with are arm around Eve sat her and herself on the bed.
"He's gone he can't hurt you. "
"I don't like. He's sad so tired. There's no shadows in the mirror. No shadows.
“No there's no shadows." Running her fingers though her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
“I'll be back in minuet." Handing her a book from the bed side table, before leaving the room, closing the door on behind her.
The nurse stood out side with one of the doctors.
"I've told you a dozen times. No priests, vicars, nuns, rabies, no religious visits. Other wise this happens"
"He said he was an old friend of the family, he knew both your names. We just assumed.."
"Well you were wrong to" looking down the corridor at the priest standing against the wall examine the floor.
"I need to check on her make sure she hasn't hurt her self" the doctor said pushing open the door followed by the nurse.
"So has the church sent you to check up on its fuck up to relieve some of guilt?" Standing beside him on the defence. "Because your certainly not an old family friend are you father?"
"I am truly sorry. A colleague asked me if I would look someone up for him while I was here. An Eve and Lilly Williams."
"Well we are Eve and Anna Stevens you have the wrong people."
"I realise that I am sorry for any problems I have caused and that you sister is well." He held his had out to her. Yet she did not except it.
"I wish you well and good bye" leaving him alone in the corridor, to go back to her sister.
Opening the car door and getting in away from the rain
"It is defiantly the girl from the interview. But she goes by Anna Stevens. The sister she is not in a good way. She very unstable"
The gentleman in the drivers seat stared at the hospitals front doors.
"She tried to take her own life that's why she has been checked back in... What if there is nothing wrong from besides her mental health problems?"
"I need to make sure... Thank you again for doing this"
"That's fine... It's nice to see you again"
"You too"
He got out of the car pulling the collar of his coat up around his neck, as a light rain began to full across the city.
INTERVIEW
Laying on the bed, open books beside her and the music from the computer playing. The afternoon sun blocked by grey heavy rain clouds, the yellow artificial light flicked in the room with a buzzing sound.
A knock at the door seamed to stop the lights flickering and wake her.
Pulling her self up she glanced at the phone for the time 6:06 pm.
Unlocking the bottom locks and unhooking the chain to open the door.
Standing dressed in black, head lowered face part covered by his hat, dusted with rain drops, as he look up she felt the muscles in her stomach and cheat tighten.
Sitting opposite each other at the small table Marcus Keane looked around the small flat. Kitchen and living room, doubling as a bed room with the sofa bed open unmade with books lying open. The open door to a small bedroom,
He took sip of coffee. Strong and hot.
Before pulling out of his bag a large tattered brown envelope, and pushed it towards her. Post marks and addresses crossed out. Redirected from church to church.
"Do you know who sent this?"
"I have no idea"
Taking it back he tipped out the contents.
"It's the transcripts from the interview you done with a university, and a copy of the interview." Separating the contents
"And this" pulling a piece of paper out of the envelope and holding it out to her.
Reluctantly she took it and read it
"You failed them. They needed you and you walked away"
"I don't know what you want me to say.... Yes I sent it... What?... I done that interview months ago."
"What about you sister, Eve?"
Passing the paper back to him she moved uncomfortably in her seat.
"No it wasn't her... Plus she would have written some sought of abuse." handing the paper back. "It may have been some one from one the university. It was a two guys from the phycology class and a guy and girl from the religious studies that I worked with.... Why are you so concerned over it? And why have you suddenly crawled out from your crept Father?"
"How is every thing with the two of you?" Trying to ignore her bitterness.
"Could be a lot better. It was you that sent that guy in to hospital today wasn't it?”
"You no that I couldn't help, you even said it your self it wasn't a priest she needed."
"No she needed some one that was no the family priest to listen to her."
"I heard what happened... "
"So did half the country" leaning back in her chair pulling the hood up around her neck. "You haven't answered My question... After 12years why have you shown up?"
"After reading this I needed to speak to you both... It was hard work tracking you down. You use different names, the only consistencies is Eve... Also I'm not a priest any more. "
She smiled a little.
"What did you forget your Hail Mary’s... Been using our mothers maiden name Just trying to keep away from the crazies... So you've only read the transcript. You haven watched if feature film yet" he frowned at her. "You should watch it... They asked about the footage that mum and dad filmed of what they believed was her possessed, had to sit through it and be questioned."
"So do you at all believe that she was possessed?"
“No I don’t” she looked towards the empty bed room “After spending four days doing that interview it made me question everything... My faith and religious teachings says that I should believe, but logical and scientific part of me says its load of bull shit... It messed my head up a little.... Especially after re watching the films."
She got up and turned the kettle back on arms crossed rubbing the tops of her arms and shoulders for confront.
"I'm not sure what to believe in anymore.”
The kettle grew loaded before the click of the switch at the end of the boil.
"Will you let me talk to her?"
She turned around and made her self another coffee.
"I'm not sure. She gets so anxious and stressed out with strangers… I need to think about it" placing the mug on the table "I can give you the details of the university professor, you can ask him if he knows who sent you package?"
"That would be good." She went over to book case and pulled an old cigarette tin out from under some books, and disc from the bottom self. And went and sat back down. Tipping the contents of the tin on to the table.
"There's his card I'm sure he'll have more questions for you then you will him." handing it to him. "Not sure if you want this" holding out the disc in plastic case. " it's the stuff which mum and dad filmed and sent me. I think it was partly to put me on guilt trip to try and get me to come back from uni. "
"I'll have look. And I'll call him in the morning"
"Please don't say that you have spoken to me, he's been trying to contact me. I don't want to go back though it all again."
He pulled a small notepad from his bag "do you have a pen?"
She went over to the cabinet beside the bed and picked one up from the jar.
"Here" handing it to him.
"Please think about what I said. I'd like to speak her... He's my number and where I'm staying, I'll be around for a week or so." Handing her a torn out page folded in half.
"I'll think about it, but I can't promise anything."
He put the envelope with it continents back in to his bag along with the DVD and the card that's she had given him.
"Even if you just want to talk... Just call me.”
"Thank you" with the dislike she held not just for him but the church. She took his hand. Warm and rough. He placed his other hand on top of hers.
"Speak to you soon." smiling at her.
Closing the door behind him both her hands on the door her four hand resting on the cold wood. As the lights began to flicker again.
INTERVIEW
"Father Marcus, it's such pleasure to meat you." Professor Moore said shaking hands with father Marcus.
"Please sit down.” gesturing to the chair.
The small office with the one window overlooking another building. The other wall with filled book shelfs,
"What is it that you teach?"
"Phycology, and Religious phycology... You said you needed to talk to me about Anna and Eve Stevens."
"Yes, I met them years ago. I haven't heard anything about them until three weeks ago when I received a transcript and a dvd of the interview that you done with her." pulling the the envelope out of his bag "I was wondering if it was you who sent it to me?"
"No I haven't sent it out to anyone. I'm not just a teacher I also a physicist. So everything that came up in that interview I asked that the other students to keep the information between myself and them."
Taking the package from him
"How did you contact her and persuade her to this interview?"
"She's a student here. I done a lecture for the which involved the students from the religious studies, sociology, phycology and religious phycology classes, she was in the group and she had some intriguing questions and comments. After I asked if she would be interested in meeting a small group that I was work with that had an interest in the paranormal phycology.
It was during one of our meetings that it came to light about her sister, and she agreed to be part of an interview.... Have you spoken to her by any chance? It's just no ones seen or spoken to her in three months. We're all a little worried"
"I haven't. I looked you up through the details on the items I was sent"
Moore looked at the envelope
"It certainty traveled" pulling out the contents to examine it.
"Now that's interesting. You have know idea who sent this to you?"
"No I was hoping that it may have been you or one of your students" Moore stared at at the hand written note
"It sentiently wasn't me and the hand writing doesn't look like any of my students... I'm no expert but from the way the ink has smudged the person could be a lefty." He frowned as looked at the folder bound transcript and DVD. "About two and half three months ago my office was broken in to they ransacked it but didn't take the cameras, or computer. Nothing of value, apart from this copy transcript and dvd, along with a copy of the file of notes I had on Anna and Eve. You didn't happen to be sent that as well did you?"
"No just what you see there... How many copy's of the interview did you make?" Concern in his voice.
"Only two hard copy's of both the dvd interview and the transcript. Anna had a copy which both items were marked as 'copy two' and mine as 'Copy one'." Holding up both items showing the print on both "Which is this one, that was stolen. I have back ups on my computer but only two physical copy's of each where burnt and printed."
"You don't think it was Anna. Maybe she changed her mind and didn't want to be in the centre of research project?"
"I very much doubt it. She was the one that offered to be interviewed.... Maybe you would like to join my self and the group. we are meeting Thursday next week. It would be nice to add the. View of the exorcist that meet them at the start."
Marcus smiled and frowned at the same time at the invite.
"I'm not sure if I will be around."
"If you are we meet in the Lion pub off of Soho square."
May be if I am around... What was the other file that was taken?"
"It was notes of observations of her and Eve which me and the other two students made. As well as some medical history, birth and death certificate... Have you watched the interview?"
"Yes I have"
"Then you know that we were going to perform a hypothesis session with her," he began searching files on his laptop "Which we performed but had not put on to disc. It was only a week before my office was broken in to." He turned the laptop around so that father Marcus could see. And taped to play.
Hypnosis interview
Marcus sat back in his seat. Unsure of what he had just watched had he been wrong.
"They started treating her sister for schizophrenia about year and a half ago. It did make me wonder if Anna might suffer from it as well"
"It is possible... Why did you hypnotist her.?"
"She'd been suffering from nightmares, anxiety and sleep walking. She'd woken up in bazaar places. I suggested that maybe we could locate the underlying cause. As she didn't like the idea of taking medication."
"Why didn't she go to a doctor?"
"She did and they put it down to stress. As I'm a practicing psychiatrist, I offered to help"
"Did think that all the problems could have been caused from re-accounting all the problems from her past?"
"That's what I thought but as you saw, it was almost as if she is scared of something more present then past... As well as they she refers to her self as Lilly, concerned me"
"Lilly is her first name, well it's Lilith. She uses Anna as an aliases to avoid unwanted attention."
"I thought you said you hadn't spoken to her?"
"I haven't. A friend from the church gave me some details about where I might find her and that she was using a different name."
Moore turned his laptop round to face him unsure weather to believe him.
"May I ask. Why did you refuse help to girls?"
"There was not enough evidence that Eve was posiest. Her autism and bipolar made her very susceptible to mood swings. Even though she is very highly intelligent and you could hold a conversation with her, she could easily switch and almost revert to a child like behaviour... Her father believe that it was something possessing her... But other then her not taking her medication and a strict religious upbringing, which was confusing her. There was nothing that I could do."
"And what about Anna... Lilly?”
"Health young woman. A little depressed but considering the situation I'm was not surprised"
"How many exorcisms have you performed?"
Marcus frowned at the question that suddenly appeared from out of no where
"What's that got to do with the Williams's?"
"Just curious."
"You don't by chance have a copy of the full hypnosis session that I could watch do you? "
“Yes… You must understand, she’s a student, but also a patient, I cant just give it to you with out her permission. You can keep the copy that was sent to you... When you speak to her will you ask her to contact me, I just want to know that she is alright." He was sure that he had already had contact with her. He was more interested In the interviews then asking for details of where she might be .
“I understand. If I find her I'll ask her to call. "
"What do you think you will find in the interviews?"
"Not sure that I will find anything... May be who sent them to me... You said that you haven't seen Lilly, Anna in three months. "
"Yes"
"Dose she have a job where I might find her, or do any one else in her class might know where she is.?"
"She works in a night club, Koko. she avoids anyone who goes to see her. Runs and hides. She's moved so I can't give you an address"
"I'll go to the club, see if I can find her. Thanks again for these.” Getting up from desk.
"I hope that you will join us next week. It would be good to hear your opinion on events" handing Marcus details of where they were meeting and his number.
"If any one hears from her do you have a number I call call or give to her?"
"Yes" reluctantly taking the pen and paper from Moore for him to write it down.
"There you go."
"Thanks. If it's any help I no that her sister was being treated at St. lukes hospital a year ago, if she has been unwell again there is a chance she took her back there. She likes routine."
“I'll check it out. And thank thank you”
Standing outside of the building Marcus looked at phone lit up with a call. "Tomas" he pressed the dyne button sending it to voice mail again.
The small bar filled with locals as the midweek day ended. Chatter sole and classic rock filled the bar. Sat at a table in the corner with a laptop, head phones on, with the transcripts open, following the words of the interview. Sentences under lined and question marks and question write over the pages. Along with with tress, buildings and faces.
Unsure exactly what he was looking for Marcus stop the disc and took off the head phones. To listen to the world around. Take a sip of the now warm bear that's he had partty forgotten about he's eyes swept the room. Looking for maybe some company or a reason to carry on watching the footage.
"Here it's from the guy at the bar, red t-shirt" said the bar girl setting down a fresh cold bottle.
"Thanks" looking over to them thanking them with a smiling. Glancing back at the pulsed screen. A young woman pulsed in a scream of agony. Minimise it them closing the laptop.
"It seams like you have taken root in this corner since lunchtime"
Looking up the man that had brought him his fresh beer.
"Well its got good music, atmosphere, and beer"
"And good food may I" putting his hand on the empty chair.
"Sure" closing the books and putting them on top of the computer. Pushing them to the wall. Ready to forget why he was in London.
Empty plates and a few more empty beer bottles, Marcus and Stewart sat laughing. Enjoying not drinking alone, discussing music, and art, while the crowed around talked and watched replays of sport.
Suddenly Marcus's whole vibe changed his fixed on the door at other side of the room.
"You ok.
"I'm fine." Taking another mouth full from the bottle.
"Hello Marcus"
"What are you doing here?" Looking up at Tomas with a frown "we were worried. You just upped and left. You haven't answered your phone."
"I'll leave you two alone" Stewart picking up his beer to go back to the bar. "That's ok I wont be a minute" Marcus got up lightly pushing Tomas back towards the door. As the two oh them went out side Marcus looked over shoulder to see Mouse following them out.
"Why have you both come all this way?"
"We thought you might need help. You've been unreachable for two weeks. We were concerned. After you said about this history of theirs case, and receiving that package, we thought that you might need help" said Mouse with a harsh concern tone.
"Is there some thing here?"
"No.. I don't no"
"Have you spoken to the girls?"
"Only on of sisters. The other is in hospital."
"If she was posiest as a child and and not helped then there is no chance of saving her. The chances are she is completely integrated." the stepped a side from the door to let a small group in. Over hearing their conversation the 3 of them were given a strange look.
"Don't you think I know that." He rubbed his hand across his head.
"I'll get the footage, and you can have a Look for yourself".
"I'm gonna go, I'll catch up with soon" Stewart held his hand out . Marcus took it "dame students hay." Placing his hand on his arm. "Call me." Stewart smiled leaving Marcus with a folded scrap of the menu in his hand. He gathered up the folders and computer nearly forgetting the power lead. He left the pub meeting Tomas and Mouse outside to head back to Where he was staying. (*)
Lilly stood in the door way of the sisters hospital room, looking at the black and white drawings stuck to walls. Crude child like, shadow figures cast by bowls of fruit. It sent a chill down her spine. Unsure weather she should take them down, or just leave them.
"She's been doing really well the past twos days, if she carries on she may be able to go home." Said the nurse changing the sheets on the bed.
Pulling off the bottom sheet pieces of paper fell on to the floor scattering. The nurse went to pick them up along with Lilly.
"These are different to her normal sketches" handing three of the sheets to Lilly.
Standing she looked at each drawing. She closed them in half and stuffed them in to her backpack siting on chair by the window of the small room. She waited for Eve to come back from her therapy session.
Looking out of window across a small paved court yard surrounded on all four sides by buildings, with seats and small water fountain centre. She switched off from the chatter in the corridor of doctors, patients and visitors, blanking out the world.
"Boo!" Eve snuck up on Lilly grabbing her at the waist breaking her from her trance.
"How you doing?" Turning her back to the window. Eve spun round holding the sides of her blue tie dye dress that Lilly had brought in for her, her innocent child like behaviour made Lilly smiled
"I'm feeling good. A little floty from the drugs… The doctor says I have to keep a journal of everything."
"I thought you were doing that already."
"I was but it got boring... So I started drawing"
"I can see"
Rubbing her bandage on her wrist as she sat down on the bed
"I don't remember doing it... I'm sorry. I didn't mean too"
unsure what to say Lilly looked down at the vinyl floor it's grey and blue tones with a glitter effect to create the illusion of garnet made her slip back in a day dream. She just felt so tied.
"Lilly." The sad deserted tone awoke her again. "When can we go home?"
"Soon. We need to make sure that your alright first"
"When?" Lilly went and sat on the bed beside her.
“I don't no... The thing is if they let you out and something like this happens again. They might not let you out again.... Their worried about your safety."
"No. I want to go home and not come back.. Lil...Please"
"Just a few more days... Also there..."
"NO.. I WANT TO GO HOME." Eves voice changed. To more of angry growl. As she hit the jug of water off of the cabinet slipping the newly filled jug over the floor. Grabbing her notebook and pen from beside her she ran out of the room.
Lilly took a deep breath and fell to her side on to the bed as one of the nurses came in to if what had happened.
"I'll get a mop."
"I'm sorry." Calling out the nurse as she left the room.
Rolling over on the back taking the phone which she had landed on and was digging in to her hip. She stared at the folded piece of paper on the inside of her phone case that Marcus had given days before. Pulling it out she read the the number and his name over again in her head looking over at the bag on the chair she got up grabbed her bag, careful not to slip in the water she left the room dialling his number.
"I think there is a chance that both sisters suffer from some type of degree of schizophrenia. But possession... With out talking to them it's hard to tell. And if she were the chances of us being able to help them are near on impossible." Mouse quietly to Tomas.
"We should see them. If there is any chance that we can help we should." Tomas leaning forward over the small table.
"Do you think he could have got it wrong and he did fail her." whispering so that Marcus who was standing out side the door to the cheep hotel room did not hear.
"If he did miss something this them..."
"What you two whispering about..." Silence Tomas turned a page in one of the folders.
"That was Lilly she's agreed meet."
"When?" Asked Mouse eager to get this over with and move on.
"Tomorrow... And just me... You two can come, but you have to stay a distance. And no collar." To Tomas.
"Why?"
"Eve gets stressed by any one wearing them."
Tomas frowned at Mouse...
"Why are you so concerned over this woman?"
"Someone seams to think that there is more to her condition. Other wise they would not have sent me that stuff"
"Did you not think that it could have been one of them that sent it. Just looking for some attention?"
"No I don't. Lilly has been moving them around for the past few years. And then this drops in my lap... No I need to make sure."
Sat on a bench in a one of small parks away from the hospital. Just gone lunch time it was beginning to quieten down. A few dog walkers playing fetch and mums with young children and and a small group doing yoga, scattered them self across the grass. Lilly and Eve sat with a small bag with sandwiches and drinks for them.
"Hello Lilly..." Marcus stood beside her taking his hat off.
"Hi..." Eve stared at him knowing that she should no him but unsure where from.
"This is Marcus Keane"
Eve grabbed Lilly's wrist tight. Shy yet fearful.
"I remember... He came to the house before mum and dad... "
"He's on his not going to do anything. He just wants to talk." Her hand on hers comforting. "And he's not a priest any more he just a friend.” Whispering to her. "So feel free to swear at him." Smiling at her. "I'll just be over there." Lilly got up exchanging a smile with Marcus and headed off a short distance from them and sat on the grass far enough not her but she could watch and make sure that eve did not go and run off.
The two of them sat on the bench. Marcus want her to engage with him first, to let her trust him.
She played with hospital name tags on her wrist.
What to say what to say.
"Why are you not a priest? Did oh hurt some one? Or did you kill some one" her eyes widened a little.
He smiled at her forwardness
"No. I had a fight with a good friend and I was excommunicated because of it"
"Well that was a bloody stupid thing to do."
The smile turned in to a laugh.
"You don't mix your words do you."
"Anna says it's a good thing. I know what I want"
"There's nothing wrong with that. So how are you?"
She turned back to playing with the name band
"Ok... I would rather be at home."
"Have they said when you can go home?"
She shock her head. "Soon I hope. I miss my room... And Anna's bacon sandwiches."
"Is Lilly a good cook then?"
"Lilly?" She frowned slightly "She's good. Better then this hospital." She picked up her notebook and wrote something in it.
"Do you remember the last time I came see you?"
She stopped writing and closed the notebook.
"Yes... Mum and Dad argued over it but Dad asked you to come."
"Do you no why I came?"
"He thought I was possessed. But father Steven and mum said I wasn't..." She went silent. Pulling a bottle of water from the bag. Marcus took that as his cue and pulled a flask from his jacket pocket.
"What do you think?"
"I don't remember... Like a I don't remember like I don't remember doing this" pulling the bandage that was stuck on with tape from her wrist, flinching slightly as the tap pulled her skin. Showing Marcus the still red scar and stitches of her cut wrist.
He took her arm and cearingly putting it back on.
"What do you remember from back then?"
"Waking up... Waking up being tired to the bed, cutting crosses... I don't remember any of what they said I did..."
Marcus took a swig from the flask..
"What about the things that Father Steven said and done?" She looked at the flask In his had curiously. He handed it to her. As she took a sip she pulled a face from the shape strong taste of the whisky. He smiled as he took it from her.
Briefly looking over to Lilly sitting on the grass, cross legged with head phones in, rubbing her temples.
"No... Some times... I don't want to remember what I do remember"
"It's ok. He can't hurt you now" his soft tone calming her.
"They said I don't remember because of post.. traumatic .. stress syndrome... But that's not true.... They don't believe me..." She picked up her book and and started drawing on a blank page. Marcus watched her intrigued at what she was drawing. "She's sleeping"
Looking over at Lilly she was now laying down on the grass.
"I don't remember because they made me not remember."
"Who did?"
She continued scribbling
"Your mum and father Steven"
"I can't say."
"Eve... Have or do you ever hear voices?" She carried on drawing as though he had not ask a question.
"What about Lilly... The two of you are close... Dose she hear voices?"
"Not meant to call her Lilly. He said to call her Anna"
"Who did?" She stopped drawing tearing the page from the book.
"You won't tell her that I told you?"
"I promise"
"A man. He said his name was Father Bennett. That's why we moved here... I don't like here I miss the stones."
"The stones?"
She opened her book and started to draw. Then turned the book to him.
"Stone henge" looking at the birds eye view she had drawn. "You lived in Salisbury"
"He said that we need to move that he thought we were not safe and to move here and he would come and help us... Or he world send someone."
"When was this?" His tone changed eager to find out if it had been Bennett that had sent him this... Slightly obscure package.
"About a year ago. He said he had been a friend of dads."
The conversation between then had changed from him wanting to see if what her father and suspected years ago was true, too know weather it was possible that it had been Bennett that had lead him here....
He needed to get back on track...
"Dose Anna hear voices. Or have she had moments she don't remember?"
She looked at him a frown of deep thought on her face.
"I don't think so.... She sleep walks. And sometimes talk in her sleep... Which is funny" smiling at the thought. "It doesn't always make any sense what she says".
"NO!" A sudden scream of distress. Looking over to the grass, it had come from Lilly who was now sitting up. Look as if she had woken from a nightmare.
Eve started with a look of fear and concern.
"Why don't you go and get an ice cream while I go and check on your sister. Pulling some money from his jacket pocket and handing it to her nodding towards the ice cream van at the end of the path. Taking the money she headed to van.
Marcus got up and went over to her crouching down in front of her, he could see how distressed she was, heavy breathing, pale, shaking. Looking towards the ground with her Eyes closed tight, as though asleep
"You ok" reaching out placing his hand on the top of her arm.
She Flinched at his touch. She slowly open her eyes and looking up at him, not moving her head just her eyes made he seam almost in human. Looking in to her eyes. They seamed almost dead, deep and hollowing. Marcus stared. "Your not Lilly are you? " her head tiled to one side before her eyes fold back and closed and she fell back on to the grass and her hands covered her face. As her breathing slowed and re turned to normal, Marcus whispered to him self a prey.
She pulled her hand away from her face. Eyes tied and red.
"Lilly... You ok?" Asked Marcus knelt over her.
"Yeah. Just fell asleep... Where's Eve?" Sitting up
"Getting ice cream" he stood up and held out a hand to help her up. She took it and as she got to her feet she swayed slightly.
"Are you sure your ok?"
"Just a head rush from lying down."
"You screamed out NO. When I came over you were sitting up and looked me"
"I have nightmares that's all and with every thing with Eve I haven't slept well in weeks..."
The two of them began to walk back to the bench. Eve was walking back with an ice cram in each hand.
"Are you happy now that you have spoken to her?"
"Sought of... What made you come to London? "
"Needed a change. I don't do small community's well every one no's every thing about every one"
"What about Eve"
"She seams happy anywhere along as park or garden to spend time in to draw."
"I got one for you" Eve handing Marcus a cone heaped with vanilla and chocolate ice cream. "Thank you my dear" taking it from her with a smile that made her go shy and hide behind her ice cream.
"Come on we had better get you back to the hospital"
"Do you mind if I come round later this evening?"
Lilly picked up the plastic bag with the remains of food and eves book and pen.
"I'm working tonight you can come round tomorrow if want to"
"Thank you for the ice cream" Eve putting the change in to his jacket pocket.
"I'll bring food"
"Then your more then welcome" she watched as Eve got up on the bench and walked along,
"Get down"
Jumping down she went to Marcus and hugged him.
"Will you come and see me again"
"I can do... I'll see you tomorrow” looking at Lilly
"I'll see you then"
"Buy" eve waved good buy then ran to Lilly taking her hand.
Mouse and Tomas had been watch from a distance. All they could do was wait until they were able too go over to Marcus. Who was sat on the bench to enjoy the the ice cream. They watched as the two woman walked hand in hand passed them. As they got closer the two of them court Eves eye. As they walked pass she watched them, even after they passed she looked over her shoulder at them. Tomas started back her with curious sad look on her face.
"So what do you think?" Asked Mouse sitting down next to Marcus.
"We are going to to hers tomorrow so you can see"
He pulled the sheet of paper of his pocket that Eve had slipped in. Un folding it he looked at it then handed it to Tomas and Mouse.
A pen sketch on line paper, of the park that were in the the trees where Lilly laid a pen drawn figure sat on the ground behind she had drawn a tall blacked out figure, spider like hair and long fingers.
The words. ' help' 'help us' 'shadow in the mirror,’ ‘its getting strong’ written with in the shading of the drawing. (*)
The cold water stung as it his her hand a fine red ribbon circulated the sink and down the drain. Pulling a small piece of glass from in between her knuckles made her hand shake.
Knock at the door Brock the silence. Picking up the face cloth to wrap round her hand.
"Fuck!" Flinching as she stood on a shard of glass on the floor. Walking on the heel of her left foot she piped to the door.
"I've heard you make a great bacon buttie" Marcus said, stood at the door holding up a bag with a large loaf of bread peeping out of the top."
"Really" smiling. Pushing the door open with her elbow to let him in, followed by Tomas and Mouse.
"I think you forget to bring the pope with you," pushing door closed, before and heading to the chair at the table.
“Sorry, this is Father Tomas, and Mouse." putting the bag on the table.
"Pleased to meat you" Tomas held his hand out, she went to tack ot for getting about her hand, she dropped the blooded face cloth. Tomas picked it up and handed it back.
"What have you done?"
“Cut myself on some glass" looking at the open cuts on her hand. "Managed to cut my foot too." Sitting and putting the cloth to her toe and foot. Checking that there was no glass in bedded.
"Do you have a first aid kit" asked Mouse resting her hands on the back of one of the chairs.
"Yes it's in the bottom draw of the chest of draws." She went over to get it.
Picking it you from the the draw, underneath sat a beaten up bible.
Marcus began to empty the shopping bag. Bread, bacon, butter, sauces, tea, milk.
"You can sit down" to Tomas who was looking around,
"Thank you"
Mouse came back to the table and sat down to attend to Lilly's cuts.
"What did you do?"
"I broke a mirror. When you knocked I stood on a piece of glass."
Mouse wiped her toe and foot cleaning the blood. "It doesn't look like you have anything in it" taking some plasters to put on the cuts
"How long have you lived in London?" Asked Marcus
“just over a year." Moving her leg off of Mouse's knee. And placing her left hand on the table.
"the past three months have been pretty shit... How did you get in to building? You need a code?"
"Someone was leaving as we arrived."
She flinched as Mouse pulled out another small piece of glass from her hand.
"Sorry... Why did you break the mirror?"
"That's seven years bad luck." Responded Marcus smiling.
"I don't no"
"You don't no. Or you can't remember?" Asked Tomas with his warm dark eyes.
She didn't answer.
"Do you have a some so I clean it up?" Asked Marcus looking over to the bath room. “
There’s a dust pan under the sink... Thank you"
He went and cleaned up the glass fro the floor as, she watched mouse finish the bandage on her hand.
"So I guess that you all want a sandwich from the amount of bacon you've brought." Getting up and going over the hob, turning on the gas, and chucking a face cloth in to the washing machine before pulling out the frying pan to cook.
"What do you think about Eve." Putting oil in to the pan, Marcus put the remains of the mirror in to the bin and dustpan and the brush back.
”She seams a lot calmer then all all those years ago...What's her mental age." Sitting down at the head of the table. She filed the kettle up and put it on. Turning around to face them.
“ten, eleven, sometimes feels less.”
"Do you really think she's possessed though " Mouse jumped in.
"She's basically mentally and emotionally fucked after what happened.... I have spent evenings holding conversations with her in the 3ed person. She writes wired shit and draws even more messed up shit.... Doctors say it's because of the mental age and altisum. They tested her schizophrenia. But … she’s smart enough to have convinced them she's not"
"So you do?"
"No... And neither did you back then" looking at Marcus "Dad was the only one that did."
She turned back to the work top got out four non matching mugs. Put a small bowl of sugar on the table with the milk. And handed each of them a mug of tea.
“Professor Moore said that they were treating her for schizophrenia”
“The drugs their given her are used to treat schizophrenia”
“Eve said that she was asked to keep a journal"
"Her first therapist got her doing that when she was 11 and everyone after that." Putting the first piece of bacon in to the pan.
"Do you have any of her old ones?" Asked Mouse.
"Some are in room and the rest" she pointed to her corner of the room where their was a stack of boxes “Are over there”
"That's all her journals?” asked Tomas, getting up and going over to them.
"Journals and sketchbooks.. It's the one thing she won't let me get rid off. Every time we move they have come with us. she says that they help when they are need. what ever the hell that means.”
"May I have a look?" asked Tomas.
"Knock your self out.” She watching him take the top box down and bring it over to the table.
They each took a book from the box and flicked throw, unsure of what it was they were looking for.
"Do you mind if look at her room?" Asked Marcus.
"No that's fine." Getting the knife out to cut the bread.
Taking his mug of hot tea, with him to Eves room Mouse followed him.
"How long have you been looking after your sister?" Tomas asked closing the note book.
“11 and half, 12 years.. After our parents died." Taking the bacon out of the pan placing them on a plate on some kitchen paper, "Well killed." Putting more bacon in to the pan.
"I'm sorry... Marcus never mentioned it" turning in his seat to watch her cook. “How did they die, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Eve..." Turning leaning on the work top. "After Father... Marcus came and went and Father Steven said he performed an exorcism. She went a little... Strange… There was a small guest house next to main house. Mum and dad used to escape from us, her or just to fight. It was two weeks after Marcus left, she locked them in. started fire... I got home from being out with my boyfriend at the time to find the place. A lit." She moved the bacon around and turned it.
“I’m so sorry… What happened to her?"
"She was committed... Which made her worse. She was dosed up on so many drugs. It was like I would be talking to someone completely different.... Like it...."
Mouse closed the door on slightly leaving Tomas to talk to Lilly.
"If we are here because your feeling guilty that you didn't see what was happened to her. Your waisting our time. "
"I never asked for the two to you to come" siting down at the small desk behind the door in Eves room. Taking a book from the pile he flicked through the pages.
"After what happened I don't think I'm waisting my time. And I'm not talking about conducting an exorcism. Just listing is enough." His voice dropping qwiter
"Your missing be a priest" he ignored her comment and tuned the pages back and forth between to images. Then pick up another book at random and fingered thorough. Stoping on a drawing he studied them, the random scribbled image with words partly hidden with in . He glazed around the room. So simple, almost un personalise apart from the desk and some pictures of flowers on the door of the wardrobe.
Opening the draw on the desk he found partly burnt photos of the family and a larger photo of Eve and Lilly defaced by a pen, with a shadow figure behind, its long fingers sat on their shoulders. He laid led it on top of the open books. Mouse picked them up and looked at the open and marked page. He stared at the locks on the door, a small drop bolt on the inside and a lock on the outside. He looked closer at the door handle
"It's always the same figure."
"It is almost as if grows with them" reopening the small draw. Mouse pulled out more off the photos of them with this figure drawn on them
"And why dose she need a cross scratched in to the door handle.?" Mouse looks, then looked at the look on the other side and the handle.
"Their on this side too"
Marcus got up and head back in the living room followed by Mouse.
Lilly stopped what she saying turning her attention back to the food.
"Why are there cross scratched in to the handle and lock of the Eves door?"
Asked Mouse dropping the photos and books on the table.
Lilly suddenly felt a shape pain in her head like she had just had something ice cold, dizzy almost as her eye sight fazed to almost tunnel vision the world seam so far off from where she was
"Are you ok?" The muffled voice of Tomas sounded as if she was under water. Concentrating hard to move her hand watching as she reach for the mug of tea.
The three of them watched as she stood still, her head dropped to one side, almost as if to listen to something, her reaching for mug almost as she was fighting against something that did not want her to do.
The sudden crackle of the frying bacon and the hot drops of oil that spat on her hand broke her day dream like trance, an almost surreal moment bring her back to her flat.
"Umm. No I don't no."
"You sure sure you are ok" asked Tomas.
"Yeah fine, just a sudden head ache." Taken the last of the bacon out of the pan she then placed each slice of bread in turn into the pan to toast it (and sock up the oil and fat).
"There you go" handing Marcus his "I hope it doesn't disappoint"
"I don't think it will"
The four of them sat down to eat.
"You were saying about her not being her self after the fire. That she seamed like someone else. "
Lilly took a sip of tea then a deep breath.
"She was like another person to talk to and even her behaviour. It wasn't her... It was a little scary..."
Another sip of tea.
"The hospital that she was in the church had arranged for her treatment there. After a year I made the decision to take her out and look after her my self. I changed her doctor and he changed what drugs she was taken and took her off some. And now she's almost her."
Mouse pushed the photos over to her. "When did she first start drawing this. "
She stared at the defaced photos, wiping her hands on her jeans before looking through them. "Just before dad contacted Marcus... It is what Mum and Dad were fight over before the fire."
Putting them down but her eye still fixed.
"What about these?"
She picked up her tea as she turned between to the pages marked with scraps of paper.
"That book is one of her school books, she was about 12 and the other is only about year old" she left the books open, the pen drawing of goblet with a ghostly shape off figure emanating from it with in the smoke scribbled words "if not both I'll have one" "I'll be the third with in them" "the shadow behind the glass”. (*)
"Why wasn't I shown these these back then?" Marcus pointing at books.
"I assumed that you had been... Why? You starting to think you where wrong?" She took the last bit of sandwich and sat back in her chair staring at him.
"Some one seams to think so. I What to see who and why they think that."
"Have you worked out how sent you film"
"No" he watched her intriguing. It was as though there was a massive amount of energy in side her that wanted to escape. An uneasy that she was holding back something.
"Any chance of another cup of tea?" Asked Mouse putting down her empty mug.
"Of course... Tomas?" Taking her mug and plate
"I"m ok thank you" collecting his plate leaving him with his a mug tea. Marcus held out his mug
"Another?"
"Please"
She put the plates in to the sink and re filled the kettle.
"Have a look through some more of the notebooks" Marcus Quietly to his friends before getting up and going over to Lilly, who was waiting for the sink to fill. Eyes closed
"Tired?"
"A little" opening them, turning off the tap. "Not sleeping well... In fact I don't think I've slept well in weeks" dropping tea bags in to the mugs.
"Professor Moor said that you've been sleep walking." Going to the sink to start washing up.
“He said that his office had been broken in to. The only thing that was taken was a copy of the interview and the transcript.... He also also said that you done a hypnosis session with you." She poured hot water in to mugs. Removed the tea bags and gave Mouse hers.
"I never found out what happened during that session?"
"It seams convenient that his office is broke in to and your file taken, and then you vanish."
"I Didn't taken them... I swear on Eves life" making her and his tea.
Finishing the washing, leaving the plates and frying pan to draining bored up he picked up his tea.
"What about your sleep walking ?"
"What about it?"
"When did it start?"
"Years ago, doctor put it down to stress... Wake up in some wired places"
"How wired?"
"Parks, trains, churches. That freaks me out a little. The stair well... About 5 months ago I went missing for just over 24 hours. Woke up in high gate cemetery on a grave, which scared Eve. Thats when. Darren, Professor Moore suggested we do a hypnosis session... Then Eve got sick and she took priority."
"Are you and Moore involved?" Turning around, wanting to make their conversation a little more privet.
"What's that got to do with anything?" He stayed silent and just started at her... Waiting for a response
"We briefly dated."
"You dated your therapist." Smiling at the irony taking another sip of tea. "When was the last time you slept walked?" Lilly turned and faced the wall. Wrapping her hands around the hot mug
"Day before yesterday... Work up in grave yard in Stock Newington..." She started in to her mug. As if to wait for it give her an answer or solution.
"The thing is when I went to see Eve Later that day she was... Good she's back to her normal self.. It's just that when the nurse was changing her bed we found some drawings hidden under the sheets." She went and got her back pack from the back of the chair, putting it on the work top, and pulling out the drawings. "That looks very much like the grave I woke up on." Handing him the drawing, of a grave with a broken cross head stone .
"could just be a coincidence, But I never told her about it" He took the other drawings from her and looked at each.
"When she's like how she was yesterday. Not get getting freaked out by things and talking in riddles... That's when I seam to end up with migraines and sleep walk... It's as if my body relaxes and I end up ill."
"Has it always been like that?"
"No... I don't think so." She began to rub her head from a tense head ache.
Marcus turned around and looked around at Mouse and Tomas. Then at his watch.
"How about we all go out. It's been years sense I've been in this city. Let's go for a drink."
The four of them sat on the top deck of the bus.
"It's your first time in London and so far you have been to a park, and not the most nicest, a crappy hotel and mine. We need to do something about that"
"Tea with queen perhaps?" laughed Mouse putting on an accent.
"Maybe one or two of museums... Soak up some of the culture and history" Tomas replied. "Unless you can suggest any where?"
Lilly looked at Marcus both exchange a smile.
"Soho... Defiantly soho."
"Soho?"
"Full of culture" Marcus smiling and taking a sip of water from a bottle. knowing the sought of places where Lilly would take him.
Doing up the lid on the bottle he sat with his back to the window and his legs across the seat resting the his arm and bottle on the back of seat.
"Do you mind if I have a bit?"
"No"handing her the bottle. she took two big month full's of water trying to get rid of the salty taste of the bacon.
"Thank you" handing it back to him then stared out of the window. Trying to ignore him watching her.
"We can walk from here." Marcus got up and pushed the bell and headed down the stairs.
Jumping off the bus the three of followed Marcus un sure of where he was leading them.
"It must hard having to look after your sister?" Asked Mouse as they walked a few steps behind the others.
"Depends... When your having a three way conversation with her and the voices in her head, or odd behaviour. Then yes it's hard work having make sure all doors and windows are locked... Having to lock her in her room at night, it sucks."
"Have you every thought about putting her in to hospital or care home permanently?"
"When ever she has one of her.... brake downs, and ends up in hospital because she's hurt herself or she's been out when it happens and the police have taken her there. You can guarantee that within days half a dozen priests will turn suggesting that she would better somewhere were she can have 24-7 care and the church is her to help us” But you don't want too do that?"
Lilly frowned at her.
"No... When they turn up she goes to another level of wired. Last time she attacked one of them and bit his finger off. Thats way I was sceptical of letting Marcus see her."
"What happened for you to decide that Eve did not need your help?" Asked Tomas.
"She didn't show and evidence to prove that she was possessed. Her mother was convinced that she wasn't the same with local priest. The two of them would hardly let me see them. Yet Their father was convinced that she was. And begged me for help. Treasa their mother and father Steven would not let me talk to her with out them present... Lilly had come back from uni, under pressure from their mother. She didn't no what to believe... I couldn't help. I left my details with Lilly and James but the next I heard James and Treasa had both died."
"whom ever sent you the stuff could be right, and she may have and possible still is possessed." Marcus smiled and middle aged woman who was walking close to them quietly gasped and crossed her self, looking over his shoulder to see Mouse and Lilly still flowing.
"If that's the case, even with the three of us we may not be able to help her... Presides. I thought Father Steven conducted an exorcism after you left."
He looked at Tomas. A look of concerned sadness over his face. Looking back to see where the others were. Stepping closer to Tomas quite whispered "it turned out it he was abusing her and and his so called exorcism..."
He stopped as mouse and Lilly came closer.
"Where is it that we're going?" Asked mouse
"Not far, it's just down here." Turning down the side street. Tomas smiled at Lilly as she walked past. Believing now that Marcus was not here for a case but something more personal.
"You are kidding me" Lilly stopped a few feet for the door of the pub that Marcus had brought them too.
"What's wrong? "
"It's were Moor and the paranormal group meet, and coincidentally its tonight."
"I don't believe you. Now we have got to spend the evening being quizzed by some teacher." Mouse unhappy about where he brought them.
"It'll be fine.. Shall we" opening the door and holding open for them to enter.
"You three are like a start of a bad joke… A priest, a nun and a exorcist walk it to a bar…” Tomas and Marcus smiled at the comment. "How dose it end?" Asked Mouse as her and Lilly walked in to bar. "Not sure, I'll let know when I do”. (*)
The bar was surprisingly quite for a Thursday in central London. Groups sat talking at tables around the bar, the four of them stood at the bar waiting to be served. Marcus stood with his back to the bar looking around.
"Are they here yet?" Asked Tomas.
"If they are they will be upstairs."
The bar tender placed the four bottles of beer on the bar.
"Thank you" Tomas handed the guy a some money.
"How long have you known Marcus?” Tomas asked Lilly as they heading to the stairs
"A while, sought of... He knew my dad, but we didn't see him, not until Dad asked him to come and see Eve. Haven’t seen or spoken to him in 12 year"
"How did he know your dad?"
"I'm not sure. He never said."
"For some reason the church are keeping an eye on them" watching as Tomas followed Lilly to the stairs. "And more then what is suspected because of a priest taking an advantage of a young woman… Marcus what else imagining on here?"
"I don't no. But Bennet went to see them little over a year go and told them to move as it wasn't safe."
"That's months before he went missing, and he never mentioned them to you?"
"No. Never." Looking at her questioning him. Before picking up his beer. "I have no idea why he went to them. He told them he would come to help them. Or he would send a friend too.” The two of them headed to the stairs. "So you think Bennett had something to with sending you that stuff?"
"I don't think so."
"Hi Darren"
Moor turned in his chair. Lilly and Tomas stood behind him.
"Where have you been, we've all been worried about you." He glanced behind her to Marcus behind.
"Father Marcus it's great to see you again" holding out his hand. Mouse, Tomas and Lilly exchange looks at Moor using the tittle 'father'.
"Hope you don't mind I brought my colleges along, Father Tomas and Mouse." Shaking their hands.
"Unwilling brought" comment Lilly as she walked round the table and greeted the girl with a hug.
"I may have taken a little walking detour to hope she didn't know where we were heading."
"I'm glad she's ok I was get very worried... Please would you join us"
"Sure we will" picking up a chair from the empty table beside them. Tomas and Mouse under a silent protest got a chair each to join the group.
"This is Lee." Introducing the young lady whom Lilly had sat next to on the window seat. "David and Conner"
"How's your sister doing." Asked Conner. Removing his glasses to clean them.
"She's doing a lot better. Almost back to her self."
"And you?" Asked Lee "How have you been sleeping?"
"Still not good. Still sleep walking."
"I wish you had called or text one of us. We've been so worried"
"Sorry... My head just hasn't been in a good way." Lee took her hand and squeeze it.
"Are you going to become back to class, and work" Asked Moor.
"Hopefully in the next two weeks. Depends on Eve and how she's doing."
"So father Marcus. Darren says that your an exorcist?" Asked David.
Lilly down half her beer anxious over what this gathering might bring.
"Yes." Partly not wanting to get in to this conversation with a group of students.
"In a way you sought of confirm that the Catholic Church is still stuck in the dark ages?"
"That's very much far from the truth." Responded Mouse
David smiled with enthusiasm. "Are all three of you Exorcists? This is great." Reaching for his phone, notepad and pen.
Lilly frowned at him. She had had enough of being what had felt like lab rat for the group...
"It's more about disproving that someone is possessed and getting the help they need. Isn't that right Marcus?" Lilly jumping in before the others.
"And those cases in which a demonic present has taken a host, how many have you encountered?"
"More then you can imagine" Marcus leaning forward towards him, slightly intimating him.
Lilly downed the rest of her beer, picking up the menu just for some thing to look at. Before deciding to go to the bar for another beer.
"Why did you just vanish with out saying anything, not even a call to let me know you ok." Darren stood beside her at the bar, back to the group, wanting some answers.
"I needed some space and time to help Eve... Besides going over everything didn't help."
"I do wonder if what you told us is true... Your names not Anna is it?"
She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "It's Lilly Williams's, Sevens is our mothers maiden name... That's the only thing that I have not been honest about.... Besides. Its not like you were completely truthful about your past is it."
"That's a little different I didn't lie about who I was"
The two of them stopped talking noticing Marcus was now in ear shot.
"Not interrupting am I?"
"No... Sorry about David he can be a bit to enthusiastic about work." Responded Darren, Lilly turned back to bar.
"He's dedicated."
"Have you found out who sent you the package?" Sipping his Guinness.
"No it seams to remain a mystery."
The bar man handed a Lilly a try full shots and placed the change on it for her. Marcus not wanting to answer until she had left.
"I was wondering weather you would consider doing another hypnosis session?"
"Another one? Why do you really think she's possessed?" Laughing at the idea of the possibility of this being real. "Your being being serious?" He moved closer to Marcus uncomfortable to discus something that he conceded and believed to a backward practice so openly.
"Exorcisms haven't been carried out in years. And if they have they've been under some twisted intention. Like what happened to Eve."
Marcus smiled a laugh as he had some more of beer.
"And want about the last session, how do you explain what you showed me"
“schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder"
"You've teated her. Your involved with her, do you really think that?"
He looked over to the group, Lilly, lee and Mouse doing a shot.
"She suffers from insomnia, and when she does sleep she tends she will sleep walk. Putting her to a hypnotic state increase that chance."
"And what happened you are going put that down to just just sleep walking and violent tendencies?"
"I'm not putting her through that again." Looking back at Marcus.
"The three of us will be there so if anything happens we can help you with them."
"Them!" Not realising how load he had spoken. He loured his tone. "You want to hypnosis both of them? At the same time? No... No I want do that."
"Not at the same time. If I'm right about this you'll only have hypnosis Lilly."
He frowned unsure of what to make of every thing that was being talked about.
"Exorcisms don't happen... Not in the day and age..."
"You keep telling your self that."
"Wow we're starting early." Conner looking wide eyed at the tray Lilly placed on the table.
"Well I think think these guys need it talking you lot... Apologies the tequila here is pretty shit." Handing Tomas a shot. The salt shaker got passed around and each took a slice of lemon.
"Ready... Go." Lick. Bit and shot downed. Lilly and Mouse laughed at Lee, David and Conner pulling faces at the mix of tastes.
"Bad memories, so not good." Lee wiping her on napkin.
"Last time we went out. I think I broke them." Lilly took her beer bottle from the tray, and took a sip. All the while eyes fixed with Tomas. Making him feel a little uncomfortable, her steer was was not seductive or gently, it was more intense a chaotic deepness that put him on edge.
"I bet you lot you can hold your drink well, with all that holy communion wine you down?" David finishing off the last of the fries on his plate.
"It's not the most strongest of wines." Commented Tomas.
"Not at the church were I grow up. It was good.... Me, my cousin and some of our friends when we were in college, may have broken in to the stash in the church. Wow. It's good. And think about 19%. Made sense cos the old man would be swaying and very red during his sermons." Laughed David.
"Sounds like one of the priest at the school I went to." Responded Mouse.
Lilly began to hand out another round of shots. Tequila for the guys and and sambuca for the girls.
"Ladies first."
The three of them raised the glasses and downed the shot, placing the empty ones upside down on the tray.
Waiting for for the guys to take their poison.
Lee and Lilly laughter again at faces pulled by David and Conner.
"You are right the tequila is shit." Tomas washing it down with some beer.
"So Father Marcus is an exorcist and a priest" Conner pointing to to him at the bar with his pint in hand, "and your a priest and exorcist?"
“Yes, sill a student in some ways,” answered Tomas.
"A student of exorcism... I like that... And your self miss?"
"Exorcist."
"Arr," putting his glass down. "Master. Student, now master, and student" point to each as turn..... “Anna? Your family's so fucked." She smiled slightly and pick another shot from the tray and pushed to him. He was already a little drunk, hand and eye coordination stating to become amiss.
Darren and Marcus retuned to the table, and sat silently creating a slight tension. Lilly took two shots from the tray and placed them in front of them and another for herself. (*)
"Here's what ever you two are sceaming." Down the shot.
"Slow down girl" Daren picking up the glass.
"When have you known this one to do slow?" David putting his note book away knowing that he would get to ask any more questions.
Even in the early hours of the morning picadily circus almost seamed as if it stuck in eternal dusk. The four of them had wounded to another bar and briefly a club, and were and were enjoying. The best they could. A burger form a street vender. And were sat on steps of fountain.
"I have to say, I don't think I have drunk this much since I was I was 20" Tomas screwing up the paper napkin and wiping his mouth, his speech a little slered and eyes glazed and tied. "I think she had twice as much yet she seam fine" looking over to Lilly enjoying every bit of greasy cheese burger and onions.
"Her father was the same"
Mouse handed Tomas her drink.
"Thank you" the water refreshing his sticky mouth from the shots and beer.
"I think we need to her home." They watch as she got up to put the rubbish in the bin
Marcus opened the door to flat and searched for the light switch on the wall. Lilly stood leaning on the wall trying to stay up right.
"Come on" he put his arm around her and led her in, she lent on him to guide her. Pushing the front door on he took her to the bed and sat her down, and headed back to close the door. Rubbing his fingers of the crudely scratched crosses the lock, and chain.
The sound of a glass falling and knocking things broke his drunken focus.
Going to the cabinet beside the bed where Lilly was struggling to pick up a glass.
"I'll get it." He picked up the galas as she feel back down to the uncomfortable sofa bed. She stared at the badly painted celling which almost put her to sleep.
Until a glass of water attached to a hand appeared in her view. Taking the glass she drunk quickly half the glass in hope of it clearing her head. She could feel the water siting in her full stomach of alcohol. She handed the glass back and quickly moved to bath room.
Sitting on floor she put down the toilet seat. Eyes watering and the acidic smell off alcohol in her nose. The sound and vibration of the the toilet being flushed disturbed her drunken daze. Marcus sat on the side of the bath with a glass of water. He held it out to her. She stood up slowing trying not to disturb the equilibrium in her stomach as so she would not throw up again.
Holding on to the sink Rising her mouth out with water. He handed her the bottle of mouth Wash. Strong mint fast rapidly killed the taste in her mouth and the smell in her nose. Heading back to her bed Marcus following smiling a little to him self at how quickly she had gone from controlled and lively to hardly being able to walk straight.
She fell on to the bed her feet hanging of the side. He went to take off her shoes.
"How are you still sober? Sure you had more then me"
"Practice." Putting her shoes down, he pulled the covers of the unmade bed over her. She had already fallen asleep. He stared at her then Carefully moved some hair away form her ear, to see clearly the tattoo be hind her ear. A cross. Maybe it was nothing but a fashion statement.
Dry mouth and eyes not willing to open. Lilly laid in bed a sudden noise of movement at the table made her muscles tighten and freeze. The feeling of someone in the room made her heart race even more lacking her head hurt. Then she remembered last night. Or at least parts of it.
It was Marcus.
Sitting up feeling like her body had lead weights hanging from every hair on it. She looked over at Marcus sat at the table looking though some more of Eves journals.
"Good morning" smiling at the tired pale state that she was in.
"Hi." Rubbing her face try to wake up some memory of the night before.
"Where did you sleep?"
"On the floor" looking over at the pillow and folded blanket. She looked at the clock on the wall 9.50am
"Where did we go to after that the pub" slowly standing up and heading to the kettle for a hot drink.
"Moved on to another one and another."
"I don't remember a thing after Conner left."
"What about Lee?"
She pored the hot water in to the mug.
"What about Lee?" Still facing the wall.
"Nothing you too just seamed very close"
“Why would say that.. We've been out drinking with the others but we're not close friends." Picking up the two mugs she went to the table and gave him one.
"It's just the way you too were in the second pub, and the club... Even Darren seamed a little surprised the way that you two where."
She rubed her head in hope that it would make the pain leave.
"I don't remember after we left the Lion"
"It's a sign your get to old to party that hard..." Are working tonight?"
"Yeah" sipping the hot coffee. "How long are you and ghost busters hanging around for?"
"I don't know."
"If you haven't found who sent that stuff why don't you just go... You know there's nothing here. Why stay.
"Where have been?"
"I stayed at Lilly's. Didn't want to leave her alone. How's Tomas"
"He'll survive. So what are we doing?"
"Darren's agreed to help... For the the moment anyway.. I'm heading to see Eve. If you meet me at the hospital I'm going to see if I take her out for a walk."
"I'll wake Tomas and we'll see you their"
"I thought you said he was a wake?"
"Not yet. But he'll be fine"
Eve sat on the bed facing the window looking above the roof of the of the adjacent building at two birds flying. High. Feeling relaxed and content having her long hair brushed.
"When am I go home?"
"As soon as the doctor feels your well."
"I'm feeling so much better now. And I don't like it here."
"I no. But it's not up to me."
"Is Marcus going to come and see us again?"
"I don't no. I'm sure he's got better things to do other then seeing us... How about when you can leave we go home. Home to Meadow Cottage?"
"I don't know?"
"Can give the place a complete make over. Get ride of every thing, strip the place and start a new. No more moving around."
"What about Darren? Will he come and visit?"
"I was think just us girls. What do think?"
"Sounds nice."
"I'm here to see Eve Stevens." The nurse behind the desk looked Marcus up and down.
"May I ask your relationship to Ms Stevens?"
"I'm her uncle."
She frowned. As she handed in him the signing in book.
"You've never been mentioned"
He signed "I've been traveling."
She took back the book and pen.
"She's in room twelve down the corridor on the left."
"Thank you"
He knocked on the door. Eve sat a small table by the window drawing in one of her books.
She turned around.
“Marcus" she called happy to see him as he stepped in to her room.
"Hello, how are you?"
"Ok just want to go home." Marcus looked at the pictures on the walls. Images of trees, and smoke. Drawings of her and Lilly.
"I'm sure you will be home soon..."
He walked to the wall and looked at some of the drawing.
“your good. Where do you get ideas from?"
Looking at one of the drawings of a building with a tree growing out of the roof, partly hiding a building he recognised from Mexico. Remembering bad memories.
"My imagination... Some times it's like having a photo in my mind."
"Do you want to go for a walk? Maybe get a cake."
"Will Anna be coming?"
"No just you and me.. And two of my friends."
"I don't know if they will let you sign me out."
"I'm sure they will let your uncle sign you out for an hour" smiling at her.
She got up and went to the back of the door and grabbed her denim jacket Putting on while trying to putting on canvas shoes and heading for the door. Her excitement to get out of the hospital made him smile more.
Standing at the desk the nurse gave Eve a strange look. She was smiling widely and tapping her hands on the sides which was annoying and her a little.
"If you have any problems with her bring her straight back or if she's out of hand call the the hospital or worse case 999" handing Marcus a card with hospitals number on it.
"Hay I'm right here!" Hit the palm of her hand on the desk make the nurse flinch.
Marcus took her hand to calm her. "We'll be OK" smiling before leading her out. Eve looked over her shoulder looking back at the nurse. With a look that made her feel uneasy.
The small coffee shop with its half a dozen tables which were almost full it's beer brick walls, glass jars as light shads hanging from the ceiling, seamed a world away from the confines of the sterile hospital, even though you could still see it from the window.
Eve stood looking at the cakes behind the glass divide, while Marcus waited for his coffee and her hot chocolate.
The girl putt he two drinks on the tray with the slice of chocolate orange cake.
Heading to the back of the shop where Mouse and Tomas were already sat.
"This is Tomas and Mouse" putting the tray on table and removing the items. "This is Eve."
"Hi." She held her hand out to Tomas, and them mouse, shaking these in turn. Before sitting sitting down between Marcus and Mouse. Pulling the plate of cake towards her. "I saw you two at the park the other day when we meet Marcus" taking her first bit of the cake.
"We were there, just watching.. And waiting for Marcus."
"So do you think I'm possessed?" Cutting off another fork full of cake. "Well that's why your here isn't it?" Looking at the four of them a little surprised at the comment. Mouse pulled from her pocked the letter that was sent to Marcus. Unfolding it she showed it to her. "Did you send this to Marcus?"
She looked at it closely before taking a mouthful of cake.
"No it wasn't me."
"Do you no who did?"
She started at note "may be. May be not" she picked up the hot chocolate and had a sip. Pulling a face at how hot it was. Tomas picked up his bottle of water. "Here" willing to put some cold water in to the it to cool it.
"NO" snapping at him putting hand over the glass. They looked at her and each other the tone of her voice gritty and almost not hers.
Tomas spoke to her In Spanish
“Lo siento. Pensé que podrÃa enfriarlo para que lo bebas”
“Sorry, thought it might cool it down for you to drink it"
“No, hará que sepa diferente. Y probablemente lo hayas bendecido.”
"No it'll make it taste different. And you've probably blessed it."
“¿Eso es algo malo?”
"Is that a bad thing?”
“No ... Pero no estoy poseÃdo.”
"No... But I'm not possessed.”
“Nunca dijimos que eras”
"We never said that you were”
“¿Qué pasarÃa si fuera? ¿Qué van a hacer el sacerdote, la monja y el exorcista? firmar himnos y orar? Él no me ayudó entonces ¿por qué crees que ustedes tres pueden ahora?... Ustedes tres son como el comienzo de una mala broma...”
"What if I was? What's the priest, nun and exorcist going to do? sign hymns and pray? He didn't help me then why do you think you three can now?... You no you three are like the start of a bad joke…" (*)
"But I can see why she likes you" smiling at him.
"Who dose? Lilly?"
"Anna" sipping more of the hot drink. This time not flinching.
"Lilly Been going by the name Anna" Marcus to Tomas
"Why do say that?" Tomas not taking his eyes off Eve
"She told me."
"I only met her yesterday"
"Before that... In the park" finishing the last bit of cake.
"I did't think she noticed us?" Asked mouse still playing with the note.
"Lilly didn't.." Pushing the plate away from her.
"You noticed us though." Eve ignored Mouse and continued to steer at Marcus.
"She knows that you gave her Holy water yesterday" staying perfectly composed.
"No I didn't" picking up his coffee.
"Yes you did. You gave Lilly a bottle on the bus. and again at home... It made her ill... Didn't that make you think or are you too distracted by the past?"
"How do you know this?” leaning forward in his seat.
"She told me"
"When did she tell you Eve?" Mouse putting the paper away In her pocket.
"This morning.. She came to see me"
"What time?” Asked Marcus.
"About 10" she picked up the drink and downed it
The heat not effecting her.
"Eve.. Who's Lilly?" Asked mouse frowning
"She's Lilly."
"And who's Anna"
"She's Anna…” Still keeping her gaze on Marcus. “She said that I'll get to go home soon… and we'll move too."
"Where are you going to move to?" Asked Mouse watching her scratching at the bandage on her arm and then at the scared crosses.
"Home... To meadow cottage."
Marcus stared concerned at the idea of her going back to where it all had stated.
"I thought you wanted to go back to Salisbury." asked Marcus.
"We were told to leave there remember. Bennett said he would come and help us. Or send a friend. Are you here to help us Marcus?" A pleading sad look in her eyes her strong composed self had stared to crumble and the nervous anxious girl began show through the cracks, as she kept sketching at a scared cross till she broke the skin.
"Hay you mustn't do that" Mouse picked up a napkin and put on her arm to stop the bleeding. Marcus pulled his chair round close beside her, taking her hand to help calm her.
"What do I need to do to help you?"
"I want to go... Marcus I want to go back to the hospital now."
"Ok we'll take you back.” She lent her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her, he could feel her heart racing.
"Make her go away... Don't let her take me back there. Please Marcus." She whispered to him.
"Let's get you back before that crazy nurse misses you."
Out side of the hospital Tomas and Mouse watched as Marcus walked Eve back.
"I'm starting to think that may be there is something more then just mental health problems." Tomas opening a can of lemon aid.
"For someone who never finished high school her Spanish is good"
"Marcus is too close to these women to think clearly.... Didn't he say that he was friends with their father wasn't he?"
"Both the parents I think. The father believed that eve needed his help but the mother refused to let him to help... What do you think?”
"I think your both wrong still."
The two of them went quite as Marcus came towards them.
"I just spoke to the nurse. She hasn't had any visitors today apart from me and no phone calls... And I phoned you just after 10, straight after leaving Lilly."
"So who was she talking to?" Asked Mouse.
"Did you give Lilly holly water yesterday?" Asked Tomas
"Yes. She was so drunk though It could have just been the drink that made her ill"
"It's Possible."
"Do you want to know what I think?" Interrupted Mouse. "I think what ever the relationship you have or had with this family is clouding your judgement on this. What ever that priest put her though has left a gaping wound. It re-enforced the delusion that she was and still is possessed, and what ever stress there was back then has caused the Lilly to have the same beliefs... I think they medical help not our help."
Marcus became defensive, stepping closer to her "How do explain her knowing things about last night. She hasn't spoken to her sister since she brought her back her after we meet in the park. Beside I was never aloud to to speak to Eve probably. I trusted her fathers judgment that something was wrong but their mother didn't want me to help. If she is I need to try."
"Your chasing a hopeless cause. IF one or both of them are possessed then we should use it to our advantage and see what information we can get out of them."
"We're not hurting, or torturing these girls"
"We can't save everyone Marcus. But they might be able to help save others. Or do you only pick those YOU want to save."
The two of them stood staring at each other almost waiting for the other to back down.
"Guys please. This is not the place" Tomas trying to calm the situation as visiter walked passed.
"I never asked you two to come here. Maybe you should both go."
"Don't be stupid. If they do need your help. Then your going to need ours." Tomas placed his hand on Marcus's back.
"Your both crazy."
"Maybe... But I believe there is something here." Both their attention had moved to Tomas. "Both Lilly and Eves comment about us being a the start of bad joke. She spoke to me in the 3rd person. And Anna as if was another person, and not Lilly... "
"That could mean anything" Mouse said turning her eyes to him.
"Could your friend have been wrong about Eve." Marcus frowned at him "and it is Lilly who is possessed. If so if could be her tormenting Eve in to making it seem it is her?"
"I suppose it's possible... We'd need to get them both together."
"Your chasing ghosts Marcus"
"Come with me, or don't I'm not forcing you."
"What are you doing back here?" Pushing the door closed after them.
Sitting at the table was Darren. And David
"I need to speak to you" Marcus said softly to her.
"What about?" He took her hand and lead her to the bath room and closed the door on.
"Don't get angry, but I went to see Eve."
"What.."
"It's ok she's fine."
"And what about you entourage?"
"They meet her. I took her out of the hospital and to the cafe across the road, she was fine there was no problems."
She sat on the edge of the bath and rubbed her face. Still feeling hung over.
"Why did you do that? You should asked me first"
"Because you would have said no. And wanted to talk to her… Can I ask you, does Eve speak and language's?"
Pulling her hands away from her face.
"A little French may be, but No. Nothing else... Why?"
"She had a conversation with Tomas in Spanish. Which she spoke very well.. What about you?" His soft tone, hard for her in her hung over state to want to get angry at him.
"French and a little a Latin"
"When was the last time you spoke to her?"
"Day before yesterday, after we met you in the park" Confirming what he already suspected. "Why?"
"How much do you remember about last night?"
"Practical nothing after the shorts at the Lion."
"And then what do you remember?"
"Being back here throwing up."
"Do you have black outs when your not drunk."
"Black outs when your drunk is sought of expected really" smiling at each other "No.... Well I some times suddenly get so tied I need to lye down and sleep. If that happens I tend to sleep walk. My Doctor gave me some iron tablets and put it down to stress and high blood pressure.. He put all the sleep walking down to stress and anxiety"
"That's when you wake up in strange places?"
"Yes. It's scary. I got to a point where I didn't want to sleep. Or I try to lock myself in the flat.”
"Is that when you scratched the crosses on to the lock of the front door and Eves room."
She didn't responded just started at him. She closed her eyes almost frowning. He watched as she started to to scratch behind her ears.
"Lilith." The sound of her name snapped her back. He stepped forward away from the sink, and stood in front of her.
He spoke in Arabic to her.
“A friend is one to whom one
can pour out all the contents of one's heart,
chaff and grain together,
knowing that the gentlest of hands will take
and sift it, keeping what is worth keeping,
and, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
"What are you going on about?" She looking up at him.
"Nothing. How long has this been going on for?"
"Years since I was kid."
"Have you ever tried to retrace yours steps when you've slept walked?"
"Not really. I sought of don't want to know what I might have done"
Marcus sat on the side of the bath with her.
"When I blacked and woke up in Highgate... I was covers in blood..." She looked at him red eyed. "I'd killed three cats Marcus. I'd completely distorted them. And tried to burn parts...." Held back tears fell at the knowledge of what she had done. "I've never done anything like that... I'm not that sought of person... I'm scared if I'm doing things like that, then what else might I do." He put his arm around her.
“It doesn’t make you a bad person."
"That's not true"
"It is if it wasn't you..."
She sat up and rubbed her face.
"What do you mean by that." Frowning at him. "You think I was possessed. Don't you.... I think you've let your job consumer to much of your life..... I'm not"
There was a knock on the door as it opened.
"It's the hospital" Darren holding her phone out to her.
She took it and walked out of the bathroom red eyed.
Tomas, mouse and David stood around the table.
"What sought of problems?"
"No you're going to tell me now.
"Why did she attack her."
"Where's Eve?"
"Fine"
"What's happened?" Asked Darren.
"Eves had an episode, she attacked a nurse. They wouldn't tell me anything else until I get there" a little dazed she looked around for her backpack.
"I'll come with you." Darren picked up his jackets.
"You're going turn up there even if I say no, aren't you?" Lilly said to Marcus as Darren opened the door.
"I've got room in the car if you want them tho come?"
She stated at Marcus, who was listening to mouse whispering something to him.
"That's ok they can come. But you have to stay In the car." Pointing to David. And walking out. Davids over enthusiasm with the whole concept of exorcism border lined chronic obsession, and was the last thing she wanted to deal with what ever had happened to Eve.
All six of them sat in the car, Darren and Lilly in the front,
Marcus and Mouse in the back and Thomas and David in the far back. Marcus watched as Darren stretched out his had to hold Lilly's, as they sat still in traffic. He watched him whisper "are you sure your ok? It'll be alright."
"When was the last time you heard from fFather Bennett?" Asked Mouse.
"Over a year ago when we were in Salisbury... He recommended we moved.."
"Why would he say that?"
"She had priests stroking her."David called out from the back of the car.
Lilly looked at Darren. Then turned in her seat.
"That's pretty much what happens. We move some where, Eve'll have an episode and then a group of priests or nuns will turn up and want to take her in to their care.... Every time different people. Last time was in Salisbury, she walked in to a Sunday service practical naked. Two days after Bennett turned up. I trusted him so I packed us up and moved. They day we move I got a call from a friend saying that two priest were looking for us. I told her not to tell them were we were going and distorted the phone."
"How many times have you moved?"
"Glasgow, Darlington, Ireland, Jersey, Salisbury and London. In 10 years."
"That couldn't have help Eve."
"What else was I meant to do hand her care over to the church."
"What are you so afraid of if they take her?" Marcus leaning forward in his seat, quietly. seeing if he could see the answer in her blood shot eyes.
Breaking away from his gaze as they pulled in to parking space in the car park. (*)
The six of them got out of the car.
"Your staying in the car" Darren said to David opening the front door from him to get in to the front.
"Why?"
"Because your a little bit to intense and obsessed with the whole exorcism thing.”
Closing the door on him leaving him in the car. And went to catch up with the others heading to the building.
As they entered the ward it almost seamed as if was during a night shift. Fewer staff then normal and no visitors. Not even a stray patient wandering.
"What happened? Where's Eve?" Lilly asked firmly to the a nurse. Standing by the reception desk.
"Miss Sevens I'll call the doctor to come and see you."
Reaching for the phone.
Lilly look around the deserted hall ways and day room. Her head feeling light and dazed she began walking soon the corridor towards the her room where two nurses and an porter stood looking in.
"Ms Stevens... Anna. I'm afraid you will need to wait for Eves doctor. " chasing after her trying to stop her.
"Where's Eve?"
"If you want you and your friends can wait in day room until Doctor Pile gets here"
"No.Tell me what has happened... I was told she attract someone"
"One of the nurses"
"Are they ok?" Asked Darren
"She'll be fine. A few cuts and a bump on the head."
"And what about Eve?" Darren try to take control, seeing Lilly getting frustrated
"Like I said you will need to wait in the day room for Doctor Pile"
"Why don't you just tell me were my sister is" her voice became aggressive. Making the nurse step back slightly.
While Lilly and Darren were trying to get information out of the nurse, Marcus, Mouse and Tomas had slipped pass them to Eves room, the on looking trio out side of her room stepped aside for them to see.
"Lilly." called Marcus.
She looked over to the three of them in the door way. Stoping her trying to get news of what had happened form the nurse. Her and Darren headed over to them.
She started in to the room at the mess, bedding thrown across the room. With pages of a book scattered. She stepped in the room followed by Darren, and the rest.
Some of Eves pictures torn from the wall with some new ones in their place, with writing in almost rhymes on paper and wall, in pencil, pen and blood, in English. Spanish and Arabic.
“Out of the shadows, and the darkness of your sole I step from.”
“The shadows in the mirror I come through.”
“I break her I keep her, I break her I keep her. I break them I keep them.”
Darren stepped out to go and find this doctor and maybe pull rank as medical professional.
"I think this is proof enough" Tomas said looking at the wall.
Lilly started at the words. He head began to spin. Hurt.
Tomas looked at the pages on the floor some with writing over the pint, the pages of the bible.
As he picked up the pages. He's head felt like a thousand needles had hit it.
Suddenly Lilly felt like the room fell away leaving here alone in the dark with Tomas.
Simultaneously both of them lot their balance.
A burning building, with echoing screams, drowned by the sound of braking wood and glass.
Tomas watched as Eve watched on crying pleading that it was not happening. Beside her stood Lilly, she looked over at Tomas, eyes red as a blood moon.
Screaming came from the main house. Tomas follows it in to the house. A plaque above the door read 'meadow cottage'.
Walking through the house He pushed the door open to one of the rooms where the sobs are coming from. The rooms decor out of place from the rest of the house. Modern and contemporary. Lying in the bed was a man. As he turned in his sleep he could see it was Darren. Then he noticed at the foot of the bed Lilly. Her speaking gaze transfixed on him, talking to her self, in what sounded like Aribic, then he notice in her hand a knife. Beside her a ghostly figure. As it looked towards him, here noises the face. Eve. the door slammed leaving him in the hall way.
The red Amber glow of the fire cast strange shadows on the wall.
At the end of the hall beneath a window a girl sat sobbing "Eve?" He asked walking forward. Noticing that in her hand was a knife, out of the shadows a hand reached out and pacing its hand on hers, as the she placed the knife to her skin and sliced, a loud cry came from Eve "I'm sorry" she whispered through the tears.
Sudden blue flashing lights from window in another room distracted him in the dark in this memory. Walking towards the window the lights faded. Looking out at the of a cemetery with grand designed graves and crypts. In the the illuminated night of city he watched as the body's of cats lay on a grave the muttering of chanting from a siloet of facing a way from him. As another figure appeared and took the hand they both looked over their shoulders to him. Lilly's eyes white and crying The others red and smiling.
The blue and red flashing lights grew brighter distorting the view of the women.
Shouting from the the room be hind him. A priest stood
centre of a room with no windows. Holding a gold toned goblet. Eve with her hands bound, with bruised arms and legs distort, crying and begging him to to stop.
From the shadows the ghostly female figure a paired. walking towards Eve then Wright in to her. With a sudden deep breath Eve became calm. She walked towards the priest, and standing in don't of him he reached out putting his arms around her, pulling her towards him.
Tomas noticed standing beside him was an older woman, watching. She smiles and walked away. He followed her down the hall back towards the front door
She tuned in to one of the rooms, yet vanished when Tomas looked in. The room was he bath room of Lilly and Eves flat. Lilly stood by the sink holding on to the edge her eyes closed and the look of pain on the face, as though she was struggling to fight something back.
Her reflection in the Mirror on the other hand was smiling with laughter the the dusty blood red eyes watching. "Get out of my head" growled from Lilly as she opened her eyes Hitting the mirror. As the pieces shattered they parted and froze in mid air the face in fragments still laughing. Then fell.
Out side in the car park David stood leaning on the car putting his phone in to his pocket he rummaged through his pockets for a lighter. He watched people milling around outside main doors... A large black car puled up with black tinted windows, seaming out of place he watched the occupants climb out and look around. All four of them with in black making their white collars stand out.
David slipped his rolled cigarette in to pocketing his jacket and headed towards the hospital. Keeping a Distance from yet wanting to know if they were her for Eve.
"She's on the 4th floor" one of them said. David took took this as his que to leave hem to head to the left and him to keep walking to the stairs
Tomas knelt on one knee on the floor with pages crushed in his fist.
"Are you ok?" Mouse reaching down placing her hand on his back.
Marcus, had his arms around Lilly to stop her from falling sat her on a chair.
"We need to Eve." Muttered Tomas. As Darren walked in
"What happen?" concerned over his girlfriend looking pale and shocked
"I'm ok, Where is she?"
"They don't know. After she attacked the nurse she bolted... They've called the police"
Appearing at the door out of breath after running up four flights of stairs managing to somehow reach Eves room to tell them of the oncoming visitors.
"We" gasping for breath. "We gotta...... Gotta go."
"Why?"
Bent over hands on his knees he pointed to his neck and then to Tomas. Slightly confusing them with his game of charades. Mouse went to the door where he was standing and looked down the corridor. Seeing the nurse and the Doctor taking to two priests.
"We got to go. Now"
"What's wrong?"
"If the church are following them. Then them being here now might be a problem." heading back in to the room helping Tomas up. Lilly started at the wall for a moment before get up and grabbing a bag from under the bed pulling down as many of the drawings and stuffing them in to the bag, then gabbing clothes from the small chest of draws.
"There's a fire exit down the end of the corridor, it's alarmed but they leave the key in box."
Marcus picked up the bag of cloths and drawings from the bed, the others left the room and hurried down to fire exit.
"Lily come on" Marcus holding out his arm to her as she took one last look at the remaining drawings on the wall and mess of the room.
Walking out of the room, he closed the door behind her, and headed to meet the others.
The fire exit brought them out at the back of the hospital. By a small staff car park.
Darren got his keys from his pocket and handed them to David
"Go and get my car we’ll meat you across the road." Pointing to a small convince shop on the other side.
Marcus went to Tomas pulling him slightly away from Darren and Lilly.
"What happened?"
"It's not just Eve. Lilly's in danger too?"
Marcus frowned. "What"
"Both of them are possessed."
"That's not possible?"
"I'm sorry but it is... I saw them both."
Marcus looked over at her, Darren's arms wrapped round her.
"We had better go wait across the road for David" Darren looking at the three of them.
"Pull over here" David pulled the care over in to parking space by a park. Turning round in his seat to face the four of them sitting In the back.
"Is some one going to tell me what the hell just happened back there?" And looking David as well.
"Eve is possessed, and probably has been since she was a young teenager."
Lilly turn in her seat frowning at Tomas sitting in the back with Mouse.
"And us running from some priests? This is ridicules. I'm sorry Lilly but with what her doctor said, maybe Eve would be better off in their care. You would't have to worry about her."
"Shut up"
"No, I'm sorry darling I love but you moving the two of you around the country constantly, has created a deeper fear of the church. And you three are not helping."
"I got to get out." Lilly scramble over the bag and Marcus. To get to the door, almost falling out of the car.
She went to the back of the car, throwing up in the gutter.
Marcus got out and went to see if she alright.
Shortly followed by Tomas and Mouse.
"For someone that teaches phycology and specialise is the history of exorcisms and is always telling us to be open minded. That you need to look deeper at the case and except that anything is possible, Your sure being narrow minded over this."
Darren glazed at David. Angry that one of students was lecturing him. Especially one how had a slight obsession with this situation of conspiracy theory’s, and exorcisms "Considering what happened during that hypnosis session, I thought that you might be questioning this a little more."
David got out of the car, taking the keys and going over to group.
He sat watching them. "Fuck sake" he hit the dashboard before getting out and to join them.
"What happened back there Tomas? Why do you say both of the girls are possessed?" Marcus asked after pulling him away from the rest.
"Memories, it was like I was dragged into, not just Eve's but Lilly's. The fire that killed their parents, Eve cutting her wrists. Lilly in a cemetery, she was trying trying to conduct some ritual. And her standing over Darren with a knife. Each time there was something else present, at first it seamed as if it was the two of them together, but it wasn't. It was something else." Mouse had joined them and listening.
"I saw what I think was Eves exorcism. It was far from that, the priest summoned a demon which possessed her. Marcus... Their mother knew what was happening she watched as it took hold."
"No she would never do that to her children. Nor James. Their faith meant more to them then that" his voice raised and angry at the suggestion that they would have done this to their daughters.
"May be you did not know them as well as you thought." Mouse trying to clam him down. "If your sure about that Tomas, then right now we need to find Eve. Till then we keep Lilly with us, then we need to decide what to do."
The busy train station with people traveling in and out of London, the sound of the tanor announcing the arrival and departure of trains. Amongst the crowed Eve stood bitting her nails looking around lost, people walked past and glanced but not talking to or willing to approach the woman with blood on her hand s and dress,
Lilly pulled the phone from her pocket the notification on the screen of a transaction on the joint account she had with Eve. A transaction at a train station for what what we could only assume for a ticket home.
"I know where she is she's at the station she's just brought a ticket"
"Where would she be going?" Asked David
"Home."
"Let's head over their, maybe we can catch her." Darren put his arm round Lilly as they headed to the car with David.
Mouse stopped Marcus turning her back to car.
"What ever connection you have with the this family I need to know your see things straight here. If they have been possessed all this time. Then even with the three of us we may not save them."
"So now your willing to try and save them"
"I'm saying 20 years or more is a long time to have a demon running around your head, and I'm not sure your seeing it. That they are lost. And there is nothing left save"
He ignored her and went to the car reaching out to Lilly in the front seat. Taking her hand.
Darren Tomas and Mouse stood looking at the screens of departing and arriving trains, trying to see the departing train that Eve would be on.
"Why are you 3 so scared of the organisation you work for?" Asked Darren, wanting answer
"Are you a religious man" asked Mouse
“My father became an Anglican Vicar after my mother died when I was young. What's that got to do with anything"
"The Catholic Church has bigger problems then what you read in the papers. And your girlfriend and her sister, what ever is using them may be able to give us some answer to what, why and how far this has gone"
"You make it sound like there is some big conspiracy" still unsure of what to believe.
"There was a train five minutes after she brought the ticket. If she not here then I think she got on that." Lilly said rejoining the group with Marcus.
"Are we sure that's where she's heading?"
"After what she said to us and the message on the wall. I think so." Said Marcus.
"I think it would be quicker if we took the train then my car"
"You don't have to come?" Lilly to Darren, Darren looked at Marcus and the others.
"I'll come. i can get some one to pick up the car. If we need to take her to a hospital, having a doctor with you might be better then two priests... I'll go and get us tickets."
"I need to get my bag from the car do you mind if I have the keys". asked Mouse
"No here, would mind grabbing mine. It's under the he middle seats." Darren handed Mouse the keys "no that's fine."
"What's going on?" David asked consider g back over to them from being on the phone.
"Take David with you.. Get my bag out of the car and Eves one that Lilly picked up."
"Sure thing." Mouse and David head out to car.
Darren kissed Lilly on the cheek before heading one of the ticket machines. Leaving Lilly with Tomas and Marcus. (*)
Getting off the train at the small station. The six followed other passages out of the small station.
"The cab should be here In 5, 10 minutes." Darren checking his phone.
Lilly wonder over poster of a map of the local area. Her eyes followed the roads of the familiar area.
"How long has it been since you were last here?" Asked Tomas looking at the map with here.
"11 years." She ran her finger along one of roads on the map. Then stopped. "The house is about there... When we were teenagers, one Halloween we decided to have a party. Our school backed on to the old convent." pointing to it on the edge of map. "which was left to decay. We though it would be a perfect place for our secret party with boys from the all boys school. We took over the old chapel, some of the older students brought alcohol, one of the senior lads got wasted. And managed to full off the altar and throw the remainder of the stain glass window. Had to have over 40 stitches across his body." Smiling at him as she remembered the event.
By the time that they had reached the house the sun had already begun to set. The sky a blue grey and pink.
Standing I front of the gate that stood between the road and short drive leading to the house.
A cold chill swept over Lilly's body from goose bumps. If a building could ever ever put fear in someone then this done it for her.
She watched as the others followed Marcus through the gate and towards the house.
"Do you really think that we are both..." Not wanting to think about it let alone ask . She stopped
"Possessed... If you are then I promise we will help you both." Tomas said.
"If... I saw you in those memories it recreated. If I am, you shouldn't make promises that you might not be able to keep."
"Then what do you want us to do let the two of you keep running?"
"It's worked so far"
She walked off towards the house leaving Tomas to follow.
"Does Eve have a set of keys?" asked Mouse watching Lilly pull her keys from her bag.
"No, just me"
Opening the front door locks, pushing the door open Lilly took a deep breath, as if to prepare her self for something.
"How long has this place been empty?" Asked Marcus.
“two weeks. It gets let out as a rest bite and retreat house though the church.... It was left to church in the Will upon mine and Eves death. Until then we can live here." dropping her bag by a table in the hall. "Like we want to do that."
"If you have the only key how do you know if she's here and how would she get in?" David asked putting down the bags with Darren's camera in.
"Broken window in the front room." Turning the light on so they could see the glass on the floor. A sudden bang from upstairs stopped them all in the tracks looking at the celling.
"Her room was at the back?" Asked Marcus.
"Yeah" she watched as he and Tomas want up.
Out side of the door to her old room Marcus and Tomas could talking. Muttered words in Arabic and spanish, followed by laughing. Tomas with cross in hand pushed the door open. Bed and cabarets had been thrown up against the the wall sitting beneath the window sat Eve.
"You took your time. Didn't you" a deep echoing voice came from her. As she looked at them her eyes dark red as Tomas had seen them in his vision.
In a split second she was up and ran at them pushing them out of the way. In the corridor she suddenly stopped in her tracks faced to face with Lilly. She looked her, her eyes looking almost in to her sole. As she smiled twistedly at her Lilly, Lilly punched her, knocking her out falling to the floor.
"I'm so sorry." Marcus handing Lilly a glass of water. Pulling the dining room chair closer to her.
"I should have stayed..."
"To late now." He watched as as downed the water.
"I never believed. Not in God or any of it. Not like mum and dad... And eve." Starting in to the glass. "Back in the hospital I saw it... Its always been there like a shadow always there…It’s fascinated by Tomas, and not in a good way… keep him safe.”
"This is wrong" Darren said as he watched Mouse and Tomas struggle to tie Eve to the bed as she growled and hissed at them, talking in other languages.
"And what would you have us do?"
"She needs medical help" walking out of the room following them.
"Is that your professional or your personally opinion?" Asked mouse as they walked down to the kitchen.
"Both, I think Lilly broke her nose. We should at least get her looked at."
"How is she?" Asked Marcus letting go of Lilly's hands.
"She's fighting.. Buts those ropes are going to do more harm." Said Tomas washing his face and hands, from being spat on with blood.
"We need to decide what we are going to do?" Mouse said leaning in the worktop beside Tomas.
"We need to conduct exorcism" Tomas drying his hands.
"What if that doesn't work?" Responded Mouse.
Lilly got up and left them to descuse hers and her sisters fate.
"Are you ok?" Asked David sitting on the sofa putting his phone down.
"Yeah. Had to get away from them and what they are going to do with the possessed sisters." Sitting down next to him.
"Thanks for patching up the window"
"That's fine" shed switched off and was looking at the fire place that once had family photos, now only a two vases stood in front of the oil painting that hung above.
"So have judge, jury and executioner come to a conclusion?" She asked Marcus as he walked in.
"No"
He stood looking around the room the lamps that were on made the room feel warm and inviting yet the lack of personal objects made the room like the others he had revisited lack a personal warmth.
The lights flicked and a scream cam from above.
Lilly still on the sofa lent forward wrapping her arms around her head trying to block out the painful screams. And still feeling the hangover.
"This room seams different from what I remember."
Lilly sat up pushing her hair off the face.
"The book case" looking at it in the corner, right of the fireplace.
The two white book cases filed with books and out of date magazines stood out from the natural light tanned wood of the rest of the future.
"What was there?"
"A door" She got up form the sofa and went over, and looked content of the shelf
"Are you going to tell us about these?" Mouse dropped a large tattered bible on to the coffee table.
"Where did you get that" Lilly asked, already knowing the answer.
"From yours" Lilly stood crossed armed each had rubbing the opposite arm.
"And why are certain prays marked?"
Groans and load muttering came from upstairs. The book selfs behind her and Marcus began to shake and several books flow off towards Mouse and Tomas.
They all stood starting at Lilly judging.
"That had nothing to do with me."
Turning around and looking at the the book case, a dark reddish black stain slowly moved over the white laminated surface like a diseased shadow.
"There's a door behind there isn't there?" Marcus walking to her. "It's the door to the basement"
Piles of stacked books sat in front of the fire place, the discoloured book cases moved in front of the TV. Torn wall paper from the the wall laid in the floor along with broken plaster board which had his the door.
The light flicked then lit up the room. Lilly watched from the bottom step of the stairs as the five of them looked around. On a table stood a small cross and a goblet. Tomas stood looking at it recognising it from eves drawing.
"Marcus" quietly calling him over.
Mouse opened a door in to another part of the basement. Tuning on the torch to see what was there.
"Marcus, Tomas. You need to see this." All but Lilly went to see. Darren fumbled for the light for them to see more clearly.
David put his camera on to film what they were seeing.
A wall that decided the small area in to two on each side a single bed frame from the wall a length of chain hung beside each with shackles at the end.
"What the hell were they doing to their girls?" Darren stood looking at the scratched writing on the wall. "I am not Anna" "shadow in the mirror is not me"
As Marcus sat on the bed frame and rubbed his had over the writing.
"And you thought nothing was wrong?" David with his camera pointed at him.
"Will you cut it out!" Darren snapped at him grabbing his phone. "Can you please have a little respect and not be a little fuck for once." Turning off the phone and handing it back.
"Maybe we should bring Eve down here.?" Tomas quietly said.
Daren pulled David from the room by his arm, to leave them to talk.
"He never knew. If he had he would told me. He would have forced me stay and help." Marcus still looking at the shackles and writing on the wall.
"We'll do what we can" Mouse put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.
Lilly still stood on the stairs watching as David and Darren came out of the room.
Standing in front of her
"I didn't know. I didn't know. I should have known. I could have helped, I could have done more” she kept quietly saying to her over and over. Darren took her hands waking her from her shocked trance.
"Let's go up stairs." She turned and silently headed back upstairs.
"Chloroform, morphine... And I hate to think what these are" Mouse picking up a small with bottle of an off white liquid, with its sealed top for use with a syringe. Another 6 or seven bottles with discoloured labels and a small stack of a dozen or so sterile disposable needles.
Tomas came back in to the room with goblet.
"I think that they were tiring to summon a demon to integrate with them. I'm guessing something went wrong." Looking at the small remains of ash at bottom and around the in side of the goblet.
"What happened to the priest that was meant to have been helping Eve?" Asked Tomas
"I don't know, I assume he's in prison."
"He's dead." David appearing at the. "He died in a car accident a few weeks after their parents." Showing them his phone. "The car went off the road and apparently the car was doused in petrol and set slit with him in it" Mouse took the phone to look.
"Do you think it could have been Lilly or Eve?" Handing Tomas the phone.
Picking up the keys from the hall table. Lilly walked quietly almost in a trance to the end of the hall, in to the dining room on the left and to up to a closed door, looking through her set to find the one that opened it. As she opened the door and walked in Darren followed her in.
"It was dads study." she said looking around a wall full of books,the other with pictures of her and Eve, their mum and family friends. A large desk sat almost centre of the Room a sofa behind the door.
"Guests aren't aloud in here. It's the only room that hasn't been cleared" waking up to the desk placing her hand on it. As if she was trying to connection with the past.
"I hate her so much for what she done." She began to cry, Darren put his arms round her to try to comfort her.
After a moment she pushed a way and went and sat on the sofa, picking up on of the cushions to hug as Darren joined her, she lent into him as he put his arm around her.
Marcus looked in to the kitchen trying to find them, looking in to the dining room he saw the door to the small study open, and headed there. He stopped as he got in looking around his heart dropped at the sight of the unchanged room.
"Everything ok?" Asked Darren
Marcus moved the chair from in front of the desk to the sofa and sat in front of Lilly.
"What happened here?"
"I don't know... I found the room after mum and dad died. I don't know what was going on. There's some wired books down there. I just blocked the door and tried to forget about it." Wiping tears from her face.
"Why would they have that room?” asked Darren
"It looks as if they where trying to perform a ritual to summon a demon."
"Is that what I saw saw at hospital? Tomas saw it too. Memories."
Marcus frowned. Not realising that she had experienced the same visions as Tomas.
"Would you let Darren conducted another hypnosis session on you?"
Darren pulled away from her.
"Why?"
"I think it would be the easiest why to find out the truth. Maybe help you uncover some of your missing time that you have"
"Are you sure about this?" Asked Darren.
"Yes I am" Marcus sat back in his chair. Darren rubbed his hands over his face. Thinking.
"Ok, but If feel it's getting out of hand then I'm stopping it."
"That's fine. We're going to move Eve down stairs. There's less chance of her physical hurting herself. We might need you to help."
"I'll get David to set up in here."
The two of them got up.
"Do I get a say in what your doing with us?"
Marcus sat back down pulling the chair closer. Darren left unsure about everything that was going on
"I promise everything will alright."
"I didn't believe that dad could do any of thing that you think he did. I don't want to. But want I saw and felt back at the hospital. I feel like every thing like Fairies, and Santa that you believe in as a child that you know as an adult is not real has just been proved real."
"Fairies aren't" Marcus with a childish sad look. Then smiled.
David secured the camera to the tripod and run the the a cable from it to the desk and begun to set up Darren's computer.
"Why are you two so scared over doing this?" Lilly asked handing him a mug of black coffee.
"He hasn't told you"
"Told me what?"
David sat at the desk and began to look for footage. Unlocking the file and opening the notes he went to the time index noted. Turning the computer so that she could watch.
"Lilly sleeping now and I don't want to talk about her." Growled Lilly.
"Who don't you want to talk about?"
"Lilly."
"Sorry, your Anna. So what do you want to talk about?" Asked Darren shifting in his seat.
"Hello pretty girl" Lilly smiling at Lee.
"Don't respond." Said Darren.
Lilly's eyes closed tightly as she frowned griping the edge of the sofa. Looking as thought she was in pain.
"Anna what's wrong?"
"Get out of my head" she whispered.
"Think I'm funny." Lilly look over at another man in the room.
Lilly got up and walked over to him. The camera followed.
"I think your taking this all. Little bit to far." He answered
"How far is to far." Standing in front of him she grabbed his arm in one hand and with the other his neck pushing him against the wall, lifting him off the floor.
"Put him down!" Darren racing over to them, with a twist of hand he screamed out as she broke his arm.
"Let him go!"
Pulling her off he fell to the ground.
She struggled to get away from Darren, but he managed to wrestle her to the ground pinning her face down.
"Took about an hour to calm you down and get you out of the hypnotic state." David stoping the footage and and turned the computer
"Is he ok"
"He's alright, a little freaked out more then anything"
"Eves downstairs. How's thing here?" Asked Darren. coming back in to the room
"We're pretty much ready"
"How is she?" Asked Lilly
"Ok. She's been Asking for you" Lilly went to leave the room and go to her, but Darren stopped her.
"Best let Mouse and Tomas see to her... Is there any food here, I'm staving" to both of them.
"No I've ordered a takeaway be here in half our" answered David pulling out the mics from there case.
"I ready when you are."
Lilly sat on the sofa cuddling a cushion her eyes closed.
"Lilly think back to when you lived here. Before your parents died. Before Marcus came to visit. The basement." Darren asked softly to her. Looking at the sheet of paper with questions Marcus wanted him to ask.
"That's mums space we not aloud down there."
"You and Eve must have snuck down there at least once. Maybe playing hide and seek"
"No. I don't like it down there. And Eves scared of it."
"Whys she scared?"
"If she been bad she has to go down there" respondeing as a fearful child would.
"And what happens?"
"Don't know, don't want to talk about it."
A knock at the front door, Tomas being closest to the door snuck out to answer it.
"You don't know or you don't want to talk about it?"
"Both"
Darren sat back in his chair.
"Who's Anna?" Jumping straight to the point rather then asking through the list first.
"She's someone."
"Who is she?"
"No. Please."
Tomas came back in to the room followed by Lee and Connor who stood along the wall Darren shifted uneasy in the chair with the arrival of more on lookers.
Lilly began to smile then laugh.
"What's funny?" Darren asked.
"All of you." Pushing the cushion away. "You think you have it all worked out."
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.
"Us. You think you know what's going on"
"What is going on?" Marcus asked as Darren lent forward in his seat looking at the floor rubbing his head. Lilly laughed.
"Who are we talking to right know, Lilly or Anna?" Asked Darren looking up, eyes red.
"Ann..a"
"I want to speak to Lilly"
"Why? "
"Let me speak to her"
"No... Because he wants to speak to me" pointing at Marcus "and I want to speak to him" moving her arm round and stoping on Tomas hers opening and smiling at him. Her wide smiling eyes made him uneasy.
"Hello Anna" he responded to her.
"Hello Tomas"
"Who is in control of this body? Who's the dominate personality?" asked Darren, she looked back at him.
"I'm just visiting."
"Can I speak to Lilly?"
She lent forward. "No" in a childish way before getting up and going over to where Tomas, Lee and Connor where standing
"So your the one that I've heard the whispers about." Standing in front of Tomas. "So pretty" she went to touch his face. Marcus standing behind her grabed her arm. She turned to look at him.
"Oh dear, old Marcus. How dose it feel to know that failed again. You should have believed your friend." She tried to pull away.
"Who are you really" she smiled with a little giggle.
"An out cast." Then whispered "a little like your self" she suddenly moved bitting Marcus hand making release her, allowing her to run out of the room. Marcus Tomas and Mouse went after the others following. She was half way up the stairs.
"Lilly, sweet heart. Listen to me. We're here to help."
"Really. You missed me last time. I hid well didn't I?"
"You did..." Marcus started to step upturn stairs slowly
"But Lilly you have fight Anna. You've done it before."
"Stop it" she shouted moving to the top of the stairs. "I don't want to talk to you."
"Then who do you want to talk to?"
"Tomas"
"I'l let you talk to Tomas only if you me talk to you first."
"NO. I want to talk to Tomas. NOW." As her childishly me tantrum scream echoed down the stairs it shock the walls making the framed painting fall.
"Its ok' I'll talk to you. Tomas began to walk up the stairs towards her. She backed away from the top of the stairs. "What do you want to talk about.?"
"Their all talking about you."
"Who is?" Tomas reach the top of the stairs, the others
"So many. So many voice"
"Then let us help. "
"No" She shouted turning and opening a door to a set of stairs that lead down to the kitchen. Grabbing a knife from the block on the work top she went to try and get to the front door. But found her self stopped by Darren and Mouse.
"Put the knife down Lilly" Mouse said. Bravely stepping forward.
"I'll do it" she put the knife to her wrist. "Leave us alone."
Tomas began a pray as him and Marcus began to head down the stairs.
"Stop it... I'll do it. I'll do it like I did it to the other. Do you want that on our conscience as well?"
Mouse joined Tomas in the pray.
"Lilith, you don't want to do this. Put it down." Marcus stepped closer as she edged in to the door way of the front room. "Please sweet heart."
Shouts and screams echoed from the basement.
"NO.... ANNA LEAVE HER ALONE."
Eves screams made Lilly break through.
"Eve" with a concerned tonne and look.
A twitch of her neck, a crooked smile appeared as she present the knife to the flesh on her wrist.
David reached round form behind her and held his a chloroform soaked ripped shirt sleeve over her mouth and nose as she struggled Marcus Darren and David wrestled with her, Darren grabbing the knife and throwing it across the front room. The three of them held her on the floor until she passed out.
"How much did you put on the cloth ?"
Darren asked David as he took her pulse on her neck, Mouse shackled her hands,
"Sorry but I didn't measure it I was more concerned that she might do what she did before."
"What happened before?" Asked Mouse.
"Lilly I want to see Lilly, please" sobbed Eve. Distracting her. Darren got up and went off up stairs.
In kitchen on his own angry and upset he began opening up up cabinet doors and then slamming them uncertain win of what he was looking for, but with with each slam of a door he became more angry and upset. Until opening one of the cabinets he saw a bottle of scotch. He took it and and glass and headed out side. (*)
Sitting out side at small cast iron table little only by the lights from the office, he poured him self a drink and sat in silence starting in to the night.
"What are they doing here?" He asked Marcus who had come and sat down quickly at the table.
"David called them. There here out of concern. More like their grads and there stupid web sight."
He pored another drink.
"What's going to happen now?"
"Try to help them.
"And what if you can't"
"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it."
"I don't know if I can do this. I'm questioning every that happened between us. I don't even know if it was Lilly or Anna that I'm in a relationship with."
"The thing that calls it self Anna, which has a child like behaviour is not who you are in a relationship with. That's the demon.
And right now Lilly needs you. If you care about her you'll stay for now."
Darren downed his drink
"Does she know your married?"
He glanced at his finger the white tan mark of where his wedding ring once had been.
"She knew, My wife and I. It had ended before I had ever meet her. The divorce was finalised last month... And my 12 year old daughter, turns out she's not even mine." He pored another large drink. Marcus reached over and took the drink.
"Does Lilly know about your daughter?" Having some of the scotch.
"Yes... Just not that she not mine." Darren rubbed his face to hide his red tear filled eyes.
“Bit of an age gape between the two of you” Marcus placing his glass on the table and pored a drink.
“25 years. She is an incredible woman.” Darren smiled slightly.
“Do you care about?”
Darren frowned a little at Marcus’s tone.
“Of cause I do,”
"Once this is over you can tell her everything."
"After this she's going need more help then I can give her..."
"Right now she needs you, But if you cant stick this out for her then maybe you should go now, rather then leaving her after."
Darren looked up at Marcus as he stood, picking up the bottle and glass.
“She not just some mid-life crises fling… I love her"
Marcus lent forward so he was face to face with him.
"Then help her fight."
"Is everything ok?" Asked Mouse, as Marcus put the bottle on the side and glass in the sink.
"All fine" he picked a slice of pizza from one of the boxs that Lee and Connor had brought.
“She's still out cold. And Eve has pretty much cried herself to sleep. We need to decide what we are going to do. Wether we perform an exorcism on one then the other or we spit up." Mouse said all the time looking at Marcus, knowing that the chance of them saving them was slim.
"It's going to be that easy" Marcus putting down part of a slice. "I believe it's going to be that simple." They both looked him. "I saw it, it was the same demon with both of them. It's some how jumping between of them... I'm not sure if we will be able to to save both." The sound of the door closing made the all look towards Darren.
"Lilly's theoretical still hypnotised in a way and that thing is possible still trapped in her, can't you just exorcise just her?"
"If this thing is jumping between them I don't think that will work." Tomas wiping his hands on some tissue.
Darren picked up a slice of pizza. "Then what?"
"Maybe we should treat this as would if it was one person and one demon there in the same room and with the 3 of us we might be able to save one of them." Mouse picking up her drink.
"One! What happens to the other and may I ask are you going to chose?" Darren upset and angry.
The three of them looked at him silently.
"Fuck sake" he mumbled to him self dropping a small piece of crust back in the box and picking up another slice. Before heading to the door, as he opened it to go back in to the study he was greeted by Lee and Connor standing behind David.
"She's awake."
The dusty smell of the basement and yellowish light of the over the celling light and the small table lamps made the room feel as it was the set of a horror film.
The four of them headed down to the basement. The door to the room where the girls were was puled on. The light from the other side illuminating the it's edges.
"Be Careful what you say to them. It will try to confuse and trick you, and what every they say remember it's not them." Marcus softly said to Darren before they went in.
Lilly sat on the bed with the soles of the feet together, she smiled as they came in.
"The gods holy trinity come to try and save their soles?"
Tomas began to pray.
“Our Father, you are in heaven.
Hallowed be thy name.
Let us come your kingdom.
Thy will be done.
On earth as in heaven.”
Darren watched as she reacted slight to his words like was trying to escape a tidiness.
Looking over on the other side of the curtain Eve laid on her side eyes wide open staring at the curtain. He went to her and knelt beside the bed. Mouse had Marcus joined in with the pray. Where Tomas stood he watched Darren.
"Why am I down here? Darren please. Their'll wake the shadows.... Please she'll make me do things" tears running down her face and fulling on to the already tear soaked sheet.
He stroked her hair to try and comfort her ,
”I won't let them hurt you. Their here to help. I promise I won't let any thing bad happen to you"
"Don't make promise you can't keep." Still starting at the curtain as though she could see throw it. He sat on floor be side her holding her hand, as they listened to the twisted laughter coming from Lilly.
"Your going to have to work harder then that."
She fell silent, Her eyes closed tight as she frowned and began rocking back and forth. Hands covering her ears.
"I'm not her, I'm not her, I'm not her." She kept whispering over and over.
Darren got up and went and stood with the others.
Lilly looked up and them. "I"m not going any where" she laughter falling back on the bed.
Eve laid there covering her ears not wanting to her the laugh.
"STOP IT" screamed Eve. Tomas and Mouse went and stood at the end of her bed. She began to laugh.
"If I break her can I keep her." She laughed as she laid there watching them.
Lilly fell silent. Waking yet un aware of where she was she went to rub her face. The weight of the leather straps with the chains pad locked to them woke her suddenly. She sat up and began to struggle and pull the chain.
"It's ok clam down" Darren went to her and sat on the bed.
"What's going on. Why am I down here?"
"You don't remember?"
"What did I do"
He turned her right arm Palm up. She looked at the bandage on her arm.
"It's just flesh wound nothing serious"
"She doesn't remember," sang Eve, and began to laugh.
Lilly began to panic pulling at the straps on her ankles and wrists
"Lilly" Darren putting his hands over hers, she pushed them off. Becoming more distressed.
"Give me the key.... Marcus give me the key" shouted Darren as he tried to calm her. From the panic attack.
Marcus went over to her and sat on the bed she tried to fight him as he wrapped her arms around her.
"If I break her can I keep her?" Eve with a little laugh.
"No." Tomas said going to check on Lilly.
"Oh you no fun" Eve called out in a childish voice.
“We'll be back in moment. I promise." Darren sat up after laying beside Lilly on the bed. She grabbed his hand.
"Please stay. Don't leave me on my own"
"We"ll just be though the door." He kissed her head. Still having to to pull his hand away from her's.
"We can't do this to them it's morally and ethically wrong"
"What do you suggest?" Asked Mouse
"Medical care rather then religious care."
"You haven't told them what happened when you hypnotised her last time." David was standing on the stairs.
"You done this before to her? What happened.?" Tomas asked.
Darren sat on stairs. "She attacked one of the other students... She pined him against the wall.... She. She lifted him up with one hand and broke his arm with her other."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Marcus asked quietly leaning in the bannister.
"She's the most caring person I know. May be deep down I knew it might be possible that there was someone else wrong. But after that day she wasn't quite herself, then she pretty much vanished. I thought it was out fear and shame of what had happened.."
"It partly may have been, but I think she was also protecting you." Said Tomas. “She's slept walked when she stayed at yours." Darren stayed silent. "I saw her standing at the bottom of the bed with a knife in her hand."
Darren rubbed his face fighting the tiredness.
"It was the night after, I woke up she was on about 'we shouldn't have done it and we should let us be' I managed to get the knife from her and get her back into bed. I just put it down the stress."
"You've managed to piss off a demon that's strong enough to control two people some how" Mouse said before turning to Tomas. "Maybe it's best if Marcus lets us deal with this"
Marcus turned to them. "Do you you two really think that you co do do this on your own? Be my guest. But you don't stand a chance." Angry at the notion that they did not trust him.
"Lilly told you that her sister was not possessed when you first went and saw them years ago." Mouse went to her bag that she had left by the table with the cross, and pulled out a large bible. And handed it to him. He flicked through the pages. Stoping at pages dog eared, looking at the parts underline and scribbled notes.
"There was an young lady who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her;" sung Eve.
"Shut up" Lilly in an angry tone still Laing on the bed.
"She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!" Eve continued singing with a childish tone and a small laugh.
Eve sat up and tried to reach the curtain with her hand but her restrains did not let her.
"There was an young lady who swallowed a spider, That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her; She swallowed the spider to catch the fly; I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!"
Lilly stretched out her leg sit restricted by the chain on the legs she just managed to reach and grab a bit of the curtain with her toes and pull it to her so she could open it and face Eve.
"SHUT UP!"
Lilly stood facing Eve, who sat on the bed soles of her feet together, smiling, a cheeky mischievous dark smile.
"There was an young lady who swallowed a bird; How absurd to swallow a bird"
"Your like a bad cold that just won't go away. Pure poisson." Eve got off the bed. Walked as close as she could to Lilly.
"Poor little Lilith. Better run the shadows will get you."
Marcus came back in to the room followed by the others
"Where did you get that?" Lilly asked. Watching him with the book dropping it on the bed. She sat back down placing her hand on the cover her fingers stroking it.
"She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!" Quietly sung Eve. "Hello Tomas" looking at him like school girl with a crush.
"Ignore her" Marcus said with out taking his eyes off Lilly.
"I can't help if you don't tell me everything."
"I found it in the loft about a couple of months before mum and dad died... When I came back from uni and seeing Eve." She looked over to Eve how waved at her and smiled like a shy child.
"I went to dad with it. We had a huge fight. The next day he phoned you."
"She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!" Lilly and Marcus looked at her
"There was a young lady how thought she could help...
Now listen to the sound of her sisters bones break."
Eve took hold of three of her fingers, bending them back and breaking them. Eve screamed out in pain, Marcus grabbed hold of Lilly and held her as she tried to reach her. Tomas and Mouse went to help Eve, Mouse pulling the curtain back to divide the girls.
"You should have just left us alone... We were managing." Marcus handing her a glass of water.
"Why didn't you just ignore the letter? This would be less painful for us."
Darren knelt on the floor beside Eve tapping her fingers together, her crying and ignoring them, her eyes closed in shock.
"Make it stop hurting... Please." She whispered. Mouse handed him the bottle of morphine and needle. He stared at the new bottle, before reluctantly taking it and drawing a small amount to give her.
"Why do you carry this with you?"
"Same reason their parents have it in the cabinet. For this"
"Please let us go.... We weren't hurting anyone, we'll move and vanish. Please." Pleading with him
"You know I can't do that. Not now."
"Let us go. Let us go. Let us go!" She began screaming. The glass that had been put on the floor between them shattered.
Marcus jumped up and moved away from her as she continued go begin
“let us go, let us go." Her words grow quitter till all that came from her was a sob of tears. Her legs pulled up to her chest her arms wrapped round them with her hands on her head, rocking slightly back and forth.
Tomas came back round to see what had happened. She began to laugh, then silence as she looked up at them.
"Anna?" Asked Tomas
She started at him.
"There was an old lady who swallowed a cat;
Fancy that to swallow a cat!... Oh I forget this one kills the cats."
Marcus and Tomas began to pray.
Marcus “Lord, have mercy.” Tomas “Lord, have mercy.”
Marcus “Christ, have mercy.” Tomas “Christ, have mercy.”
Marcus “Lord, have mercy.” Tomas “Lord, have mercy.”
Marcus “Christ, hear us.” Tomas “Christ, graciously hear us.”
Marcus “God, the Father in heaven.” Tomas “Have mercy on us.”
Marcus “God, the Son, Redeemer of the world.” Tomas “Have mercy on us.”
Marcus “God, the Holy Spirit.” Tomas “Have mercy on us.”
Marcus “Holy Trinity, one God.” Tomas “Have mercy on us.”
Marcus “Holy Mary,” Tomas “Pray for us,”
"Stop it. Stop it" in a growling tone she fell back on to the bed covering her face.
"Can't we just go back" asked Eve
"Go back where?" Asked Darren
"Anywhere. Just want to be far way from home."
Darren put his hand on her head.
Getting up and turning to Mouse.
"She's burning up. You can't tell me that this is normal.
Mouse went to see what was happen with Lilly.
She laid laughing as the two of then stopped praying.
"Eves not doing so well." Pulling Marcus away towards the door. Looking over at her he could see the cold sweet on her. (*)
Sitting in the kitchen with cold pizza in its boxes still sitting on the table. The morning sun had stated to light up the the kitchen and the office at the back of the house.
"How long do you expect this to go on for" Darren deciding what slice he wanted to have.
"Days" Mouse said handing him a mug of coffee.
"You really expect that Eve will make it though this?"
She didn't comment.
He took his coffee a slice of cold pepperoni pizza and another mug of coffee in the hand with his in to the office where the others had made them self comfy.
He handed Lee the other mug. Mouse followed him with a tray with coffee for the others, on top of a pizza box.
"What's this?" She asked looking at the lap tops on the desk.
"It's a live feed from down stairs" Connor said taking the coffee.
"When did you put the cameras down there?"
"After David drugged her, and you were having pizza"
They watched as Marcus and Tomas sat with one of them each, listening to what the crackling microphone was picking up.
"What did Lilly mean when she said 'This one kills cats’." asked Lee.
"It means just that. It seams like it was trying to conduct some sought of ritual." Mouse said taking a sip of the hot coffee.
David went to one of the lap tops and opened up files.
"She said that they had lived in Glasgow, Darlington and Salisbury"
"Yes. Why?” answered Darren
David moved the computer to show them articles that he had saved. All about mutilated pets that had been found in those areas.
"You don't really think they were killed by her do you?" Connor asked opening the pizza box.
"It's want ever is inside her that killed them. Not Lilly."
"I know your watching" the distorted voice of Eve came throw the speaker of the laptop . their eyes all turned to the screen. Eve sat up on the bed looking at the camera.
"Told you we should have hidden them better." Connor bit in to his slice of cold pizza.
Tomas and Mouse started a pray in hope.
“I cast you out, unclean spirit, along with every Satanic power of the enemy, every spectre from hell, and all your fell companions; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Begone and stay far from this creature of God. For it is He who commands you, He who flung you headlong from the heights of heaven into the depths of hell. It is He who commands you, He who once stilled the sea and the wind and the storm.”
A cackle laugh comes from eve as she lays on bed her skin dry, her lips cracked.
"That tickles.... All your doing is prolonging the inevitable" growling at them.
They continued “He who once stilled the sea and the wind and the storm. Hearken, therefore, and tremble in fear, Satan, you enemy of the faith, you foe of the human race, you begetter of death, you robber of life, you corrupter of justice, you root of all evil and vice”
She quietened then fell almost a sleep. Twitching, eyes moving beneath a her eye lids.
Their pray grow silent.
They looked at Lilly her hand and fingers began to twitch.
"I'm starting to believe that you were right that this might be a hopeless case..." Tomas said siting down on a stall. "Its jumping between them like a virus. If we are to save them it may take more then us three".
"The three of us is all we have... It's time that we started asking it what we need to. Find out how far this goes and what exactly they are up to."
Mouse left the room retuning with her bag. Knelt on the floor she pulled out a bottle of holly water and a syringe.
"What are your doing?" Tomas asked as she filled the syringe.
She got up and went and knelt beside Lilly's bed. Marcus and Tomas followed her, ot sure weather they should be stoping her or not.
"Anna. I know your there… Are you going to come out and talk to me?" Lilly's head turned her eyes opened with a smile.
"Hello his little church mouse"
Mouse held the syringe up for her to see, she stared at it.
"You know what's it this don't you" she watched as Lilly's eyes looked at watching it as she moved it.
"So how about I ask you some questions, and you tell me what we need to know."
"What do you want me to tell you?" A deep Metallic voice came from Lilly. "That it goes to highest point of the church? That Morning Star already sits on the throne." Mouse took hold of her forearm, placing the needle of the skin.
“Why don't I believe you?"
Lilly laughed, Mouse pushed the needle in the skin pushing the small amount of holly water in to a vain.
Lilly let out a high pitch scream. Her skin burned, a red tree like patten of her vain’s appeared and grow up her arm.
"What ever you do to try and remove me you risk braking her." She sat up on the bed and moved to to the end where Tomas stood. "If I break her can I keep her?" She lent forward as far as she could her arms stretched as far as the chains would let her.
Tomas began to prey as Marcus came back in to the room.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name;…”
He stood and watched her as she looked at the book on the floor that had partly been pushed under the bed, quietly whispering something to her self. He went and pulled the book out. She stopped and suddenly looked up. Her eyes almost seamed as though they were a deep dark red.
"What happened here, what did their parents do?"
She turned her head to look at Mouse standing beside her. Then started to giggle.
"A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can't we be more like that wise old bird" in the foreign metallic tone.
"I'm listening Anna tell me"
She laughed "The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard"
"In the name of the father the son and the holly ghost..." Tomas spoke loader. She begain to laugh loudly.
"The more he saw the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard... The mother the daughter and the holly ghost... More like the un holly ghost." Marcus stared in to her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of Lilly hidden in the dark. "He never told you. Did he?"
"Told me what?"
Smiling at him trying to leaning more forward.
"He'll tell you. I'll show him." Looking over to Tomas. Who was praying in a quite whisper.
"The more he saw the less he spoke"
“Deliver us from evil. Show me” He whispered to
A sharp ice cold pain short through Tomas's head as he was pulled back to past memory's.
The bight sun light pored in through the stand glass window at the end of the upstairs hall, the out stretched ornate patten unnatural stretched the whole length of the hall.
The sound of a baby's cry drew him to the open door next to the window.
Standing in the doorway looking in it nursery a woman sat holding pink folded baby cloths. Two small cribs sat side by side. Looking in to them, the two young small babies slept silently.
He headed towards the crying that came from the third crib sat against the wall away from the other two. Looking in. The crib was empty and unmade with a sheat of what looked like hand made paper with the print of of small hands and feet, and the name Angel Anna Stevens-Williams.
The rapped noise of heart beat grew loaded drowning out everything making him cover his ears and leave the room. The moment he left it fell silent.
A flickering light from the room opposite laminated the partly open door. Pushing it open, he reconsider the room, different to how it looked now but still it was the basement. A priest and their mother stood talking in Latin. Whispering at the same time, on a stall I between them stood the goblet.
Movement out of from the corner of his eye distracted him. A large ornate mirror stood on the floor. Looking at it it almost seamed as though there was movement from with in, like a black curtain blowing in the wind. A hand appeared pushed up against the mirror from with in made him jump and step back. Staring at it as the fingers moved slightly he reach out and paced his hand on glass as he did the mirror cracked from corner to corner.
"Get out. Don't let it in. Run Tomas."
A voice that seamed to echo from behind the broken mirror.
"Don't let it in. Tomas run run," Lilly said almost trying to catch her breath. Tomas grasping and fell to the floor, his nose bleeding. Being pulled out of the broken memory.
"Don't let it take you back there... It want let you go..." Looking back at Marcus tears in her eyes.
"He didn't know" the look on face of shock and confusion as though she had just been told or found out something.
"What didn't he know.?"
"There's a book I found it down here..." She looked at the camera in hope that they were watching "there's a book.... It's in dads office... In the cupboard... By the window... The key is on my set."
The three of them began looking for her keys to open the cupboard
"The books locked... You'll need the key" every word seamed as if it was a fight for her to say like someone had the hands round her throat and squeezing.
her eyes closed she began to laugh.
"What she did. Their father didn't know." Tomas sat on the floor, Darren beside him. Mouse left room to see if this book existed.
"The less he spoke the more he heard.
The more he saw the less he spoke"
Connor pulled the think dark brown leather covered book from he cupboard. Putting it on the desk, looking at the small lock on the side of it.
“Here." Lee shuffled throw the keys finding an old looking key amongst the clean cut ones. Fiddling with the almost rusted lock, it opened. Connor opened it and looked throw the first few pages.
"It's all in Latin. I think." Closing it and picking it up "I'll take it Marcus." As Mouse came in to the room.
"Let me see that" taking the book from him.
Marcus began to prey. “I command you, unclean spirit, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of God, by the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Lily moaned and growled "all the Kings horses and all the kind men will not stop me from taking one."
She fell back on the bed. Her back arced.
“By the coming of our Lord for judgment, that you tell me by some sign your name, and the day and hour of your departure!”
She fell silent breathing heavy and fast.
He looked through some of the pages, at the scribbled notes and underlined verses. Recognising the writing
"I think I know what they were doing."
Mouse reappearing in the door way with the book.
Darren helped Tomas up. She turned the book round to show them a page, marked by a red and gold ribbon.
"They were trying to summon a demon, Vocare Pulvere, Ceremony of ash. But they were trying to possess them before they were born. If they've been doing this since the 80s then we have a problem."
"From where I stand it looks like it didn't really work" said Darren looking over at them, sleeping.
"That may be because They had a sister... They were triplets." Tomas still holding a tissue to his nose. "From what I saw, she died at birth."
Marcus frowned closing the book and looking at them.
"Are you sure, it wasn't the demon playing with you?"
"They summoned one demon, they didn't realise that the mother was having triplets. Thats why it's attached to them both. And not quite integrated."
"The sister died minuts after she was born"
They turned to Lee standing in the door way, with papers. Which she handed to Darren.
"She was named Angle Anna."
"So we're dealing with a ghost?" Darren said with a sarcastic tone.
"Ghosts don't possess." Said Mouse.
"This is what I saw in the crib." Tomas took a paper from Darren with the baby's foot and hand print on.
Marcus stood staring at them. Eve had started to become restless and was moving. While Lilly seamed almost asleep.
Eve began laughing "The more he saw the less he spoke" she sat up eyes read from crying. "Hello pretty girl." Her tone had reverted to a childish manner. They looked at her looking at Lee. "Hello."
"Don't talk to it. It's not Eve." Marcus jumped in.
"I just wanted to say hello... Again" Lee looked confused.
"We've never meet."
"We have... Sought of. We went out to where Lilly works we danced.... Or maybe I was in Lilly...." Eve seamed confused and slightly agitated. "We danced and touched.. We kissed..... May be.. It wasn't with these eyes I looked...." A panic in Eves voice as it became a metallic growl like Lilly's had. "What did you do? Stop making me move. It hurts and confuses... It's all her fault." She jumped off the bed and tried to reach the curtain. But failed.
Lee stood silently shocked. Embarrassed, and red eyed.
"Come on." Darren put his arm round her turning her and leading her out of the room.
"I'm sorry Darren. I never meant" he stopped her .
"It doesn't mater... I don't care what happened..." Pretending that it and he didn't.
"Look, there's a pub and b and b back near the station. May be the thee of you should stay there until this is finished. "
"David and Connor will say no, I'm staying. And unlike them I'm staying to help my friend not for a grade."
She put her hand in to her pocket "These were at the back of the cupboard.”
Handing him five sets of rosary beads. taking them, looking at them, there was a moments silence,
"See if there is anything still in loft. Lilly said that their dad had books up there... Maybe it's best that you guys stay upstairs." He closed the door as he walked back in to where the others where leaving Lee alone with possible dead end chore.
"You won't win... Your not playing fair." Eve sat down on the floor. "Stop it" she shouted.
Tomas looked over at Eve. She sat on the bed looking as her arm, unsure of what she was whispering too herself he walked over
"St. Cecilia, pray for us St. Catherine, pray for us, St. Anastasia, pray for us”
He joined in.
Marcus watched as Tomas walked round the bed pulling back the curtain.
"St. Michael,”
“Pray for us” (Marcus)
“St. Gabriel,”
“Pray for us” (Marcus)
“St. Raphael”
Rolling on to her side so she could see Eve, Lilly continued the prayer with Tomas.
The demon continued to taunt Eve. She clutched her head in pain coving her ears.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it."
Lilly pulled her self up.
"Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, All holy angels and archangels,
All holy orders of blessed spirits. I command you, unclean spirit.. Show your self.”
Eve opened her eyes, and looked at her sister. Eve eyes un national deep metallic red. Smiling wickedly.
Lilly feel silent. (*)
The dimly lit shadow filled room of the basement, the shadows dancing as the light swung softly from side to side. A presents made Lilly turn around.
Sat on the bed was Eve cross legged in a meditated state. On the bed in front of her was another figure of a woman in shadow. She watched as it got up and turned to face her.
It was if she was looking into a mirror.
The dark red eyes almost seamed like shine. With messy short dread hair
"Leave her alone."
"Why?" The metallic childlike tone made Lilly feel as though her heart momentary missed beats.
"Because you don't belong here."
"But I'm here"
"Why us?"
"I was asked too.. But all got confusing... And I got lost." The creature became almost confused like a child. Frowning and looking down.
"It hurt, and screaming...."
"Leave us alone... Go back to pit from where you came."
"From whence you came. Didn't daddy teach you right." Holding her pointed finger up, Long black nails.
"Your not our sister."
"I may as well be." It held out out its arms. The same scars that Eve had on her arms, of crosses the scare on its wrist. The cut up knuckles and the tree like burn on Lilly's arm appeared on hers.
"Your not... Your a mistake."
Marcus, Tomas and Mouse watched as the two sisters sat face to face, almost trace like eyes white.
"What the hell, can't you do something?" Darren frustrated and their silence.
"This is up to Lilly" said Marcus taking the rosary beads from him. Looking at each. Taking one he put it in Lilly's hand, she closed her hand griping it tight. He put another in the hand of Eve, raping the beads around her wrist.
"Your unnatural... And your not really."
"If I'm not real then you and Eve" glancingly at her on the bed "must just be cold blooded killers"
"Shut up."
She smiled trying to aggravate her.
The distant sound of the others praying could be heard.
"I don't won't to." Playing with her hair.
"What did you mean by you were asked to?" Trying to side step her and get to Eve.
She pulled a face as she thought about the question, a bit like a child.
"Father Stevens and mum... After she found she was having a baby... But then it went wrong and... Broke."
"Broke?"
"Yes.. We became three."
"There is no we in this. It's Eve, me and Angel. Your just the leach. What ever they wanted you for, we don't want or need you." Lilly said.
"Well I'm not going anywhere" the tone was almost like the start of a childlike tantrum. All it was missing was the stamp of the foot.
Lilly listened to the distant echo of the pray. As she looked at at Eve, tears started to fall down her cheek.
“St. Anthony, disperser of devils, pray for us.
St.Anthony, - reviver of the dead, pray for us.
St. Anthony, tamer of tyrants, pray for us.
From the snares of the devil,”
She listened to the sound of Tomas, Marcus and Mouse’s voices echo in to the darkness, before joining in the prey.
Mouse watched as Lilly whispered with them.
“St. Anthony deliver us.
From thunder, lightning and storms
St. Anthony deliver us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.”
"Stop it!" Anna stepped forward trying to put her hand over Lilly's month, but she pushed her off and continued.
"Stop it! Shut up." She pushed her hard making her lose balance and fall over. Hitting the floor winded her as she tried to get her breath, Anna came and sat in on he stomach.
"I just want to play."
"No you don't. You just want to consume and destroy" trying to breath with the weight of her in top.
She stepped over her leaning forward and stroked her face.
"No I want to make you better" putting hand around her throat Anna squeezed. Making it even harder for her to breath. Making her dizzy and light headed.
Darren rushed to Lilly knelt in front of her as she grasped for breath he watched as bruises appeared on her neck as though she was being chocked.
"I command you...." Lilly struggled to speak "I don't believe in you." She whispered quietly,
Anna laughed as she let go of her,
"Don't believe... Isn't that what you told Marcus. 'I don't believe she's possessed. She needs medical help not a priest' or was that me using you as a puppet." Anna frowned trying to remember. "That was me… I'm sure of it... Stop confusing me." Anna got up and covering her ears.
"Why won't they stop?" shouting at the echoes of Marcus Tomas and Mouse.
"Because they refuse to let you have us. And so do I.” Lilly said getting up. She swung a punch at Anna, punching right though her, as she turned in to a black smoke and vanished. Lilly stood trying to keep her balance feeling dizzy.
Before going to the bed where Eve sat.
"Four angles round my head, four angles round bed. Four angles round my head, four angles round bed." She kept repeating rocking slightly back and forth.
"Eve?" Lilly took her hands.
"Four angles, four angles." Opening her eyes she tried to pull away.
"It's ok it's me. It's me. You have to wake wake up. You can't let her win, you have to fight her."
"But she hurts." She warped her arms around her head as shadows cast by nothing moved around them.
"No more shadows. No more shadows" she whispered to herself. "Four angles round my head. Four angles guard my bed, Four angles round my head"
"Four angles?" Lilly repeated. Remembering.
"If I break her can I keep her" The metallic child like tone came from the shadow figure from behind Eve.
“No!… Matthew Mark Luke and John" the shadow of a hand reached over its solid fingers touched Lilly's face. Making her fall silent. fingers beneath her chin making her look up.
"What about Tomas."
"Stay away."
“But he has so much potential, I could show him so much more. He's like a beacon... He's fascinating. The things he could see, so much then We could ever. I want to feel that strength.”
“You never will… Guard the bed that I lie on: Four corners to my bed, Four angels round my head, One to watch and one to pray”
“Shut up.” Anna screamed reaching out grabbing Lilly's head.
Lilly screamed out, the whole room seamed to shake. As the others continued to prey.
“We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirit.
- In the name of God!
God commands you! Deliver this servant of yours from unclean spirits!”
"What the fuck" Conner steadied his self on one of the wooden beams in the loft dropping the book he was reading from.
Darren still knelt on the floor in front of Lilly felt powerless, watched as her nose began to bleed.
And Eve sat on the bed with her arms over her head rocking, whispering over and over,
"Four corners to my bed. Four angles round my head. One to watch, one to pray."
Lilly joined in with the others.
“I command you, unclean spirit, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of God, by the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the coming of our Lord for judgment, and the day and hour of your departure! I command you unclean spirit,
Yield to God! - Yield to God! - Yield to God!
They both fell silent. And the room stopped shaking.
The sound of cracking glass, like nails on a black board, brought the shaking to a stop,
Looking at the broken dusty pains of glass in the window, Lee noticed movement out side. "There's some one out side." The three of them looked down towards the end of the drive where a parked car sat. Two figures wounded the drive. One stopped and looked up at the window directly as them. They both then headed back to the car.
Both of them sat on their beds, Darren cleaned the blood from Lilly’s nose. A silent smile, with sad tired eyes.
Marcus sat beside Eve. Watching as she quickly drunk the glass of water.
He took the keys from his pocket handing one of the sets to Tomas who went over to Lilly and Darren.
Marcus held her hand before slipping the key in to the pad lock.
"Don't do it" Eve whispered, looking up at him, then over to Tomas how had removed the first wrist restraint.
"Tomas don’t!" He shouted. Lilly smiled at him, before grabbing Tomas by the throat. With her free hand. Marcus jumped up, breaking the glass that he had stood on the floor. Him and Mouse grabbed her, pushing her down to the bed. She hissed and growled.
“Yield to God! Yield to God! Yield to God! Yield to God!
Son of the morning, banished from grace, you are forgiven.
Son of the morning, profane thing, ashes on the earth, you are redeemed.
Outcast, fallen angel,
Yield to God! Yield to God! Yield”
Tomas spoke loudly.
As mouse held down her legs and Marcus her arms, Darren put back the restraint. As mouse shortened the chains with caribiner clips that were already attached to the bed.
She began laughing. "And you all thought you had won" with a tiredness in her voice.
“The blood of Christ redeems you.
The mercy of Christ absolves you.
The power of Christ compels you!
The power of Christ compels you! It's He who casts you out,
- from whose sight nothing is hidden.
It is He who repels you, to whose might all things are subject.
It's He who expels you.
Yield to God! Yield to God”
She struggled and growled then fell silent.
Darren sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. He took his watch off looking at his arm and the deep scratches she had inflicted in the struggle.
"We need to clean you up." Marcus looking at the scratches on Tomas neck.
Every picture frame and glass pain in the then Windows had cracked from side to side.
The early morning sun cast a scattered reflection of light across the living room floor as it its rays hit the mirror that was shattered yet still in place.
Connor, Lee and David stood looking at the door in the room of the basement, at the black green stains that had appeared around it.
"That wasn't there yesterday, was it?" Asked Lee.
"No it wasn't." David taking a picture of it. "It's getting stronger isn't it? Do you think they stand a chance?"
"Lilly's strong."
The door opened and they were greeted by Tomas and Marcus.
"What happened?" Asked Lee going to Tomas looking at the scratches.
"It tricked us" walking past them and heading upstairs.
Sat in the kitchen Marcus cleaned the cuts on Tomas neck.
"We have to do something more if we are to help them." Tomas flinching as Marcus cleared the cuts.
"Your not doing it. Your not letting it in."
"I never said anything about doing that again... But you saw Lilly, if she can let it in may be Eve can. May be we can drive it out that way."
"No that could just make it worse. And we could lose both of them."
"What if I helped?"
"No. You can't do that. Besides they have spent their lives with this thing jumping between then. That's the only reason Lilly managed to do what she did.”
"I'm not so sure about that" Connor putting the several books that he was holding on the table, selecting one and opening it where he had makes it with its ribbon.
"We found a load of journals in boxes hidden in loft, it looked like they are mostly Lilly and Eves Dads… Here." He began reading from the journal.
"There is nothing stronger in this world that I know of then the human sole. It's resilience, and strength to over come anything. To fight for it's own existence over anything.
But now I am starting to think that there is something stronger. I've never come across anything like this. It's presents is broken, scattered, in a way it's connection to the host is unfixed.
The host seams to be strong enough to suppress it. To take control for long periods of time. Yet is then taken over at what I though was random intervals but now I have come to realised it was not so random.
It has hid its self from me for years behind a priest and my own wife and the fear of my daughter.
It hid it's self so well from someone who I know may as well be the hand God.
I didn't realise how strong willed Lilith has become. She tried to help her sister with out my knowledge, and I now fear she has opened herself up to this thing.
If I call him back now maybe we might stand a chance of helping my baby girls. "
"Four corners to my bed. Four angles round my head" Lilly kept whispering to her self as she laid tied to the bed. Eve had laid down almost seaming a sleep.
Darren sat on the floor leaning on the wall by Lilly's bed.
Mouse quietly read the lords prey. Darren listen with his eyes closed, tied
“Our Father
who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth
As it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation.”
“But deliver us from evil.” the last line said by Mouse and Darren
Marcus and Tomas came back in. Marcus went straight to Lilly's bed and knelt beside it with the journal in hand.
"Lilly." Marcus watched as she stared at nothing on the celling.
"Lilith. I need to know what happens after I left here years ago?” Placing the book on the bed, she turned her head to look at it and then to him. Tears run down her face.
"Lilith... Did you try to exercise the demon"
"There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!" Eve mumbled from her bed."
"I"m sorry I thought I could control it."
"She tried to help... But it all went wrong" Eve muttered quietly, an exhausted sound in her metallic gravel toned voice.
"Exorcised? Marcus how did you know their father?" Mouse looking over his shoulder at the book. Before picking up the bible that she had picked up from the flat in London, dropping it on the bed beside him.
Eve started to giggle, non of them responded to her.
“Hasn't he told you?" still no one looked at her. Or responded "Daddy gave up every thing to be with her. And what did she go and do..." She started cough as she did she coughed up blood. Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her dress.
"She sold her child to the devil." Knelling on the bed, Smiling at them as they as began to pay attention to her.
"Do you want to tell them. Or can I?... Daddy was a priest. Like he was."
"What's she on about.?" Darren asked Marcus, frowning, and rubbing the scratches on his arm.
"It means just that pretty boy."
Lilly stared to pull at the chains that held her. Marcus un done one of clips so she could move. Wiping the tears from her face.
"Marcus lost his collar. Pulled a gun on his friend. Like he did to his mother. But that time he didn't squeeze." Eve said smiling at them,
"Do you know where father Bennett is know?" She giggled, she came over tired, she laid herself down on the bed, still laughing to herself. “He knows whats going on, better then you think he dose”
"Why didn't you say you were no longer a priest?" Darren whisper to Marcus, how was still sitting beside Lilly.
"Collar or not he's still a Exorcist." Lilly responded. Darren took Marcus by the arm pulling him up and away from the girls.
"What else haven't I been told? What about Tomas. Are you next going to tell me he's some kind of physic?"
Marcus walked away out of the room. Turning and waited for Darren and the others to join him in the other room.
"This whole situation is getting out of hand." Darren said angrily as mouse closed the door behind them. "Why are you even here your not even a priest, what right do you have to even be conducting this.... This exosisum."
"It's a mater of faith and training. If he's a priest then it's a bonus"
"Shut the fuck up David" snapping at him. "This is getting out of hand they both need medical attention... What ever history you have with the girls is make this worse." (*)
“No offence but I think they were broken long before this.” Connor said siting on the stairs with Lee beside him and David on the steps in front. He picked up a book from behind him.
“It looks like one of Eves journals”
“I thought Lilly said all of her journals were at their flat in the many boxes?” Tomas taking the book, from him.
“it was in the loft between two beams.” Lee said. “The entries are all over the place. Talks about her imaginary friend growing up, and…” Lee went silent.
“It reads as if the Priest and their mother were trying to make this thing… stick.” Connor continued.
“Integrate.” Mouse correcting him.
“It looks like… Well the Priest, Father Stevens, It reads as if he emotionally black mailing her. That he would hurt Lilly if she didn't let it in… And it reads as if…”
“As Father Stevens was sleeping with Eve.” David finished Connors, unfinished sentence.
This made Darren angry and anxiety rubbing his face and neck.
"I don't want think about what they put them through" Lee lent on Connor.
"No wonder she has a fear of priests."
"How do we know that you weren't in on it. And your just here to finish what ever fucked up job they stared. How do I know for sure that their father was not involved." Stepping towards Marcus accusing him in a threatening manner made Marcus grabbed him by the top of shirt. Pushing him up against the wall. Full of rage, wanting to hurt him.
Mouse and Tomas tried to pull them apart.
"What ever that man was doing to them, I knew nothing about. If I knew what was going on I would have stopped it." He pushed Tomas off of him with on hand, still holding Darren against the wall. "Their father would have never done anything to harm them. Your the one with an obsession with the exorcisms, how do we know your not trying to make sure one of them is integrated? Date one of them and then chose which one is easiest for the demon to take."
"Your out of mind. You know that.. You've spent so much time dealing with this dark shit you have forgotten about the real world."
"You always were Daddy's little favourite... The two of you playing in the garden planting things. Teaching you read. Draw." Eve sat on the bed staring at Lilly.
"No... He taught Eve and me to read, draw, swim. Just not you Anna."
Looking over at Eve, exhausted from this thing using her. bruises on her arms and face had appeared from no were.
Eve shock head then rubbed her temples, flash backs of their there child hood of Eve, Lilly and their father playing in the garden. The there of them on the sofa reading. Made her dizzy, disorientated.
"Stop it. Stop it Eve." The metallic toned voice speaking to its self...
"You stop it.... If it wasn't for you then they would still be alive."
With her free hand Lilly picked up her fathers hard cover journal that had been left on the bed and throw it at Eve hitting her on the head.
"Owwww. What you do that for?" Eve cried Holding her head. "All your doing is hurting her." She began to laugh loudly
Mouse pushed her way between them facing Marcus.
"Both of you need to calm down. And You need step back from this Marcus. It's gone to far I don't know no how long we can go on with out hurting them. Maybe Tomas could"
"No" cutting her off mid sentence "Lilly says this thing has an obsession with him we can't risk anything happening to him."
"I wasn't..."
She was cut off by shouting and growling coming from the next room.
The atmosphere in the room that they were all in changed, tense and heavy. The lights flickered and went out sending them in to darkness. The only light came from the living room windows which cast a shadow of light down the stairs.
With one touch and a candle each all with a candle they stood out side. They could hear the sound of Lilly and Eve talking charting, Mouse pushed the door open, shining the touch towards the beds. Both sat on their beds facing each other. Lilly had managed to break the catch that had restrained the chain.
"St. Michael, Pray for us. St. Gabriel, Pray for us.” The quite whisper of the Lilly and Eves voice seamed to echo around the room
"St. Raphael,Pray for us.
All holy angels and archangels, Pray for us.
All holy orders of blessed spirits, Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, Pray for us.
St. Joseph, Pray for us.
All holy patriarchs and prophets, Pray for us.
St. Peter, Pray for us.
St. Paul, Pray for us.
St. Andrew, Pray for us.
St. James, Pray for us.
St. John, Pray for us. "
Quietly. The others stood at the door before splitting up. Lee David and Connor set and lit candles that they had found around the house.
The others stood and watched. Strange movement as if something was moving beneath their skin. Tomas Mouse and Darren started with a sense of disbelief at what they saw.
Marcus on the other hand did not seam shocked or dismayed by the alien sight.
"What the hell?" Darren looking at the movements in Lilly's arms.
"I think you mean, what out of hell is that" answered Mouse holding the touch close to Eves arm. Both the girls eyes red and transfixed on each other.
"Maybe we can un board some of the Windows. At least there will be more light." Suggested Connor keeping his distance.
"May be not incase who every we saw early comes back."
Lee light another candle.
"What was that?" Asked Mouse. Pointing the torch at them.
"The was a car packed at the end of the drive. Some one was walking around."
"Did get a good look at them?"
"One was in the car the other was in a suit. I didn't see his face" answer Lee.
Looking back at the girls the three of them looked at the girls and each other wounding weather they still stood a chance.
Sat on the porch at the front of the house. The sun setting on the left Marcus watched quietly with a glass and the bottle of whisky
"I wouldn't have called you here if I didn't think I needed your help"
"I know that, but I can't help if she won't let me."
"That hasn't stopped you in the past" James taking a sip of the whisky.
"That was different."
"I know. And if you hadn't the child would died. I'm sorry to bring you out here. Waisting your time."
"It's ok, I know you wouldn't have with out good cause. And from what I've observed I can't help... But she dose need help, just not what Treasa is giving her."
"You try telling that to her."
James started on to his glass, as her gently moved the brown red gold liquid round with in.
"All we seam to do this days is fight about her. She hated it that Lilith went off to university, she kept trying to stop her... Seams like she got her way, she came home three weeks ago, I don't think she will go back.... I wish she would"
"Is everything alright between you and Treasa?"
James shock his head. "Things haven't alright for years. She spends more time with Father Stevens then me. The more involved she gets with the church the less I want to be. And part of me wishes I never left. But Lilly and Eve they mean more to me then anything. I'd do anything for them. That's why I can't leave ."
"Their still the same. Mouse is convinced that there is nothing else we can do." Tomas sat down beside Marcus,
"And what do you think.?" Closing his friends journal. Downing the last bit of whiskey in the glass.
"I'm inclined to agree with her. It's tiring them both out mentally and their body's, their struggling. Lilly I think more so" Marcus pored himself another drink. Refusing to except that they may not be able to save them.
"We may stand a chance of save one. But not both." Tomas said taking a sip of water.
"No, we have to save both. Or we lose both."
"What happened here?"
Marcus took Tomas glass of water, emptying it on the ground. Refilling it with whiskey. looking at the journal entry from days after he had left.
"Before I arrived. It seams that Lilly tried to perform an exorcism. But she opened a door that meant that this thing started to jump between them. I think that's why I didn't see it... It was in the wrong the girl. And after I went I think she might have tried again. Their father seams to have thought she could control it some some how... "
"Then let me help. If her father thought she was strong enough to control it then maybe between the two of us we can drive it out"
"I can't ask you to do that. To let It in goes agents every teaching and training of an exorcist.” responded Marcus.
A sudden tremor came though the ground. The whiskey bottle that sat between them shattered, spiking the small amount of drink over the floor and Marcus's thigh.
"I take it their now awake" Marcus looking back at the front door.
Eve sat at the head end of the bed, arms wrapped around Her knees. While Lilly knelt on her bed watching Eve, smiling intimidatingly.
"Why don't you three just give up.. And leave me alone with my sisters." The weakening metallic growl of Anna's came form Lilly.
"Stop saying that. Your not our sister." Eve called out. It was as if she had become a little more wilful and assertive. With more of a haterid to wards this thing called that had occupied such a huge piece of her life.
"Is Daddy's little Fairy getting all worked up... I thought we were friends?"
Eve shock her head as she stared to cry a gain.
"Leave her alone." Darren said standing behind the others.
"How sweet getting all protective over the her... You've thought about her haven't you? You've imagined what it would be like with the two of us haven't you. Both of us ceressing you." Smile at him,
"No never."
"Remember that's not Lilly talking" Tomas said to him seeing in that he was becoming restless and angry.
"No.... Maybe it was was Lilly then. Fantasying and wanting to please you."
"I know Lilith. And that's not her."
"Really. You know you don't satisfy her, that she's had better then you. She's a little slut really."
"That's enough." Mouse said firmly.
"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to him." Cocking her head to one side as looked back at Darren reaching out her arm towards him, he was pushed back against the wall and raised up off the floor at least two feat by a the invisible force of the demons will.
"Put him down" commanded Marcus as Tomas joined Mouse preying. (*)
“Your words will be acquitted! Your words will be condemned! In the name of God! We drive you from us! Whoever you may be! Unclean spirits! Whoever you may be! Unclean spirits! We drive you from us! Unclean spirits!
Lilly growled as they preyed, shaking her head as she watched Darren struggled in shook as he hung in the air. His chest feeling as if he was under water, being crushed.
Marcus called out loudly above the others “In the name of God! - We pray!”
“In the name of God the Father Everlasting and all of His saints, I order you to release this servant of god” Mouse stepped in between Lilly's gaze and Darren. For a split second she thought that she saw a third red iris of a eye in Lilly’s.
Darren fell to the floor, Lilly gasped along breath.
“I’m sorry, I sorry.” looking at Darren on the floor with David and Lee helping him.
“I cant do this… She hurts so much.” looking at Marcus, with blood short eyes that were staring to yellow. She dropped to bed on all fours closing her eyes tight. he went over to her and knelt beside the bed.
“You have to hold on sweet heart, you can do this. Both you can. you have to stay strong darling” he placed his hand on her back to cunfort her.
“Get off her.” she growled moving away sharply away form him.
“Why can’t you just stop? you can’t help both of them.” She shock her head as if to get something out of it.
"She can't do this much more.... She's getting weaker." Lilly brook through. As she begun scratching at the
Crosses behind her ears.
With all the attention on Darren and Lilly everyone had partly forgotten about Eve, who was now siting in the middle of he bed with a blooded piece of broken glass in her hand.
“You cant keep this up of ever Anna” Anna said, Tomas looked over at her, she had started to cut her arms, reopening the scared crosses.
Lilly growled and grond looking at Eve through her hair that had fallen over her face. the look in her eyes at the sight of blood seamed as if it made her hungry and restless.
“You don’t want her.”
“Eve don’t do it.”
“Come on then you said you wanted to play.” Tossing the piece of glass to the floor.
“Eve!” Tomas shouted. Lilly started to laugh then almost seamed to go in to fit, as Eve fell back on to the bed aching her back with a screams. Which turned in to laughter.
"There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;" muttered Eve with giggle.
"What the hell is with this thing and nurse rhymes." Asked David as he and Connor helped Darren up.
Marcus felt Lilly's pulse. Shallow but fast.
"Is she ok?" Asked Darren refusing to take a bottle of water from Lee.
Marcus opened on of her eyes. Rolled back so he could only see the yellowing white. Letting her eye close he could see her eyes moving, as though she was in REM sleep.
"She's just sleeping... A bit like sleeping beauty." Giggled Eve. A tidiness seamed to fall upon her.
"You won't wake her. I not let you."
"You will let them go." Marcus said standing in from to her. Eve stood up on the bed.
"No... I break her I keep her." Biting the skin around her nails.
"You can't have both of them and we want let you have either of them." Tomas said stepping so he was standing beside Marcus.
Eve began to laugh then started to cough. Looking in to her hand with blood in it she swayed slightly while standing.
The darkness brought with it a still cram of quietness like after a fresh snow fall.
Lilly stood in front of a door. The same door that was the front door of the house. A bright light shone through the panels of stain glass, throwing coloured Ray's on to her. Edge of the door high lighted by a clear white light. Which fell on the ground in casing the colour fragments and Lilly.
She reached out. Heart racing. Placing her hand on the door, she froze for a second, knowing what she would find.
She pushed the door open and stepped though.
As the door closed behind her the place became illuminated by the light through the coloured window
The colours bounced around hit each mirror that stood in front of her. Creating a kaleidoscope of colour.
"Shit" she quietly said to her self. Before heading off in to a maze of mirrors.
"Can't? I will... Even daddy knew that he might have to lose one of his baby girls. Even she knows that you will only be able to save one… If that." Looking and smiling at Mouse.
"What you do when both of them are lost? Do what you do to Sister Deloraus. Tie us up to get knowledge. Then kill us?"
Marcus looked over at Mouse, wondering what it was on about
"That's what she did. And father Bennett helped."
"Dolorus was integrated. Bennett thought he could save her but there was nothing that could be done. We done what we had to do."
"So you killed her."
"Yes. There was nothing left of her but a tortured, lost sole and decaying body. She would have done the same if it had been any of us."
"Oranges and lemons, said the bells of St Clements" the echoing sound of Anna's voice followed by a laugh bounced off mirrors, making Lilly spine to see if she was there. Movement of shadows she saw out the corner of her eye in each every mirror, began to make her anxious and made her head spin and hurt with out even moving.
"You owe me five farthings said the bells of St Martins. When will you pay me said the bells of old Bailey."
Lilly stood in front of one of mirrors that she had seen a shadow move, or was it just her own?
"When will you pay me said me." A dark shadow formed in mirror then turned back in to the the image of Lilly but with red eyes. It's movements differ form her's.
It's black stained teeth smiled at her and laughed "Why do you think that you can stop me this time. You couldn't then."
"Because this time I'm not alone. I've three exorcists behind me. And one of them I know your scared shitless of"
"Still don't mean your gunna win. Just give in. The longer you refuse the worse it will be for Eve."
"That's exactly what you've been telling her. Give in or I'll hurt Lilly.” She stepped closer to the mirror "well tuff shit sister your not getting what you want. I’m going to put you back where you came from. "
It laughed at her as it moved back deep in to the mirror, a shadowy figure in the distance "fine but not with out one of you or him"
The mirror began to fill with a black red smoke cloud that rushed to the glass front. Lilly stepped back. The thud of two hands on the glass left hand prints on the inside of the mirror, followed by the scratching sound as a crack started to form across the face of the mirror before it suddenly broke.
"You won't do that to us, will you Marcus? Don't let her hurt us please Tomas," Eve begged. As she sat on the bed. Her arm that she had cut slightly shook.
Darren still feeling shaken picked up a bandage form mouses back pack and went over to Eve.
Marcus grabbed his arm stopping him from getting close.
The fearful look left her face as she smiled.
"Nearly got you." She said with a giggle... They watched as she began to sway again before passing out and falling partly off the bed.
The force from behind the mirror lifted and through Lilly a distance away from the mirror with shards of glass hitting and cutting her. Falling down on the ground hitting her head.
The red black smoke spun around with a laughter that emanated from it.
Laying on the ground she watched as a face appeared in the smoke. Suddenly it's direction changed and came down hitting Lilly in the stomach and chest before rising again
As Darren and Marcus moved Eve back on to the bed. A painful gasp came form Lilly. Bruises began to show on her skin. Each breath seamed to a struggle, before she took a long deep breath, and her breathing become normal.
Eve screamed. Which made the room shack and all the candles go out.
Lilly laid still trying to focus on something other then the pain in her stomach and chest. Watching the controlled storm spin around above her, making her dizzy.
She glassed over at the mirrors to one side of her. An endless reflection fading in to grey dark abyss, of her laying on the floor. Yet there was no reflection of the thing that was swarming above.
Taking a deep breath. She pulled her self up and sat crossed legend on the floor.
Tomas watched as Lilly once again whispered the prey to exorcise the entity, that had haunted them for so long.
“Your words will be acquitted! Your words will be condemned! - In the name of God! - We drive you from us!”
He knelt down beside the bed and joined her.
“Whoever you may be! Unclean spirits! Whoever you may be! - Unclean spirits! - We drive you from us! Unclean spirits! In the name of God! - We pray!”
Lilly stared at the the cloud above that seamed to move in pain, If at all and cloud to fell such a thing.
“In the name of God the Father Everlasting and all of His saints, I order you to show yourself and make your presence known!”
Lilly kept repeating she repeated the same lines over and over, till she seamed to shout them “I order you to show yourself and make your presence known! I order you to show yourself and make your presence known!”
the entity whaled as it came down to ground level a and surrounded her, she could hear the voice of the others like a distance distorted echo. preying along with her
Slowly the clouds of smoke began to settle reforming in to the figure of Anna.
Lilly stood.
“Heavily brake free from conchas Son of the morning, banished from grace. Profane thing, ashes on the earth. You are relieved, outcast. Fallen angel,”
Stepping towards her, “you are loved”Lilly pushed her hard.
Stumbling backwards, falling back in to a mirror as though it was water. Laughing at her Anna walked away, going from mirror to mirror in the maze.
Lilly was starting to feel tired, drained of energy. Standing bent over with her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths, ringing her bearings in her own mind.
"Ok.... Where's that bitch." Lilly said out load to herself before heading in deeper through corridors of mirrors.
"Help her. Please." The sound of Eve's tired voice.
"Hay there sweet heart." Marcus placed his hand on her head and gently stroked her hair.
"Lilly can’t get rid of her on her own.... She's trying but she keeps hiding. And I don't know which one is really her. Too many"
"To many of what?" Asked Marcus softly
"Anna she likes to play hide and seek. She hides in the mirrors." Eve said slowly each breath seamed tiering.
"You have to be strong darling. Don't let it win. Can you do that for me?" Taking her hand. as she squeezed his with a small smile she fell unconscious.
"If there is something that any of you can do you to help you have to do to. And preferable not what Mouse done." said Darren
Marcus looked over at Tomas how was sat beside Lilly.
"Maybe"
"You can't ask him to that?" Mouse said as Marcus got up. Torn between his training and want and need to help his friends children.
Placing his hand on Tomas's shoulder, he looked up at his friend.
The two of them stood in the next room out of sight of the others.
"I can't have you putting yourself at risk." Said Marcus
"From what their father wrote Lilly can partly control this demon, It'll just be helping her and Eve to destroy it."
"This thing is fascinated by you, I can’t let you do it."
"Then what do you suggest we do... Wait a little longer until it's to late. We have to do something because your not going to be able to what you did to Andy to these two."
Marcus sat on the stairs. He rubbed the scar on his four arm. Stretch his fingers, the muscles felt tight and ached. "That was a completely different situation."
"What was?" Asked Mouse joining them. Leaving the door open.
"Marcus thinks that by letting this thing in that we be able to defeat it and save them both."
"You can't do. Why would you even suggest he do that?"
"He's not suggesting I do it... He wants to it"
"Are you insane, have you lost your mind?” Marcus got up. "I can't just sit and watch it consume them. I have to do something"
“But it was alright for you to leave me to be consumed?” Mouse side quietly to him.
“I did’t leave you on your own. I left you with people that could help.”
“And what you couldn’t? Whats to say you can’t now?”
Marcus started in to her eyes for a moment, them full of question disappointment and love. With out a word he walked pass her and back in to the room with the others. (*)
“Four corners to my bed, Four angels round my head, One to watch and one to pray, And two to bear my soul away.” Quietly whispered Eve
“Thats all she keeps repeating. Over and over” Darren said placing a cold wet cloth on Eves forehead.”"Their father used it when he used it when he came across a child that was possessed" picking up the rosary beads from a small table.
"You said nothing about him being an exorcist."
"We trained to together, but he rarely conducting them. He'd always call upon some else's to help. He always seamed to doubted his ability" Wapping the beads around his wrist and fist holding on to them.
"You don't have to do this. There's other ways. Other things we can do" Tomas said standing beside him looking down at Eve bruised skin dry cracked lips. Tears fell from her closed eyes rolling down the sides of her face, beside her ears and in to her hair.
"Like what? Every thing so far just makes this thing jump from one to the other. We're not wining this so far."
"Bargaining with won't either"
The mirrored walls of this ends maze, the quietness that seamed to bring made the atmosphere heavy, and the occasional giggle that Anna let out echoed off the glass.
"Four angels round my head, One to watch and one to pray, And two to bear my soul away.” Whispered Eve wondering thought the a darkened room, coloured light bouncing off mirrors. She played with hair twisting it to try and comfort her self.
"Thank you" a whispered voice from an unlit corner. Made her heart race even more.
"GO AWAY!" She shouted in to the dark corner. As she started deep in to corner the dark shadows began to move.
Full of anxiety and fear she stepped back words, then turned to run but was stopped by Anna standing in front of her.
Eve's scream vibrated through the air making Lilly stop, her whole head felt as though it had been plunged in to a bucket of ice cold water. Steadying herself on one of the mirrors, her head spun and her eye sight became distorted and almost distant as if she was looking through tissue tube.
Looking at the mirror where her hand rested, her eye sight starting to come back in to focus the faded image of Anna emerged.
"Stop fighting. Your growing to tied to keep this going" Lilly tried to stand up straight without feeling dizzy and swaying.
"But I owe you a thank you" the metallic toned voice crackling like on old LP.
"Why?"
"For helping."
The shallow souls of Marcus's voice preying in the distance flowed throw the air.
"We're not helping you" the sharp ice cold pain short once more through her head, and down her neck, as Anna laughed.
"If I break you can I keep you?" Watching Lilly struggle to stay standing from the pain that filled her head.
"No, never" Lilly struggle to speak through the pain.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"
Standing up straight trying to focus her site on her,
"NEVER" her shout echoed shaking the mirror before it and and all the those behind it shattered. Creating a Leading through to a dark void. Looking at the floor covered in shards of glass, she bent down picking up a large piece, standing her head spun with pain again. A remixed of what had happened years before.
Walking across the broken glass path, the sound reminded her of walking a cross a pebble beach. Stepping through each frame she looked down at the skated fragments, each time she saw the reflection of Anna laughing up at her.
As she reached the frame. She once again felt the shooting ice cold pain running through her head, with her free had she reached out and grabbed the fame to steady herself to step throw. A price of broken glass that was still in the frame sliced her hand, making her let go of the frame, losing her balance and falling over.
As Lilly came round, her eyes adjusting to the strange light. Her head feeling disorientated as if under water.
Looking to the large shard of glass still in her hand, her limbs feeling cold, she grasped it, and thrusted it to the trout of the figure kneeling over her.
“Its ok Lilly. Its me.. its ok sweet heart” Marcus’s calming voice braking through the haze of darkness and out of focus shape and colour.
"What are doing?" Still holding the sharp piece of glass to to Marcus neck.
"Finding a way to help you both."
Her hand dropped from holding the shard to this throat, pulling her self up so she was sitting on the floor.
"You shouldn't be here... This is everything that you know not to do."
Standing he held out his hand. Moving the blade to the cut left hand she took his, to help her up.
As she stood, her heard once more spun, a disorientating head rush forcing her to concentrate on not passing out.
"What's with all the mirrors?" Putting his arm around her to steady her.
"When We were little and and Eve started having nightmares dad put a mirror in her room and gave her hand mirror. Told her that they would scare away all the monsters even the ones under the bed." Staring over at were Eve stood. Her eyes tightly closed whispering to her self as the black red smoke surrounded her from the waist down.
Lilly headed towards her, struggling slightly.
"Four angels round my head, One to watch and one to pray, And two to bear my soul away.” They heard the whispered words of Eve get slightly loader.
"And the prey?"
She smiled slightly to her her self at a memory.
"Matthew mark Luke and John, Guard the bed that I lay on: Four corners to my bed. Four angles round my head
One to watch, one to pray. And two to bear my sole away" the voice of a man came from the inside of make shift castle made of dining table chairs and the sofa. Silhouette of two children and man created by a lamp inside. "It will keep you safe, scare away the monsters." Smiling at his girls dressed in princess dress, no older then 7. "I'll hear and I come to help."
"Just a silly rhyme that dad tough us" shaking her head in hope to clear it. Her eyes stuck on Eve.
Some thing else caught her eye, and she walked at a distance around Eve.
"What the hell are doing?" Marcus angry went to Tomas who was knelt on one knee in prey, pulling him to his feet.
"I couldn't let you do this aloud"
"Your an idiot both of you.” Lilly moving towards them "Anna's dangerous your not safe here, ether of you” she came over dizzy and cold, taking deep slow breaths to clear her head.
“your father wrote in his journal that he thought that you could control it. Did he try to exorcise it after Marcus left?” asked Tomas, placing his hand on her arm to steady her.
“What? No” opening her eyes “He wanted to, he tried but mum stopped it.” she flinched and turned suddenly. the shock of Anna’s cold hand touching her arm and seeing her standing behind her. Smiling.
Looking towards Eve who had her hands covering her eyes, Anna stepped in the way of her gaze.
“All of you are so sure that you can beet me.” looking towards the men, smiling at Tomas.
“I’m pleased your here, I wasn't sure if you you had got my message.
“What message?” Asked Tomas, a little confused and unsure of what this demon meant.
“Well not you directly.” smiling at Marcus, who frowned.
“And who did you use?”
“A bit of both… Eve and me went and go the file, but then she had.. Well shale we say a stroke of coincidence and had one of her little episodes.” Her wide eyes, smile of mischief and childish look joy in the torment of the girls.
“And then you and me my sweet sent it.” stroking her cheek then taking her left hand. stroking her fingers over the cuts on her knuckle from punching the mirror. Lilly pulled away form her.
“All that trouble just to get me here. I feel a horned. But why”
“I don't care about you. it was him I want to get here.” looking at Tomas.
“Why did you what me here? And why did you think that I would come?”
“Because we new he would come. Especial when he found out he failed his best friend’s children. And it was inevitable that he would bring you with him, or at least follow him.” She stood in front of him smiling. “your loyalty and friendship to each other is predictable.” he backed away as she reached to touch his cheek.
“And why do you want me here?”
Her eyes winded. “Your a vessel of power. And we like that.”
Lilly griped the shard of mirror in her hand till she felt it cutting in to her hand, and with one energetic strike she plunged it in to the back of Anna. who turned in to her red smoke form and fell to the floor, dissipating and vanishing. Dropping the mirror fragment Lilly stared at the cut it had left and small black red drops of blood that fell to the floor almost in slow motion, as they hit the floor then stretched back up the fell down still in a perfect circle.
Tomas placed his hands on the top of her arms. “You have to go.” she whispered.
“Four corners to my bed. Four angels round my head, Four corners to my bed. Four angels round my head,” Eve continued to whisper to herself. suddenly stoping as Marcus touched her hands to move them from her face.
She frowned with red blood short eyes and dark tied circles beneath.
“What are you doing?” pulling away.
“I had to do something”
She looked around almost to find her bearings in her own head. stoping when she saw Lilly and Tomas.
“You have to go. You can’t be here.” Eve annoyed and angry.
“You have to fight sweet heart, You cant let her win”
“trying… but it hurts” she closed her eyes tight, pushing her hands across her temples and in to her hair.
The whispered prey from Mouse could be distantly heard.
“Lilly if your father was right and you can control this thing some how. We can help you defeat it.” Tomas placing is hands on the top of the arms, he could feel her shaking
“I cant…. she’ll get in”
“We wont let her.”
She looked at Tomas eyes, looked for the reassurance and strength she need.
"If I let her, I can find out what you need to know"
"What?"
"I can find out what Mouse was trying to find out from Sister Dolores."
"No"
"The three of you can expel her before its to late."
"No you can't do that, your life isn't worth it. Promise me you won't give in?" He took hold of her hands squeezing them.
"No, no, no, no" shouted Eve both of them looked over to her and Marcus.
“You gotta go!” shouted Eve looking in to the dark at the movement that was deep within. The red fluid smoke rushed towards them
Hitting Marcus throwing his backwards towards the mirror "go a way " screamed Eve the torch of the scream throw Tomas backwards, both him and Marcus feel in to the mirror as if it was water.(*)
With a sharp gasp of breath Marcus opened his eyes, he was sat on the floor beside Eve holding her hand, her's tightly griping his.
Tomas gasped sitting on the floor holding Lilly's hand he pulling away but she held tight to his hand.
"Lilly fight her. Nothing is worth your life" kneeing beside her placing his hand on hers. She struggled to up her eyes. Her skin clammy and bruised
"Help me fight her" she whispered to him, before her eyes rolled back and the thing began to growl.
Marcus picked up the bible that laid on the small table between the beds. And flicked through the pages.
"Let me help" Darren stood in front of Marcus bruises on his neck from the invisible force that had held him up against the wall.
He handed him the open book.
"Why are are letting her do it" Eve looking at Tomas eyes blood shot and yellow. "She'll take her. Don't let Lilly do it?"
"She's not going to anything. We're going to help you both."
"No" Eve became hysterical, screaming and sobbing.
"What's Lilly doing?" asked Marcus concern in his voice and on his face.
"She Wants to try and get information out of it. She's going to find out who else's in they have taken controls of” Replied Tomas
"If she dose that we will lose her" interrupted Mouse.
"She believes and trust that we can stop it in time."
A growling laughter came from Lilly.
"A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
“Do you really believe that?" Laughing. "And What makes you think that you can do what she needs?" Its tormentive words and laughter silenced all of them, even Eves whispered prey. David, Corner and Lee left the others quietly, part over whelmed with what so far had happened.
“I adjure you, ancient serpent, by the judge of the living and the dead, by your Creator, by the Creator of the whole universe, by Him who has the power to consign you to hell, to depart forthwith in fear, along with your savage minions, from this servant of God, N., who seeks refuge in the fold of the Church.”
Mouse started and the others followed
Lilly struggle, mounded and hissed
"The boy the one that she told you about in the abandoned church." Smiling at Tomas. "The teenage hang out... You know the cross that hangs above the altar has been defaced and a pentagram hang on it."
“I adjure you again, not by my weakness but by the might of the Holy Spirit, to depart from this servant of God, N. , whom almighty God has made in His image. Yield, therefore, yield not to my own person but to the minister of Christ.” the others continued
Up stairs Conner sat watching the live footage form the basement. He searched on his to see if he could find the church. Recent photos had been put up one of what she described the cross in assets in a pentagram made from brunches and wire, over grown with ivy and moss.
"He didn't just fall...." Growled Eve. It now back in her. ”I pushed him." Laughing, her eyes wide with hint of red. "He was a whore and needed to be taught" Eve looked over at Lilly laying on the bed tears of fear, pain and hate fear down feel down her face, into her hair.
"Didn't know I was there till he fell... He shouldn't have touch us.... Didn't know we could do that till we made him."
"Lilly said he slipped and fell?" Tomas said breaking chanting with the others.
She laughed sillily. "Look like he did, but it wasn't... Me and this silly little thing done it... I think... Me and Eve.... Or Lilly..." A sense of confused fear began to show as if the reality between the three of them was fragmenting.
Eve began to scream and shout in Latin.
“Stop it. You do not control me. I am a one of the fallen servants of our god. We came first…. We will ascend above the clouds and will be like the most high!”
“Hiberent. Tu non a me. Ego sum unus Deus, qui occiderunt servos Dei nostri. Nos primi factum est .... Peccavimus Domino: ascendemus super nubibus, et erit quasi sit Altissimo?”
“For it is the power of Christ that compels you, who brought you low by His cross. Tremble before that mighty arm that broke asunder the dark prison walls and led souls forth to light. May the trembling that afflicts this human frame, the fear that afflicts this image of God, descend on you.” the four of them reading.
A light laughter came from Lilly with her wrist still bound she ran her hands down the body,
"She wont find what your looking for. You should just give up and yet me have her Marcus... You failed them Marcus, do you really think you can save them now."
“I command you, unclean spirit, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of God, by the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the coming of our Lord for judgment, that you tell me by some sign your name”
"No you have to guess." Laughed Lilly "I saw Marcus kissing daddy under neath the porch that night he left" Lilly sung quietly. "Is that why you left? Never came to the funeral? Their your God daughters and you never once thought that we might have needed you" her voice grew loader in to a shout.
Marcus stood over her. "Tell me your name!"
"Only if you come closer" smiling like a cheshire cat up at him.
Against everything he knew, he knelt down beside her. The words that had come from her, shocked him, with a slight realisation of the truth.
"No, not telling." Closing her eyes tight with a deep breath. “Father Sebastian Dean Father Peter Collins Cardinal Matthew Morente, Father Jacob Chávarri, Sister Julia Santana Sister Jude Fazakerley, Mother Catharine Meagher of the The Hospital of St Thomas of Acre, The Servants of Jesus and Mary Convent, The Brothers and sisters of the order of the St. John of God .” Lilly's own voice scratching through the metallic under tones of Anna's present.
"Shut up" Shouted Eve over the top of the others prey and Lilly's list of those that had been lost in this struggle
"Shut up."
Conner watched as the beer bottle on the desk danced to the edge of the desk then fell. The glass of water in Lee's hand shattered , making her jump. The room shook as books fell from the bookcase. Conner watched the screens of the lap tops flickered and pixelated.
"Cardinal James Nolasco, Father Steven Wierdak Bishop Juan Gomez. Father Bennett” Eve continued with the names, as if in a hypnotised state, as Lilly once again became consumed.
“The Word made flesh + commands you; the Virgin's Son + commands you; Jesus + of Nazareth commands you, who once, when you despised His disciples, forced you to flee in shameful defeat from a man” The continued to read, despite the room shaking and and a buzzing white nose that surrounded them
Coughing, Lilly sat up as she began to cough up blood.
"You see what you are doing to these girls, you couldn't just leave it alone, could you. Had too come and see. She had to send you the manuscript. Tried to stop her, bad dreams. But she made me.... Daddy's turning in his grave." Lilly wiping the blood with the back of her hand.
"Marcus." He looked up, standing on the the other side of the bed was their father. "Marcus stop this please" Kneeling down. For a moment the room feel silent and still "Your killing my girls... Let them be. Lilith was managing to keep them safe... What happened to you Marcus? You've fallen so far my friend from what you used to be." He reached out over Lilly placing his hand on his.
Staring at his old friend untouched by time, Marcus looked around at Tomas, Mouse and Darren each resisting the prey in silences, no sound from the door to the room opening and closing. The cabinet shaking, all moved in silence.
"Let them go Marcus, they will be fine" James softly asked his friend.
"I can't do that" Marcus looked down at the soft touch of this friends hand on his. The hand chard red and black, skin cracked and pealing. Looking up at him his whole face and neck the same. Making the whites of his eyes and the bright blue reach out and grab his gaze. "Because your dead, and James would never let you have his daughters."
Lilly began to laugh,
"It's your fault I'm dead, you didn't look hard enough. You should have seen her. You failed as a priest. An exorcist, and my friend."
"Leave him alone" Lilly's scream broke the stillness, restoring the noise, the prey, as Eve began her repetitive rhyme. Destroying the apparition of their father and Marcus’s friend.
"There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her;
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!"
Laughing she sat up. "The little church mouse. Must hurt so much to no that you will never have him completely... If you had stayed she would have Taken her vows. She would have gone to that little Irish bar and danced with you all night... And more.... You know that she still thinks about you at night" looking towards Marcus. "Of what might have been”
Looking over at her sister, spitting the blood from her mouth on to the floor.
"Lilly make it stop" Eve’s plea made her break. Sobs of tears as she grabbed Marcus hand.
"What it said, it's not your fault what happened to dad, I trust you with our life's. All of you." She let go reaching for the set of rosary beads on the small table Between the beds. Hands shaking, her whole body aching. almost wanting to give up
"She gotta go... Anna” calling to her.
Eve’s arms and head twitched. She squatted on the on the bed smiling at Lilly listing. Her eyes bright. Yellow. The brown of them lost behind a mist of red.
"There you are. What are you doing? You keep tell them that only one of can be saved. Your so fucking wrong."
"Language sister."
"Lilly don't do this." Marcus whispered, yet she ignored him.
"Your one broken demon... Your struggling to distinguish between which one of us your in let alone what and who's memories your looking at. You don't even know your own name."
"I do so"
"Really. Because from what I'm seeing your breaking up. You can't keep your self together.... Your losing "
"No. No. I'm your sister. The thee of us "
"Your not. Your the reminisce of fucked up experiment. Anna is dead, It’s because of you that our sister died.. Like hell are you going to going to take one of us. Or Tomas."
"Why?" Anna's child like tone breaking through
"Because you can't, and I won't let you"
"Really"
"You want to give it a go? If you got what it takes then you can have me" she griped the rosary beads that had once been her fathers tight in her hand. As she feel sharply back on to the bed, struggling slightly as if she was being held down.
A soft whisper came from her dry cracked lips.
“Holy Mary. Holy Mother of God. Mother of the Church. Mother of Divine Grace. Mother most pure. Mother most chaste. Mother inviolate.”
Her voice changed to the metallic tone of they had become to know as Anna.
Speaking the words of prey, in a way that seamed as she was being forced to repeat.
“Mother most amiable. Mother most admirable. Mother of good counsel.Mother of our Creator.Mother of our Savior.”
The room was filled with a white nose that began to grow louder the more distressed the girls become both speaking with the same voice, the same few lines.
"Holy Mary. Holy Mother of God. Mother of the Church. Mother of Divine Grace. Mother most pure. Mother most chaste. Mother inviolate”
The others watched before Darren began reaming the prey which lead the others to join.
"Stop her."
"Stop her" Eve then Lilly said in the foreign voices.
"She hurts" both of them together.
The White nose grew louder. Tomas began to struggle to concentrate, Darren steadied him, putting his arm around him, both of the wanting to fall, but refusing.
“Behold the cross of the Lord. And flee bands of enemies. From the snares of the Devil. Deliver us, O Lord. Behold the cross of the Lord! - And flee bands of enemies! From the snares of the Devil! - Deliver us, O Lord! Behold the cross of the Lord.
And flee bands of enemies.” all of the calling out.
Mouse and Marcus together “Your words will be acquitted!”
Marcus “Your words will be condemned!In the name of God! We drive you from us! Whoever you may be!”
The girls screamed. Their chant changing as the nose grew to a point that the four of them had to cover their ears.
“Four corners to my bed Four angels round my head, One to watch and one to pray. And two to bear my soul away.” (*)
David sheltered Lee from the falling books as the white nose that seamed to emanate from the walls filled house making it shake
Connor sat at the desk the the screens still show what the cameras were filming just marking out the words spoken by them all.
“Behold the cross of the Lord. And flee bands of enemies. From the snares of the Devil. Deliver us, O Lord. Behold the cross of the Lord! - And flee bands of enemies! - From the snares of the Devil! Deliver us, O Lord! Behold the cross of the Lord.”
The noise and the screamed words of the girls grew louder along with the nose of doors slamming picture frames rattling against the walls. With all the movement of items the air remained still no grease or wind. This made the environment even more alien.
All at once the scream of Eve, Lilly and Anna could be heard above everything else. And then the tremendous sound of every window, mirror and glass pain of pictures shattered and were blown out of there frames, casting a rain of glass shards outward from the beginning building. And through the rooms of the house.
The late afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the boards that had been over the Windows. Light beams catching the dust, making it sparkle as it danced through the rooms. Broken glass, and China had been swept to sides, lining the walls. The house had become still. Quite.
The basement badly little with a soft yellow toned lightbulb, left Mouse sat reading with candles sat on the table. Lilly laid, still bound on the bed. Where she had been now for almost a day since she had fallen silent.
"Wondered when you were going to wake up?" Putting down the book, knelling beside the bed, picking up a glass of water. "Here" helping Lilly to drink.
Her whole body ached, limbs felt heavy, her skin felt clammy, and itchy.
The sip of the cold water was refreshing. She pulled her self up, taking the mug with both of her shaking hands and drank the lot. The refreshing feel of the cold flowing down in side to her empty stomach, made her head hurt. Mouse sat back down watching her deeply.
"What do you remember?"
Lilly sat staring in to the bottom of the mug looking for the words she need to responded.
"Everything." Her voice dry and crackling.
"Everything is so... Quiet and still. Feels strange."
"We were worried. You have been asleep for nearly two days." Pulling the keys from her pocket. Lilly watched as undone the locks that held tight the chains around her ankles.
"Are you sure she's gone?"
Mouse took the mug from her placing it on the floor, taking hold of cold hands holding them tight.
"Yes. She's gone. I honestly didn't believe that we were going to be able to help you both. What you did was stupid to let her in like that, you could have been completely lost."
"I didn't her in...in away she's always been there. Scratching away."
There was a moment of hesitation from Mouse, before she picked up the keys and unlocked and removed the cuffs from her bruised wrists.
Lilly moved to get up off the the bed her limbs felt light after being held down, and joints hurt, stiff and painful.
Mouse helped her stand and slowly helped her upstairs.
Standing in the shower turning the waters temperature up she stood still under the hot heat, her hands on the wall in front to steady herself. Her head and body feeling dizzy, light, and heavy. The water stung the cuts, and saws that were over her back, arms and legs. Dark bruises in circled the small cross tattoo on her back in-between her shoulders The heat turning her skin red, the water was refreshing, relaxing her enough to forget for a moment.
Mouse had laid out some clean cloths on the bed. A dark green dress and a black cardigan, from the bag that had been picked up from the hospital.
Standing looking through the gap in the border up window, in the garden, Marcus, Tomas, Darren and David stood by the mattresses that had been in the basement with wood piled on and under. Mouse came out of the house and joined them, they stood talking then all but mouse looked up at the window. Making her chest suddenly tighten making her head throb. She went and sat back down on bed, looking around at what was once her room. Walls that once had posters and postcards over now painted an of white with mass produced prints in plan frames hung on the walls.
Looking at the room now made the whole house feel less like home then it ever had.
A cardboard box sat in the corner of the kitchen containing broken glass and china, laying on the table was a bunch of flowers picked from the garden. Picking up one of the large white Daisy's putting it to her nose to smell.
"How are you?"
Opening her eyes and looking up to see Darren coming in from out side.
"Hurt. Tired" she watched him as he filled a plastic cup with water.
"Here" handing her the cup.
"Thank you" one sip turned in to her drinking it in one go.
"Feels strange, sought of surreal." Looking at him not really sure weather she was talking to him as a therapist, friend, lover.
"I don't.... I... Feels empty. Quite. But not.. I... Don't know"
He stood close in front of her. His fingers reached out to hers. Her placed his four head on hers she kept her eyes closed, after nearly two weeks of having her world tuned upside down she hoped that after all of this that he might stay.
"Feeling better?" Asked Marcus coming in, to wash his hands. The two of them parted, Lilly lent on the table a little embarrassed .
"I think so" Darren kissed her on the check and headed back outside leaving them to talk.
Sat out side at the small table each with a hot drink and Lilly with a glass of water to take some painkillers.
"Everything feels still, silent... Like snow in winter. I haven't felt like this for years... Since before dad called you. I didn't realise how much she had got in to my head..." Wrapping her hands around the hot mug. "How's Eve? This must be even weirder for her?"
"She's doing ok, she said the same as you. Feels quite. And that it was like wind chimes in a summers breeze" the two of the smiled at the comment.
"It's not your fault what happened to dad and mum. That thing messed with all of us."
"I should have stayed longer I could have help you then"
"What's happened has happened. It's why to to late for what is and might have beens.... I don't remember sending that stuff to you. I know what was said but I just don't remember."
"I don't think that matters now..." Sipping his tea
"How do you keep wining" Connor dropping his hand of cards on the table.
"Because she cheats" Lilly stood I think the door war the main dinning room watching David, Lee, Connor and Eve playing cards. "Counts the cards" Eve smiled with a laugh puling the pile of stones, buttons and other small random objects to wards her. Lee sat next to her, gave her small nudge with her elbow, as a reminder. She got up and went over to Lilly gave her hug, followed by licking her cheek. "Thanks" with a little sarcasm. "How are you?"
"Peaceful. I like it." She turned quickly with a spring in her step something that she could not remember that her doing in a very look time.
"She seams almost like a new person." Mouse standing beside her.
"I don't think I have ever seen her like this. She's almost not the same woman"
"She's lived with that thing being puled in and out of her head for so long." Mouse took her hand and lead her in to the living room. Tomas sat in on the floor, closing the notebook that he was looking through. Laid out on the coffee table were a dozen or more notebooks and two large old tatty looking books, one of which was the book that she had found in the basement. Which now felt like lifetime ago.
"I found them in the basement, there your mothers journals" the two of them siting down on the sofa.
"They go back to just before she married your father, there's entry's from when she found out she was pregnant. And what she she refereed to as the rebirth..."
"Don't want to hear any more... Do what you want with the books, keep them, burn them. I don't think we need a reminder of what she did." Wiping a tear from her face.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Your other sister... May I ask what happens to her?"
His politeness breaking the tension.
"She was still born. We were six weeks early, mum went in to labour early we ended up being delivered by c-section..... Angel’s umbilical cord was wrapped round Eves neck, and mine round Angel's. Apparently I was holding on to it."
"I remember mum telling us that she called you evil." She looked over to the door where Eve and Marcus stood. Lilly sat back in to the sofa looking for comfort.
"Little ironic really... Lilith, a demon that devours children. and got it on with the devil. wen ever I got in to trouble she would remind me of that. If any one was evil it was her giving me that name."
She sat there for a moment staring at the books on the table she could feel her eyes filling. Not able to take in any more she got up and left the room.
"Where you going?" Asked Eve as she went passed her. With no response.
"Let her be alone for a bit." Mouse said. Eve came I. To the room and sat beside her.
"So do you think mum was possessed?" Asked Eve open one of the large old books and flicking through the old browned pages.
"We don't think so." Answered Tomas. "What above Father Steven. Do you think he was. Or were they just followers?"
"That's a lot of questions there." Marcus sat in the other armchair. "It doesn't matter now, you shouldn't worry about it."
Eve slipped off the sofa sat on the floor and carried on looking through the book.
"How much do you remember?" Asked Marcus leaning forward in the chair.
"Of what?"
"Everything thing that has happened over her last few days, and of Anna?"
"Not much. It's like. looking through smoky glass in fog. It sometimes make sense. And sometime it's like noise and fuzz." Looking at the fire place as though it might help find the words.
Sat at the far end of the garden on the grass. Lilly sat crying looking towards the house. Windows boarded the only window still in tact was the stain glass window on the stairs. She played with an empty mug in her hands. Having fictional conversations and arguments with her parents in her head.
It felt as though she was crying a life time of tears at once. And that every tear that she had cried before this day hand not been her's.
Marcus sat down be side her not saying a word. Resting her head on his arm they sat in silence.
"It wasn't your mum who named you." Sitting up she wiped her face with the cuffs of the cardigan,
"It was your dad. Because Lilith refused to become subservient to Adam. Your dad wanted you to be a woman that would take no shit from any man.”
"How do you know that?"
"He told me and he wrote down" handing her, her dads journal. With the page marked for her to read.
“And Lilly means pure, passion, and rebirth.”
“Still not really helping there”
“Sorry” He went in to his jacket pocket pulling out a box of matches, shaking them.
”How how about we celebrate bonfire night a little early." Smiling at her warmly.
Stepping back from the two mattresses and bits of wood that had been piled on to a large baron patch earth, which at the start of their visit had been rich green grass. They watched as they were enveloped in black smoke and flame. Darren took hold of Lilly's hand, as the watched them burn.
The sound of metal rattling sent a the mussels in Lilly's back twice and tighten. Glancing behind her she saw Tomas and mouse heading towards them with the chains and rope that had been in the basement.
"They won't burn" she said. Eyes still red and puffy.
"I know, but we could not just leave them down there" she took one of them stepped closer to the fire, the heat feeling almost refreshing, like a new experience. With a swing of her arms she draped them in to bottom of the fire. Tomas and mouse did the same.
A sudden loud crackling pop came from the fire that made her jump. Followed by laughter
"Marcus is throwing matches in tin foil in to the fire." Mouse placing her hand on her back to reassure her.
"I have to ask you said Father Benneet’s name among those who are integrated, are you sure" Mouse asked hoping that she had just been randomly calling out names.
"I'm sorry." looking at her. "You don't no.... It was after you left at the hospital."
Mouse looked over at Tomas.
"Are you sure?" Tomas asked hoping that it was wrong
"I heard it screamed enough."
"How are they community anyway.?"
"It's hard to explain its like a feeling but not.... Your thoughts, but someone else's." She stared in to the fire, the leather had disintegrate and the chains had started to take on an red orange colour.
"What's the name of demon that has him?" Asked Tomas.
"I don't know. They guard their names too well, I couldn't even tell what ‘Anna's' real name was... A name is a powerful thing." She turn away for the others and to Mouse "You should have help Dlorious sooner." Tuning to Mouse. "That thing tormented her to the end. It took pleasure in it...." Mouse frowned at her concerned
"Every time one of you exorcise one of them from its host the others feel it... It's like heart burn."
Mouse put hand on Lilly's chin, moving her head slightly looking deep in to her eyes.
"She's not there. please believe me." She let go of her chin. "If I hadn't have gone that deep do you think I might not have remembered everything?"
"I don't know" she watched as tears fell down Lilly's check. She wiped it away looking over her shoulder to see were Tomas was. He was talking to Darren.
"You have to look after Tomas and Marcus. Especially Tomas. They are infatuated with him. He is, so strong, I could feel and feel him above all of you. I don't think you or Marcus could have pulled us out but your selfs. His strength is what they want, need…Marcus's faith and, friendship Tomas, it could get killed. Or worse. Promise me you'll look after them" A deep concern on her face. And voice.
"I promise I'll keep them safe" mouse said placing her hand on her arm to comfort.
"Just do the right right thing when it's needed" turning away from her. Looking back in to the flames and smoke. Looking through and past them she saw Eve on the other side standing with Marcus with his small hip flask.
Eve looking straight at her. She rested her head on his arm.
They stood and watched the train pull into the station. The small platform with a dozen or so more people waiting for the next train heading back in to London.
There group almost seamed dispersed and distant from each other. Split in to groups, Lilly and Eve Standing together not talking. Mouse and Darren, Marcus and Tomas, and David, Lee and Connor. It was almost as past events of the last week, of being coped up in the house had sunk in and we're taking their tole on them.
The gain pulled in a few people got off and they got on in silence. Sat down In there divided groups.
"No. It's not a good idea."
"I'm with Marcus on this one. Sorry Tomas"
"She could help us. You saw what she did. Particularly pulled those names out of it, she's incredibly strong."
"Both of them lived with it for years. Lilly had been fighting it and she new its weakness, she and Eve just need help. It dose not mean that she can exorcise any other demon. Anna only ended up jumping between the two of them because Lilly tried to perform an exorcism by her self."
"If we help her, she could be a an exorcist." Tomas failing to convince them.
"IF. And I mean if we were to take her along, what about Eve. We can't take someone as vulnerable has her with us." Mouse looked to Marcus for him to help.
Marcus stood looking though the glass in to the carriage were the others sat.
"Marcus?" Mouse said trying to break his gaze.
"If the circumstance were different then maybe. But no, she’s not coming with us." He pushed the button for the doors to open, and went to join Eve who was standing by the train door. With her had resting on the glass looking out at the fast moving world out side.
"What you three talking about?"
"Just about what we are doing next Marcus watching her looking at the ground. A blurred grey, brown, green.
"Isn't that giving you a head ache?" He asked looking down at the fast pace of the moving ground out side. She looked up at him, standing up straight resting her hand on the rail be hind her.
"No more then the head aches that she made. Her's were worse."
"Where are you going next?"
"Not sure yet. We need to decide weather to find some of those that you and Lilly named Or head to Italy."
"Italy is beautiful."
"Have your been?"
She looked at him thinking almost as if she was thinking if she had been there or not.
"No... Only seen it pictures... If you're going. Can we come."
"Not this time" smiling. "Maybe when this over. You me and Lilly can go.”
“really” smiling a him.
The train began to slow, looking out of the window as the train pulled in to the station.
"These things used to have so much confort." Pulling a set of rosary beads from her dress pocket.
"And now.?"
"Bad memories" The door opened letting three people on.
Lilly got up from her seat, heading for the door.
"Maybe it's best you have them" holding them out to him. "Daddy would like that" Marcus reached out to them. Looking at Lilly as she reached them. Eve looked out of the train at the empty platform
"Maybe I'll see you in Italy." She looked back at Marcus smiling as a her eye rolled slightly to one side showing the red iris of the demons eye.
Looking at Lilly. Blinking, the eye vanished.
"Sorry" letting go of the beads she stepped off the train just as the doors closed. Lilly leapt at the door frantically hitting the button trying, hoping that the door would open.
Eve waved at them smiling as the train began to move away....
The others watched Eve as she waved to them as the train pulled away leaving her behind.
A small park, with a row of benches that Lined a path. Over looking a children's playground.
A small group of teenagers played catch with a Frisbee
As it took flight, one jumped to catch it, missing. The watched as it defended landing by one of the benches. One of them ran to get it.
"Thank sister" he said taking it from the nun, who had picked up from beside the bench that she hand been siting. She smiled as he took it. Watched him turn and throw it back towards the group.
Getting in to the black car with it's tinted windows. Licking a small bit of ice cream from her finger.
"Could have given me something nicer to wear" Eve unimpressed with having to wear a full nuns habit and vail.
The priest sat beside her handed her a black A5 folder.
Opening it there was two passports British and Italian. And ticket to Europe
"It's the best we could do on short notice. presides you don't want to draw attention to yourself"
Opening the passports to see the photos
"I don't like them"
"You don't have to like them. Unless you want to stay here and see more of your godfather"
She closed the folder. Looking at him.
"MY godfather."
"Well Eve’s godfather.... Are you sure your up to this?"
"Yes." The child like tone of demon inside her " I'm up to this. Properly more then you."
“Sorry its just you seam a little distracted in your self.”
“You spend 30 odd years being pulled in and out of people. See how you are after” She turned to look out the window as the car began its journey to the airport. Closing her eyes as she continued to eat the ice cream, a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Shut up shut up." Her hands pressed against her ears.
A light distant laugh echoed around the room.
"Do as your told. I'm the one in control. Your not going to stop me."
"Really is that what you think?" The echoey metallic tone of Anna’s voice in the darkness.
"Yes"
"Not convinced"
"I'm in CONTROL!" Shouted Eve. Her voice shock the mirror. Ann's form flicked between the form woman looking almost like Eve and a smoke form, briefly the outline of something else with in it.
"You have no idea what you are doing. What your up against. You don't stand a chance."
Eve slammed her hands up against the glass of the mirror. Anna flickered again.
"From where I stand you don't stand a chance." Eve stepped back from the mirror.
"Couldn't send you away. Think this is good for now."
She sat On the floor whispering to her herself
"Matthew mark Luke and John, Guard the bed that I lay on: Four corners to my bed Four angles round my head One to watch, one to pray And two to bear my sole away"
"Really?"
Eve looked at Anna frowning with anger
"Marcus, Mouse, Tomas, and Lilly, Guard the bed that I lay on: Four corners to my bed Four angles round my head, One to watch, one to pray, And two to bear my sole away."
Anna’s figure flickered her hand touching the glass she growled and hissed before stepping away and back in to her mirrored prison.
"Find me!"
