Possessed

"It could have been as simple as you bursting through the door at the wrong moment," she sighed. "But I think it was more. The barrier between Hell and our world is thinnest on All Hollows Eve. That's why you don't do exorcisms then. An exorcism entails more than just casting the demon out. You also need to force it back into Hell or it will just possess another."

"Wouldn't that be easier with the barrier weak?" I asked.

"Yes and no," she answered cryptically. "You see, forcing an opening in the barrier is the most dangerous part of the exorcism. You have to keep control of it and make sure nothing escapes."

"Did something escape?" I asked. The whole conversation was unreal, but it was easier to listen to this then go back to thinking about my own pending insanity.

"I'm not sure," she replied with a worried expression. "I know father Fitzpatrick was able to pull the demon from the boy and I think he forced it through the portal, but I also know that something tried to get through the portal. I saw it."

"What did you see?" Jerry asked. Sister Mary Teresa's eyes were unfocused as she remembered that night.

"I think I saw one of the old ones," she said, swallowing hard.

"That doesn't sound good," I said.

"The lesser demon can only come across in spirit and must possess a human," sister Mary Teresa explained. "They are limited by what our human forms can do. The old ones come fully formed into our world, with all their demonic powers."

"Did it make it through the barrier?" I asked.

"No, thank God!" she replied confidently. "There hasn't been one of the older ones in our world in thousands of years. Either it wasn't one of them or Father Fitzpatrick died forcing it back."

"How can you be sure?" I asked.

"The older ones are completely uncontrollable," she answered. "It would not have been able to hide itself this long. Frankly, it would not have even tried. They always reinvent their world in ours. The last one that entered our world did so in Sodom thousands of years ago."

"Sodom as in Sodom and Gomorrah?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded, but my expression must have said I still doubted her.

"You don't need to believe," sister Mary Teresa said with forced patience. "The point is that it wasn't one of the old ones."

"Fair enough," I shrugged.

"However," she added. "I'm still not sure that the demon father Fitzpatrick pulled from the boy was forced through the portal or that another of the lesser demon didn't escape."

"And this involves me how?" I frowned.

"The demon would have needed to possess someone. They cannot survive in our world for more than a matter of moments on their own," she replied. "I've already checked everyone who were present at the exorcism with the exception of you. Jerry was the last of them. He kindly contacted you for me."

"You think I'm possessed?" I asked in shock as what she was getting at finally dawned on me.

"It is possible," she shrugged. "And it is also easy to check. I must be thorough before reporting back to mother church."

The obvious conclusion did come to me at that point. Maybe the voice wasn't my madness. Maybe it was a demon. Was I possessed? Would that be better than crazy?

'Possession would mean that what happened wasn't me,' I thought. Oddly, that made me feel better, despite it meaning that a monster was in my head. 'Better that then me being the monster!'

"You know," I said, feeling silly, but forcing the words out. "I think I may actually be possessed."

"Don't joke about that!" the nun snapped angrily. I guess she confused my discomfort with amusement.

"I'm not," I said, meeting her eyes so that she'd understand I was serious. I saw the truth dawn on her slowly. She was good. Her expression didn't change at all. On the other hand she swallowed once noticeably.

"Let's see," she said, pulling out an amulet from under her shirt. She held it up toward me and mumbled a silent prayer. It came to life instantly and glowed a harsh red. The nun lost all her color.

"Wow!" Jerry cried. "It didn't do that when she tested me."

"You are possessed," sister Mary Teresa said bravely.

"I figured," I sighed. "Now what?"

"Let us see," she said, holding the amulet up and saying another silent prayer. It glowed once more. Sister Mary Teresa looked into the amulet carefully for almost a full minute.

"It is a new possession," she finally said, more to herself than me. "But the bond is close to being complete. This cannot wait. I will have to exorcize the demon myself. I know what needs to be done."

"Um, no offense," I said. "But the last exorcism killed a priest with a lot more experience than you. Isn't there someone else we can call?"

"Of course," she answered. "But it is too dangerous to wait for them to arrive."

"What does that mean?" I asked nervously.

"The demon has not bonded fully with you yet," she explained. "Once it does, the exorcism becomes much more difficulty and dangerous."

"How soon before that happens?" I asked.

"Soon," was her only response.

"Great," I sighed. "And the closest person who's actually done an exorcism is where?"

"Not in this hemisphere," she replied. "There are never more than a small handful of clergy experienced in dispossessing souls. We are carefully chosen and trained."

"We?" Jerry asked.

"Yes," sister Mary Teresa smiled. "I have the honor of being chosen, Father Fitzpatrick was training me."

"How close to graduating were you?" I asked. "I mean, were you a freshman? A grad student? Or what?" I knew it wasn't a joking matter, but I couldn't help myself. Humor was the only defense I had left in the face of what was happening.

"There is no set time," she replied. "But I believe Father Fitzpatrick was very close to completing my training. In fact, for the last year the only true training I received was watching him exorcize demons from the poor souls ensnared."

"And if my demon remains much longer it's going to get worse?" I asked.

"A lot worse," she replied. "I'm sorry." I could tell from her tone that she meant it. I looked into her eyes carefully for a long time before coming to a decision.

"Well sister," I sighed. "It's seems I'm in your hands. Only, please don't let something worse get out of the demon's world by trying to save me."

"I won't," she said confidently. "First, All Hollow's Eve is past and the danger of such a thing happening is far less. And second, your possession is not yet complete. That makes it much easier to exorcize your demon. Poor little Michael had been possessed for years."

"He was a terror," Jerry sighed. "No one's kids on the block would play with him. There were rumors that he liked to hurt things."

"Well, whatever this is feels pretty strong to me," I sighed. "You have no idea how hard it's been to fight it."

"But you have," she smiled kindly. "And you're not even a true believer."

"Depending on the day, that's not necessarily true," I grinned. "But I get your point."

"So, what do we do?" Jerry asked into the silence that followed.

"First your friend here will tell me exactly what's happened to him since he was possessed," she answered. "And then I pray and gather what I need to do the exorcism."

"Um," I said, growing embarrassed. "Two points. First, we need to hurry. I have a feeling that if I go to sleep he'll take control for good." She frowned and nodded in understanding.

"What else?" Jerry asked. I blushed. I couldn't help myself. I turned to the nun.

"Sister, I'd really rather not tell you about what's happened since I was possessed," I answered. "This demon has a way of affecting people."

"What do you mean?" sister Mary Teresa asked. I took a deep breath and shrugged, more for myself than her.

"You know how they say men have a one track mind when it comes to women?" I asked rhetorically, refusing to look at her as I explained. "Well, this demon is worse, a lot worse. He seduced three women in less than a day."

"Ah, one of those. Don't worry," she said. "I am not a priest and don't need to hear your confession, but I do need details. I need to know the facts of what happened so I can be prepared."

"Isn't there any other way?" I asked. "I know I'm being silly considering what I'm facing, but talking to a nun about sex has to be way up there on my nightmare list."

"I wasn't always a nun," she smiled briefly. "And my youth was not as sheltered as you would think. Tell me what happened. I need to know." I nodded silently, but paused and looked at Jerry.

"What should I do?" he asked. I shook my head. I always thought he a good guy, but this went above and beyond.

"Run," I said. "Run far away until this is all over. Take Sally and the kids and go."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Jerry laughed nervously.

"He's not completely wrong," sister Mary Teresa sighed. "Being friends with a possessed person is very dangerous."

"I figured," Jerry said bravely. "But I want to help." The nun looked at him carefully for a second.

"Okay," she finally said. "The best place for the exorcism is where he was first possessed."

"I'll talk to Kim Farel," he said. "I'm sure she won't have a problem with it. She and the kids aren't living there right now anyway. I actually doubt she'll go back once the damage caused is fixed."

"It would also help if I could talk to at least one of the women that this demon affected.

"You're kidding, right?" I groaned, but I already knew the answer.

"Should I go find Annie?" Jerry asked.

"No!" I snapped. "She's not one of them."

"But you've spent the last three days with her," Jerry frowned.

"She isn't part of this," I insisted.

"Hmm, interesting," the nun said thoughtfully. "I'd like to speak with her as well."

"No!" I cried. "She doesn't know what's been happening, and I don't want her to."

"It's the other women, isn't it?" Jerry guessed.

"I don't want to lose her over this," I said nervously. "I love her."

"If that's true," sister Mary Teresa said. "Then you should tell her the truth."

"I will once this is all over," I said a little too quickly. The nun looked at me carefully. I thought I saw a spark of disappointment, but it could just have been my imagination.

"I need to ask her some questions," she said slowly. "And she will need to know about the possession, but she doesn't necessarily need to know about the other women."

"Thank you," I said, meaning it.

"For now," the nun added, to which I quickly nodded. I planned on telling Annie, but when everything else was going on.

"If Annie wasn't one of the ones the demon seduced, then who was?" Jerry asked. I listed the three women. Jerry's eyes grew big as the mention of Detective Abrubi.

"She seemed so asexual," he remarked. I remembered her differently. I knew it was wrong to think of her that way and feel excitement, but I couldn't help my body's reaction.

'It's the demon's influence,' I rationalized.

"Her I can contact on my own," Sister Mary Teresa said. "She gave me a card with her number on it in case I thought of anything else to tell her, not that she would believe me."

"You know," I sighed. "I doubt she'll remember anything that happened. In fact, I specifically told her not to."

"That's okay," the nun replied with a confident smile. "I have been trained to deal with something like this."

"How will you do it?" Jerry asked.

"With God's help," she replied cryptically. "Now go see if you can gather the other two women."

"I'll try," Jerry shrugged. "But I doubt I'll be able to with such short notice." He disappeared after that.

"Are you sure it's safe to be alone with me?" I asked.

"Yes," she smiled. "We are in God's house. The only way the beast can survive in here is to hide deeply inside of you. He can't control you while you are here."

"That's a relief," I sighed.

"You could probably even take a nap after you're done telling me your story," she offered with a kind smile.

"I'll pass," I said. "I'd rather be fully conscious until this is over."

"As you wish," sister Mary Teresa said. "Now tell me what you first remember after the possession."

"Pain," I answered. "I remember pain and not much else. My life was pain for a time."

"And after that?" she asked.

"Lust," I replied. I saw the sister's eyes grow big, but I was determined to get rid of this demon, so I kept talking despite my embarrassment. She said she needed to hear the details to be prepared, so I told her.

**********

"You're really going to go through with this?" Annie asked me. She was sitting in the pew next to me. I had called and told her where to meet me as soon as I was done talking to sister Mary Teresa. The nun explained to Annie about my possession, leaving the three women the demon had seduced out of her explanation. Even still, I was surprised when Annie didn't run away like most sane person would have.

"I don't have a choice," I sighed.

"But sister Mary Teresa says that there's a chance you'll die!" she cried.

"Better that than being taken over by a demon," I shrugged.

"Are you sure that's what it is?" Annie asked. She was being far more understanding and patient than I would have been if the roles were reversed. Frankly, I doubt I would have believed her.

"Yes," I said, blushing as I remember telling the nun what had happened with the nurse, the detective and the cleaning lady.

Jerry hadn't been able to find Tess, but sister Mary Teresa had already had her talk with Olivia after he tracked her down. The nun had also put a call into Detective Abrubi, who had promised to show up after her shift.

The nurse had arrived before Annie and I made the mistake of following sister Mary Teresa and her into the sacristy where the interview took place. I watched as sister Mary Teresa asked her questions. Maybe it was divine intervention that made Olivia remember what happened or maybe it was simple hypnosis, but in either case it wasn't long before the nun got the answers she was looking for.

Olivia spoke unhindered by fear or concern for how people might react to what she was saying. In fact, I doubt she realized she was actually speaking her thoughts out loud. I knew she thought she was alone.

Sister Mary Teresa warned it would be so, but I hadn't realized what its affect would be. Not only did her words mortify me, but somehow they also stopped me from leaving. It was like I was part of her trance. Olivia described what happened and how she felt.

"I was on fire with desire and need!" the nurse explained, her eyes filled with an excitement I remembered so well.

"What about him made you feel that way?" the nun had asked.

"Everything," Olivia answered with reasonable calm, but then she smiled lustfully and added, "But most of all it was his cock. It was so big! Far bigger than I remembered from his sponge baths. And thick too!" To say I was mortified was an understatement, but still I couldn't move.

"Demon's can do wonders what illusions," sister Mary Teresa said sagely.

"Well, that illusion made my jaw ache for days afterward," the nurse replied, still in her trance-like state. "It still does. It felt pretty real to me."

"That's impossible," the nun replied. "A demon can not change a person form when they possess them. They can only make you think it's changed."

'That's too bad. That particular illusion was the only good thing I received from being possessed,' I thought and then shook my head and groaned when I realized it. I looked up and thought, 'Sorry, it's the demon making me think these terrible things.' At least, I hoped it was the demon.

My thoughts had distracted me from the conversion between sister Mary Teresa and Olivia at that point and I was no longer trapped into listening. I slipped out of the sacristy and sat in the back of the church, as far away from the conversation as possible. I was still sitting there when Annie arrived.

I realized that Annie was looking at me carefully as my mind wandered. She was still judging my last statement. Did I really believe I was possessed? Was I really possessed? I let her look into my eyes and see my fear and commitment. That seemed to be enough for her.

"Then if you're going to do this, I want you to come with me first," Annie said, surprising me.

"It's not safe to leave the church," I replied. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

"I don't believe that's possible," she said. "You've been possessed for over a week and I've never seen anything that would make me think you're a danger to me."

She was right. I'd always been the most in control when I was with Annie. She was my soul mate. The demon seemed unable to interfere with me when I was with Annie. I guessed it was our love that kept him at bay.

"Please?" she added. I looked into her eyes and knew that whatever it was she wanted was important to her. I was also careful to look and see if she was herself. There was no sign of what affected the other women when the demon made them do what he did.

"We'll have to hurry," I said. She smiled and the night became brighter, at least for me. I left Annie to go tell sister Mary Teresa that we were leaving for a while.

The last I saw the nun she was deep in prayer in one of the small alcoves in the front of the church. There was a kneeler, half lit candles, a large crucifix and no room for much else in the alcove. I was surprised to find that sister Mary Teresa wasn't there. I frowned until I heard voices in the sacristy once more.

'I guess detective Abrubi finally arrived,' I thought. The last thing I wanted to do was be noticed by the police detective who the demon had seduced, but I couldn't just leave. I started to go into the room, but had second thoughts and stopped before entering.

"I glad you were able to come on such short notice," I overheard sister Mary Teresa saying to the policy detective.

"It's okay," the detective said. "I actually have a follow-up question myself."

The last time I heard Detective Abrubi say those words, I ended up with her naked in front of me and a demon in control of my body. I swallowed hard, but the demon was quiet and the detective sounded as androgynous as usual.

"Really?" the nun frowned. "What?"

"Are you sure that there wasn't anyone else in the house?" the detective asked.

"Yes," sister Mary Teresa answered. "Why?"

"It's probably nothing," the police detective answered. "But our forensics lab found trace elements unrelated to father Fitzpatrick in some of the ash they collected from the fire."

"Trace elements?" the nun asked.

"A small quantity of elements that are typically found in living things," the detective clarified. Sister Mary Teresa frowned in concentration.

"I do remember a dog," the nun finally said.

"That probably explains it," the detective sighed.

'Poor Fido. It's always the innocent that get hurt,' I sighed to myself, thinking of the dog and Mikey Farel, the formerly possessed little boy. Father Fitzpatrick's death came to mind as well. 'And the good.'

"Now what did you want to talk to me about?" the detective was asking sister Mary Teresa.

I couldn't just stand there eavesdropping forever. Annie was waiting for me. I shrugged to myself and left without interrupting them. I didn't want a repeat of what happened with the nurse so I quickly went back to Annie in the back of the church.

Sister Mary Teresa said we'd do the exorcism just before dawn. That was still hours away. Annie and I slipped out of the church. I figured we'd be back before she noticed we were gone, or at least well before dawn.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," she smiled, holding my hand once more as we went.

"The hotel?" I guessed not long afterward.

"We never did try that hot tub," she grinned, surprising me.

"There was a reason for that," I said pointedly, but she ignored me.