X

It was only 3 in the afternoon. Alex had some time to spare. He would have rather stayed with Tersa to dissuade his fears, but he knew that he needed some time alone. If he was ever to be of any help to her, he needed to be prepared.

At first, Alex headed home, but then he had a sudden urge to go somewhere else. He turned the car around and headed towards the center of town. He drove down Main Street and then turned into the cemetery on the outskirts.

After pulling onto the winding road of the cemetery, he stopped his car and got out. There was a gentle breeze that was off set by the warm October sun. It was comfortable enough weather that normally Alex would have been outdoors with some friends, but this was not the time for it.

As he closed the door, he noticed the cigarettes on the passenger’s seat and realized that he hadn’t had one that day. He grabbed the pack and looked at it for a moment. A sudden urge came over him to light up. He was about to open the pack when a feeling of disgust came over him. He threw the pack back on the seat and closed the door. Oh fuck it.

Alex walked slowly up the hill to the grave of his mother. The fresh soil had not yet had grass planted over it. His mother’s stone was in place with her name, Gloria Hendrickson, carved into the center. He felt like her caring eyes were looking at him at that very moment.

Alex wasn’t ready for what he was about to do and needed help, “Mom… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m such a failure, I’m sorry that I haven’t been home in two years, and I’m sorry that you didn’t have a better son. I tried… you know I really tried, but after what happened in Rome, I just couldn’t bring myself to face you again.”

Tears filled his eyes as he spoke, “I’ve got something to do now… something big. If I fail… I don’t know what’s going to happen. You remember the girl, Tersa? You were friends with her mother. She’s in trouble now and I’ve been asked to do something I swore that I’d never do again. I don’t know how to handle this, Mom. I’m scared. I wish you were here right now. You always knew what to say to make even the worst situations not look that bad. You’d probably say something like ‘just do your best and let God handle everything else’ right?”

Alex closed his eyes as the tears began to flow, “I miss you… Whatever happens tonight… I hope you can forgive me.”

Alex bent over and kissed the top of the gravestone before turning and heading back to his car. He drove home and got to work preparing what he needed. He hoped that he still had everything from the old days.

After closing and locking the front door, Alex ran to his room to look for a specific book that he knew he’d need. He went through his bookshelf and opened all of his drawers, one by one. Come on, it has to be here. Please Mom, you can’t have thrown it out.

Alex opened the last drawer to his nightstand and found exactly what he was looking for. Inside was a small black book with golden letters embossed on the cover. The Roman Ritual… thank Goodness!

He’d had that book since he first entertained the idea of going into the seminary. It should have everything that he needed to perform the ritual. It was an older copy, but it should still work.

With the book in hand, Alex went out to the living room, flicked on the TV, and switched to the News. He wasn’t really watching it, he just wanted some background noise while he centered himself. Ordinarily, this would have been the time for prayer and reflection, but he no longer saw any value in either, not for himself.

After a few minutes, he drifted off to sleep. He wasn’t tired, but perhaps it was withdrawal from not smoking at all that day. He sucked in one last deep breath before losing consciousness.

Alex was immediately surrounded by darkness. His sleep was dreamless for hours until something appeared in the voice. It was a woman, clad only in a white nightshirt that was almost see-through. At first, he thought that it was Tersa.

She walked in a seductive manner towards him. He felt paralyzed and unable to back away. Her face revealed itself to him. It was Tersa, but at the same time, it wasn’t. He couldn’t explain it. Some part of her was in that face, but not all of it.

As she moved, the shirt disappeared, revealing pale skin that was barely any darker. She moved close enough to press her body against his and rest her head on his chest. When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than the subtle hiss of a snake, “Come to me…”

Alex couldn’t move and couldn’t draw enough breath to respond. She lifted her head off of his chest, “Take me…”

Her body rose against his so that she was able to kiss him. Alex couldn’t move, but he felt his body begin to light up against her touch. He was almost completely powerless.

He had to get away. He knew that this wasn’t right. When she began running her hands up his back, Alex focused his mind and pushed hard against his paralysis. Finally, he was able to break free, “Ugh, no!”

Alex opened his eyes and found himself back in reality. He breathed heavily as he looked at the TV. The bottom right hand corner said that it was almost 2:30am. Shit, they’ll wonder where I am!

After quickly changing his shirt, Alex quickly grabbed the book, ran outside, and got into his car. It was raining again and the wind was picking up. The weather beat down on his car as hard as it could as though it were trying to stop him from getting to Tersa.

Alex shook his head, “Throw as much of a tantrum as you want! You’re not stopping me!”

At that moment, a massive tree branch fell in front of his car, causing him to swerve off the road. His car came to a stop in a small muddy ditch. The tires spun as it tried to free itself.

Alex put the car in park and got out. As the wind blew by, he could detect the faint sound of whispering. He couldn’t quite make out the words as they appeared to be in a foreign language that he wasn’t familiar with.

After inspecting his tire, Alex realized that there was no way he could get it out of the ditch right now. He would need a tow, but he didn’t have time to wait for one. The clock on the dash read 2:45.  Not much time!

Having no other choice, he abandoned the car and began running with the Roman Ritual under his arm. It was raining heavily, but he did the best he could to keep the book safe. Thankfully, he was not too far away.

The rain stung Alex’s eyes as he finally arrived at the McConnel house. Sgt. McConnel met him at the door, “Alex, thank God you made it. Are you all right?”

A drenched Alex took a moment to catch his breath, “Yeah… fine… we need to get started.”

Alex tried to push past Sgt. McConnel, but the officer stopped him in his place. Alex looked at him oddly, “What is it?”

Sgt. McConnel shook his head, “Just so there are no surprises… Tersa has taken a turn. It looks like the demon has control now.”

“Then we have no time to waste, come on.”

Alex looked around as they stood outside of Tersa’s bedroom, “Where is your wife?”

“In our room. She’s been through enough.”

“Fine, are you ready?”

Sgt. McConnel nodded, “I don’t know what you need me to do, but I’m there for my little girl.”

“It’s not her that you’re going to be facing in there.”

Alex’s words sent a chill down Tersa’s father’s spine, “What do you need me to do?”

“Stay close, if she tries to harm herself, restrain her. Whatever you do, do not interfere in the ritual, if you feel like you can’t handle it then remove yourself. Don’t engage the creature, ignore it and don’t speak to it in any way.”

“Understood.”

Alex nodded, “All right, let’s go.”

Sgt. McConnel’s fingers curled around the door knob. He worked the door open slowly. On the other side, Alex could see Tersa handcuffed to both bedposts. Her knuckles were red and she was covered in sweat.

Alex saw the crucifix above her head and the holy water on the table near the door. The McConnels had done everything he’d asked. Now it was his turn.

Tersa, or whatever had control of her hissed, “So Adramelech, you came. I thought after you pushed me away earlier, you were going to stay away.”

Adramelech? What was she talking about? It doesn’t matter. Demons will do anything they can to throw you off. Ignore it.

Alex began by sprinkling Holy Water in the shape of a cross on Tersa, her father, and himself. Tersa winced in pain as though the water burned her. Oddly, Alex also felt pain, albeit not as badly. Again he chalked it up to the demon trying to play tricks on him and opened the Roman Ritual.

The first section was the Litany of the Saints. First came the invocation of the trinity, and then the invocation of the archangels and the saints. Finally, Alex asked for deliverance from evil.

Tersa laughed through the entire thing, “Your words are meaningless. You don’t even believe them! How can you possibly call on the powers of Heaven when you yourself don’t believe in their worth?”

She had a point and Alex knew it. His own lack of belief could spell doom for this attempt, and for Tersa, but it was the only chance he had to save her, so he once again ignored the demon’s words and continued, “Dwell not, O Lord, on our sins or those of our parents, nor take vengeance on us for them!”

He then continued on to recite the psalms. Tersa’s laughing became even higher pitched. She was clearly enjoying this, “Silly poems and meaningless words won’t save her this night!”

Alex shut out the demon’s relentless taunting and continued to pray. He had to do his best to remain stoic, but his patience was failing. An exorcism was supposed to be a test of wills and he was losing this fight.

The reading of John 1 didn’t help, nor did the blessing of the sick. The demon kept relentlessly taunting him. As he continued reading, it turned to Tersa’s father, “Look at this pretender, not a true defender. He can’t save your daughter! It fills me with laughter! Adramelech won’t harm me, he doesn’t even know who he is!”

That was all that Alex was going to tolerate. He doused her in more holy water. The demon fell back in pain and went silent as though showing some form of obedience.

Alex nodded and began the exorcism rite, “I cast you out, evil spirit from hell, you and all your foul companions. In nomine Criste. Begone from our daughter Tersa and stay far from this creature of God.”

The demon spat at him, “Never!”

Alex ignored her and continued in a louder voice, “For it is he that commands you, it is he who cast your being from the heights of the Heavens into the depths of Hell, he who once stilled the sea and the wind and the storm. Tremble in fear, Satan, you enemy of the belief, you foe of all things living, you bringer of death.”

The demon fought back, “I am not Satan! You use words without embracing their meaning! You fool!”

“Why, then, do you defy God, you must know that Christ brings your plans to ruin? Fear him, crucified as flesh, yet claimed victory over the powers of Hell.”

“Your words are meaningless!” The demon roared. “You invoke the name of someone you do not believe can help you. How dare you think to bring me down!”

“Begone, then, in Nomine Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti! Give place to our lord Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, our God, forever and ever.”

Alex closed the book. The demon was panting as it stared him down. It was as though their eyes were waging their battle for them.

“What is your name demon?” Alex demanded.

“You’re too late.”

“What is your name?”

“You can’t save her, only a man of faith could!”

“Identify yourself, ancient serpent!”

“I was alone in the sky… I will return… or is that you?”

“In nomine Criste! Give me your name!”

The demon threw its head back and cried out, “I am Rachel Proctor, mistress of Quetzalcoatl! I was imprisoned, but I was released, and you my love, you have set me free!”

Alex’s eyes widened and he stepped back while Rachel let out a scream that no human vocal chords could possibly make. Chills rolled down his spine as he processed her words. Thunder and lightning outside her window added to horror that was unfolding in front of them.

Sgt. McConnel looked up confused, “Alex, what is she talking about?”

Rachel forced Tersa’s body to lie back, “Take me, oh lord, as is your right.”

Alex shook as he tried to continue, “D… depart then…”

“That is enough!”

Alex and Sgt. McConnel turned to see three men in black and red robes enter the room. The leader spoke up, “In Nomine Criste, this ends now! Lord God forgive us!”

Alex was about to say something when he felt a sudden and pain strike to the back of his head. His eyes blurred and he fell unconscious. The exorcism was over.

VIII

The interview took over an hour. Alex got up and began pacing around the room. Every minute that went by felt like an eternity. What could he be asking her? Does her believe her? More importantly, would he be able to help her if he did.

The door finally opened and an emotionless Tersa appeared. She turned and looked at Alex, “Father Moran would like a word with you.”

“Okay.”

Alex got up and walked past Tersa into Father Moran’s office. Father Moran was behind his desk looking at his paperwork. Alex studied his surroundings as he stepped inside. The office had the same wood paneling and blue carpet as the sitting room. He saw pictures on the wall of family members as well as degrees and certificates. Aside from religious studies, Father Moran had also gotten a Master’s Degree in psychology from the Boston College.

Alex felt like he was entering a shark’s tank as the old priest looked up at him, “Ah, Alex, please sit down.”

“Sure.”

Alex took the seat in front of the desk. Father Moran lowered his papers and took off his glasses. His thin beard matched the white color of his hair, which he brushed behind his ear as he spoke, “So Alex… how do you know this girl?”

“We went to High School together.”

“Were you two close?”

Alex shook his head, “No… we were two years apart. I don’t think we met more than once or twice.”

“So you didn’t really know her then.”

“No.”

“So why are you here now?”

“She was walking by my house earlier in the week during that huge storm. I let her hang out there until the storm passed.”

“Why was she out walking during the storm?”

“Her car broke down.”

“I see…”

Alex noticed the unease in his voice, “Father, what is it?”

The priest sighed, “Alex, I spoke with the psychiatrist who saw her and then to her parents. You were brought up quite a bit.”

“So she had a crush on me in High School, so what?”

“You don’t see it, do you?”

“What?”

“She still does, Alex.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Come on, Alex, you’re smarter than this. Think about it. She just happens to show up outside of your house the first night that you’re back in town after two years, she’s read your books, and she’s had eyes for you.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

Father Moran sighed. He clearly didn’t want to say it, but knew he had to, “I think she may have underlying psychological issues. I think she’s playing the damsel in distress to get your attention. She read your books, which go into great detail on the Church’s view of exorcisms, so she knew what to do.”

Alex was almost in shock, “What? You can’t be serious! How do you explain her voices, her knowing Latin, and the faces she’s made?”

“Latin can be learned, none of the voices described by her parents were outside the range a human can make, and the same with her faces.”

“Father, I have a degree in psychology too. You can’t seriously think that this is the case?”

The priest frowned, “I have doubts about what you’ve brought forward. I can’t take her case to the bishop when I don’t know that I believe it.”

Alex rubed his forehead with his right hand. Father Moran got up, walked around his desk, and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, “I can understand your wanting to help. She’s a fascinating woman.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it? You know, despite my recommendation, I never thought that you were right for the priesthood. You had a certain joviality about you that wouldn’t fit in. A priest’s life includes some level of seclusion that you would not have been able to thrive under. Your uncle was really the one pushing this on you, wasn’t he?”

Alex shook his head, “My uncle helped me choose a calling, leave him out of this.”

“As you wish… but unless you have any more evidence that can help her case, I’m afraid that I can’t recommend an exorcism. As someone who has experience in that field, I know you understand that.”

“What about the crosses? We put on in front of her and she almost jumped out of her skin, and…”

“And what?”

Alex didn’t want to say it. He knew what Father Moran would think, but he was running out of evidence, “My nightmares…”

Father Moran sat back down, “What nightmares?”

“I see her in my dreams now. She’s possessed and suffering like…”

“Like the girl in Rome.”

Alex looked up at Father Moran with a surprised expression, “How did you know about that?”

“I kept tabs on you.” Father Moran replied. “I know what’s been troubling you and why you left the seminary.”

Alex shook his head, “Great…”

Father Moran smiled, “Alex, what you saw is something that no human being could see without being affected by it. I think you might also want to go see a therapist. You may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. If you’d like, I’d be happy to…”

“No thank you.” Alex replied. “I’ve done fine on my own.”

“As you say… As for your claims about the cross, I tested that. She reacted fine to being around crosses.”

“That doesn’t mean anything when she’s in control.”

“Yes I know that.” Father Moran admitted. “However, like I said, you’ve given me very little in the way of convincing me that this isn’t the machinations of two very troubled minds.”

Seeing the disappointed look on Alex face, Father Moran adjusted his tone, “Look, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll keep this matter open. If Tersa starts going to see a psychiatrist and they can’t resolve this, then I will reexamine her. If then I determine this to be a legitimate case, I’ll recommend the exorcism.”

“I just hope she survives that long.”

Alex had run out of patience. It was obvious that he was not going to help them. He got up to leave as Father Moran looked over the papers one more time, “And Jesus said to him, “You believe because you have seen, but blessed are those who have not seen me and yet still believe.”

The preist looked up and smiled, “John 20:29… But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.”

Alex turned away, “Matthew 13:16… Good day, Father.”

“Good day.”

Alex left Father Moran’s office and joined the family waiting for him in the living room. Tersa looked up at him, “He’s not going to help us, is he?”

“No.”

“He thinks I’m crazy, right?”

Alex didn’t answer her, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

VII

“Alex…”

“What, who is that? What’s going on?”

Alex found himself in a dark room, all alone. He had no idea how he had gotten there or why. A dark voice beckoned him forward.

As Alex slowly walked, the floor became less and less stable. It was extremely muddy and what looked like vines were coming out of the wall. Ahead, Alex could hear whimpering, like someone was in pain. He didn’t know what to expect, so he pressed himself against the wall of the muddy cave as he moved.

Slowly and cautiously, he moved into the next chamber, not knowing what to expect. He had no weapons and feared that an attack was coming. It was an eerie feeling as he moved.

His feet tread as lightly as possible to prevent making noise, until he kicked something metallic on the ground. He looked down to see a flashlight on the tip of his right foot. Convenient…

Alex picked it up and continued moving into the next chamber. He didn’t turn the flashlight on, not at first. Letting whoever or whatever was waiting for him know exactly where he was, was ill-advised when he was heading into a potentially hostile area.

As he entered the room, the voice called out to him again, “Alex…”

Alex recognized the voice and immediately flicked on the flashlight, “Tersa?”

The light illuminated a pale body in front of him. She was clad in torn clothes and it looked as though she had been stabbed all over her body by what looked like vines hanging from the ceiling. It was a grotesque image that he could barely stand.

The flashlight moved up to her face. Her eyes were soaked with tears and completely bloodshot. He didn’t know what to do or how to save her. He had nothing to cut the vines with. In a panic, he looked around for something, anything, sharp enough to cut through the vines, “I’ll get you out… hang on…”

“You’re too late.”

Alex’s eyes turned back to Tersa as the sound of giggling came from her direction. Her eyes began glowing orange and her teeth had been replaced with sharp fangs. She was hideous.

Alex stepped back, “You… I know you… you’re not Tersa…”

The creature cackled as it flicked its wrists, causing the vines with withdraw from its skin. At that moment, Alex realized that they weren’t vines at all, they were roots! Where was he?

Before Alex had a chance to comtemplate the horror unfolding in front of him, the creature broke loose of its bonds and jump at him, screaming in an almost reptilian voice, “Surprise!”

Startled, Alex opened his eyes and found himself in his childhood bedroom in a puddle of his own sweat. His hands were shaking and his eyes were filled with tears. My God… my God… what have you done to me?

Was it a dream, a premonition, or some sort of twisted imagery that was being inflicted upon him? This was not the first time that he’d experienced dreams like this before, but why were they now all revolving around Tersa? What was he missing?

Alex got out of bed and looked at the clock. 9am. He’d successfully slept through the night for the first time in a while. Unlike most mornings, he felt energized.

Looking at himself in the mirror, it was clear that he needed a shower. His skin was a slimy mess and his hair was greesy. He quickly stripped off his boxers and headed to the bathroom.

The steam soothed his tainted lungs as the water cleansed his skin. When he was finished, he grabbed a towel and turned off the water. As he slid back the shower curtain, his eyes widened. His mirror had completely fogged up. The words ‘leave now or die’ were written into it.

Alex shook his head as he wiped the mirror clear. He had nothing left to lose, so he certainly wasn’t about to be intimidated by hallucinations, if that’s what they were. He still had too much to do.

Alex got dressed and headed out the door. He really didn’t want to go to the McConnel home. He was afraid of whatever was going on with Tersa and didn’t want to be party to another tragedy. Still, like a moth to the flame, he went outside and got in his car.

Within minutes, he pulled into the McConnel’s driveway. He got out of his car and looked up at the house. How was he going to do this? Armed with neither a piece of scripture or a crucifix, or even the faith needed to combat evil, he believed he was walking into what he feared most.

Alex stood on the front stoop and rang the doorbell. The door immediately opened and Alex found himself looking atTersa. Her face showed a blank stare until she realized who it was. Immediately she put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you.”

“I just did what I had to.”

“You saved me.”

At that moment, her father appeared behind her, “Ah Alex, come in please.”

Alex was led into the kitchen and offered a seat. The room was all dark wood paneling, with a sort of galley style stove and sink off to one side. It really showed the age of their home.

Tersa sat next to him on his left while Sgt. McConnel sat on the opposite side of the wooden table. He turned to his daughter and nodded, “You want to tell him what’s been going on?”

Tersa lowered her eyes, “I’m hearing voices at night when I try to sleep. I have a hard time eating, it’s like my stomach just tightens up so I can’t keep much down. I black out for hours at a time, only to come out of it and realize that I’ve somehow still been active.”

“Have you heard anything back from the doctors about possible mental problems?”

“No… we’re still waiting. They did several tests, but the results haven’t come back yet.”

Tersa’s mother, who had been in the next room over, came in and joined them at the table. She remained silent as they spoke. He faced had a very detectable amount of worry and her eyes looked bloodshot as though she had been crying.

Alex shook his head, “Look, all of those are symptoms of potential psychological problems. I think maybe we should wait until…”

At that moment, Tersa’s mother placed a small, golden crucifix on the table in front of her daughter. Tersa immediately smacked it off the table and glared at her mother, “Accipe a me!” (Get that away from me!)

Alex stopped in his tracks, his eyes were wide. Her eyes were black and she was breathing heavily, “Qui estis?”

She looked up at him, “You’re too late.”

The voice wasn’t hers. Alex’s blood ran cold as he looked at her. The malicious grin was so wide that it must have been straining Tersa’s face. He partially expected to see fangs in her mouth. The tears in her eyes were the only way he could tell that she was still in there.

Alex couldn’t stand it, “I asked you a question, who are you?”

“Someone.”

“Who?”

“Someone from below.”

“Give me a name.”

“You know…”

Tersa’s body fell limp. Alex shook his head as he stood up, “I’m sorry… I don’t think I can help you.”

Mrs. McConnel stood up, “You’re giving up?”

“No, but she needs a priest, not a reject like me.”

Alex knelt down next to her and tried to wake her, “Tersa, Tersa, can you hear me?”

Tersa’s body immediately came to life. She jumped at Alex with a growl. Alex jumped backwards, out of the way, narrowly avoiding her teeth hitting his left eye. She fell to the ground on top of him. He could hear her crying as he moved to grab her, “Alex, please help me.”

Alex shook her head, “We need to get her to Father Moran. He’s a good man, he’ll know what to do.”

Sgt. McConnel stood up, “All right. We’ll all go. My SUV is in the garage. Let’s get her downstairs.”

Alex picked her up and allowed her father to lead him down the stairs and into the garage. A large black Chevy Suburban was waiting for them. Alex quickly pushed Tersa on to the seat behind her father before going around to the other side. Her mother was about to climb in to sit with her daughter, but Alex spoke up, “Perhaps I should sit with her… if she has another episode…”

Her mother paused a moment and nodded, “All right.”

As soon as everyone was in, Sgt. McConnel started the car and backed out of the garage, heading for the church. Both Alex and her mother kept an eye on Tersa. She remained motionless with her eyes closed the entire ride.

They arrived at the church a few moments later. Alex dashed out and ran around to the other side before anyone else got out. He quickly opened the door and picked up Tersa.

The front doors of the church were shut, but never locked. Alex, followed by Tersa’s parents, pushed the doors opened with his side and ran in. He proceeded quickly down the isle and placed Tersa on the front pugh. An uncomfortable look came over her face. Alex had a feeling that this was the demon that they were dealing with and not Tersa herself, though he also did not feel comfortable there.

Father Moran appeared from the back of the church to see who was there. His eyes focused on Alex as he was the first one the old man recognized, “Alex what can…”

His eyes focused on Tersa, “What’s going on?”

Sgt. McConnel stepped forward, “Father, we need your help. Tersa isn’t well we think… well…”

“We think she’s possessed.” Alex said, finishing his sentence.

Father Moran’s brow furrowed as his eyes examined the sickly looking girl resting on the chair, “It looks like she needs a doctor.”

“She’s been to the hospital.” Mrs. McConnel replied. “They can’t find anything wrong with her.”

Father Moran knelt down next to her and put his thumb against her eyelids to see her pupils. He shook his head, stood up and turned to Alex, “My friend, I recommended you to the seminary. I know that you were fascinated by cases like this, but I hope you’re not…”

“Father, that was two years ago. I’ve seen too much in that time. Believe me, I don’t even want to be here right now.”

Father Moran sighed, “Very well, bring her back to the rectory. She can rest on one of the couches.”

He then beckoned to Sgt. McConnel, “I assume that you’re her parents?”

Sgt. McConnel nodded, “Yes sir.”

“Has she been seen by a psychiatrist?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have his name and number?”

“Yes.”

Father Moran nodded, “All right. Let’s go into my office.”

The old priest led them back behind the altar to the residence. It was an old apartment with an odor of must and cigarette smoke. The walls were dark wood paneled and looked like they were in serious need of updating.

Father Moran beckoned Alex to rest Tersa on the couch. He then turned to her parents, “Come back with me to my office. Let’s give this doctor a call. Alex, you stay with her.”

Alex nodded as they disappeared, “Yes Father.”

Christ, Alex, what the hell are you doing? He thought to himself. He meant it when he said that he didn’t want to be there. Every saintly effigy, every crucifix, and every single concecrated item made him feel uncomfortable.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tersa began to stir and slowly sat up. A wave of relief overtook Alex when she opened her eyes and they were brown. “Hi there, how are you feeling?”

“Weak… I feel like I haven’t slept in day.”

She quickly looked around the room with a confused expression on her face, “Where am I?”

“St. John’s. Your parents are talking with Father Moran.”

A look of fear came over her face, “I can’t be here. It won’t like this…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Alex, I need to get out of here. Being here is making it angry.”

“What, what is it?”

“I…I…”

Before she could answer, the door to Father Moran’s office door opened. Her parents came out, followed by the priest himself. Their faces brightened up when they saw that she was awake.

Father Moran smiled, “Tersa, good, you’re up. Mind if we talk for a little while?”

Tersa shivered as she looked at her parents and then Alex, “Okay… just for a little while.”

Tersa stood up and followed Father Moran back into his office. Alex sat quietly as he waited to hear what was about to come of these interviews. Tersa needed help and if anyone could, it was Father Moran. Would he believe her though? The looks on her parent’s faces made him uneasy. It looked as though they had just been through an intense dressing down and weren’t sure that he would help.

IV

Alex went to bed in his old room. The old posters and toys that he once played with were still where he’d left them. His mother had taken great care to make sure that everything was exactly as he remembered it. Clearly she’d expect him to come home at some point, though he had other plans.

It was yet one more sin on Alex’s soul. He had no way of repenting for this one. He had missed his chance when that drunk slammed into his mother’s old Chevy.

His eyes fluttered and he finally went to sleep. As his eyes closed, his field of vision became painted red. His eyes shot open, but there was nothing but red all around him, “What… what is this?”

At that moment, a cross appeared in front of him. The moment that it fully materialized, a woman slowly began to appear. Her hands and feet were nailed to each end of the cross and a crown of thorns adorned her head. Blood was everywhere.

Alex’s eyes widened as the woman looked at him. He knew who it was, “Liliana…”

Her head moved slowly so that her eyes met Alex’s, “Why didn’t you save me? Why did I deserve to die?”

“I tried!” Alex insisted. “Really, I did everything that I knew how to do.”

“You couldn’t protect me… how do you intend to protect her…”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, “Who?”

The image suddenly faded and reappeared in front of his eyes. To his horror, Tersa now appeared in front of him. Alex was confused, “Why her? I don’t understand.”

The bloodied effigy smiled at him, “You will, very soon.”

More blood began to pour from her hands and feet as her body fell limp. The world suddenly faded to black, forcing his eyes opened. He woke up in a puddle of his own sweat, breathing heavily.

Much to his surprise, it was already morning. The storm was over, but the clouds had not yet passed by. Alex got up and went to the door to check on Tersa. He quietly exited his room and went to the guest room. He slowly opened the door to take a quick peak and to make sure that she was okay.

At first, he didn’t see anything, just a mess of tangled sheets. Afraid of what he might find, he pushed the door open hard. Tersa was gone.

In a panic, Alex quickly turned to the bathroom to see if she’d gotten up. The bathroom was empty. Maybe she went to the kitch? That was empty too. Oh God, what happened?

Alex began to feel the same sense of dread that he’d felt that day at the Vatican. He needed to get out and find her. Maybe she woke up early and wanted to get home?

He threw on a new set of clothes and ran out the door. Without a second’s hesitation, he jumped into the family car, turned it over, and shot out of the garage as fast as he could. He was determined to find her.

The Cadillac barreled down the road at almost twice the speed limit. Within minutes, he found the Oldsmobile right where they had left it, but where was she? Had he hallucinated being there her somehow?

Alex shook his head. That wasn’t possible. Where the hallucinations had become fuzzy afterwards, he remembered her being there clearly. So where could she be? Another quick search of the house revealed nothing. There was no evidence that she’d been there.

A sense of panic flowed over him. Too much didn’t add up from the night before. The power going out, Tersa getting stuck on the side of the road, him just happening to be outside at the right moment to see her, the tree falling, and the whispers on the wind was all too much. One looking at this from the outside could have dismissed them all as coincidence, but Alex suspected that there was something darker behind all of this.

With the tree still blocking his path, the only way into town was to go through the wooded backroads and that would take an extra twenty minutes. It was a long way around that he would not have been able to undertake the night before, but now that the weather was clear, it would be more manageable.

Alex pulled the car around and headed down to the other end of Pleasant Hill Road before turning left onto Silent Hill Lane. He kept his eyes open on either side of the road, looking for Tersa, but could find no sign of her anywhere.

Finally, he turned left at the other side of Pleasant Hill Road and then onto Main Street. He pulled his car right up in front of the police station and paid the meter to park for a few hours.  So where should he start looking? Should he go to the police?

Windsted, Massachusetts was a fairly small town with less than 1500 people living. Everyone knew everyone from the town, so it would be a good place to start. However, if no one had seen her and he started asking questions, it may seem suspicious and if he had been imagining the whole thing, he would look like a lunatic.

Alex lit up a cigarette and pondered his options for a moment. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the door to the police station flying open and an older, well-built, man in uniform came down the stone steps. He had a stressed look on his face.

Alex immediately recognized the man, put out his cigarette and intercepted him, “Officer McConnel, remember me?”

The officer stopped for a moment and looked at Alex, “Oh so you’re back in town… I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to exchange pleasantries, my daughter didn’t come home last night. She was out celebrating her 24^th birthday party.”

Chills went down Alex’s spine as the hallucination theory had finally been disproven, “Tersa didn’t make it home?”

Officer McConnel shook his head, “Have you seen her? She was driving a silver Oldsmobile Firenza.”

What could Alex do? If he told the officer the truth, he’d be a suspect in her disappearance. He’d be hauled in for questioning while whoever had her was able to finish whatever they were doing. Time was of the essence and there were no minutes to spare for that, “Um… theres a car that looks like that on the side of the road Pleasant Hill Road, but I didn’t see her.”

The officer shook his head, “Oh God… I’d better get over there. You’re sure it’s the same car?”

“No, but it says Firenza in white letters on the side.”

“Yeah that’s my car. All right, thanks!”

Alex nodded as the officer hopped in his car and pulled away without another word. Her birthday? She didn’t mention that…

The date was the 13^th of October. Alex shook his head at the odd coincidence. The 13^th… well that’s a bad omen if ever there was one.

Alex paced for a few minutes thinking of where he should look next. At that moment, he saw a dark figure clad in all in black, watching him from a distance. The figure had a menacing aura about it, but made no move to confront him.

Alex was about to cross the street when the blare of a loud horn made him jump back. A large truck entered his line of sight as it drove by. Once it passed, the figure was no longer on the other side of the road. What was going on?

Directly behind where the man had been standing was the town library. It was an impressive stone building for such a small community. Was this a sign that he was supposed to go in there? He had too many unanswered questions. Where was Tersa, why was her date of birth becoming significant? Something didn’t add up.

Then he remembered something his uncle had said to him. There hadn’t been a storm like the one that rocked Windsted in the area for almost 25 years. Tersa was 24.

What was going on? Alex needed answers and standing on the curb wasn’t going to yield any. He abruptly crossed the street and went into the library. From the front door, he was immediately drawn to the microfilm room with all of the old Newspaper articles from the town.

Alex’s hands shook with either fear or anticipation as he brought up the October 13^th, 1990. His eyes scanned over the page. Nothing. There was a mild thunderstorm on the day of her birth, but the date was otherwise insignificant.

What could he be missing? There had to be some sort of connection there. Something was not adding up right. Alex sat back and stared at the image on the Windsted Sun for a few moments. He said 25 years… not 24… and Tersa mentioned when her mother found out that she was pregnant.

Alex’s fingers went flying back about nine months and slowly made his way through the papers. It took him 20 minutes to find the paper. There it was, February 3^rd, 1990. It was a very unusual time of year for such a storm. According to the paper, the meteorolergists were baffled by its sudden appearance.

He continued scrolling until he reached the next day’s paper. It took a few minutes of his eyes scanning the pages before he stumbled on a small article off to the side. The title was in bold black letters, “Storm Topples 300 year old tree.”

At first, this didn’t seem significant, but something in the page caught his eye. The word ‘Quetzalcoatl’ jumped out at him. It was an odd thing to see in a story about a tree, so he turned back and began reading the article.

His eyes flew over the lines as he read. Witnesses claim a random bolt of lightning struck the tree, causing it to break and burn. The tree is situated in what was once a local grave yard. Records of Windsted dating back to the 1690s indicate that a young woman by the name of Rachel Proctor had been discovered praying to the Aztec God Quetzalcoatl. She was immediately tried for heresey and witchcraft, and sentenced to hang.

Rachel is believed to be one of the earliest people tried for witchcraft. Her family pleaded with the local clergy to allow her to be burried. The clergy agreed only if a tree were planted over her grave to bind her wicked soul. Until yesterday’s storm, that tree remained as a silent reminder of past crimes.

Alex went pale and pushed away from the film projector. He had heard of this practice being done by the Amish, but this was the first historical case of it that he had read about. Ordinarily, he dismissed things as ancient superstition, but after what he saw in Rome, he wasn’t sure any more.

So Tersa was concieved around the same time that the tree was destroyed. There was another, much smaller storm on the day of her birth, and now on her 24^th birthday, a raging storm hits Windsted and she disappears the net morning. Could this all be connected?

Alex put a hand to his head, “Okay, this is nuts. I’m letting my own fears get the better of me and come to life. Most likely she left my house early, walked home, and she got there after her father left.”

He wanted to believe that, but why would she leave without saying goodbye? Why wouldn’t she call her folks? Her phone may have been dead and maybe she didn’t want to wake him. It was plausible, but likely?

Alex’s head was beginning to hurt. He decided that the best thing to do was head back home going the way she would have walked. Maybe he’d see something that would give him a clue.

He turned off the microfilm and turned to leave the library. His father’s Cadillac was where he left it, however now there was another black figure standing in front of it. This one looked taller than the first.

Alex froze in place for a moment before stepping forward to confront the dark figure, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The figure didn’t move, but a voice came from under his hood, “Do not interfere.”

“Interfere? What are you talking about?”

Another voice broke the silence, “Hey Alex!”

Someone else came around the corner, making a started Alex turn to see who it was. His eyes lit up when he saw an old friend, “Henry?”

He quickly looked back at the cloaked figure, only to see that he was gone. Henry came running over, “Hey buddy, long time no see.”

Alex’s eyes darted around, “Where’d he go?”

“Who?”

“The man dressed in a black cloak!”

“Alex, what are you talking about?”

“Come on, you must have seen him!”

Henry shook his head, “Sorry man, you’re the only one here.”

“I swear to God, I’m losing it!”

A sympathetic look appeared on his face, “Who could blame you, the untimely death of your mother and all. You look like you haven’t slept in days. I’m really sorry buddy.”

“I’ve been sleeping just fine…”

“Then you look like you’ve put yourself through hell.”

“That might be closer to the truth.”

Henry nodded as Alex pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, “By the way, Henry, do you know a girl named Tersa? She lives not too far from here…”

“The McConnel girl?”

“Yeah.”

Henry nodded, “Yeah I see her around every now and then. Rumor had it she had a major thing for you in High School, why do you ask?”

“She’s missing.”

“No kidding? How do you know?”

Alex thought for a moment, “Can you keep quiet about something?”

“Of course, lord knows you’ve kept quiet many times for me.” Henry laughed.

“She was at my house last night.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, but when I woke up, she was gone. The guest room was empty.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed, “Did you tell her father about this?”

“No.” Alex admitted.

“Why not?”

“I’m going to, but I want to see if I can find her first. I’m worried that there may be… a reason she’s gone.”

“A reason?”

Alex shook his head, “That’s all I can say at the moment, keep it quiet will you?”

“All right man.” Henry replied. “Just promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Go to the police soon. If you don’t find her, let them take over. That’s their job and you’ve got enough on your plate.”

Alex nodded, “All right, I’ll do that.”

Henry looked back at the convenient store that his father owned, “All right man… well I need to get back and deal with a missing order. I’ll be at your mother’s wake this weekend. When you’ve got everything together, call me. We’ll grab a drink and catch up.”

“I will.”

“See you later, Alex.”