章 7: THE DEMON
I wake up around 9 a.m., still feeling groggy and not ready to get out of bed. I'm not much of a morning person, so I've already told Martha we'd meet at 10 a.m. The bed feels incredibly warm and inviting, making it even harder to leave it.
Technically, the ritual should be done at dawn, but waking up that early is just not an option for me. As I finally manage to get up, I think about the ritual and hope that starting later won't cause any issues.
I quickly grab some toast and coffee for breakfast and double-check my bag to make sure I have everything we need for the ritual. Martha sends me a text to confirm we're still on for 10 a.m., and I reply with a quick "Yes."
It's a bit chilly outside, so I grab my jacket before leaving. The drive to Martha's place is quiet. The morning light softens the look of the town, adding to my mix of excitement and nerves.
I pull up to find Sam already waiting for me. She's standing by the roadside, her arms crossed against the chill, her breath visible in the cool morning air. She gives me a small wave as I park the car. As I step out, she greets me with a nervous smile.
"Ready for this?" she asks, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
"Yeah, let's do it," I reply, trying to sound more confident than I feel. Together, we head towards Martha's house.
"Good morning, Martha," Sam greets her cheerfully as we step inside.
"Good morning. I've cleared out everything in the bedroom upstairs to make room for whatever we're going to do," Martha responds, her voice echoing slightly in the open space of the hallway.
"You're amazing, please lead us there," I say, following her lead as we all head upstairs. The wood in the steps creaks under our feet, each crack sending a tiny shiver up my spine.
The sound adds an eerie note to the morning, but I keep my fears to myself, not wanting to admit how much it unnerves me.
We step into the empty room, and I immediately notice the wooden floor. It's perfect—smooth and spacious, ideal for drawing the protective circle needed for the ritual. Martha closes the door behind us, sealing us off from the rest of the house. The room feels isolated, a bubble set apart from the world, which is exactly what we need.
I kneel, pulling chalk from my bag. "This will help us," I explain to Sam, who watches intently. Carefully, I begin to sketch the circle, making sure it's precise. The symbols and ancient script I draw next are crucial; they are the keys to binding and banishing the demon.
As I work, I instruct Sam and Martha to place candles at specific points around the circle. "Each candle represents a cardinal point—north, south, east, and west. They'll help strengthen the barrier," I say, keeping my tone steady to mask my growing nervousness.
Once the circle is drawn, I scatter a ring of salt around it for added protection. "Salt wards off evil spirits; it's an old but effective trick," I mention, hoping it reassures them as much as it does me.
With everything set, I step back to review our work. The room, now dimly lit by the flickering candles, holds a heavy, expectant silence. "Once we start, we don't step out of this circle, no matter what happens," I remind them, my voice firm. "Are we ready?"
Sam nods, her face set with determination. Martha, though less familiar with such rituals, mirrors her resolve.
Taking a deep breath, I read the final items—a small bowl of incense and an ancient invocation I've memorized for this very purpose. "Let's begin," I announce, my heart racing as we prepare to face the unseen foe.
With everyone in place, I light the incense, the sweet, pungent aroma filling the room and creating a sense of solemnity. "Focus," I instruct Sam and Martha, as I start the incantation.
"Ignibus antiquis creationis aurorae,
Sigillis sacris quae profundum tenent,
Astra noctis vincula evocans,
Ex custodia caelesti surgant.
Catena eldritcha, in regnis umbris facta,
Te constringant, o spiritus pravus et errabundus!
In abyssum unde venisti recede,
In noctem sempiternam evanescens, " The words, old and powerful, seem to vibrate in the air, echoing slightly off the walls.
As I continue the chant, the candles' flames flicker as if stirred by an unseen wind, casting dancing shadows across the walls. Sam and Martha's eyes are fixed on the circle, their faces tense but resolute.
Suddenly, the temperature drops, a chill sweeping through the room that makes us shiver.
This is a sign the presence we summoned is reaching the circle, reacting to the boundaries we've set.
"Hold the circle," I say loudly over the rising wind that whistles through the cracks in the windows, the physical world reacting to our spiritual invocation.
I raise my voice, continuing the chant with more urgency, each syllable a command.
The wooden floor within the circle begins to tremble subtly as if the very house understands the gravity of our task.
"We call you forth and bind you to our will. By the power of the circle, by the symbols of old, you are commanded to leave this realm," I declare, throwing a handful of a powdered herb into the flame. It flares up with a bright, bluish light, casting a surreal glow over us.
The room grows tense, the air thick with expectation and fear.
"We must hold fast, maintain the circle, and complete the ritual without breaking our concentration. The demon, feeling the binding of the ritual, might lash out in desperation."
As the ritual gets stronger, a sudden, strong blast of air rushes through the room. The candles flicker wildly, and some go out, making the room darker. The floor under us makes a loud creaking noise.
Suddenly, something pushes us hard. Sam almost steps out of the circle, but I quickly grab her arm and pull her back to safety.
Inside the circle, something huge and scary-looking lets out a terrifying scream.
Thank god Sam and Martha can't see it otherwise, they would pass out. Its sound is so scary it feels like it could freeze our hearts as it lets out loud yells of anger.
"Stay together!" I yell, trying to be heard over the scary noise. We hold hands, making sure we stay strong and don't break the circle.
Martha looks scared, but she nods and squeezes my hand, showing she's still with us.
I light a candle again to make the room a bit brighter and to help keep our protective circle strong. "We hold! It's trying its hardest to scare us," I say, hoping to sound brave.
The air feels even heavier with danger. Shadows move wildly inside the circle, forming into a big, scary shape. It pushes against the invisible barrier we've made, trying to break through.
I take a deep breath and start the last part of the chant, speaking loudly and clearly. "By the light that binds, by the circle that protects, I command you—be gone!"
With a final, desperate scream, the scary presence shakes the room like an earthquake as it fights against the spell. We hold on to each other, standing firm as the room shakes.
As I finish the chant, the shaking and howling suddenly stop. Everything goes quiet, eerily silent. We catch our breaths, still holding tightly to each other. Martha, who had been right next to me, suddenly goes limp. I catch her before she hits the ground—she has passed out.
Sam and I gently lay her down, keeping her inside the circle just in case. The room feels lighter now as if a heavy weight has been lifted. I check Martha quickly to make sure she's okay; her breathing is steady, but she's unconscious.
"It's left her," I whisper to Sam, who looks back at me with wide, relieved eyes. "The demon was using her, and now it's gone."
We sit there on the floor, exhausted but relieved, watching over Martha as she rests.
After making sure Martha is comfortably resting and showing signs of waking, I start the task of cleansing the house to ensure no lingering negative energies remain. Sam helps me gather the spent candles and used items from the ritual. We open the windows to let fresh air sweep through the room, pushing out the stale, charged atmosphere left by the night's events.
I pull out a bundle of sage from my bag, lighting it and allowing the smoke to billow softly. "This will help clear out any bad vibes," I explain to Sam, who nods, still a bit shaken but eager to help. We walk through each room, waving the smoldering sage in corners and along doorways, the smoke trailing behind us like a cleansing wave.
In each room, I utter a simple, protective blessing, reinforcing the house's barriers against unwanted spirits. "May peace dwell within these walls," I chant softly as we move from space to space.
As we finish, the house feels lighter, almost brighter. We end our cleansing back where we started, checking on Martha, who is now stirring, blinking slowly as she comes to.
Relief washes over me as I see her regain consciousness, looking around, confused but safe.
"We did it, Martha. The house should feel a lot better now," I assure her, helping her to sit up.
She smiles weakly, nodding her appreciation for our efforts to not only save her but to restore peace to her home.
Leaving Martha's house after ensuring she's safe, Sam and I head back to our cars.
Exhausted and hungry, we feel a mix of relief and satisfaction at having helped her.
As we step into the warm daylight, I lean in close to Sam and whisper, "I never want to do that again. I was so scared, I almost wet myself."
Sam chuckles, patting me on the back. "I know, right? But hey, we did it. And we got paid," she replies, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Yeah, there's that," I say, mustering a tired smile as we climb into the car and drive off, eager to rest and recharge after a long day's work.
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