Heavy rain beat relentlessly against the farmhouse and the aging brown car parked next to it. The storm had driven most of the nocturnal creatures into hiding, and with clouds covering the moon and stars, the night betrayed not a single ray of light.
Inside the farmhouse, Esther screamed. Crouched on the floor like a lion ready to pounce, she surveyed with red, glowing eyes the circle drawn around her. Esther's nightgown was torn, the sleeveless remains of her attire revealing the bloody tracks on her arms where she had scratched herself. Her face also carried the same red streaks. The edges of her eyes were dotted with cuts where she had tried to gouge them out. She would have succeeded if her husband and Father Patrick hadn't stopped her in time.
The two men stood several feet away from the circle entrapping the raving woman. Harry watched nervously as Father Patrick began the next phase of the exorcism.
The priest, dressed in a white surplice and purple stole, removed the cross around his neck and held it out in front of him. "All-powerful God," he began, "pardon all the sins of your unworthy servant."
Esther roared, "Culan empi seiro fa!" The words came from her mouth, but the voice didn't belong to her.
"What did she say?" Harry asked shakily.
Father Patrick answered, "I don't know. She's speaking the demon's tongue. Bring me the holy water." He indicated the bowl of water in Harry's hands.
Harry approached hesitantly. Father Patrick dipped his fingers in the bowl and sprinkled holy water on Harry, and then he did the same in Esther's direction. She hissed and took a step back, acting more insulted than afraid of the sacred liquid.
"In the name of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ..."
Esther caught Father Patrick off guard by laughing. "Your God has no power over me!" To prove her point, she walked to the edge of the circle and leaned forward. "Exuro!"
Father Patrick dropped his cross and writhed in pain. He fell to the floor, rolling uncontrollably.
"Father, what's wrong?" Harry asked, putting his hand on the priest.
"It burns, it burns!" the man of the cloth screamed. "Put it out!" His eyes were clenched tightly shut, and his face began to turn red.
Harry didn't understand Father Patrick's actions. He couldn't see anything that would cause the struggling man pain. "Father, there's nothing wrong with you!" The priest continued to cry in anguish. Harry scooped some of the holy water out of the bowl and dispersed it over Father Patrick's body. Slowly, Father Patrick stopped thrashing about.
Regaining his strength, the priest picked up his cross and faced Esther again. "I demand to know what you are called, demon."
The voice that emanated from Esther answered, "You once knew us as Legion, for we are not one, we are many."
Father Patrick recognized the name from the New Testament. He also knew that Jesus had driven the demons out of a man in Gadarenes, so they lied when they said God had no power over them. He summoned Harry and whispered, "I'm going to wrap my stole around her. I need you to hold her down, no matter what happens. Understand?"
Harry nodded uncertainly.
Again, Father Patrick prayed, invoking God and Jesus Christ. As he spoke, he walked toward Esther. She did not move, grinning at the priest, mocking him. When he was an arm's length away, Father Patrick reached out with one end of the cloth in hand. He touched Esther's shoulder with it. Instead of shirking away, she cackled and grabbed a hold of his arm. Her grip burned through his sleeves and seared his arm like a hot iron, but Father Patrick refused to let go. He draped more of the stole around her shoulder.
Harry saw what the priest tried to do, and he reached around Esther's back for the other end of the strip of cloth. He wrapped it around his wife's torso so that, with arms locked and the stole stretching from her body to his, Esther and Father Patrick appeared to be bonded together.
The priest continued chanting, grimacing in pain from Esther's grip. With his other hand, he placed his cross on her forehead.
Esther shrieked violently and pulled away, but Father Patrick still had one hand on her shoulder. She dropped her arm and convulsed, trying to twist out of his clutch. Harry stepped into the circle and held onto her. No longer suffering from Esther's burning grip, Father Patrick pressed forward.
Esther's eyes glowed bright red. "You cannot defeat me!" she screeched. She put both hands around Father Patrick's neck and squeezed.
The priest did not relent. Using the breath available to him, he proclaimed, "I exorcise you, spirits! Every one of you! In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, be uprooted and expelled from this woman!"
Esther emitted one final shriek before collapsing. Father Patrick let go. He knelt down on his knees, rubbing his neck.
Harry cradled his wife's head in his arms. Her breathing was shallow but regular. Her eyes opened. They no longer carried the demonic red glow.
"Harry? What happened?" she asked.
"Don't worry, dear. Everything's okay now."
Harry set his wife on a bed of blankets, where she quickly fell asleep.
Father Patrick stood up and readied himself to leave.
"I don't know how to thank you, Father." Harry shook the priest's hand effusively.
Father Patrick removed his hand from Harry's grip and placed it on the man's shoulder. "No need to thank me. Just make sure I see both you and Esther at church on Sunday."
Harry promised, "Of course we'll be there."
Father Patrick closed the front door on his way out. He stepped into the downpour. The only illumination on that wet night came from the red glow in Father Patrick's eyes.
