The Richmond Haunting (COMPLETED)

Chapter 23

'A devil is what you got!'

It was a bad thing to hear. A very bad thing. And for those few seconds, soaking up the shock of what was said, nobody could say anything.

And this wasn't a movie, where one of the co-stars would say. 'Did you hear what I just said?' And wait for the answer with their eyes switching back and forth at the other players. It was real.

'A devil?' Fiona blurted out, cracking the silence.

'Quite a powerful one.'

'Does he have a name, this devil?'

'It doesn't really work that way.'

'So, how can you be sure, then?'

'Because I felt it.'

Sam wanted to explain further, but he had to sit down and rest for a moment because of what he had seen upstairs.

'Sorry, I'm just.'

'Afraid?'

'To put it bluntly, yeah. It doesn't matter how long you do this line of work. They always find a way of scaring you.'

Sam's confession of being scared really was an eye-opener, a demonologist being afraid, but Fiona and Steven had to know the next move.

'The church. We have to get them involved.'

A worrying thought took hold of Fiona.

'But we're not Catholic or even religious; the last time I went to church. I can't even remember. God, it was so long ago. So they might help us?'

'I'm not going to say a hundred per cent; yes, they will help you; but there will be a catch.'

'What?' It was Steven, who had spoken, holding Fiona's hand.

'Unfortunately, the church won't lift a finger until they have something they can work with. And even if they do help you. It might take up to six months.'

'That long?' Fiona said, the world around her crashing down. 'But I thought.'

'I know it's a lot to take in, but the Catholic Church. They deal with hundreds of cases like yours daily. So there is a waiting list.'

'I thought the church doesn't publicise exorcism?'

'They don't.' Chris said, breaking into the conversation, 'but people upload them.'

'Who!'

'Family members, witnesses, hundreds, each day.'

'A losing battle, then?' Fiona said.

'Something like that, yes, but we do need the church on board. And that means gathering as much data as possible.'

'Then what?'

'Hoping the church does help before it goes to the next stage.'

'What's the next stage?'

'Oppression: trouble sleeping, nightmares, self-harming, and hurting those around you.'

'Those first two you can cut off the bucket list; we've all had trouble sleeping, and when we do sleep, we have these terrible nightmares.'

'Do you all experience the same dreams?' Sam asked. The question came out of the blue.

'All the time.'

'Then you must be getting close to the third and the fourth stage.'

'Possession and death?' Steven asked.

'I'm afraid so.'

'What if we just move out?' Fiona wanted to know.

'In cases like yours, it never works. Bad spirits are like leeches.'