Lost Souls

Chapter 3

Esmeralda hugged Bethany so tight, she thought she might break her. She was so glad to be around something, someone, familiar. Having her memories be a mystery to her made her feel disconnected from herself. Bethany just brought Esmeralda back from the unknown. She knew who she was now.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Bethany said, pulling away from the hug.

"I'm not sure if I'd say safe," Esmeralda said, looking at the monstrous beast towering over Rene. "Looks like we're dealing with a demon."

"Just like old times," Bethany sighed as she rose to her feet. "It feels like I'll never escape this magic crap."

"Can you kill it?" Esmeralda asked, knowing Bethany wasn't the most seasoned witch out there.

"Kill it? Probably not," she answered. "But I could banish it, maybe..."

The demon grabbed Rene and lifted her straight in the air. The creature's white hands radiated a powerful glow and its fingertips appeared to reach into Rene's body. It opened its mouth and held her face up to the gaping hole.

"We better act fast!" Esmeralda urged Bethany.

Bethany clapped her hands together and pulled them apart with flare. Ribbons of fire stretched from her hands and whipped at the creature's back. It howled in pain and dropped Rene, quickly scurrying off to the side. The giant crouched amongst the pews. Its featureless purple face looked around at them as if it had eyes.

Esmeralda and Bethany ran to Rene as she climbed to her feet. "That was strange," she said in her flat voice. "It tried to do something but... failed."

"It tried to kill you," Esmeralda said.

"I can usually send spirits away. I tried with this creature," Rene told her. "But this thing is clearly not a spirit anymore."

"No, it's a demon," Bethany informed her. "Are you a witch?"

"Psychic," Rene said. "A Medium to be specific."

"We can do introductions later," Esmeralda told them as the creature recollected itself. It leaped forward. Esmeralda grabbed the girls and they disappeared and reappeared at the stage of the church. The monster fell on the ground where they once stood, searching around for them.

"Give me your hand," Bethany said to Rene. Without question Rene did what she was told. "I'm going to borrow your psychic energy to banish this thing."

"Clever," Rene said with a smile. The beast located them and took steps to close the distance.

Esmeralda stood behind the joined hands of Bethany and Rene. As Bethany began to chant, "Rogo vim purgativam. Cum hoc spiritus, vita et potentia, ut per illud expellere mala."

The creature didn't stop. It kept moving forward.

Rene squeezed down on Bethany's hand tighter and closed her eyes, concentrating.

Bethany spoke again. "Rogo vim purgativam. Cum hoc spiritus, vita et potentia, ut per illud expellere mala."

"It's not working!" Esmeralda said as the creature continued to approach. Esmeralda placed her hands on theirs as an encouraging gesture. The second she joined their connection, she felt a jolt of energy from them. It traveled up her arms and into her core were it exploded like a firework. That new burst of energy traveled back down her arms into Bethany and Rene. Their bodies tensed as the energy raced into them.

Bethany said her incantation again, her voice booming this time. "Rogo vim purgativam. Cum hoc spiritus, vita et potentia, ut per illud expellere mala."