The Club

Twenty-One

“Why are we all the way out here?” Craig asks as we are watching the priest set up everything for my exorcism in the middle of the woods. 
“Do you think it was a good idea to do an exorcism outside of church where anybody could’ve seen?” The priest asks as he turns towards us.
“Oh. I guess not.” Craig says awkwardly.
“Are you ready?” The priest asks me as he holds a bible and a cross.
“I-I don’t know.” I tell him nervously. 
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll get the demon possessing you out of you and you can go back to normal.” He tells me, reassuring me.
That’s the problem, isn’t it? I don’t think I am being possessed. I don’t know what is happening to me. I honestly think it has something to do with my blood. I mean, everyone at school wants it. Mr. Dubuik wants it. So maybe it’s not some demon possessing me, but my blood? I don’t want to do this. If walking inside of a church and drinking holy water hurt me, then this would too, right? Why couldn’t I just stayed in bed today?
“Lets get this started shall we?” The priest asks gesturing me to come over.
“Um, will it be possible if we tried something else first?” I ask awkwardly. 
“What? You said that I could do this to make sure you’re not possessed.” He tells me, getting annoyed.
“I-well yes, but I just have another possibility of what is going on with me.” I tell him nervously. 
“Let me do this first, and if it doesn’t work, then we can try whatever you had in mind.” He tells me, dismissing me.
“Shouldn’t ye at least hear what the lassie has to say, David?” Craig asks, stepping up.
The priest or David lets out a sigh before agreeing with Craig. “Fine, what other possibility did you think it is?”
“Okay um, this might sound strange but I think it has something to do with my blood.” I tell him.
“Your blood?” David asks. 
“Ye blood lassie?” Craig asks, pointing at me. 
“My blood, yes. It sounds strange, I know, but I go to this Academy in this town, and ever since I started there, everyone has been after my blood.” I explain to them but stop as I try to figure out if I should tell them about Tynan and Mr. Dubuik. 
“Leaden Orenda Academy?” David asks with wide eyes.
“What? Lassie, ye didn’t tell me ye went to that miserable place.” Craig says in shock.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized to him since I didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m surprised you go there. Is that where you got possessed?” David asks seriously.
“I’m not possessed! But I seriously think something is wrong with my blood. I know something has to be, because everyone at that school wants it. I’m not possessed, but I do hear a voice in my mind from time to time. Whoever or whatever he is, he’s sharing his magic with me. I-I don’t use it because I’m afraid, but look what it’s doing to me!” I explain to them, then yelled as I ripped my hood and hat off.
David and Craig both let out loud gasps of shock as they took a step away from me. I’m not sure why I blurted everything out to them, but perhaps I’m just sick of not getting any answers that I need and want. Craig stayed back away from me as David slowly steps closer to me. I notice he was gripping the bible and cross in his hands tightly. Are they afraid of me? I thought, feeling hurt and regret, that I told them everything. I should’ve kept my mouth shut like I always do, but I didn’t and now they are afraid of me. I watch as David circles me, examining me, but he still kept his distance away. Joz are you here? I wish you were right now. I thought, feeling alone. When David finished examining me, he stopped in front of me and gives me a strange look.
“You say you’re not possessed by a demon, but your appearance changed and your hearing voices and can use magic.” David plainly states the effects of being possessed.
“I know it sounds strange. I promise you, though, that I’m not possessed. He doesn’t take over my body and mind like possession does, and he doesn’t tell me to cause mischief and chaos. He lets me be who I am, well kind of, besides my appearance.” I explain to him.
“He? The voice inside of your mind is a guy?” David asks raising an eyebrow.
“Uh yes. He calls himself Joz, well, I call him Joz. I couldn’t say his full name.” I tell him, shrugging.
“Joz huh?” David says, more to himself as he seems to think to himself.
“Um, lassie? When did this happen to ye?” Craig asks, still keeping his distance.
“Oh. Um, it started when I uh tried to connect with my magic.” I tell him guiltily.
“Oh.” Craig says, looking away from me.
“You tried to connect with your inner magic and then all of this happened?” David asks clarifying it.
“Yes. That night, after I tried to connect with my inner magic, nothing much happened. Except I felt weak, tired, and I had a hard time sleeping. Every night since then I kept having this weird dream.” I tell them, thinking back to where I saw the blue flame and how it affected me.
“What sort of dreams? If you don’t mind me asking.” David asks, observing me.
“Well, almost every night, it was almost the same dream. I’ll see darkness at first, feeling coldness all around me. I’ll hear what sounded like drums beating in a rhythm and it would always get louder and louder. I’ll hear what sounds like chanting in the distance, and then a blue flame would appear in front of me. I would feel coldness but warmth coming from it, and I felt like I was in a trance.” I explain to them but left the part out where I saw my dad repeatedly in my dreams.
“Blue flame? Chanting? Oh boy.” David says, pacing in front of me now with worried eyes.
“What does that mean, David?” Craig asks, stepping closer.
“Well, for one. It means she’s right, she’s not possessed. But, she still has a demon in her.” David says glancing over at me.
“Wait what?” I ask, panicking.
“My dear, it sounds like you were a part of a demon ritual.” David tells me seriously.
“A part? But I would never take part in something like that! I-I don’t understand.” I say, grabbing onto my head freaking out.
“This sort of ritual doesn’t happen too often. It’s rare a demon would agree with it because, in doing so, it would mean they have to live inside of your mind until your mortal body dies. Then they can be free and return to the underworld.” David explains to me seriously.
“So, like a contract?” I ask, remembering that’s what Joz called it.
“Yeah, like a contract in a way.” David agrees, nodding.
“Wh-why would somebody do this to me? I don’t remember ever doing a ritual or even being a part of one.” I tell him, upset.
“Well, people do it for certain things. For power, but people usually just summon demons like normal and make a contract that way. To bring someone back from the dead, which is more up the alley of this ritual.” David explains to me, making me freeze.
Bring someone back from the dead? I thought, as my dad always appeared in my dreams. Whoever did this ritual, did they brought my dad back? If so, then why haven’t I’ve seen him anywhere? Why is this happening to me? I shake my head, as this is too much. I was a part of a ritual to bring my dad back to life. Did my mom know? Was that why she always acted weird when I mentioned him? I wish she was still here so I could ask her these questions. This isn’t fair. I didn’t want this, but if it was to bring my dad back then I’m grateful, but why use me?
“Yo-you got it all wr-wrong.”
I nearly jump when Joz suddenly spoke up, but he sounded weak. I became worried, which is weird since I now know he’s a demon. But, he’s here because he made a contract with someone to bring my dad back. So I should at least be nicer to him than I have been. I can stop ignoring him, for one. Joz? Are you okay? I ask him in my mind, but he never responded. I became worried but I will have to try again later. I hope he’s okay. He needs to answer more questions that I can’t ask David and Craig. Like where’s my dad, and who contracted him. Why did they choose me to use in the ritual instead of someone else? Unless, maybe, it had to be family. But why did my mom let them do this if we can’t see my dad afterward? That makes little sense to me. There is something that I’m still not getting, and Joz is the only one who can answer it for me. He’s the only one who can answer all of my questions.