Along Came Lorraine

Chapter 1 "Here To Help"

The power cuts out again. It's the forth time this week and you let out a loud sigh while grabbing your torch, making your way down into the basement to the fuse box. Flipping the switch like you've done many times before you wait for the lights to come back on, but they don't. "Okay.. that's weird.." you whisper to yourself, feeling slightly uneasy. Trying the switch again, you jump when you hear sudden loud footsteps coming from above.

You only moved into the house three months ago and never had a problem living by yourself before. But recently you've felt slightly on edge, like you are not alone. This isn't the first time that you've heard the footsteps and you know things have been moving around when you've been out the house. One day you came back home from work to find all your kitchen cupboards open and you were sure you didn't leave them like that when you left in the morning.

Suddenly the lights come back on and you run up the basement stairs as fast as you can. Grabbing your phone you call your friend right away "Hi, remember when you said you would speak to someone at your church?" you feel you hands start to shake and a cold chill runs down your spine. "Could you please talk to them now? Things are getting worse and I really need some help."

---

A few days pass by, your friend called back the next day promising that the church knew people that could help. The church had often reached out in similar situations to a couple named "The Warrens". Ed and Lorraine Warren were demonologist and had dealt with their fair share of cases involving the supernatural.

It's still quite early in the day when you hear a soft knock on your door. You can't help it but jump at the noise since lately every noise has you on edge. Opening the door and find a woman with a big suitcase standing on your doorstep.

"Hi, I'm Lorraine Warren and I'm here to help if I can." She says in the sweetest and friendliest voice you've ever heard. It takes you a second to respond.

"Oh yes, Hi, Please come in."

She smiles at you and her whole face lights up when she does.

"Oh wait let me help you with that." you offer as you see her pulling the handle on her suitcase.

"Thank you." she replies, never letting her smile fade.

Taking her coat you ask her if she would like some tea, before the two of you sit down in the living room.

"Sorry to ask but my friend said there were two people coming.."

"Oh, no need to apologize, my husband Ed has some kind of flue and he insisted we should go together. But when the church told me about you being all by yourself in the house I knew I needed to get here as soon as possible."

Feeling touched by her kindness you flash her a grateful smile "Thank you."

You start to fidget a little, not able to sit still, you get up from the sofa and start pacing around the room.

"Sorry, I'm nervous, I've never had to do anything like this before.."

Lorraine puts her cup of tea back on the table, gets up from the sofa and stands in front of you.

Reaching out she puts her hands on your arms and starts to gently rub them up and down.

"It's okay." she smiles "I'm going to help you."

Her soft smile suddenly drops and she glances over to the fire place, dropping her hands she starts to walk off and you notice the rosary around her wrist twisting between her finger when she stops in her tracks.

"Someone is here."

She goes quiet and you feel goosebumps form on your skin while you watch her.

A few minutes pass when she suddenly gasps loudly before she drops to the floor.

"Oh my God!" you let out as you rush over to her and kneel down next to her.

"Lorraine? Are you okay?"

Is this normal? you think to yourself as you try to read her facial expression. Her breathing is fast and you feel a panic as you have no idea what to do.

She grabs your arm and looks at you "I'm okay." she says softly.

"What happened? Do I need to call the church? your husband?" you ask as you help her back on her feet and sit her down on the sofa.

"Sorry, I should've explained myself and my gift.." her breathing is slowly coming back to normal when she continues "I can see things, feel things that most people can't. There's spirits that can show me things to make us understand why they are here."

Noticing your shocked expression she takes your hand "It's okay, I've done this many times and I'm going to help you. It might take some time, but everything will be okay." she says giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

You noticed how when she took your hand in hers you felt yourself becoming calm again, her sweet caring words, her soft warm hands, it felt safe.

"Okay, but please let me know if there's anything I can do." you reply.

"I will."

After what happened in the living room you don't want to leave her side, even when she told you that she's fine you don't want her to collapse like that again. You stay close as she roams through the house, entering each room you watch her and how she moves, how she focusses and brushes everything with the tips of her fingers. Every now and then she stops and smiles at you, probably to reassure you that she's fine. When you come back down the stairs she talks you through the process.

"So it might take a few days, is that okay for you?" she asks after she's explained everything.

"Yes that's fine. Thank you, for doing this."

She smiles "Anytime."

The rest of the day goes by fast, she asks you a lot of questions at first but as time progresses conversation with her becomes lighter and you really start to enjoy her presence. During dinner you even share some laughs and you are surprised with how much you like this woman after just knowing her for less then ten hours.

As you get ready for bed later that evening you feel relieved you're not going to be alone in the house tonight. Evenings and nights are the worst and you hope that whatever is tormenting you and your house will be banished by Lorraine. Walking down the hallway you run into Lorraine on her way to the bathroom, wearing a long white nightgown.

"Hi" you say followed by a small smile.

"Hi" she replies, returning your smile "Goodnight."

"Night."

You watch her disappear into the bathroom before you close your bedroom door and crawl into bed.