Entropy

I| Chapter XIV: Alicia's Return

Phil McKelsey

Meanwhile...

The wind blows gently against the house. I give up on shovelling the driveway; the snow quickly reburied it like a relic refusing to be found. There are two feet of snow here. All the heaters and furnaces are on full blast. Thanks to advances in technology, machines are still working. I know that it's not entirely immune to it. If the temperature begins to plummet even more, it will stop working.

I sit on the couch, watching Volcano. I played back the voicemail from Naomi. She has repeatedly called me several times since last night. She didn't even bother to make a voicemail until now.

"Father, please, come back. We figured out a way to cure Ivelisse. Please, dad, listen to me. I am so sorry." I hear her say before she hangs up.

Well, good for her. She figured out a way. Can't she do it herself?

I turn my phone off, irked. I have enjoyed the peacefulness of the house ever since I returned home. No Markus and no Naomi. I personally thought that Markus should've been killed and sent to Hell for his actions. I never expected him to live. I never expected that he would become dependent. It feels like a punishment to us. Naomi was the one that assists him with his needs. I refused to go near that devil. He hasn't confessed and it's already been a decade. I also don't believe God will indulge his sins either. Moreover, his behaviour made the place more difficult, along with their occasional fights.

I lie back, thinking about the coven house. Mostly thinking about what Ivelisse said during the exorcism. I was usually taught to be straightforward with the demons and never show fear. This one managed to put me on edge. What they said put me under strain and reflection. They also exposed me to the fact that I was surrounded by pagans, rather than a Catholic family. I don't fear pagans, but rather angry that they lied to me.

They were right. I was tired of Alicia and Naomi, but I still cared. I witnessed Alicia's frequent panic attacks and Naomi's teenage issues. It made me want to pull my grey hair out. Things kept on happening, it became tiring. I was sick of it. Therefore, I stayed busy, hoping the issues would be resolved between those two and whenever I started to miss them. Naomi ended her mom's life. Markus ended several lives and messed with Alicia's too. They are two sides of the same coin. They may be against each other, but they are the same. Watching Alicia die made my heart skip a beat and tear open. I wished it was just a normal heart attack, not Naomi's powers going along with her emotional outburst.

.

.

.

Footstep-like sounds catch my attention. I try to use logic, saying it's sleet hitting against the house. I relax and continue to watch the movie.

The sound returns again, but it sounds like they are heading towards me. I turn the volume down on the TV, hearing them get closer.

Okay, did a demon follow me home or am I going crazy? I have been hearing these sounds ever since I came home.

I see a lady shadow against the wall. The shadow is looking at me.

"May you reveal yourself?" I ask, on edge.

"Phil..." The figure whispers, sounding hurt and worried.

"Yes?"

An apparition materialises. At the same time, 2000's music begins to play on the radio. The same music that I heard from my wedding decades ago. My eyes widen and my mouth drops open to see my long-dead wife, Alicia. Thousands of thoughts pass through my mind. Why now? Why now? Naomi was telling the truth that she did see her mom's ghost. But again, why not me?

"Alicia?" I stand up and slowly walk to her.

Alicia appears happy, calm, and glowing. She is in the same clothing before death. She is wearing camo yoga pants and a light white shirt with long sleeves.

"It's me," she tells me.

"So Nao was telling the truth?"

"Mhm," she hums while nodding.

"Why appear now?" I ask her, dying for an explanation. I put my hands on her shoulders. Her shoulders feel warm as if she was still alive. We started romantically dancing as we did on the same beloved night.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a long time" she explains kindly, "You were busy with your studies like you always have."

"I-" I stutter, lost in my own storm of thoughts and emotions, "I'm sorry for not being there for you- like when a husband should have. I...was fed up. I should've kept on seeing more of what caused it. I'm sorry for what you've been through! Please tell me, don't hide it from me! I still trust you and I don't want you to lose trust in me."

"It's alright," she counsels while putting a hand on my cheek, "I'm better now."

I smile.

"Did Naomi kill you?"

Her smile drops, but not a frown.

"It was an accident, Phil. She wasn't in control yet. She remorsefully apologised years ago. Like a flashback, there's no control, only to cope and deal. It took me some time to realise I was dead."

"What about Markus?"

"He's no longer a threat to me. I am no longer afraid. Naomi did what she was supposed to do, end his wrath. Now it's up to him to be on a better path. It's risky and bumpy, not clear. I read him bedtime stories since he never had a childhood."

"What? I thought that was Naomi..." I do hear a woman's voice reading to Markus's a few times per week. The walls muffled the actual identity of the woman doing it, so I thought it was Naomi. I do find that slightly humorous. I chuckle a bit.

She smiles and laughs, amused by my realisation.

We danced for a good couple of minutes to the music. All of our past worries went away. In fact, Alicia tried to hide her anxiety when she first met me. I didn't know what she was so afraid of until she informed me deep within our relationship. I did everything in my power to protect her; shrines, prayers, numbers to call, escaping methods, and so on. I wanted her to feel safe. Sadly, her trauma still occurred. I wished I had gotten her therapy. I also didn't notice how bad Markus was until my first encounter. She kept that a secret as well, watering down the events.

Her face suddenly looks troubled.

"Naomi..." She tells me, "She's in trouble; she needs you."

I nod, remembering the phone call.

"Go quickly."

"But the blizzard is not letting up."

"She's still your daughter, Phil. Just so Markus is your half-brother-in-law. If one of them is in trouble, I will still try to save them even if the sky is falling." Her maternal instincts kicked in.

"Have you forgotten what Markus has done?"

"Never will, Phil. Show him that people care about him," her hands ease off my shoulders.

I don't argue anymore. I clean out the driveway against the harsh blizzard. Then, I start in my vehicle and drive away. At least, the snowplows are around, so it's not impossible to drive. It's still very hard to drive in a blizzard.

However, I am willing to go through burdensome obstacles to get to Naomi.