The Conjuring 3 - The Devil Made Me Do It - Born of Sin

II

1981:
"Be with me Lord, in my hour of need. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness. Nor for the destruction wasted at noonday. Be with me Lord, in my hour of need. Because thou hast, made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation. Be with me Lord, in my hour of need. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come night thy dwelling. Be with me Lord, in my hour of need. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. Be with me Lord, in my hour of need."

The words were spoken in quiet, solemn unity, but Alexandra felt each line like a brand to her heart. The cadence of the prayer was steady, almost like a heartbeat-one desperately trying to remain calm in a place where calm had long since fled. The room was dim, shadows pooling in the corners like things with teeth, the air unnaturally still despite the destruction that surrounded them. Cracks spidered through the walls, furniture lay shattered, curtains torn from their rods. This house had become a battlefield-no longer a home, but a prison haunted by something that should not exist.

They all sat in the living room, huddled together like survivors in the eye of a storm: the Thomas', the Warrens, the Glatzels, and Mr. Johnson. The tension in the air was thick and choking, heavy with fear, desperation, and something darker-something watching. Every few seconds, Alexandra would glance toward David, her heart twisting in her chest as she watched the small, pale boy. He was only eight. Just eight. And already, he looked like he'd lived through hell. His eyes weren't the eyes of a child anymore. They were hollow, too wide, like he was seeing things none of them could.

"Let's take a break, shall we?" Ed's voice broke through the quiet, and his hands closed the prayer book with deliberate care. There was no need to say more-they all needed it. Nods followed, solemn and grateful, and everyone began to peel off into different directions. The Glatzels and Arne disappeared into the dining room. Ed and Lorraine made their way toward the kitchen, with Drew and Alexandra trailing close behind.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Alexandra let out a deep sigh, one hand bracing against the edge of the counter as if her body had suddenly become too heavy to carry. The light above flickered slightly, casting long, ghostly shadows on the wall. She didn't even flinch.

"You alright, Alex?" Lorraine's voice was gentle, her hand warm and steady as it rested between Alexandra's shoulder blades. It was a small touch, but grounding.

"Yeah." Alexandra's reply was automatic, but her voice lacked conviction. Her shoulders slumped a little further as she exhaled. "It's just... seeing David, he reminds me so much of Eddie, and I can't even begin to imagine having my son go through this."

Her voice cracked a little on the word son, and for a moment, her vision blurred-not from tears, but from the sharp, intrusive images that flooded her mind. She saw Edmund with those same wide brown eyes, afraid and alone, whispering in the dark about shadows that moved. She saw him screaming and thrashing, just like David had, and her stomach twisted violently. The thought of her baby in that kind of pain was unbearable.

"I get it. I was like that with Judy," Lorraine offered with a soft smile, one full of understanding that only a mother who had walked the edge could give. Alexandra nodded slowly, her jaw tight, pressing her fingers to her temple before following Lorraine back into the dining room. They all sat again, circling like a grieving congregation.

"He can't take much more of this," David's father said, his voice raw with exhaustion and helplessness. Alexandra watched him as Arne gently took David's small hand and led the boy upstairs to rest. The footsteps on the stairs felt too loud in the silence that followed.

"He won't have to. Things will move quickly now that the exorcism's been approved. Father Gordon is on his way," Ed said, offering hope, solid and certain. Alexandra wanted to believe him.