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

VII

"This demon...it's not here of its own free will. It was summoned," Lorraine said, her voice low and tense, like she was carrying a heavy secret she wished she could unburden. Her pacing was restless-back and forth in front of Alexandra and Ed, a dance of nerves that filled the room.

Alexandra watched her, arms crossed but shoulders tight. "You do realise that does not make me feel better," she muttered dryly, but the sharp edge of sarcasm couldn't quite mask the knot tightening in her chest. She hated feeling out of control.

Lorraine finally sank down into a chair, folding her hands in her lap. "That means, we know that this is a curse, and curses can be broken." The faintest flicker of hope sparked in her eyes as she looked between Ed and Alexandra.

Ed leaned forward, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, then how do we do that?"

Lorraine's gaze sharpened. "Back at the Glatzel house, I touched David's hand and I saw something. I didn't know what it was then. But I think I was connected to the person who is responsible for this. Ed, Alex, that body they found...if it's Jessica, if it's really her, then that connection could still be open."

Alexandra's breath hitched slightly. The word "connection" felt heavy, like a tether pulling her into darker waters she didn't want to swim. "There's gotta be another way," Ed said, shaking his head firmly, as if sheer will could rewrite the script.

"What if...what if whatever is following me...is this demon? Is the one doing all of this?" Alexandra's voice was quiet but trembled with raw uncertainty. Lorraine inhaled deeply, nodding slowly, the weight of the idea sinking in.

"Because...if that's the case then I technically have a connection open to them too. And I'm not too sure that's something I'm happy about," Alexandra finished, her eyes flickering away, haunted and wary.

•§•§•§•§•

They arrived at the Palmeri Funeral Home under a gray, heavy sky, the air thick with silence and unspoken dread. Lorraine was the first to step out, fingers tapping nervously against the locked doors as she knocked frantically.

"There's nobody there," Lorraine sighed, turning towards the car with an edge of frustration and exhaustion.

Alexandra's gaze darted down the empty street. She held out her hand toward Ed. He frowned, hesitating for a moment, but the subtle desperation in her eyes softened him. He handed her the cane.

Alexandra glanced again, then shoved the end of the cane hard into the glass door. The sharp crack echoed in the stillness as a jagged hole appeared, just big enough for her to slip her hand through.

Lorraine's jaw dropped in shock while Ed fought back a laugh, smirking proudly. "What?" Alexandra shrugged casually, the rebellious spark lighting her eyes. "They're dead, it's not like they're gonna mind."

Ed's laughter broke free and filled the heavy air, but Lorraine shot him a warning look that made him hold it back.

Together, they slipped inside. Ed grabbed a flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness as they cautiously moved down the long, shadowed hallway. The tension clung to their skin like a second layer.

They reached double doors, pushing them open with a quiet creak. Alexandra flipped on the overhead light, revealing the chilling scene: rows of covered bodies lined up on gurneys and tables, silence hanging thick and heavy.

"Oh." Alexandra's voice was barely a whisper, her breath catching as a cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Would now be a good time to say that I don't like looking at dead bodies?" she asked with a brittle edge, trying to break the heaviness pressing in on them.