Demons at the Door

Purity.

I'd read many articles over time regarding brain fogs, from the well thumbed magazines and information leaflets at the doctors. But I had never experienced one, until now. 

Waking up on the floor of the twins room, with Zak's thigh under my head whilst he brushed the back of his hand over my cheek was something I could have never predicted. Nor could I have predicted that I would be told that I have a problem, a big ghost dealing problem. Since then, I had been sat against the chest of drawers with my head in my hands trying to recall what happened and how I got from being in the bathroom, to being in the twins room on the floor.

"What the hell is that smell?" I ask, finally lifting my head to see what Zak was doing. 

"Sage." He answers with his back to me as he stretches his arm up to wag around some smoking implement in his hand. 

"And that does what? Apart from stink."

"It's used in cleansings to clean the house of bad energy." He explains, bringing his arm down and turning to face me. "Now you're awake, we can look at getting you cleansed too."

"I'm fine." I answer, wafting my hand in my face to try and dissipate the stench. "Is that really necessary?"

He looks down at the sage. "How much is it bothering you?"

"It smells."

"Yeah, but it is also going to help, so suck it up and drink your water."

I pull the bottle of water across the floor which he had given me and unscrew the cap. Taking a mouthful, I try to swallow when it feels as if my throat closes over and I'm being choked. The water glugs back and forth until I'm forced to sit forward and empty my mouth into the plastic paper bin. 

"Easy.." Zak says as I cough. "It's blessed."

"I- Are you trying to kill me?!" I shout wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. 

"Of course not.. But that right there is an indication that whatever happened earlier, is not finished. We need to get you help." He informs me. 

"But there's nothing-"

"You just choked on water. You couldn't swallow it. Your body rejected it because there is something else still playing within you. I know what I am talking about Riley. Please do not take me for a fool."

I have no energy to fight with him, hell I have no energy to stand up, so I simply recap the water, put it aside and bury my head back into my hands, waiting for sleep to come.

*****

"Riley.. It's time to wake up." 

The voice sounds like Avery's, I'd believe it was until the veil of sleep was broken and the sweet calming voice morphs into one of a mans. 

"Riley.. Can you lift your head up for me?" He asks.

With all the effort I can muster, I lift my head up to find a man looking back at me with a pleasant smile. "Hello." He says watching me through his rounded glasses. 

"Who are you?" I ask before looking at his clothes. "Are you-"

"My name is Bishop Bryan, I'm a friend of Zak's.." 

"Funny sort of friend." I mutter, before I can shut my eyes, I see another person in the room. "Who is that?"

"A colleague of mine. Riley, do you know where we are?" He asks. 

"V-Vegas." 

"Good, and do you know why we are here?"

I shake my head "For a wedding?"