MELINOE

The Hellhound

Chapter – 12

Father Andrew and me went down the road on his truck to our home. I interrupted, "But Father, why do you want to visit our farmhouse?" "I've been asked by someone to help the family living in there, that's why." I remembered that night when I saw Nikki talking to this man and asked him immediately, "Was it a girl, Father?" Father nodded yes. I kept on thinking what is all this all about and what is it that Nikki knows about our farmhouse. The Father's husky voice interrupted my rushing mind, "Some evil is there in your house.

...

Don't worry, I'll drive it all away. I'll help you."

As the truck neared our gate, so many crows started cawing loud. The sky appeared dark grey with heavy clouds, and everything around seemed still. Numerous crows started to fly in small to big circles over our farmhouse. We got down the truck. The father might be in some deep thoughts as he kept staring at those crows quietly with a serious face. I unlocked the door open and asked the father to get inside. It was not yet time for mom and dad to be back from work and Nadiya, too, must be in college.

I turned back, "This way..." It was more than strange 'cause Father Andrew already seemed to know about it and was climbing the steps up to Nadiya's room without me leading him there. I followed him. When I reached her room, Nadiya was already there. I don't know how on earth that was possible. She was standing in front of the mirror. Surprised, I dropped down my phone and Nadiya turned back to that sound,"Hi Noah! Who's this with you?" "He..." Father stopped me. He gestured me to stay out and went inside the room himself. As he entered, Nadiya said,"So, we meet again... Andrew?" I stood there without blinking. "This is not your place anymore, Jesse," the Father replied. Clueless me tried to figure out what they were talking about and who this "Jesse" is! And just then, the entire house started to echo a loud, manly laughter. I got gooseflesh when I saw that it was Nadiya who was laughing the bold and dangerous laugh! I tried to go near Nadiya but she thrusted out her hand and I got stuck. I can't believe but I could not move. I felt some unbeatable power holding my body outside the door and not letting me move. I tried harder than I could but failed. "What the hell is going on!????" I screamed! Father Andrew took out a bottle of holy water from his robe and sprinkled on her with violent jerks. He repeated. Once. Twice. Blisters and boils started to appear on Nadiya's face, her skin started to get burnt and she started to yell in pain! I shouted,"STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!" Despite my desperate efforts to get in, I could not. Nadiya continued to scream in pain as her skin started to appear as burnt scars all over. I opened my backpack and took out a big, fat book and threw hard straight at the Father! His bottle fell down, and he yelled at me,"YOU FOOOOL!!" Nadiya started to smile in the most uncanny way possible. She lifted up her hands and rose up! She started to float near the ceiling in the air! I could not convince myself that I have to believe my eyes. Nadiya started to glare at the Father from up there and kept snapping her fingers. There was a thunder-like noise and the floor of the room opened up. It just got separated and moved apart. I stood there horrorstruck. The cawing of crows intensified so much we could hear the sound echo everywhere. I could hear the howling gales outside, that was so much beyond normal. Moving skeletons from below the opened up floor started to pull down the Father! All I could see was high flames down there and creeping and crawling skeletons all around. Father Andrew tried to hold the wall of the room tightly and continued to pray. The evil in Nadiya roared, "Don't you understand Andrew, after all that you've done, Hell is where you belong!" Few skull heads with open mouth and stretched out forearms were dragging the Father down. He was trying with all his strength to cling to the wall of the room and battled with the supernatural powers for a long time, until his hands got fatigued and he sank down.

The floor closed and got back exactly the way it was. Nadiya turned her eyes towards me and closed them. When she opened, her eyes were completely black without any distinctive eyeballs. The peril got me shocked more than I can ever dream of and I felt sweat all over my body. She smiled and in a hoarse, manly voice uttered, "Thank you."