TEN

The boy woke up next to Beth, still holding her. Daylight was shining through the curtains. He sat upright, checking how Beth was doing. As he did she slowly woke up.

“Kid? Is it morning already? I went out like a light.”

“Yes, it is. You must have been exhausted with all that has happened.”

She yawned an stretched. “Yes, I guess. Thank you for watching over me. Let’s get some breakfast and go to Father Kerry.

While the boy ate some cereal and drank some milk Beth, in fact wasn’t able to eat. She was obviously very nervous about what was going to happen. After just a bite of toast she asked the boy if he was ready to go. He was.

They drove over to Father Kerry in silence. Beth was lost in thought, as he could understand. It wasn’t every day you were on your way to your own exorcism.

Father Kerry was there to greet them at his office door. “Hi there. Hope you are doing well, considering the circumstances.”

Beth didn’t know what to say to that, so she just said nothing. The boy told him, “Sure.”

Kerry led them into his office. He pointed at a chair in front of his desk. “Just sit down on that chair, Beth.”

Beth did what he asked. Then Kerry went to his desk and took out some rope from it.

“I’m sorry, Beth. I will need to tie you up. To protect you from hurting yourself or us during the exorcism.”

“I understand,” Beth said.

Kerry started to wrap the rope around her, tying her to the chair. The boy didn’t like seeing her tied up like that, although he understood why it might be necessary.

“Kid, you might want to leave. I’m not exactly how the demon inside her is going to react. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Kerry told the boy.

“I’m not afraid. And I’m going to stay here, making sure she is okay.”

“If you wish.” Kerry put on his glasses and took a thick book from his desk. “Here we go.”

He held up a crucifix in one hand, held the book in the other hand and started to read from it. The boy could make out and remember the words, “Excorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potentas.” The rest that followed was obviously Latin, but was too much for him to remember. It seemed to do something though.

Beth started to shake. Her eyes went wide. In a voice, very different from the one the boy was used to she spoke. Where her voice was normally soft, and a her pronunciation sometimes a bit odd sounding due to her years of being deaf it now sounded gravelly, but very clear. Very British. It said, “You fucking Catholic retard.”

Kerry was clearly shaken by that. He might have hoped his words had an effect, this being his first exorcism without a doubt he was still both shaken and glad that there seemed to be an effect. It took him some effort to concentrate again, but with extra resolve he started to incant in Latin again.

Drool started to come from Beth’s mouth. The boy hated to see her like that. The ropes were already terrible enough. She said, “You stupid, weak sheep! You really think blabbering something in an old language will be enough to beat me. I will tear out your fucking tongue!”

Suddenly Kerry’s book caught fire. Screaming he let go of it. It dropped down on the floor and burned.

Eyes wide, drops of perspiration on his forehead, Kerry uttered, “God have mercy!”