The Possessed

by Kirk Kilgrave

  Only this doll walked and talked. Yet, from what I gathered, it was more patient and less vile, although certainly just as sexually perverted as Pheurianis. As for its strength, I couldn’t guess as to its power base, but the way it had tricked me to believe Lilah had been speaking with me the past few days, I believed its intelligence towered over that of Pheurianis.

  The moment the demon turned back to the kitchen and headed in that direction, every nerve in my body trembled even more than moments ago, and I felt Jake swoop in beside me. He curled me inward against his chest.

  “It didn’t even try to take the holy water or the cross?” he whispered, his brow rumpling his forehead. “It’s not afraid of us. Not even close.”

  That worried me, but I couldn’t tell if it had ignored our weaponry to psyche us out or if the religious items couldn’t hurt it. Maybe the demon left them untouched to mess with my mind. If so, mission accomplished.

  “One shot,” the demon asked from the kitchen. “Or two?” She looked our way. “Let’s make it two! Plus, a dash of lemonade. Coming right up!”

  “Well, let’s get out of here,” he said.

  “We can’t. Noelle’s upstairs. She’s herself now. And she’s in no condition to move. She’s weak from everything that happened. I can’t just leave her here.”

  “I could run upstairs, carry your sister down here, and we’ll split. Sound good?”

  “That’ll take too long.”

  “Well, I don’t hear any ideas coming from you,” he said, frowning at me.

  I accepted the holy water and cross. I placed them in the front pockets of my jeans. “Did Father Demetrius say anything before you left the church?”

  “He wished us good luck. How about getting another priest in here?”

  “Nona told me hardly any priests believe in demons nowadays, which in my mind makes these creatures even stronger. I mean, if no one thinks they’re real, they can do what they want, and people will just blame other people, not the supernatural.”

  “There’s got to be other priests that can help,” he said.

  “It could take days, not only to find one who believes us, but who’ll get clearance from the Bishop to give them the authority to do an exorcism.”

  “So, we’re waiting for Nona then?”

  “We do have one option.” The idea of going up against this demon chilled my bones. In truth, I was terrified to face it. If it had fooled me for the past few days, what other tricks could it rely on? And if it used those abilities, would the resulting carnage end up with me in a casket?

  The demon watched us with a sinister grin on its face as it approached us.

  “And what are you two lovebirds discussing? Sexual positions? And if I may,” the demon addressed me. “I recommend placing a towel underneath your bottom so as to not stain the sheets.” It stopped beside us and handed Jake a tall glass.

  He just stared at it. His upper lip quivered.

  “Awww, you’re nervous,” the demon said in a relaxed tone. “Don’t be. Surely, you’ve done this before.” It turned to me. “Did you know men have an average of seven sexual partners in their lifetimes?” The demon, still extending a hand, nudged it closer to Jake. “No? Has shyness intruded again? Be careful with that. We don’t want you shrinking under pressure.”

  Jake accepted the glass but wouldn’t remove his eyes from the demon’s.

  “Seven conquests seems rather low,” the demon admitted. “Would you believe I’ve known some who’ve reached the one-hundred mark?” She set an eye skyward as though contemplating something. “Hmmm. I wonder what could have convinced someone to have so many sexual conquests?” It set its eyes on Jake. “Do you have any opinions on the subject?”

  “Oh,” he said, finally looking at the glass. Ever so slowly, he brought the glass closer to his mouth. When it was within an inch from his lips, he sniffed it.

  I watched the demon, still unable to keep my muscles from vibrating with fear. My chest rose and fell twice as quickly as normal, and I knew the demon noticed, which only added to my anxiety.

  Jake placed the glass on an end table.

  “Yet another young person without manners! When someone goes through the trouble of making a cocktail for you, common courtesy dictates that you must take a sip. Very well, if you lack the instincts to appreciate the drink I set up for you, I insist that you answer my question.”

  Jake lowered his gaze. “Um, I don’t…”

  “You don’t know?” asked the demon. “Don’t be coy, Jake. A fine-looking man such as you must have had enjoyed many sexual partners. No need to feign shyness. I want your insight. Why do men seek out so many conquests?”

  This subject had gotten on my nerves and allowed me to see past my fear. After all, if the demon wanted to possess me, why hadn’t it tried to hurt me or forced me to obey its commands? Maybe it feared me. That might be pushing it, but no other possibility came to mind, possibly because my subconscious wouldn’t let it. Sort of a self-defense mechanism. Nevertheless, it released some of the tension at the base of my neck.

  “Mr. Tilburn,” said the demon with a sweet voice. “Did it seem like I asked for your input?” It chuckled. “Please forgive me.” A harsh stare overshadowed its kind tone. “I demand your answer. Now give it to me!”

  “Oh,” Jake said, his broad shoulders quaking. “I’d say hormones…hormones play a part in men wanting multiple partners.”

  “And not power?” asked the demon with disbelief mounting on its face.

  “I suppose, maybe, if you get off on that sort of thing.”

  “How about you?” asked the demon. “Does it get you off?”

  He shook his head. “Really, this whole thing isn’t important because we—”

  “Oh, it’s very important, Jake.” The demon lowered its head and folded its arms across its chest as it looked to me with a righteous sneer. “Is that how you feel when you bed women, Jake? Like you wield power over them. Like you conquer them?”

  “Not at all,” he said, although it practically came out as a question.

  I began piecing the context together, presuming the demon wanted me to learn something about Jake’s sexual past. Intrigued despite the situation, possibly because Jake and I hadn’t discussed that subject, even though I’d wanted to, I’d been too afraid to ask him because I knew how women responded to him. I didn’t want to be surprised, or even worse, shocked. I could add that fear was another reason why I didn’t trust myself to question Jake without worrying it would end our relationship. Definitely, not a mature way to handle a romantic relationship, but it was my first, so I was still learning. But judging by the queasy look on Jake’s face, he may have been involved with multiple women, and the idea made my stomach clench.

  “Do tell!” said the demon. “How many women have you stuck your cock into, Jake?”

  Jake grabbed my hand with more force than necessary and guided me towards the stairs.

  “Are you ashamed, Jake? Surely, you mustn’t be…if you’ve taken pride in grinding your cock into…how many women has it been, Jake?”

  Upstairs, my telephone rang once.

  Please let it be Eloise. Please let it be Eloise.

  Just before we reached the staircase, a framed photograph of my twelve-year-old self in a soccer uniform, kneeling on the ground with my father standing behind me with his hand on my shoulder, rattled before pitching off the wall and clattering to the floor.

  “I want an answer, Jake.” The demon’s voice raised a notch, its tone bordering on masculine.

  I had no doubt the picture hadn’t fallen of its own accord, nor did I doubt that specific item, in contrast to the other five, could have fallen for no reason. No, the demon had forced it off the wall because it was important to me. It made me think of my father, a man who might disapprove of Jake’s response.

  I recalled the virile quality of the demon’s voice, which sprang from a female’s vocal cords. Don’t piss off the demon! It’ll only make things tougher for yo
u when you fight back. I pulled to a stop.

  “Let’s go,” said Jake with a scowl. “We’ll lock ourselves upstairs and call the cops.”

  From upstairs, Noelle shouted, “Eloise is on her way.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Backup would soon arrive.

  Just Eloise? Not Nona? Dammit!

  “Truly wonderful news,” said the demon, swishing its hands against each other as a gleeful smile perked the corners of its lips. “Now then, Jake, you will answer my question. Either that or I’ll make your cock a chew toy for John Doe, wherever he might be.” It stood before the couch. “While we wait for your guest, please take a seat, Jake, so we may discuss the finer points of your conquests. I’d bet Jocelyn is quite curious to know.” The demon tapped a finger against its lips as it met my gaze. “Did he mention how many women he has pummeled into submission with that dick of his?”

  “No.” Since demons glorified Lucifer, the ultimate liar, I wanted to believe I had no interest in whatever the demon said. But I knew the demon would get the truth. And if this prolonged matter would give Eloise more time to arrive, then I would play along until that happened.

  At the same time, my nerves still throttled under my skin. I recalled Nona standing up to Pheurianis with complete confidence. Try though I might, I could not call upon that much poise. Yes, I’d found my faith. Yes, I believed God would help me take down this demon. But despite those assurances, I still lacked the certainty that Nona controlled with little difficulty.

  “It’s not important,” Jake said, anger marking his expression.

  “Jake?” asked the demon. “From this moment forward, unless spoken to, you will not say one… more…word during our exchange. Is that understood?” The demon held Jake’s stare for a long moment. “Nod your head, Jake, so I’ll know you understand.”

  With downcast eyes, he gave a slight nod.

  “Thank you.” It turned toward me. “Now, Jocelyn, have you asked how many women Jake has manipulated in order to—”

  “No.”

  “And why might that be?”

  “I was afraid.” Just like I’m afraid to rid this demon from my mother. Then I recalled Nona saying that demons often knew even the deepest secrets of any given person. And just like that, I looked up at the demon, eager for the truth.

  “Ah, so it was on your mind,” the demon said. “How could it not? Every woman wants to know the answer to that most private of questions, just as every man needs to know that number.” It turned to Jake. “Would you honor us with the truth? After all, it is quite an important point, when one considers how supposedly devoted you are to Jocelyn. Is it not?”

  Jake looked my way and then met the demon’s grin with a sneer.

  “Speak freely, Jake, and fear no reprisal. I merely asked you to voice the truth. So please regale us with your grand total. Now then: how many women?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The entity chuckled. “Surely, you jest? No, I’m quite certain you know the number of women you’ve pumped your cock into. And you put everything into it, don’t you? Only to leave them without an explanation. Yes, you gave each of them your very best so they’d remember you, lust for you, ache for you, even. And then you left them wanting, so they’d never forget you, so they’d measure every other man against you. You wanted to be their best ever!”

  My boyfriend almost glanced my way but thought better of it and returned his gaze to the demon a second later. Once more, a flush of color hit his cheeks.

  His uncertainty and hesitation told me he had something to hide, something he didn’t want to admit, something to be ashamed of, something I couldn’t live with. Earlier, under a similar line of questioning, color spread across his cheeks. Throughout the three months we’d dated, no one but this demon had ruffled his composure. Granted, who wouldn’t be fearful if confronted by one of Lucifer’s henchmen?

  Despite that, I could tell Jake didn’t want to answer the question. The demon knew it as well. After all, it had worked this subject so hard because it wanted to incite doubt and invite resentment, even anger. To rattle me. To upset me. To make me doubt myself.

  “Jake?” the demon asked. “We’re waiting. If you don’t respond, I might just…reach out and rip that cock right off your body. Answer me. Now!”

  “Ninety-nine.” The word shot out of his mouth as if blown from a canon.

  “What the—” I shouted, staring at Jake in shock. How could one man have that many sexual partners at thirty-years-old?

  “The word,” the demon said, “is fuck. The same term Jake used while working his way through swaths of women.” It looked my way. “How does it feel to know that his dick slipped inside ninety-nine women? How does it feel to know that you’ll be his, if he doesn’t cheat on you, one-hundredth conquest?”

  I needed to prolong this conversation until Eloise arrived, and if this demon wanted to see me aggravated, I wouldn’t let it down. “Almost one hundred?” I blurted out. To know his mouth had kissed at least that many women made me nauseous. My vision swirled, and I lost my balance before regaining it. “Did I hear that right?”

  He expelled air from his chest, and his shoulders sagged, as though a heavy weight had finally fallen off his back.

  “Fucking hell, Jake!” I shouted, hiding my eyes behind my left hand. “I don’t even know where to start.” I didn’t need to act upset, because I was appalled not just at Jake, but at the demon taunting us.

  “Jocelyn,” he said, starting toward me.

  I backed away. “No! You can’t gloss over something like this. That’s not gonna happen.” Hearing that number reverberate in my head, I held back the urge to vomit. “Who needs to have sex with that many women? A sex addict? A man with mommy issues? What?”

  “Let’s take this in stride,” Jake said, still making his way toward me.

  “Take this in stride?” I repeated, feeling the air around us growing tighter and cooler, which aggravated me even further. “You’re coming at me with that? Just take this whole thing in stride? Do you think I’m a fucking idiot? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Listen to yourself,” he said in a calm tone, although his eyes were certainly not composed. If anything, he looked angry that I’d grown so upset. “You’re surprised. I totally get it, okay? But I have a past. I…I like sex. That doesn’t make me a bad person.”

  “You like sex, Jake?” When he reached out for my hand, I swatted it away from him before he could circle his palm around my wrist.

  “Do you truly think he prefers celibacy, Jocelyn?” asked the demon. “You’re seven years younger and tight as a keyhole. Don’t you think Jake has the urge to merge? That he wants the opportunity to fit his key into your hole and unlock your womanhood? That’s why he’s angry. He’s angry with you. You’re withholding, playing hard to get, and it’s driving him wild. Look into his eyes and tell me he doesn’t want to ram you into submission.”

  “Lies!” Jake said. “Don’t listen to it.”

  “Are you trying to spin this?” I asked him. “Because you can’t. Let’s pretend you were a virgin at my age right now, okay? Let’s just pretend. That means you’ve had sex with over a dozen women a year. That’s more than a new woman every month!”

  “But I lost my virginity when I was twelve. It’s been almost twenty years. So that’s like only five women a year.”

  “The average man,” the demon repeated, “has seven sexual partners in his entire life.”

  “And you hit that target,” I said, “in less than a year and a half.”

  “Okay,” Jake thrust out his hands on either side of him. “When you put it that way, it seems…kind of excessive.”

  “Excessive?” asked the demon. “Jake, you are priceless.” It stared into my eyes but jerked a thumb at Jake. “I must admit, if things were different, we could even be friends.”

  There was a knock at the door.

  Grateful for the interruption, I darted over to the door and opened it.

&nbs
p; Eloise stood in the doorway, a necklace with a cross pendant around her neck. She held a Bible in one hand and a large spray bottle filled with clear liquid in the other. “I drove Nona to a family member’s house and came right back. I’m sorry I left, but I needed to get Nona away from...” She looked behind me at the demon. “Sorry to say this, but I’m all you’ve got.”

  The air left my lungs. No! This has to be a cruel joke.

  Eloise stepped into my home. “We’re all we’ve got.” She paused. “Now let’s do this!”

  22

  “Eloise,” said the demon with a playful smile. “So nice of you to join us.” It stepped back, bowed, and extended an arm, welcoming her inside. “Jake delivered an inspiring speech about the virtues of having sex with ninety-nine different women, and I feel it’s my duty to ask the question we’re all thinking: were you one of Jake’s conquests?”

  “What?” Eloise shouted, disgust making her cheeks protrude outward.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” said the demon with a glower. “Very well.”

  Eloise pointed to the sky blue bookmarks at the top end of the Bible. “These are the passages.” She handed me the book and remained at my side, both hands on the squirt bottle, aiming at the demon.

  A breeze whipped past me, and I caught a blur of activity to my right.