by Tony Martin
“In my dealing with possession, I’ve seen startling parallels to the phenomena of ghosts and hauntings and those of demon possession,” Peterson continued. “There is the obvious use of a medium for the purpose of communicating with the dead.”
“No one has used a medium.”
“True, but didn’t the young ladies tamper with a Ouija board? That truckling with necromancy certainly didn’t help matters. The willing subject becomes the medium. The mysterious appearance of lights and flames; disembodied voices; rappings; impressions by unseen hands; even the materialization of these apparitions can be attributed to demons, the agents of the devil.
“Joshua, I seldom share this with anyone,” Peterson continued, “but it might be helpful here. Before I entered the ministry and called to the mission field, for six years I held daily conversations with what was supposedly my mother’s spirit. I am now completely convinced that this was nothing but an evil spirit, a demon, who disguised as my mother took me to the edge of destruction. It was through the wise counsel of a godly pastor that I was finally able to escape with my soul intact.”
“Dr. Peterson, that’s not all,” said Joshua, trying to remain calm. “Other people in the church have experienced … manifestations.” He told Peterson of the unholy events of the early morning.
“This is singularly troubling,” said Peterson. “I do wonder what this wickedness portends.”
Joshua was chilled to his soul. “What are we to do? And what about Precious’ – Hardwick’s – work?”
“Hardwick can trot out his paraphernalia and use it to his heart’s content,” said Peterson. “but I think that is simply not necessary. No, I think you are all too well aware of what you are facing. Any Christian can do what I will ask you to do, but again, God has placed you in the heart of darkness. He must want to teach you something, too. I do know this – that Satan, if it pleases him, can bring out some fearful artillery in order to destroy.
“You are to go back to that house with other godly men. If Meredith were a Christian, I would ask that you include her. She is the focus of the attack, but Joshua – in some way yet unclear, I think you are, too. And you are to pray, and sing, and shout hosanna, and demand that in Jesus’ name this wickedness stop and these evil beings be banished from Meredith and this place forever.”
“You know,” said Joshua, bemused, “that’s exactly what Precious proposed to do, too.”
“Then there’s hope for him yet,” said Dr. Peterson dryly. “I may just have to take him to lunch when he gets back to town.
“Now, lad,” Peterson said, “is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No, sir, but I will be calling you again soon.”
“You do that,” said Peterson. “Now, you be on your guard, and remember that perfect love casts out fear. May I pray for you and your loved ones?”
“Please do.”
And Peterson did.
“Bethany called while you were on the phone,” said Gretchen. “She wants you to meet her at the hospital right now.”
Joshua’s head spun. “What’s happened to her? Gretchen --”
“Nothing’s happened to her,” Gretchen said. “She said this is not an emergency, but you needed to come to Meredith Dubose’s room pronto.”
Joshua had no idea what this meant, but he took some small comfort in knowing no one was in any danger. As he drove to the hospital, he wondered just how he was to face this next challenge. He wished that Peterson’s words had emboldened him, but he felt more isolated and fearful than ever. He tried to convince himself that the results were all on God, Who, he reminded himself, “doeth all things well.” But self-doubt and unworthiness gripped him.
He found Meredith, Bethany, and Christine in Meredith’s room. Nurses had removed Meredith’s monitoring equipment and IV, and she fairly sparkled in the morning sunlight streaming in the window.
“Ladies,” said Joshua, “what is going on, please?”
“Tell him, Meredith!” said Bethany impatiently.
“Josh,” Meredith said gleefully, “I’m a Christian now. I prayed and asked Jesus to forgive me and take over my life.”
Joshua felt like a thousand suns had exploded before his eyes. He wanted to shout.
“Meredith,” he said, his heart throbbing, “that’s the best thing I’ve heard in I don’t know when. That’s just absolutely terrific!”
“Thought you’d want to know, but I had to tell Bethany first. She’s like a big sister,” said Meredith.
“And what does that make me?” asked Joshua.
“Joshua – you are my heart,” she said.
Joshua, taken aback, was speechless. He looked over at Bethany, who silently mouthed, “It’s OK.”
Christine was ecstatic. “Josh, she wants you to baptize her.”
“I can sure take care of that,” he said. “When do you get out of this place?”
“This afternoon,” said Meredith. “I’ll go back over to the Tracys. But I’ll want to go home soon. Bernadine’s out of the hospital, too, and it’s about time for a homecoming … when it’s safe.”
Meredith spoke these last words pleadingly. “Meredith,” said Joshua, “we are just about ready to be done with this wickedness. I believe that. Just be patient – I need God to give me some extraordinary wisdom. Because… we’re about to do battle.”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing all along?” asked Meredith.
“It has been,” Joshua said, then, grimacing, said, “but I get the sense that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Chapter Twenty – The Bible
Joshua enjoyed a quiet meal with Bethany, even though he had no appetite. Finishing his second slice of pizza, Joshua said, “I think we’re in the home stretch here.”
“I sure hope so,” said Bethany. “The cracks are starting to show.”
Joshua had to admit that he was simply exhausted. The trials of the last week were wearing on him – physically, spiritually, and emotionally. “Precious, Jimmy, and I are going back out to the Dubose mansion this afternoon, to get all of Precious’ gadgets. We won’t be gone long. After church tonight, though, I’ve got to try to get some sleep.”
“And what happens next?” asked Bethany.
“Who the heck knows?” said Joshua. “We’ll go back out there, and we’ll pray, and ask God to end this nightmare.”
Bethany thought about this a few moments. “What do you think about Meredith’s news?”
Joshua brightened. “That’s absolutely terrific. What I’m wondering is if her decision to accept Christ will play into what happens next. If all this is indeed demonic, she can’t be the target she once was.”
Bethany suddenly reached over and took Joshua’s hand. “Joshua, you will be fine.”
“You don’t sound very convinced.”
“Well, I wish I could sound as convinced as I really am,” said Bethany. “Because I am. But it’s still very scary. And Meredith…” Bethany left her thought uncompleted.
“What about Meredith?”
“She’ll be fine, too,” Bethany said. “Joshua, I guess I need to tell you that I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Sorry for doubting you. Sorry that I doubted her. She is genuinely fond of you – fond of both of us.” Bethany sighed. “I just misread things all around.”
“No, not really,” said Joshua. “I have come to realize what I’m capable of, if I’m not accountable to someone else. Bethany – I just need to guard my heart and mind. Guys like me fall, just when they think they’re standing firm.”
“Well,” said Bethany, “maybe this had to happen for some reason. I don’t know.”
“If I’m supposed to learn something,” said Joshua, “then this is a class I don’t want to repeat.”
As planned, Jimmy and Precious met Joshua at the church at 1 p.m. Both men were puffy-eyed and fatigued.
“I’m glad you gentlemen are gracious enough to lend a hand this afternoon,” said Preciou
s. “I’m sure neither of you relish going back out to the Dubose mansion.”
“Denial is a pretty good defense mechanism,” said Jimmy. “I know what I’ve seen, and I still don’t believe it.”
“Strains at credibility, doesn’t it?” said Precious, opening the doors to his Suburban. “But we’ll load all the gear and get out of the house… but I do want to do just a little exploring before we leave.”
“Whoa, big fella,” said Joshua. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”
Precious seemed embarrassed. “Actually, we did talk about it – we wanted to have another look around the attic, remember?”
“I wish I’d forgotten,” said Joshua. “Jimmy?”
“I don’t care,” said Jimmy. “I just want things to be set right.”
“And it may be part of what we need to do for things to be set right,” said Precious. “We just need to snoop around a little.”
“Looking for clues,” added Jimmy helpfully. “Like the Hardy boys, remember?”
“You scoff,” said Precious sarcastically, “but I still think if we knew some why’s – why this house, why Meredith, why now – we might have a better sense of what we need to do.”
Joshua didn’t speak as the three climbed into the Suburban. He felt that any further investigation was useless. What had happened the night before was undeniable. What they needed to do next was inarguable. They simply needed to ask God to lay this wickedness to rest – no mumbo-jumbo, no incantations, no charms or effigies. He began to realize that evil doesn’t need to have a reason for existence – it just is. Joshua thought that you don’t negotiate with evil any more than you would negotiate with a terrorist. Why negotiate with something or someone that wants you annihilated?
Evil personified, Joshua thought, as they left town. Personified in these entities, these entities focused on the destruction of a young lady … but, in some way, intent on even more havoc. Joshua wondered if Bethany was right, if indeed he were being attacked. And, with learning several of his church members experienced inexplicable events the night before, he wondered if some portal to hell had opened just enough to let this unique and personal evil escape.
That’s just a little too lurid and melodramatic to be plausible, Joshua thought, yet still shuddered at the thought.
Am I responsible? The thought leapt unbidden into Joshua’s mind. He wondered if his mental unfaithfulness, his now acknowledged propensity toward sexual sin (might as well call it what it is, he thought) might have invited this paranormal siege.
There are plenty of people who’ve done worse than I have, rationalized Joshua, and they aren’t attacked in the way we’ve experienced. Joshua realized that God didn’t grade on the curve, but he couldn’t imagine why. He’d done nothing wrong. So – why?
Joshua was still engrossed in his thoughts when Precious turned into the drive to the Dubose mansion. Joshua, now aware of his surroundings, felt the hair at the nape of his neck prickle.
“Back again,” said Jimmy, glaring at the house.
Precious pulled to a stop at the front door. “What I’d like to do is gather all the equipment and bring it down to the great hall,” he said. “We’ll box it all up, and then I’d like for us to explore the attic for a bit.”
“And what will we be looking for?” asked Joshua as he unlocked the front door.
“Photos, letters, journals, anything like that. I don’t plan for us to spend a lot of time up there. We’ll just bring down anything that looks interesting, and we’ll peruse it later.”
The three men entered the great hall. Joshua looked around, scanning the staircase and second floor landing. All was quiet.
“As I recall, most of the equipment was downstairs,” said Precious. “Let’s check the library and parlor.”
As Precious expected, most of the equipment was scattered randomly about the parlor. “Looks like someone left in a hurry,” said Jimmy as he slipped a camera into its case.
Minutes later, all the equipment from the parlor, the library, and the great hall were boxed and ready to be loaded. The three men went in the bedrooms and collected personal belongings, then loaded everything into the Suburban.
“Sure is quiet today,” said Jimmy.
“After such a wild party last night, maybe we needed some quiet,” Joshua observed. “You know, it seems so implausible in the light of day, doesn’t it?”
Jimmy shrugged and didn’t reply. “Let’s check the attic, shall we?” said Precious. He passed out flashlights, and the trio went back inside.
No one spoke until the group reached the little staircase to the attic. The door was still standing open.
“Wonder if there’ll be a welcoming party,” Joshua muttered.
“There’s a happy thought,” said Jimmy, peering up the stairs.
“I meant to get some sort of dust mask,” said precious. “Oh, well, I guess I’ll just sneeze the whole time.” He started up the stairs.
Precious turned on the single glaring light bulb in the attic, throwing looming shadows all around the room. As predicted, he sneezed violently. “Can’t stay up here too long,” he gasped.
“Fine by me,” said Joshua, pulling one of the locked trunks out into the floor. “Why don’t we each take a trunk and see what we can find.” He pulled a screwdriver from his hip pocket. “Always come prepared if you don’t have a key,” he said dryly.
Within moments Joshua popped open the locks on the ancient trunks. “Let’s get after it,” he said.
The men immersed themselves in rummaging through the trunks. Dust motes swirled in the air, making them cough and sneeze.
“Let’s see,” said Jimmy, rapidly thumbing through stacks of envelopes bound with twine. “These are mostly old bank statements – the most recent one I can find is dated 1932. Nothing outstanding here … well, here’s a couple of old stock certificates, which can be nice collector’s items.” He continued searching.
Joshua’s trunk was only moderately more interesting; it contained mostly clothes. “Here’s a little – what did they call them? – christening gown,” he said, holding up a tiny yellowing white dress with pearl buttons. He moved a stack of clothes to one side and peered deeper. “Here’s a fan made from a turkey wing, and a couple of shawls … I ought to take this to Al – here’s an old Stamps-Baxter songbook with the shaped notes.” He continued digging, stopping occasionally to scratch his nose. He found a small box with what seemed to be mostly costume jewelry – a rhinestone stickpin, a broach, a cloisonné Eastern Star ring, and other items. “Nothing too exciting … wait a minute!” Joshua lifted a small leather book. “This might be interesting,” he said, struggling to contain his excitement.
“What do you have there?” asked Precious.
Joshua flipped through the book’s pages. “It’s a diary, or journal. Holy cow – this belonged to Judith Dubose. That was Jacob’s wife.”
“May I?” asked Precious. He eagerly flipped through the pages, skimming passages as he went. “This is great – for instance here’s an entry from April 12, 1879:
‘O, for the blessed return of spring! The days have been dark and the nights unusually long, and perhaps my time of grieving will soon come to an end. It is futile to wonder why – the Almighty keeps His own counsel, and ours is not to question, because His ways are not our ways. Nevertheless, my soul still yearns for answers, and the silence bears no witness.’
“I wonder what was going on,” Precious asked. Then he sneezed, and handed the journal back to Joshua. “Joshua, if you would be so kind, would you take a thorough look at this diary? I don’t think I can stay up here much longer.”
“What am I looking for?” asked Joshua.
“I really can’t say,” said Precious. “Just any family insights, anything of note – perhaps any tragedy. Certainly Judith was alluding to some crisis when she wrote this.”
Precious continued searching his trunk. While he searched, Joshua and Jimmy poked around in some of the darker recesses of the att
ic.
“What junk,” said Jimmy, finding, among other things, a spinning wheel, a cradle, and an enameled dishpan. “I was sort of hoping for an Antiques Roadshow moment.”
“Doesn’t look promising,” said Joshua, shining his light around. “Just random stuff. I think this diary is going to be our only positive find.”
Precious joined them, brandishing a couple of large books. “These are bookkeeping records from the sawmill from the early 1900’s,” he said. “I don’t know if there’ll be anything helpful here, but I’ll take a look. I also found a couple of bundles of business correspondence, but nothing of a personal nature. I was hoping for some old letters to and from family members, but there just wasn’t anything.”
“Well, we did find the picture of Jacob Dubose,” said Joshua, “and that’s not too shabby. And Judith’s journal.”
“Odd,” said Jimmy, “that there weren’t any more personal items.”
“It may very well be that a lot of their personal things have been lost or destroyed,” said Precious. “It’s part of that southern obsession to hide family secrets.”
“Could be,” said Joshua. He turned to head back down the stairs. “Huh. What’s that?” he said, stopping. He shined his light to the left of the attic door.
A teal green Bible was laying on a small table beside the door. Jimmy picked it up and opened the cover to the dedication page. “This is Meredith’s Bible,” he said, then looked at the other men, puzzled. “How’d it end up here?”
“Was it there when we came in?” asked Precious.
“I didn’t notice,” said Joshua slowly, “but I wasn’t looking, either.”
Jimmy was flipping through the pages, and stopped where the ribbon bookmark was marking a page. He held his flashlight aloft and read something. “What do y’all make of this?” he said, offering the Bible to the other two.
The bookmark fell at Genesis 19. There was a smudge of greenish mud highlighting verse 36. It was as though someone had dipped their finger in filth and dragged it across the paper.
Joshua read aloud: “So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.” He looked up. “Guys … what do you make of that?”
