Twisted Intentions

Monika agreed to meet for coffee after hearing the angst in my voice. I didn’t know who else to turn to. I wasn’t intending to confront Allison about her actions, I just needed someone to talk to, a woman’s sensitivity. I blushed when I saw her sitting at a table in the corner of The Jumping Bean café, which had just opened in town.

“Hi Monika. Thanks for meeting me. I hope you're doing well.”

“To be honest, Will, I haven’t been doing well."

Her response caught me off guard. "Sorry to hear that. Anything you'd like to talk about?"

"After college I moved back to Millersville against the wishes of everyone in my family. They thought I could do better. They wanted me to get away from all the division and hatred that runs rampant in this town."

"Why didn't you? You're intelligent, you could go wherever you want. To be honest, I understand where your family is coming from."

"I moved back because I thought I could make a difference, maybe change things. That's the lie I told my parents but they knew better. They saw right through it. They knew the hate ran too deep in Millersville, they'd have moved years ago had they’d been able to afford it. No, I moved back because of him. I was in love, blinded by it actually."

"It didn't work out huh?"

"Not the way I had hoped."

"I'm sorry."

"I wish I could have changed things."

"Some things aren't meant to be changed. I'm learning that. You can't beat yourself up though. I can imagine you're hurting. It’s sometimes hard to tell. You seem to have everything put together. It feels like nothing bothers you.”

“I just hide it well.” Monika said.

I smiled kindly towards her. “We all learn to hide our true feelings. I think it is part of how we survive as humans.” My heart reached for Monika when my arms failed to embrace her in that moment of silence.

“Now, tell me. What’s going on with your friend? Allison, is it?”

“Yeah, her name is Allison.” I couldn't hold eye contact with Monika.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

“Oh no, no, just friends.” I said, wishing it was a lie. “I’ve known her for a long time, since third grade. We just, she’s always been kind to me, you know.”

“What’s the matter?”

“She’s always had problems with her father, well, more so in recent years. He's a Puritan preacher, more extreme than most. Her father is Reverend Channing." Monika sat back in her chair. Her expression turned sour. "I saw Allison at a party and she was into things, kind of what you do.”

“You mean mediumship?”

“Kind of. She got me to use a Ouija board.”

Monika jumped up, banging her knee on the bottom of the table and spilling her coffee. “Never, ever, use a board! They have a way of opening doors that you may not be able to close. No Ouija boards, no witchcraft, no séances!”

“What? Justin said they were all a trick anyway.”

“Justin isn’t a spiritualist. He doesn’t know how dangerous they are.”

“Isn’t that what you do though? What’s the difference?"

“The difference, I know what I'm doing."

"You're confident. I'll give you that."

“I use prayer and meditation in a familiar, controlled environment. If we're out on a job, I make damn sure I have protection from my guides and I only communicate when they are near. Ouija boards are an open invitation for anyone or thing to come in. It’s too easy for something to go wrong if you aren’t careful. Séances, well, that's like inviting a Puritan to a keg party. Will, you have to take me to her, she could be in great danger. And what about you? Have you had any odd experiences? Tell me Will!”

“No, no, I haven’t. Nothing out of the ordinary.” I lied, unable to come clean about the dark figure in my room.

“You must tell me if you do. I'll say a cleansing and protection prayer just in case.”

“In case of what?” I asked.

“In case of an attack."

"I really don't think that's necessary."

"You don't get a say. Hurry, we have to go, we have to go now! Allison could be in danger."

Despite my protests, I found myself getting into my car and driving through main street towards the edge of town. “Ok, we're getting close to Corey’s,” Monika said. “I think we should park here and cut through the woods. It's too dangerous for us to be seen. Any trust Allison has in you will be wiped away if she finds you spying."

Monika and I parked my Century, cut through the short stretch of woods, and made our way to Corey’s house. My stomach fell lower and lower with each step closer. Monika's hair appeared lighter in the glow of the moonlight. I felt stronger with her around. Her presence softened the tight grip anxiety held on my guts.

“How do you know Corey?”

“Believe it or not, my parents made me attend his father’s summer bible study group when we were kids. They held it at their house.”

“I'm so sorry to hear that.”

I caught a glimpse of Monika's lips as she smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We were all too young to know any different. I think my parents were just glad to have me out of the house one day a week,” she chuckled. “Had my parents known what everyone else in town knew about the Fritz family bible study, well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be the medium I am today. I guess I owe them that much.”

“Doesn’t it scare you? Talking to the dead and all.”

“It used too, I mean, they were once people, just like you and me. That's still the same. Once I learned that it's all based on your intentions, I was able to overcome my fear. If your intentions are pure, you have nothing to fear. Not all occult is bad, Will, only bad intentions.”

“There’s his house. Do you see that window over there?” Monika asked. “We should be able to get a full view of Corey’s basement from there. Let’s wait for a while and make sure nobody's outside.”

Monika and I waited for twenty minutes but heard nothing. I hated waiting. Waiting is a hair pin trigger for panic. Panic creates an unstable mind. An unstable mind says things it regrets.

"He was probably a jerk anyway, huh?"

"What? Who, Corey?" Monika asked.

"No, your boyfriend. The guy that brought you back to Millersville."

Monika's body stiffened. "I lost him to cancer."

Monika ordered us to proceed to the window. My hands shook when I peered into the house. I glanced toward Monika who looked on with intense focus. I knew my words hurt her. I wanted to die. Whatever confidence I had earned from her was gone. I hated how the words came out but there was no time to beg for forgiveness. Corey’s back faced us. He was sitting at his computer, thumbing through a book and making notes on a pad next to him. I nudged Monika who nodded her head indicating that she saw it too. Corey was wearing headphones which was good because it would be difficult for him to hear us. There was no sign of Allison.

“Now what?” I whispered.

“He's studying, The Lesser Key of Solomon. We have to get his note pad. It'll tell us if he is controlling Allison in anyway.”

“Controlling!”

“Lower your voice,” Monika whispered. “She must have a weak spot he's manipulating and using against her to influence his own agenda."

“How are we going to get it?”

“We have to wait. He'll have to get up to go to the bathroom, sleep, or eat at some point. When he does, we’ll go in and grab it,” Monika said as she slightly lifted up on the window. It was open. I hesitated and then nodded.

Monika and I waited another twenty minutes in silence. My hands trembled with anticipation before Corey got up from his computer chair and went upstairs. Monika turned towards me. “Let’s go,” she lifted the window and crawled inside. “We need to work fast.” A drop of sweat fell from my forehead and landed on my shoe. I worked swiftly and grabbed Corey’s journal.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing here? Monika Kingsbury, is that you?” Corey stormed down the stairs causing me to jolt upwards.

“We don’t want a fight,” Monika said.

“Good,” Corey said with a sigh of relief as he slowly sat down on his chair. “I need help.”

Corey’s face was pale, his body appeared cold and clammy as if all hope had been drained from him. “You guys can’t stay here long,” he said. “They'll be back soon. I am so sorry for what I have done and the pain I've caused.”

“Where is Allison?” I asked.

“They took her."

"Who’s they?”

"The demons.”

“Stop with the lies. I know it’s all crap! You better start making sense. Demons don’t just wander the earth. You better come clean.” Corey had a way of making my anger sear without giving much effort.

“Demons attack from the inside, like a parasite. They attack the soul.” Corey shook.

Monika took a step towards him. “You summoned them, didn’t you? Allison was the bait, wasn’t she?"

“Yes!” Corey cried out. “It was too easy. She was perfect. Her anger towards her father created a spiritual link between her and the Legion. All I had to do was perform the ritual. I am so sorry. If I had only known their true intentions." Corey sobbed without control.

“Where is she?” I demanded to know. Monika reached for my arm to pull me back.

“Tell me what? Dammit! I pounded my fist on the table. You better tell me now Corey!”

Corey’s tears stopped. “Will, Allison is dead. She took her life three days ago.”

I stood in silence, feeling nothing below my chest. Monika put her arm around me. She kept me from falling. “How?” Monika asked.

“They caused her to hallucinate, hear voices. They said her father hated her and put images in her brain. She believed them. She gave into them. It's true she and her father had problems. That's why she was staying with me. But the Legion, they twisted and distorted the truth in awful ways. I came home and found Allison passed out on the bathroom floor. There was an empty bottle of prescription medication and a half liter of vodka next to her.

“Where is the body?” Monika asked.

“I burned it,” Corey replied.

“Good,” Monika said.

“Good! What the hell do you mean good!” I lashed out at Monika.

“Will, burning the body of a suicide victim is the most humane thing you can do. Her soul was not ready to depart. There's a strong chance her soul would have remained attached to her body even in death. Allison would be trapped in her decaying body, feeling the twitch of every decomposing muscle fiber. Maggots gnawing at her skin until her body was far enough decomposed to release her soul. It can take months. Months of the worst torture you can imagine. Trust me, burning her body was a great act of mercy."

I struggled for air as I forced words out of my mouth. “I hope you burn for this evil!” Corey buried his head when I screamed in his face.

“I will, it's too late. They can come and go at will. They’re draining the life from me. It’s over for me. There's nothing I can do."

“There has to be something you can do!” I shouted.

“You're right. I'm going to take my own life.”

“Good,” I replied calmly.

Monika’s eyes of compassion filled with tears. “You don’t mean that, both of you."

“If I'm no longer alive they cannot control my body,” Corey said. “They can’t feed off of my energy.”

“What about your soul?” Monika asked.

Corey winced in pain. “Hurry, take my journal and get out of here. I can feel them coming. They’re crawling around inside of me. I can’t hold off much longer.” Corey handed the journal to me. “Go!”

I stood frozen. Corey’s face was ridden with pain. Was he telling the truth? Were the demon’s real? Monika seemed to buy into the idea. Justin said it was all a lie. Was Allison really gone, or was this a Fritz family prank? I refused to believe she would take her own life. Thoughts paralyzed me until I felt Monika tug at my arm. “Will, we need to leave now or we're dead.” Her words snapped and my feet moved from under me.

Monika and I reached the woods and sprinted back to my car. “Why are you stopping?” I said as Monika pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

“I’m calling 911. If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself." Monika reported a disturbance at Corey’s residence. “I just hope the police can get to him in time. Hurry, we have to go."

“Oh God! Your phone. The police will track it, know you called!”

“No, it’s disposable.”

I threw the journal into the back seat and drove towards town. Three police cars passed with sirens blaring. No doubt they were on their way to Corey’s. If he was telling the truth it would only be a matter of time before they discovered the charred remains of Allison’s body, the truth of her death depended on finding Corey dead or alive.