CHAPTER 2: NEW FACES

"Hello? Is this Dr. Walter?" - Alextrov asks.

"Good morning, sir. This is his secretary speaking. My name is Clarice. How may I assist you?"

"Well, I would like to schedule a home consultation with the doctor, not for myself, but for my sister. I would like it to be today."

"Of course, sir. We have appointments available starting from the 23rd, and we don't have any available time slots before then," - Clarice says.

"But I already spoke to him on the phone, and he said he had availability for today. So how can you say there are no available slots?" - Alextrov retorts.

"Well, sir, as far as I know, there were no available slots. If he said that, maybe he made an exception for you. As soon as he arrives at the clinic, I will ask him to call you," Clarice says before hanging up the phone.

(I guess everything will work out fine, better than relying on a bunch of religious lunatics.) - Alextrov.

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Although the day started off poorly for some people, for others, it's just another day to make money. Despite the cold, dark environment that invites him to stay in bed, Walter knows he needs to work to maintain his luxurious lifestyle. With that thought in mind, he gets up from his bed. Walter is a 46-year-old white man, standing at approximately 1.79 meters tall. He has a full brown beard, although some strands are gray, and a typical physique. Despite his complicated life history, full of ups and downs, Walter is one of the top neurosurgeons and psychiatrists in the Louisiana region.

Due to his social status and the problems he faced during the war, Walter is usually an arrogant and presumptuous man who cares a lot about maintaining his social status.

Getting out of bed, he heads to the bathroom to take his shower and start the day. Before stepping into the shower, he approaches the base of his shower and activates the "heater" mode, an innovative invention created by a man living in Brazil. However, due to the high costs of importation and technology, the device was only used by the wealthy.

After his hot shower, he puts on a white dress shirt and black pants, then goes to his refrigerator where his housekeeper had left his breakfast before leaving for her own home. After breakfast, he heads to his garage, where he keeps his prized possession, a 1946 Chevrolet Fleetmaster. As he enters the car and pulls out of the garage, he looks at his beautiful house, standing out from the neighboring houses. Despite it being an affluent area, he had notably invested a great deal into it.

(And let's go for another day.)

Arriving at his clinic, he sees a line of people welcoming him with smiles and waves – his patients. One case that had left a mark in his mind was an elderly man complaining of knee pain. He said:

"Damn it, I told everyone that this damn knee was a mess. My kids and my wife thought I was just being silly. I was on my way here when it suddenly gave out, and to top it off, the rain soaked me and made me fall into a puddle." - Elderly Man.

"Could you tell me what happened to your knee?" - Walter

"Ah, that was during the First World War. We were in the trenches, and a fellow soldier was eating when he accidentally dropped a grenade. Before it hit the ground and exploded, I kicked it away. But when I landed on the ground..." - the elderly man explained.

But before the poor gentleman could finish speaking, his wife interrupted, saying, "Oh, here he goes again, telling another lie. Last time, you claimed it was because you had to carry a comrade through a minefield and accidentally stepped on a landmine."

"Sir, I don't know if you've heard, but recently there was a case where a man complained of knee pain after being shot with a firearm. The doctor mistakenly prescribed medication that didn't align with the man's actual condition, resulting in the problem not being treated properly, and the man lost his leg," - Walter added.

After hearing this information from Walter, the elderly man, feeling embarrassed, admits that he had slipped while sitting on the couch and ended up falling on his knee.

Fortunately, Walter realized that the man was simply too ashamed to admit that he had injured himself in what he considered a foolish manner. With many cases of people embellishing their stories, Walter had become more experienced in deciphering the truth. After finishing his shift, he had lunch and around 2 PM, headed to Alextrov's house. Upon arriving, he found himself face to face with a man wearing a cassock. They locked eyes until Walter spoke:

"And who are you?"

"My name is Esteban Perez Lopes," the man replies, with a Spanish accent, mispronouncing some words. He appears to be a 50-year-old man, wearing a silver necklace with a crucifix pendant. He is dressed in a cassock, with something resembling a kippah on his head. His hair is voluminous, straight, and parted in the middle. He carries a Bible and wears a ring with a symbol of Jesus.

"I came for the exorcism of the girl, Yelena. The family called us to rid her body of the devil so that she can return to her everyday life," - Esteban adds.

"Ah, I see that the situation is complicated. The poor girl must be dealing with a mental issue, and the family has called in a man who believes in the devil," - Walter attacks.

Before Esteban could retort, a tall, sharp-faced man with blond hair, green eyes, and a height of 1.96 meters opens the door and speaks in a commanding manner:

"And so, you have finally arrived," - says Alextrov.

"Well, don't just stand there. Unfortunately, the other priest has already arrived and is sitting in the living room, talking with my parents," - he adds.

Both men enter and sit on the sofa. As Yelena's parents catch sight of Walter, they ask Alextrov who the man is. Alextrov replies:

"I hired him to investigate my sister's case. He is one of the best, if not the best, neurosurgeon and psychiatrist in New Orleans. If the other doctors were incompetent in finding the problem, this man will certainly discover it. I preferred to call a competent doctor rather than rely on two priests."

Before they could begin a discussion, a loud noise emerges from upstairs, as if something had been knocked over. Due to the rainy and dark weather, even the lights in the house seem insufficient to illuminate it. It is definitely an atypical day.

"That's the DEVIL's work! It's the doing of evil, I can feel the presence of the devil in this house. The atmosphere is cold, the day is rainy, and darkness is spreading throughout the house. It's all the work of the devil!" - Esteban exclaims. At that moment, a bright flash of lightning illuminates the entire house, and the lights explode, plunging everything into darkness. Everyone looks at Esteban, feeling a chill run down their spines.

Slowly, the responsible priest, Taylor Morissette, takes the lead, holding a candle, and starts ascending the stairs. Like a single file, everyone follows, knocking on the door, but there is no response. The second floor appears even darker than the first, and the candle's light struggles to illuminate the surroundings. As Taylor prepares to open the door, a hand touches Alextrov's back, causing him to scream and turn around, ready to throw a punch out of fear. However, he realizes that it's his sister.

"Hey, I'm here. I just went to the bathroom. You can come in," - Yelena says.

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Continued in the next chapter...