WRESTLING WITH POSSESSION

Day 1

He didn't know how long he could keep it at bay. Sooner or later the thing would take him over completely. The episodes were lasting longer. Instead of hours, days. He wasn't completely sure if it was his will keeping Lacey from He Who Walks Behind the Rows or if maybe "HE" had some sort of plan for her. When he slipped into the spirit possessing him, he felt confident of his work and that she would join him.

Lacey talked to her parents about the possibility of them leaving town. They didn't take it very well. They asked her: 'Just where do you think we'll go?' 'And who has that kind of money?' and her favorite' 'We have locks dear.'

Day 2

Still shaken from Micah's request, no, command. It was more of a command. She started to pack her back pack. She hoped her parents wouldn't think she's getting out of control for running away. She wasn't even entirely sure she wanted to go through with it. There was a bus that left that night and the next. If not this one, maybe the next', she thought warily.

Micah thought about it occasionally, how he never got caught. He was a little messy and left some dolls laying around. He had left a couple weapons but always wore gloves. Sure, some gave him a second glance, but he either returned it with a glare or ignored it. What astounded him was how people seemed to be blind.

The only person who had suspected him was Lacey, maybe that's because she was so in tune with him. Like she could feel the negativity pulsing through his head. But she could never truly suspect him. He knew she was too fond of him. It blinded her. He didn't mind that, it made it easier for him.

It was strange, he still felt like he was doing the town a favor, with disposing of some of them. Killing for sport and revenge was now his thrill. And that Lacey, his Lacey, would either join him or die, no, join him or nothing. There was no other option.

Lacey was wondering through the corn field at night. Feeling fuzzy, she couldn't quiet remember why she was there. 'I was looking for something, someone,' she thought. She looked down to find a compass in her hand. She was trying to find her way back home, that's what it was. The more she went into the direction of her house the more the compass seemed to change every time she looked at it. She was getting confused. She remembered suddenly that being out in the field was a bad place to be especially at night. The sun seemed to be going down on her just as she realized that. She glanced back at her compass. The needle was spinning faster and faster. She started to panic. She moaned in frustration. Starting to run, she hoped for an out, to anywhere. She saw her house in the distance. Heart pounding in her chest legs threatening to give out she made for her safe place as fast as she could. Before she even realized it she was running halfway through a small clearing…filled with children. She heard a voice.

"Seize her!" it yelled. They merely stepped in front of her. There were too many of them, she couldn't get through. She turned, feeling her desperation rise as the leader advanced on her quickly.

"Micah!" Black eyes boring into her as he came upon her, grabbing her by the back of her hair.

"You will join us!"

"NO!" she screamed. She thrashed around, her eyes opening. She sat up. She thought to herself: wait…what? I'm not in the field. Sadly she thought: This isn't anything new. It's just every single time it feels so real. Each time after she woke, she wanted to be near him, for him to tell her everything was going to be ok.

The next day. She decided she had to see him, wearing a modest black top with a red lace overlay and black jeans as she hopped on her motorbike and road to the inn. It was a cool afternoon, her waist length hair blew in the wind . She went a route into the inn that didn't require her to use the front door. Walking up the stairs, she hesitated before knocking. She had a strong inclination that she shouldn't be here. Feeling it was absurd and just plain ignoring it she knocked on his door. He opened the door genuinely caught off guard.

"Oh Lacey. To what do I owe this visit?"

"I….had to see you." Her eyes downcast.

"Come in then. Did you tell anyone you came here?"

"No."

"Did anyone see you?" he asked casually. She shook her head no.

"I used the door in the back." His personality seemed to be off to her. He didn't ask her about leaving town. He played upon her dislike for her mom trying to control her sometimes. He said things like,

"You're the perfect daughter, beautiful, obedient, responsible. She shouldn't be controlling of you, so self-righteous. Hypocritical." At times it was like he was going to tell her about the cult but in a very subtle way, very vague. When that happed, she didn't respond at first then she deliberately changed the subject when he would say something to the affect of what he was involved in.

THE DEMON WINS

Only 4 days after his warning, his self perseverance took a sharp fatal blow from the demon inside him. He could feel the last parts of his humanity disintegrate. God help Lacey if she crossed his path now. The meetings in the corn continued and where now more frequent.

MURDERS (8)

Four of the older kids killed both their parents that week. Things were spiraling out of control. It was unreal, the children seemed to have the authorities in a death grip. None of them knew who to convict. The children seemed to be the last ones to see their parents alive, but the police, at the same time refused to believe they may be responsible. It was unthinkable to them.

A special sacrifice were to be made in that night, a nonbeliever, a woman child. Out in the cornfield, the cult was having one of it's usual meetings. A follower spoke up,

"She is not going to join us Micah. You know what has to be done. Now, we will do it."

"He, The One Who Walks Behind The Rows has spoken to me." He preached to his following in the cornfield. "And he has said the nonbeliever -Lacey Hellerstat will be sacrificed on this night. "She will be brought alive and uninjured." He drew his machete. "Go! Bring her to me! Bring her to He Who Walks Behind The Rows!"

Leaning backwards tied to a cornstalk cross. Gagged and covered with yet another cornstalk cross. She had fought her best and now she felt helpless. Her senses were clouded with fear. She heard voices around her but couldn't make out what they were saying. Suddenly the cover over her was lifted and the gag pulled away from her.

"Someone help me! Stop this! She screamed to all the children around her, most pretended she wasn't there, a couple of them smiled. Her breath left her when she saw him. Micah. He walked up to her and held her chin in his hand and said,

"He Who Walks Behind The Rows is pleased."

"Micah, don't do this, please."

"He gave you a chance to escape this." His dark eyes raked the length of her body then settled on her green eyes.

"Yes, you told me to leave. Remember, you said you would never hurt me." She tried to remain logical but on the inside she was caving.

"Yes, you should've listened." He said while tracing her arm with his finger, then the bonds of her wrists. His black eyes grazing over his sacrifice. "Now your blood will nourish the corn." 'Oh my god.' she thought. It was as she had feared.

"I know, sometimes, he's not completely in control…I knew it every time you held me." Though she gazed hard into his eyes, his face was a perfectly sculpted mask of unreadable emotion.

"Actually, you came to see me, the other night. It was I, who held you then. You sensed a difference, you sensed, me I believe."

"I did."

"And you didn't leave? Why?"

"I didn't know what was going on with him. I didn't want to abandon him." She wanted to keep him talking but wasn't sure if she could keep talking herself. "I love you Micah! Please help me." He paused. She thought she saw his eyes glaze over. She didn't know for certain because her tears were blurring her vision.

"It's too late.-" he stated.

"No," she protested.

"You don't want to be saved by the only one who can. The good and true one who can protect you from the evil of the outside world." He looked away in silence. "He loved you too, you know." She gasped at that moment feeling like he'd already killed her. "It made him weak. Now he, no rather we, are strong, we are one."

"Micah!" She called desperately as he started to turn away. He looked back and said,

"Micah doesn't exist anymore." An undecided outlander in the crowd overheard what was said between the two. He felt genuinely sorry for her. Micah fired up is crowd with talks of cleansing and purging the land of the unbeliever. She screamed for it to stop. The outlander that was poised to strike her, cut her bonds instead. Not everyone believed in that corn god. Shortly after that, in chaos, or rather a lack there of, everybody stood there when Micah's robe was caught by the harvester. The wicked blue energy struck Micah and released him from it's possession it had over him. She could see what was happening and acted quickly. She grabbed his machete and frantically cut the piece of robe that was being pulled into the harvester. They rolled out of it's path seconds before it harvested them like a ripe crop on a cool October day.

Micah was in shock at his brush with death, then being saved, by the one person who he was going to be responsible for killing. The outlander tore her away from the scene, wrapped her in a blanket and took her back home.

Micah was overwhelmed and struck with silence and strangled with guilt. He felt he could not speak to her again, but it was all he thought about doing for weeks. He was glad Angela wasn't involved or things would've been much worse for him. He continued to live with her, which mean he could remain close to Lacey. He hoped her family wouldn't move and that she would choose to talk to him again. He made up his mind that he wouldn't push her or try to charm her. He didn't take her for a fool. He hoped that she would one day seek him out. Sitting back up in his room, things looked so ordinary on the outside. He popped one of the compilation CDs that Lacey had made for him. It randomly played, he listened to the lyrics.

'Empty spaces fill me up with holes

Distant faces with no place left to go

Without you within me I can't find no rest

Where I'm going is anybody's guess

I try to go on like I never knew you

I'm awake but my world's half asleep

I pray for this heart to be unbroken

But without you all I'm going to be is

Incomplete"

It saddened him.