2 - Dizzy

Hyde sat in one of the chairs in the waiting room, bouncing his leg. Only two other people sat with him; a man in a wheelchair and an older woman. He was waiting for Jackie to come out of her appointment.

"So, what's wrong with you?" the old woman asked, smiling sweetly.

"Nothing. Just waiting for my girlfriend," he replied.

"Oh, please, everyone has something wrong with them. It may not be sickness, but no one is ever completely right."

"Oh yeah? Then what's wrong with you?"

"I hear voices." The woman pressed her index finger against the side of her temple. "Voices, voices. Keeping me up at night and telling me to do things that I won't do. They've been there since the 1930s."

Hyde raised his eyebrows and nodded. He was saved from having to respond by Dr. Warren coming out into the waiting room. "Mr. Hyde? Could I see you please?"

He nodded and followed the doctor to Jackie's room. Dr. Warren closed the door behind them. "To reiterate: You came because Jackie was hearing voices and things were happening out of her control, correct?"

They both nodded. Dr. Warren wrote something down on her clipboard. "From the tests I did, nothing seems wrong. I don't see signs of schizophrenia other than the voices. It may be symptoms from a medication, or perhaps carbon monoxide in your residence. I don't think there's anything wrong with her."

There's something wrong with everyone, Hyde thought. "Huh."

"If anything else happens, you know how to contact me." Dr. Warren clicked her pen and handed them a business card. "Just in case."

"Thanks." Hyde put the card in his pocket.

"I'll leave you two to talk for a moment. Remember to check out at the front desk." Dr. Warren left the room.

"See? She couldn't find anything because it's a demon!" Jackie said.

"It's not a demon. Demons aren't real."

Jackie smacked him sharply on the arm. He glared at her. "I swear that's not me doing that! I don't want to hit you." She took his arm and kissed him where her hand had made contact. "I'm sorry. But you have to stop saying that demons aren't real. I know what I'm hearing. I know what I saw and felt."

Hyde frowned. "Why don't we talk to Randy? He's obsessed with demonic shit. Maybe he can confirm it."

"Fine. Whatever helps you believe me."


Later that week…

Jackie stepped out of the shower. She hadn't heard the demonic voice in a few days. Maybe Steven was right. Maybe she had imagined it.

She started drying her hair with her towel. She closed her eyes as she squeezed the water from the front of her hair. When she opened them, the demon's face was staring back at her in the mirror. Its red eyes seemed to stare directly into hers despite it being a reflection.

She screamed and whirled around. The demon wasn't behind her. She looked back at the mirror. It was still there, smiling and baring its sharp teeth.

"Jackie, are you okay?" Steven called from outside the door.

Jackie was too scared to speak. She couldn't take her eyes off the demon.

"Jackie, I'm coming in." The second Steven stepped inside the bathroom, the demon faded away from the mirror.

She collapsed against the bathroom wall, her breathing quick and shallow. Steven crouched down beside her and laid his hand gently on her still damp arm. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"There- The demon was in the mirror, Steven, I saw it! It was staring at me with these red eyes, and- Oh, my-" Again, the word God got caught in her throat.

When she looked at Steven, he was looking at her with a deep concern in his eyes. A pitying concern.

"Steven, I know what I saw."

"I don't doubt that. I just… I don't believe in demons. I want to believe you, but I can't. I don't understand."

"Why can't you just take my word for it?"

"Because I've never believed in demons. They're not real."

The controlling force that Jackie could now identify as the demon made her slap him across the face.

He glared at her. When he spoke, his voice was harder than she'd ever heard it. "You need to stop hitting me."

"You need to stop saying demons aren't real." She took his face in her hands and kissed him a few times where she'd slapped him. "I'm sorry."

He kissed her on the lips. "It's all right."


Hyde knocked on the door to Randy's apartment. After a long few days of classes, they'd finally gotten the time to drive down to Point Place and consult Randy.

He opened the door. "Hey, Hyde, Jackie! What brings you around?"

"Jackie thinks she's possessed by a demon."

"I am possessed by a demon!"

Randy raised his eyebrows. "That's serious business. Come in."

They followed him into the apartment. They waited while he went into his room and got a few things. He came back out with a wooden box labeled 'Demon Stuff.'

"You have a whole box for this?" Hyde asked.

Randy nodded. "Oh yeah, I have boxes for all kinds of demons. I'm assuming yours is Christian. That's most common. I have some tests I can do, with Jackie's permission."

"Go for it. Anything to prove I'm right."

Hyde crossed his arms. He wanted to believe Jackie, but the idea that a demon had possessed her was ridiculous. Demons didn't exist. Even if they did, Jackie had done nothing to invite one in.

Randy pulled over a chair from the kitchen. "Sit there and don't do anything of your own volition." Jackie did so, placing her hands on her lap. Randy got out a vial labeled 'Holy Water,' a wooden crucifix, and a bible. He put them on the table, then went around and shut off all the lights. He lit some candles in their place, giving the room an eerie glow.

"Are the candles really necessary?" Hyde asked.

"Don't doubt my methods, man." Randy picked up the crucifix and stood in front of Jacie, shoulders squared. "If there is a demon here, show yourself."

They all waited in silence for a minute. Nothing happened. "This is bullshit," Hyde said.

"That was step one, stop interrupting," Randy said. He raised the crucifix in front of Jackie's face. "If there is a demon here, show yourself."

Jackie glared at the crucifix. They didn't have any crucifixes in their apartment. Hyde never wanted one. Jackie had never put one up for herself. Now, she glared at the crucifix like it had spread some horrible rumor about her to the whole world.

Randy picked up the bible. "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…"

Jackie hissed at the prayer. Nerves wound their way around Hyde's insides. He'd never heard a sound like that come out of her mouth before.

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," Randy continued.

Jackie's hissing turned into a louder, inhuman shriek.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." On the word Amen, Randy flicked a few drops of the holy water onto Jackie. She shrieked louder, like she was in pain. Hyde stepped forward to help her, but Randy held out his arm to hold him back.

"Demon, reveal yourself!"

Jackie shrieked and looked Randy directly in the eye. Hyde was horrified at the sight of her eyes. They'd turned completely black.

"Reveal yourself!" Randy said loudly.

When Jackie spoke, Hyde nearly fell over in shock. She spoke in a deep, gravelly voice, one that she definitely wasn't capable of doing on her own. "I am the demon Valamon, the Pure One, the destroyer." She laughed, a cold and grating sound.

"Why are you here?" Randy asked.

"To kill Jackie," she said with an evil smile.

"Like hell you are," Hyde said, pushing past Randy's arm to get to Jackie.

She turned her black gaze on him, stopping him in his tracks. "Steven Hyde. What are you going to do about it? You couldn't even stand up to your mother when she cut you with her ring."

Hyde took a step back and reflexively touched his forearm, near his elbow. Beneath his shirt, there was a scar in that spot, from Edna's old engagement ring from Bud. She'd cut him with it the day Bud left for good. "I never told you about that."

"You mean you never told Jackie about that." Her grin stretched wider, too wide. "I know everything about you, Steven. I know the story behind every scar on your body, behind every dark thought in your mind. I know you better than you know yourself."

"No, you fucking don't."

"But I do. I know everything about Jackie, too. About all of her scars and her dark thoughts and her secrets."

Light flooded the room. Jackie's head dropped against her chest. Randy had turned the lights on. He blew out the candles and said, "I think I can safely say you have a demon."

Hyde ignored him, going straight to Jackie. He crouched down beside her chair and took her hand in his. "Jackie?"

She snapped awake. "Steven? What happened?"

"You're right. You're… possessed."

"Told you so."

Hyde frowned. If there was ever a time for Jackie to be right, this wasn't it. She laced her fingers through his in reassurance. He looked over at Randy. "So, what's the plan?"

"Get somewhere where she can't really do much damage. It's better to keep it contained."

"We could go to my old house," Jackie suggested. "Daddy's still in prison and my mom remarried and stayed in Mexico when she found out I got into college."

Hyde bit the side of his tongue to keep from sharing his thoughts on that. Jackie had heard them many times, she didn't need to hear them again. She'd pretty much cut all ties with her mom by now. She still visited her dad in prison, sometimes even bringing Hyde along. But her visits usually ended in tears.

"I'll help you get settled there. I'll give you some of this stuff too, for protective measures," Randy offered.

Hyde nodded. He didn't like this one bit. The idea of Jackie being hurt by this demon crushed him. He didn't want her to get hurt. He didn't want to see her in pain. He believed in the demon now. What he'd just witnessed was unmistakable.

Jackie squeezed his hand gently. "That sounds great, Randy."


Jackie looked around the living room of her childhood home. Everything was just as she left it two years ago, when she and Steven bought their apartment. It was just dustier.

Steven hooked his arm around her shoulders. "You sure you're okay staying here?"

"Yeah. It's the best place to be."

Steven laughed. "It's fitting that we're staying in a dusty old mansion while you're possessed. Very horror movie-esque."

"It'll make it even creepier."

Randy walked in, holding the large wooden box from his apartment. Jackie hated that box. She stepped away as he got closer. "Keep that away from me," she said.

Randy nodded. He looked at Steven. "Where do you want this? It's just precautions in case the demon gets too much control. I'll show you how to use all the stuff at some point."

"You can put it in the dining room," Steven said, pointing the way. Randy left the room, leaving Jackie and Steven alone.

"How are you taking this whole thing? Y'know, with the demon being real," she asked.

"It's a lot to process. But I'm more worried about you." He dropped his arm from around her shoulders to take her hand. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

She squeezed his hands gently. "I know, Puddin."

"Puddin?" Randy came back into the room, smiling.

"Dammit," Steven muttered.

"Your pet name is Puddin?" Randy asked.

"It's Puddin Pop and you're the last to know," Jackie said.

Randy put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Damn. I thought I finally had something to bond with Eric over."

"I keep telling you, Star Wars is the way to go with Forman. But I think you screwing Donna ruined your chances with him," Steven said.

"It was only two months, he should be over it by now," Randy said.

"Trust me, he's not," Jackie said.

"In the interest of complete honesty, I'm just gonna let you know I don't trust you a whole lot with the demon inside you," Randy said.

Jackie glared at him. "Some thoughts are better kept to yourself, man," Steven said.

"Right, sorry."

A sudden wave of dizziness came over Jackie. She swayed a little on her feet, then fell into Steven's arms. "Woah. You okay?" he asked.

"I'm just- Just dizzy. I need to… to lie down. I'll go upstairs…"

"No, you won't." Steven picked her up, bridal-style. Another bout of dizziness made her head spin, and she passed out.


Hyde carried Jackie upstairs, Randy trailing close behind. "Did she pass out?" he asked, a worried edge to his voice.

"Yeah."

"That's not good." Randy practically fell back down the stairs. Hyde ignored whatever he was doing and carried Jackie to her room.

It was exactly as they'd left it, just dusty. It was still nauseatingly pink and flowery. Hyde gently laid Jackie down on the bed.

He kissed her on the forehead, then turned to leave the room. When he got to the door, he looked back to make sure she was okay. The sight that met him was startling.

Jackie was sitting up, her posture ramrod-straight. She was staring directly at him, her eyes black. "You should have listened to Randy," she said, her voice deep and gravelly once again.

Her head turned until her ear touched her shoulder, but her gaze never left Hyde. She didn't even blink. She laughed insanely, then the sickening sound of joints popping filled the room. Without taking her eyes off Hyde, her body contorted sideways until she dropped off the bed onto the floor.

Once on the ground, her body twisted. She looked at him upside down, her limbs bent at awkward angles. "She will be mine for eternity."

"Stop, demon!" Randy said loudly as he entered, crucifix in hand.

Jackie hissed, then laughed. "You can never conquer me, Randy Pearson. You are not as experienced as you think you are. You may know what I am and you may know how to use your silly tools, but you could never defeat me. I see you for who you are, Randy."

Randy ignored her and moved his hand in the sign of the cross as he said, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Jackie hissed and contorted again, her joints popping even more and making Hyde nauseous. "Stop! Shut up!"

Randy continued, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…"

"Stop it! Stop it!" Jackie shrieked. She screamed and writhed like she was being burned by something.

Hyde couldn't stand there and do nothing. "Randy, stop it, can't you see this is hurting her?"

"It's hurting the demon, not her. Holy Mary, Mother of God…"

Jackie screamed at the top of her lungs. Hyde wasn't about to just let that happen, so he pulled the crucifix out of Randy's hand. "Stop it!"

She went silent. Her body began to untangle itself until she was lying on her back on the floor. Her eyes closed and her body went still. Hyde rushed over to her. "Jackie?"

She didn't answer. She must have passed out again. He lifted her off the floor and put her on the bed. He'd come back later to check on her, but first he needed to have a conversation with Randy.

The two of them went into the hallway. Randy was glaring at him. "What the hell was that, man?"

"I can't have her screaming like that. I can't take it."

"Well, you're gonna have to learn to take it. When the demon is present, it doesn't matter what she feels. It matters how the demon reacts."

"It always fucking matters what she feels, she's the one going through all this!" Hyde said. "I am not going to stand by while you torture her."

"I'm not torturing her. I am saying prayers that the demon reacts to in a negative way. You need to fucking trust my word. I know what I'm doing."

"It really doesn't seem like it."

"Would you rather I didn't help at all? 'Cause if I walk out right now, take my stuff with me, Jackie will die. That demon will kill her."

Hyde had been plenty scared today by the demon, but Randy's words terrified him to the bone. If Jackie died, he'd die with her.

He sat on the floor with his back against the wall. "Shit. Fine." He ran a hand through his hair. It was getting longer. He was growing it out a bit, and now it was about the same length as it had been during his junior year of high school. "Teach me how to use your demon stuff."

Randy's anger dissipated. "Will do." He got the box, which he'd apparently brought upstairs after Jackie initially passed out. He held up the crucifix. "The sight of this offends the demon. It's a basic tool." He took out the holy water. "This will burn the demon. It's just water to Jackie."

He took out the Bible. "I have pages bookmarked with prayers and passages that the demon won't like, but pretty much anything you read from here will offend the demon." He rummaged through the box. "The rest of this is rope, in case she starts clawing people and you need to tie her down, backup crucifixes and a piece of paper with numbers to contact different churches."

"Thanks. I'll spend the rest of the night calling people. We should meet with everyone to figure out a plan."

"That would be great. I can go to your apartment in Madison and pick up some stuff for you if you want. Y'know, so you can keep an eye on Jackie."

"I'll make you a list. Thanks again."

Randy patted his shoulder. "No problem, man."


Jackie was lying awake in bed. Her room was dark, allowing bad thoughts to proliferate. Steven was asleep next to her, cuddled close. A chill had settled into the house after being unoccupied and unheated for so long.

She stared at Steven. His hair was splayed out on the pillow and his mouth was slightly open. He looked so cute and peaceful.

The demon seemed to disagree. "What if you choked him? What if you pinned him down and pressed the pillow over his face until he stopped breathing? Wouldn't it feel so good to feel the life leave his body at your hands?"

"No," Jackie whispered. "I won't do that."

"You should. Or maybe I should just take over and do it for you…"

Jackie stared at Steven for a moment. She reached out her hand, inching towards his neck… then shook his shoulder gently. "Steven, wake up."

He made a face and opened his eyes. "Jackie, what's-"

"I don't think you should sleep here."

He seemed to wake up fully at that. "What? Why?"

"If you tell him why, I'll hurt him," the demon said.

"Just in case," Jackie said. "Please, just trust me. You can sleep in the guest room across the hall."

"Grasshopper, I'm not leaving you alone. I can get a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor if that makes you happy, but I'm not leaving you."

The care and concern for her in his voice startled her. At the risk of his own safety, he was protecting her. "I hate to kick you out, but…"

"You'd rather I sleep on the floor? Okay." He kissed her quickly, then got out of bed and took the sleeping bag out of her closet. He set it up a good distance away from the bed. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Okay." Jackie bit her lip and waited for the demon to say anything. When nothing came, she said, "I love you, Steven."

"I love you too, Jackie."