An Epidemic of Possessions
By Dane Lurex
John arrived down town together with Chas, who had insisted on going with John. John needed the ride and he had reluctantly agreed on the condition that Chas wasn't in the same room as the exorcism took place.
Chas had also only reluctantly agreed, or more precisely he had been very disappointed, but he was quite happy anyway to be in the action although it was limited.
John had been chain smoking since he woke up to keep himself from falling asleep again. He looked up at the sky. It was noon and the sun was shining merciless on his pale face.
Chas watched the little scene. It looked like John was greeting the sun, like he saw a long lost friend – or foe, Chas couldn't tell. The majority of John's work took place at night so it was highly unusual for him to be out in the daylight, which his pale skin also indicated.
Farther Hennessy came almost running towards them.
"What took you so long John?" he barked. John ignored him, not being in the mood the quarrel over something like that and took a long drag of his cigarette.
"How bad is it?" Chas asked on John's behalf since he didn't seem to be very talkative. In the very same second a terrifying scream sounded throughout the street. It was a woman's cry coming from the same building they were standing in front of. Chas swallowed hard. John just took another drag and folded his face in seriousness. As usual he was now unreadable. Chas hated it. Farther Hennessy pitied him.
"So far I've counted 11 possessions," farther Hennessy stated. John sighed and took the last drag and put out the cigarette.
"Show me the way" John simply said. He knew by now that it was going to be a long day.
Farther Hennessy went up the stairs and led them up to the third floor into a small dark apartment. Before entering John turned around and pointed accusingly on Chas.
"You know the rules," he said so that only Chas could hear him. Chas sighed in protest, but he knew there was nothing he could do and he didn't want to make a scene in front of Farther Hennessy. So Chas stayed in the in the hallway.
The first two seconds were quiet then suddenly he heard screaming and furniture being thrown around.
"Hold him, damn it!" John yelled. More furniture was being thrown what appeared to be the window. It almost sounded like World War II in there. Chas was in a dilemma; should he enter the room and help John or should he stay in the stairway and risk that John got hurt. He took one step forward and then regretted. He had to make a decision. Now.
Finally the sound of the mirror being shattered filled the air. Chas sighed in relief; he had almost broken his promise and entered the room.
John came out looking like thunder, wiping pieces of glass of his coat. Farther Hennessy was right behind him.
"I'm sorry John. I just..." John stopped in motion and looked at Hennessy with an expression that said; Shut up and listen asshole!
"Let's just hope that you've tied the others better" he said in a threatening low voice. "Where's the next one?" he added carelessly and took his gaze away from Hennessy, who seemed grateful. John found another cigarette and lit it while they moved up the stairs to the next possessed victim. Chas just followed them like a shadow.
John actually managed to finish the cigarette in time for the next possession by only taking long drags.
The whole day continued like that; from one possession to the next. About 6 o'clock in the evening John had to stop for a second to catch his breath. So far he had done 17 exorcisms and it looked like they kept coming. Every time he sent one back to hell another one seemed to occur. When he opened the third pack of cigarettes he realized that he was wearing himself out. It couldn't be right. There was something wrong. He searched his mind for possible answers, but found non. He sighed and got back to work.
Mostly Farther Hennessy showed the way, but sometimes they just walked in the direction of the screams and the sounds of war. John did 5 more exorcisms before his body protested again against the rough treatment. He tried to ignore his trembling knees, his dizziness, and his shaking hands, but suddenly he just collapsed. He didn't lose conscious, but his body just refused to obey the abuse John was putting himself through anymore.
Chas was there at once to help John to his feet again. John didn't like the situation and he appeared to be able to stand up by himself, but he was leaning heavily against the wall.
"Shit John, this isn't working" Chas said, trying hard not to just grab John and throw him in the cab and drive him home.
"No it isn't," John admitted, way to tired to keep up badass facade. Chas was convinced that he had heard wrong. When he gathered that he had not, he didn't know how to reply. Luckily John took over.
"This isn't normal," John said, shaking his head as if that would help him to find the missing link or something.
"No John it's very normal to collapse, when you work day and night, don't sleep, don't eat anything, and smoke three packs of cigarettes in almost so many hours" Chas said accusingly.
"That is not what I'm talking about, you idiot," John angrily, "It's not normal to see so many possessions in one day." Just then it hit John.
"How could I forget?" he whispered turning his anger toward himself. Chas looked a little disorientated. John kept looking at him like everything was so damned obvious. "Beelzebub!" John just said. "The Prince of Demons"
"What are you talking about? Beelzebub? You seriously need to lie down I think," Chas said looking like he thought that John was losing it.
"Beelzebub was called to the earth last night" Chas stopped.
"Yeah, you talked about Beelzebub last night, but you never fucking said that he had come to earth"
Suddenly a strange felling filled John. He felt him. Beelzebub was here. John totally ignored Chas, walked past him toward the window and looked down at the street.
There in the middle of the street he saw a man standing like no normal person would. Beelzebub. John used all his will power and forced himself to run down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him.
On the street the man was still there much to John's surprise. He didn't have a plan other than go to the demon and deport his ass.
John's natural anger grew stronger as he was nearing the tall demon. Beelzebub was dressed in a black flawless taylor made suit a little like Balthazar's, bus this was from a different century and with that he was wearing a cloak, which made him look even more imposing than he already was. His long combed back silver grey hair almost shined and his features were so delicate that he almost seemed angelic. As John came closer he saw that Beelzebub's wise face didn't show any sign of evil or anger like demons normally did. Slowly time stopped.
It wasn't until he was too few feets away that he realized that he had just entered the lion's cave.
"John Constantine" Beelzebub's deep voice boomed. John looked at Beelzebub not understanding. He hesitated, but now there was no way out.
"Beelzebub" he said as if that was the right reply. Beelzebub remained indifferent, but before John had any chance of reacting Beelzebub took one step forward and put his index finger unto John's forehead.
John went completely numb and his eyes disappeared in the back of his head. Beelzebub was holding John in one outstretched arm, in one finger on John's forehead as if they were magnetic. While John was hanging on the finger Beelzebub's eyes began to glow red and he began to speak:
"Let destruction come upon him at unawareness; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall"
Psalms 35:8
The flashing red in Beelzebub's eyes subsided and he removed his unhealthy touch from John and walked away as time returned back to normal, leaving John lying unconscious on the street.
How was that?
To be continued?
Review or you shall fear me - hehe