Belated happy new year, everybody! I wish everyone great fortune and health this year.

Time to get back to our little story. Now that Aella finally found out about the demon, the problem of what she will do next arises. She will be faced with a choice, detrimental to her story arc. But enough stalling. Let's dive right into the chapter.


7

Back in the strange portion of limbo, next to Elise and the real Allison Petersen, Aella found herself at a complete loss. She understood everything now, each piece of the puzzle making the whole picture become clearer and clearer. Both Allison and her sister, Annie, had to ability to astral project their soul and travel through different plains of existence. Aella surmised that when Allison had been injured in her accident, for some reason, she lingered in her projected form and must have caught the demon's attention. From there on out, it was an easy matter. All he had to do was trap the girl long enough to weaken the link to her physical body in order to possess her more easily. He also had no choice but to imprison Elise as well, after witnessing her arrive at the Petersen's home to offer assistance with their daughter. After that, things were clear. The demon was free to wait as long as necessary and invaded the girl's body without any resistance, erasing every trace of his presence. That is why Aella could not see anything when she had looked into Allison's past.

It also explained the hauntings Natalie had mentioned. They were caused by the spirits of this realm trying to possess Allison as well, to have the chance to live again.

However, the situation now was much dire. Of all the negative outcomes this investigation could produce, this was the worst of them all. And it concerned the angel to its full extent. She could not even focus to what Elise was saying.

"Hey," the old woman cried out, successfully retrieving her attention after noticing its absence. "Are you listening here?"

Aella looked at her as she returned from her thoughts. "Yes. This is very bad."

"I'll say," Elise agreed next to a visibly dismayed Allison. "But it's ok. You're an angel. You can stop it, right? You can expel that thing out of her."

"You don't understand," The angel replied slightly irritated, "I can't do anything about it."

"What?" Elise asked, both her and Allison staring impatiently at Aella.

The gravity of the predicament was forcing the angel to have a vexed reaction at such questions. "What part of 'I can't' don't you understand? What? Have you lost the ability to comprehend words?" However, noticing how scared the girl was, she decided to calm down and adopt a more lenient approach.

"Look," while sighing, "you have to understand that there are two types of demonic possession. The first and most frequent one is Parasitic Possession. You may be more familiar with this one. The demon latches on to the physical body of the person in question and possesses it by subduing and oppressing the spirit, long enough for it to become vulnerable and malleable for possession. The victim is slowly drained of will and strength, succumbing to their own fears and plight, their desire to live fading away with each passing moment of mental torture. The weaker the soul is, the easier it is to possess the body. Your exorcism method is more or less effective to combat it."

Allison felt her eyes water. The entire speech terrified her to her very core. She could not bear to hear it. But deep down inside, she had to know what followed. Because she was in the same case and if there was any way to fix this, she needed to know. "And the other?" She anxiously inquired.

"The other type… What we're facing here… Is much worse. It is called Vacant Possession. The demon simply occupies an empty physical body and has full control over it. And there is no way to expel it or cast it out. Forget about any form of exorcism, it won't work because of the lack of a soul to drive it out of the body. The demon is dug in there so deep it's practically the host itself. It is impossible to get it out."

"Oh no…" A large hole formed itself in Allison's stomach, swallowing every bit of hope she had left. Her emotions overwhelmed her and forced her to lose control and cry.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something dear." Elise said after embracing the girl to console her.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Aella intervened sternly. "Our options are very limited. Let's not get caught up in false hopes now."

"How can you be so cruel?" Elise retorted in a lecturing tone, unable to believe the angel's straightforward attitude. "Can't you see how scared she is?"

"Oh for crying out loud," Aella protested in frustration. "You don't understand. There is nothing I can do. That demon is entrenched inside her physical body and as long as it is there, there is no way to get back. Think of it as someone who has locked themselves inside an empty room. A room physically impossible to fit two occupants. There is just no way. And if you knock the door down, that means you risk hurting the physical body."

"What if he leaves?" Elise questioned

"I highly doubt that's ever going to happen. There is no way in hell he would risk losing such an advantage. He's going to capitalize on it as much as he can. "

"There has to be something we can do," the old woman spoke. "We can't just let him roam around freely, hurting Allison's family and all."

Allison had managed to stop weeping, allowing Elise to let go of her.

"I will do something," Aella added in commanding fashion. "You'll stay put here until I say so. He doesn't know that I've found him out and I'd like to keep it that way. Use it as an ace up my sleeve for the right time."

"How come you didn't realize she was possessed?" Elise was struck by this curiosity.

"Because in the case of a complete possession such as this, angels cannot sense or detect the demon within. Once inside a human's body in this manner, a demon's aura is completely masked, making it 100% undetectable and unnoticeable to angelic senses. Why do you think they're so keen to possess you? When their energies mold to those that make up a human, they gain certain extra advantages that aid them in causing even more damage. It's the perfect disguise, your proverbial wolf in sheep's' clothing. That is why our current predicament is so complicated. Until you two told me, I had no idea about it. Didn't suspect a thing. Would have continued to be blind until God knows what would have happened. Played his part well, the son of a bitch, I'll give him that. In contrast, he knew I was an angel from the first second he saw me. Damn it."

"Please," Allison pleaded through sobs. "You have to help me and my family. Please help us. Please!"

"Whatever you plan on doing," Elise advised, "it has to be quick. The link between Allison and her physical body is already weak. It won't take too long for it to be completely severed. And if that happens…"

"I am well aware of how the mechanics work," Aella fired back. However, her gaze caught both Elise and Allison's stare. Their eyes casted imploring glances, almost begging her to accept in aiding them. She was aware there was not much she could do, but she could not dismiss the gravity of having a demon walking around freely and unnoticed on Earth. The level of havoc he could wreak could reach catastrophic proportions. With all her reservations, she was certain she had to act now and do something about it.

/|\

The following morning, a Friday, Brian had the day off. Considering the amount of time they had spent being awake the night before, he had told Natalie that he would help the girls get ready for school and that she should remain in bed and continue resting. He carefully had prepared his daughters' lunches for the day while helping Annie moving faster so they will not be late. Then, when everything had been done, he had hopped them in the car and took off to drive them to school.

When he returned, he began gathering all the cameras Specs and Tucker had installed throughout the house in a trash bag, in order to throw them away. He failed to notice Aella in the living room, sitting on the couch, as if waiting for him to be done.

Natalie eventually woke up and went downstairs. She was surprised to see Aella still in the house, especially with Brian being there and all.

Upon seeing her, the angel did not waste time. "Natalie. Please come here. We need to talk."

The woman seemed hesitant, not throwing her out but not heeding her call either, frozen on the spot, undecided. What was more is that she seemed to be searching with her gaze for her husband, as if not wanting to upset him by talking to her.

However, before anything, Brian approached, with a full bag in his hand. "I've just rounded up all of your friends' toys," he addressed Aella, dropping the bag on the floor. It produced a strong metallic thud, proving the large number of items that were inside. "Now I demand that you give me your superior's number. After I will have discussed with him or her about you, I will kindly ask you to get the hell out of my house."

"Look, I know your upset," Aella began, "but there is something very important we need to talk over. Something about Allison."

"Don't you dare bring up my daughter!" The father shouted, startling Natalie. "You don't even have the right to say her name. After all the crap you pulled, I should call the police on you. Who the hell do you think you are, huh? You come into my home, I allow you into my family and you spit in my face by bringing those lunatics inside my house, WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE! Give me the God damn number!"

"Whether you want to hear it or not, there is something wrong with Allison…" Aella stood her ground.

"Stop it with that bullshit!" Brian tried to cut her off. Unsuccessful as she went on in spite of it.

"… and whether you make a call or not, my decision will still weigh for your family. Nothing you do is going to change that."

"Unbelievable," Brian added while laughing incredulously.

"Now you may not believe this but I really DO care what happens to you and your family. And I DO want to help you."

"Then why did you do that last night?" Natalie asked with an innocent tone. "Why did you let those strangers inside our home like that?"

"Let's just say that I needed to get some answers."

"Well hooray for you," Brian retorted sarcastically. "I hope it was worth ruining your career over it. I'd like that number now, please. Or I will call a different number made of three digits."

"Did you get them?" Natalie inquired. "The answers?"

"Nat," Brian drew her attention to make her aware she had adopted a wrong approach. But she ignored him and continued to stare at Aella, waiting for her response. The angel saw it and realized that Natalie may finally be resisting her husband's authority. Meaning this was the perfect opportunity to press on and get her to help.

"Yes."

"And what are they?" Natalie was determined to know.

"That Allison needs help. And not the one that can be offered here."

"What do you mean?" The human woman asked. Brian, on the other hand, immediately could tell what Aella was referring to, as he shook his head in disagreement.

"I'm going to recommend that Allison be placed under special care and supervision by appropriate doctors."

The answer visibly shook Natalie. "What?" She uttered in the most bewildered and terrified manner possible.

"You want to have our daughter committed?" Brian completed his wife's thoughts.

"Like I said," Aella stood her ground, "she needs special help. None of you can do anything for her here." Then, she looked at Natalie. "You know what I'm talking about. Please. Deep down inside, you know that I'm right. This must be done."

From a certain point of view, it made sense. But in her heart, Natalie was still a mother. She did not want to give up believing that, believing in her daughter. And having Allison institutionalized in a mental clinic or worse, in an asylum, was beyond reproachable. She was her daughter, the one she gave birth to, the one she sang to in order to get her to sleep, the one she watched over and taught how to walk, the one she used to play and have fun with, the one who always wanted more sweets and TV time, the one who cried and needed consoling after being lectured, the one whom she used to ride bikes with and the one she always listened to every time a problem occurred. But most importantly, the one she loved and cared for deeply. No. Things were not as bad as the other woman concluded them to be. And in that point, Natalie chose to forget all the recent history she had had with Allison and resume in believing that nothing was beyond repair.

Aella's proposition enraged her to her very core. And to think that after the previous night's debacle, she had been interested in what she had to say. She wanted comfort, reassurance and a confirmation that there was nothing wrong with Allison, that it was all in her head and her family only needed time to heal. Not this. It disappointed and disgusted her. Aella did not manage to meet her expectations and now, the former was just as Brian had made her out to be. An intruder that did not belong in their home. "How can you even consider something like that? That is the most awful thing imaginable. You are a terrible person!"

"Natalie," Aella attempted to appeal to her but she knew the battle was lost. The human woman had made up her mind and no amount of convincing would deter her from her decision.

"I've heard enough," Natalie declared. "I cannot believe I trusted you. You know, I'm starting to see why you don't have any kids of your own. My daughter is not crazy, and I'm certainly not going to have her committed on whatever deluded basis you came up with. I want you gone, now."

Aella could not afford to back down. "The fact that you think its best to close your eyes and pretend nothing is wrong and everything is all daisies and rainbows doesn't mean it's the actual truth. You yourself told me about Allison, the bad vibes you're getting from her. Don't dismiss your instincts like that. You have no idea how accurate they are."

"Enough," Brian ordered. "Insulting us is the last straw. Please take your stuff and leave."

"You are making a big mistake. If you do this, then you will leave me no choice. I will completely dismiss your reimbursement claim and take the case further to social services for child neglect," Aella had one last card to play. "It's your call."

"You know what," the man stated, "go ahead. You do that. I'll call my lawyer and drag your company into an extensive and expensive lawsuit. I'm sure they'll be thrilled for it. I'll also go to the press and make all of this public. What else you got?"

The angel realized her options were getting limited. Her bluff did not work and further press could result in destroying all her credibility in the family's eyes. It already had been ruined as she was no longer welcomed, losing her privileged access inside the house and consequently, keeping a close watch on the demon. Without her there, the family would be left in absolute danger, as the fiend could hurt them in millions of ways. She had to find another solution. Talking to the Petersens was in vain. She was not going to get through to them.

/|\

"Well what else did you expect?" Elise posed to a very exasperated Aella, back in the transient limbo section she called the Further. Allison was standing next to the former, anxious and worried by the lack of progress.

"I thought I could count on the mother for support. Should have known she was going to put her head in the sand and act like everything is alright."

"You can't blame her. She wanted to see the good side of things instead of the bad," Elise explained. "So now what?"

The angel threw her an obvious impatient look. "You did not just ask me that."

"There must be something else we could try."

"To do what?" Aella became irritated. "Hold their hand? Hug them? Cause at this point, that's the only thing I can do. Even that is out of the equation since they threw me out."

"Isn't there some way we can draw him out? Make him leave her body?"

"Yeah, good luck with that." Aella said with irony.

"We can't give up. These people need us."

"Trust me, I'm not planning to give up," Aella answered, her expression turning somber. "The last thing I'll do is leave that demon unchecked. It must be stopped no matter what. Because if it's not, it can start a chain reaction that could set the entire world ablaze."

"Wait a minute," Elise intervened, suddenly realizing that something very grave was about to be suggested. "What do you mean 'no matter what'? What exactly are you proposing? You said there is nothing you can do to get that thing out of her. If that's the case…"

Elise felt her legs getting weak, unable to sustain her weight. She felt something very heavy crashing upon her shoulders, with a merciless impact. If she did not know better, she would have sworn to be getting dizzy, needing something to hold unto to remain on her feet. She also suspected that her mind was not helping in processing the information properly, repeating what she had heard over and over again, each time the conclusion getting more obscure, fact caused by the alarming realization she had reached.

"What?" Allison inquired, not understanding why Elise had stopped speaking. "What is it?"

"No," the human woman barely mumbled. "That is…"

"…the only thing that can be done." Aella responded with a coldness that terrified Elise.

"How can you say that so lightly?"

"What are you talking about?" The teenage girl got panicked and fearful, noticing how afflicted Elise was.

"Try to understand," Aella's voice echoed loudly, "it is the only solution at our disposal. Otherwise, humanity may face a crisis the likes of which it has never seen. That demon can cause an unthinkable amount of damage. You have no idea. I will not allow that."

"And you want to save the world by committing murder?" Elise fiercely fought back. "How is that any better?"

"Murder?" Allison gasped.

"It's a small price to pay to save billions of lives." The angel argued her point.

"It never is," Elise countered. "Many people have used that concept to justify their atrocious deeds. 'I had to kill my neighbor to steal his food and give it to my family'. What's the point of living on when you sold your soul to do it?"

"What would you have me do, huh?" Aella spat frustrated. "My hands are tied while he's in her body. I cannot do anything about it. And as long as Brian and Natalie don't trust me, all I can do is sit and watch. I have to kill it, even if that means destroying her physical body."

"What?" Allison finally figured out. And it scared her beyond reason. All she could do is cry, harder than ever. Her sorrowful wails strongly sounded throughout the sonic scenery of the place. Elise embraced her and caressed her head. "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise you. Please calm down, it's ok."

Watching Elise, Aella noticed a familiar trait she shared with someone else. Her empathy, altruism, determination to save someone in need, in the best possible way, overwhelmingly reminded her of Elaiel. His recent change of character brought forth a powerful desire to militate for the most damned and hopeless causes, no matter the consequences. He even went so far as to wish going to hell to save the souls there. An absurd mission by all logical and reasonable accounts. Risking his life for those that are not worth it. And despite the fact that she commended him for it, she also resented that he did not see how foolish and worthless it actually was. And Elise was behaving in the same way, not seeing clearly. She had to be shown the true path.

"Understand that I do not say this lightly," Aella decided to adopt a different approach, softer and sympathetic. "I DO realize the severity and implication of such an act."

"Do you also realize that you'll be robbing her of a chance to grow up, have a normal life, enjoy things like love, pleasure and accomplishment, be a wife, a mother, a grandmother?" Elise attempted to bring another aspect into the conversation.

It was not received well by Aella at all. "Seriously? Is this what's preoccupying us now? Her physical life? She'll go to heaven and be safe, free of any pain or worry."

"And what about her family?" Elise added. "Wouldn't they suffer terribly for the rest of their lives? I mean you've seen the kind of issues they're having right now. If they lose her, it'll destroy them and split apart their family for good. Just think about it. Natalie's guilt, Brian's anger, Annie's loneliness… Where do you think all of that will lead them? Trust me when I say that I know what it's like for a family to fall apart like that. You don't want that."

"Damn it," the angel shouted. "How many times can I say I cannot do anything about this? What do you want from me?"

"Find another way. A better way." Elise uttered.

Aella's eyes lit up, being furious and fed up of the same reckless, senseless rhetoric she had encountered at Elaiel. "THERE IS NO OTHER WAY! What is it with everyone and lost causes? If you want to go risk your life for someone that's already damned, be my guest. It's your choice. But I am not going to stand around and watch you and everyone else suffer!"

Elise, however, maintained her calm, knowing full well what the right words were. "But you can't stay away either, can't you?" Despite how cold and calculated Aella appeared, she knew she was a true hero and would not abandon them to this plight. Hence why she was still there and arguing about the proper way to handle this situation. If she did not care, she would have left a long time ago. But she did not.

The old woman went on. "You say that killing Allison's physical body is the only solution. Then why haven't you done it by now? Why are you here, trying to convince me? It's because deep down inside, you know how horrible that is. And for you, it's the worst case scenario. Which means, you still hope that it won't come to that. And since you're a logical and very intelligent being, you are unable to hope without something concrete to back it up. You have another way, don't you?"

Aella's eyes returned to normal. She stood impressed by Elise's deductions, especially considering that they were to a large degree, accurate. On the other hand, she hated that she had figured it out. The plan she was contemplating on was by no means a good solution. Quite the contrary, it was a farfetched idea that could end badly nine times out of ten. She sighed and hesitantly let out, "I do but I highly recommend against it. It's very dangerous and it's not going to work. The demon is going to see it coming miles away. I'll just fail miserably. And endanger lives in the process."

"What is it?" Elise asked curious. Allison also turned to the angel to pay close attention.

"Complicated." Aella confessed. "Bottom line is that I need help for it to work. Not from you, from the living. But by the looks of it, I'm the last person they want to deal with. I have to come up with another story to get near them again and get their help if we are to proceed with this insane idea."

"But why go about it like that?" The old woman asked.

"Like what?"

"You're working from the shadows, surreptitiously, lying and manipulating them to get what you want. That's his way of doing things. You're not him. You're an angel. An angel from heaven. You represent all that is holly, good and pure. The divine light that casts away the darkness. You're his opposite. Use the truth. Be honest with them."

"What? Are you serious? I can't just go and blurt out the fact that I'm an angel."

"Why not?" Elise wondered. "It's not like you can't prove it."

"That's not the point," Aella indicated. "One of the most important rules for us angels is never reveal our true selves to the humans. It is forbidden for them to witness us, unless we're specifically instructed to do so. And for good reasons too."

"Then you have to break it!" Elise said vehemently. "You could erase their memory of it after the deed is done. Point is that if this truly is the only way to get that thing out of her, without killing her, then you have to take the chance. It's the only way."

"Please, Aella," Allison begged with tears. "My mom and dad are good people, they believe in God, they have faith. They will understand, I promise. Please, I'm begging you!"

The girl's pleas touched Aella. Between her frustrations of having her hands tied in the present circumstances, and her anger pointed at Elise and consequently, at Elaiel, she had forgotten to show sympathy. Allison was, after all, still a child, young and innocent, undeserving to be in so much pain. The misery she was going through compelled the angel to do anything in her power to take all the pain away and bring back the much deserved happiness. It was like an overpowering urge to act upon this, a powerful drive that pushed her to come to Allison and her family's aid and rescue them from destruction. Yes. She had to act. Therefore, despite some considerable reluctance, she accepted to put the plan in motion.

/|\

Later that day, Brian and Natalie had finished their chores and were now relaxing in front of the TV, waiting for the girls to finish school so they can bring them home. The latter was still reeling from the disappointment caused by Aella. She finally felt like she had found a semblance of support, of understanding, but it was all in vain. And the last thing she wanted was send Allison away, thus giving up on her. She did not want that, still desiring to believe that it everything was merely a phase and would go away with the passing of time. More time, anyway. She surmised that she would have to hang in there longer and hope everything would end up fine. Her family had to stick together, no matter what.

Natalie glanced at Brian, who seemed too fixated on the TV to notice her. She knew he was upset, further aggravated by what happened during the previous night and by Aella's suggestion. She felt so sorry for him and all the pressure and pain he had gone through in the recent period of their lives. If only she could take it all away, turn time back to happier moments of their marriage when all was blissful and amazing. Not to mention how much she was missing him. They had been so close, so fit for each other and their love blossomed and grew with each passing year. At one point, they had suspected they were able to read each other's mind effortlessly, sharing the same thoughts and emotions to a fault. Sure they had their own problems, every couple has. But if they would have argued, a make-up surely would have followed soon after. They made a fine couple.

Natalie still had hope that that was the case. She still wanted to believe the same love burned between them. It had to. So, she got closer to him on the couch. Just like before, he did not have any reaction, continuing to be too focused on the TV to mind her. However, when he felt her hand touching his, he turned to her, only to find her staring longingly at him, her eyes radiating with yearning. Confused, Brian pulled his hand away.

But she was not going to be deterred. She reached out and caressed his hair, enjoying the feeling of touching it again, like previous times before. This time, he pierced her with an annoyed look, signaling that she was definitely crossing the line.

Natalie refused to heed his warning. Enveloping his abdomen with her hand to embrace him, she began to lean in for a kiss. Even though her eyes were closed, she opened them in time to see how he grabbed her hands with only his thumb and index fingers, in complete disgust, and removed them from his body. Afterward, he calmly switched again to the TV.

His gesture and rejection utterly destroyed her. Their marriage had become nothing less than a mere façade, maintained for the sake of their daughters. There was nothing left between them. She could not take it any longer, living in an environment of hatred, resentment and hostility. It was not a home anymore, but a torture house, filled with agony and torment. Even hope was fleeting, trampled upon and casted out by this excruciating anguish. Her mental state was already in a significant level of degradation, barely held together by her strength and will to go on. But with Brian's reaction to her advance, she was slowly beginning to lose all control, all ability to maintain sanity, every shred of confidence and stability. Everything was slipping away.

Suddenly, Aella entered the living room. The humans were in complete shock to see her there, well aware that they had forced her to leave earlier that day. What was stranger, they did not even hear or notice her coming back inside. They had no idea how she had managed to enter the house, with them inside at every single moment.

"Get the hell out of my house!" Brian rose from his seat, spewing angrily.

"Sit down, Brian. We have to talk." Aella firmly demanded.

"The hell I will! Nat, call the cops, now!"

Natalie got up from the couch to get her phone.

"I said sit down!" Aella shouted and unfolded her luminescent wings, which shined as brightly as ever. Her eyes too lit up, making her pupils and iris indistinguishable from all the light that emanated within.

Brian and Natalie could do nothing but gape at the sight before them. The casted light was very bright, as they felt they were staring directly at the sun. But in spite of that, no harm came to their eyes. On the contrary, the longer they viewed it, a warm and comforting sensation washed over them, bringing peace and serenity. A peace they had never experienced before.

Natalie could see how the tip of Aella's wings almost reached the ceiling. They were magnificent, in every sense of the word. Majestic even. She thought she was hallucinating things that were not there. Perhaps all the suffering was taking its toll on her. But to such an extent? She looked at her husband for confirmation and she got just that, when she saw Brian unable to stop gazing at the angel. A tangible proof that she was not being affected by optical illusions. And if seeing is believing, then she was actually looking at something real, something incredible.

As for Brian, he tried and tried to comprehend what was developing in front of him. He was witnessing something he never thought he would see, something beyond rational explanation or reason. Something transcendent, that surpassed everything he believed in, the world around him and himself. The only word he could use to describe it was divine. And it overwhelmed him. The glowing shimmer, the pleasant feeling he got from it, the beauty of it all… It was breathtaking.

Aella tried not to let her creeping doubts discourage her. She told herself that she was making the right choice. It had to be.

/|\

Allison entered the house, closing the front door behind her. It was suspiciously quiet and all the lights were turned off. It was very strange considering the time, 5:30 PM. Usually everybody would be home by now. And if they weren't, they would have surely announced it via telephone. But the door had been locked and the family car was not outside. "Dad? Mommy?" She cried while dropping her bag on the floor. "Why aren't you guys picking up your phone? I've waited like an hour for you at school."

After she turned the lights in the downstairs hallway on, she started searching every corner with her sight, hoping to discover what had happened. "I couldn't see Annie. Did you pick her up? Dad? Mommy?"

She got no answer. The house lay as silent as ever.

When she got to the living room door, she reached for the light switch. As soon as the bulbs lit up and the entire confinement was illuminated, Allison was startled by Aella, who was standing there, in the center, looking straight at her. Remembering that she was no longer welcomed in the house, the teenage girl adopted a visibly nervous stance and an uneasy, anxious facial expression. "Dad!" She looked from left to right in search of her parent. But no one answered, no one came.

The angel however, fixed her with an unrelentingly cold stare. "It's time to cut the crap. It's over. I know who you are!"

"Ms. March?" The girl addressed with a shaky voice.

"I said DROP the act, parasite!"

"You're scaring me," Allison warned, on the verge of tears.

"You know," Aella stated, slowly walking to her. "I got to hand it to you. It was a nice piece of play you acted out here. No one suspected a thing. Not even me."

"What are you talking about? Mommy? Dad?" Allison beckoned, backing away, beginning to shake. Terror was plastered all over her face and her eyes screamed panic.

"Save it! You are not fooling anyone. Not anymore. So you might as well just come clean!"

The girl appeared as if searching for an angle to bolt out of there. Aella knew she had to put up quite the fight in order to get the demon to reveal himself, being well aware that he would rather die than lose this under-cover advantage he had been benefiting from. "Keeping up this act is not going to get you anywhere."

"Mommy!" Allison shouted and began to weep, falling on her knees.

"Do you think I would have left them with you now that I know who you are? Wow, guess demons aren't as bright nowadays as I thought."

All of a sudden, Allison stopped sobbing. As she raised her head, she shot Aella with the most malicious and terrifying stare the angel had seen on a human, all while a malevolent grin rounded her lips, as to display a content and a satisfied disposition. The angel concluded that this was it. She had been successful in making the demon show himself. The girl then let out a disturbing chuckle that would have sent shivers down any human's spine.

"I guess we really are alone," Allison said, in a much calmer and confident tone of voice, completely opposite of her demeanor from before. She got up on her feet. "Otherwise my dad would have thrown you out by now."

"Seriously?" Aella acted surprised. "You're still trying to sell that? He's not your father, you idiot!"

"Oh but he is. Just like Nat is my mother and Annie, my sister. I mean, everyone knows that. Even them."

"I'm afraid the cat is out of the bag, unfortunately for you. This little 'being Allison' pretend-charade you've been running is over."

"But they are my parents," the girl pointed out, seemingly very convinced of the notion. "I'm their daughter. They will always count on that, no matter what."

Aella was also expecting this. Even now, after changing his behavior, he was still keeping up appearances It did not matter. She was determined to go through with the plan. "Yeah? Cause that's not what Natalie told me. Her mother's instincts were on the spot. She saw right through you, since the beginning. You see, it doesn't matter how well you play your part, you moron. There will always be something that will give you away. Your reckless craving to hurt and cause pain."

Allison began laughing, quite hysterically. "Is that what you got? You're leading with that? Wow. I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. I expected more from you."

More was needed and Aella decided to press on. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to let you hurt these people any longer."

"Uh, so very determined to get the job done by any means necessary. You got the right attitude. So what does that mean? You going to kill me or something?"

Aella paused.

"You do, don't you? Hm. I mean, let's analyze that for a bit. My death, an already distraught family with lots of issues… The perfect recipe for disaster. Not only will it break them, it will destroy their lives forever. Not to mention the panic caused by the murder of an innocent girl inside her own house. Your work place would surely suffer a huge fall for it, lots of people losing their jobs and ending up on the streets. So many things I can think of."

Again, Aella was without reply, looking down in defeat. It stirred another phase of laughter out of the teenage girl.

"Besides, if you wanted to kill me, you would have done so by now. But you're the hero type, aren't you? You are not about to get your hands that dirty. Come to think of it, judging by that, even making that suggestion must make you nauseous and uncomfortable. Which implies… There is something very wrong with you. You don't want to save this girl, do you? You think she's already lost. Ha, who woulda' thunk? The big bad angel is not actually a hero after all."

All of a sudden, Aella lifted her head and met Allison's eyes, signaling clear purpose and triumph. "What did I say about your craving to cause pain?" Then, she snapped her fingers. The wall behind her suddenly faded, being an illusion. In its place was the real wall and in front of it was Brian, Natalie with Annie, Specs and Tucker. They were staring at Allison, perplexed and downright thunderstruck, clearly having witnessed everything. Tucker was holding a camera and had caught all of it on tape. His lips whispered 'whoa'.

"Got you!" Aella uttered victoriously.

Allison's eyes widened. "This is a twist." The demon understood that he fell into a well placed trap. Aella must have concealed the humans behind a perfectly crafted illusion that concealed both their presence and spiritual auras. From there on out she created a scenery in such a way as to make him reveal himself, so that the family could have clear evidence of possession. Only now he realized that he had let out the word 'angel' without any kind of direct disclosure from anyone. And all of it was because he thought he had found a weakness in Aella to exploit.

"Well," Allison said, "fool me once…" As soon as she had said that, she roared and performed an unnatural leap, heading straight at the humans to attack them.

"No!" Aella yelled commandingly and lifted her hand, telekinetically stopping the girl in midair and holding her there.

Hovering a few inches below the ceiling, Allison displayed a violent, angry fit, squirming and writhing like a mental patient in a strait jacket. "You motherfuckers! I will kill you all, you pathetic worms. I will rip out your spine and lick your innards, you fucking cunts!"

Aella unfolded one of her wings and plucked several feathers which she transformed into long chains. Then she waved them over to her prisoner. They wrapped tightly around her body, from torso to legs, completely immobilizing her movements.

Allison continued to yell like a crazy person, spewing profanities and cursing everyone there.

The angel summoned a chair beneath the girl. "Sit down!" She ordered and Allison gently landed on the seat, the chains also fastening to the chair's wooden structure to better secure her.

The parents could but watch in horror at the abominable manifestations their daughter put forth. It brought a whole new meaning to the word fear, never knowing their own daughter could scare them so much. But she was not their daughter. Something else was controlling her. And now, they had proof of it.

As for Aella, she knew the easy part of her plan was over. The difficult part was about to begin…


That's it for now. But the battle has just begun. And it will get hot and heavy. Trust me on it. Leave a review if you like. I will be returning soon... I hope.