Chapter 19

Hong Kong – Leon
Canada – Matthew
USA – Alfred
Seychelles – Shelly
Australia – Kyle
England – Arthur /Artie
France – Fran / Francis
Denmark –Mathias Normann
Norway – Lukas Normann
Sweden – Berwald Oxenstierna
Finland – Tino Väinämöinen

But Lukas can't just stand on the top stair of the cellar where he just got assaulted so he moves back into the hallway while gesticulating as he repeats the sentence "I know what she did", and makes straight way to the living room. Mathias follows and knows immediately that more must have happened than just the fall to make him that riled up. He looks worried at the ripped open shirt on Lukas' back and how his hair is a dusty mess, the golden cross not there anymore to hold it out of his face. In fact, the whole appearance of him is currently a dusty, scratched mess.
"I know what she did."
"What?" asks Mathias, finally wanting to know the answer.
"I know what she did," murmurs Lukas as he walks around the corner.
"Lu?"

Lukas turns, once in the living room, towards Francis and Arthur. Both were watching how Mathias desperately looked for Lukas and made sure, that all the kids would be safely waiting in the living room in case something dangerous would be going on.
"She possessed the brother to kill the child." He glares at Francis.
"She visits Francis every night." Lukas turns to Mathias and gesticulates towards Francis.
"That's what the bruise marks are, she's feeding off of him."
Mathias looks from his husband towards the bewildered couple in front of him, and just one look at Francis, who has his mouth slightly open as it dawns on him, makes him accept the explanation.

As if everyone needed another confirmation one of the crosses that Mathias put on a sill in the living room starts shaking and eventually falls over. Every head in the living room turns towards the sill. The next cross, placed above the fireplace follows suit and even falls down on the floor. The kids watch eyes widened and fingers trembling. Suddenly one hair after another of Matthew gets lifted by the tip, seemingly by an invisible hand.
"Uhm… Matthew?" Alfred asks, who stands right behind him and noticed the hair suddenly defying gravity. Matthew has just enough time to look up as a whole fist full of hair gets pulled up and his body with it. He screams and kicks with his legs. His siblings jump away from him, scared they might be the next ones. Suddenly the force throws him against the wall where he hits first with the back of his head. The adults turn around, eyes wide and Mathias and Arthur jump towards Matthew to grab him. But the boy gets only thrown on the floor and leaves the three men grabbing air. Arthur gets down in his knees and as he reaches out his hand to grab Matthew's trembling one he looks into the fearful eyes of his son. Just as their hands touch, Matthew gets yanked away from him and gets dragged over the floor. He grips on his hair, hoping to minimize the pain and he screams loudly. Arthur manages to grab his foot but loses the grip on it again as he falls almost face down on the floor. Tino meanwhile walked out of the kitchen where he waited together with Berwald. Just in time as Matthew gets pulled right into his legs. Tino leans down, not fully registering what is going on but still manages to get a good hold on the boy's pajamas. The invisible force turns Matthew around by a 180 degrees and the pull this time is so strong that it drags Tino along so he loses grounding with his foot. He falls down on his side and groans loudly, definitely pissed now at that ghost who thinks he can play games with him like this. As Matthew slithers on the floor through the living room Arthur and Mathias throw themselves simultaneously on the boy. One on his legs and one on the chest but Matthew already slipped underneath them.

Lukas, seeing that the force pulls on his hair, which can be separated much more easily from the body than anything else runs into the kitchen. He only needs one grab and he leaves the room again with scissors in his hands.

Mathias and Arthur tried the same tactic again and manage to hold onto the boy much better. They managed to slow down Matthew but apparently only increased his pain as he continues creaming his lungs out. As they pass the doorway to the kitchen again Lukas stands ready with the scissors and leans down in the right moment. With one swift movement he separates the pulled on hair from the boy and everything turns instantly silent.

But only for one second as Matthew whimpers and holds onto his head. He curls up and his father takes him immediately in his arms and tries to sooth him. Mathias is already sitting up again, spotting Berwald standing in the second doorway to the kitchen with a camera in his hand.
"Did you get that?" asks Mathias yelling over the crying of the boy.
Berwald nods and lowers the camera again.

The first thing in the morning that the family does is finally, finally leaving the house. Nobody in the house slept a wink the rest of the night and they didn't even dare to move upstairs to change clothes or use the bathroom. They only put on their jackets and make their way more stumbling than walking towards the car. Arthur props up the still scared and very much tired Matthew. Francis looks after the smallest one and Leo too helps, without one single word of complaining.

As Lukas, Tino and Berwald move their materials back into the van Mathias walks over to Arthur:
"I'll have the footage developed and send it to father Vargas. He's our liaison at the church. I think we'll get a fast response."
Arthur nods, relived that things finally seem to get better.
"And Arthur…" interjects Mathias the hopeful thoughts of Arthur. "When we get the exorcist, I'll be back but Lukas…" He looks over at the other man, currently helping organise the van so nothing will topple over during the drive. He wears heavy eye bags under his eyes, clothes still dusty and torn and the hair in a small mess without the clip. Arthur nods in understanding.
"I…" Mathias tries to explain further but Arthur shakes his head.
«I understand.»
Mathias looks at him gratefully and smiles again his typical goofy smile.
"Until then Berwald will keep an eye on you. You're not alone."

"Thank you." Arthur and Mathias shake hands before each of them goes to their respective cars to talk with their husbands.

As Lukas takes a break from loading the van as his whole body still aches from the last night's fall he closes his eyes. The branches of the trees around them move softly in the wind and the leaves rustle. If he listened closely he could even hear the water of the lake washing up against the shore. But the wind does not only blow softly through his hair and holes in his shirt but it carries also a childish voice up to his ears:
"Brother?"

Lukas opens his eyes and turns his head into the direction of the lake. He could recognize this voice anywhere, no matter how distorted or distant it sounds. He slowly walks around the house, dragging one leg a bit behind as he heads down the grassy slope towards the lake. He strains his hearing and looks around the garden with a frown, knowing the impossibility of his precious little brother being here. But he's also clear in his mind about what can be possible when dealing with the supernatural. The trees surrounding the house and the lake suddenly lose their calming effect on him and seem to rather appear threatening, hiding shadows between them. The dark lake is unruly with the wind forming disturbances on the otherwise smooth surface.

As he reaches the shore he hears the voice again, seemingly coming from the lake itself but this time it is louder, clearer.
"Brother?"
He slowly steps onto the old jetty where an old rowing boat is still anchored. The old white paint already peels off from its planks and the rope holding it looks like it only needs one strong pull to rip. Lukas takes one slow step after another, not quite trusting the old wood to support his complete weight. As he reaches the end he picks up a movement below him. He lowers his eyes and freezes as a body drifts in the water.

The otherwise so pale body has a yellow hue on it due to the dark water. The limbs are against his body and the hands and feet can't be seen in the water as they are a bit deeper than the rest and disappear in the darkness of the lake. The only thing that moves are the violet eyes that turn away from looking up at the sky to the man who sinks down on his knees at his sight. His white hair creates a halo around his face against the black background.

For Lukas the world stopped as he looked into the piercing eyes of his little half-brother. He can handle having a family in danger, he can even handle having Mathias dealing with evil spirits. But having Emil involved, his sweet little Emil, is something Lukas definitely can't stand. His knees wobble under him as he gets down on them. He leans down and even though his logical mind tries to tell him that this can't be the real Emil, his heart tells him that he needs to save the boy from whatever endangers him. And right now the only thing his eyes see is an almost lifeless body drifting in front of him in a freezing cold lake, calling for him.

As he dives his hand down into the dark the body just curls alongside the small waves he creates. The violet eyes still seem to look straight into his soul even as his torso distorts under Lukas' hand.
Lukas splashes uselessly water from one to the other side and his movements go more frantic. But the only thing to run through his fingers is cold water.
"EMIL!" he shouts but the only reaction he gets is the body vanishing. He stops. He takes a breath. Pearls of water slide down his hand, he feels how his shirt got wet as well and lies now cold against his skin. He needs to know. Now.

He jumps up and runs over the jetty again, up the grassy slope and into the backdoor of the house. He does not care how much his limping foot hurts. He does not care how the door slams shut again behind him. He rushes to the telephone hanging on the wall and quickly dials in his house number with trembling fingers.

Mathias, who has just seen his husband run from the lake into the house, in clear distress, rushes inside after him.
"Lukas?" he calls after him but he gets no response. As he turns around the corner once he's in the house he spots his husband clutching the telephone, anxiously waiting for a response.
"Lukas?!" He asks now even more demanding, his body tensed and ready to do anything. Lukas only looks at him and just opens his mouth to explain as the rusty old female voice calls for attention on the phone.
"Mor, it's me." Lukas turned again away from Mathias. His words pass his lips fast yet clear, his face is still grimacing in worry. Mathias watches two steps away, unsure what makes Lukas suddenly call home. His mind runs down what could possibly go wrong at home.
"Can you please check on Emil?"
A chill runs down his back when sweet little Emil comes to his mind. That's what must have gone wrong. Mathias takes a step forward, balling his hands into fists.
"What-" starts Mathias asking but Lukas interrupts him:
"Damn it Mor just check on him, please." Lukas glares and grips on the plastic case of the phone that hangs on the wall.
"Can you please tell me what the hell is going on, Lukas?!" bursts out Mathias and he can barely contain it.
"It's Emil" is the only reply Lukas gives and looks at him then silently, not wanting to miss any sound coming out of the phone in his hand. But this answer barely manages to satisfy Mathias and his frown transforms into a glare and he is now only mere centimetres away from the others trembling body.
"What?! Lukas, telly me now!" Mathias just wants to raise his hand to place it on his husband's shoulder as the other breathes out a sigh of relief and slumps forward on the wall. His whole body relaxes immediately and his chest rises again from the change of small shallow breaths to the now following deep ones.
"Thank god. I will explain later. Thank you…" Lukas waits a second and hangs up the phone. He turns towards Mathias, both shoulders now against the wall, feeling the ground clearly again under his feet, the wall giving him reassurance. He meets the worried to death eyes of Mathias and reaches for his hand with his own. The balled up fist relaxes and Mathias holds Lukas' hand in his.
"I had a vision of Emil," starts Lukas. "In the lake." His eyes grow dead serious again and his voice regained its usual deep strength. "It's a warning. I know it."