Help Me, Father

“Father Byron, She’s ready.” she may have been ready but I was not.

“I’ll be in momentarily.” I responded, I needed more time to prepare. I had been a priest for years but this was the first I’d ever dealt with anything like this. A young mother, Elize, had fallen victim to something most unholy: A demonic possession.

Technically I wasn’t authorized to perform an exorcism but the Vatican had dismissed it. I couldn’t understand why, she was showing the classic symptoms: aggressive behavior, speaking in tongues and unnatural strength. I had to help her, whether the Vatican approved or not. She had been a good friend to my daughter, Sarah, before she passed away as a child. If I could help Elize, who had been like a second daughter to me, I was going to do it.

I didn’t want to keep my partner waiting any longer, Martin was young and I feared he wouldn’t fair well should the demon attack. I sent up one last prayer and made my way towards the bedroom which Martin had already entered. I’ll freely admit that as I neared the door my heart began beating faster and faster. I swallowed my fear, put my trust in the Lord and turned the knob.

“Father Byron, are you ready?” Martin was standing over Elize, who had been restrained to a chair with a strong rope, at least I hoped it was strong. Her face was gaunt and her skin tight against her bones. A doctor had taken a look at her when I first brought it to the attention of the Vatican but he cleared as in near perfect health, he attributed her symptoms to some mental break but I didn’t buy that. I had struggled with what to do for days but then I got a call from her husband, her condition had worsened to the state she was in at that moment. I could wait no longer.

Her hollow, sunken eyes stared blankly at the floor. Her husband had sworn off doctors after the last had failed them, I was the only help she had. He had left with their daughter earlier that day, said he couldn’t bear to witness her in this state any longer. I assured him that all would be well soon, I didn’t know if I was lying or not.

“Elize? Can you hear me?” she showed no sign. “Martin,” I addressed my partner. “Fetch the Holy Water, it’s time to get started.” he moved towards the briefcase on the bed. I had only taken my eyes off of Elize for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Elize had Martin pinned against the bed. Her small frame concealed unnatural strength, try as he might, Martin couldn’t escape. She twisted her head to face me, her eyes had rolled back in her head. When she addressed me her voice was deep and dripping with malice, as stark contrast to the sweet, soft voice I’d heard for years.

“Hello, Father.” It may have been her mouth moving but those were not her words.

“Who are you? Speak your name, demon!” I demanded, she regarded me strangely.

“It’s only little ol’ me, Father.” She gave me a sickening smile. “It’s Elize, your replacement daughter.”

“No.” I stated firmly. “You are most definitely not Elize.” ‘Replacement Daughter’ that wasn’t as far from the truth as I would’ve liked. Sarah had died rather young, long before I became a priest. I had taken Elize under my wing after Sarah died. They’d been together when it happened, when Sarah fell from that damned pier. Over the years, Elize had become something like a daughter to me. I had been the one to introduce her to her husband and I was the one to baptize their daughter. In my heart, Elize was my daughter but she was not, in any way, a replacement for my dear Sarah.

Father Byron, help...” Martin squawked from under Elize.

“Uncomfortable, Martin?” she hissed. “Never been in bed with a woman before?” she lowered her head and ran her tongue along the edge of his ear. He wriggled underneath to no avail.

“That’s enough!” I screamed, advancing towards towards her. “I said that’s enough, demon!” She screeched and wrapped her arms around Martin’s head. She looked me in the eye and, in one swift tug, she tore his head free from his body. A stream of blood shot out from his neck as if he were some macabre water fountain. Before I could react, she hurled the head in my direction. I tried to dodge but it was too fast, the head hit with me with considerable force. I slammed against the wall behind me and fell to the ground. Martin’s head rolled to a rest in front of my eyes, an expression of pure terror etched across his bloodied face. His eyes seemed to plead one last time for my help.

Strong, slender fingers gripped my collar. I was hauled off the floor and came face to face with the demented and ghastly visage of Elize. She flicked her head in an unnatural tilt and said:

“Hello, Father.” in an instant, I was once more flying across the room. I landed on the bed, I felt myself roll over Martin’s lifeless body and then slam into the headboard. Half a second later, Elize was standing beside me. She placed a single hand on my chest, it was enough to keep me pinned in place. Besides, I couldn’t escape even if I tried, the sheets were slick with blood and I couldn’t get any traction.

“Elize, please!” I screamed as fear took hold of me. “Don’t kill me! Fight this!” I pleaded with her. She snarled at me but then... her expression seemed to change. It was almost as if there was some conflict just under the surface, after a moment, her face softened.

“I’m not going to kill you, Father Byron.” she grabbed my shirt and pulled me up. I braved myself to be thrown again but instead she sat me upright. Then she sat down herself, showing no regard for my late partner, who’s arm she was resting on.

“If you’re not going to kill me, what are you planning to do?” I asked.

“I simply want to talk.” anger rose within me.

“Talk?!” I yelled. “What of poor Martin? Surely he didn’t have to die!” she displayed an expression that I could only describe as ‘conflicted’.

“His death was... regrettable.” she replied. “I hadn’t expected you to bring anyone, I had to get rid of him.”

“So,” I moved along before my anger became too great. “What does a demon want with me?” she gave me a slight grin and said:

“Only to show you the truth.” she placed three fingers on my forehead. “The truth of how your daughter really died.” before I could say anything, my world went dark and my mind drifted away.

As if in the clouds, I stared down upon them, the two girls walking down the beach. I recognized them immediately and my heart sank. It was Elize and my dear Sarah, I also recognized where they were headed: The old pier.

The pier had been closed for years before that day, I remembered reading it in the newspaper. A young boy had died in a diving accident. There were rocks lying beneath the surface of the water, invisible from the pier. At low tide there wasn’t enough water to slow the child, they found his mangled body the next day. The whole town mourned for months and the pier was closed to the public but they never did get around to tearing the damn thing down.

I wanted to scream, to yell for her to turn away from that dreadful place but I couldn’t. It seemed by role there was simply to watch, watch as the only family I had walked to her death.

The two of them came upon the old pier and were faced with a small chain. For a moment, they seemed to hesitate. However, their curiosity soon got the better of them and they both ducked underneath. They walked calmly down the pier, chatting and laughing as they did. For a brief moment, I felt some peace watching them. There was no indication that any tragedy was to come, it was simply two friends enjoying each other’s company. I, however, knew what was to come. What the police had told me was that Sarah had tripped over the edge, that Elize had tried to save her to no avail. I would soon learn the truth.

“You’re lucky, Sarah.” I heard the young Elize say. Before their voices had been mere whispers, unintelligible and indistinct. I could hear them clearly now.

“How’s that?” Sarah asked, hearing her voice sent through me waves of grief and dread for what was to come.

“You have a father who actually cares about you. I envy that.” Elize said.

“What are you talking about?” Sarah stopped walking and Elize turned towards her. “Your father loves you!”

“No, he doesn’t.” Elize said, a profound sadness in her young voice. “Not in the way a father should. That’s why I wanted to go out today, to get away.” Unfortunately, I knew exactly what she was talking about. Elize’s father was not a good man, he was a drunk and his wife had left him for it. He’d taken his frustrations out on poor Elize and... dealt other ‘frustrations’ as well. News of his crimes came to light after Sarah died and Elize ended up living with me for a time. Her mother couldn’t handle it and left her to me as she knew she could trust me. Besides, it had helped me deal with my grief, having someone to look after.

“I don’t understand.” Sarah was still innocent, oblivious to what Elize had to endure.

“Never mind.” Elize walked to the side of the pier and looked down at the water below, Sarah followed and sat on the edge. “Do you think your father would take me in?” Elize blurted out, taking Sarah by surprise.

“Well, I know he’d want to but...” she paused.

“But what?” Elize prodded.

“When I asked for a puppy, he said there was only enough money for me and him.” Sarah shrugged, swinging her legs back and forth absentmindedly. Elize’s body seemed to tighten and, to my surprise and horror, her eyes rolled back in her head in an all to familiar way.

“So, if you weren’t in the picture, he’d let me stay?” her voice was deep, dark and menacing. Quite unlike the childlike voice I’d been hearing so far.

“Elize?” when she heard Elize’s voice change she looked back to check on her, she was worried about her friend, her best friend who was practically a sister to her and what was that worry greeted with? A quick shove over the edge.

“No!” I screamed and lashed out, I was back in the bedroom. Elize simply shoved me back onto the bed.

“Calm down.” she told me.

“Calm down?!” I yelled at her. “You killed my daughter!” I pulled out the crucifix that hung around my neck and held it out. “Leave this woman! Now!” she stared at me.

“I am no demon, that thing has no power over me.” she said flatly.

“What?!” my head spun at her claim. “If not a demon, then what?” it was less of a question and more of a demand.

“The product of a fractured mind, specifically that of a certain young girl with a father who couldn’t keep his hands off the bottle or his daughter.” her bluntness shocked me but she continued. “In her broken state, she tapped into something beyond the veil and I was born.”

“And what exactly does that make you?” I asked.

“Elize.” She answered. “Well, the other Elize that is. I’m the darkest parts of her. Whenever her father came home drunk and wandered into her room, I took over! I sheltered her from his abuse!”

“But why Sarah?” I asked, feeling a hard lump growing in my throat. “Why did she have to die?”

“I wanted to kill that asshole of a father but Elize wouldn’t let me. She wanted to just leave, to go stay with you. She idolized you, you were always more of a father to her.”

“But why kill her? She could’ve just come to me. Sarah didn’t have to die!” I screamed, the tears came in full force now. “Let me speak to Elize, the REAL Elize. Now!” after a moment, color began to return to her skin. Her gaunt face began to fill out and lastly, her eyes rolled forward to their natural position. “Elize?” she looked around the room. Her gaze lingered on Martin’s decapitated corpse.

“I’m sorry about your friend.” her voice was now softer and higher pitched. When she spoke it was a quiet whisper. “I didn’t mean to...” tears began to flow down her face. “And Sarah...”

“Elize? What’s going on?” she looked at me, her eyes were red and puffy, there was no mistake, the tears were real. It was no trick.

“There’s not much time.” she pulled herself together as best she could. “I lost control over her, the other me, that’s why she attacked you and... killed that poor man.” she strained to keep her composure, her voice was little more than a whimper.

“And Sarah?”

“The same thing, I lost control.” she wiped the tears from her eyes. “She’s not evil, she just wants to protect me but she’s grown... unstable.” she paused. “Maybe she always has been.”

“I don’t understand any of this. Did you really kill my Sarah?”

“It was her! The other one, I couldn’t even remember the event until...”

“Until when?”

“Until I had my daughter.” she stood from the bed and began to pace along the wall. “When the memory came back to me, I was racked with guilt. I had to do something, and I need your help to do it.”

“Why go through all demonic possession nonsense, why not just come to me directly?” Elize stopped and looked at me.

“She’s not always present, she comes out in a fight or flight scenario. If I’d gone to you and you reacted poorly, she might’ve hurt you. So I convinced to play a part, that way she wouldn’t go crazy and attack.” she paused. “That didn’t really work.” she added.

“You said you needed my help, what do you mean?”

“Now that I know what she’s capable of, I can’t let my family get hurt.” she walked over to the nightstand on the other side of the bed. “So, I thought of a way to stop her. A way that will protect my family and,” she pulled open the drawer and reached inside. “Allow you to get revenge.” she pulled a gun from the drawer and slid it shut.

“What on earth?” she sat down next to me on the bed and placed the gun in my palm. Raising my hand, she aimed the gun at her heart.

“I need you to kill me.” from the sound of her voice I could tell her mind was made up, but mine wasn’t.

“Elize, I can’t do that.” my voice wavered some. “I couldn’t...”

“Please.” she begged. “Help me, Father.” I began to sob but I gathered my resolve. I did promise to help her, I suppose.

“Okay.” I muttered. “I’ll do it.”

“Countdown?” she suggested.

“Sure.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

I hit the wall harder than the last two times. I crumpled to the floor, my head pounding.

“I won’t let you hurt her!” I heard the other Elize screech. Her voice was distorted, more so than before. I had lost the gun in the attack. The other Elize was now standing on the bed, her gaunt appearance returned, as did her rolled-back eyes. She was frantic and in distress.

“Elize?”

“No!” she leapt at me, I tried to dodge her but I was too slow. Her fingers dug into my shoulders and I was thrown across the room once more. I felt a pop in my shoulder as I collided with wall. As soon as I hit the floor, she was on me. Clawing and scraping at my back, I managed to kick her off and then I spotted it. She must’ve thrown the gun when she took over because here it was, right in front of me. She noticed it too and moved to grab it.

“Grab the gun, Father!” I heard Elize, my Elize, yell. Without hesitation, I propped myself up and lunged for it. When I spun around, I saw something I’ll never forget. Elize was on her knees, writhing in pain. Her appearance seemed to flicker between the normal human appearance of Elize and the ghoulish other. The sound she emitted was like nothing I’d ever heard, it was a truly unholy wail.

“Elize?”

“Do it, now!” she screamed. “I can’t hold it forever!” through the pain in my shoulder, I managed to pull myself up. I made my over to Elize with great difficulty and wrapped my arm around her, pointing the gun at her heart once more. She writhed as the other Elize tried to escape. “Please.” Elize managed to spit out. I leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“I forgive you.” I pulled the trigger.