We are Many

Sun filtered through the shades of the bedroom casting ominous shadows across the gaunt face of the woman who sat on worn state issued bed her bandaged hands clasped in her lap loosely. Rust colored hair hung still damp brushing her waif like shoulders in uneven strands. Her red rimmed eyes told the world everything it needed to know Elise had been through hell. Growls resounded through her mind drowning out the noises of the outside world around her. It was so loud, so overwhelming somewhere in her mind she knew something terrible was going on. Picking away at her like vulture tearing at a corpse but she couldn't react. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.

"Elise, Elise Wicham?" A voice surfaced somewhere in the background. Elise looked up bewildered.

"Yeah?" She said her voice echoing in her mind.

"Oh, geez your bleeding," The nurse said walking over to the tray she had set down on the hospital table.

Elise watched her movements watched how every muscle moved in the dainty elf like woman. Something in her snarled the urge to... Elise shook her head gently shaking away the darkness that was swallowing her. The taste of blood got stronger.

"Here rinse and spit in this cup," The nurse said gently handing her two paper cups one with cold water the other empty. Elise took the cups and did what she was told the cold water did little to wash away the dry bitter taste but at least the blood was gone.

"Thank you," Elise whispered looking at the name tag on the woman's blouse "Susie."

Nurse Susie smiled and tossed the bloody cup in the trash bin.

"Doctor Hue will be here in a few to check up on you," Susie said heading towards the door. "Do you need a sweater this room is freezing?" she asked rubbing her arms.

"No, I am fine," Elise said quietly sitting back down. She looked up at the nurse meeting her bright cerulean eyes with her slate grey ones for the first time. Susie felt a sudden bolt of fear and took a step back. Elise watched emotionless as the panic set into Susie's features. A spark of joy filled her, and Elise smiled at Susie. "Enjoy the rest of your day," Elise said. Susie chuckled dryly and searched for the doorknob afraid to turn her back on the young woman. Finally finding it she turned it and walked as fast as she could forgetting to shut it behind her.

Elise got up and shut the door her reflection briefly glinted in the shatterproof window of the door her face looked slack and hallow. Elise tilted her head to the side studying her reflection. Her reflection tilted its head to the opposite side and smiled at her menacingly. Elise stepped back and walked back over to her bed and sat facing the sun.

An hour later an older balding man came in he was talking to her, but he sounded like he was underwater. Elise did not respond verbally she merely moved when he prompted as he took her vitals and wrote a few things on his clip board. It wasn't until the Doctor pulled up a plastic chair and put the pen to paper when Elise could hear every sound acutely.

"Ms. Wicham can you tell me what happened to you?" He asked watching her closely.

"We... we were going to explore the old cemetery up at Burr Hill mansion. I told them it was a bad idea. They didn't listen they are all dead now," Elise said hollowly.

"They who?" the doctor asked writing in his paid without looking at Elise.

"My friends Josh, Beth, Chris... it killed them," she said flatly.

"What killed them?" the doctor asked still scribbling away.

"Josh, he died first it ripped his head clean off his shoulders. Beth... it threw her impaled her on a branch it took her an hour to die... she choked and gagged forever." Elise spoke as if she was in a trance. "Chris, he got it the worst he tried to fight it... tried to fight them... it tore him apart from the inside like it was barbed wire ripping through him slowly." a small smile flashed across her face then settled back into her emotionless facade.

"Who is them? who killed your friends?" the doctor repeated looking over at Elise.

"The demon that lived in the Burr family home," Elise said. The doctor cleared his throat and wrote something down.

"What makes you think it was a demon Elise?" he asked.

"I saw it... I felt it, I still feel it" she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" The doctor asked writing again the scratching of the pen against paper set Elise on edge.

"I can feel it... it is hatching inside me. Scraping and scratching to the surface. Growling and tearing through me. It promises me peace... that I can rest if I just let it take over." Elise said watching the pen scratching across the paper rage rising with every word.

"Elise you have been through a lot you are suffering from PTSD. Your friends were brutally murdered, and you witnessed it, this monster is something you made up as a way to explain it to yourself. Demons are not real," Doctor Hue said gently and got to his feet. "I am going to give you some medications we will get you better." he said leaving the room.

The sun set and moonlight streamed through the window illuminating the room in an ominous light. The door to Elise's room creaked open Susie came into the room her courage renewed. Elise sat motionless in the same spot staring out of the window. Susie set the tray down with a soft scrape on the desk.

"You are scared of me," Elise said just above a whisper.

"I would say no, but I am guessing you would know that is a lie," Susie said clasping her hands in front of her.

"You are right I can smell the terror from here," Elise said glancing over her shoulder.

"What are you?" Susie asked steadily.

"I am just a girl," Elise said turning and facing the window again. "I can tell you what happen to me."

Susie hesitated lingering by the door but ultimately her curiosity won out and she walked up to Elise. "Tell me," Susie said in a hushed tone.

"My friends and I decided to go to Burr Hill. The mansion was great dilapidated in some parts but functional in others. We were not alone though; I don't think we ever were from the moment we stepped foot in that house. Beth, she knew better she begged us to leave but we didn't listen. Chris thought it would be fun to use a spirit board in the house. Beth cried and tried to leave at first, I wanted to leave too. We tried but every door we went through just lead into the same parlor. The guys could not hear us, we yelled and screamed and that is when I looked up and saw her. The lady of Burr Hill with her purple gasping face and black fingers. I don't remember much after that." Elise spoke as if she was in a trance her eyes focused on the moon outside her window. Susie crossed her arms over her torso the feelings of dread she had been keeping at bay slipped away into empathy for the woman in front of her.

"You saw some horrible things, didn't you?" Susie asked quietly.

"I did... I also did some horrible things I couldn't control myself," Elise said her voice shaking.

"You didn't do it whatever is in that house did it," Susie said attempting to comfort the now shivering woman.

"So much blood... so much death," Elise said shaking.

"I am so sorry," Susie said placing a hand on Elise's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Elise reached up and grabbed Susie's wrist tightly. Susie looked down at her hand and panic filled her she gasped and tried to pull away, but Elise's grip was like steel. The fingers gripping Susie's wrist were black and claw like. Susie struggled to pull away Elise looked up at Susie instead of her slate grey eyes Susie was met with black endless pits and a bloody smile that made her blood freeze.

"Funny we are not sorry, we ripped them apart. We reveled in the madness once before and now we shall do it again. The streets will run red with the blood of all mankind." Elise's voice had changed to a deep growl that seemed layered over with many voices. Susie ripped away from the creature and tried to run but was instantly thrown bodily into a wall and pinned by an unseen force. Elise was standing up now her head only slightly tilted to the direction of Susie.

Susie struggled against the force holding her and began to choke as the pressure increased. Kicking and writhing she gasped out what she was sure would be her last words. "Who are you?"

Elise's body turned and moved slowly her body jerking with every movement she placed her hands on the wall and crawled up the wall leaving black soot covered trail with every movement until she was directly on top of Susie face to face. The skeletal face that once belonged to Elise grinned slowly revealing what looked like hell fire burning in its throat soot covered fangs grew in place of her canines. "I am legion... and we are many."

Susie's screams were drowned out by the monstrous growl of the demons and the night sky lit up orange at the hell fire consumed the building at supernat ural speed.