It’s 3:26am, and I am writing this before I go out and deal with the telephone call. ​

​

I met Maria last night. The dream was so vivid, the lucidity still hurts my head now, I need to write it down before it fades. She was sitting up on the bed where she is currently lying.  I sat down on a chair beside her, and held her hand once again, free from the ugly restraints. She looked into my eyes and shared with me the poison within. As I cusped her hands and wrists, I felt the torn, moist flesh torturing my fingertips. She asked me why are we doing this to her? I sounded out three simple, yet destructive words, “I Love You”. She smiled. It smiled. At that moment I knew I had been stupid and already fallen foul of the beast, as I tried to let go, she tightened her grip with agonising strength.

​

It was the call from Sister Cruz that broke me out of the nightmare. She sounded calm when she said, “It’s begun”.  I knew that. It had already found me and I fear may have already broken me. I am so angry with myself right now for being so stupid. It knows, I told It. Maybe I have become too comfortable with what I do, too anesthetised, too complacent? I knew how I felt as soon as I saw her, I can’t help that, but maybe I should have backed away and given the job to someone else?  I just hope I haven’t fucked it up for everyone.

​

I’ll take a while getting to the house this morning. Maybe have a wonder along the shore for a little while. The support staff are more than capable of dealing with the initial stages of the showing, and I need some time to gather my thoughts and re-group before I even think about dealing with what is to come. Anyway It isn’t going anywhere fast. It can wait until I am ready.​

​

It is now 10:36pm, and I am resuming the journal from today’s earlier entry.​

​

I finally arrived at the house around 6:30am. Father V had got there about an hour before and met me in the kitchen before I went up. He told me that Maria had been specifically calling for me, and that when he had tried to talk to her, she had gotten abusive, even to the point where she has spat at him. He wanted to know what had happened. He isn’t stupid and has done this for way more years than I. I told him about the dream, and he just nodded at me. We discussed whether I was an appropriate agent to carry out this assignment, and rather foolishly (I think) I bluffed my way back in. I don’t think I could leave now even if I wanted too.​

During the night, just before Sister Cruz called, staff were alerted to a profound wailing from Maria’s room. At first they assumed that the sedation may have worn off, and that the pain from her wrists was causing her upset.  When they went in she was still fast asleep, and the noise had ceased.  There is a strong possibility that the drugs may have not been sufficient, causing her to slip in and out of her coma; however it was reported that there were no signs of physical distress, i.e. dishevelled bed sheets, bedside furniture knocked.  They left and returned downstairs. Apparently no sooner than they had re-filled their coffee cups, the howling started again. This time there was a touch more urgency to their return.​

Maria was still asleep, and the room quiet. It was the sulphurous, stagnant smell that hit them square on that aroused further suspicion. Having looked at the logs, they checked whether she had soiled herself to negate the sources of the smell. The windows were tightly shut and sealed, as were any vents to the room. Unable to trace its root, they recorded this as a legitimate paranormal event, and then, as protocol dictates, alerted myself and Father V.​

When they left the room again, the banshee returned. This time they did not go back in, as they are not allowed to re-enter following an event without the guidance of the managing agent, in this case either myself or Father V.​

When Father V arrived, he too witnessed the wailing. I feel for the Nun’s and Gringo, I really do –it must have really grated them like a broken car alarm or a faulty tap, helpless to turn it off. All in all in went on for around 2 and a half hours, only stopping when Father V poked his head around the door a couple of times to check on her.​

As you well know, once the showing starts all teams must be double crewed when dealing with the possessed, so unfortunately Father V had to wait until I arrived. Apparently, it was about 15 minutes or so before I got there that the noise became more tangible and she started calling me out directly, hence Father v’s interrogation. It knew I was coming.

​

It was decided following our conversation that Father V would once again take the lead today, and I act as back-up. We went in just after 8am and performed the Litany of the Saints. Maria and It remained quiet throughout.

​

We broke around 10am for another coffee and re-group. Gringo had prepared some excellent churros. If you don’t know, they’re very similar to a donut. Deep fried sweet batter coated in a powdery sugar and cinnamon dusting. Anyway, I digress (but they did hit the spot and give us the energy rush we needed until lunch).​

At 1030am Father V led us through Psalm 53, and I read the verses from John 1:1-14. I was about a third of the way through my reading when she began to mutter something. I paused and we listened. She paused too. I resumed. She resumed. Later we would all concur that she was uttering, “I Love You” over and over in a breathless mantra. Understandably this upset me a little as I knew it was meant for me. I didn’t let on to the Sister’s, but Father V knew. The Gringo knew it too as he has overheard our conversation earlier that morning. I know that this is just Its way of trying to unsettle me, falter me, mock me. To be honest it was a pathetic and predictable display of power. I had half expected it, and that is why, although mildly upsetting, it didn’t really phase me. Maybe I am a little more resolute after all, especially in light of my dream faux-pas?

​

We broke for lunch at 1pm and resumed again at 2pm.​

The afternoon proved to be a little more taxing than the morning session. The first distinct change we noticed following lunch was the room temperature in the immediate vicinity of the bed.  It had to have dropped a good 15 degrees from the rest of the room, confirmed by our monitoring equipment. Again, customary investigation could find no natural cause for such a fluctuation. Following the Litany, I sat down on the chair beside her and once again read, this time from Mark 16:15-18 and Luke 10:17-20​

I have taken the liberty of reviewing the audio footage from this reading, and although you are provided with this, I wanted to cover it with a brief transcript. I find listening to it back, and writing it down to be quite therapeutic as it allows me time to digest it fully.​

Me: At that time Jesus said to His disciples: "Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to all creation. (Maria gurgles something incoherent) He that believes and is baptized will be saved; he that does not believe will be condemned-​

Maria: -I love you -​

Me: -And in the way of proofs of their claims, the following will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;(Maria giggles) they will take up serpents in their hands, and if they drink something deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and these will recover.​

(I Pause for a moment – shuffling from Father V)​

Maria: Make love to me Mikey?​

Me: Excuse me?​

Father V: Thomas, focus.​

Me: At that time the seventy-two returned in high spirits. "Master," they said-​

Maria: -Be my Master Mikey?​

Me: -Even the demons are subject to us because we use your name!" (Maria laughs) "Yes," He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall like lightning that flashes from heaven-​

Maria: -C’mon Mikey, play with me-​

Me: -But mind: it is I that have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and break the dominion of the enemy everywhere; nothing at all can injure you-​

Maria: (starts singing) –Don’t go breakin’ my heart –​

Me: -Just the same, do not rejoice in the fact that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice in the fact that your names are engraved in heaven.​

​

Maria: Enough already just come and fuck me will you?​

Father V: Thomas, allow me to take over for a while. You go and sit over there, you have done well.​

Maria: Yes Mikey, you did yourself proud, I just wish I could cum. Loosen one of these straps sweetheart, let me touch myself. It looks like you two could do with a good show.

​

I retired to the back, sitting over by the dresser at the far end of the room for the remainder of the session. She continued a relentless tirade of sexual suggestions toward me, and if I’m honest (and I know you want me to be) what scared me most about what had happened is that I found this erotic. It knows that I like her, feeding off feelings I simply can’t help, and twisting them into something so much darker and sordid. The vulture picked away at me, gnawing at little chunks, searching for its prize; however my soul remained intact, my faith resolute.

​

The abusive sexual torrent and Its efforts to waver my resolution by appealing to a mankind’s most primeval urges leads me to believe that that the demon we are dealing with is either an Incubus or Succubus. This would narrow down the field somewhat to a number of key players.

​

My initial thoughts are that we are dealing with an Incubus demon, as the early reports from Maria’s case file cited numerous accounts of wounding akin to that of violently abused rape victims. Previous dealings with Succubus demons have been a lot more subtle, as there modus operandi tends to psychological rather than physical. The vaginal / anal wounding would also suggest that the demon has already exercised its raw physical power over her in a stereotypically male fashion.​

The human feelings I have are natural, and, if she were human then I may have reciprocated. I have to disassociate what I see in front of me with these emotions, and constantly remind myself that it is the beast within that wants me, not her. It wants me as its toy. It wants me to go rouge and compromise our group. I won’t let It as I am far stronger than It believes. I don’t believe It wants me sexually, and is using Maria as a tool to contaminate me.

​

For now, for the good of my soul and sanity, for the greater nobility of the group, and for the redemption of the innocent, beautiful girl that is at the mercy of the Devil, I am me. I am Father Thomas Michaels, exorcist extraordinaire and someone who doesn’t take nicely to losing!