By
Brynn Morgan
Copyright © 2023 by â Brynn Morgan â All Rights Reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited.
Chapter 28
Clarrisa ended the call, and then Davis looked at Emily and Lainie. "I am going upstairs to get Bella. We will all sleep together tonight here in the living room . Safety in numbers."
They made pallets on the floor. Lainie slept with Bella, and Davis and Emily slept beside the pallet on an air mattress. Davis was shaken up by the events that were taking place at Hastings and at his house. It unnerved him. Why was this happening, and who was doing it to them? He lay beside Emily, hearing her soft breathing, and knew she was asleep.
Hours had passed, and moonlight filtered through the gauzy white curtains, illuminating the furniture, walls, and the family sleeping on the floor. Davis stirred and rose. Something had woken him up. He saw Emily, Lainie, and Bella sleeping soundly, so he dismissed the feeling and lay back down.
About an hour had passed, and Davis woke up again. Something did not feel right to him. His skin prickled. He looked around him. Bella was missing. He slowly stood up and glanced around the open room and into the kitchen. She was nowhere to be seen. He then saw a thin stream of light coming down the stairs. He slowly climbed them and saw the light coming from under her door. He turned the knob slowly, and what greeted his eyes as he opened the door made his blood run cold. DIE was written in bold black marker on the bed, tables, walls, and windows. Bella was sitting on the floor, rocking uncontrollably. She was writing feverishly on the carpet. DIE, DIE, DIE!
Davis reached down to grab her.
"Bella!" he roared. She did not respond to his loud tone. He bent over, placed his arms on her shoulders, and forced her to turn and face him. When he did, he yelled and jumped back in horror. The body was that of his niece, Bella, but the face was the most sinister and unholy visage he had ever seen.
The eyes were the blackest and coldest, and the mouth hung open in the most horrendous way. He fell back on the bed in shock, shaken to his core. He crawled away to the other side of the mattress, but the apparition advanced toward him slowly; getting up on the bed and out of its foul mouth, it said in a harsh utterance. "Die! Die! Die!"
Davis braced himself against it and, reaching across, seized Bella's body. She writhed, thrashed against his touch, and screamed, omitting the most horrifying sound as they fought. It was deep and guttural in tone.
"You can't stay here, and I order you to go now! You are not welcome in my house!"
Bella's little body went limp in his arms instantly. His arms shook terribly as he scooped her up, carried her to the open door, and came face to face with Lainie.
Her face was white as a sheet as she took the scene around her. The writing of DIE was on every surface, and she held her hand to her mouth as she saw Bella slack in his arms.
"Oh my god, Davis!" she cried out. She approached him and looked down at Bella. Her head lay back against Davis's chest, and she looked pale. She was covered in sweat. Her blond hair clung to her cheeks.
Davis did not know how to explain what he had just horrifically witnessed to his sister. What he had heard coming from Bella's mouth! The chilling smile on her small face. He could not tell Lainie this. His face was ashen.
Davis rushed out of the room with his niece and carried her downstairs quickly. Lainie followed close behind, worried about Bella's condition.
Emily rose with a disoriented look on her face. she asked with a voice of worry, casting the blanket aside that covered her. "What's wrong with Bella?"
Davis laid Bella down on the sofa and smoothed her hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked dazed, as if she did not know where she was. She looked at him with confusion in her light blue eyes. "Stay with her," he ordered the women. His voice was stressed.
He went into the kitchen and got Bella some water.
Lainie studied Davis's face when he returned. She knew her brother. She probed him about what had happened upstairs."What happened up there, Davis? she asked softly as he helped Bella sip water slowly from the cup. He glanced at Lainie briefly and then lowered his eyes. "You would not be this upset if it was just writing on the walls, what happened?"
Davis sighed deeply and looked down at Bella. He then looked at Lainie and Emily. "I noticed that she was missing and saw the light coming from under her door. I opened it and saw all the writing on the wall." He stopped as if reliving the moment and then continued.
"She was down on the floor and drawing on the carpet. I looked and saw the word die. I shouted at her, and she would not look at me, so I tried to turn her around to face me... "He closed his eyes and spoke in a hoarse whisper. "It wasn't her." He said in a terrified voice with his eyes closed.
Lainie and Emily looked at each other with horrified looks. They let Davis continue without interruption.
"It was Bella's body but not her face, Lainie!" He said in a scared voice. "It... was... not... her." He finished and looked at Bella. The little girl met his stare. She had no idea what had happened to her or what had occupied her body just a few minutes ago.
"What do we do, Davis? What do we do at this point? It is trying its best to destroy us!" Lainie buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
Emily offered comfort by holding her in her arms, and she looked over the top of her at Davis."I'm calling Clarrisa in the morning."
***
Clarrisa received a call from Emily that next morning, explaining what had happened to Bella. She listened with horror and was stunned that it had taken possession of Bella's body. The situation was advancing quickly and was becoming extremely dangerous. Clarrisa assured Emily that she would reach out to her sisters immediately. As soon as the call ended, Clarrisa hung up and called Willow.
Willow listened intently as Clarrisa explained.
"What do we do, Mom?"
Willow remained silent on the other end of the line. She sighed deeply."This is beyond us, Risa, way beyond us. This thing, or whatever it is, is killing, maiming, and now possessing the bodies of its victims. This is truly beyond us." She finished wearily. She paused."We could go in there again, but I don't know if it would do any good."
"This is so frustrating!" Clarrisa lamented.
Willow spoke calmly."Tonight, let's get the sisters together, and we will sit down and figure out what to do. We may need to bring in some help."
Clarrisa brightened up. Her tone was lighter."Who?"
Willow groaned."I don't want to reveal that just yet because it may be hard to reach her, but there is no doubt in my mind that if I could reach this woman, she could make this thing leave Hasting's house. I have heard of her work, and she has done phenomenal things from what I have heard from others."
Clarrisa asked quizzically, "What is she exactly?
Willow took a moment to answer and then said."She is a powerful psychic medium."
Clarrisa nodded."I hope you can reach her because we are running out of time."Clarrisa was anxious. She wanted to let Emily, Lainie, and Davis know there might be hope for them, but she did not want to let them down, so she refrained from calling them. She would wait until she heard back from her mom.
***
The sisters met later that night at Willow's picturesque farmhouse outside of Summerhill, nestled in the valley with a backdrop of the hills in the background. They gathered around the large oval table in her large dining room and listened to Willow as she spoke.
"This apparition has grown stronger, or perhaps was always this strong, but it took over Lainie's niece last night. It took over her body."
The sisters gasped and shook their heads.
Rian spoke up."How so?"
Willow responded."She has selective mutism, and last night, when the spirit took over her body, she spoke." She raised an eyebrow. "Bella has not spoken a word in years, sisters. Since her mother passed away at Hasting's house," she revealed.
Willow took a sip of coffee from her black, moon-phase coffee cup and then sat it down on the table with a thud."I have tried to reach out to Patty Parsons today to see if she could help us," she said.
Jasmin spoke up."The world-renowned psychic medium?" she asked incredulously.
Willow answered."Yep. That one."
Rian smiled ,"She was just on Good Morning America the other morning. She is incredible."
Willow looked at her sadly."Yeah, but unfortunately, she is so backed up with appointments. We will have to look for another way to help them."
Luna cleared her throat and spoke up. Her long blond braids were in an updo, and she wore startling blue eyeshadow with a heavy black liner that made her golden-brown eyes pop against her mocha skin.
"Does the psychic have to be world-renowned?" she asked curiously.
Willow spoke up. "Of course not. We just need a powerful psychic medium to communicate with this spirit and lead it to the light. Why? Do you have someone in mind, Luna?"
Luna pulled her cell phone out of the back pocket of her purse."Maybe. My aunt Vivian, perhaps," She scanned her phone contacts and then said, biting down on her bottom full lip as she scrolled. "Ah! Here we go!. My Aunt Viv is no joke, sisters. The Charleston Police Department has used her to help solve cold cases and missing person cases many times through the years. She knows things. The Gullah people go to her for advice, to get their cards read, predictions, you name it." She finished.
Willow looked at her with excitement."Can you contact her and see if she would be willing to talk with us?"
Luna nodded. "I am on it now." She got up from the table and walked into the living room. Luna returned to the table a few minutes later smiling. "She is willing to speak with us tomorrow." The sisters smiled. Things were looking up. "We must be there at two o'clock, or she won't see us. She is a stickler for being on time."