96. Sign

"Hello? Is anybody in here?" Echoed a sound.

"Hello, I'm Father Murphy," He said as he began walking towards the source of the question who was standing on the Church gate near the steps.

"Hello, Father, I'm Father Williams," Father Williams shook hands with Father Murphy as he continued, "I came here to discuss the current situations,"

"Welcome," Father Murphy smiled with a profound look on his face.

Both the Fathers began walking inside the Church as Father Murphy said, "Pardon me Father, but I don't think I've ever seen you here."

"I've crossed a few towns to come here. The matter is becoming worse day by day and never in my life, I've felt helpless. Yours is the Church that I've found which still has a Father - all the rest were empty or abandoned."

"There hadn't been any town which had been completely declared as dead but the effect of the spell is not bounded by boundaries. This town, neighboring towns, and beyond, all are dying."

"And that's the reason why I came here, Father Murphy, in the hope that maybe together we can come up with something."

Father Murphy nodded with a serious look. "I agree. And I suppose you know the reason behind all this,"

"Diana." Both said in unison.

"From what I've heard about her," Father Williams began, "I know that she isn't any ordinary or a weak spirit who's going away so easily."

"Many years ago, two more Fathers and I had an encounter with Diana. We weren't prepared for what Diana was capable of. We underestimated her. And the result? We lost two Fathers. And we just merely weakened her. And now, she's stealing the souls of people to feed her spirit to grow stronger and she's also turning people into her pawns - her army - which I don't know what she's going to do with. What's her purpose in making her army? And that's what fears me the most."

"True, the things that we can complete the puzzle with, we can prepare ourselves for but those things that we don't have the answers to or even a hint of how it's going to be turned out, how can we prepare for events like that?"

"We cannot waste any more time, Father Williams. Before the things completely go out of our hands - which it slowly is - let's go to my office to discuss a plan."

- - - - - -

"Mrs. Jackson," Emily said getting up after David turned the television off. "the reason I came here was to tell you both the truth about John."

Looking at the baffled looks, Emily began to explain, "Diana had taken John under her control, believe me."

At first, they couldn't believe their ears. Diana had possessed their daughter and now she is controlling John too? But slowly, everything fell into place when Rose reflected back on the night when John was about to kill David or the time when John was completely lost when Rose tried to call him back inside. Then, Rose's eyes popped as she thought what if that little girl who was accusing John was telling the truth? What if her 'imaginary' friend was a real person whom their son had killed?

"Are you sure?" David asked. He didn't know anything about how his own son tried to kill him.

Emily nodded before heading towards the door. "I'm going to the Church. Don't worry about me." She smiled weakly.

"Thank you," Rose smiled back considering the fact that Emily kept her words of telling her. And Emily knew that it was her concern for her and even if there was her own mother, she would've done the same. After all, all a parent ever wants is for their child to be safe.

Emily was just about to close the door when she said, "And please, do not under any circumstances tell John that you saw me. Don't ask me why. It's a long story - which I'll tell you when the time comes - but till then, if John asks about me, just say you don't know."

Rose and David were confused as to why Emily would say such a thing but then also they trust her. They both nodded before Emily shut the door behind her.

- - - - - -

Father Murphy took a short pause and continued, "Diana's spirit had already homed a vessel - Hannah's body."

"And any ordinary exorcism won't have an effect on her - as I've come to know to hear your past experience with the same."

"Also, we have to find a way to counter the spell. I believe that only a person with a heart as pure as the darkness of Diana's heart can counter it. And even though we consider those who learned from their mistakes and had a change of their hearts, finding the same is getting bleak day by day with the deaths and the pawns."

"While driving here, I, myself had seen four of Diana's pawns as they were brutally murdering a family."

"What I don't get is that if Diana's soul wanted vengeance, she could've killed people - which she is - but I don't get why she is turning some people into her pawns and making them kill others. Correct me if I'm wrong, Father Williams, but it seems to me like Diana had grouped people into two categories of her own - one, those who are being killed, and second - who are being turned into pawns - otherwise what could be her motives to create her army of humans whom she wants dead?"

"Either way, Father, we have to find a way to stop her. Be it the killings or the army of her pawns."

- - - - - - -

As Emily, Clyde, Helena, and Ryan stepped outside the room to teleport to the Church, Emily heard some footsteps approaching her. Fearing that they could be of John's, she and the rest hid behind a wall which led to another hallway.

A shadow began to get enlarged as it approached them. Inspecting the shadow confirmed that it was a girl's. Emily risked peeking but soon after letting out a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, it's just Alex. We've met earlier," Emily informed the rest.

"Hey, Alex." Emily greeted and was greeted back. "I saw the news and it's really terrible what's going on these days."

"Yeah," Alex replied in a disappointing tone and a lost and out of place look on her face. "I just wish I could reverse the time." And then out of nowhere, she burst into tears.

"Hey, hey, hey," Emily said in a soothing tone as she rubbed Alex's back. "It's alright. Everything's going to be alright. I know none of them deserved to die in the fire but -"

"My parents were in the mall when the fire happened," Alex continued to cry on Emily's shoulder.

After a short while, Alex composed herself as she wiped off her tears and sniffed. "I'm sorry,"

"No, it's alright, Alex," Emily smiled. "Don't worry, your parents will be alright. There's a hospital not far from here and -"

"They are no more."

There was complete silence in the hallway. Emily didn't know what to say except sorry. She could tell her not to worry or everything will be alright. The girl just lost her parents. Alex tried so hard to suppress her emotions but they all flooded as she collapsed on the ground crying with her back against the wall and her head in her hands.

Even though they had to go to the Church, but they cannot leave Alex like that.

"Emily," Clyde said, "can I talk to you for a sec.?"

Emily looked at Alex and then at Clyde and whispered as she was the only one who could see Clyde, Helena, and Ryan, "It's not the time, Clyde, I think we should postpone going to the Church for a while. We cannot leave her like that. I feel so bad."

"Emily, it's really important. There's something you should know about her,"

Emily gave one final glance at Alex who was crying due to her breakdown but she also wanted to know what Clyde knew about her.

"What?" Emily whispered cautiously.

"I don't think you know as I led only Hannah and John that day or maybe you do but she is Alex Willow."

The Willows, the Willows, the Willows... It's like I've heard that name some - wait! Is her family the same one who had the second piece? Emily's mind went towards the day when she called Hannah and told her about the news and how a house was caught on fire and the only thing left intact was the stone.

Emily shook her head in surprise and then looked at Alex. "Alex, I know it's probably not the right time, but are you, Alex Willow?"

Alex nodded the midst of her teary face.

Emily held back a gasp.

"Do you remember John and Hannah came to your house to enquire about an emerald-colored stone?"

Alex nodded.

"Do you know them?" Alex asked weeping.

Emily nodded and told her they are her friends but all her mind could think about is how she and Alex met under the strange circumstances, how Alex was being present in the exact same motel, and how she bumped into her when she was in the hallway. All she could think about is that all of that cannot be just a coincidence. It all felt like it was meant to be like it was meant for Emily and Alex to meet.

Is this some kind of sign? Emily thought.

- - - - - - -

"And it's not safe to perform anything on Diana while she's out there." Father Murphy suggested. "We first have to contain her spirit - bind it to a location."

"A Church is a secure place to do that."

Father Murphy nodded in agreement.

"The kids have already found two pieces of the Cursed stones which are safe and locked in a sacred box here." Father Murphy referred to John, Hannah, and Emily.

He also knew the fact that John had become a pawn of Diana. "I've seen the news about the fire and I saw John watching the despair of the people. It didn't come as a surprise to me that Diana made John do that but I personally don't know what could potentially happen if Emily is able to successfully find the last piece and when all the pieces would unite, but we have to be prepared for the worst. We only will have one chance against her."