Deliver Me Safely - Chapter Nine

The demon finally reveals itself. Father Aubert performs an exorcism to try and save mankind.

Deliver Me Safely

Chapter Nine

 

      Everyone is standing there, speechless. Serenity’s attitude took such a sudden change. Father Aubert steps back from the cage.

      “Is this you, witch?” he provoked, “Or is it the Devil who is speaking through you?”

It chuckles, a grim smirk forming on its lips.

      “I’d like to be the Devil,” it admits.

      “What are you?”

Now Serenity’s voice changes to something masculine and throaty.

      “Wouldn’t you like to know,” it responds. “I thought monks were supposed to be clever.”

Father Aubert stand in place without speaking. Then he shift his attention to Etienne and pulls him to the side.

      “Ce n'est pas sorcière, Père, This is no witch, Father,” he grimaces.

Etienne quints in confusion.

      “What are you saying?” he questions.

      “I do not think this girl was a witch to begin with,” Father Abuert tells him. “It’s something more. Something more dangerous.”

      “More dangerous?” the priest repeats.

     Before he can answer him, Father Aubert goes back over to the cage, where he faces the demon. There is a whimsical grin on its face. Its dangerous eyes bare into his, challenging him.

     “Are you a demon?” Father Aubert simply asks.

     “I am,” the demon answers proudly.

      “And you’ve taken this girl’s body as your host. Was she willing?”

      “Of course not. God-fearing wench…,”

 

      Leon steps forward, anger apparent in his demeanor. The demon hisses and jumps back to the other side of the cage, farthest from him. Father Aubert looks to it, then at Leon, then back again.

      “Why do you fear this man?” he asks it.

It shakes its head earnestly.

      “Get him away from me!!” it shouts.

     Leon takes a step forward, and it spits through the bars. The spit lands on the bark on the other side of the cage. Leon c***s his head to one side.

      “What’s the matter, demon?” he challenges. “Someone so powerful shouldn’t fear a mere man.”

     “C'est ta faute! It’s all your fault!” it barks. “If you hadn’t swayed her…the b***h wouldn’t have disobeyed me!”

      Valere and Antoine join by Etienne’s side to get a better view of what’s happening. Father Aubert is nowhere in sight. Valere nudges Antoine’s shoulder to make him see this. Antoine shrugs, and glances around. Then he sees the minister leaving the chapel once again, this time with a bottle of holy water and a book. Antoine points to him.

      “There he is,” he tells Valere and the knight nods.

      “Back away, Leon,” Father Aubert says to Leon when he is behind him.

      The man does as he is told, moving to the side. Once again the minister and the demon are face to face. The demon looks at the book in his hands; it’s golden, with jewels encrusted on the cover. It’s pages are illuminated. It recognizes this particular book and gasps.

      “Liber Salomonis…,”

     “Ah, so you know this holy book, do you?” Father Aubert smiles.

The demon lets out a loud disapproving noise.

      “Wh…what is it?” Antoine asks aloud.

      “The Key of Solomon, a sacred book of ritual that defend man against evil.”

 

      The minister flips through the pages and stops on a ritual entitled “Ritus Exorcismus”. Fearlessly, he begins reciting it.

      “Daemon ab Inferno, Vade a servo Dei. Demon from Hell, begone from this servant of God. Hic homo non pertinet ad tibi, nec alicui de genere tuo. This man belongs not to you, nor to any of your kind…”

      The demon lashes out with a furious scream. It grabs two of the bars with both hands and tries to pull them apart. Like the strongest man, it bends the bars effortlessly and they break off completely from the rest of the cage. The demon throws them carelessly to the ground. Father Auber stops reading. He, as well as everyone else, is in awe of the sight. Leon and Valere run toward it, as they realize it is headed towards Father Aubert. Valere grabs its arms, but it is not restrained. Before Leon can take hold of it, it throws Valere off, landing him on Leon. The two are pushed aback a few feet away. Etienne goes to the minister and shakes him. The dazed Father Aubert comes back to his snese, taking his eyes off of the demon and goes back to reading.

      “Vos nunquam quicquam mali ex mundo est. Never again shall you harm any from the world above. Hoc enim... For this…”

       As he continues reading, the demon rushes towards Father Aubert. The minister stops reading and splashes holy water on it. It screeches and quickly moves back. Everyone else gets to the sidelines, leaving Father Aubert and the demon by themselves. Fauther Aubert continues reading, makes a cross in the air with this finger. The demon makes an unpleased noise and slowly advances forward.

      “Non amplius tu cruciatus hominis… Nevermore shall you torment man…”

      “You will not…break me!” the demon barks.

      Just when it is very near to the minister, Leon pushes him out of the way. He grabs onto it; both hands latched onto its arms. It tries to shake him, and when Leon doesn’t let go, it becomes more violent. It rams Leon into one of the large stone pillars behind them. Leon lets out a gasp, having lost his breath. Before he can recover, the demon’s hands wrap around his throat and begins to strangle him. Leon resists; he tries to force its arm back. But the control is no longer his. During this time Father Aubert is back to reading. The demon retorts in anger, gripping harder onto Leon’s throat, leaving the man completely helpless.

      “Stop, demon!” Father Aurbert shouts, stopping his reading. “Leave him be!”

      “End your infernal reading,” it instructs. “Destroy the book now, and I’ll free him.”

Father Aubert is hesitant.

      “What are you waiting for?” Valere shouts to him. “Do as it says!”

Father Aubert is still.

      “Do it!!” the demon demands.

But the minister isn’t going to let the demon win. He looks down at the page and begins where he left off.

      “Et te qui videbit cladam… And it is you who shall be defeated…”

The demon snorts.

      “You’re stubborn.” It comments, tightening its grip on Leon.

      Valere runs over and draws his sword. He stabs the demon’s arm. It hisses in pain and withdraws from its intent on killing Leon. It glares coldly at Valere and pushes him down, holding him down at the shoulders. Leon regains his composure and realizes what the demon is doing. He quickly reaches out and grabs its shoulders and pulls it off of Valere. Its arms flail and it connects with Leon’s jaw. Leon groans but isn’t letting it go easily. His grip is not as strong as it usually is, and just as the demon breaks free…

      “Magno impetu in vos te Deus mittit ad Tartara mittat, God sends his mighty force on you and sends you back to Hell. Amen.” Father Aubert finishes the prayer.

       It stops all movment, in shock, looking at Father Aubert. Suddenly the demon starts convulsing violently. Leon, surpised, lets go and stands back. It screams and convulses, its body bending at unnatural angles. Then as abruptedly as it started, with a final howl, Serenity’s body crashes down. Valere is close enough to where he can catch her fall.

      “Is she alive?” Antoine breathes anxiously.

       Valere checks for a pulse. Faintly, he feels her vein pumping. He sighs, nodding. Etienne and Antoine apporach the unconscious girl, as do Leon and Father Aubert. Leon bends down and feels her cheeks; they are warm.

Author's Note

ignore grammar errors