He focused on Jon’s face almost like he was seeing through it. As the background blurred, Cain he noticed two things that almost sent him into a panic. Gina’s energy was flaring. It doubled, sometimes tripled in size as she watched Jon screaming. Jon’s energy was disappearing drastically.
There has only been two instances where he has witnessed people walking around without the colors their energies gave off, the last one being the person who interviewed them. In all other cases, when people’s colors waned, they died.
Still, it was possible for people to continue living without them, so he hoped. By the time Jon stood up, the colors were gone.
Jon fought his hold on him. He could see that Jon did not recognize any of them.
“Close your eyes Jon. It’s me. It’s Cain.”
“What’s happening to him?” Matt asked.
“He’s hallucinating. It looks like he does not recognize any of us.” He explained. “Matt, go and get the ropes!”
Matt made a run for Jon’s station. Emmy withdrew to the far end of the kitchen her children in tow.
“Jon, it’s me! Listen to my voice.” He pleaded.
Jon fought him. Cain put him in a bear hug but Jon was inhumanly strong and squirmed out of his hold. He saw his friend claw his bloodied face so hard that more blood spilled out. Then, Jon sprinted towards the back door, falling and tumbling on his way. He turned on his heel to follow just as he saw Jon bump into the back door with a heavy thump.
The next thing he noticed was he was flying backwards towards Jon’s station.
~0~
Emmy was curious at first. Then she became concerned. When Jon started acting like he was more than just confused, Emmy did not like what she was seeing. He watched the men try and reach Jon but it seemed to her that he was horrified at seeing them.
Rounding the table to get to her children, Emmy pulled them forcefully. She backed out to the farthest corner of the kitchen, the farthest she could take her children from Jon whose erratic behavior was now escalating.
“Aaaah!” She screamed when Jon banged his head on the table.
She saw Cain hold his friend but Jon kept at it. He was mumbling but she could not hear what he was saying. She feared for the worst as she watched fresh blood come out of his forehead and cheeks. Jon didn’t seem to feel what he just did. She cried in horror as Jon clawed at his face repeatedly. The blood that was already thickly flowing down his face quickly became a torrent until his face was coated in it.
He still was blinking fast. During the times he stopped, he gazed in their direction and seemed to be horrified. Emmy put her arms around her children’s head and pulled them towards her so that their faces were buried. If she found it horrific, there was no telling what the children will feeling.
“Mom. Mom! What the hell is that!” Gina shrieked as her face got buried into her chest.
“He’s… he’s having a hard time honey.” She answered unconvincingly.
Jean was sobbing and embraced her tightly, her face buried in her hips.
What is he afraid of? She asked herself as once again, Jon looked in their direction and shook in his boots. Gina hugged her tightly. She could feel her daughter shaking. Her hug was starting to hurt her sides, but she understood. Only her mother’s instinct kept her from smothering her children. She too was deathly afraid of what would happen next.
“Oww.” She muttered as Gina’s fingers dug into her skin.
Then, without warning, she heard Jon scream. Shortly after, Jon bolted for the back door. She heard him crash against the back door as Gina’s hold went limp. Emmy heard Jon frantically trying to open the door. She felt a change in the air as the door opened and she heard him gou outside screaming his lungs out.
She felt the heat of her daughters for the first time, Gina’s most of all. Emmy looked down to Jean who was still tightly embracing her and stroked her head. She turned her sight to Gina and gasped.
Just inches from the kitchen wall, Emmy and Jean were thrown back violently, nevertheless.
~0~
Cain groaned as he got up. He had been thrown backwards, his feet clipped the front of the table Jon had been using as his station and he fell on top of it. Most of his upper torso fell out on the other side and he fell on his back, several electronic items following him.
Everything was blurry. He squeezed his eyes shut several times before his vision went back to normal. His right shoulder complained but that was the least of his worries. Cain was feeling a malevolence in the air.
His eyes fell on Matt first who had just gotten up and was dusting his arms and pants. His eyes went to Emmy and the girls. Emmy was clutching Jean while still on the floor. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Gina.
The girl was standing, staring out the window to the front. It was that she seemed out of it that concerned him, nor the fact that the girl was the only one who seemed to not have been thrown back. It was Gina’s eyes. They were black.
“Matt! The ropes. Get the ropes!” He barked.
“What is happening?” Emmy voiced as she tried to get up.
“Mommy!” Jean cried.
“Emmy, listen to me very carefully.” He paused to make sure she was looking at him before continuing. “Distance yourself, and the little one from that child. Do not Jean out of your sight!”
Emmy got up and looked at her eldest daughter then quickly scrambled to get away, dragging Jean with her. Matt dashed to the living room to get the ropes they had prepared earlier. He came back with them and Cain’s bag in one hand.
The two men approached the possessed girl cautiously, Matt to her left, Cain to her right. The girl did not move where she stood but instead just watched them with her deep, black eyes. Her head tilted in an odd angle every time she switched between Matt and Cain. Emmy wailed from the back, calling to her child.
“The hands first.” Matt ordered. “Then we’ll get her to a chair and tie her down.”
Matt put a hoop over the child’s head and backed away quickly, as if anticipating that the child would grab at him. When the rope was in position, he made sure it was tight before running several bands around the girl.
Gina did not move while being tied. She just kept staring at the two men, her face spreading a slow smile.
“Good. Now let’s get her to a chair.” Cain instructed.
Matt bent down and placed his arms around the girl’s waist then heaved up. His face showed his confusion.
“Help me.” Matt said to Cain.
Cain came forward and placed his hands on the girls’ shoulders. Both of them heaved. The girl did not move an inch.
“Matt, I know she’s your daughter but you’re gonna have to do more than that if you want to help her.” Cain said, thinking that Matt was being delicate with his daughter.
“I’m trying my fucking best. She’s too heavy!”
“Keep at it.” Said Cain as he went into a prayer asking the Holy Trinity for help.
“It’s working!” Emmy cried as she saw her daughter lifted from the floor.
Gina’s eyes turned to her held it there. Emmy shied away.
Cain continued to pray until they were able to maneuver the child into a chair with a backrest. Matt rushed to grab all the ropes and brought it with him then proceeded to tie Gina to the chair. First, he passed several layers or rope over his daughter’s thighs, then he tied her upper body to the backrest to make sure she cannot move.
“What’s Gina doing mommy?” Cain heard the little girl cry.
“Listen, honey, look at me. Listen to me, okay? Gina is sick and Cain and your farther is going to help her okay? You’re going to stay with me, and we are both going to listen to whatever they say to us. You understand?”
The little girl nodded.
“Good. Gina can only be helped if we listen to what Cain says. So if he asks me or you, to do anything, we follow it. Now, unless we tell you to, stay here and don’t move. Everything’s going to be alright honey, promise.”
“O… okay.” Jean answered, weakly gripping her mother’s hand.
Cain continued to say the prayers until he could see Gina slacken a little. He stepped back and looked at Jean and Emmy. After hearing what Emmy had to say to the child, he hoped that he would be able to do what he needed to do alone.
Lord God, help me.