‘Okay Maddie, I’m kinda inhabiting your body but I’m also… kinda not.’

I could hear my Auntie Monica’s voice in my head. The feeling I had was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was almost like every single cell in my body was fit to burst, but in a strange, pleasant “I’ve just eaten enough and I’m very sated and satisfied” kind of way. Not the uncomfortable “I’ve eaten way too much food and I could drink half a bottle of Gaviscon” way.

‘I’m not totally controlling you though, just guiding. Let’s get this done, I can’t stay in your body for long.’

I thought it was funny saying Auntie Monica’s presence inside my own body was now the most weirdest sensation I’ve ever felt. And that was saying something, considering all I’ve done since I found out I was a witch; was have weird sensations. She hadn’t completely possessed me, which I what I thought she would’ve done but no; her magical influence and knowledge even seemed to just guide my body. Again, it was weird; like a sort of muscle memory but the memory definitely didn’t belong to my muscles.

I could hear Auntie Monica in my head, softly guiding me through the process of what I had to do. Auntie Morrigan was now totally passed out on the ground in front of Baal’s portal, to which Baal himself was trying his hardest to reach over to her and claw her in to the portal. Thankfully his yucky, swirling and swarming arms weren’t long enough; nor was his energy able to shove her body closer to him. Arne however now looked to be in a huge amount of pain from the blight effecting his arms, but he clung on to Bruce still even though his flesh looked like it was beginning to melt. Bruce on the other hand, was very near death. Whatever magical resistance he had was now near useless and Baal’s blight was taking over his own acolyte.

‘We need to do this spell when Bruce in literally on the edge of dying. He’s within minutes now. Let’s begin.’

It felt like my mouth was struggling to physically say the words that my Aunt Monica was making me say, like I was having a hard time talking a language I’d never heard before. It sounded like it was Latin or Ancient Greek even. Either way it was a language a native English speaker couldn’t form the vowels or syllables of easily without a lot of practice. It seemed to be working though as the glowing light of Baal’s portal was beginning to change to a bright, silvery light that emitted nothing but pure warmth. I could even sense a strange energy being directed at Bruce also, the words coming from my mouth were affecting his physical form.

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Looking over again, I saw the life draining from Bruce’s eyes as Auntie Monica made me shout “LET HIM GO” to Arne. Arne did as he was instructed and shoved Bruce’s now almost dead body toward Baal himself. Arne backed up from the portal and almost immediately, the blight began to fade from his arms and the fizzled and gnarly flesh began to knit itself back together. Within moments, Arne’s flesh had totally healed. Quicker than what Duncan’s had when he touched the door handle in to this place. I guess that’s what happens when you’re a vampire as old as him though. As soon as he was able, he was by my Auntie Morrigan’s side, cradling her in his lap.

Bruce’s body was directly in front of Baal now. I felt more magical words escape my lips, watching Bruce in awe as his body seemed to move unnaturally; as if his joints were to stiff for him to move normally. I continued to watch as his hands reached down to the belt on his odd ceremony robe, unsheathing a large and fairly new looking blade that he must have used as an athame. Both of his hands grasped the handle of the blade which he then swiftly and forcefully plunged in to his own chest. His body fell forward directly on to the hole in which Baal was protruding from, the demon himself was now screaming in what seemed to be pure agony as blood trickled out from Bruce and all over the shining portal sigil. Words still came from out of my mouth that I didn’t understand. Auntie Monica was in the driving seat and she was making sure this demon wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

Whatever magic thing had happened to Bruce, was now injuring Baal. The demon writhed and screamed and thrashed it’s claws around as Bruce’s blood began to envelope Baal; weighing him down in to the portal like a huge suffocating blanket. The screaming was beginning to fade as the blood smothered Baal, now gargling as if it was drowning him. He sank further and further down in to the hole, trying his best to cling on to this world; but the energy and magic coming from my body courtesy of my Aunt Monica was sending him back to hell.

‘M...Mona?’

My Aunt Morrigan had regained consciousness and was looking directly at me. Auntie Monica’s energy pulsed and surged through me even stronger than before for the briefest of moments, as if to let her sister know she was present. I looked back at my Auntie M and smiled, nodding to say she was with us and mouthing the word “Mori” at her; the nickname my Aunt Monica called my Auntie M. A tear escaped her eye as her head rolled back; Arne gently cradling her in his lap, stroking her hair.

The surge of Monica’s energy made Bruce’s odd looking blood that was engulfing all of Baal’s form, was behaving differently now. The body of the kidnapper and murderer was now lying dead on the ground, face down and filthy, while Baal’s body was dissolving. His screaming and screeching had increased to a glass shattering level, making me feel like I had to cover my ears as it was that piercing and loud. But as I brought my hands up to my head, Baal’s body had fizzled away in to the hole. The swirling, hellish wound in the ground had now closed.

Everything, felt different. The taste and scent of pure evil had left the room quite literally; turning from sacrificial grounds to damp, dusty basement in a matter of seconds. Auntie Monica had left my body, leaving word in my head that she had to vacate my body as her energy could possibly injure me permanently. She said I would see her again next time Auntie M and I took another dream trip to visit our deceased family in the other realm.

I hadn’t noticed, but somehow I was lying on my side on the ground, feeling absolutely exhausted. My body felt heavy and my legs and arms felt like noodles, my eyes were heavy and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I could quite happily sleep for a few days right now and not have a care in the world, but I was crying. Not because I was in pain or anything but because it was over. It was all, finally over.

I just sobbed.