TWELVE

Kerry spoke to Beth and the boy in a strange, gravelly voice. “I am not just some lower demon, you pathetic humans. I am Alastor! I will keep building my strength, weakening the thin barrier between this world and mine and bring over my demon kin. A mere excorsist will not be able to beat me.”

Then the voice changed. It was Kerry’s own voice. “If you know how to pray, pray! If you believe or not, the energy will affect the demon!”

The voice of Alastor returned, “You are quite strongwilled, Father. But now you will shut up!”

The muscles of Kerry’s face started to constrict. Like he was fighting to speak. It was his own voice that said, “If the prayers don’t help, hand me the plan B I bought and hid in the lower drawer of my desk.”

“Shut up, human!” Alastor growled, silencing Kerry again.

The boy understood he had to get to the desk before Alastor got the idea to look what was inside the drawer. As he did so, he started to pray. He wasn’t a religious person, but knew how to say a Hail Mary. As he ran to the desk he prayed. Beth followed his example.

The prayers seemed to bother the demon somewhat. “Stop that you idiots or I will tear out your hearts!”

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The room started to shake, Kerry’s eyes lit up. Snakes started to crawl out of the ceiling. The boy knew he shouldn’t allow himself to be distracted. He had to get to the desk drawer.

“Keep praying!” he told Beth.

Beth had a hard time getting hold of her fear as the snakes started to crawl around the floor. She kicked one of the snakes away from her, sweat drenching her, shaking of fear. But she kept on praying.

The boy saw Kerry weakening, swaying. Like he had trouble standing upright. He opened the desk drawer and found what Kerry had hidden there. It was a small revolver.

“I will rip you to shreds!” Alastor screamed. Now, from the floor came thousands of scorpions.

Beth ran to the desk, climbing on top of it to protect herself from the scorpions. She kept praying as did the boy. He was hoping the prayers would weaken Alastor enough for Kerry to take control for a moment. He had an idea what Kerry’s plan was. He didn’t like it one bit, but he understood it might be the only way out of this.

“Now,” Kerry’s own voice sounded, his eyes his normal color again instead of demonic yellow. “Give it to me. Quickly, I can’t control myself much longer.”

The boy tossed the revolver, underhanded, to the priest. Father Kerry caught the revolver and put the barrel against his chin.

One eye went yellow, one stayed normal. Alastor’s gravelly voice said, “No! I won’t let you!”

“Go back to hell!” Kerry’s voice sounded.

The boy covered Beth’s eyes with his hands and closed his own. A loud deafening bang, then silence.

As he opened his eyes he saw the dead body of Father Kerry on the floor, his cranium opened by the gunshot. The scorpions, the snakes, alle gone. It looked like the priest’s sacrifice had not been in vain.

“Oh no! What happened?” Beth asked.

“I think Father Kerry went to heaven and Alastor back to hell,” the boy said.