Demons Beside You

“Why?” David and Bord both looked at Sienna.

“Because it’s the third night,” Sienna said.

“What third night?”

“Every spiritualist will fall unconscious when going through the Life Trial. If they’re attacked on the first night, then they are one of the chosen. If it’s the second night, then they are the extraordinary. The third night, they are of the Holy Spirit. Of course, each day that passes means that the trial will be more difficult.”

“Miss Sienna, what night were you attacked?”

“The first night. Most spiritualists are like this. I was saved by an old Gypsy witch who became my teacher.”

“So if Aisha survives tonight, she’ll have superpowers.” Bord was afraid but also a bit excited.

“Uh...no...”

“What do you mean by saying she’s ‘of the Holy Spirit’?”

“Like Jesus.”

“You’re saying my daughter is Jesus?”

“Of course not, but it’s the same principle.”

“But Jesus is a dude,” David said doubtfully.

“He’s different.”

“How?”

“How do I know?” Sienna rolled her eyes.

Bord couldn’t decide, making Sienna lose her patience.

“You better decide soon. It’ll be 10 o’clock in a few minutes. By then, it’ll actually be dangerous.”

“But you want to take my daughter out of the hospital. But where are you taking her?”

“The church.”

“No. No!” Bord immediately yelled. “Definitely not!”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know what my daughter and wife experienced before? Do you know? They were raped! And that d*mn monster stuffed them into a box and buried them under the oak tree by the church. Now you want to take my daughter to a church? Don’t even think about it!”

“We don’t have to go to that church. Just leave the city to somewhere with less people.”

“And why?” David asked, confused.

“If there’s fewer people, then there are fewer dead people. There’s a lower possibility of evil spirits too. That woman may attract evil spirits from a larger region, but even if they can sense her, it’ll still take time to catch up to her.”

“So this is safe?”

“No.” Sienna shook her head. “It’s just relatively safer. This way, we can avoid most evil spirits.”

“What about the rest?” David asked, gulping.

Suddenly, the light in the hospital’s hallway dimmed.

“She’s here!” Sienna’s expression changed.

She suddenly took a sharp awl out of her pocket and slammed it into the wall. A distorted face appeared on the wall. It seemed to be wailing, but there was no sound.

David and Bord went pale with terror, but Sienna acted like she did something casual.

“Do you see this? It’s just a minor character.”

“There’ll be more of these things attacking my daughter?”

“Yes. More terrifying ones.”

“Hurry and take my daughter away.”

Bord wouldn’t give in until the last moment. He’d been hesitant earlier, but now he agreed wholeheartedly.

“Wait... What about my wife? She was kidnapped with Aisha and they went through the same things. Will she also...”

“No, your wife won’t,” Sienna said. “Don’t get unrelated people involved. Your wife shouldn’t come. You shouldn’t come either. Your daughter and I are enough.”

“No way,” Bord said determinedly. “Even if I believe you, I won’t let you take my daughter away. That’s impossible.”

“I’m a police officer... Protecting citizens is my duty,” David also said when Sienna made him leave.

Sienna knew what David was thinking right now. This was something from dreams. He was inside a supernatural event now. How could he give it up?

“Is there something like holy water? Or garlic?” David asked with enthusiasm. He didn’t feel any danger at all. He was just excited from being in something like an intense game.

“Please, Officer. It’s about my daughter’s life right now. Maybe we need a cross?” Bord added.

“Enough. I’m a witch, not a religious priest. If you think that’s more useful, you can go find a priest to drive out the demon.”

“Okay, okay. We’ll listen to you, but you can’t kick us out.”

“Take the girl out of the hospital.”

The three moved quickly. Bord placed his daughter on a wheelchair. He was going to pack up her clothes, but Sienna stopped her. It wasn’t necessary.

If Aisha could survive these three hours, she would be safe.

Bord did the discharge paperwork without telling his wife.

“Get in my car,” David said while tossing his keys to Sienna. “We won’t be bothered even if we speed.”

“Why are you giving me the keys? I can’t drive.”

Bord and David were both shocked. How could someone in this world not know how to drive?

It was as shocking as finding an illiterate person in China.

In China, some of the older generation might not be able to read, but there were practically no illiterates in the younger generation.

America was a country where the driver’s license could be used as an ID card. One could imagine how common driving was here.

In the end, David sat in the driver’s seat and shot out of the hospital in the police car.

Clunk.

“Slow down. You want us to crash?”

“Why is the car shaking so hard? Is there an evil spirit?”

“Motherf*cker, you didn’t slow down on the speed bump!” Bord roared. “If you can’t drive, let me do it. I don’t want my daughter to die in a tragic car crash before the evil spirit gets to her!”

“Miss Sienna told me to drive faster.”

“But you can’t—”

“I don’t think it’s fast enough...” Sienna looked in the back. “Something’s chasing behind us.”

“Behind us? There’s nothing there.”

“Don’t you see the car with red headlights?”

“D*mmit, they changed the headlights red? I should give him a ticket. Plus, his exhaust is obviously excessive. Look at that black smoke.” David’s professionalism was acting up.

“It’s not a modification. It’s an evil spirit. Can’t you see that there’s no driver?”

David and Bord finally realized that something was wrong with that car.