Exorcism

A cold gust of wind blew through the silent night. It was a full moon, the skies – on the verge of crying. Elize, a young girl in her teenage years, sat slowly on the dining table. She quietly arranged the plates to be used for dinner. Elize has a short, jet-black hair. In her face were noticeable contusions, swollen cheeks, and lacerations. In the adjacent room, there were two people. Loud, thudding noises, and sharp whispers can be heard in the air. “HOW CAN YOU EVEN DO THIS TO ME?! TO US?! DO YOU THINK THIS WON’T COME OUT?!” The middle-aged woman shouted furiously at the tall man in front of her. In her eyes, a glint of disgust and disappointment can be seen. “I TOLD YOU TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!” The tall man helplessly grabbed the woman, attempting to console her. “I’M LEAVING! I CAN’T STAND YOU. YOU’RE A SICK BASTARD! I’M TAKING ELIZE!!” The woman shook off the tall man’s hold in her. As she tried to get away with heavy steps, the tall man grabbed her arms. “YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” The woman struggled violently. The tall man squeezed her arms so hard that faint little bruises can be seen. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO! WE’RE LEAVING!” As she struggled to get away, the tall man started to grip her neck. Choking noises spread through the thin night. As the full moon hided in the clouds, the woman’s life fell on the hands of that man. She died. As simple as that. As the noises dulled in the air, Elize almost finished setting up the plates. She paid no heed on the disturbing noises just a few seconds ago. “Dad? Should we eat now?” “Yes, honey. Just a few minutes.” Loud thudding noises and something dragging on the floor can be heard. “The dinner’s gonna turn cold.” Elize reminded her dad. “It’s fine. I’ll just heat it up. You go ahead and eat first. Your Mom isn’t feeling well.” The tall man’s footsteps were heavy. A few curses flew in the air as he lifted the woman’s lifeless body into the closet. “Okay, I’ll have dinner first.” Elize quietly ate alone. The table felt so spacious with just a single person eating as the night fades. That was but a past that was supposed to be forgotten. Elize snapped out of her reminiscing when the teacher in front spoke aloud. “So, who’s going to solve the next problem in the board? Anyone?” The teacher’s eyes roamed in the classroom. His eyes fell on Elize’s. “Ms. Elize?” The now 20 years old woman rose from her seat and walked towards the board. An arithmetic problem was written on it. She grabbed the marker and proceeded to write in the board. A few moments passed and the rowdy classroom went to a still. Everyone perplexed with what Elize wrote on the board. In the board was a satanic symbol drawn with great emphasis. The teacher went furious. He hurriedly sent Elize to the guidance office. After the class, Elize’s friend, Neil went to the guidance office to fetch Elize. Neil was taking a class in the engineering department which was a little far from Elize’s class. As he saw Elize coming out of the guidance office, he hurriedly approached her. “I heard what happened.” Neil lightly patted Elize’s head to provide her some comfort. “…I don’t know why I even did that.” Her tone mellow and full of regret. Neil’s gaze focused on his friend. He patted her in the back in an effort to cajole her. “Maybe you should seek h-” before he could finish, Elize cut him off. “NO!” Elize shrieked. Her brows knitted and her eyes full of worry. “Okay.. okay. Calm down. I won’t force you.” Neil was taken aback for a few moments. He could only mouth off a few words of apology. “I-I’m sorry.” A few good minutes passed by when Elize broke the silence. “Have you ever wondered if God really exists?” Elize muttered. “Aren’t you a member of the church? How come you ask questions like that?” “It’s just that.. nowadays I feel so drained in life.” Elize’s tone went dreary towards the end. It was notable that she was obviously experiencing some kind of problems. However, Neil failed to notice that. “Isn’t that just normal? We all experience all kinds of hardships. It’s not just you.” He carelessly commented. Elize’s shoulders fell down upon hearing those words. “… I guess so. Forget that I said that.” Elize hurriedly sprinted across the hall. “Wait! Aren’t you gonna come with us to the prayer group?!” Neil half-shouted. “…” Elize didn’t answer him. She only saw the light at the end of the hallway and continued to sprint towards it.