#spawn of

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    The whispers stopped. A flash of lightning ripped through the air as you broke out of what seemed to be a trance. You had no idea where you were. It was raining, and you were drenched.

    Before you could even get your bearings, a couple came running out of a secluded house. It was the only structure around for miles. The man and woman came running up to you. They were obviously concerned about you being there.

    “Go! Get out of here!” the man yelled out to you first.

    When the two finally got to you, the woman took hold of your shoulders. “Darling! What are you doing out here? It isn’t safe!”

    Just then, all of the windows of the house blew out. The couple stood in front of you, ordering you to stay behind them.

    However, you felt yourself walking toward the house instead. The whispers started up again. You also heard the man yelling after you, but you also heard the woman stop him from chasing after you.

    Next thing you knew, you were in the house. Everything was in and out of focus after that. The only thing that stayed constant was how loud the whispers were. You saw you were fighting something without touching it. It didn’t register in you at the time how extraordinary that was.

    When you woke up, you were laying in the destruction of the house. The couple were with you. They kept asking if you were okay.

    Deciding to start with the easier questions, you first asked, “Who are you?”

    The man answered, “I’m Ed, and this is my wife, Lorraine.”

    Lorraine then inquired, “What’s your name?”

    Once you gave that, you struggled with what to say next. “I...how...” you were still very disconcerted from whatever had just happened.

    Before you could pass out again, Lorraine asked more questions. “Where’d you come from, baby? Where are your parents?”

    “Foster family...Hammerfords...I don’t...know...” You tried to say more, but you were so tired. You felt as if you were melting into the ground.

    The next time you were conscious, you felt that you were in the back of a car. You were too tired to open your eyes then. While you laid there, you heard Ed and Lorraine talking.

    “I’ve never felt anything like it, Ed,” Lorraine explained with a disbelieving tone in her voice. “I didn’t notice it at first because of the demon, but once that was gone...they overpowered all of my senses. Ed...I can’t even tell if they’re good or evil.”

    Ed sounded confused as you were scared. “Evil? But they seem human.”

    “I know,” Lorraine agreed, “But they walked in there and cast that thing back into hell within five minutes. Honestly, I feel something demonic coming from.”

    Your eyes snapped open as Ed asked, “Are they safe to have with us?”

    She was silent for a moment before responding, “I think so. I do feel something inhuman coming from them, but something else tells me that they don’t want to hurt anyone. I know that there’s a mixture in them. I just don’t know which one there’s more of: good or evil.”

    “Are you guys kidnapping me?”

    The couple was alarmed that you were awake already.

    Ed answered bluntly, “No, we’re not kidnapping you.”

    Lorraine continued for her husband, “We’re just taking you to visit a church. We have friends there who can help you.”

    “Help me? What do I need help with?”

    They both went quiet.

    Ed asked, “Y/n, what do you remember?”

    You told them the truth, that most of it was very foggy. Then, you realized what they were talking about. You fight that...thing. Understandably, you started to freak out.

    Ed and Lorraine tried their best to calm you back down.

    Lorraine tried to relate with you. “Y/n sweetie, you have to breathe. I know how you feel. I, too, have a gift.”

    “Can your gift hurt people?” You guessed the correct answer.

    Ed jumped in, “You’re not going to hurt anyone. Just breathe. The church can help. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Just breathe.”

*******

*******

    When the three of you got to the church, it was still dark and raining. Lorraine and Ed led you inside.

    “And who would this be?” a priest put on the usual tone an adult had when meeting a new kid while he approached you.

    Once Ed and Lorraine introduced you and Father Christopher, Lorraine went to speak to the priest privately while Ed waited with you in a couple of chairs out in the hallway.

    The demonologist gently inquired, “So Y/n, have you had any previous experiences similar to tonight?”

    A round of thunder boomed through the air.

    “...I don’t know,” you hesitantly responded, “Nothing like that has ever happened to me...but...I always felt different from everyone else. It’s hard to explain. I just never felt entirely...” You trailed off. Maybe it was because you didn’t know the precise word, or maybe it was because you were scared of it.

    Thankfully or not, Ed finished for you. “Human?”

    All you could do was nod.

    Suddenly, everything was happening a lot faster. Too fast. The door was opened, and you and Ed saw Lorraine struggling against two men holding her arms. Ed launched to his feet and began shouting for Lorraine to be let go. Father Christopher walked out of the room. He started chanting something in a language you didn’t recognize. For some reason, you started to feel very weak. Father Christopher dragged you away from Ed. You barely registered Ed being hesitant about going after you or Lorraine, then him choosing you.

    When you next woke up, it felt like you were on fire. You couldn’t breathe. The only thing you could think of doing was begging for whatever was happening to stop.

    Then, you were pulled from the fire. It was Ed. He had you in his arms and he was running from Father Christopher. Ed hid you in a spot in the nearby woods before going back for Lorraine. He told you not to move, and you were too weak to try otherwise.

    Ed was gone for a while. During the time that you were alone, you listened to the quiet sounds of the forest. It was then that you heard the all-too-familiar whispers. They were saying that they missed you and that they couldn’t wait to see you. The sound sent a chill down your spine and made you feel unsafe.

    Lorraine appeared and led you to where Ed was with the car. Soon, you were being driven away from where you almost died.

    You peered out the back window and saw the church burning down.

*******

*******

    For clear reasons, you didn’t want to get out of the car. The Warrens had taken you to another church. The new one was in Santa Monica, about 10 miles away from your foster home.

    The Warrens had explained to you why they thought the next priest would be different. The church organization as a whole had never dealt with someone like you before. Part of Father Christopher’s job was to protect, and he saw you as a threat to that which he was protecting. Ed and Lorraine promised you that the priest in Santa Monica, Father Perez, would not jump to violence nearly as quickly as Father Christopher. However, you still did not want to get out of the car.

    In an attempt to convince you, Ed crouched down next to the car. “Y/n, listen. At least one of us, if not both myself and Lorraine will be at your side. We won’t let anyone hurt you. If anything happens, we’ll get you out of there. Please, Father Perez might be able to help.”

    For a few moments, you glanced between Ed and Lorraine. You were looking for any sign of betrayal, but you couldn’t find any. Finally, you got out of the car.

    When you got up to the front doors of the church, you stopped. The whispering you had heard your whole life was back. It was louder than it had ever been before. The whispering was telling you not to go into the the church. Strangely, there was not whispering when you were entering the previous church.

    Ed and Lorraine noticed your pause. Lorraine knelt down and asked you if anything was wrong.

    Of course, you told them everything.

    The couple were alarmed. Ed crouched down to Lorraine’s level. Lorraine explained, “Sweetheart, that’s probably your biological father talking to you.”

     “The demon?” you breathed.

    She nodded, “Churches are supposed to be safe places. The demon most likely doesn’t want you to go in here because then it can’t get to you. You probably didn’t hear the voices outside of Father Christopher’s church because the demon knew what Father Christopher would try to do to you, which would make the church hallowed ground no longer. When Father Christopher didn’t succeed, the demon must have burnt down the church in anger.”

    “But what if the demon does the same thing here?” you meekly wondered.

    Ed clarified, “This church is still hallowed ground. We know a lot about Father Perez and he would never try the same thing Father Christopher did.”

    You turned back toward the door. The closer you got to the door, the louder the whispering got. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped over the threshold.

    The whispering quieted. You were finally alone in your mind.

    An older man with his back facing you stood near the alter. It was Father Perez. Ed respectfully got the priest’s attention.

    Lorraine apologized, “We’re sorry if we’re bothering you, Father. I’m Lorraine Warren, and this is my husband, Ed. By any chance, have you heard of us?”

    Father Perez was clearly surprised by his new guests. “Yes, of course,” he answered, “You two have done remarkable things for the church.”

    After shaking the priest’s hand, Ed pronounced, “We’ve heard the same about you, Father. That’s why we’re here.”

    Mrs. Warren continued, “We didn’t know who we could trust.”

    The minister was clearly startled by the news. “Come,” he urged, “We can talk more freely in my office.”

***

    “So what do I do now? How do I get rid of it?” you asked once Ed and Lorraine explained your situation to Father Perez.

    He thought for a moment. “I don’t think there is a way for you to rid yourself of your abilities. But I also don’t think it is necessary for you to do so. Undoubtedly, this is a unique situation. I apologize for Father Christopher. The man sounded to be scared, and so he acted irrationally. So irrationally, I’m afraid his church can no longer be considered holy ground because of his actions. I can promise you I will not be following in his footsteps. In fact, I believe that with determination and practice, there might come a day that you can control these new abilities.”

    “...What about the whispers? Do I have to learn to control those, too?” The thought upset you.

    Father Perez seemed more hesitant then. He looked to the Warrens. “I believe the best course of action is to find the demon and banish it back to hell. If not...I’m afraid that the voice could get worse until the point where Y/n either joins the demon or--”

    “I kill myself,” you finished with a tinge of disbelief in your voice.

    The priest confirmed, “I’m afraid so.” 

    Ed consoled you, “Well, it’s a good thing you have us. This is what we do, Y/n. We’ll keep you safe.”

    Lorraine nodded in resolute agreement with her husband before turning back to the minister. “But why now? Why did Y/n only start experiencing their powers yesterday?”

    Furrowing his brow, Father Perez inquired, “How old are you, Y/n?”

    “Twelve,” you answered, confused by the question.

    Realization washed over the clairvoyant. “It could be a mockery of the bible. Twelve is considered to be the perfect number in God’s eyes. When was your birthday?”

    “Last week,” you responded.

    Mr. Warren cut in, “That explains it. There wasn’t any trigger for Y/n to use their powers until yesterday.”

    As Ed and Lorraine planned on what to do about your biological demon father, Father Perez caught your eye. He wished you a happy birthday. Despite the situation your birthday brought you that year, Father Perez’s words made you smile.

    You put your focus back on Ed and Lorraine. They were disagreeing on something.

    Ed shook his head. “I don’t like it.”

    His wife sighed, “Neither do I, but if we don’t act now, Y/n might be lost for good.”

    “What is it?” you asked, “What are you guys talking about?”

    Both of the Warrens looked at you. Ed took a deep breath before he explained, “We have a plan...but it is dangerous...”

    Lorraine finished for her husband. “It’s possible you could get hurt.”

    “But the demon will go away?” you optimistically inquired.

    She cautioned, “If our plan works, yes.”

    “Okay,” you agreed after some thought, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

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