Heather 
The figure released its grip, letting her fall to the ground hard. Claire scurried into my arms, sobbing. I smoothed out her hair and held her tight.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Why? Why did it come after me?”
“I don’t know, Cc.”
“Why did you do this?” she asked again.
“I-I didn’t think…”
“That’s the problem. You never think.” Her voice was low and almost sounded like a snake hissing.
I looked down at her and gasped. Her usually olive colored skin was ashen white and her eyes were black. She was not my sister.
“Wh-who are you?” I stammered.
“You know who I am.”
“Why are you here?”
“You invited me.”
“No! No, I didn’t! I didn’t know! Leave Claire alone!”
“She is weak.”
“No!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet and running for the door.
I yanked on the knob, screaming. I looked back and saw the demon possessed Claire on her knees, holding up one hand as though she were holding the door shut, laughing maniacally.
“There is no escape!”
I ran up the stairs to my room and slammed the door behind me. I could still hear the laugh as though it were right behind me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, trying to call Becky again. The call wouldn’t go through. I ran to my window in time to see Becky and her mom running up the sidewalk. I banged on the glass to get their attention.
Her mom glanced up and had a horrified look on her face.
I could feel the breath on my neck.
“No,” I whispered as tears streamed down my face.
I turned slowly to be face-to-face with Claire. Her mouth twisted up in a horrifying smile and her eyes were so dark. There was nothing human left in them. I could hear Becky and her mom banging on the front door trying to get in.
“Just let me go.”
“Never. You belong to me.”
“Please, let us go.”
“Marissa!” Becky screamed from outside.
I tried to turn around by the demon grabbed my head and turned me toward it.
I heard a car screech to a halt somewhere nearby. Then more banging on the front door. Claire’s face twisted as the demon screamed. It released it’s grip on me enough so I could run. I opened the bedroom door and nearly fell down the stairs. At the bottom, the front door swung open and a man in long black robes rushed in.
“Child, are you okay?”
I nodded. “Who are you?”
“Father O’Malley. I’m here to help. Where is it?”
I looked upstairs. He followed my gaze to see Claire standing on the landing.
“Is she…”
“That’s not Claire. I-I think she’s possessed. That’s not my sister.”
The man nodded and straightened himself out. Becky and her mom came into the house and helped me stand. They took me outside as the priest pulled out a bottle of water and his bible.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“He’s going to get rid of Zozo.”
“Who is Zozo?” I asked.
“A demon,” Becky’s mom replied. “A really bad demon. Becky should never have brought that Ouija board over. She knew better than to touch that board.”
“I’m sorry, mom! I didn’t know. I didn’t believe!”
“Do you now?”
Becky sank to her knees and sobbed.
“I command you to leave that girl and go back to hell!” the priest shouted from within the door.
A horrifying screech came from deep within the house. Almost like the house itself made the noise.
“In the name of Jesus, I command you to leave that child!”
I strained to see what he was doing. I saw one of his arms wave in the air. Becky’s mom kept a tight hold on me so I wouldn’t run back inside.
“What is going on?” I cried.
“He’s helping. Just stay here.”
It felt like he was in there for hours. Maybe he was. The house shook again and the windows broke. Glass rained down on us and the awful screeching grew louder. A car horn sounded in the driveway and I looked as my mother jumped from the car before it was even in park.
“What the hell is going on!” she hollered.
“Mom!”
She ran onto the porch and almost got inside before Becky’s mom grabbed her hand. “Stay here!”
“Where’s Claire!”
“She’s inside, mom. She’s possessed.”
A loud crash followed by the priest letting out a wail that sound like he was in pain.
“Oh God.” Becky’s mom jumped up and ran inside, followed by my parents.
Becky sat there, an inconsolable mess. I looked around wildly before finding my courage and running in.
Becky’s mom knelt next to the priest who was unconscious and my parents stood at the bottom of the stairs in shock.
“Someone needs to tell me what’s going on!” dad screamed.
I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when I saw Claire. She was levitating in the middle of the living room, cackling as her body contorted in the most unnatural looking ways.
“What do we do?” I looked at Becky’s mom. “You have to help!”
She grabbed the bottle of water and tossed it to me. “Squirt her with this. It’s holy water.”
I looked down at the half empty bottle and then at Claire.
“Do it. Now!”
I nodded and stepped toward my sister. My heart thudded in my chest as I squeezed. She stopped cackling and looked right at me.
“You did this,” she hissed. “This is your fault. I’ll die and it’s all. Your. Fault.”
“No!”
I squeezed the bottle harder. Demon Claire screamed out in pain as the water hit her skin. It sizzled and left a burn mark on her face.
Becky’s mom came up beside me with a rosary and the bible. She began reading off something in a strange language which made Demon Claire contort and spaz more than she had been. As she finished reading, Claire fell to the ground. Silent.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” Becky’s mom said. “Give me the holy water.”
I handed over the bottle and watched as she approached Claire. She knelt beside her and placed the crucifix on the rosary on Claire’s cheek and poured some of the water on her. A small shriek erupted from my sister before she fell silent again.
The lights came on and the house grew quiet.
It was over.
At least I thought it was over.
Becky, her mom, and the priest left once Claire was tucked into bed. Her face was burned and she looked like she’d been run over by a truck. Mom and dad worked on putting the house back together as much as they could.
I sat in my room, on my bed, in complete silence. Had I really seen what I just saw? Did that happen?
As I sat I heard the creak of the attic door before it slammed shut.
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