1

Valencia, Spain- 1885

The thunderstorm echoed in the sky creating a huge wave that blew on the trees threatening to push them down, swaying the branches furiously and creating a ruffling noise which was obscured by the heavy rainfall.

It was mid noon but the weather looked like it was evening, more of Nimbus appearing in the sky notifying that it was indeed going to be a rainy day.

The curtains were drawn back as the brunette girl in her early twenties made her way back to the elderly man who sat at the table. She stopped, her eyes darting round the place hovered around the place until it caught sight of a sparkling object.

Curiousity got the best of her as she stalked closer to the object, picked it up in her gloved hand.

It was a cross.

She smirked and put it back in its position then she made the sign of the cross.

"Wouldn't you like to sit down?" The old man gestured at the seat opposite him while pouring himself something from the plastic victorian jug into two little cups.

The girl waved her hand in dismissal.

"I will but not now" her English accent dismissing any trace of malice or anger. She continued with her actions pausing every now and then to lift an object and scrutinize it before putting it back in its position.

She observed that the place was filled with holy materials.

"All this items, what do you use them for?"

The old man laughed lightly, the sound filling the whole room making it lively and giving it a sort of feeling that was experienced once in a while.

"Most of those items are the property of the church, lady Eleanora" The man took a sip out of the cup, he stared at the paperwork in his hand, the chair opposite him made a noise and he looked up to see Eleanora seated.

Running her tongue through her chapped lips, she took a sip of the liquid too, savoring the taste of the brewed coffee before setting it down again on the table.

"So what is that?" She pointed to a bottle that was half filled with water

"That's holy water"

"What do you use it for?"

He glanced at the girl and she rephrased," I mean have you used it on anything or anyone?"

He shrugged "I have used it tons of times on people"

"People?"

"Possessed people"

"Oh" her mouth made an o shape and she nodded then tipped back the cup in her hand and took in all the contents.

"You mean you cast demons out?"

"Yes I do"

"Of course you do, you are a priest"

Focusing his attention back on the paperwork, The priest felt the need to change the  conversation, not wanting to scare the  girl with stories of demon possession and exorcism, "How was England?"

She scoffed "Boring"

He glanced up at her again, their gazes locked and she had amusement in her eyes,"It's true, England was boring, I'm happy to have come here"

He laughed lightly,"if you say so, only the one who wears the shoe knows where it hurts"

"Yes you are right, by the way Spain isn't so bad apart from the part that only few people speak and understand English"

The priest was still smiling and she grinned widely,

"People like you"

"I'm well acquainted with the foreign language, lady Eleanora"

"Please call me Eleanora"

She earned another smile from him and she in turn returned it.

"Your Father would be coming in tomorrow"

"Oh yes, he would and he would give me lectures on how not to talk to strangers"

"It's a wise thing if you ask me, as a lady you shouldn't be involved with just anyone, your safety matters the most"

"Here we go again" the old man laughed louder this time.

"Have you been studying our language yet?"

"I'm trying, it's just so hard to understand but I will get through it"

"Take it easy on yourself, don't rush it"

"I will" she stood up and brushed her dress, "I guess I would be taking my leave now, thank you Father Sanchez" she dipped her head in respect and he nodded, acknowledging it.

"Be careful Lady Eleanora, there have been cases of demon possession lately, so you wouldn't get hurt by anyone who is being inhabited by one"

"Thanks, I appreciate the concern" she took the little book on the shelf and quietly made her way out and closed the door gently, she made her way downstairs.

Her footsteps loud and with each walk down the step, a screech was heard. The stairs were made of wood and they were old. She stopped when she heard sounds coming from a room, curiosity getting the best of her, she went closer to the place. Shrugging off thoughts from her inner voice urging her not to go, she opened the door quietly and  peered through the little space she had created.

The back of a man wearing a gown was all she could see until she opened the door a little wider and she saw two men, speaking a foreign language, one that she had failed to completely learn the past few weeks over and over again until she couldn't take it anymore and packed the book among her stuffs that were kept away somewhere she didn't know and didn't bother to look for anyway.

The taller man was holding a book and a cross while the other one held a bottle in his hand, one that she recognized to be the holy water that she had seen back at the priest's office.

Her guess was right at that moment, it was an exorcism.

"Tu espíritu asqueroso"

"You foul spirit"

The taller one held the cross to the person's face, one that she couldn't see well,

"Te ordeno en nombre del padre que dejes a este joven ahora"

" I command you in the name of the father to leave this young man now"

The person screamed and an object clattered, like the sound of metal.

She clutched the cross on her neck tightly.

She could hear her inner voice telling her to go back but she didn't want to. She had never witnessed an exorcism and wasn't going to give up the chance she had just gotten.

The tall man whose back was still turned to her shifted a little and she saw the person that was being exorcized.

He was in a battered shape, his  chest was bare and wet from what she guessed to have been from the holy water and possibly sweat. He glistened under the light from the torches that were hung in the four corners of the room illuminating the dark parts of the room that revealed the chains bound to his hands and legs that were tied to a chair and when he jerked the chains made clattering noises.

Her hair obstructed her vision and she tucked it behind her ear, still paying attention to the event that was unfolding right before her eyes.

The man jerked again.

"Sal de este hombre, tu espíritu maligno en el nombre del señor Jesucristo"

"Get out of this man, you evil spirit in the name of the lord Jesus Christ"

The short man brought the cross closer to the man who jerked again and began jerking continuously.

He stopped jerking and stayed still, the only thing that could tell that he wasn't dead was the swift rise and fall of his chest.

Blood dropped from his wrists due to the tightness of the chains onto the graveled floor.

Water mixed with sweat rolled down his chest like a river with conjoined ends. He was fatigued, she could see it in his demeanor, the low puffs of air that went out through his mouth.

The short man brought the cross closer to the man's face and the man snarled, teeth gnashing together wanting to bite the hand.

"Demonio, ¿cómo te llamas?"

"Demon, what is your name?"

A demon is weak once the name is being known. Eleanora crouched still waiting to hear its name.

There was silence.

As she moved an inch the door creaked and the three heads turned to  the where the sound came from, all three of their gazes at her, she felt the demon in that man try to pull her closer.

She felt cold from their stares and took steps back, locked the door and ran downstairs, she didn't look back. Adrenaline seeping into her bones she made her way out of the parish.

The rain beat her, wetting her gown and her hat, She didn't waste time as her carriage wasn't far away from the parish. She got in and let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding in. She was drenched.

"Go" she signaled to the coachman who hit the reigns and the horses began trotting, then they broke into a run. She felt claustrophobic and took off her hat and the chaplet keeping it beside her.

"Lady Eleanora are you alright?" The coachman called from front, his voice was barely heard as the rain kept falling.

"Yes, I am fine"

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, I am okay, I'm just tired, that's all" she lied. She had seen what she wasn't meant to see.

She removed her hat and placed it right beside her.

When her breathing had calmed down, she set the book she had stolen on her lap. The horses made a loud noise and began moving. They had gone a far distance when she decided to open the book.

Libro de demonología

Book of demonology

She opened the first chapter and the second. She saw pictures of creatures and under it were words written in Spanish. She could make out few words which she read out loud and the rest she basically ignored. She would pay someone to read it to her later when her Father comes the next day.

She knew he would ask where she got it and she would tell him that Father Sanchez lent it to her. It was a lie but at least she would get to keep the book. And he would believe her, after all Father Sanchez was his childhood friend who turned out to follow the path of priesthood while her Father took over from his own father's business in England. They were both from different ethnicities but their bond was friendship was real. It didn't die as the years went by, they would write to each other and then she had asked her dad for a vacation and he decided to send her to Spain since he would be coming for a business too. He had wanted her to meet his friend Sanchez.

She kept on reading the book when the horse suddenly stopped and she jerked in her seat

"Is something wrong?" She opened the window to look out and saw a man out there in the rain. He was unfamiliar.

The man was talking to the coachman and she tried to listen on what they were saying.

"Robert, what's going on?"

There was no answer.

"Robert" she called again

"Yes my lady"

"Is everything ok out there?"

"My lady, there is someone who begs to ride with us"

"Who is that?"

"A man"

"Well then let him in, it's cold and what kind of people are we if we turn a blind eye to a helpless man"

"Ok my lady"

The horse began moving again, she wondered who the man was that wanted a ride. She brushed the thought off and continued reading the book, she had not gotten far in when the horse stopped again and she groaned.

"Robert what is.."

The door to her carriage opened and in came a man. He was handsome and her breath hitched, she couldn't make out a sentence. She kept looking at him then she got herself and snapped out of her daze, the man smiled and sat facing her, hand clasped together on his knees.

"Who are you?"

"You must be from England, I presume" he tipped his hat as a sign of greeting and she nodded.

"Yes I am but you haven't answered the question"

"Forgive me miss, I am Timothee. Timothee Elgort"

"Timothee Elgort" she repeated "Why are you inside here and not outside with Robert?"

"It's ok miss, I'm not some pervert or sexual offender, you don't have to be afraid of me, I just got tired and I have a health condition, I'm really sorry, if I had known you would be uncomfortable I wouldn't have come" He began getting up to leave

"It's ok"

He turned and looked at the lady and rlshe repeated her words again and he sat down.

"Thank you Miss"

She nodded.

The horse continued moving and there was once again silence in the carriage until Eleanora broke it

"How did you know I was from England?"

He smiled, showing his scrumptious dentition "Your accent"

"Ok"

He looked at the book on her lap,"Demonology, huh?"

"Yes, I have an interest in funny things"

"That isn't funny"

"I know, but I just like reading books like this" she arched an eyebrow, "Is it a crime to read books like this?"

"No miss, it isn't"

"What are you doing in Spain?"

"I'm on a vacation and you?"

"Let just say, I'm also on vacation"

"Really?"

"Yes" he ran his hand through his wet hair.

The rain had stopped.

"Wow seems like the rain just stopped" Eleanora drew the curtain back and peeped out into the surroundings, the ground was covered in mud and when she looked up, the sky was getting clearer. It was already evening.

"I guess so"

"Have you being to England before?"

"Yes I have, a long time ago"

"Really, how long Sire?"

"Centuries ago" he looked at her, their gazes locked. She was confused and passed the comment as a joke.

"You don't look that old to me"

"I guess so" he tilted his head and faced the opposite window, when he faced her she was already staring at him.

"I'm Eleanora"

"Beautiful name just like the bearer"

She chuckled,"You flatter me Sire"

"Well it is true"

She smiled shyly "So how was England, did you like it?"

"It was ok though besides standing in heels and getting the monthly period, it was all ok"

She got confused again.

"I don't understand sire"

"I want to tell you a secret"

"Ok, I'm listening"

He drew closer to her ear and whispered, "Last time I was there, I was a woman"

She drew back and began laughing so hard.

Timothee joined her too in the laughter and when it died down she smiled, it reached her eyes, "You must be a comedian or perhaps a jester"

"Jester?" he clicked "tsk tsk tsk, I am not a jester Miss, I'm simply stating the truth"

"That's by the way, where are you headed?"

"Home"

"And where is that?" She rested on the seat

"Wherever you go"

She broke into laughter again and he wasn't laughing this time. He was dead serious. She got scared.

His gaze dropped to her neck, "That cross was very beautiful on you"

Her hand subconsciously reached for neck and felt nothing, it was bare.

"How did you know I wore a chaplet?"

"I saw you back there in the room" he stated as though he was telling her that it would rain the next day.

Then it struck her, there were only four people she had seen earlier that day besides Robert.

She remembered seeing only three men and besides they looked nothing like him.

She remembered the way the possessed man looked at her, like he was staring deep into her soul.

Be careful Lady Eleanora

She rembered feeling as though something was beckoning her to the man tied with chains, like a pull.

There have been cases of demon possession lately so you wouldn't get hurt by anyone who is being inhabited by one"

She reached for her chaplet that was tucked away in a box and Timothee just sat there with his arms folded.

"What is going on, can't find it?" He taunted her.

Frustrated, she opened the door and got out of the carriage, taking hurried steps and glancing every two seconds to see if Timothee was following her but he didn't, then she got to the front and found Robert dead.

He had been dead the whole time she was having a conversation with him, turns out that the horses were just moving on their own since the coachman was dead. She shrieked, her hands reached up and covered her mouth then she broke out in a run.

She ran for as far as her legs could carry her, she stopped to take short breaths, all the while glancing back to see if she was being followed but saw no one. She had ran a great distance and she felt relieved, he wasn't following her.

The sound of music playing in this distance brought joy to her heart, she was elated at the fact that a human being was near. She was dehydrated.

As she came closer to the music, she was smiling, the person might have water.

When she was few steps away from the person she halted, her knees ached and she bent down, her hands braced on her legs.

"Excuse me" The violinist paused the music, he didn't look up at her and she spoke in between the heavy panting "Please do you have water?"

He didn't answer and instead resumed playing the music again.

She felt insulted.

"Excuse me please do you have water?" she asked again, stalking closer to him until she was right in front of him, "I need some water please" she was still breathing heavy, sweat dripping from her forehead unto her dress.

"Breathe slowly before you have a hweat attack, Miss" The violinist looked up at her and she got terrified.

"Timothee" she was shocked and began taking few steps back, then broke out into a run in the opposite direction.

Wherever you go

"I wouldn't do that if I was you"

She kept running and then she felt a sudden pull that held her by the leg and she began screaming as she was being pulled back to him, her screams were muffled. She could no longer scream, she couldn't talk. She was dumb.

He reached for her hair and tucked it behind her ear, she was scared and began to shake.

"I want to introduce you to someone, he's an old friend"

She shook her head, tears glistened in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks like an overflowing river. Her eyes pleased for mercy, if they could talk they would have said a million please at that moment.

He gestured for her to turn her head and when she did what she saw terrified her, she couldn't scream but her eyes did.

Timothee came close to her ear and whispered, "You should have worn that cross Eleanora"

His voice was the last thing she heard, the demon in its physical form before her was the last thing she saw before all went dark.

"Father Sanchez you have to see this", a Reverend came into the priest's office. The priest left what he was doing at that moment and followed the man.

When they were out of the office and down the stairs, the priest couldn't contain his curiosity, " Father Santos what's going on?"

The man stopped and glanced at the priest, sadness evident in his eyes, "I think it is better if you see it for yourself"

The priest didn't look convinced but still followed the man out and where they had gone out of the Parish, the priest could make out some figures that were two people standing.

"Some people found her on the road and they brought her here, they said she came spent a lot of her time here and she knew you"

Sanchez's heart skipped.

Getting closer to the figures that were standing, he could see another one but this one was lying on the floor, his heart skipped again.

Eleanora.

Had something happened to her?

When they got to the place, the two men there greeted him but he couldn't reply, he couldn't find the words too. He wasn't himself.

It was a female and she lay still. He recognized the dress she had worn earlier that day stained with mud that it was barely recognizable. His heart clenched, he wondered what he would tell her Father when he arrived the next day and since it was dark, it was few hours away.

When she moved, she made an inhuman growl, the priest slowly walked around her till he was facing her. She was still lying on the ground and he hovered above her, then she looked up at him, her eyes were dark.

She was possessed.

His gaze still on the person who was no longer Eleanora but something else, a demon he was yet to know the name "Santos" Santos hummed in reply  "Contact the catholic church" he looked away from the girl.

"We have an exorcism to perform"