💀18💀  

It was an utmost horror that the Livinggood family had to wake up to a fine Sunday morning; finding themselves, misplaced than how they had gone to bed. 

Lydia found herself hugging Peter while Julie slept in the maid's quarters, outside the main hall. Julian woke up with Katy and Patrick found himself tangled with one of the head maids. Peter woke up, by the shrill scream of the head maid while somewhere in the innermost bed chambers Lydia and Julie screamed; hurrying away to their respective rooms and huddle to their partners in shame. 

No one knew what happened after they had gone to bed.  

It was dreadful to find Lucy herself levitated with her arms sprawled and twisted at odd angles while groups of wasp buzzed an eerie music accompanied by the screams of a horrified Lucy. Once Julian opened the door; it was a war cry.

Everyone rushed to help Lucy but she was twisted in midair, with her head turned at an alarming angle, snarling at the group with a set of teeth that looked horrifyingly similar to some wild animal. And not to mention her eyes that were the colour of a black starry sky.

Scared wouldn't be the right word to describe how the family's heartbeat inside their fragile ribcage. The family tasted enough fear for their life that it was a miracle no one has lost their breath in battling the appalling scene enraptured.

And now since the night was spent without much peace; the morning turned out to be yet another ghastly commotion that was simply shocking. However, everyone knew it wasn't their mistake and nothing could be undone since the damage was already crystal clear without an explanation and without one's consent.   

To find their selves in other's bed was simply shameful enough for the poor souls to not come for breakfast into the dining hall that morning. But if they think that finding themselves in other's bed was shameful; it was nothing compared to what Julie had to find.

Exhaustingly, Julie walked in with the laundry, taking it from the maid to do something to occupy her mind. But what she found was Peter and Katy kissing once she entered her room. The dried and clean laundry fell from her hands.

The way their body stood was clearly a sign that something was wrong since Peter and Katy were standing in distance to each other with their hands straight down to their thighs; completely fisted. However, Julie didn't act rashly knowing well it wasn't their doing.

She, however, yelled Peter's name and found both Peter and Katy falling unconscious. Sighing hard, she went to fetch the water pitcher. Then she dribbled water on both of them. Katy was the first to wake up complaining about a terrible migraine but was alarmed to find herself in Peter's bedroom.

She hastily got up asking what happened but Julie only said, she just found her in their room as she walked in with the laundry. Since Peter was still unconscious, and the morning events clear in each one's mind; Julie ran away quickly saying an apology.

Julie woke Peter up and asked what happened.

"I vaguely remember something happening. But it is clear in my mind that Katy walked in asking for you and saying that I called her in, but I said I never did and maybe you must have asked for her. I remember her leaving. I am not sure what happened next. I mean what am I doing here?"

"You were kissing her," Julie said patiently.

"What?" Peter yelled. Julie tried to shush him.

"I know it's horrible... but don't worry, I mean..."

"No, you are taking it all wrong Julie." Peter cried, literally cried which saddened Julie.

"No, I am not taking it wrong because I know it has nothing to do with you both. It was, it was hard to see, but I know it wasn't your doing. I know, I know... with what Lucy has to go through and now this..." Julie sobbed into Peter's chest.

Both Julie and Peter cried silently, unable to keep it any longer.

Lucy walked into her parents' bedroom silently and saw them hugging each other, sitting on the ground and crying. If it's possible to hear a heart, breaking into million pieces, that moment would have been the apt moment to describe since Lucy, literally felt her heart dropping and breaking. She could even hear the crash and scream in her head.

After a shrill scream that resonated too loud to be in her head, did she realize that it wasn't her heart, but it was actually something crashing in the hallway; Lucy wiped her tears and quickly walked to where the sound came from before her parents noticed her.

Their head maid was quickly cleaning the broken vase which was few feet away from where it was placed.

"It literally flew off from there to me, can you believe it? It just flew to me." Mina said with her eyes round and large.

Apparently, they had stayed and were not allowed to go since Katie and Em begged and cried them to stay for support. It was planned for them to leave that day morning but after much persuasion and seeing their friends in distress, Tina and Mina didn't want to leave their friends alone. However, Mina was now silently wondering if that was a bad idea.

"I saw it happen. It flew off from there. I, I couldn't do anything." The maid said timidly, sweeping up the big mess.

"Oh, it wasn't your fault Linda," Lucy said, but it didn't do anything to soothe the trembling maid.

Mina walked with Lucy in silence to the back garden where Kat and Em were sitting, looking pale and adorned with dark circles. After what they saw happen to Lucy last night, they couldn't sleep at all.

"Lucy..." Em ran to her and hugged her lovingly with tears in her eyes.

"What?" Lucy chuckled; clearly, she didn't remember anything that happened last night.

"Nothing, I was just happy to see you around, don't grow on it," Em said with a shrug. Katie smiled at them.

"So... what are we going to do?" Lucy asked after a long beat of painful silence.

"I don't know." she confessed with her head hanging down and then looked at the twins as she said, "I am not sure, Lucy. Even though I have kept them here for our selfish reasons, they should leave soon since college will start in two weeks. My, my, time flew by fast enough for me to lose count of the seconds." Katie said looking into the distance wondering how that greenery could stay calm and serene whilst their household was a silent boiling pot.

"Its fine, we can stay if you want. We can always write the semester later." Tina offered unsurely.

"No. That is simply unacceptable. You have done all that you can stay here through this mess to support us. We won't let you..." Katie said firmly but was stopped by an enthusiastic Mina.

"Think about it, it will be like a vacation for us." Mina said trying to lighten the mood but since Em was in a foul mood, she snapped at Mina, "Do you think we are vacationing?"

"I didn't..."

"What? If that was not your intention, then what was?" Em snarled at Mina, who got riled up.

"She didn't mean it..." Katie started but Mina was already wounded.

"What in the name of heaven and lord above are you talking about Emily? I didn't mean anything; I was simply trying to lighten the mood. If you think I was taking everything jokingly, I wouldn't have stayed a minute longer after that big bear vase flew from its resting place to me. Don't think you are the only one hurting to see Lucy like this." Mina said sharply, shutting Em into a corner. No one has ever heard Mina talk so firmly before. And what Mina said latter riled up their mind even more.

They knew which vase she was talking about; the three feet long antique ceramic vase that was situated on either side of their staircase. To know that it flew towards Mina really got them scared for their life.

"That gesture simply means that the spirits or whatever it was didn't want us here," Tina said.

Rocky who was wagging his tail and snuggling close towards Lucy suddenly started whining as if terrified of something. Rocky was a fierce dog that doesn't back out from any fight. However, now, Rocky was trying hard to keep his head within Lucy's armpit, scared.

Suddenly the dog was yanked into the air and got rotated on its own, all the while barking and whining in terror.

Tina who was brave enough to yell few bible verses suddenly rattled the air. She didn't back down when strong wind forced through their bodies. She commanded at last to drop the dog and the thing which was playing with Rocky did. The dog came slamming down to Tina knocking her down. Rocky ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Only after the wind stopped pushing and pulling the girls, did they realize that Lucy was smiling at them terrifyingly with her eyes rolled back into the head. She was also few feet above the ground.

"In the name of my Lord who art in heaven, saving us all, commands you, tell me who you are." Tina braved up and yelled.

Lucy cocked her head to the side and laughed a guttural laugh which felt like coming from some deep underground.

Tina quickly pulled out a small Bible which she kept in her pockets at all the time, and gave it to the girls asking them to recite certain verses from it. She pulled out her blessed silver cross pendant with blue stones and recited few verses she knew. Lucy was waiting for her to stop and pull out another antic but Tina surprised Lucy by running towards her and pressing the cross to Lucy's forehead.

Lucy fell down squirming and screaming in hundred voices as Tina saw the cross scorching Lucy's head. After a while, Lucy stopped and whimpered, then fell unconscious. The cross charred into her skin like a black tattoo.

"This is getting out of hand and I think Lucy is in the clutch of unimaginable danger. I do not know how to exorcise, but I know how to keep them at bay if they are doing so much trouble. I don't think we need to wait for the church, we could go to some other church, where there will be deliverance ministers who will help us."

Hearing the latter word, Lucy woke up with a snarl and held her fingers tightly around Tina's throat. Tina didn't except this and wasn't ready at all. Thus, when the hands held on firmer, she lost her cross on the ground. Braving up, Mina tried to help her sister, came out and put the cross on Lucy's forehead. Even though Lucy left the clutch, nothing happened to Lucy, only she just laughed in her different voices.

"Oh you foolish slave, do you actually believe you can fight us?" Lucy asked before she fell down, not unconscious but clutching her head complaining of a terrible headache.

Katie and Em helped Tina and Lucy after their initial shock withered away. Em did try to find Rocky but he was nowhere to be seen. With much difficulty, Tina said, "You need to have strong faith for the item to work." she swallowed and gasped for air, "No matter what the thing is, bible, holy water or anything blessed; you need to have strong faith in order for that to work against strong supernatural forces."

Patrick came in with Peter to announce something important but found Lucy and Tina struggling to breathe and on the ground. Inquiring what happened, the girls narrated with utmost care which only boiled the blood of both grieving father's.

Once they were placed securely inside, a glass of water was provided to cleanse them from the shock and terror. Sipping it, Mina watched her twin and wondered with a smug grin that they were both even now. With the vase narrowly missing her and now this, she couldn't help but smile and yearn to crack a joke. However, the short fight between Em earlier was still a fresh wound that she didn't want to dare crack open again.

Well settled, Lucy groaned and complained about a sudden headache that shuddered through her skull like a jackhammer. She dunked down three painkillers at once and waited for it to get started. In the meantime, she cried and moaned unable to tolerate the pain.

However, everyone was wronged in thoughts as Patrick broke the news which supposedly had to be the happy news but Lucy planted a seed in their mind as soon as she heard it.

"The priest will come first thing in the morning." Patrick broke it with a big smile but Lucy snapped at him as if a switch was turned on.

The room started to shudder as the artifacts all rattled ever so slightly in their place. The clock struck three and every clock in their house stilled to three. An eerie darkness permeated from nowhere. Even though it was the only afternoon. The darkness blanketed them all in such an illusion that panic started to spread like a wildfire. 

Will this be a mistake? Everyone couldn't help but wonder.

However, they held fast to their newfound faith in God and decided to give it a try.

As soon as Patrick thought that in his mind, Lucy ferociously snarled and barked at him, "You will all regret this."

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Slowly, we are going to wrap this up. I don't intend to drag this longer. I know clearly where I am taking this; but do you?

Do give me your ideas on how I am going to end this? 

Or give me your ideas on how should this one end.

Anyway, comment below and do click on that precious little star :)

Have a good day! :)

Next update will rock your brain!

P.S I forgot to mention a very hearty thanks to garyjarvis1976 for the idea of switching people from their sleeping positions in the first part of this update. His idea sparked an image in me and I proceeded with it. I hope you enjoyed. So, thank you :)