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By the time they arrived back at the school, it was already early evening. The temperature had begun to drop as it usually did every sunset and one could hear the whistling of trees around as the gentle wind swept across. Activities around the hostel had reduced, something that hardly ever happened, especially in the evenings when the place was always filled with both hostellers and non-hostellers alike.

The priest led the way into the hostel, like he had been there frequently; Chris kept on making eye contact with the imprinted crosses on the purple stole draped across Marcello's shoulder which he had learnt was some sort of shield, important to an exorcist.

"I can feel his presence," the priest said as soon as he walked into the common room, he turned to Mr. Parker, "We'd have to evacuate everyone, if it finds a host, it'll only make things harder."

Chris' hands twitched at that announcement, maybe now was the right time to resolve to stop watching Hollywood.

"A..a host, like he...he could possess a human?" Henry stuttered while a lump found its way through his throat.

"That's right," Marcello answered, "we don't have much time to waste."

Professor Parker exited the building, fiddling his phone as he hurried out. He returned almost immediately with 3 security guards. Chris held pity in his heart for them as the thought of the earlier guard came to mind, this would be a different case, he consoled himself.

The priest set down his black briefcase while Mr. Parker talked to the guards. The students in the common room had already moved their attention to the drama before them, curiosity building up to its climax in their hearts. Priest Marcello pulled out a bottle of clear liquid with the sign of the cross and a dove sting upon it printed on the container-holy water.

"Alright everyone, gather around..." one of the guards called out to the students present there. Chris on the other hand was having quite a time keeping his breathing in check and Henry could already feel drops of sweat trickle down the back of his head into his back.

"What now?" Professor Parker asked as the rumbling sound from the stairs got closer and louder.

"We sanctify them before they leave," Marcello answered and then made the emerging students stand in a queue while he spayed the liquid from the container on their head after he made the sign of the cross on their forehead. It took about 20 minutes for the rite to be carried out and soon, it was just four of them in the entire building.

Henry's insides felt like they were being scrapped out but he did a good job in subduing his fears. Mr. Parker took off his glasses and wiped off his forehead with the back of his palm.

Marcello carried on with the ritual after had lit a number of beeswax candle, Holy Bible and rosary in one hand while he held on to the container of water in the other and a small silk bag of salt which he sprinkled along as he recited something. He did the same thing for the first floor too before approaching to the second floor where Henry and Chris' room was.

"Wait!!" he halted just at the beginning of the hallway, "his presence is very strong here."

Chris looked momentarily at Henry, wondering if that meant he could be just behind him at that moment. Chris' heart pounded almost audibly as they all stood there. There was a sudden bloom of heat across Henry's face, one he couldn't explain its source.

Marcello bent down, setting and lighting a new set of beeswax candle across the hallway, his lips reciting some sort of prayer. He had hardly started sprinkling the holy water when the doors to the rooms flung open in a rage, slamming back at almost the same instance with so much force that made Chris' blood run cold. Henry stood with bathed breath and all the while Mr. Parker had hardly flinched at all what was happening around.

The priest carried on with his rite, reciting whatever it was that he was reciting even fiercer now as he sprinkled the holy water across the walls of the hallway which seemed like it was going to rip apart in no time. There was a very audible buzzing sound of electricity from the bulbs lighting the hallway. A door got unhinged in the midst of all the chaos, hurling it way towards the priest and knocking him over.

"Have faith brothers, a thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you." Marcello said to them as they helped him get out from under the door.

Several other doors got unhinged in the process as they opened and closed furiously, without any visible force controlling them. A strong wind swept across the hallway sending an alarming chill down the spine of both Chris and Henry. Mr. Parker on the other hand now looked more shocked and tense than ever as even more beads of sweat formed on his temple.

"This is not for the faint of heart right now," the priest said, regaining his posture back, all the while never letting go of the Holy Bible, rosary or Holy water. "If you can't bear this, its best you leave because all hell is about to break loose."

Chris' heavy audible breathing paused slowly at what he heard his eyes met Mr. Parker's as they all took that moment of decision making. No one amongst them had to be told what this thing was capable of doing, for in one way or the other, they all had had a close ride with it.

Marcello bent his head and shut his eye, fiddling with the beads of the rosary as he muttered a prayer. Critters of stones fell off the ceiling of the hallway. They all moved in the direction of Henry and Chris' room where priest Marcello had claimed that the spirit's presence was at its climax.

The dark raging cloud storm building up outside with a lightning storm was the first thing they noticed the moment they barged into the dim room, each one holding on to a miniature cross which the priest had given them earlier. The door shut behind them on its own with a loud slam and in that instance, Henry knew they just got into the devil's circle.

Marcello sprinkled some holy water about the room and a raging wind rushed through the room, knocking things off. Chris held on to the cross with sweaty, trembling palms as his heart bet became almost audible.

"Hold on to each other," Marcello ordered while he tucked the bible under his arm and grabbed on to Mr. Parker and Henry's hands. He bowed his head in silence, amidst all the shattering happening around the room, "say along with me-"

The wind blew harder, interrupting the priest's speech and this time knocking them off their grounds. Chris' sweaty palms slipped out of Mr. Parker's and Henry's as he was knocked off to the entrance of the room.

"Hold him down!!!!" the priest instructed as Chris picked himself up from the floor slowly. They hurried to his side and pinned him to his knees forcefully, it seemed quite a task as it seemed like Chris had acquired some sort of extra strength.

"Be gone now from this creature, you unclean spirit," Marcello started, sprinkling some holy water on him, "be gone now you foe of the human race, begetter of death and robber of life, author of pain and sorrow."

Chris tried to break free the moment more drops of the holy water touched his face. He burst into a rage of fury before his eyes snapped open, revealing the black set of eyes which were now present. The sight almost made Henry loosen his grip as his heart jumped to his mouth in shock of the monster his friend had now turned into. Critters of stones from the ceiling fell off as a crack spread through the roof.

"Be gone now in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy spirit," the priest made the sign of the cross on Chris' forehead with the holy water. He let out a loud beastly roar, facing the ceiling with blackened eyes before falling unconscious to the floor.

Was it over? Finally? Henry's heart thumped against the wall of his chest, sweat trickled down profusely down his face as he looked at the lifeless body of his friend lying next to him. Suddenly, a quick rush of strong wind flushed across the room, in the direction of the window, shattering it into shards. Although the wind blew out, the splinters of broken glass erupted into the room, a piece of it finding its way in the air into Marcello's left eye.

The echo of Professor Parker's cry rang within the ravaged room as he watched the priest fall to the floor.

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Hey guys, we finally get to experience it. "The scene" ;-) I had a thrill time working on this part but would love to hear from you, what do you think about the exorcism scene?!

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