The young woman's delicate fingers rested softly on the wooden planchette. She circled the mystical object around the ouija board before remaining still. In a quiet tone, she spoke into the shadows, searching for a response from the other side. I sat across from her, eyeing her with curiosity. Her gaze went through me, unaware of my presence.

"Is anyone there?"

Her voice was soft, though laced with fear. I hesitated, carefully resting two fingers on the planchette. I glanced up, studying her big brown eyes. Just as before, it seemed her apprehension was caused by more than just the spirit board.

Slowly, I pushed the planchette across the board, passing over each intricate letter before landing on the word "yes".

Her breath hitched, and she jerked back. She looked up, seeming to stare right at me now. Visibly shaken, her chest heaved. In a frightened whisper, she spoke.

"Who are you?"

I started to move the piece to the letter "M".

"Julia!" An aggressive voice boomed.

Julia jumped out of her skin, and her eyes quickly filled with fear. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself tightly.

Then I saw the bruises on her arms.

There was a sudden jolt behind me, and my eyes flew open. My ears popped as I let out a yawn. I reached for the plastic cup filled with more ice cubes than water and took a sip.

Again, there was a jolt, and the water flew up my nose.

Out of the corner of my eye, Matthew attempted to hold back an amused grin. I contorted my body so I could look behind me. A boy around six years old was hunched up, his feet up against the back of my seat.

"Hey kid, cut it out," I said.

He looked up, wrinkled his nose, and kicked the seat harder. His mom put a hand on his shoulder and quietly scolded him. I turned around and let out a sigh. My eyes drifted to the open window. All I saw were large, puffy grey clouds.

The plane shook, and Matthew gripped the seat and shut his eyes.

"It's okay, dude. Just a bit of turbulence. We're almost there," I reassured.

I looked over at James, who was passed out in the seat, a mask over his eyes and a pillow snug to his neck. Eventually Matthew opened his eyes again and, with shaky hands, pulled out a book.

"You sure it was a good idea to bring James along? He's going to be pretty bored at the hotel."

"I couldn't just leave him alone at home. And he'll only be staying with us for the first few days. Our aunt lives in New York, and she'll be back from vacation soon," said Matthew.

I turned a little to face him, checking again that James was asleep before lowering my voice.

"Why don't you tell him the truth about what you do? Keeping something like that from your own brother sounds exhausting."

"Because he couldn't handle it, Maryn. He's been through enough as it is. I'd rather he keep a pure mindset as far as spirituality is concerned. He's always been a follower of God, and always a believer in angels. I want to keep it at that," he whispered.

"Evil exists in this world. You can't keep that hidden away forever. And whether it is otherworldly or humanity itself, you can't deny its presence."

Matthew remained quiet, but his expression was pained. I huffed and leaned back in my chair.

"And I should know, Matthew. My kind is the embodiment of evil."

~~~~~~

I had never taken the time to admire the dazzling array of colors that lit up the bustling streets of New York City. The city was anything but quiet. Blaring horns and conversing pedestrians blended into a hum in the background. James's eyes lit up like Times Square, as he was no doubt brought back to childhood memories. Matthew silently observed his surroundings before checking his watch.

We got in a taxi and headed to our hotel. As soon as Matthew unlocked the dark wooden door to our room, I fell onto the mattress.

"Can we just call this vacation?" I asked.

"Come on, we need to get going. Ms. Carlisle is expecting us," said Matthew.

He turned to James. "Are you alright staying here by yourself?"

"Y...y-yeah, I'll be fine. I hope you don't mind if I w...w-wander for a bit," James said, pulling out his camera.

Matthew nodded and we started for the door. Once we were alone in the elevator, I turned to my partner.

"How long will it take for my stuff to get here? I feel naked without my gun."

"It's about a 30 hour drive from Wyoming to New York. I'll message my friend who's delivering your things after we meet with Ms. Carlisle."

"30 hours? What if I need to be ready to kick ass now? You know how unpredictable these possessions can be," I said.

"I think you can survive without them for a little while. Besides, this is just a meeting."

I let out a huff. "If you say so, Matto."

Alice Carlisle's apartment was located on the outskirts of a neighborhood known as Hell's Kitchen. The streets were lined with several restaurants and nightclubs. A neon sign that read "Flashdancers Gentlemen's Club" immediately caught my eye.

"We're going to have to do some sightseeing after this job," I said.

"Stay focused, will you?"

"Why so serious? You need to loosen up, I think a strip club would do you some good."

The taxi driver let out a snort and Matthew straightened his posture.

We finally pulled up to the apartment. The building had a clean, sleek design on the inside, and the scent of sandalwood candles wafted through the air. With polished grey wood floors, black leather furniture, and extravagant chandeliers, it seemed like the kind of place that you lived in when you "made it".

The elevator doors opened on the sixth floor, and Matthew gently tapped on the door. I wasn't sure if Matthew picked up on it, but as soon as we got to Alice's apartment, the temperature seemed to plummet. It felt heavy, like something was pressing against my chest.

Matthew knocked again, and the feeling closed in tighter. My breathing was jagged, and there was a voice seeming to echo from the back of my head. The single voice turned into many, and they grew until the incomprehensible murmurs were almost deafening. I held my hands to my ears and doubled over, and Matthew placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Maryn? Are you okay?"

Maryn. Maryn. Maryn.

Over and over again. The voices clawed and tore through my head. They left a numbing pain that crawled through my skull.

Matthew's hand slid up my shoulder until it touched my neck. His hand was cold as death. He started to dig his nails deep into my skin.

I jerked up and the door to Alice's apartment opened. Matthew was staring at me with a look of disconcertment, a few steps away from me.

"What's going on?" Said a voice.

I straightened up and Matthew smoothed down his already perfectly ironed out suit.

"Ms. Carlisle? I'm here in response to your email. My name is Matthew, and this is my partner, Maryn."

He held out his hand. Ms. Carlisle seemed to hide behind the door, glaring at us with obvious skepticism. The woman looked to be in her mid twenties, but the dark circles under her eyes and the messy blonde strands around her face made her appear slightly older. The room behind her was dark, and the shadows crawled forward, masking part of her face in darkness. Still, I noticed there was something familiar about her features.

"Please, Miss. We're here to help you," Matthew reassured.

She released a long sigh and shook Matthew's hand.

"Call me Alice."

She stepped aside and let us in. The apartment was like a black hole in comparison to the rest of the building. She led us down a long hallway to her dining room. A feeling like a spider's legs crept up my neck the further we followed, and a rotting stench grew more noticeable.

Matthew walked closer to me and lowered his voice.

"What happened to you back there?"

"Don't worry about it. We'll talk later," I whispered back.

Alice walked over to a small table in the corner and slid open the drawer. She pulled out a lighter and lit a few candles in the center of the table. It felt like she was prepping for a seance.

"So, what's the deal with the lights?" I asked.

"They stopped working a few months ago. I've had several people come and take a look at them. After they fix them, it's only a matter of days before they completely shut off again," said Alice.

The flame from the candle danced, casting wild, sinister shadows on Alice's face.

"Can I get you two some water?"

"Please," Matthew responded as he took a seat. I followed his lead and glanced around the room. I felt another chill and rubbed the goosebumps on my arms.

Alice returned with three glasses of water and set them down before taking her seat across from us. She shuffled around uncomfortably, keeping her gaze down. After a moment, she cupped the glass in her hands and looked up.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know where to start with all of this."

Matthew gave her a warm smile and straightened his posture. "It's alright. Why don't you tell us a little bit about when this all started. Four years ago, yes?"

Alice nodded and tapped her fingernail on the glass three times. She took a brief inhale before beginning her story.

"My sister, Lisa, was always interested in the occult. Witches, ghosts, demons, all that stuff. Four years back, she told me she wanted to try summoning a demon."

"Why the fuck would she do that?" I muttered. I relaxed in my chair, draping an arm over the back as I took a sip of water.

Alice scoffed. "Your guess is as good as mine. Of course, I thought she was just going through another phase. After she did her little ritual, things seemed fine for awhile."

Tap. Tap. Tap. Another set of hollow tinks as her nail hit the glass.

"Then I started to hear this... sound. It was like a weird growl or something. I remember searching around the house, but it was almost like it was following me. Like it was in my head."

I glanced over to see Matthew jotting down some notes in his pocket sized journal.

"How long did this go on?" He asked, looking up.

"A few weeks. I asked Lisa if she was experiencing anything out of the ordinary, and shockingly, she said no."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I've never been one to believe in the supernatural, but after those few weeks, things only got worse. There were cold spots in my house, and this God awful smell that I couldn't get rid of. But when I invited Lisa over, she didn't notice a thing."

She paused and bit her lip. I could tell she was holding back on something. There was a dark, heavy energy surrounding her. Her aura was nearly black.

"Eventually I got a priest to bless my house, and for awhile, things were fine. But I still felt like there was this looming shadow. Like I was always being watched."

"When exactly did you notice a recent spark in paranormal activity?" Asked Matthew.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"A few months ago. And my sister had apparently been messing around with rituals again. A few days ago, she told me she summoned a demon. I can't remember what she called it. An incu..."

"Incubus," I finished. Suddenly I felt a pit of dread form in my stomach. That's why Alice had looked so familiar. I had been called to pay a visit to her sister a few days prior.

Incubi and Succubi were commonly summoned by foolish people who thought no harm would befall them. To them, it's a twisted and demonic sexual fetish. For us, it's just too easy. It made sense that Alice's occult obsessed sister would take that route.

"Yeah, that. And I remember talking to her on the phone about it yesterday. Even thinking about this stuff makes me feel like something's there."

She slunk back into her chair, her breathing suddenly heavy.

Matthew leaned forward and rested a calming hand on hers.

"Alice, what happened?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She shied away for a moment, seeming to collect her thoughts. She pushed back a strand of hair, and looked Matthew in the eyes, her own filled with tears.

Alice glanced over as she began to speak, enough time for me to lock eyes with her. The room around me started to fade, and I found myself witness to Alice's memories.

The faucet released small beads of water into the still tub. Alice held her knees close to her chest, her breath silent in the dark. Her eyes glanced from the closed bathroom door to her distorted reflection on the shower's chrome features.

The nauseating sense of unease hit me as though the memory were my own. Alice whipped her head towards the door as a low growl crept underneath the space between the floor. It was almost human. Distorted in a way that bled into the realms of an uncanny valley.

Then, a knock. Once. Twice. Three times.

In a steady rhythm it came, stopping briefly before starting over again. As if a metronome had given its cue, it sped up after each repeat. Faster and faster.

Alice pressed her hands hard against her ears. Her body trembled. The vibrations caused the water to ripple.

It's not real, it's not real, it's not real.

Louder and louder. The door began to shake, and the sound mimicked Alice's thudding heart. Whatever was on the other side was determined to break the door down.

Then it stopped.

Like a pause button on a remote, everything froze. Alice opened her eyes, slowly at first. As if a glaring sun awaited her.

But there was no light. No sound. Nothing but the dark bathroom she, and she alone, had entered.

Alice ran her hand through the water only to hear the slight splash, for she feared she had gone deaf. Her breath dragged, her pulse slammed around in her ears.

She tangled her fingers through her stringy damp hair, clasping her head as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Another hand ran gently down her leg.

Alice let out an ear splitting shriek.

Flailing her limbs, she scrambled to get out of the tub. Her hands slid on the side, and as she lifted one leg out, the other caught on the edge.

Her bare body slammed down onto the cold tile. With a smack, her jaw hit the ground, teeth punctured her tongue.

The taste of copper immediately filled her mouth while the rest of her ached. A small whimper escaped her lips as blood and saliva dripped from her mouth.

Alice dragged herself to the door before slowly lifting herself to her feet. Her hand grasped the knob and turned. It didn't open. She checked the lock and tried again. With two hands, she clamped her hands around the knob and turned with all of her strength. A force on the other side kept it in place.

She slammed her palms on the door in a manic rage before she clawed like a caged animal. Again, her hands clamped down around the knob, and with a final turn, it gave.

The apartment was pitch black. Alice held her hands out towards the walls. Her feet were cold against the hard floor. Small pools of water formed after each step.

Help, help, I need help.

The hallway ended, and Alice knew she was in her living room. Before she could take another step, the guttural sound started again.

She let out a cry as frenzied footsteps made their way toward her. She ran, trying every door until her bedroom opened.

Slamming and locking the door, Alice backed away. Once again the sound had stopped, and a heavy silence weighed down on her body. She collapsed to the ground, viciously shaking her head.

Alice looked up at the ceiling, feeling her vision grow dim. Her mouth was cotton filled, her body made of stone. She clasped her hands tightly together as her head began to spin.

"Oh, God, help me."

The memory faded, and the room came into view.

Alice fell quiet and for a moment, a silence so thick I felt I could grasp it filled the room. The sound of Alice's tapping fingernail quickly cut through it. It seemed to be tapping the inside of my head.

Matthew was scribbling away in his journal, and he started to ask Alice a question when I noticed something strange. Matthew's voice was drowned out by the constant tapping, and it only got faster. I looked over at Alice again.

She was staring straight at me. Her eyes unblinking. Her finger still tapping. A low, guttural sound emitted from her throat. The whites of her eyes were becoming bloodshot.

"... If you don't mind?" Said Matthew.

Just like that, Alice snapped back to reality and turned to face Matthew.

"Sure, follow me," she said.

Matthew stood from his chair when I picked my jaw up off the floor and grabbed his shoulder.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

He gave a knowing look and I nodded. Matthew turned and followed Alice out to the hallway. She showed him around the apartment, but I held back.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt. Sure, it was Lisa's own actions that had opened her up to the unknown. It was bound to happen. Yet there was something else pecking at my brain. Even after I made the connection between Alice and Lisa, there was still something I was missing.

After Alice concluded her apartment tour, they met me back in the living room. Alice seemed back to some form of "normal", albeit extremely tired. Possession will do that to you.

"Well, Alice, after we get a hold of some equipment, we'll meet with you again tomorrow evening if that's alright," said Matthew.

She gave a lazy nod, like a broken bobblehead. They exchanged a brief handshake. Her eyes seemed even more red with irritation. She looked over, and I studied her. Whatever had taken residence in her soul was hiding away from me. Damned coward.

Matthew and I walked down the hall. After turning a corner, I spun on my heel to face him.

"I think it's safe to say there's something demonic going on," I said.

"Yes, but we cannot proceed without being properly prepared."

"This is exactly why I need my stuff, Matt. I'm telling you, we should've scheduled the meeting a few days later."

Matthew moved past me and pressed his finger against the button for the elevator. I glanced over my shoulder and down the hall. It could've just been my imagination, but the corridor seemed to grow darker. My legs felt weak, and I leaned against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah." My eyes were locked forward, and I felt like someone was about to turn around the corner any second. The dark energy that was feeding off of our latest client was seeping through the apartment.

One thing was certain. Whatever had decided to take residence in Alice's home had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.