"How can I bring something, or even someone, back home?" Athena asked her brother frantically. She started to pace back and forth as she wrung her hands. The pain kept shooting up her leg every time she put pressure on it, but she didn't care. There were more pressing issues in her mind at the moment. 

Easy, the voice taunted. Laughing echoed through her head. The more Athena heard the voice in her head, the closer she came to recognize the voice. She placed her fingers on her temples and started to rub in circles, trying to draw out the voice. She was afraid that her brother was right. She did bring someone home. 

Derek shrugged his shoulders, his eyes still locked on the shattered computer. He hadn't moved from his spot in the past couple of minutes. "I'm not sure, Athena. I read a book while I was in college. It said that the supernatural just 'invite' themselves into people's houses. They do it by clinging onto the said person, or an object." He saw Athena give him a strange look and shrugged. "I was bored."

Athena rolled her eyes and pushed away her chair to walk over to where the computer still lay shattered on the ground. "But how does it happen?" She knelt down next to the wrecked computer and reached out to touch the shattered screen. She kept her leg stretched out in front of her, she couldn't truly bend it the way she was wanting. How was she going to afford a new computer now? How did this happen? Why was this happening to her?

You know...

Shut up! Athena yelled at the voice in her head. She shut her eyes tightly, causing stars to dance in the darkness. The headache that was forming in her head made her feel dizzy and weak. 

"I don't know." Derek shrugged again. "I didn't exactly pay attention. As I said, I was bored and was just reading it for fun. I'm even surprised that I remember that part of the book." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't even remember the title of the book."

Athena sighed, ran her hands through her hair, and started to slowly pace around the room, again. "How do we make all this go away?" She closed her eyes and sighed. 

I could fix it. The voice sang out again in her head. A trill of laughter floated around. 

Shut up!

"What do you mean 'we'?" Derek whirled to her.

Athena spun around and looked at him. "You saw what happened, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, but that doesn't mean that I'm a part of this!" he argued. He crossed his arms and gave her a pointed look. 

Yes, he is, the voice sang happily. 

Fucking shut up! she yelled to the voice, her voice dripping with venom. 

Athena laughed manically. "Yes, it does." She couldn't tell him about the voice. Not now. He may think that she's crazy, but he also might believe her. She was struggling internally about telling him. He was in this mess just as much as she was. The voice wasn't going to let either one of them go. "You were here when it happened, so you are a part of this mess! Who knows, if you go home, the supernatural fucking thing might follow you as well." She pointed to the broken computer. "Your computer could look like this!" She then pointed to him. "Or worse, Derek. You could look like this!"

I'm hurt, the voice veined innocence. I'm a thing now. How rude. Athena heard what sounded like a child blowing a raspberry echo through her head. 

Derek huffed as he rolled his eyes and walked away from Athena. He sat down at the kitchen table and put his head in his hands. "Then why don't you call Mr. Schneider and ask him what to do?" he grumbled. He gave Athena a look. "You have to explain to him anyway why he's going to get his report late."

He's never going to get that report. 

Athena didn't know what else to do, so she listened to her brother's advice and walked over to the phone. She dialed Mr. Schneider's number and waited for him to answer. She began to miss her iPhone. Once everything is over—whenever it'll be over—she's going to get a new one. They were probably one of the last people in her town with a home phone attached to a landline. 

This won't be over for you, Athena.

Get out of my head! Athena placed a hand on her forehead as another headache started to form. She felt her knees threatening to buckle underneath her. 

"Hi, Athena!" Mr. Schneider answered the phone with zeal. "How are you feeling?"

"Hi, Mr. Schneider. I'm good, thank you. Um, Mr. Schneider—"

You're lying. You're breaking. I'll finish you off in a day. The voice started to laugh again. 

"How's the report coming along?" he interrupted her and the voice in her head. 

Athena took a deep breath. "That's actually what I'm calling you about," she said slowly. "My computer is, um, broken." She paused. "It's going to be late."

"Tell him why!" Derek yelled from the kitchen. Athena waved him to be quiet. Her head shot over to him and mouthed for him to be quiet as she gave him a death stare. He retaliated by giving her the finger. Mature, she thought as she rolled her eyes and moved her attention back to her boss.

"Well, that's okay, dear. You can always get a new one or write it by hand." Athena could practically see the encouraging smile he was giving through the phone as he paused. "Why are you calling to tell me that your computer's broken?"

Derek huffed. "Get on with it, Athena."

Athena gave her brother an impatient look before continuing. "Derek and I believe that I might have brought Effie home." Who else would be in her head? The more the voice talked, the more she recognized it. 

Now you're not lying. Good job. I'm very proud. She could hear clapping echoing in her head. They'll put you in that asylum very soon. 

"Who?" Schneider asked, confused. Derek raised his head at the mention of the little girl's name.

"The little girl that haunts that asylum," Athena explained. "Her name was Effie."

And your name was Athena. 

"Oh," Mr. Schneider said in a whisper. "You think you brought her home? Well, what does that have to do with your computer breaking?"

"I think she broke it," she said slowly. "I know it sounds crazy, sir, but Mr. Schneider, what do we do?" Her voice started to quiver. "How do we get rid of her presence?"

"Hold on. Let me look it up." His voice disappeared from the other end. Athena waited without a sound for a couple of minutes. She started tapping her foot and chewing on her thumbnail when she finally heard Mr. Schneider's voice come back. "You need to hire a Priest. He has to clean your house of her presence."

"Oh. How would I convince a Priest to come to my house?" She looked at Derek, hoping he would remember something else from that book. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. She sighed and waited for Mr. Schneider to continue speaking.

You're an idiot. If you bring a fucking priest into this house, I will make sure you suffer more. 

Shut up!

"I'll get him for you," Mr. Schneider offered. "I will see you later this week, all right? Just hang in there."

"Thank you, Mr. Schneider," Athena said, relieved. She started to pray to whoever could hear her that nothing else would happen while they waited for Mr. Schneider and the priest. 

That small priest isn't going to help you, Athena.

I'm getting you out of my head, Effie.

A peal of high-pitched laughter filled her head. You've finally figured out I was here in your head. Took you long enough. Such an idiot. 

Shut up!

"One more thing," Mr. Schneider pulled her out of the conversation in her head with Effie. "Don't make her mad. It will only make things worse. Goodbye, Athena, and good luck."

"Goodbye, Mr. Schneider." She hung up the phone and placed it back on its receiver. She turned to find Derek looking at her with a question on his face. "He's going to hire the Priest and bring him here. We just can't make Effie any angrier than she already is."

The more I'm in here the angrier I get. I want you to suffer as I did. I won't go away until that happens. 

Shut up, Effie!

Yeah, keep yelling at me. That's going to make everything better. I feel happier already! Venom-like sarcasm pierced through her mind. 

Athena rolled her eyes at Effie's sarcasm.

"All right," Derek breathed. "How do we not make her mad?"

Athena shrugged. "I don't know. We just have to try."

You're going to fail.

--------edited--------

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