Possessed! by S R Edwards
"Brandon please don't make me hurt you."
"I be the one hurting you if you don't show me some respect!" He raises his hand and slaps me across the face. I hold my cheek and it burns. My face throbs and my eyes well up. I go to punch him but he grabs my wrist and twists my arm around my back. I drop to my knees and he leans down to me, still holding my arm. "This conversation is over. You can walk to school on your own." He leaves and closes the door. I curl up into a ball in the middle of the living room.
Someone knocks at the door. I look up at the clock. Half seven. Gramps and Timmy are still outside. I open the door and Tom looks at me. His smile changes into worry. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"You're bleeding what happened?"
"Nothing." He follows me into the house. "Brandon came round earlier and we had an argument." Wait a minute did he say I'm bleeding? Brandon must have had his father's ring on. The edge is really sharp. I grab the tea towel and dab at my cheek with a corner. Tom smiles again. "Here let me." He cleans my face. "You got a first aid kit?"
"Yeah, it's in the top cupboard." He walks over to the cupboards and gets the first aid kit. He's quite the handy man. Tom puts a pad and micro pore tape on my cheek. "Any other injuries?"
"My arm and that's it."
"What were you arguing about?"
"You." He stops wrapping the bandage around my wrist and looks me in the eye.
"Why me?"
"Brandon thinks that I'm cheating on him with you and he threatened me."
"Oh." He finishes the bandage. "There that should do it."
"Thanks." I stand up. "I'll go and get ready. Wait here there's some juice in the fridge." I run up stairs and get changed. We walk to school.
Brandon is already there. He glairs at us and Tom notices. I try to stop him but I can't. He storms over to Brandon and starts yelling at him. Katie, a girl from my maths class, walks over to me. "Holly, are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Brandon takes a swing at Tom I close my eyes. I can't believe a guy who I met two days ago is sticking up for me. Brandon storms over to me and Tom chasesafter him. "What did you tell him you whore?!" He pins me to the lockers with his arm. Tom pats his shoulder. "This is between you and me Brandon, leave her alone!" Brandon turns around and punches Tom in the face. His nose pours with blood. I gasp and stare at him. Brandon looks at me and walks away. Tom looks up at me. "You ok?" I nod and fall to my knees. Katie wraps her left arm around my waist and holds my right arm round her shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you two to the medical room."
Mrs Dixon looks up at us. "Dear lord what happened to you?"
"Brandon punched him in the face and Holly collapsed with shock, probably." Katie explains. "Ok thank you Katie you go to your lesson now." Katie leaves and Mrs Dixon looks Tom over well then Mr Hero your nose is broken. Holly can you remember what happened." She turns to me and I flash into a vision. Charlie is hanging onto something, no it's hanging onto her and it won't let her go. A dark spirit, the same one that killed my mom. I snap out of it and look at Mrs Dixon. She smiles at me. "Are you ok?" I nod but I can't manage to say anything. She lets us go back to class. I drag Tom into the disabled toilets. "Can I?" I point to his nose.
"What?"
"Heal your nose."
"You can do that?" his voice sounds funny. I try to stop laughing at him but I can't help it. "Yes I did it before with my brother."
"Ok, yeah go ahead." I put the palm of my hand to his nose and the other to my chest. "Heal what has been hurt and change the fates design." I mutter under my breath. I look up at him. "Better?"
"Yeah thanks Hol. Hol?" I sway but manage to keep myself upright.
"It's ok that always happens." We head to maths.
Chapter five. (Tom)
He hit her! Brandon actually hit Holly. He's a psycho! If he ever touches her again, I'll kill him. Holly was pretty beat up when I found her this morning. We went to school, I got my nose broken, she healed it and now we're sat in the back of English. Brandon is sat near the front and he keeps looking back at us. "What?" I look at him and he punches his hand. Great, why doesn't she just dump the guy? She obviously hates him. I glair at him and Amy hits my arm. "Stop looking at him. He feeds off fear." She laughs and I laugh too. Mr Taylor, our teacher, kicks us out of the class room. We wander through the corridors and Charlie runs over to me. "Tom help me please. It hurts."
"What hurts?"
"Everything."
"Ok, Charlie look at me. It's going to be ok." She nestles into me. I look at Holly. This is my cousin. She's trying to fight the demon inside her. At least that's what I think. "Charlie?" Holly smiles at her.
"Hol. Please you have to make him stop. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"We will Charlie, I promise." I hold her and she pushes away.
"Get off me dweeb!" She storms off down the corridor and just like that my cousin is replaced with a demon.
I walk Holly home. Brandon runs over to me when I'm walking the last stretch. "Hey!"
"What?"
"You stay away from Holly she's mine!" I look at him and I can't help but laugh. "What are you laughing at?"
"You just don't get it. She can have friends. Or do you stop her from socialising. Holly is a person not a belonging. So why don't you leave us alone. Some boyfriend you are. You hit her and sprained her wrist. If I were you I would leave her alone!" he punches me and I hit the floor. He kicks me repeatedly. "Why don't you go back to the city, rat!?" He walks off. Holly must have followed me because about two minutes after Brandon left she is lent over me. "Tom can you hear me?" she calls her dad and he takes me home.
I wake up in our living room. Holly smiles at me. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." My back and head are killing. I wince when I sit up.
"I don't think you are." She bites her lip. "I dumped him. He doesn't hurt my friends. Do you want me to??"
"No, I don't want you to get exhausted. If it makes you dizzy healing my nose you are not healing all of me. I will be ok." She smiles at me but I know she wants to make sure I am ok. Mom bursts through the door. "What happened to you?" She stares at me. "You've been at school three days and you're getting into fights. Thomas you promised me no more fights!" I look at Holly. "And who are you?!"
"I'm Holly one of Charlie's friends. I was the one who brought him home and text you."
"Right out and you young man can go up to your room you are grounded!"
"It wasn't my fault."
"Upstairs now!" I stand up and limp upstairs. Holly leaves and I lay on my bed. Why did I have to get involved?
When I wake up the sun is shining through my window. I stand up and walk over to the window. Aunt Lisa and mom are stood on the front garden shouting Charlie. I grab my coat and run down stairs. "I know where she is."
"Where?" I don't answer mom's question I just run over the road and head for the drain. I hope I'm not too late. I run and run. The road seems never ending. I round the corner and bump into Holly. "Hey." I smile at her.
"No time to talk got to go." I run past her.
"What's happening?"
"Charlie's gone missing and I know where she is."
"Well we better stop her getting into the water. That's?." Her voice trails off and her face goes blank. We run together. "Charlie!" I run down the bank and Holly stands watching as I fight to keep Charlie away from the water. Charlie pushes me and I go backwards into the water. I pull myself out and grab her. She collapses in my arms. I look up at Holly. "We need to get her home." Holly helps me carry Charlie back home.
Mom and Aunt Lisa look at us. "What happened?"
"She tried to jump in the drain. I stopped her but I went in. then Charlie fainted."
"Ok, come on let's get her inside." Mom glairs at Holly as if it's her fault. I look at her and mouth. "Sorry." She shrugs and smiles.
"I'll tell Mrs Dixon that you're not going to be at school or you'll be late." I nod at her and help mom get Charlie into bed. I get ch
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"You know what."
"She's my cousin, I know she's been acting weird and I know you are going to flip. But I had a dream the other night. She jumped in to the water and all I could do was stand and watch."
"I believe you I just don't think that Charlie has a demon inside her. I know you do. Tom you were very brave this morning. Come on I'll take you to school." I smile at her and she smiles back. We hear Aunt Lisa scream. We run into Charlie's room. She is laid on the bed shaking. I look at mom and she nods. I run into my room and route through my boxes. Mom take's Aunt Lisa out of the room and down stairs. I go back into the room and light a bundle of sage alight. I wave it over Charlie and the smoke falls on her. She stops shaking. "Charlie can you hear me. I want you to focus on my voice. You are safe nothing can hurt you. You are alright here. Don't be afraid." She sits up and I smile. It actually worked. "Tom?" she wraps her arms around me. "I'm scared."
"It's ok, nothing can hurt you not even the demon. Not while I'm here." She collapses again and I lay her back and go down stairs. "She's asleep." Aunt Lisa hugs me and mom takes me to school.
Chapter six. (Holly.)
Its break time when Tom arrives at school. He looks worn out and Brandon isn't going to let yesterday go. He strides over to Tom. Tom just walks past him and over to me. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine, Charlie went weird again. I managed to calm her. The demon inside her is getting stronger all the time. I don't know if we can stop it."
"Oh, I'm sure we will." I look over his shoulder. "Tom I think the demon is effecting the whole village. Brandon gets jealous but he would never hurt anyone. The whole village is getting angry over nothing. Oh look out here he comes." Tom turns round and Brandon stops just in front of him. "What did I tell you?"
"And what did I tell you?" Tom turns his back on Brandon and Brandon smiles at me. "Leave him alone Brandon!"
"Stay out of this!"
"No I won't." I put my arm around Tom's shoulders and we walk away. Brandon grabs me and pulls me away from Tom. "No, Brandon let me go now!"
"You are mine not his."
"I'm no-one's possession. Brandon I don't even go out with you anymore. He slaps me again across the face. I step back and he walks away as if nothing happened. Tom puts his hands on my shoulders. I look at him. "What are we going to do with Charlie?"
"I don't know but we have to do something."
"Maybe just talking to her you know like that show, oh what was it?" I can't believe this I was watching it last night. "Tin man, I think it's called. Her sister's voice stopped her."
"Yeah I think I saw that." He wrinkles his nose and he looks so cute. I smile. "Come on Hol class will start soon." We go to science and Tom looks at me, his eyes show how worried he is about Charlie.
After school we go to Tom's house we sit and do home work in his room. His mom comes upstairs. "Holly, I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. It's not like me to go off like that." She goes out of the room and closes the door. Charlie starts to cough really badly. I look at Tom and the coughing stops. We go back to doing home work. Tom goes downstairs to get us some crisps and pop. I look out of the window and then something catches my eye. I open the window and pick up a small rock. It has paint on it. I run my finger along the letters. S.H.E.S.M.I.N.E. The paint is still wet "Tom!" I can hear my voice is high and frantic. He runs upstairs. "What?" I hold out my shaking hand. He takes the rock. "Where was this?"
"The window sill." I point to the window and he walks over to the window. "Tom?"
"It's ok." His voice is calm and comforting. I watch him as he opens the window and leans out. I have to stop myself from shooting forward and trying to pull him back inside. He turns to me. "Stay here." He goes back downstairs. I stand in the middle of the room. He doesn't come back up. That's when I hear voices. Charlie? No the voice is too deep. Tom? No it's too loud. Then I hear footsteps up the stairs. They are frantic and Tom bursts through the door. "Stay still and don't make a sound."
"Why, what's happening?" I look at him. I'm scared really scared. He puts his finger to his lips. "Stay as quiet as possible. He's in the house."
"Who?"
"The demon, I don't know how?" we stay quiet for about an hour.
"Tom?"
"What?"
"Has he gone yet?"
"I'll go and look." By this time we are under the bed. Tom slides out and opens the door. "Tom!" He doesn't answer. The house creaks and I hear him walking down the stairs. If he dies what the hell am I gonna do? I can't think like that. A door slams downstairs. I slide from under the bed and tip toe over to the door. Tom rounds the corner. I scream. He covers my mouth with his hand. "Hol shhh."
"Is he still there?" he shakes his head.
"I don't think so." He looks at me. His gaze wanders off to the corner of his bed room. I turn round. The rock is floating. "I don't think he's gone. Where's Charlie?"
"She's asleep. Ok, I know what it's trying to do."
"What?"
"Scare us, he knows what we are trying to do."
"Well, it's working. Maybe we should just let this happen maybe he will stop like he did?" I can't tell him about my mom not now.
"No, we have to do something. Maybe we can get Charlie to push him out. I think that if he doesn't have a host other than the drain and he will die, his power will just go." The stone drops and hits the floor. Tom shuts the door. "Where's your mom and aunt?"
"They're both out cold on the settees."
"Oh." I sit cross legged on his bed. "Tom how are we going to get Charlie to push it away?"
"I have one idea but it might not work. We need to corner her. Hopefully she will push him away and he'll leave." We decide to wake Charlie up and try to get her to listen to us. We go into Charlie's room and start to talk to her. Tom makes me stand by the door so she can't run away.
Chapter seven. (Tom.)
Holly stands in the door way blocking Charlie's exit. I look at her. "Charlie listen to me. Let go of the darkness otherwise it won't let go of you. Please Charlie I can see the light in you."
"I'm not your cousin anymore." Her voice is deep and spooky. I step forward. "Charlie?" She grabs the collar of my jacket and throws me across the room. I hit the wall and I can hear Holly gasp. Holly runs to me, leaving her position. Charlie runs out of the room and my eyes go black. I can taste blood in my mouth. Someone shakes my shoulder. "Tom, Tom, please open your eyes." Holly's voice is frantic. I try to open my eyes and look at her. I barely manage. "Where's Charlie?"
"She ran off towards the drain." I push myself up on the wall. "Can you even see?"
"Not really." I stagger towards the door. Holly grabs my arm. As we make our way down the stairs my vision returns fully. We run out of the house and in the direction Holly saw Charlie running. The old wooden bridge is rotten but we both run across it. Holly stops half way. "Tom, look in the water." She points at Charlie stood waist deep in the water and slowly walking into the deeper part of the drain. "Charlie stop!" She looks up at us. The wood creaks and I look at Holly. Her face is scared, just like my dream, and the wooden beam breaks. Holly drops and I try to grab her but she's gone. I'm stuck between grabbing Charlie and going after Holly. I run across the rest of the bridge, grab Charlie and put her on the bank. She passes out and I run after Holly. She is face down in the water. "Holly!" oh crap if she dies what the hell am I gonna do? I jump into the water and swim after her. I hear someone shouting me. I turn my head and see Charlie running after me. "Tom!"
"Go home Charlie!" she nods and runs past me. I turn my attention back to Holly. I manage to grab her as she is about to sink. I pull her up onto the bank and start CPR.
Brandon runs over to us. "Hey you, get off her!" I ignore him and carry on trying to resuscitate Holly. He pushes me away. "What do you think you are doing you idiot!" I yell at him and he pins me to the floor. "You stay away from h
"Let me up she nearly drowned I was giving her CPR you complete numbskull!"
"What?" I push him away and go back to Holly. Brandon leans over my shoulder. Holly opens her eyes and smiles at me. "I thought I was going to die!" she wraps her arms round my neck and squeezes me tight. I hug her back. "You won't, not while I'm here. I know what he did Hol. I know it took your mother." I whisper into her ear. Brandon wraps his jacket around Holly's shoulders. "Well done, Tom." He smiles at me. Holly smiles at him. "Brandon can you take Holly home? I need to check on my cousin." I run home and when I get there. Charlie is sat on her bed and mom and aunt Lisa are stood in the kitchen. "Thomas where have you been?"
"I was helping Holly."
"Charlotte said you were attacked by something on the drain."
"We're fine." I look at mom. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs."
"Tom, if it is what you think it is do you think you could stop it?"
"I don't know mom, maybe but I'm not full Viking you know."
"I know, go easy on her she was distraught when you sent her home." I nod and go upstairs. I knock on Charlie's door. "Yeah?"
"Charlie its me." The door opens and I walk in. tears are streaming down her face. "What's wrong?"
"He spoke to me."
"Who did?"
"The man from the water."
"What did he say?"
"He was going to stop you from stopping him and he said he would kill you if he had to. Tom I'm scared he won't kill you will he?"
"No he won't don't worry."
"But he could." I hug her and she cries into my jumper. "You're freezing, is Holly ok?" I smile at her, this is the girl Holly described to me. "Is she ok, he didn't kill her did he? Oh, no he did didn't he? She was my best friend she saw right through me and still stuck around." She starts really crying.