Chapter 4 Vritra Demon

I decided to do some research on the Vritra demon at the library, except I didn't find out much just that Vritra is a Hindu word and that Vitra's are the leaders of the Asuras. There are good Asuras that are called Adityas, but there are malevolent ones also and they are called Danavas. There was nothing about how to get rid of it, so I decided to head to St. John Vianney Catholic church to see if the Bishop can tell me anything about the demon Vritra. Bishop Paul took me down to the basement of the church to where all of the old books are stored.

"This book has just about every name along with the information we know about the demons we have come in contact with." Bishop Paul informs me as he pulls an old book from one of the shelves and lays it down on the old wooden desk in the middle of the room. As I turn the pages of the old, worn leather-bound book I take in all the names of the demons that every priest has defeated since the sixteenth century.

Around the middle of the book, I find the name Vritra then below it said that the demon is a serpent or dragon and that it was forged from a fire so the only way to destroy it was to kill it with fire unless it has possessed a human then an exorcism would be needed. "What does that mean," I ask. Looking over at Bishop Paul. "What does it mean by killing it with fire,"

He just looks at me and says. "Keep reading my child," I do as he says and keeps reading. The Priest John came up against the Vritra after he got a call about a mother in a neighboring town who had been possessed by the demon. He performed an exorcism on the mother, which lasted three grueling days on the third day she was acting as she was getting ready to vomit when a large snake came slithering out of her mouth and tried to escape. The Priest tried to kill it by stabbing it with a sword and by chopping its head off, but to no avail, the snake survived. The demon started towards the mother to possess her once again when the Priest set a piece of wood on fire and stabbed the serpent who let out a high-pitched squeal as it burst into flames. I solemnly looked up at the Bishop, knowing that if the demon didn't come out of the person it possessed that the person would have to be sacrificed for the greater good. "I can't sacrifice Brett, I just can't," I bawled. I just can't. I promised him that I would keep him safe and I already let him down. I can't kill him too.

"You will make the right decision when the time comes, and I will be the one who will perform the exorcism on your friend so you can tell your friends, Zane and Cindy, they don't have to go to the Vatican. He advised. "Wait a minute, how did you know about Zane and Cindy helping me," I questioned him. "If it involves a demon terrorizing a family, then Zane and Cindy are the ones stepping in to help the family out," I left the church with a newfound hope of saving Brett, but there was still fear hidden behind that hope. The fear that I might have to sacrifice my love to kill the demon that possesses him inside. I make it back home to find Zane and Cindy sitting outside in the yard discussing what had happened that night. "Hi, guys," I say as I get out of the car. "Hey, Sparky we were wondering what happened to you," Cindy called over to me.

"I just needed to get out for a little bit and clear my head, so I went to do some research on our demon at the library also at the church,"

Cindy looked at me with a questioning look on her face and said. "Bishop Paul showed you the book didn't he and you found the answers you were looking for but not what you wanted to hear,"

"Yes, he did show me the book that holds all the demon names that the Priests had defeated over the ages, and yes, I found out how to kill this demon," I announced not so proudly. Zane sat there waiting for me to finish, but when I didn't he cried out "Well are you going to tell us or what?"

I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath, and said "Fire!" I blurted out. "Fire is how you kill the Vritra demon since it was forged from fire you kill it with fire, also Bishop Paul said for you to not bother the Vatican because he is going to be here in a couple of days to do the exorcism on Brett that is if we can find him in time,"

Zane and Cindy looked at each other with a sparkle in their eyes. "Well, we can help with that," Zane smiled. "While we were monitoring the cameras we noticed Brett exiting the closet in the bedroom so we went up to see if he was ok," Zane suddenly stopped talking then Cindy finished her husband's story of what happened. "Brett is possessed by the demon. I'm so sorry Sparky," She consoled. "We have him tied to a chair in the basement,"

"What," I cried out as I ran into the house to the basement with Zane and Cindy on my heels screaming. "Sparky wait, Stop," Which I finally did when I hit the last step that led to the basement. What I saw writhing in the chair wasn't my husband; it was some kind of monster with its black eyes and foaming at the mouth. My husband was beautiful, loving with his dark brown hair and his bright blue eyes, he had a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes every day no matter what was going on in his life. "How could this monster be my husband," I said aloud to no one in particular. Cindy took me by my hand and led me back up the stairs.

As I sat down in one of the kitchen chairs she made us some tea, then took one of the seats beside me. "There's something you're not telling us isn't there," She prodded. I looked over at her with tears welling up in my eyes then replied. "Yes, there is," So I finished telling them what I read in the demon book. "If the Bishop can't get the demon out of Brett after three days the only way to kill the demon would be to kill Brett," I bawled my eyes out. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I knew that I might have to make that hard decision soon.

That night I prayed so hard that the Bishop could remove the demon from my husband, I cringed at the thought of having to kill my love, I knew I could never be able to do it or even make that decision that's why I handed those rights over to the Bishop because I knew he would make the right decision and I also trusted his judgment.

I woke up the next morning to my alarm going off. I had taken a couple of days off work to try and get my head straight but things had gotten worse, but I had no choice but to go to work. I also had Zane and Cindy there to keep an eye on things namely my possessed husband. Thankfully, they were helping me out for free since it was a serious matter. I feel blessed to have them backing me up and helping me out with all of this demon stuff I've never believed in it before, but when it slaps you in the face you have to. As I sit here while my students are at lunch I wonder why the demon chose to kill Alex but possess Brett that I just understand? I make a mental note to ask Bishop Paul when he shows up for the meeting tonight. I'm shaken out of my thoughts as the bell rings and the students start filing back into the classroom to finish their lessons.

The day seemed to drag on but finally, the bell rings when the clock hits three o'clock. There is always one student that stays behind because he or she doesn't understand something except for today when there were two of them with two different questions. An hour later I finally get to head home as I'm driving along some idiot in a pickup truck runs a stop sign and slams right into me. The impact was so hard they had to use the jaws of life to get me out while trying to gently get the metal from the door out of my leg. The first responders had to cut a shard of metal off the door because it was lodged into an artery of my leg so if they pulled it out I would bleed to death. When the ambulance finally showed up at the hospital, they rushed me into surgery. I woke up the next day the doctor told me that I must have had an angel looking after me because I had lost a lot of blood. Bishop Paul had heard about the wreck and came by my room to see me. "It was like something was out to kill me. The doctor said that he was surprised I'm still alive," I blurted out after he had shut the door to my room.

He calmly took a seat in the chair beside my hospital bed, then in an almost whispered voice, he said. "Being the spiritual man you are I'm surprised you didn't know since your husband is possessed and that it's going to try to stop you at every turn to keep you from saving Brett,"

"I never stopped to think about that, but I agree that it's trying to stop me," I mumble. "Or even out to kill me," Looking at my leg and remembering what the doctor said about me losing a lot of blood sent chills down my back. The Bishop performed a blessing on me before he left assuring me that he would stop by and check on Zane and Cindy on his way home.

When the Bishop arrived at my home Cindy instantly knew what had happened to me. "He is ok right," She declared. "Yes, my dear, he is fine, he just had a close call that's all," He stated. "Sparky did ask me to come by to check on you two though,"

"We are doing fine, everything here has been pretty well quiet except laughter every once in a while from the basement,"

"Just be careful ok this demon will do just about anything in its power to stop you from helping Sparky and Brett,"

"You be safe yourself Bishop it probably knows by now that you're helping him too,"

"I will Cindy, you two take care now I'll be by again soon to check on you,"

It wasn't until three days later when I was finally released from the hospital with crutches and of course a lot of pain medicine. Thankfully Zane showed up to bring me home where Cindy had already set me up in one of the downstairs bedrooms. "I don't know how I can ever repay you two for all your help," I tell them as I pass out in a drug-induced sleep. "You don't have to worry about that, my friend just worry about getting well," I heard Zane say in my groggy state. I had the worst nightmare I've ever had in my life. It started out with the evil laughing, then a serpent slithered into my room and onto my bed. Then it wrapped itself around me tightly where I could barely breathe. " I know what you want," It hissed. "And I know how bad you want it," It was all I could do to shake my head. "No," I started trying to wiggle loose from its grip to no avail until it let me go. It hissed one last warning to me. "You'll join me soon I always get what I want," Then the serpent just disappeared into thin air.

I jump up in bed with sweat pouring off of me. I laid back catching my breath. "That was the strangest dream, but it seemed so real," I said out loud, hoping that it would help me realize that I was awake now. I hobbled into the bathroom for a sponge bath since I couldn't get my leg wet just yet. I was in complete horror when I took off my shirt and saw bruise marks on my chest and stomach as if something wrapped around me tightly. I stare at myself in the full-length mirror, realizing that the nightmares I've been having are real and the snake is the Vritra demon. "What does it take to leave Brett's body at night when I'm asleep," I ask myself out loud. "And why does it want me to join it so bad," I keep going over these questions in my mind until Bishop Paul finally arrives to perform the exorcism. As he walks in I quickly run over to him. "Excuse Bishop might I have a word with you before we begin it's important?" I ask. "Of course Sparky," He says. "What's the matter," We stepped out onto the front porch which seems to have become our spot to discuss anything and everything. "Bishop I think the demon is leaving Brett's body at night and visiting me," He doesn't say anything for a few moments he just looks at me with concern in his eyes. "And what makes you think this," He said with a side of caution in his tone as if I could turn into a raging lunatic at any moment. I raise my shirt up to show him the scaly bruises that wrap around my body left from the snake. Bishop Paul steps back so fast he almost falls off the porch. "Dear Lord Jesus, my child," He exclaimed. "I guess that is his polite way of shouting Oh Shit," I say to myself. "Please Bishop can you tell me why this demon is coming to me and demanding I join it," I plead with tears streaming down my face.

Bishop Paul gently places his hand on my shoulder and offers me a chair to sit in. "My child, I'm not completely sure why this demon wants you, it may be because you have a good soul with a loving heart that frightens it," He explained. "I have an idea, let's get Zane and Cindy out here so we can explain what has happened," I opened the front door and motioned for them to join us outside. "What's going on," Zane asked as they sat down in one of the chairs. Bishop Paul spoke up first. "Sparky had something terrifying happen to him last night," He announced. "Show them, please Sparky," I took in a deep breath, then raised my shirt showing the scaly bruising on my skin. I could hear the gasps coming from both Zane and Cindy. "Dear lord, what caused that on him," She asked, looking at Bishop Paul. "We believe that the bruises came from Vritra, it's trying to get Sparky to join it by leaving Brett's body and torturing Sparky while he is asleep, which is the most vulnerable time for a human because we can't discern if we are awake or sleeping so our minds think we are having a nightmare,"

"So what do we do?" I asked. "You said you had an idea?"

"Yes, that's correct I do have an idea to see if it is the demon causing this harm to you," He went on to say. "Zane, Cindy, along with myself will stay awake tonight Zane will be stationed in the kitchen, while Cindy will be at the monitors, and I will be in the bathroom across the hall from your room we are also going to place a mini night vision camera in the picture above your bed so it can record everything happening in your room,"

"Your plan is to let it do this to me again," I exclaimed. "It wants me to say yes to it so this time the squeezing will be worse than the last two times do you realize that,"

"I do Sparky, but we need to make sure it's the same demon possessing your husband if it is we don't have to perform the exorcism on him and he has a better chance of surviving," I took a long, deep breath and nodded in agreement with the Bishop so we went inside then set about our day waiting for nightfall.

When I went to bed that night I made sure everyone knew that I was going to sleep "Good night guys I'll see you in the morning." I announced as I got up off of the couch. Pretty much in unison Zane, Cindy, and Bishop all said. "Good night," With that, everyone went to their assigned locations to wait for the snake demon to slither his way up to my room. It took me what seemed like hours to fall fast asleep, but this night I wasn't haunted by the snake, but by my own nightmares of everything that this house has done to me since I moved into it, from the death of Alex then to Brett getting possessed because I asked him to move back into this stupid house with the promise that I would protect him.

When I came downstairs the next morning the group was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, talking about what didn't happen last night. "I believe what he was saying about being visited by a snake, but it couldn't have been this one," I heard Zane, reply as I walked into the kitchen. "I sat here in this spot the entire night and nothing came out of that basement door," I grab myself a cup of coffee then go over and sit down at the table and say. "That's because nothing happened last night, I think it knew we were waiting for it to show up," I take a big gulp of my coffee to try and wake myself up because even though the snake didn't show up and wake me up I still didn't get any sleep,"

Do you really think that it knew what we had planned," Zane questioned me. "Well, there is only one way to find out," I stated as I started heading to the basement door. Bishop Paul stopped me and said. "Remember Sparky demons lie, they will tell you what you want to hear whether it's the truth or not, so you can't actually trust what it says," I just shrug in response to what he said and headed down the stairs into the dark, musty basement, I was going to get answers one way or another. I run my hand over the wall looking for the light switch as I reach the first step, then proceed to the bottom, but when I reach the last step the demon inside of my beloved Brett starts laughing up. "So you come down to my new home to get answers. I take it," It hissed. "Why, what happened? No visitor to your room last night? Well, no worries my dear, you're going to get a big surprise tonight, even Bretts all excited about it. What do you mean? Explain yourself," I order to no avail. It just laughs at me then says. "Oh, how sweet you're trying to be a big man now are you?" It bellowed. "Go away little girl you have no power over me." I turn and head back up the stairs knowing that it wanted me to retaliate at it calling me a girl because of me being a gay man, but what the demon didn't know was that I was ok with who and what I am so the jokes on it, because it has no power over me it already has the only thing that could hurt me and that something is Brett.

If he died, my life would be over, I love him more than anything on this earth. Everyone was looking at me as I stepped into the kitchen. "So what did you find out from the demon?" Bishop Paul asked in a tone that only a bishop has that lets you know that you've screwed up. Zane and Cindy sit at the table not saying a word obviously pissed off at me as well. Everyone knows that I am really vulnerable right now so I am really easy to possess. "It heard what we had planned," I advised. "It has heard everything from day one, it also said that it had a surprise for me and that Brett was even excited about it," I grabbed the dry erase board that was hanging on the wall and wrote. "This could be the perfect opportunity for us to catch this bastard, what do you say," Zane, Cindy, and even Bishop Paul all gave me a thumbs up that they were all in agreement.