Page 129 of Black Hollow: Awakening

“Hm?” Will mumbled, only half-present, desperately trying to recall what happened next.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Should we get going?”

He nodded. They walked on. Liam was still talking, but Will couldn’t focus. His thoughts kept returning to that memory.

Finally, they reached his house.

“You sure you’re okay?” Liam pressed.

“Yeah.”

“I can stay with you if you want.”

“No, seriously, it’s fine. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Will went inside. He sat on the sofa in the living room, needing a moment to breathe. He began to think about everything he knew so far—about himself, his powers, this world. Finally, he decided to call Norma.

“Hey, Will. You got out early! How’d it go?”

“Good, I think. Remember when we talked about what happened to Christine? You said she found some object and that’s how she got possessed.”

“Yeah,” Norma replied cautiously, as if she was afraid of where the conversation was heading.

“What kind of objects can demons be in?”

“Well… theoretically, pretty much any of them.”

“And can these… objects… move on their own?”

“Of course not. We’re talking about demons, not poltergeists. Did something take up residence at your place?”

Will didn’t answer, lost in thought.

“Will?” Norma’s tone immediately became more serious. “Is something really going on?”

“No, no, everything’s fine. I’m just curious.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“But a possessed person isn’t aware of what’s happening to them, right?” he pressed on. “I mean, the demon is controlling their body.”

“Well, not always.”

“What do you mean?”

“It kind of depends on the demon. And the circumstances, I guess. Some like to take full control, others partial, and still others hide. They only reveal their presence at specific moments, or not at all, and just influence the person’s mind, sometimes more actively, sometimes less. You know, voices in your head, recurring thoughts, that kind of thing… Like I said, it’s a pretty complex issue.”

“So someone could be possessed and not even realize it?”

“I’d say that’s usually the case.”

Will swallowed nervously. More and more pieces were starting to fit.