Page 79 of Black Hollow: Awakening

“There’s this girl… Christine Ellis. We suspect she’s possessed.”

“Why?”

“Abby… Lecture on demons, please!” Norma ordered energetically.

Abby gave her a vacant look, not rushing to answer. It was no surprise; she hadn’t said a word since Will arrived. Will got the impression that his presence annoyed her.

“Okay, fine, don’t.” Norma didn’t seem particularly fazed. “Demons are parasitic beings from the spirit world. They possess all sorts of living things, most often humans, and draw energy from them.”

“How does that happen?” Will asked. The very idea of meeting a demon filled him with dread, but he was intrigued at the same time.

“Various ways. Dabbling in black magic, cursed objects, being in the wrong place at the wrong time…”

“How often does it happen?”

“Possessions? More often than seventeen-year-olds going through an Awakening,” Norma replied with amusement. “But not very often, especially in towns like Black Hollow. Demons tend to avoid tight-knit paranormal communities. It’s harder for them to get a foothold.”

“And this girl… Christine… are you sure she’s possessed?”

“I said we suspect.”

“Based on what?”

“She’s been acting strange—she’s become distant, has isolated herself from her friends, and has stopped taking care of herself.”

“That sounds like symptoms of depression. Or even just a temporary rough patch.”

“And that’s the problem; demons aren’t easy to detect. We’ve been wrong before. But I think we’re on to something with Christine. She was always the life of the party, and lately, she’s become different, literally overnight. Her friends heard her talking to herself. They suspect she’s on drugs.”

“They could be right.”

“They could. But either way, we have to check it out. A demon’s presence always means trouble.”

“So… are we going to perform an exorcism?” Will asked. This was the part that interested him most.

“In a way. If it’s necessary.”

“What other way is there to get a demon out?”

“By persuading it to leave.”

Will burst out laughing.

“But seriously?”

“That was serious,” Norma stated, to his surprise. “It’s the simplest and safest way. You can force it out, but then it’s easy for things to get out of control. It can hurt or kill the host. It’s better if it leaves of its own accord.”

“And you can convince it with rational arguments?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“Demons are more sensitive to power fluctuations.”

Will grimaced at the answer and gave Norma a pointed look. How the hell was he supposed to know what a power fluctuation was?

Norma chuckled at his expression.