Hillie looked with horror at the girl's bloodstained fingers. Like Pelle  a young adult she had been cruelly yanked out of a protected childhood into a nightmare not of her doing. Whatever this thing was inside Pelle, it was powerful, and Father Daniel, clearly afraid.<br/><br/>"You are afraid, Father Daniel," she said coldly as the woman clutched her legs and wept, "You are so afraid, even your ego and your pride can't conquer your fear, never mind the love and obedience to God, our Creator." She couldn't feel compassion for him at this moment even though she supposed that was wrong of her. Fear was a natural reaction, but the way in which he handled his fear by striking out at her and poisoning minds against her, she couldn't condone.<br/><br/>"I have never claimed not to be a sinner, that I leave to you. I have lain with many men and women, decades ago, but have been nothing but chaste and obedient since I have decided to take these vows." She gently lifted the crying girl off the floor and helped her to her bed, before walking right up to Daniel's face.  "You need to decide whether you will find your courage and trust in Christ, or continue to hide behind your lies and deceit. The demon in Pelle will seek you out and destroy you. It feeds on falsehoods, remember that. Now go!" She gestured at the open door, where several of the other sisters stood watching.  After Father Daniel left she spoke to the eldest two.<br/><br/>"Leslie will stay in my room until her father returns and she gets back to normal. A demon has hold of Pelle and affected her, I suspect she has had some sort of sexual contact with Pelle and it infected her in a way. Pray with her and keep her from touching herself as best you can. Make her pray with you, as many rosaries as it takes. Call on the Virgin Mother to soothe her soul." The sisters nodded, and she said, "I will help her clean herself and then I must go to Sylvia's."<br/><br/>She helped the young woman bathe, and this too was tempting. The young flesh before her, firm breasts, her flat stomach, and yet, the crimson ribbons washing down her thighs as she bathed the sobbing creature reminded her of the nightmare.  She didn't know if it was her monthly flow or injury from excessive self stimulation, but from the amount, it was probably the former. She gave her napkins when she helped her dress in a nightgown and told her to sleep. The girl fell asleep almost instantly and Hillie beckoned in the sisters.<br/><br/>"Watch over her."<br/><br/>Curiously her own blood had almost ceased in the span of a few hours. Nothing was normal anymore. Nothing.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>"Sylvia? Sylvia!"<br/><br/>Hillie let herself into the house, the living room was deserted, the curtains shut tightly, it was inside the kitchen that she found them. Pelle sitting in a chair and fondling himself, and Sylvia crouched in a corner by the stove, sobbing quietly. When she saw Hillie she sprang up and rushed to her arms, her weeping getting louder, heavy, broken sobs, hiccupping with effort.<br/><br/>"Hi...hill..iie...ieee..ieee.... what is g-g-g-goingggg on....? What is happening to Pelle?" Syliva clung to Hillie with the desperation of a drowning woman. She smelled of wine, and sweat, and the kind of smell a person who is very afraid gets, a change in body chemistry reflecting the mental state. This one smelled like she was falling apart.<br/><br/>Hillie had to steel her heart to keep from falling apart herself, but they needed her. She sent a mental prayer to St. Michael, and St. Martin, asking for help. She gently disentangled herself from Sylvia's desperate fingers, so she could look into her eyes, and brush back her hair.<br/><br/>"We will find a way, Syl, we will find a way to get help. It is a demon, and it can affect other's not just Pelle." She dared not reveal how many had been affected by the entity already. She stroked her sisters messy hair, noticing, her red rimmed eyes, she doubted she had slept much or at all since Pelle got home.<br/><br/>She turned to Pelle who sat there calmly, chuckling and stroking a hard erection, she could smell the arousal, was the demon beginning that again? She remembered the church, and how overwhelming it had been, and here there was no Father Daniel to break the spell, "Pelle, can you hear me?" She noticed the almost black eyes and how the color shifted between green and black. Was this a sign? Green eyes meant Pelle, black was the demon?<br/><br/>The smell became stronger and wound itself around her, a darkening began around Pelle and swirling tendrils reached for her, and her sister, thick and rich, "Sylvia, leave the house, now, if it lets you, go to the church, or take sanctuary at the convent." Hillie's voice rose higher than she had intended, she was becoming aware of a pulse beating between her legs, and knew she had to fight this, She wasn't sure if the thing would let her sister leave but she had to try.<br/><br/>"But Pelle....." Sylvia hesitated, reaching for her son, but Hillie snapped at her.<br/><br/>"This isn't Pelle's doing, Syl, it is a demon, go!"<br/><br/>Sister Hillie crossed herself, held on to her crucifix and began to pray.<br/><br/>"Our Father, who art in heaven....."