'For just once I'd like to meet a demon that moved with the times and didn't insist on these damn rituals being performed, litanies being read, and having to cross myself every five bloody words...'<br/><br/>Daniel turned and squatted down once more - his jeans bunching rather uncomfortably, which made him even less amused at pretty much everything in the world in general. He hadn't remembered putting a bell, bible or candles into the sports bag - but he'd not really been paying the greatest of attention as he turned out the contents of the wooden box into the bag, and lo and behold he found just the items the demon had requested.<br/><br/>He'd always hated having to perform archaic ceremonies like this - this was the 21st century after all, he should be able to just send the demon an email excommunicating it and be done with it - with a shotgun blast to the face when it showed its true form optional.<br/><br/>A small tarnished silver bell, a rather worn and in places curled copy of the bible and a very pale yellow candle were removed from the bag and placed on the floor as Daniel turned back to face the girl, moving down from his squatting position to sit upon the floor with the items spread in front of him.<br/><br/>'What do you want with her, just out of curiosity. What did she do to give you a foothold here?' Reaching into the left pocket of his jeans he removed a small silver lighter, flipping it open and lighting the wick upon the candle - a small flame spluttering into life a few moments later. With one hand resting upon the open pages of the bible, he rang the small bell once with his other hand - raising his voice clearly to begin the chant. There were so many different versions of it - a corruption of a Roman Catholic excommunication method that was, perhaps somewhat ironically, performed by a bishop and 12 priests to remove one who had committed a grievous sin from the eyes of the church.<br/><br/>'Leave this corporal body that has the blessing of the Lord upon it foul beast - leave this plane of mortal flesh and return to the boiling pits from which you were spawned. Relinquish your hold upon this innocent, or face the wraith of the Lord upon your unholy shoulders...' He rung the bell once more, before continuing.  'Bell, book, and candle; candle, book and bell, forward and backward, to curse this demon back to hell." As he spoke, he slammed the covers of the bible closed and leaned forwards to blow out the feeble candle flame before knocking it to one side upon the floor.<br/><br/>'There - you fucking satisfied now?' he grumbled as he made his way up to his feet.