Page 2 of Virgil's Demons

"By the power of God," I growled, my voice low, my words sharp, "I command you to leave this woman. You do not belong here."

I began to pray theOur Father, my voice steady as I clung to each word like a lifeline. The demon's body twitched, warping for a split second, my rehearsed prayers slowly affecting it. For a heartbeat, I thought I had the upper hand, that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. Then it chuckled, a deep, guttural sound that vibrated through the room, mocking my attempt. The young woman's body,Lucia,convulsed violently on the bed, her limbs thrashing as the demon's presence tightened its grip on her.

Lucia was only twenty-one. Sweet, innocent, full of life. She had grown up in a small Italian town, raised by a family that adored her. She was everything pure that existed. A bright smile, warm laughter, a soul untouched by the world's darkness. Just a few months ago, she'd been engaged to a local boy, and she was full of excitement and happiness for the life that lay ahead of her. She was planning her wedding, dreaming of a future.

And now she was this.

Her once beautiful features were twisted by the demon's corruption. Her dark, flowing hair, now clung to her sweat-drenched skin in matted clumps. Her olive complexion had turned pale, almost green. It was drained of its warmth, and her once vibrant brown eyes were now sunken in, dark circles seemed to hollow them out, and she was now filled with the demon's malice. Her teeth had gone yellow, thick perfect lips, now cracked and dry, and they twitched as the demon laughed through her. The sweet, carefree girl who'd laughed with her family, who'd been loved by her fiancé, was gone. What lay before me was a shell, her body broken and raped by the evil inside her.

Her mother had come crying to me for help. Begging me to rescue her daughter.

Me.

A Hero?

I tightened my grip on the crucifix, my heart sinking as the weight of her fate bore down on me.

I will save her. I need to be stronger.

The demon's laugh grew louder, more taunting. "Look at her now, Virgil," it hissed my name, its voice laced with venom. "All that innocence is gone, and now she is my whore."

Its disjointed fingers trailed over her hair. "Look at her, Virgil. Do you want her? Were you thinking of these naked tits as you yanked your cock in the shower," it hissed, fondling her breasts. "Don't lie to me, Virgil, I know your mind is as twisted as mine."

"Shut the fuck up," I growled, knowing deep down inside I had flickers of these thoughts earlier. I knew they would come and haunt me sooner or later.

"It's because of you she is like this," the demon sneered. "You failed her."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, forcing myself to keep praying, but my voice wavered.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

The demon's laughter echoed louder, the sound filling the room with a sickening vibration that burrowed, like scratching nails down a chalkboard, into my skull. My prayer faltered, my grip on the crucifix slipping as the weight of its words sank in.

"You feel it, don't you?" the demon taunted, its voice slithering through Lucia's cracked lips like poison. "That doubt gnawing at you, eating away at your precious faith."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the sound, trying to stay focused on the words of the prayer.Our Father, who art in heaven…But the demon's voice was relentless, pushing deeper into the cracks of my mind.

"You thought you could save her. You thought you were strong enough. But look at her." It leaned forward, dragging Lucia's body closer to the edge of the bed, her limbs jerking andtwitching as she moved. "She trusted you. Came to you for help. And what did you do? You let this happen."

My throat tightened, and I felt the weight of guilt press down on me. I couldn't look at Lucia...not like this. Her eyes, now looking hollow and dead, stared straight through me as if accusing me of everything I'd failed to do.

"You let her fall, just like you've let the others fall," the demon continued, its voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "You're no soldier of God. You're just a pitiful human pretending to be something more. You were never going to save her, Virgil. And you will never save anyone else."

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to speak again. "Deliver us from evil," I whispered, the words barely a breath.

The demon laughed again, Lucia's broken body convulsing with its twisted amusement. "Deliver us from evil?" it mocked, its tone turning sinister. "Tell me, Virgil, who is going to deliver you from evil? Do you think your God is listening? You think He's watching over you as you stumble and fail? You're all alone, and you know it."

I tried to push back against the words, but the doubt curled around my chest like a vice, squeezing tighter with each syllable. I could feel it all creeping in, that fear, the uncertainty. Deep down I knew it was telling me the truth.

"Deep down," the demon continued, its voice softer now, more insidious, "you know you're no savior. You're not chosen. You're just like me, aren't you? Hungry to divulge in all that sin. Driven by darkness."

"No," I whispered, but the word felt weak, they no longer held power. The demon had gotten to me.

"Don't deny her your gaze, Virgil. Look at what you've done. You think this is the last one? There will be more. And you'll fail them, too. Just like you failed her."

I forced myself to open my eyes, but the sight of Lucia—her once innocent face now twisted with torment—was too much. My hands trembled, the crucifix heavy in my grip, and for the first time, I felt the full weight of my failure.

Maybe the demon was right.

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