didn’t know if it could hurt them, but then she thought of what would happen to this sweet spirit if she did nothing. That’s what Kaedin would be, nothing. The demon couldn’t possibly do more harm than that. So she decided to follow normal procedure.
“So, Kaedin, tell me how to help you.”
The child’s face once, devoid of color, brightened a little.
“Can you really save me? Are you even real, or did I make you up? No one never ever helped me.” Tears pooled up and began to fall freely from her sightless eyes. “No one ever helped me, because no one ever loved me.” Her little hands brought the pillow back up to her face to absorb the salty tears.
Amanda choked back tears of her own, wanting to be strong for the weakening spirit. “I’m so sorry for what you’ve gone through. You should never think that. You are pretty easy to love, you know,” Amanda said soothingly as she gently took the pillow away and lifted up the broken girl’s chin.
“Look, Kaedin, I can do anything you ask me to do,” she said. Amanda held out her hand and closed her eyes, calling on light. When she opened them, a bright ball of light danced in her hand, bursting with color and bringing life to the dingy room. Lightning and rainbows, bright and flickering, every form of light now warmed her hand. She gently placed the ball into the girl’s small palm, letting her soak up its unique warmth. “I’ll be here with you. No one can hurt you as long as I’m here,” she assured her.
“If I fight, he hurts me. He’ll hurt you too. I’m scared, Amanda. You should leave before you can’t. Once he took me I never could leave,” Kaedin said, letting the ball of light fade.
“He took you?” she asked.
Kaedin nodded, then wiped her eyes.
“Well, you weren’t his to take, let’s go tell him so.” Her small hands covered her face, and she shook her head furiously.
“You’re special and pretty and strong. Let me hear you say that,” Amanda said.
Kaedin obediently uncovered her tear streaked face. “I’m special and pretty and I am strong,” she repeated doubtfully.
“People love me,” Amanda prompted.
When Kaedin didn’t repeat the words, Amanda looked over at her and cleared her throat. This made the child attempt a smile, though her face didn’t seem used to the action.
“People love me,” Kaedin repeated.
Amanda reached over and squeezed her small hand. “I love you,” Amanda said with meaning.
“I love you,” Kaedin quickly said, making Amanda smile. “No, you don’t have to repeat anymore,” she said.
“I wasn’t repeating. I just love you. Ever since you walked through that wall, I’ve felt safe. Like maybe, he can’t hurt me anymore. I never felt that way before,” the child said, looking up to her, though she couldn’t see.
“Are you okay to stand up?” Amanda asked.
Kaedin jutted out her chin as if it were a rude question. “Of course I can stand up.” She squirmed off the bed quickly and stood next to Amanda. “Now what?”
“You tell me. You’re the boss here. What is it you want to do?” Amanda asked.
Kaedin thought for a moment. “Well I always wanted to scream just as loud as I could and not stop until I’m just too tired to keep on screaming,” Kaedin said in a rush.
“Okay let’s do it together,” Amanda said, drawing in a breath.
“No! No, no. Frank will hear and he’ll come get us,” the spirit said frightfully.
Amanda closed her eyes and searched the Scar. She could feel Frank. He was strong, because Kaedin’s memories of him were so powerful, but she was more resilient than the mirage. He wouldn’t be able to overpower her. She was so much tougher now, compared to when her first Scar had taken her. Of course, she had been barely more than a baby then.
Amanda concentrated harder and could feel the physical presence of the Demon hiding in shadows throughout the house. She opened her eyes and noticed her silence had frightened Kaedin.
“It’s all right, I’m stronger than Frank. Remember, I have magic,” Amanda said.
“You’ll stop him from hurting me, right?” Kaedin asked grabbing hold of her hand.
“Right, Frank isn’t stronger than the love I have for you,” Amanda told her.
Amanda knew Kaedin could feel her love, something the small child hadn’t experienced in some time. So, she took in a deep gulp of air and started screaming at the top of her lungs, holding nothing back.
Immediately, Frank was at the other side of the door. “You stop that. Stop it, or I’ll get the bat again!” he shouted.
He was fierce, but she kept him out of the room easily enough. The tormented spirit paused for a moment at his threat, and Amanda squeezed her hand in encouragement. Kaedin smiled at her and started shouting words that she had given her.
“I am special, I am strong!” she screamed.
Amanda could already see the change. She also sensed the leach demon growing angry. He wasn’t quite ready to leave. Amanda took comfort in the fact that Kaedin didn’t require much. She was such a resilient spirit all she needed was to have someone who wanted to help her. Someone who believed her, and now she had it. Frank beat at the door with more ferocity, and Amanda squirmed. It was getting harder and harder for her to hold him back.
“People love me!” Kaedin cried.
With every shout, Amanda could feel the little spirit healing. Soon she would be free. Amanda sensed the dark energy pulling before she saw it and drew up her strength. She’d need it. “Find someone else to feed off of, scumbag,” Amanda said.
At her words, all of the shadows left their hiding places.
Dark grey wisps crept out of corners, and seeped up out of the floorboards. Even Amanda and Kaedin’s own silhouettes abandoned them, turning to tar and bonding into a mass of darkness. The small room was unnaturally bright. All of the shading was gone from their natural spaces and standing in a heaving blob before them. At that moment, Amanda was glad for Kaedin’s blindness.
“I wasn’t yours to take!” she shouted.
The blackness moved in a rush, squeezing under the shabby door and into Frank. The demon had found a place to gather strength. Still holding Kaedin’s hand, Amanda dropped to her knees, unable to remain standing. She searched inside herself, looking for more power. She shut off everything in her body that was expending energy and focused it on to the door. Everything she had in her small frame held the beast back. If Kaedin felt frightened, it would be nearly impossible to free her.
It beat at the door with more fervor than Frank had. Amanda’s confidence shattered as she realized it was stronger than her. A sound ripped out like the call of thunder as the door disintegrated into a shower of splinters. Kaedin began screaming, not in power, but in fear. Amanda lay beside her, blind and deaf to the scene around them. Frank’s body, bulging and discolored by the demon within, began its disjointed journey across the room.
“Amanda, wake up! Amanda, please, use your magic,” Kaedin pleaded.
The power of the demon was too great for her, and it took all she had just to keep conscious. Amanda could feel the darkness pressing down on her, urging her to return to where she belonged. The temptation was usually too much for her. The sweet promises of her frightened subconscious made it so easy to give up, without even realizing she had.
The creature was upon them, wearing an inhuman smile that stretch Frank’s face into a grizzly mask of terror. He opened his mouth wide, and Frank’s skin, stretched too tightly, split open. Tissue dangling, the monster began raining torrents of blood onto the floor. Amanda could feel the delight the creature took in the gruesome scene. It stepped closer to them, becoming larger and more grotesque. Yet, Kaedin remained kneeling by Amanda’s side. She could sense the spirit’s fear and heard Kaedin’s whispered prayer. Amanda’s heart swelled
