Familiar Spirit

“I can’t leave now, Sarah. A few minutes ago you were accusing me of being detached, and not believing. Well, now I believe. I can feel another presence in the room with us. Now I know what you felt. I’m on the verge of understanding. If he comes closer, I’ll know more. I’ll know—” His face changed; his nose wrinkled as if he had caught a whiff of something foul. Then his eyes widened and he looked startled, almost frightened. “Christ,” he said, his voice alarmed and disbelieving. He pulled his arm out of Sarah’s grasp and backed away. “That’s—”

He was staring in horror at something behind her. Sarah whirled, but saw nothing. She turned back.

Pete had gone chalky-white, and his tall, thin body swayed. Before Sarah could reach him, his eyes fluttered closed and he rocked, then fell forward, catching himself on his hands and knees, hard on the floor.

“Pete!”

Sarah dropped to the ground and caught hold of his shoulders, pulling him to her. “Pete, what’s wrong? What’s happened? Can I help you? Let me help you outside.”

His whole body shook as he labored for breath, and he had broken out into a sweat. He didn’t have to answer. Sarah knew what had happened. Jade had attacked again, just as she had been lulled almost into disbelieving in his existence.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Pete and pressed her head against his and concentrated, trying to reach Pete, trying to sense Jade. She could not feel Jade’s presence at all, and that frustrated her. It must mean the demon was concentrating all its energy on Pete, and that left her helpless, without an enemy to fight and with no idea how to help her friend.

“Pete,” she said urgently. “I’m here, Pete. I want to help you. Let me help you.”

His only answer was a moan and a racking shudder.

Jade, she thought grimly, trying to aim her thoughts like an arrow. Get out, get away. Leave him alone.

She felt Pete tense suddenly within her embrace and then, before she could think about it or try to fight back, Sarah was lying flat on her back. Pete crouched over her, a look of demented courage on his tortured face, and his long, strong fingers were at her throat, choking her.

Sarah twisted wildly, feeling his fingers grip her more tightly, and clawed at his wrists, trying to pull them away. The pain intensified; she thought her chest would explode; the world turned red and purple. Despairing, Sarah brought up one knee as hard as she could, and connected.

With a cry, Pete jerked up and away from her, his fingers momentarily releasing their grasp. Sarah rolled away on the hard floor and scrambled to her feet, panting and watching Pete warily. As one part of her mind screamed at her to run, another part refused to leave him here alone, so totally at Jade’s mercy.

“Pete,” she said. It came out a whisper. She touched her throbbing neck, swallowed painfully and tried again. “Pete.”

He looked wildly around the room, and Sarah wondered what he saw and what he heard and if he was aware of her at all. She had never seen such terror on a human being’s face.

“No,” he said. “Get away from me! Leave me alone!”

Anything she said or did might add to his terror, Sarah realized. She had no idea what hell Jade had put him in. Again she tried to sense the demon and could not. For her, the room was normal and empty except for Pete, who was behaving like a madman.

And then Pete saw her. At least, he looked directly at her. But whatever he saw, standing in her place, made his face twist with a loathing so strong that it frightened her, and she backed away from her friend, realizing she was retreating only when she bumped into the wall.

“Pete,” she said yet again. “It’s me, Sarah. I don’t know what you’re seeing, but if you can hear me—

“No!” he shouted. He shut his eyes. “You’re not real, I don’t believe it, none of this is happening. I’m hallucinating, that’s all. This is not real. I’ll get out of this—I’ll prove—” He began to walk forward with his arms outstretched, fingers seeking although his eyes were still tightly shut. Sarah trembled, wondering what to do. Should she run? If he found her, would he know her, or would he again try to kill her?

Abruptly, before he reached her, Pete stopped and recoiled, drawing his arms in to his chest as if he had touched something.

“No, no,” he said, his voice a whimper and his face contorted. “No! It’s not real, none of it is. This is an empty house and I’m all alone . . . Sarah? Sarah, where did you go? Why did you leave me here?”

“I’m here, Pete.”

“Why am I here? What have I done? How do I get out?”

Sarah saw that he was crying. He slumped to the ground and wrapped his arms around himself, the sobs shaking him. Feeling a painful lump in her own throat, Sarah went to him and touched his arm.