Our next episode is going to be about Exorcisms and possessions. In the true spirit of Halloween I wanted to write a tale. Keep in mind this is complete fiction.
Below are excerpts from my journal.
June 2018
Last week, while on one of my many walks along the beach I had the opportunity to meet a delightful woman named Giana. She recently moved back to Santa Cruz from New York, where she was attending college. unfortunately, she had to drop out. From what I could gather she was feeling extremely depressed and wanted to move back home. It also turns out that her mother has a rare form of cancer in her blood stream. No wonder why Giana is depressed. Over the past few weeks I have become close enough to her that I have become her confidant.
August 2018
I just returned from Giana’s mother’s funeral. She passed away so quickly. I feel so horribly for Giana. I can’t imagine what she is going through. Her mother passed at the beginning of the month. Since then I have spent every day making sure Giana gets out of the house. We have been walking on the beach daily. I pray that she will survive this. She barely eats. She rarely sleeps. I am worried for her. Other than our walks and talks, she refuses to speak to anyone else. She has even stopped going to church. She claims it isn’t worth her time. Besides what is the point, God couldn’t possibly love her if she took her mother.
September 2018
Giana is no longer going on walks with me. When I stopped by to bring her some homemade chicken soup, she didn’t even answer the door. The back door of her home was left wide open. I went in to make sure she was OK. When I entered her room, I couldn’t stand the smell. It smelled like sweat, feces and urine. I had to keep from vomiting when I walked in. The blinds were closed. It looked as if she hadn’t left her room in weeks. She was so thin and was crouched in the corner. All of the lights had been broken. The only light was coming from the hallway and a sliver peaked through the curtains. When I went to touch her shoulder, she screamed in a deep guttural voice to get away. It was quite terrifying. If this goes on much longer I am going to have to call someone else in. I think I am going to talk to Father Abigail about this. I am not sure what to do.
October 2018
After speaking with Father Abigail in detail about what is happening with Giana, he agreed to come with me to her home. When we entered the home, at first we couldn’t find her. We searched every room except the basement. As we entered the basement we could only see flickers of candle light. None of the electricity was working in the home, I had to use my cellphone in order to see to walk down the steps. It reeked of sulfur and vomit. When we found Giana she was the middle of the floor on top of a chalk drawn pentagram. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. Her body was somehow contortioned in a way that her neck was bent to the side and her knees were bent backwards. When I called her name her body turned in my direction. Even though her lips did not move I could hear a demonic voice, not Giana’s voice, saying “Giana no longer lives here”. Father Abigail began praying and reading from his bible. Giana screeched and screamed for him to stop. She started speaking in a language neither of us could understand. Father Abigail said he needed to get back up to the church so that he could get help. I waited with her until he returned.
November 2018
A week has gone by and Father Abigail has finally returned with 2 other priests. Father Stephens and Father Lassiter. I never once left Giana’s side while he was away. I just kneeled and prayed. I was also able to get her to drink a little bit of water and broth. The demon said he was not ready for her to die. He had to wait for the father’s to come to his side. I always called her Giana. At one point the demon said, that is not my name, you must call me Corson. I continued to call her Giana. The priests spent 6 days trying to rid Giana of this demon. I video recorded each session with my phone. The priests called this a great exorcism. Each day the sessions would last 8-10 hours. The rest of the time we took turns praying for her and trying to get her to eat or drink. On Day 1 Corson told us a story about how it would torture us in purgatory. On Day 2 it told us all how we would die. It said that I would die in 9 days in a horrible accident involving fire. On Day 3 Corson made Giana eat her own feces. It also made her repeatedly gouge at her skin with a rusty nail it found. When I attempted to take the nail from Giana the demon inside of her would throw me repeatedly against the wall. On Day 4 The demon made Giana make noises all day long until her voice gave out. It was a day filled with obscenities being yelled with intermittent screeching sounds. All very animalistic. By day 5 we were all feeling exhausted. I had barely slept or eaten anything during this time. I was so concentrated on helping my friend. We continued on with our quest. Corson, said its journey was almost done. It had accomplished almost all that it needed to. When Father Abigail asked if it was giving up, it stated it needed to move on to someone else soon. On day 6, things got worse before they got better. At this point Giana’s arms had been broken and her fingers were all contorted in a way that it looked like she had the worst arthritis anyone had ever seen. Her skin had turned yellow from continuously eating her excrement. During this last session of prayers by the priests, Giana left the pentagram circle. She flew up onto the ceiling and fell on top of Father Lassiter’s head. Knocking him to the ground. It then repeatedly stabbed him with the nail in his eyes. When Father Stephens attempted to pull Giana off of Father Lassiter, Corson screamed for him to die. Father Stephens fell to the ground clutching his chest while dieing. Father Abigail continued to pray. Corson told him to shut his mouth. Father Abigail fell to his knees gasping for air. He passed out. Corson said, “my job is done”. A black smoke came out of Giana’s orifices and it was gone. Giana’s eyes came back to normal and so did her voice. She screamed and cried in pain. And also in relief. I had already dialed 911, they were on their way.
December 2018
Giana has been in the hospital for several days. The doctor said when she leaves she will be heading to a psychiatric ward in LA. I promised to visit her every chance I can get. I also made plans to go with Giana in the Ambulance to LA in a few days. I think I am going to go for a little walk on the beach. And then come back and rest until she is ready to leave. I am completely exhausted.
Article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel 4 days after the exorcism: Local woman dies in freak accident. While walking towards the beach down Riverside Avenue there was a two vehicle crash. One of the vehicles gas tanks was crushed. Gas flew out towards the woman while at the same time the gasoline was lit on fire. She was burned alive and completely made of ash from head to waist. She was clutching a rosary in her hand. On her legs in deep scratches appeared the word CORSON.
The End
Thank you for reading my gruesome Halloween exorcism short story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
May you find happiness in your heart, love for yourself and joy in each other. Blessings to all.
-Wendy
Cousins Coven 