

ƬΉΣ ΛПΛƬΉΣMΛ

 

Filia Lucifera

Ex peccato natus, corpus in favillis arsit.

virgo perfecta maledictione contaminata.

maledictionem quam ad palum ardentem portavit, spe quae cum ruinis suis arsit.

Sed ianuae aperiuntur. Paginae vertuntur.

electus advenit.

liberare. filia Luciferi.

The world reappears from darkness as Kieran opens his eyes. Staring up blearily at nothing for a while. But when his focus returns, his gaze falls upon endless white light. And for a moment everything seems endless, like another terrible nightmare and he starts to shift.

Suddenly a pair of arms steady his movement, and he moves to look up at..

There was a man. Dressed in a white coat, an ID card around his neck, smelling of sanitiser and a faint hint of medicine.

"Good morning, Kieran. How are you now? you had been out for two days now."

WHAT?!

He got up, sitting up immediately. Looking around the room, terrified. And he noticed his surroundings to be an isolated hospital room.

To his left, an open window let in faint sunlight which reflected off the walls of the room making the room seem uncomfortably larger than it actually was. In front of him was a single Television hanging off the wall, the walls having a birch plywood finish, and on the windowsill was a single succulent which worked well as just an ornament for the room. He looked up and noticed several monitors beeping around him, one Oxygen saturation, one for the heart and one monitor which was to call for the nurse as it seemed, because there was a panel full of buttons to one side of it. Beside him, he saw a nightstand where his things were kept, specifically his phone and headphones, and right beside his bed stand on a steel pole with anchors hung a saline bag, connected through a tube line and into his palm intravenously.

Then he noticed the doctor, who seemed to be waiting patiently with a soft smile. And a nurse who just walked in holding a tray of what seemed to be food and medicines to be administered.

The doctor gently stepped forward, still causing Kieran to flinch back out of habit.

The doctor raised his hands in a placating gesture

"I do not mean to scare you, Kieran. Do not worry. How did you sleep? you had been gone for two whole days and were admitted here unconscious, your head was bleeding too as a result of trauma to it."

Then everything came rushing back to him.

Those words. That ringing in his ears. Something about the attic. Father MacReady's words..

"You are powerful."

And those words..

"Find her, before she finds you."

It all seemed like a distant dream now, feeling fuzzy in his head. An uncomfortable pit set in his stomach as he remembered everything from that afternoon. The church, the statue, the iron pole outside.. It all came crashing down on him.

And for a moment, time seemed to stop.. this couldn't JUST be a mere nightmare, everything felt way too real. Like this was happening for a purpose, something he didn't realise before but now was becoming crystal clear.

Those nightmares, the correlation in real time, the church, the girl burning on the stake, those words..

No way. This was a fever dream.

The doctor's voice cut him out of his daze

"How are you feeling now Kieran? We pushed some relaxants for you since you kept having night terror symptoms all the time while unconscious."

He finally found his voice.

"Doctor.. where is my family?"

"Well, your parents and brother are most probably on their way, I had the nurse inform them of your consciousness. So don't worry, you're in safe hands and once you're fully healed you'll be all set for discharge."

He nodded in response, swallowing; his throat felt as dry as chalk. he reached over to the nightstand feeling for a glass of water which the nurse at the door quickly helped him with.

He took few sips, his mind drifting again. This was all a terrible dream. He was overthinking. Nothing terrible.. right?

He closed his eyes. Laying back down. Trying to get rid of those terrible thoughts.

This was gonna be one hell of a time for him.

----------------

Around the afternoon time, Karina, Matthew and Johnathan visited the cabin, Karina immediately bursting into tears and hugging Kieran tightly right then and there. She didn't realise how bad it had gotten. Johnathan looked pale, his eyes watery. Matthew just looked expressionless.

Karina cried into Kieran's neck screaming:

"WHY DID YOU NOT TELL US ANYTHING?! WHILE SUFFERING IN SILENCE?? YOU LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU?! YOU NEVER ONCE PAID ANY HEED TO WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE FELT!"

Kieran winced, closing his eyes. He deserved it. He did this to himself. He's the mistake isn't he?

Johnathan just quietly walked over, kissing Kieran in the forehead.

"We're always here for you, Ki. Why did you feel the need to hide such things from us, and neglect the medicine no less?"

Kieran felt tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. He felt terrible, he made his mom cry, his father and brother worry. He felt like the worst person on earth.

The nurse came over and spoke up.

"Dr. Morgan sent over Kieran's report, it seems he's suffering from Oneirophrenia. Where the patient under medication side effects or trauma suffer from vivid dreams and hallucinations. For that Kieran needs to seek a Clinical Psychologist and go for therapy until further notice."

Matthew nodded. Most probably making a mental note what changes to make and what actions to take. After all, this was serious.

The doctor then walked into the room and said

"Visiting hours are from 2 PM to 3 PM, just a heads up because Kieran needs to have lunch and get some rest because he's still recovering from the temporary coma."

Karina heard that and got up, deciding to just sit next to Kieran holding his hand while Matthew and Johnathan sat on either side of him.

They talked about what Kieran missed and all, then Matthew spoke up.

"Son I figured you should start in a new school soon. i figured you'd need a distraction because if you're busy with work and friends you'd be less prone to having nightmares. And.. and we'll arrange for a counsellor during school hours itself."

Kieran nodded. because he needed school too. The nightmares were becoming unbearable

"Okay dad. You're right, a distraction would be helpful. The nightmares keep getting to me and.. and at times they're painful. Maybe it's for the better I start school-"

Johnathan intercepted

"Not so soon Mr. overachiever, you'll start AFTER you've fully recovered, till then I'll not be going to college myself. i don't need you falling into another loop so I'll accompany you"

Kieran immediately protested

"are you crazy Johnathan?! you have a modelling contract! you have work, friends! what will happen to those! and besides I'll be fine I'm not some baby who needs constant coddling and attention! y-"

Johnathan did something he never does.

he hugged Kieran.

"My social life is one side, and my baby brother on the other. and these sides never mix. Because my baby brother will always, always come first."

Kieran stared at Johnathan, beyond dumbfounded.

This was the same boy who used to push him and lock him in the closet, bully him and tease him relentlessly.

Now was hugging him and being this damn sappy.

He felt his throat closing, tears welling up.

He sniffled, chuckling a little.

"You're a f#cking loser, Johnny."

He hugged him tightly, sitting up and melting into his embrace.

Both Karina and Matthew watched, smiling ear to ear at the display.

It truly was a moment which showed despite all the fighting, bickering and bullying they did to eachother they couldn't live without eachother, like joined at hips.

And just like that. the hour passed by like a whim, and then the three of them had to leave. but everyone left with a lighter heart than before. Especially Johnathan.

because this moment was very important to him.

Kieran lay in bed, waving them bye as they left. staring up at the ceiling, smiling to himself. His food induced tiredness finally getting to him as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

•••••••••••••••••

Middle of the night, he woke up. Feeling the need to go use the restroom. He felt strangely lightheaded and nauseous but he didn't want to call the nurse over for something so trivial. So he got up, making sure the IV line didn't tug too hard and made his way too the washroom.

As much as the hospital room looked normal in the morning, the room looked a different level of scary at night, the few lights did not help the overwhelming darkness that overpowered the room. He pushed those thoughts aside because else it would bother him further.

He walked in and closed the door open, positioning the IV stand carefully beside the sink.

As he stood there. He felt the nausea hitting, but it was a low, dull feeling inside his chest. like the feeling lingered then moved up. Which made it a whole lot worse.

He suddenly hunched over and grabbed the sink, closing his eyes and regurgitating over the sink.

Once

Twice.

Then the feeling eased, and he opened his eyes.

And what he saw made his blood run cold.

"W-what..? no.. no.. no way.."

suddenly he felt the urge again, and he bent over throwing up harder.

And he felt it.

clumps of something choking him. and he reached his hand down and coughed it out.

clumps of hair.. and small shards of glass everywhere. It was everywhere. on the floor, on him, in the sink. it was all everywhere. The blood, the hair, the glass. E everywhere.. EVERYWHERE!!

His mind spun beyond comprehension as he stood there, staring down into the sink. Feeling even more nauseous at the sight, he clasped his mouth. His eyes watering.

"What is happening to me..?"

He thought to himself, then again. The next choking episode was violent causing him to violently projectile vomit another load of blood down into the sink.

But this time. something small, metal and shiny could be seen.

with shaky hands, he reached out and pulled it up.

A key.

The key seemed almost victorian, an old lock key, with a small initial on it.

'E.M.'

He felt sick. He felt so sick.

He sat down by the sink, head in his hands. clothes covered in blood, mouth dripping blood. His heart pounding out of his chest.

This is another nightmare, another nightmare. This is not real. I am dreaming. All a dream! ALL A DREAM!!

He screamed into his hands, tears spilling out. shaking uncontrollably.

...--------------...

Hours passed after his breakdown, he got up. And washed his face and hands along with the key. But as he did. the restroom got ten times colder than it's initial temperature. He continued to wash his face.

But when he looked up. On the mirror.

There it was, with a small symbol.

And written in shaky, bloody handwriting.

Illa te vocat. Ultionem fac. Filia Luciferi.

Over.

and over.

and over again.

The text spread to the walls, and up to the ceiling and the floor.

and then he saw it. saw HER.

A woman, or what seemed to be it. barely remained her physical attributes but remained a burning face with protruding eyes and an unhinged, dislocated burned jaw. her midsection rest in ashes. limbs bent in unusual patterns.

And she screeched, a bellowing, high pitched shrill noise.

"VINDICITE ME! NOMEN MEUM EST HONOR VESTRO! RESPONSUM EST IN CENACULO!

Then with a finality.

"The attic, holds the answers."

It all went to darkness.

...------------...

Kieran woke up, gasping for breath. Looking around.

no blood, no sink, no burning woman.

But one thing did remain.

the attic.

Suddenly, he felt something under his sheets, he reached over.

The key. The key is there.