Exorcism of the Hollow: Chapter 5 – Hollowed to Hallowed

Chapter 5 – Hollowed to Hallowed

“No, I don’t think they did anything. Their clothes aren’t off.”

“Are you sure? They could’ve put them back on after so we wouldn’t see them naked the day after.”

“Nah, that’s not how it works. Trust your old man on this.”

It takes me a second to realize what’s going on. When I come to my senses, I see and hear my dad and sis talking.

“Did you guys do it?” Alex asks.

“What? No, she just wanted someone to hold her,” I say.

“Virgin! Loser!”

“How could you not take the obvious sign and just give the girl what she wants?! Your mother was pregnant with you by this time,” dad says before I hit him over the head with my pillow.

I then throw the pillow at the two while saying, “Get lost you perverts, and stop snooping on us!”

Marina begins to wake up because of all the noise.

She asks, “Hm, is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine,” I answer.

“Ok. Good…Ah!” she says while getting up.

“What?”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. I was too comfortable-no, I mean sleepy. Yeah, sleepy. Royalty can’t sleep with non-royalty. Why didn’t you wake me up?!”

“Because I didn’t want to bother you while you were comfortable on me, and so what? Your guards will report you to the other exorcists for pre-martial cuddling?”

“Cuddling…” I can hear Marina whisper to herself while turning redder than she already she. She shakes her head then says, “I don’t know if they will. I told them to go out exorcising the town for us, so I don’t know how much they saw.”

“They would’ve probably said something or stopped it if they had a problem with it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t they do anything if it’s so wrong?”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll talk to them. Today is a special day for us.”

“Because we have the week off of school?”

“Because the exorcists have a special assignment for us. If we complete this, then the Vatican will let you get whatever job you want and pay for your college if you want to get into it. You’ll also be allowed to be an exorcist as a paid career if you don’t mind a bit of traveling within reasonable limits of your home.”

“Call your guards and let’s get to it. I’ll go help set up breakfast and tell my dad and Alex about it. Oh, and will they be safe without me here?”

“Yes, they will. I’ll have local exorcists protect them while we’re gone.”

“Thank you.”

My family doesn’t have a problem with me going away for the week and thankfully doesn’t ask for specifics though they still consider the things I’ll do with Marina, the perverts. After talking to her guards, Marina tells me that the exorcists will soon send an inconspicuous bus to the house that will drive us to the location of our assignment. We are going to exorcise a nearby town of non-Catholics that have brought demons to their small town through their heresy. I didn’t think that being non-Catholic would do this, but when we reach the town, our bus is tackled by a large demon that slams us into the side of a building. A small horde of demons ambushes us and we lose a man as a result.

“What a start to my school break,” I say.

“It’ll be worth it once you complete this assignment, boy. Blame the aggressiveness of the demons on your high exorcism success in your town. They’re just as aggressive in the surrounding area because of it. They’re just a bunch of weaklings that don’t like losing so much. Why don’t you go with the prayer group to show them your devotion with the princess?” the leader of the group says.

“Yes, sir.”

While listening to the leader of the prayer group instruct us in which areas of the town to focus on, Marina gets close to me and whispers, “I think someone knows that we didn’t exorcise in a mostly peaceful way, which is why we’re in the prayer group. They’re testing us to see what we’ll do.”

“Then let’s not disappoint them.”

The prayer and the combat groups move out while the leaders and coordinators sit on the sidelines to direct the exorcists. We come across the non-Catholic exorcists in this town who appear to be using their own prayers and weapons against the demons. They don’t seem to see us or the demons they’re fighting so it looks like they don’t have the same abilities we do. On the sidelines, we pray for them though it seems like we’re just letting them die. Our prayers complete as the last one dies along with the last demon in this area being exorcised.

I ask a nearby exorcist, “Don’t you think we should’ve drawn our weapons to help them?”

“No, because we’re supposed to exorcise through prayer.”

“I know that, genius. I was wondering why we couldn’t do more.”

“Why should we? Do you think it was a coincidence that the heretics died as the last demon was being banished?”

“I guess not?”

“Besides, if God wanted them alive, then He wouldn’t let these demons loose upon this town and He wouldn’t let them die before the prayer ended.”

But what if we’re supposed to be the people that we’re sent to save them? Prayer isn’t the only effective weapon we exorcists have and I’m not talking about holy water. I want to say this so badly and do something more, but all I can do is chant and pray. It’s effective don’t get me wrong. I just don’t like feeling so helpless while I watch people fight and die. It’s like when my mom defended me and lost her life in the process. This also reminds me to think about my family back home and how they’re doing.

Three days of fighting and praying pass by as if they were all one day until the final day where we come across the final demon in the town. It looks very similar to the statues of Christ that I’ve seen, but it has holes in its body and face. Prayer groups surround the outer perimeter while the combat groups, like the one Marina and I are in, are put in the center.

“Today, we banish another anti-Christ and save souls as a result. This victory belongs to God, and us, His faithful tools of justice!” a priest says as the attack begins.

We cut at the demon’s limbs and chain him down as the prayer group does their work. It’s easier than I thought to take down a demon with the face of God. I guess all that training, fighting, and praying is finally paying off.

The demon looks at me and says, “They’re dead, Alessio. Your father and sister. They’re burning in Hell with your mother and the rest of your family. The exorcists betrayed you.”

It then disappears and the exorcists look at me since I’m the only one it’s said anything to.

“What? You think I believed it?” I say to try to ease their minds.

A priest ends up talking to me about my thoughts and I tell him the same thing I said to everyone else and he accepts it. Marina approaches me later when we’re apart from everyone else as they celebrate our victory.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

“Oh, nothing. You did great work over these past couple of days.”

“I couldn’t have done without you and the rest of the exorcists. So, I’ll probably choose to be a full-time exorcist.”

“You’re not just saying that to get out of school, are you?”

“No, I think it’s my calling. Just like how it was my mom’s.”

“That means you’ll have to stay with me more and you’ll continue to be my student and the princess that you’ll have to take orders from.”

“I’ll take that punishment to follow my calling.”

“Punishment?! You think it’s punishment?!”

“No, no. I’m kidding. In fact, I’m relieved that’s the case.”

“You should be honored. Not every team of exorcists has a team member who is royalty.”

“I guess I am honored, princess.”

We enjoy our short victory celebration before exorcising the surrounding area and making sure that the area beyond that is demon-free for the next few days. After that, I am rewarded with an exorcist’s badge to show my official status as an exorcist and a blessing from the priest to enhance my abilities during a ceremony along with other beginner exorcists. No one died on this assignment though there were many injuries. I can’t help but feel that this was only possible because we let the non-Catholics face the punishment of their heresy. I don’t even think we properly buried their bodies. In fact, I overheard a couple of the leaders saying that they would just throw their bodies in a mass grave. It’s all a shame really.

Finally, after what feels like half a month, I am brought back home with Marina. Looking at my house after so short a break gives me nostalgia as if I left it for years and just realized I was homesick. We enter the house to find it strangely quiet.

“Dad! Alex! I’m home,” I say.

My first instinct is to expect some kind of prank from them; however, something doesn’t feel right. A smell then confirms my bad feelings as I follow it to…

“Oh my-! Guards!” Marina says. “Guards? Gale, Jonah, why aren’t you heeding my call?”

The sound of two people approaching us comes from behind me.

“Those two are suffering their penance for allowing you two to do the things that you did such as using violence as your first option against the demons and your ‘close’ relationship. You should’ve known to get so close to the peasant exorcist, Princess Marina,” one of them says.

“Tell me why you didn’t protect Alessio’s family!”

“Why should we protect the hollow that are drenched in sin? His mother was one of the whores and traitors of the exorcists that slept with as many people as she could to give generations of non-exorcists the abilities to see the spiritual, which leads to most people being tricked by demons who pretend to be holy spirits and the further hollowfication of the world. His sister inherited her mother’s demons and was a slave to lust while his father was much the same, but all shared the same sin of pride. His family is one that has most of its members burning in Hell according to the mystics.”

“You! You bastards!” I say as I draw my sword.

The two exorcists disappear into a singular body. This body belongs to a demon that has my face, horns that look like a crown on his face, and armor made out of its victims. Within the armor, I see the faces of my mom, dad, and sister along with the exorcists that I saw.

“I have to say that I’m glad you killed the demons that let you kill my family, but I’m also beyond pissed that you denied me the pleasure of doing it myself and the fact that you killed my family,” I say to it.

“What are you going to do?” it says in a distorted version of my voice, “I know you, Alessio. You want revenge, but revenge will not bring back your family.”

“Get out of here! I banish you in the name of-”

Marina is restrained by six arms that come out of the demon’s snake-like body as it enters the room.

“Silence. Alessio, she is guilty in the death of your family as much as the guards she left to protect them since she could’ve known their bias against those who whored themselves out so that others could see the spiritual if she wasn’t so lazy. Her resources as a princess allow it.”

“Marina? Is that true?”

Marina shakes her head to confirm it. I drop my sword, which makes it disappear. I don’t know what to do anymore as my mind becomes hazy because of grief, betrayal, hatred, and more.

“The exorcists are a prideful bunch of hypocrites none of which you can trust.”

“I don’t care about them! All I care about is my family!”

“What are you going to do? You have no family left.”

“I’ll go to Hell itself to take them out!”

“Ha! What a foolish notion. Here, feel the space around my hand if you want a taste of what you’ll find in Hell.”

I do as the demon says and feel a pain so excruciating that I immediately fall down and go deaf for about ten seconds. Once I regain my hearing, I realize that I was screaming my throat out. That was hotter than anything I could imagine. My entire body feels like it’s sweating, my hand feels like it’s on fire, and I can’t even stand back up. If I had felt that pain for even half a second, I probably would’ve died.

“Look at how you fall so easily. You only put your hand over the fires of Hell like putting your hand over a fire. You cannot even handle the smoke of Hell. You have the same pride as your mother,” the demon says, “She thought it was right of her to whore herself out to an uncountable number of men to allow future generations to see the spiritual. She then thought it would be good for her to settle down with your father and use him to produce many children with him as if he were a sperm bank. Her womb closed shortly after. After which, when I was about to kill you the first time we met, she thought that she could redeem her soul by sacrificing herself for you.

She thought that her selfless action would get her to Heaven, but in reality, it was another sin that only sent her further to Hell since it wasn’t a humble act of repentance. It was a sinful act of pride as she didn’t repent for her sins but doubled down on them and used her act of sacrifice as a bargaining chip that God didn’t accept.”

Why are you telling me all this?

“If you’re thinking to yourself why I’m telling you all this, then here’s your answer. I’m telling you this so you should abandon the exorcists. Join me, follow my ways, and I’ll give you and generations of your family a comfortable place in Hell. I’ll give you riches that generations of your family will enjoy until the end of the world. It’s a good deal, is it not?”

I don’t know. I don’t know what to think anymore. I give up. My body feels like it’s eating itself alive as what feels like holes are forming in my chest, my head, legs, and arms.

“I see that my words are getting through to you. I’ll allow you to leave and think on it if you let me have this princess. I need another pawn in the ranks of the royal exorcists.”

Something within me allows me to stand as if the demon is giving me the strength to make a decision.

“Give her a fighting chance,” I say.

“That’s a good idea. When I beat and break her, her mind will have more than enough room for my influence. Thank you for the idea,” the demon says as it lets her go.

“No, don’t leave me, Alessio! I’m sorry for-”

“I don’t care like how you didn’t care to think about my family’s safety.”

“She’s always been a lazy one, Alessio. It’s why she’s had to always have her guards, why you had to help her on her first assignment, and why you’ve been her sword that’s done all the heavy lifting for her.”

“Shut up!” she says to it.

“Prove me wrong then, princess.”

The demon allows me to leave while keeping Marina away from me. Outside my house, I have no clue where I want to go so I wander the streets of the town. My family was everything to me and I let them down. If I at least convinced them to go to confession, then they would’ve been in Heaven or Purgatory before Heaven at the very least. I’m a failure of a son, a brother, and a person. What kind of person lets their loved one’s soul rot? What kind of person lets themselves be willfully ignorant to the consequences of eternity? I know the answer. I’m that kind of person.

An idiot who thought too highly of himself and those he loved just because we were who we were. Another consequence of my idiocy arrives as demons begin to surround me. I’m not sure if they’re here to kill me or if they’re trying to make me take the other demon's offer. Right now, I hope it’s death, however, they’re all killed by a rain of icicles that banish them all. Of all the people to save me, Magnus approaches me in a hurry.

“Alessio! Are you okay? My Ombra contacts told me that you got back from your assignment. I was going to warn you about the guards that Marina placed to guard your family,” he says while I respond with silence. “Again, are you okay? What happened to you? Why didn’t you try to defend yourself? Your family isn’t already…”

“You should’ve just let them kill me, you idiot! I’m worthless now. I shouldn’t have trusted Marina to get the right guards for my family. I should’ve helped my family clean their souls so they would’ve had a chance at Heaven! I’m not sure who’s the worse idiot. Probably me.”

“I’d agree with you at a different time, but not right now. You still have time to save your soul.”

“It’s worthless right now. I’ve committed a mortal sin by giving up and letting the demon who killed my family go after Marina. I’m hollow now. There’s no hope for me.”

Magnus smacks me.

“Just because you horribly messed up doesn’t mean that you don’t have a second chance! You’re still alive, which means that God still wants you to live. You still have people that care about you here besides those in Heaven. I’m sure Marina cares about you.”

“But she-”

“What she did was a mistake due to her laziness. We all sin horribly. I admit that as one of the worst sinners that I know. Do you really want to hate her?”

“No, but she’s probably dead right now.”

“We don’t know that for sure. Come on, we have to hurry to save her!”

“What made you want to help me?”

“It’s just because I don’t want to be in debt to you. Don’t think that we’re friends or anything because of this.”

“Heh, of course not. Thank you though.”

“Whatever.”

Magnus and I go back to my house to find the demon shoving Marina into the trash in the back before throwing her out. Her clothes are ripped and dirty. She cries doesn’t try to stand up as she seems like she’s given up. Before the demon can grab her again, I get in between them.

“Alessio, do you like how I’ve punished this pathetic princess? It’s some of my best work. Have you come to make your decision or take your part in her punishment?” it says.

“Alessio…” Marina says as she looks up at me.

“You really need to stop needing to be saving. It’s not becoming of royalty, is it princess?” I say to Marina before looking at the demon with my sword drawn, “I’m not taking your offer, demon.”

I then begin to fight the demon while keeping my eyes on its face rather than looking at the faces of my family on its body. It tries to get me to look at them as it manifests their eyeless faces on its arms.

“A foolish notion. I thought you were smarter than that,” it says while pulling out a mirror and showing me my reflection, “Look at yourself. A handsome man can do better than this. You are a living saint in the flesh. Perfect without needing grace.”

I slash the mirror in two.

“I’m a damn fool that needs saving.”

“Trying to hit me is pointless even when you’re trying to rely on your God.”

The demon then manifests blades in its hands and in the faces of my family as it goes on the offensive. This slithery scum is hard to hit and when I think I’m about to cut it, a blade comes out of the slits in its body to deflect my attack.

“I could use your help at any time, Magnus!” I call out.

“I’m trying! My blessing isn’t manifesting at all! All I can do is pray!” he answers back.

“You better pray that I lose because I’m going to kick your face in when this is done!”

“Cease this useless fight, Alessio. Embrace the same crown that I wear. You cannot defeat your own pride. You’re just as hollow as I am,” the demon says as it continues to back me into a corner.

“Can’t defeat my own pride, huh?” I say as I get some distance and get a crazy idea, “I crucify my pride. I crucify myself first.”

I stab my chest with my sword, which in turn stabs the demon through the chest and banishes it. A weird feeling then overcomes me as the places where I felt myself hollow fills.

“How did you know that would work?” Magnus asks.

“I didn’t. An idea suddenly came to me and I followed it. Call it a sudden case of divine inspiration,” I say.

“I’d call it a sudden case of stupidity if I didn’t already know that it was a way that exorcists got rid of their personal demons.”

“Oh, it was? That’s good to know.”

“Um, Alessio? I think you’re forgetting someone.”

“No, it’s fine,” Marina says, “I deserve to be forgotten after what my laziness did to you.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I forgive you.”

“What? You do?”

“I do. A friend of mine saved me and gave me the smack in the face that I needed to realize what I needed to do.”

“I’m not your friend,” Magnus notes.

“Yeah, sure, but can you forgive me for abandoning you, Marina?”

“I do,” she says as runs up to me and hugs me as she cries on my shoulder.

“Okay, okay, cougar. At least shower first before getting near me.” That joke gets me punched in the gut. “I wasn’t actually serious.”

“You still deserved it,” both Marina and Magus say before we laugh.

Magnus helps Marina and I arrange a funeral for my dad and sister. When I report what happened, some exorcists sent their sympathies while others didn’t care as the death of my unfaithful family is nothing more than justice in their eyes.

“I’ll fix their asses,” I say aloud while reading their letter.

Marina puts her arms around me and her head on my shoulder while saying, “You can’t do anything as you are. We have to rely on Magnus and moving up the ranks of the exorcists if you want to actually fix the problems with them.”

“I’ll find a way. What are you doing anyway?”

“Well, I thought that since I don’t have any guards watching me I could…uh…be more comfortable with you.”

She kisses me on the lips for a good few seconds that feels like it lasts longer than it actually did.

“I, ah…insert some cougar joke. I got nothing,” I say while not knowing what to say before getting hit in the gut.

“We-well, you better be thankful! Not every royal would fall for a peasant.”

“If the exorcists know that we’re together, then they’ll probably excommunicate us from their ranks.”

“Let them do what they want. There’s nothing wrong with us being together. In fact, it’s right that we are.”

“It is, and I’ll make them see their error of their ways. For now, shall we go out hunting?”

“Let’s.”

Marina and I kiss one last time before going out to exorcise the town of demons. Soon, the exorcists will be my next target to cleanse, but for now, I’ll grow in strength and virtue to prepare myself for that moment. I’ll make sure to make the most of this God-given second chance and become a better person than the punk that I was before.

 

The End