Thud!
Her words were immediately cut short by a loud thud from behind, causing them all to instinctively turn to the source. There, they saw the disheartening sight—the possessed had broken through the door!
It had happened too fast. They had hoped to save themselves by escaping the room in time, but they had wasted precious moments comprehending their dire situation. Now, they were faced with a much more daunting challenge.
"What should I do?" Mrs. Lawler thought to herself as she shared a glance with both her offspring.
It was a split-second decision, but even hours wouldn't have been enough to determine the right course of action. Crippling fear temporarily left her stationary as the possessed swiftly charged toward them.
She couldn't run, she couldn't hide. No matter what she thought of in that moment, the possibility of escaping was immensely complicated by the need to protect her children. Her main priority was her children, not herself. Protecting Eddy and Maggie was the first choice.
Swiftly, she rose to her feet and acutely pointed the double-barreled gun at the incoming possessed.
Click!
As if things couldn't get any worse—she pulled the shotgun's trigger but was met with no response. She was out of bullets and out of luck. At this juncture, all she could do was hold off the possessed as much as possible to ensure Eddy and Maggie's safety. So, she held onto the possessed, which wasted no time in feasting on her.
"Aaahhhh!" she winced aloud in pain, turning her glance to Eddy.
"Go! Now! Go!"
Maggie, however, was resistant despite the perilous situation, screaming in fear and trying to get to her dying mother. Mrs. Lawler, on the other hand, just wanted her gone. If her kids didn't leave at that moment, they'd all end up dead, so this was the only turning point.
"Eddy! Take her and go! Now!"
Wasting no time, Eddy grabbed Maggie's hand and, with all his might, dragged her out of the possessed-infested room through the window.
Thankfully, they made it out with help from their mother, who was cursed to receive an anguishing death, torn to shreds alive. At last, the possessed's weight overwhelmed her, sending her crashing to the floor with them piling on top.
The starving possesseds wasted no time gnawing on Mrs. Lawler, biting pieces off her part by part. A few moments latee, she was covered in blood, drowning in it as the possessed continued their persistent gnaws.
It was all worth it, she thought. She might have lost her life, but at least she knew her children had escaped from the terrible fate she faced. Her family was safe—until she saw the most disheartening sight. Deep within the possessed horde, she saw him—her beloved husband. He was not his normal self but a fully manifested, man-eating beast, ready to dig into the feast.
All hope was lost. There was nothing more she could do. The last chance her children had for survival was gone. The blood loss and the pain of having her organs ripped out finally caught up to her. With a short groan, Mrs. Lawler passed away, leaving only her corpse for the beasts.
***
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound of fast-moving footsteps and heavy panting echoed through the forest as Eddy and Maggie dashed through, shedding heavy tears and grieving their lost mother.
Unfortunately, Maggie couldn't take it anymore. She immediately halted, turning her gaze to where they had come from. Eddy, noticing her idleness, stopped as well and turned to her.
"Maggie?" he called, as a touch of concern etched in his voice.
"We should go back. We can't just leave her there." Maggie pleaded, her voice trembling as she feared for her mother. She was only a kid, so it was possible she wouldn't accept her mother's demise. This however, made things worse for Eddy.
"Maggie... she's gone." Eddy said softly, his heart breaking with each word.
"No! You're lying!" Maggie cried, her face contorting with grief and denial.
"Maggie! We don't have time for—"
Eddy's words were abruptly cut short as his gaze fell upon a familiar sight a few feet away. It was almost too much to believe. His father's car had been capsized, lying twisted and broken.
Ignoring everything else, he stepped forward, approaching the vehicle, with Maggie following closely behind.
"That's Dad's car, isn't it?" Maggie asked, her voice filled with disheartened disbelief. A guttural growl from their left snapped their attention away from the car. A possessed staggered toward them, drooling uncontrollably as it approached.
"Run!" Eddy yelled, spinning on his heels. But Maggie, in her panic, tripped and fell flat on the ground.
Seeing this, Eddy dashed back to her, hurriedly helping her to her feet.
Unfortunately, the delay allowed the possessed to catch up. It slashed a deep gash through Eddy's back, sending him crashing to the ground.
Maggie, now running for her life, was quickly outpaced by the possessed, which tackled her to the ground. It raised its claws, ready to slash her face open with a single swing.
Bash!
Out of pure instinct, Eddy landed a heavy blow to the possessed's jaw, breaking it in the process.
"Don't fucking touch my sister," he growled.
The possessed swiftly reciprocated with a backhand slap, sending Eddy crashing a few feet away. His head rang louder than a tuning fork from the impact.
Wasting no time, the possessed gradually approached him, ready to finish the job. The tables had turned; Eddy was too weak and his mind was utterly shaken, leaving him far too incompetent for battle.
What happened next was inexplicable. Perhaps it was his aching head, but as the possessed drew closer, with Maggie screaming for his aid, Eddy suddenly blacked out.
It felt like only a second, but when he regained consciousness, he was covered in blood. In his hand, he held the heart of the possessed. Looking down, he saw the creature's remains, broken to pieces.
Eddy didn't know it then, but this was the first sign of his awakening as an exorcist.
He stood there, panting heavily, his mind racing to comprehend what had just occurred. Maggie stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes, her face a mixture of awe and fear.