'Damn. WTF?' Richard said the last part in full.
'I left my other bag in your car. My exorcism journal is in there.' Charlie said. 'And besides, it's on you man. You just had to knock me out with a bottle.'
'So,It's my fault this hobo is good at dodging blows to his head and you're not?.' Richard blurted out.
'Break it up you two.' Angela said,she sounded more calm all of a sudden. 'You mean to tell me that you whose job is exorcism of demons just happened to forget the incantation for exorcism.'
'Look. He knocked me out,now my head is scrambled and my long term memory is inaccessible. Blame him.' Charlie still had a defensive tone. Angela was like a younger mother. He just couldn't quite place it.
'Cut the bullshit and don't blame others for your screw ups.'
Angela shook her head then turned to face Castiel/Daniel.
'Now,while Charlie reboots his fried brains I'll have some words with you.'
Angela brought another chair and sat facing the seated Castiel.
'You really gon' seat over there? There's enough space here on these laps. That booty could do with some good old fashioned lap dance.' Castiel mocked.
'I'm resisting my urges to hit you with this club right now because I know I'll only be hurting Daniel.' Angela said and exhaled.
'Believe it or not,they're his thoughts. He's really perverted for you. You should give him a chance.' Castiel but whispered.
'If I need relationship counselling,I wouldn't ask a demon. Or a possessed pervert.' Angela said manner-of-factly.
'You really are a tough lady. You must have been through a lot for you to be this way.' Castiel gaze was penetrating.
Angela returned his gaze and started.
'How about you? You get dragged all the way here during an eclipse or a sandstorm and can't go back. Now you feel so bad about it and try to down your sorrow by tormenting people. Murdering people. Like it means nothing to you. Have you no conscience?
Castiel couldn't say anything,he just starred into the distance.' Toni was getting to him.
'The Exorcists can send you back to your own world where you will exist freely and won't be hunted by anyone'
'That's impossible.' Castiel said angrily. 'The exorcism council are the problem. They started this war. It was they who started harnessing energy from our world and enslaving demons to do their biddings. Now,they've turned us to the enemy so they can hunt us without their conscience interfering.'
'What do you mean.' Angela asked,perplexed.
'You think technological advancement will exist without certain people channeling energy from another world.
'Or do you reallly think the pyramids could be built by mere human slaves?.
'My people have been enslaved just like how blacks were enslaved by the whites but unlike y'all who settle with peaceful inter relationships with your former oppressors and some claiming to take back lost money via yahoo,we're starting a revolution.
'A revolution involving a thousand demons. And when we've accomplish that,I'll spare your life only to take you as a personal LovePeddler,your thighs constantly separated by a jockstrap so you have no means of resisting the -'
Wham!
Angela hit the club on his head.
'Dream on,asshole.' She said to the unconscious man.
Angela left his lifeless body. She saw Comfort and Isaac seated on the floor talking. She flashed them a warm smile when they looked towards her. She felt gross and dirty with specks of gore and sweat all over her body. Yet,she dare not take a shower at this point in time. She sighed and walked over to where Richard and Charlie sat. They were deep in argument again.
'Boys.' She called out. 'We have a problem.'
'Yeah. Richard's ego.' Charlie lamented.
'You mean your wack sense of humour?.' Richard retorted.
'Calm it. I can't take you guys crap.' Angela lamented.
'Blame it on his royal assholeness' Charlie did a mock bow.
'Damn,you sure talk big for an incompetent Exorcist.' Richard mocked.
'Stop it you too.' Angela screamed. 'Stop acting like babies while we're caught up in the middle of a war.'
'Yeah. A war between Charlie's stupidity and his humour.' Richard chipped in.
Charlie was about to say something but Angela's gaze seemed to put a lid on his mouth.
'There's a war coming. It's been brewing for years or something. Between the demons and exorcism council.' Toni stated.
'How do you know about the Exorcism council?' Charlie asked,suddenly interested in Angela's conversation.
'Daniel. I mean Castiel mentioned it.' She answered.
'Castiel?.' Charlie asked.
'That's what he started calling himself after being possessed.' Richard said.
'You mean that's the name of the demon that possessed him.' Charlie said spiteful.
'Don't start,you two.' Angela said. 'You seem to know more than any of us Charlie. So, tell us all you know about this so called Exorcist council.'
'Alright.' Charlie started.
'They are a council of elders that guide all Exorcism activities. They harness the energy from the spirit world to perform exorcism.'
'How do you know them?' Richard asked.
'They have a school for exorcism and I was enrolled in it.. at a point in time.' Charlie stammered at the end.
'Why do I sense a but coming.' Angela asked.
'...but,I'm no longer in good terms with the council.' Charlie completed his sentence.
'And why's that?' Angela asked again.
'I might have gotten expelled and banned from using spirit world related stuff and performing Exorcism.'
'Why am I not surprised.' Richard said, sacarstic.
'Good terms or not. We have to inform them of the threat.' Angela said.
'You don't quite seem to get me.' Charlie said. 'I can't go back there.'
'And why's that?.' Richard asked Angela's question.
'I did something real bad.' Charlie had a look of regret on his face. 'Something unforgivable.'
Lucky had been sitting quiet on a stool the whole while and hadn't said anything because he didn't have a physical presence. They wouldn't hear him or feel him if he said or did anything.
He sighed and gave Charlie a knowing look and nodded as if to say. 'I already forgave you, don't torture yourself.'
'What did you do?' Richard asked.
'It's a long story.' Charlie said shaking his head.
'Make it short.' Angela said with an authoritative air around her.
'What she said.' Ridwan echoed.
Charlie looked from Angela to Richard,then to Angela again.
'Some years ago,while I was studying at the Council of Exorcism school,I had this friend.' Charlie laughed when he remembered his friend. 'We all called him Loki after the Norse god of mischief because that was what he was- an embodiment of mischief.
'He would switch people's textbooks for pornographic magazines in class. He'd hang a duster on top of the door so it fell on the lesson teacher's head when they walked in. He once put toothpaste in a jar of ketchup. Our martial art teacher ate a mouthwash for a sandwich that morning.'
'So you crime was having a friend?.' Richard asked.
'No.' Charlie answered. 'It was a prank.'
'Loki found one of those books you're 'not supposed to touch till you graduated.'
'It had many spells and one caught our eyes; astral projection.'
'Is that a device to view far away objects. Stars? Like a kaleidoscope?' Richard interrupted again.
'Richard.' Angela called out frustrated. 'Let him finish his tale.'
Charlie didn't get upset,he continued his story.
'Astral projection makes you jettison your physical body and become a ghost-like apparition. The astral form grants invisibility, movement through solid matter and the ability to disrupt electrical appliance.
'It was cool for a prank but we didn't read the warnings. The spell links the astral projected person to the caster of the spell while his body is stucked in limbo between the physical world and the spirit world.
'Two months later, I was caught for stealing books and items from the forbidden section. When I told the Headmaster of the school,what happened. I was expelled and arrested; To face the council for punishment.
'I feared I would be executed,so I broke out of my confinement and ran away with the help of my old friend Loki.'
'Where's Loki now.' Angela couldn't help but ask. 'In this room?'
'Yeah,you're sitting on him.' Charlie laughed.
Angela stood from the chair immediaty.
'There's no problem,he doesn't feel a thing.' Charlie said.
'But my Dignity does.' Angela said and sat somewhere else. 'Tell him I said hi.'
'He hears you.' Charlie replied.
'Oh come on. So we have an invisible presence in here? You know what I think? I think I hit you too hard in the head.'
'You didn't have problem believing Dhayms was possessed,why can't you believe in Lucky?' Angela rebuked.
'Ok. Hello Loki,how do you do.' Richard said to the space Angela occupied before.
'He isn't there any longer.' Charlie chuckled.
'Oh good! Now,I'm the comic relief. Am I correct?.' Richard said.
Angela and Charlie laughed.
The electric bulbs in the house blinked on and off.
'What was that.?' Angela asked.
'Loki' Charlie responded.
'What does he want,cupcakes?' Richard asked.
'He says.' Charlie paused for a few moment 'This house is lit up like a christmas tree.',
