Going Lucid, A YA Paranormal Read online

  Father Lucas looked at Brother Micha who looked like he wanted to shrug helplessly, but didn’t. Instead he looked at Malakha and then back at Father Lucas, choosing to remain silent.

  “This isn’t the first time you’ve been in trouble young lady.”

  “You don’t have to remind me,” Malakha muttered dryly.

  “And it seems traditional disciplinary methods don’t work for you.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree with you,” Malakha said rolling her eyes.

  “So I think we should try something a little different this time.”

  Chapter Two

  The Exorcism

  “He’s making me go to an exorcism,” Malakha grumbled when Sabrina asked her what her punishment was while they were in the dinner line.

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “Yeah. If you buy into that kind of stuff.” Sabrina glared at her making Malakha add dryly, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

  Sabrina shook her head, having learned long ago that it was no use getting upset with Malakha on matters such as religion and politics. Malakha stood by what she believed and didn’t apologize if it made others uncomfortable.

  “You’re lucky. Father Lucas usually forbids students from witnessing that kind of stuff.”

  “That’s what I said to him when I tried to get out of it, but according to him I’m an extreme case, and I need extreme measures to make me see the error in my ways,” Malakha said rolling her eyes. “I think they want to try to scare me into thinking that if I don’t change my ways, Satan will use me as a host for his demons or something so he can do his dirty work on earth.”

  Sabrina laughed before saying, “Well if it makes you feel any better, I wish I could go. I heard they’re interesting.”

  “I think it’s a bunch of bullshit. Besides, why would they be conducting that kind of stuff in a school anyway?”

  “I’m actually surprised you haven’t tried to sneak into one, but I guess it’s not something you’d be curious about,” Sabrina said nodding to a table in the back corner of the large dining hall, away from everyone else.

  As they sat down Malakha said, “Did you hear about that rave happening this weekend in town?”

  Sabrina sighed patiently and said in a patronizing tone, “We’re not allowed to go into town unless it’s a preplanned supervised trip Malakha and even when we do go, I don’t think raves would be on the list of allowed places to go.”

  “So?”

  “So aren’t you already in enough trouble young lady?”

  Malakha rolled her eyes as a boy her age sat next to her and nudged her in the shoulder. He was taller than her five feet four inches, but was about two inches short of six feet tall, and dark skinned, the darkest person Malakha knew, with a very defined jaw line and overall handsome features with a dazzling white smile that he used regularly to help get her out of trouble if he was around to help. Malakha was also aware that he had a huge crush on her. She couldn’t not be aware of it. Malak never tried to hide it.

  “Always Malak.”

  “How did you find out about that rave anyway?”

  “Probably the same way you did,” Sabrina said looking at both of them disapprovingly. “You all got around the firewalls and blocks on the internet again didn’t you?”

  “Not so loud Sabrina! You want to get us in trouble… not that Malakha isn’t already in trouble I hear,” Malak said flashing a smile at Malakha.

  “Why are you over here anyway? You supposed to be sitting with the guys. You know how they are about the intermingling of the sexes,” Malakha sighed, clearly exasperated by yet another rule she had to keep in mind.

  “Since when do you care? Besides, this is pretty much the only time we get to talk face to face,” Malak said leaning his head on hers.

  Malakha pushed him away. “Leave me alone before I tell one of the nuns Malak.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “I would,” Malakha said, eying the nun that was carefully watching them, but probably wouldn’t intervene as long as they didn’t do anything scandalous.

  “Fine,” Malak said moving to sit on the other side of the table to give Malakha her space. Then he leaned in some and whispered, “So you want to go to the rave together?”

  “You can’t!” Sabrina whispered back, also eying the nun watching them.

  “You should go too. Maybe you’ll loosen up a little,” Malak added.

  “Malakha’s already in trouble. She can’t go and you shouldn’t be going either.”

  “First of all, Malakha doesn’t care. Second, I stay out of trouble for the most part. The nuns and the monks think I’m a saint or an angel or something. And who could blame them.”

  Both Sabrina and Malakha scoffed.

  “Sure,” Sabrina said moving a piece of her red hair out of her face. “I wonder if they’ll think that if they find out what you got up to for your eighteenth birthday!”

  “I know! His mom and dad would be so heartbroken! He can never take his vows of celibacy and become like Father Lucas now. He’s not a virgin,” Malakha said, dramatically resting the back of her hand on her forehead and pretending to feel faint.

  “Shut up,” Malak snapped.

  Malakha and Sabrina only snickered.

  Malak moved on. “So are you going?”

  Malakha began to cut up her chicken as she said, “Nope!”

  Sabrina seemed to approve until Malakha added, “Not with you anyway.”

  “Why not?” Malak asked.

  Malakha raised her eyes to look at him. “You know exactly why. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

  “Why can’t I?” Malak asked. “Come on Malakha. Me and you are destiny. Malak and Malakha. We weren’t named by accident.”

  “Please stop making me gag. You know very well I don’t believe in destiny,” Malakha said.

  “You don’t believe in anything,” Malak and Sabrina said simultaneously.

  “Besides,” Malak said becoming serious again, “it won’t just be me. There’s a group of us going. We got a ride and everything and you shouldn’t go alone anyway. Raves are fun, but they’re dangerous too. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you went alone and something bad happened to you.”

  Malakha shifted in discomfort, avoiding Malak’s gaze and trying to fight the blush that threatened to show on her light brown skin. Malak always made her uncomfortable when he got all serious about his crush on her. She preferred when he joked and made light of it.

  Next to her, Sabrina shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “That’s if I go. It’s the same night of the exorcism I’m supposed to go to,” Malakha muttered.

  Malak looked at her, a look that made Malakha feel like he was seeing right through her. Then he shrugged, putting his hands on the table as he stood up.

  “Well if you change your mind, we’re meeting out by the road at nine, near that flower field.”

  “Those are weeds,” Malakha said, looking up not that he was standing.

  “Whatever. You know how to sneak out through the courtyard out back and all that jazz right?”

  “Yeah,” Malakha said smiling. “Now go away before the nuns and monks think we’re planning a tryst or something.”

  “We can if you want?”

  Malakha glared at him, and Malak raised his hands in surrender as he walked away.

  When he was out of earshot, Sabrina said, “Your dad would like him.”

  “Like who? Malak?” Malakha asked pointing in the direction the boy had gone.

  “Yeah. I mean he did that thing on his birthday, and he can be a little goofy and silly sometimes, but what teenage boy doesn’t. He’s really smart though, much nicer and respectful than he acts around you. And most importantly, he’s catholic. Maybe not as devout as your parents, but a lot more than you are,” Sabrina pointed out.

  Now Malakha knew where Sabrina was going…

  “Is this your way of telling me I should go out with him?”
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  “Not at all,” Sabrina said quickly. “I’m just saying you should… keep in touch with him as a friend in case you change your mind in the future or something.”

  Malakha almost choked on her chicken as she laughed. “Yeah right. Malak’s nice, but we both know my belief system is nowhere like his. Can you imagine how confused our children would be? I’m almost atheist and he buys into some of this stuff.”

  “You’re not atheist. You said so yourself. Your ideas are just a little different.”

  “Tell that to Father Lucas.”

  ******

  The father, who came to get her, Father Thomas, didn’t say anything when he personally came to get her from her room Friday evening. It was already getting dark by the time he came and Malakha hoped that this wouldn’t take forever. Though she still wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to the rave, she would like to be back to her room so that she would have the option if she did decide she wanted to go.

  “Will this take long?” Malakha asked, breaking the silence as Father Thomas led her to a part of the school she had never been in before, a part that looked more medieval and gothic than the rest of the school did.

  “Are you in a rush?”

  “No,” Malakha muttered. “I was just wondering how long it would take.”

  Father Thomas was silent for a while. Then he said, “It depends.”

  “Depends on what?” Malakha asked, but didn’t get an answer as she was led into a large room, built with concrete walls and no windows save for the one in the door. The lighting was bad too, being a dull yellow that gave off a candle-like glow.

  “What is this? A dungeon?” Malakha asked. Again, she didn’t get an answer, so she looked around to see who was in the room.

  There was a priest, clutching a bible in one hand, and a cross to his chest in the other and standing next to him was a Caucasian young man. He was tall and appeared to be about five years older than Malakha. His robes only made him look lanky as he too looked around the room with what seemed like the same fascination Malakha had. Sitting in the chair was a girl, only older than Malakha by maybe two or three years. She looked nervous.

  “You can stand over there Malakha,” Father Thomas said gesturing to where the young Caucasian man was standing.

  Malakha did so with no protest. If she could be quiet and not ask questions, this might be over quickly. However, as the priest prepared, Malakha got bored with the silence and so looked at the boy next to her. He was dressed like one of the monks, but he didn’t appear as unapproachable as they did. She might even get along with him.

  She held out her hand for him to shake and said, “I’m Malakha.”

  He looked at her hand and then back at her as though she’d grown two heads or something and feeling the air become tense, Malakha started to put her hand down while saying, “I guess you take your vow of celibacy really seriously then.”

  Her comment seemed to startle him out of his stare, and he grabbed her hand to shake it before she could finish taking her hand away.

  “Sorry. Just a little nervous. I’m John.”

  “First time seeing an exorcism?” Malakha asked.

  “Witnessing one in person, yes,” he said. “I’ve seen recordings. What about you?”

  “First time ever seeing one at all.”

  “Really? You must be excited.”

  Malakha huffed. “Hardly. I’m only down here because I’m being punished for sneaking out the auditorium while a new pope was being crowned. To be honest, I don’t buy into any of this stuff. I’m just here because I have to be.”

  John looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean? You don’t think the exorcisms are real?”

  “I don’t believe any of it is real. The religion, the rituals, you name it.”

  “You’re atheist?”

  Malakha shook her head. “No. At least I don’t think so. I just don’t believe in this. I’m not sure what I believe in actually. My parents sent me here, the school I mean, to figure it out.”

  John nodded, making a humming sound and then said, “Well maybe this will help.”

  “I doubt it,” Malakha said skeptically as she watched the man begin flicking drops of holy water on the girl as he walked around her and began reciting a prayer or something in Latin. Malakha wasn’t exactly sure what the words were because the priest was saying them too incoherently for her to hear.

  “What’s he saying?” she whispered to John.

  John smiled. “You go to a catholic school and grew up in a catholic home and didn’t learn to at least recognize Latin?”

  Malakha scowled. “I know what language it is. I can actually read and speak Latin. My mother forced me to. But he’s mumbling. I can’t hear what he’s saying.”

  John smiled and leaned down to say in her ear, “Neither can I.”

  Malakha sighed, leaned on the wall, and watched as the priest stood right in from of the girl, beginning to ask her things, still holding the cross in front of his chest with the bible in the other.

  “Why is he asking her all these questions?” Malakha asked John.

  “To bring up the demon inside her,” John said. “Just watch. It gets interesting.”

  Malakha wasn’t sure about that. To her, it only looked like they were traumatizing the pour girl. After a few minutes of intense questioning, the girl’s face was turning red and she was beginning to cry, her words becoming more and more incoherent.

  “Please. I don’t want to do this anymore. I didn’t… I’m sorry…”

  Malakha pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to walk out the room. If guilt tripping was their idea of an exorcism, they had succeeding in doing what they came to do. But instead of backing off, as the girl’s cries began to get louder and her face turned redder, the priest raised his voice, speaking in Latin again. Malakha yet again couldn’t understand it. Between the priest darn near shouting and the girl’s almost hysterical cries, they may as well have been speaking Italian or some other language she couldn’t speak.

  Malakha rolled her eyes, about to open her mouth to get someone’s attention, having had about enough of seeing this emotional abuse. Then she felt the chill of a draft and saw goose bumps on her arms, similar to the way she felt in the music room earlier in the week. Malakha looked around for a crack or hole in the wall that might let a draft into the room, but found nothing. Even when she moved to another spot next to her, the feeling didn’t go away.

  “What?” Malakha asked herself running her hands over her goose bumps.

  Then she heard the laugh. It wasn’t a pleasant laugh either. It was deep and throaty, reminding Malakha of how Bowser laughed in the Super Mario games. She must be feeling homesick if she was hearing that laugh.

  Malakha ignored it, looking at the door and wondering if anyone would notice if she left. As Malakha started inching her way towards the door, she heard the laughter again. This time, Malakha stopped to pay attention to it, looking around to see if she could find the source of the laughter.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  She didn’t get an answer and the laughter continued, getting louder in her ears, making her head begin to hurt as the priest’s voice also rose along with the screams of the woman.

  “Where are you?” she asked again. “Why are you laughing?”

  The laughter continued, but something told Malakha to look at the exorcism again, to where the woman had fallen out the chair, still screaming hysterically with her eyes rolled back and looking like she was having a seizure.

  “You’re laughing at her,” Malakha realized. Then she frowned and said it again. “You’re laughing at her.”

  The laughter only continued.

  “Stop it. Stop laughing. Stop laughing at her,” Malakha said, volume increasing. When the laughing continued, Malakha groaned loudly and then screamed, “Damn it. Leave her alone! Stop laughing at her.”

  The laughter stopped, and Malakha looked around again to see if she could tell where it
had been coming from, but found nothing. Then she noticed that everything in the room had stopped. The priest had stopped his exorcism. The woman’s cries had quieted. And everyone in the room was looking at her.

  Malakha looked back at them in confusion at first, and then it dawned on her.

  “You all… you all didn’t hear the laughing.”

  John answered her first, after he exchanged a look with Father Thomas and the priest.

  “What laughing?”

  Malakha stared at them, wide-eyed at first and then her eyes narrowed as she huffed, turned on her heel, and said, “This is bullshit. I’m done.”

  With that, Malakha stomped out of the room, not caring that Father Thomas was calling her back, not caring that she would probably be in more trouble. She didn’t care at all. All she knew now was that she was going to that rave.

  Chapter Three

  The Rave

  Malakha stormed down the hall, ignoring the fact that if she was caught right then, she’d probably be accused of causing trouble. They wouldn’t believe that she was actually coming back from her punishment. No one believed anything she said. Malakha was starting not to believe herself. Hearing the piano in the music room was one thing, but hearing laughter that no one else could was something else entirely. It concerned her to say the least.

  Still, the fact that she heard laughter wasn’t what bothered her the most. The fact that someone was laughing at all was the problem. While she didn’t believe in exorcisms, she didn’t find it remotely funny that someone else found humor in the girl’s trauma as she was supposedly exorcised.

  Malakha was so focused on what she had witnessed earlier that she didn’t realize she had made it back to the school part of the building until she was about to take the stairs up to her room. She paused on the steps. If she went back to her room, then Sabrina would not only want to know what happened, something Malakha didn’t want to talk about, but she would also try to convince her not to go to the rave. While on any normal day, Malakha wasn’t easily persuaded by Sabrina’s arguments, she felt a little too unnerved to argue with her friend. And Malakha really wanted to go to that rave. Malakha needed to go to that rave.