Father Anderson watched the white flames flicker near the back door. They weakened into scattered embers before fading from sight.
He returned the custom .500 Linebaugh revolver to its holster. His eyes remained calm.
Evil spirits were incorporeal entities. Most ordinary weapons passed through them without causing harm. Stronger spirits could also manipulate objects or attack the minds of living people.
Even so, they remained low-level supernatural beings within the known hierarchy.
People such as Ed and Lorraine Warren could confront them after learning their habits and understanding the conditions that allowed them to appear. They possessed enough knowledge to weaken many spirits without direct help from a priest.
The Warrens usually avoided performing complete exorcisms on their own because they understood the rules. They also lacked formal Church authorization.
Not every investigator showed the same restraint.
Countless self-proclaimed exorcists operated around the world. The Church could not monitor each of them every hour of the day. Those who acted without approval were expected to bear the consequences themselves.
That changed when their mistakes harmed innocent people or caused public panic. In those cases the Church tribunal could intervene and judge those responsible.
The police protected ordinary society from violent criminals.
The Church served a similar role in matters involving supernatural threats.
Anderson secured the holster beneath his coat.
That protection was one reason he had joined the Church. It allowed him to grow stronger while acting under the name of justice. He could complete missions and earn attribute points. The Church would also help manage the consequences afterward.
It was an excellent arrangement.
At his current level an ordinary evil spirit was little more than a moving reward package. It resembled an experience creature from a video game. He only needed to find it and destroy it.
Unfortunately, those easy rewards rarely appeared near him.
Most of his points had come from bitter demons that refused to remain in Hell. They possessed people and complained constantly before Anderson sent them back.
He thought about his previous encounters and sighed.
Even finding reliable enemies to farm was difficult.
"At least I earned five points today. The trip wasn't wasted."
Anderson turned toward the stairs. He intended to tell the others that the exorcism was complete.
A soft sound stopped him.
Poof.
White powder appeared on the floor where the final embers had vanished.
Anderson stared at it with mild surprise.
Powerful spirits sometimes left behind supernatural residue after destruction. The pale substance could injure incorporeal entities and allow ordinary people to defend themselves against weaker ghosts.
It had little personal value to Anderson.
He could still trade or sell it to other investigators.
"I didn't expect you to leave loot behind."
Anderson approached and removed a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet. He folded it into a narrow scoop and carefully collected the white powder.
Once everything was gathered, he poured the residue into a small sealed pouch kept inside his equipment bag.
Then he returned upstairs.
The gunshots had frightened the Tracy family. Lorraine and the others had remained inside the bedroom while Anderson hunted the spirit through the house.
Tracy sat beside her husband and son. Her body trembled each time she remembered the violent sounds from downstairs.
"Will Father Anderson be all right?"
Ronnie DeFeo's mutilated appearance had left a deep impression on her.
"He'll be fine," Lorraine said. "Father Anderson's methods are unusual. Gunfire and explosions are common during his exorcisms."
Her gentle voice helped calm the frightened family.
"Ed and I have worked with him before. He has far more experience than most exorcists. A spirit like this will not cause him much trouble."
Ed stood near the door and nodded.
"She's right. We've faced stronger entities than this one. Father Anderson handled them without much difficulty."
Drew listened carefully beside him.
The young investigator already admired Anderson. Hearing that the Warrens had witnessed several of his previous battles only increased his curiosity.
"Mr. Warren, could you tell me more about Father Anderson sometime?"
Ed glanced at Lorraine.
Memories of Harrisville passed between them.
"Of course."
Before he could continue, footsteps came from the hallway.
Ed looked toward the open door and smiled.
"Father Anderson is back."
[10:23 P.M.]
Anderson confirmed that Ronnie DeFeo's spirit had been destroyed. The heavy atmosphere around the house was gone. No more footprints appeared and the hallway felt normal again.
The Tracy family thanked him through tears.
Theodore shook Anderson's hand several times while Tracy held Abbott close. They had endured the unseen footsteps for ten nights and could finally return to ordinary life.
Anderson gave them several instructions before leaving. He told them to keep the consecrated crosses inside the house for the next few weeks. He also advised them to contact St. Michael's if anything unusual returned.
The Warrens and Drew packed their equipment soon afterward.
They left Amityville together.
[10:59 P.M.]
The group arrived at the Warrens' home because Anderson still needed to investigate the dark presence attached to Lorraine.
Their large villa was modern and carefully decorated. Ed and Lorraine had appeared on television and delivered lectures across the country. Their work had provided them with a comfortable life.
The house contained a spacious living room and a full kitchen. It also had private offices and several rooms dedicated to their investigations.
One room immediately caught Anderson's attention.
An oppressive presence leaked through its door.
Since this was his first visit, Anderson asked to see the house before discussing Lorraine's condition. Ed agreed and led him toward the unusual room.
The space beyond the door was filled with objects.
Old toys rested beside antique weapons. Religious artifacts shared shelves with clocks and strange decorations. Each item had been connected to a haunting or possession investigated by the Warrens.
They were not ordinary souvenirs.
Some had been influenced by spirits. Others acted as anchors for supernatural entities. A few contained forces that had been sealed rather than destroyed.
Ed believed these objects were safer inside their home than anywhere else. Burning or breaking a vessel did not always destroy the entity attached to it. In some cases damage only released the spirit.
His reasoning made sense.
That did not make the room safe.
Malice filled the air. It came from dozens of different sources and pressed against Anderson's senses the moment he entered.
His gaze moved across the shelves before stopping on a doll locked inside a glass cabinet.
Annabelle sat behind several warning signs and sacred seals. Her pale face and fixed smile gave her a disturbing appearance.
Anderson's pupils narrowed.
The entity attached to the doll was pushing against its prison.
Three layers of protection had been placed around the cabinet. Two were already damaged. Only the final seal still prevented the spirit from becoming active again.
"Do you have a priest bless this room regularly?" Anderson asked.
Ed nodded.
"A clergyman comes every week to pray over the collection."
"And does anyone from the Church inspect the objects?"
Lorraine exchanged a glance with Ed.
"You're the first Church exorcist who has come here."
Anderson looked directly at Ed.
The man had collected an entire room of cursed objects while living in the same house as his wife and daughter. His courage was impressive.
His judgment was less admirable.
It was easy to understand why the Church had registered him as a paranormal investigator despite his lack of supernatural power. Few ordinary people would willingly remain near this much evil.
Anderson remembered that other members of their family also stayed in the house. He shook his head.
"Ed, may I give you some advice?"
Ed and Lorraine became serious.
"Of course, Father."
Anderson continued watching Annabelle.
"You should stop bringing so many dangerous objects into your home. Knowledge and weekly prayers are not enough to guarantee your safety."
He turned toward the rest of the room.
"One day these entities may overwhelm the protections around them. When that happens the consequences will not be limited to you and Lorraine. Your family will also be placed in danger."
The warning was harsh.
The Warrens fell silent as they looked around the room. Their attention moved from Annabelle to a drumming monkey on a shelf. Several knives and an antique clock rested nearby.
Ed frowned.
"Is there something wrong with the collection? We have the room blessed every week."
"Yes."
Anderson interrupted before he could continue.
"Maintaining spiritual seals is the work of a trained exorcist."
He had no reason to hide the danger from two investigators who regularly brought supernatural cases to him.
"Do you know which object is the greatest threat?"
The Warrens waited for his answer.
"Annabelle is protected by three seals. The entity inside the doll has already broken through two of them. If the final seal fails, it will become active again."
Lorraine's expression changed.
She had strong psychic abilities. Even she had not sensed how close the spirit was to escaping.
Anderson pointed toward several other objects.
"The drumming monkey is also unstable. The same is true for those knives and that clock. Several other vessels are weakening as well."
Ed looked across the room with growing concern.
"Father, what should we do?"
Anderson remained calm.
The spirits inside the objects were dangerous to ordinary people. They were still weak compared with him. Most were also trapped and unable to resist directly.
"Let me take them."
The Warrens looked at him.
"I can suppress the entities and perform regular exorcisms. The objects will be safer under my control."
Both Ed and Lorraine released relieved breaths.
"If you're willing to do that, then yes," Ed said.
"Of course."
Anderson studied the collection. The items would also provide useful material for future experiments.
"I'll store them at my house or inside a secured area at St. Michael the Archangel Church."
He paused before turning toward Lorraine.
The cursed objects could wait.
The presence surrounding her was far more dangerous. Anderson sensed a large enemy behind it. A successful mission involving that entity could offer a reward equal to the demon from the Jesse Building.
Twenty attribute points would make a noticeable difference to his strength.
"Before we move anything, tell me about your recent investigations."
Lorraine's face looked pale beneath the lights.
"When did you first feel that something was wrong?"
Anderson's gaze remained fixed on her.
"Your condition is more serious than anything in this room."
Ed immediately looked toward his wife.
He knew Anderson well enough to understand the warning. The priest never called something serious without a reason.
Lorraine had become more anxious since the first vision of the nun. She startled more easily and sometimes withdrew into silence. Ed knew that his own decision had led them into that case.
Lorraine felt his concern and drew a deep breath.
"Father Anderson, we'll explain everything from the beginning."
The three of them moved into the study.
Bookshelves covered much of the room. A large desk stood near several chairs. The only unusual object was a projector used to review footage from their investigations.
Ed stood beside it.
Lorraine sat with her arms folded while Anderson took the chair in the center.
Ed looked at his wife before beginning.
"Father Gordon asked us to examine a possible possession case. The Church needed evidence before it could approve a formal exorcism."
The name reminded Anderson of an older priest with gray at his temples. Father Gordon often relied on the Warrens to investigate cases before the Church became directly involved.
"This was the case where Lorraine first saw the nun," Ed continued.
Regret entered his voice.
"She sensed danger before we accepted it. She wanted to refuse but I insisted that we go."
Lorraine shook her head.
"This wasn't your fault, Ed."
A gentle smile appeared on her pale face.
Anderson looked away from the affectionate exchange.
Ed steadied himself and turned on the projector.
Case files appeared on the screen.
"The victim was a French-Canadian man named Maurice Theriault. Most people called him Frenchie."
The image showed a thin man with sunken eyes and dark circles beneath them. His lips had turned purple and his face looked drained of life.
"He displayed many signs associated with possession," Ed said. "The problem was that his behavior also resembled severe mental illness. He shifted between clear awareness and violent confusion."
The Church needed proof that the case was supernatural.
"We performed a psychic session so Lorraine could determine whether another presence was inside him."
The footage advanced.
Several men restrained Maurice while Lorraine approached. She placed herself near him and focused her psychic senses on the force inside his body.
The situation changed without warning.
Maurice became violent.
He fought against the men holding him and nearly tore himself free. His face twisted as he screamed toward Lorraine.
Lorraine froze in the recording.
Her eyes widened and her entire body went rigid. Terror spread across her face as though she had seen something beyond human understanding.
"This was when Lorraine first saw the nun," Ed said.
Pain and regret filled his expression as he watched his wife scream on the screen.
"She told me what happened after the session. I believed the entity would remain connected to that case."
His hands tightened.
"I never expected it to appear again."
Anderson barely listened to Ed's regret.
His attention remained fixed on the possessed man in the recording.
He silently repeated the name.
Maurice Theriault.
He had found the most important information.