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The Mental Ward - Emery faces Goliath (19)


     Beastly paced around the exam room.  Her eyes were wide, and her breath came in quick gasps.  She blew a puff of air like a high-pitched moan when Emery appeared and shut the door behind her.
     "IT's got me.  Tell a story, Emery.  Quick, Emery.  Flowers and trees and columns..."  She threw her arms over her face and shook her head from side to side.
     Anger suddenly flushed Emery's face.  She hated whatever it was that torment Beth like this.  Hated it.  She held her head high.  "Not flowers this time...but Jesus."
     Beastly uncovered her face with a scream.  Her face burned red, distorted into a hideous shape.  "Not that One!"  The voice that came out from her lips was low and hoarse.
     "Yes.  That Name."  Emery took a step forward.  "He's the only One who can set you free.  Do you want to be free, Beth?"
      Beastly shook her head, her eyes dark with fury.  "Not that One!" The voice inside her spoke again.  She spun to her left, crashing against the wall.  She paused for a moment as a trickle of blood ran down her forehead and over her brow.  Then she whispered, "Help."
     Emery talked fast.  "The God who made heaven and earth sent His only Son to die for Beth because He loves her so much.  And because His Son Jesus..."
     Beastly crumpled to the floor and laughed eerily.
     ...died for you, you can be free.  He saved you.  He bought you back.  IT cannot have you anymore.  In the name of Jesus, IT has to leave."
      Beastly leaped to her feet and rushed at the one light in the room.  Emery had but one glimpse of the repulsive face and the wild, crazy eyes before the room plunged into darkness with the sound of shattering glass.
     Hands gripped Emery's shoulders -- small hands, but so strong that Emery couldn't believe they were Beths.  The grip was tight...pinching...and Emery cried out.  Suddenly the hands threw Emery to the ground.  Emery threw her hands out too late.  Her chest collided with the ground, knocking the wind out of her.  Something small and hard jabbed into her ribs.  Somebody was kicking her.  Emery tried to roll away but she could not escape the blows: ribs, stomach, head.
      "Jesus!"
      Emery kept rolling and landed on her back.  For a split second, the feet that hammered against her disappeared.
     She barely had time to catch her breath before Beastly landed on Emery's stomach and chest.  Emery flung her arms up instinctively and caught hold of the slender wrists.
     She heard a snarl.
     Beastly was holding something. Emery's finger brushed against it as she wrestled the hands that were moving toward her throat.  It was smooth...curved...sharp.
     The light bulb.
      Beastly was planning to kill her with the lightbulb.
     Emery gripped Beastly's wrists, trying to shove them away from her, but those hands were overpowering her own.
     "In the name of Jesus, IT must leave.  IT has no power over us.  IT cannot torment Beth anymore."
     A wildcat scream answered her.  And another.  Suddenly Beastly rolled away from Emery, wrenching her wrists free of Emery's hold.
     Something crashed -- the bed maybe.  Another crash -- maybe the table.  A shriek -- like from a dying rabbit.  The sound of scuffling and thrashing.
     Then silence.
     Emery strained her ears, but she could hear nothing but her own breathing.
     "Oh, Lord, my God," Emery whispered.  "Show me what to do!"

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