An Interview with a Reluctant Exorcist, The Marker Chronicles #horror #exorcism #danielledevor

A knock at the door and my stomach sinks. It's #Jimmy from the Marker Chronicles. He's here to finish our interview from yesterday. I open the door and there he stands. I say, I'm sorry I had to cut our interview short yesterday, but I needed to pick up my granddaughter and get her to volleyball practice.

He smiles, so I turn and walk into the kitchen. I can hear him follow me. I point toward the table. Please sit down and have a cookie. I push one at him then grab two tea cups and put them on the table. The porcelain shines and the design is quite feminine. A blue bird on a white background.

Jimmy sits in the same place as yesterday. He's dressed in black, his usual attire from what I can tell. I grab the kettle and fill his cup with hot water. I've given him the same tea as yesterday--Camellia sinenis. He holds out his hand and covers his cup as I reach for the cream.

I've enough, he says.

I sit down and clear my throat before beginning. So, Jimmy. Can you share with us the signs of possession?

He sits forward for emphasis. Well, like knowing things that it would be impossible to know without supernatural means. You meet a person for the first time and they look at you and suddenly start describing a horrific event from your childhood. Being able to speak a language they would be incapable of knowing—these days, that would be something like Aramaic or Latin. Something that is not easily learned online. So, a five-year-old wakes up one morning and crawls up to the kitchen table and asks for breakfast cereal in Latin—that would be a sure sign.

I change the subject. How did you meet Tabby and what attracted you to her?

She used to live near the church where I was based. She walked by every day carrying these flowers. She later told me she bought them from a little shop near where she worked. I eventually said, “Hello.” And, the rest is history.

What was your first thought when you discovered Tabby was a witch?

While I was shocked to hear she was a witch, I started thinking something was amiss between some of the church’s teachings and what I was seeing with my own eyes. No way could a flower loving girl be an evil spawn of Satan just because she believed in nature.

OK, so I have to ask. Does Tabby have a broom and if so has she taken you for a ride?

Well, she has a broom, but it isn’t magical. Or at least it doesn’t magically start sweeping by itself so we don’t have to do housework. She has taken me for a ride, but it has been in a normal car, I’m afraid.

Too bad. I was kinda hoping the broom thing was true. I sip my tea and say, how did you feel when the Church defrocked you? Oh, and how can you still be an exorcist if you are not a priest?

At first I was angry. So, I did a lot of things I had vowed to not do. And, well, you don’t have to be a priest to be an exorcist. You just have to be one to be an exorcist sanctioned by the Church. Very important distinction.

I had no idea. I thought you had to be a priest. I grab the kettle and heat up my tea. I was a little worried about Doc Holliday in Sorrow’s Turn because he went away and came back extremely tired. What are doc’s limits and where does he go to recharge?

Doc’s spirit is tied to the place he died. Every so often, he has to ground himself and reaffirm his connection to this world.

Let’s switch to the cat. I know there is more to Issac than you let on. Is there something you can share with us about the future?

Isaac is a good guy. But, sometimes, he has a lot of things that seem almost supernatural. At first, I thought that was because he was Tabby’s familiar. But, even Tabby thinks there is something more to it. Isaac will continue to be roaming around. He does interact with a devil baby.

Oh, lord. I take a bite of cookie then sigh. A devil baby, he says. I continue, Lucy is my favorite character even though she scared the crap out of me in Sorrow’s Point. What is your relationship with her really like? Does she scare you sometimes? Are you sure she is dispossessed?

She is kind of like a niece I never had. I love her and wish she wasn’t stuck as a child forever. She does scare me. But, she is not possessed anymore—a spirit can’t be possessed. A demon needs a body in order to possess someone. But, a spirit can be cursed. However, that is not the case with Lucy. Lucy’s issues stem from bitterness and the fact that she is no longer human.

I glance at the clock. Well, Jimmy. Good luck to you and your family and friends. Please give Lucy my best and Tabby too. Give Doc Holliday a hug. He seems like such a nice old guy. And thank you again for taking part in the interview. I really appreciate it.

You're welcome. He gets ready to leave. Maybe I'll see you around sometime?

I nod and say, Perhaps. You never quite know what will happen next in this dimension.

He grins and walks away.

Thank you so much, Danielle, for letting me interview Jimmy. I've had a grand time!