Apparitions

Good day", I said catching my breath, he nodded then invited me to his office, I silently followed. I looked back at the crying Bethany Villafuerte as I walked away and if I may say so myself something inside her just broke and I broke it into very fine pieces.

I continued following the priest until we arrived to a room not too far away from the church, I was told to sit down and I did. The priest sat on the chair across the table and smiled at me.

"We're sorry about Bethany, she's just a bit unstable as of the moment", said the priest, I was shocked.

"I'm sorry but I'm not following you", I replied in confusion.

"Officer, Bethany has took residence in this church, she find this place safe and calming", he said, "I believe she had told you about what happened to Annie, is that correct?"

I nodded.

"I see", the priest looked at me and pondered for a moment and after what seemed like a forever of silence he spoke again, "I'm the parish priest of this humble church, my name is Fr. Lawrence", again I nodded.

"Officer, I'm quite sure that you see Bethany as an insane person with all that she had said to you. Bound by the sanctity of the confession box I must admit I too was troubled with when she confessed such things to me, but since she has divulged the same to you this means both of us know what has transpired during that night. I found it alarming and worrisome what her family had experienced, but only God could save the poor child now, and we did try."

I shot my sight up to meet the priest's gaze, his eyes were filled with despair. "I'm sorry father but could you say that again?"

Father Lawrence merely shrugged, let out a sigh and said, "It's been years ago officer, a few days after the disappearance occurred...we were concerned since the family were parishioners here. However, one night while we were doing a pray-over for the safety of Annie, something happened...something bizarre. Bethany was here that time, her parents sent her here to be away from everything because the girl was traumatized beyond imagination."

He took a sip of water and continued, "That night after the prayer we sent Beth to her room, then it happened, the nun who was making the final rounds to ensure that no one is lurking around the church, Sister May saw everything. She told me she heard someone crying...'sobbing' was the term she used. She then went towards the source of the sound but stopped when she saw Bethany, who followed her, scared because of the sobbing noise. Together they went to the church to check, and there they saw near the sacristy was Annie."

"How did they..."

"Know? It was Bethany who recognized her, they saw a child praying, crying blood. Beth knew it was her sister because when she whispered her sister's name the child looked straight at her and suddenly burned where she was. Beth and Sister May began screaming and when we found them they were both on the floor crying while the place where they saw Annie was filled with scorch marks, the seat blood stained."

"Did you had the blood tested?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact we did, it was a match with Annie's. However, we just couldn't tell it to anyone that our nun saw Annie Villafuerte burn and disappear since no one will ever believe us. Beth wasn't even sure if it was something she wanted to tell anyone, she was scared. We all were."

"I completely understand saying something like that will get people into trouble, but in the whole of the story I couldn't understand how you tried to save her." I said, trying to sound skeptical.

"It wasn't the only time it happened, Bethany was the one to always see it, not alone if ever you're wondering. One such time I was with her even, because it happened after confession and it was just as she and Sister May had said, a burning child and bloody seats. That night when it happened again, we prayed as we saw her burn. However, while praying I was knocked over by some dark thing, with the last thing I saw before I passed out was Bethany being held by the neck by the dark being"

"What do you mean dark being?"

"A demon, the one in the photo officer, the very same one."

I swallowed, I weighed my thoughts, this was either true or everyone in this damn place was insane, but seeing the fear in his eyes were all too real for me to dismiss. But if the demon wanted to kill me why did he went after Bethany? Could she be like me, a victim of circumstance or another nuisance in the plan of the demon? I sighed. This case was veering to a direction I do not like at all. I looked up and saw the crucifix, "Why did she run when she saw the crucifix?"

"Because it was hers, it was something their family asked to be made for each child when they reach seven years old, with each one made especially for the child who will wear it, and this was Bethany's."

"But if it's hers why would it end up drenched in blood? Annie's blood to be exact!?"

"That's something you have to ask Beth yourself, officer."

I bit my lip, all I'm getting are more questions and not much answers, the priest was helpful to a certain degree but then again not much, damn it - I cursed in my head.

"Father, how long has Bethany been staying here?"

"Let's see", he was quiet for a moment and looked at the calendar, "Give or take five months next week", he said.

"Why did she come here all of a sudden? What did her family say?"

"Her family was OK with it, I think Beth told them that she just want to be away for a while. I called their home and Ulysses was OK with it, he did say his sister looked stressed and needs the time off,"

"Was that the real reason why she came here?"

"No officer, Beth was not the type to have broken down with stress, the reason she told us was that, she had been hearing voices in their home. She said the voices belong to Annie. She got scared and went here. According to Bethany it started one weekend afternoon five months ago when the old detective went to visit his father, she heard her sister's laugh. The next day then she drove here and stayed ever since."

I was stunned, it was I who triggered Bethany to leave home, it meant that I wasn't the only one who heard that laugh then. I also wasn't the only who was going through this insanity, the question though was why? Why Bethany? Why me? After a handshake and a thank you I bade the priest farewell and went home.