Chapter 5

An unexpected visit

Moriah

A suspicious look came across my father's face when he poked his head out. So I told him, “Dad, your memory is so bad that you can't remember that you have a daughter? I may have changed, but this much, for you no longer recognize me? However, I doubt that is the case. Can I come in?”

I passed through the door after my dad opened it wide. “Moriah, it's not that I don't recognize you, or even that I have forgotten about you. But I still find it alarming that you didn't call me to let me know you were coming.” 

“I had no time for anything, as you can imagine. My plane ticket was purchased almost three hours ago, and I didn't have your phone number with me. Well, better said, I was too nervous to even think about texting you.”

Then he led me into the living room and told me to make myself comfortable, “I'm going to make some tea.” I inspected the surroundings and almost did not detect any differences. This house reveals nothing about its owner's personality. Out of everything, only one photo stood out, so I approached and picked it up. It was a picture of me holding my degree. I graduated from university as a psychiatrist. I only saw him smile that day.

Later on, my dad came back with a tray of tea and sandwiches. So I went back to my seat. He sat in front of me and looked at me intently. Waiting.

Despite my efforts, he is the only one who dares to analyse me. It was impossible to refrain from telling him. “I see that you still can't overcome your obsession with analysing everything that crosses your path.” My father made a frustrated face. I always have to spoil the fun.

“That can wait. I have more pressing matters to deal with right now.” My dad narrowed his eyes and waited patiently as I said, “I need your help. It seems like I'm seeing things. The series of events began after I met with a patient in Our Lady of Piety's psychiatric hospital. He is a killer and a very scary one. The interview allowed me to determine the pathologies. In addition to schizophrenia, he suffers from neurotic episodes. But that is all. The strange thing is that he was speaking as if he was from another planet.”

He just watched me. Anyhow, I continued my story, “After that day, I began experiencing strange sensations. I feel like I am surrounded by presences. As I turned to see around me, there was no one. I associated it with tiredness at the time. I did nothing else about it, and the symptoms grew worse. The presence became apparent, now I saw them everywhere, shadows stuck to the people.”

In an instant, my father put his hand down and angled his entire body towards me. His full attention was focused on me. “When the shadows appeared, they were sporadic. Each individual is now accompanied by one or more companions. In addition, they were always immobile. Today, for example, the driver who brought me had one of these shadows, but this one was moving toward me.”

My dad began unbuttoning his collar and sleeve. He seemed to be nervous for some reason. “It seemed as if the substance from which the shadow was forged came to life and moved by itself. It dissolved but never ran out. And the worst part is that it was getting closer to me, something that never happened before. I medicated myself against some issues related to tiredness and insomnia, but to no avail.”

I saw my father lean back in the seat and close his eyes. Then, he opened them and stared at me. After a pause, he said, “many years ago.” When science was not so developed, and we did not have the current medicines, but I had a lot of cases like yours. Science and technological advances have led to the replacement of the terms that were historically used to describe these conditions. I couldn't resist interrupting him. “What do you mean, dad?”

As he looked at me sadly, I didn't know how to interpret what he was saying. “It used to be called demonic possession.” The cup of tea I was holding fell on my legs, fortunately, it was not that hot, and I did not suffer any burns.

My dad was there in seconds, “You'll be fine, Moriah.” No, nothing is fine. Nevertheless, I nodded to let him know that it was okay, he passed me a cloth, and I tried to dry the tea stain as best I could. My dad returned to his seat and I waited for him to continue.

“The people who used to treat these cases were not doctors from that time, but religious leaders.” I will keep my mind open, these are past events and I kept listening. “Their illnesses were treated with rituals called exorcisms, which were usually performed by a priest and a helper.”

All of this reminded me of the words the patient said to me: “You're part of them, aren't you? In the last few years, they have changed their style a lot. Now they send women, which is very unusual. You must be very powerful, but who are you?” 

I returned to reality once my father continued to do what he knew. In short, I either became possessed or became the target of some demon.

“Would you say that I am possessed? Am I the victim of a demon? Or am I suffering from a mental health problem? I hope this trip hasn't been in vain. I know my dad is retired, but bringing demonic things to justify a pathology is beyond him.

“I don't know, Moriah; I need to take your vital signs and do a CT scan. We must rule out any physical injury. Being able to achieve these results. Next, we will discuss some psychological traumas that may have triggered this reaction. Maybe that patient you told me about. There is a possibility that he evokes something in your subconscious.”

Yes, that makes more sense. “For now, pick a room and unpack. The house is yours, I'll see you tomorrow.” He got up and went somewhere in the house. For now, he dismissed me until tomorrow.

I'm glad he's on my side. That's the dad I know.

The rooms facing the front of the house were perfect for me, and I don't need anything else. After unpacking, I decided to inform Carla that I had already arrived. The address and contact information of the house was emailed to her. In the state I'm in, I don't trust myself very much these days. After all that, I took a quick bath and went to bed.

The following morning, I got up and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. My dad had already prepared it and was reading an article in the newspaper when I  said, “Good morning.” As soon as he heard me, he stopped reading and raised his head, letting me know he heard me.

When I took a seat and started eating, we remained silent, the way it has always been. It won't change with time or distance. That is until he spoke. “We have an appointment with the CT scan specialist tomorrow. We will then take blood samples and send them to the laboratory. Is there anything you're unsure of?” 

He raised his head to know my answer, and I replied. “No, all is clear. What is the name of the doctor who will review the results?” My dad nodded his head in understanding. “He is a colleague of mine. He is still practising, so not to worry. In this case, confidentiality is imperative, so I asked him for total discretion. He agreed, there is no need for concern.” 

After breakfast, the day passed without incident. I checked my pending emails online to review them and began digging deeper into my medical condition. I received an email from Our Lady of Piety's psychiatric hospital. My patient 571 has requested that we resume our sessions. My response was that we had only agreed to a police evaluation and nothing more. A report had already been sent to the authorities.

According to the email, the director informs me that the patient has requested my attendance. Not only that but demanding it for some reason as well. There is no explanation why I need to show up, why he wants me there. I replied via email. I explain to the director that this is counterproductive since professional ethics may be violated. It is possible to compromise the doctor-patient relationship. There may be something about me that provokes the patient's reaction. Fortunately, the director realized this and gave up.

There is something very strange about patient 571. The weird things he told me, the visions, all began after the interview. A constant request for my presence is made by him. Every day, I discover new things around me. Not that they're true, but I'm seeing them. Honestly, I have no idea what to do about this. It may be necessary for me to undergo therapy with a professional if my mental health is impaired.

I will lose my life and my career will end. I'm screwed, regardless of the solution. 

The next day, we arrived very early for our appointment with the radiologists. My blood levels were checked first by taking a blood sample. The scan lasted about forty minutes. My doctor would receive the results immediately. Therefore, I can only wait.