Page 141 of Devil Inside

“Lilith?”

reach out and summon someone

Jordan

Know your local oracle.

That would be me. Let’s see if I’ll last. The scotch certainly won’t. I’ve got a whole bottle and now I’m ready to do a little drunk demon-dialing. Can you believe it?

I figured Lilith would’ve reached out by now, but it’s been quiet. Absolute radio silence. Where in the hell is she?All you’ve got to do is summon me, she said.

I need to get my head checked. This is such a stupid idea... Fuck it. How else am I going to find her? Talk to her? If she’s not going to speak to me, then I’ll speak to her.

Time to reach out and summon someone.

I’ve been doing my research. The Salem Witch Trials. The Fox Sisters. The Great Harmonia. The Azusa Street Revival. All these different cultures with their different scriptures. Countless occurrences throughout the centuries, going back to the dawn of recorded history. Even further, most likely. Possession has been here from the very beginning.

The real million-dollar question is:How am I going to get Lilith back?

I know I flew off the handle the last time we were together, but now I feel exceptionally empty without her. Is this what it feels like after an exorcism? What’s left of the vessel after the demon is cast out? The host feels hollow inside. Completely excavated.

Do hosts ever pine to get possessed again? Ask for their demons to hop back in?

I want—need—Lilith. I don’t know what I am without her anymore.

If only she’d talk to me.

I knew that was her at the bookstore. Had to be. Has she been following me? She was there and gone before we could talk. The two of us are being too stubborn, we won’t allow ourselves a chance to open up unless it’s on our own terms... whatever they are.

If we could just talk, communicate with one another, we could avoid all this mess.

Like this. What the fuck am I even doing?

Playing with fire, bud...

This deep dive into demonic possession comes with the slightest tinge of guilt. I feel like I’m doing a background check on a girlfriend, digging up demonic intel. What would she say if she knew I was looking over her social media presence? Doesn’t everybody do that?

A lighthouse, she called me. A beacon. A guiding light to lead others.

An oracle.Summon me, she said.All you’ve got to do is call...

She made it sound so easy.

I need more scotch if I’m really going to do this. There isn’t enough alcohol in the world that’s going to make this feel normal. Then again, what the fuck is normal anymore?

We’re well beyond normal by now.

I dig into the history of possession practitioners. Shamans. Mediums. The priests or priestesses who entered these altered states of consciousness in order to foresee the future. Speak tothe other side. Prophesize. There are induction techniques for voluntary possession, where the host willingly permit themselves to be taken over by spirits.

Is that what I’m doing here?

Summon me.As if all I have to do is pick up the possession phone. Give a ring—Hey, Lilith, what’s up? How’s it going? You free this Friday? Wanna get together? Go for a drink?

Or—I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole. I’m sorry that the black hole in the center of my chest has sucked the love out of us both, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who else to talk to about any of this. You’re the only one who makes me feel complete and I don’t know who I am without you. I’ve been a fucking shithead, and I want you to forgive me.

Maybe I could leave a voicemail. A possessed message or something.Leave your message at the sound of the beeeeep.Lilith can listen to me baring my soul later.

What soul? I almost forgot...