Chapter 11

Walking into the woods' entrance, it was dark, and the only illumination was the glow of the full moon.

As I made my way through the dense woods, I couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness again. We had been searching for my friend Micah for hours, but the only sound I could hear was the crunching under my feet.

The moonlight began to fade behind clouds blowing in from the north. We knew I needed to find Micah before the storm that looked to be forming arrived.

As I continued, I spotted something glimmering in the distance. I quickened my pace and soon realized a keychain was lying on the ground. Beck told me it was the one we gave Micah for her birthday.

My heart began to race. We immediately followed the direction the prints in the snow pointed. The further we went, the more worried I became. I couldn't shake off this sick feeling in my stomach.

Suddenly, we heard a faint cry for help in the distance. It was Micah's voice. We ran towards the sound, pushing past branches and bushes.

I ran toward Micah's feeble cries, the wind howling in response almost drowning her out; the moon was now entirely obscured by dark clouds, leaving me in an eerie gloom. 

As Beck and I reached the edge of the mountain. However, visibility was too complex to see through the snow, and we could see well enough the outline of Micah perilously dangling off the cliff, clinging onto the rock down under us, and trying not to fall to the frozen waters below. Without hesitation, we rushed to her aid, grabbing onto her arms and pulling with all our strength.

Micah was in excruciating pain, but she managed to tell me that she had stumbled off the side of the mountain in the dark while in the woods.

The winds grew, and the snow picked up, signaling the fast-approaching storm.

Next to Beck, we saw a large branch leaning against the trees. I asked her to grab it so we could use it to pull Micha up.

We shouted down to her that Beck and I were here to help; she just needed to grab on. As we lowered the branch, grunting and struggling under the weight, we started pulling her up.

As we pulled her up, we could see her covered in blood, and her eyes were furious with an unnatural glow through the falling snow. 

"Possessed," Beck whispered in a questioning tone.

"Yes," I whispered back. It had become evident that Micah was under a demon's possession, "as we had discussed the thought before."

Knowing we had to save her, what else could we do next?

We were taken back, unsure of what to do, as Micah lunged at us with inhuman speed and strength.

Micah's screams filled the air as she struggled against the invisible force inside her. Her eyes were wild and filled with terror. This menacing energy seemed to take over her.

In a flash, she turned towards us, our friend's once-familiar face now twisted into an unrecognizable scowl. We dodged and weaved, trying to keep a safe distance as she relentlessly attacked us. It was then that we realized that she could no longer control herself, possessed by a powerful demon.

What cruelty! As we fought for our lives against our friend, a bright light suddenly appeared above us.

It was Baby, our guardian angel, who had been watching over us from the trees. We knew she had come with us but did not know what she had planned. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a magical cross neckless and handed it to us, telling us to use it.

Beck and I quickly formulated a plan, using the cross to seal the demon within Micah. With time running out, we knew we had to act before the demon took complete control over her.

As she lunged at Beck, she dodged her, sliding on a patch of ice and hitting the tree behind. With this precise movement, we cornered Micah, and I held her still as Beck placed the cross on her neck. A blinding light erupted from the cross, engulfing Micah and the demon within her.

We could hear the demon's agonizing screams as it was trapped within the magical seal. As the light faded, Micah collapsed to the ground, her body exhausted but free from the demon's hold.

We helped her to her feet and supported her as she regained control of her body.

Baby leaped down from the trees and smiled at us with relief. She explained that Micah had probably been battling with the demon for some time, and our act of bravery and quick thinking had finally freed her from its grasp.

We vowed to help her learn to control the demon within her. With Baby and the powerful cross, we knew Micah would be able to overcome.

As we walked down from the mountain, the snow calming to a stop, we made our way back to the edge of the woods. Where we were greeted by a park ranger who had been alerted by our screams. Micah was taken to the hospital, and we stayed with her until she got in the ambulance.

As we walked to the ambulance, Micah slowly regained her strength and control, turning to us and thanked us for finding her.

I smiled and replied, "That's what friends are for." our friendship had been tested, but we had become more vital than ever through this terrifying ordeal.

We three promised to always look out for each other and discuss our issues, no matter what. As the ambulance doors shut, they took Micah away.

"Well, Kaysi," Beck said, turning towards me. We need to figure out a story to tell our parents, and when we get home, I need some rest."

"I could not agree more; I am mentally and physically drained. It is safe to say Micah will be okay from here, but we will need to keep a close eye on her and help if needed."

"I agree! There is something I wanted to know that needed to be clarified. Where did this demon come from?" "Was Micah the one behind the attacks, then?" "Also, why was she not freaked out seeing Baby, our guardian dog, talking?"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing." "After we get home and rest, call me when you wake up, and we will see her in the hospital." 

"We can ask her questions, but let's not try to overwhelm her. She may not remember."

"Okay, then. That sounds like a plan, Beck." "I'll see you tomorrow after we get some good rest."

When I got home that night, just as the sun was rising, I said thank you to Baby. She informed me that we have many ways of dealing with demons and that we will find a way to help our friends.

I barely made it inside the house. My mom asked why I was home at such an odd hour and where I was going.

"I'm sorry, Mom. My friend got sick at the sleepover, so I came back home to get some rest." 

"Oh, okay. You could have called me, and I would have picked you up."

"No, Mom, it was such an odd hour. I didn't think you would be awake yet."

"Of course, I am awake now. It is 6 a.m., and I have work." "It is also Monday. How are you? Are you feeling well? I can call you into school today." 

"That's fine, Mom. I think I may have the bug she had," I said as I slowly walked up the stairs to my room. I took this as an opportunity to rest.

When I got to my bed, I went straight out to sleep. I was in a deep sleep until Beck called me. The call woke me up, and that is when I noticed I had slept in my shoes.

"Hey, Kaysi, Are you ready to head to the hospital and see how Micah is doing?" she asked. 

"Yeah," I said as I yawned. What time is it?" 

"It is 3 p.m. We got about 9 hours of sleep if you go to bed at 6 in the morning as I did."

"Yeah, I did. I barely noticed the time until we got home. That said, I am ready. I already have my shoes on. I chuckled"

"Hold up, didn't I just wake you up?" 

"Yes, I fell asleep with them on!" 

"Oh my, you silly girl." "At least you're prepared. I will head over to your place, and we can head to the hospital from there since you are closer."

"Alright, see you," I said as I hung up the phone. When Beck arrived, I chose to keep Baby behind today. She needed the rest as well, and I didn't want to smuggle her into the hospital room again as Beck did for me.

When we arrived, they told us they discharged her because her health was fine. A bit of a cold and some scratches were all she had.

"Oh man, how are we so good at missing her?" Beck laughed. "I still want to ask her how she is doing and what she knows. Also, I wasn't sure if she remembered the events that played out yesterday."

We will call and head over to her house. I said as I picked up the hospital phone. 

"She better be there," Beck interrupted. 

We waited for an answer while the phone rang; I teased her, "Now you are finally on board."

When we called, she was indeed at home, and her mom told us that she had been released from the hospital. "She told us that Micah had walked off a cliff in the snow when she went to a sleepover." 

We acted confused, not to raise suspicion or question.

Oh my, I see, I said in a fake surprised tone. My acting skills suck, so hopefully, she didn't catch on.

We headed over to her house. From there, the last bit of winter, I think, charged in last night because it was quite warm. Almost all the snow had melted by this evening.

When we arrived at Micah's house, she was sitting in a chair on her patio, the outdoor heater warming her. As she looked towards us, we could tell something was on her mind.