Chapter 2: The Morning Madness

So, here’s the deal: Only four people in the entire world know about my little "situation." Go ahead, take a wild guess. I’ll even give you a million tries, but I bet you won’t get all four. Maybe one, if you're lucky. Actually, nah—I’d say no way. But I’ll let you in on it later. Right now, I’ve got bigger problems.

It all started this morning, bright and early. I wake up, and immediately, my mind’s racing—like a hamster on a wheel, but with more existential dread. Last week, I did something stupid. I got myself a girlfriend. Now, you might be thinking, “Ethan, that’s not a big deal.” But trust me, it is when your best friend still doesn’t know about it. And if you knew my best friend, you’d understand why this is a certified disaster waiting to happen.

But that’s a problem for future Ethan. Today’s issue is getting ready for church. Sundays are my sanctuary—literally. The demon inside me? Silent as a grave. It’s the only day I feel almost... normal. Plus, that’s where I met my girlfriend. We don’t go to the same school, so church is our little meeting spot. And with my best friend’s birthday coming up in a week, the last thing I need is any unnecessary drama.

“Ethan!! Ethan!! Ethan Kane, get up! We’re leaving for church in a few minutes!” That’s my mom, Mary. She’s super serious about church. No one misses it in our house. And by “no one,” I mean just me and her—because, you know, I’m a child of sorcery. Witchcraft, black magic, the whole nine yards—that’s me.

Anyway, we have this holy bathroom we use on Sundays. The water there? Amazing. I usually feel like a new person after a shower. But here’s the thing: I’ve never actually seen my mom come out of that bathroom. She’s always done by the time I wake up.

So, I drag myself to the bathroom, ready to wash off the overthinking, and as soon as I step inside, BAM! I’m hit with this intense pressure, like a thousand bricks just fell on me. My blood’s boiling, my heart’s burning, and suddenly, a chorus of voices starts screaming in my head. I hit the floor, unable to move. My mom rushes in, and—get this—she doesn’t even glance at me lying there. She just goes straight to the bathroom, pours some weird liquid in a pattern around the shower, and drags me into the middle of it. Instantly, the weight’s gone. Poof. Just like that, I’m back to normal.

Mom didn’t say a word. Not one. Just walked out like it was any other Sunday. Now, I know what was going on—it was the demon. But how did my mom know? She’s not supposed to know about this, right? Yet she acted like she knew exactly what to do.

I started feeling normal again, so I decided to take my shower, letting the water wash away the weirdness of the morning. As the warm water flowed down my body, I closed my eyes, trying to relax. But then—hold up—I started hearing this voice. It was distant at first, but it kept getting closer. “Ethan... Ethan... Ethan!” The voice was almost on top of me. My heart raced. My blood froze. 

And then—BAM!—I felt a tap on my shoulder. My eyes snapped open, and... I was still standing in my bedroom. I hadn’t even moved an inch towards the bathroom. My mom was staring at me like I’d lost my mind.

“I thought I told you to go take a bath,” she said, her voice dripping with impatience. I was completely thrown. What just happened? Everything felt so real—my mom dragging me, the pressure, the voices. But it was all in my head. The demon was just messing with me. Then, the voice in my head whispered, "See you after church, Ethan." 

Finally, I dragged myself to the bathroom, half expecting some horror-movie twist. I braced myself, took a deep breath, and stepped in. And then... nothing. No pressure, no voices, nothing. It was just a normal shower. I finished up, got dressed, and pretended like none of that craziness ever happened.

Anyway, I take my shower—normal as ever—and get dressed for church. We hop in the car, and we’re off. It’s around 9:10, and everything seems fine until we get to church, and my mom realizes she forgot her big, ancient Bible. She’s had that thing since forever. Panic flashes in her eyes, and she practically shoves the car keys at me, telling me to drive home and get it.

Now, I’ve been dreaming of driving on a Sunday forever, but this is the worst timing ever because I’m supposed to be meeting Emma, my girlfriend, outside the church. I try to play it cool and tell my mom I’m not that confident in Sunday traffic yet. She gives me this look, like, “Hurry up, son!” and I’m like, “Okay, geez, it’s just a Bible... or is it?”

I head outside, trying to keep my pace slow so Emma can catch up, but she’s nowhere in sight. Figures. She’s probably trying to be all stealthy so no one notices she’s following me. I finally reach home, and as soon as I open the door to my mom’s room, BAM! Someone jumps on me. 

“Hey, sweetheart! I missed you so much! How are you? Have you grown taller? You look amazing—oh my God, I need one of your hugs!” She’s practically crushing me with this bear hug, and I can feel my heart melting. 

“Hey, sweety, I missed you too,” I say, and she squeezes me even tighter. “I’ve been going through a lot, and just one hug from you makes everything better. I love you—don’t ever leave,” she whispers in that sweet voice of hers.

“I’ll always be there for you, like I have been from the start. I love you too... Courtney.” 

Oh, right. I don’t even know where she came from because at this point she just wants to cuddle but you probably thought I was talking about my girlfriend, Emma, didn’t you? Nope. That was Courtney, my best friend. We’re just friends... right? I mean, I love her, but not like that. Or maybe I do? I don’t know. But does it even matter? I’ve got a girlfriend now, and—oh, wait. Speaking of Emma... 

Click. I hear the front door open