Possession

While in my room I ran to the bathroom and shut and locked the door. Sitting on the toilet I let myself cry out my fear at the changes in my husband. I would gladly go back to him ignoring me and playing his online games if it meant he wasn't this sex-crazed angry man.

"How long are you going to take?" I heard him yell through the house. "I haven't eaten since before you left!"

"I'll be out in a minute!" I yelled back and quickly cleaned up my face then changed into some baggy pajamas, hoping I could look unappealing to him.

Later that night, I lay in bed wide awake. I hadn't made it without having to have sex with Jared, but luckily he fell asleep afterward and was out like a light. The clock on the nightstand next to my side told me it was well after one in the morning. Looking at Jared I carefully slid out of bed and tiptoed into the living room to the computer.

Once it was on, I began searching for anything relating to changes in behavior after near death experiences. I found several links to people posting on forums asking for help with their loved ones who'd become complacent or deeply depressed. Others were expressing their happiness at how energetic and loving someone had become when, before, they'd been so-so. I did manage to find some who talked about the person becoming easily agitated and restless. Those were the ones I read all of.

By three I hadn't found any useful information and was beginning to fall asleep at the keyboard. I figured I'd try one last link and then go to bed. I'd passed it over earlier because it was some ghost story site and I didn't believe in those kinds of things, not to mention ghosts were not my problem here.

After clicking on the link, the site came up and I began to read. The more I read the more awake I became. This covered every kind of behavior change in a person who'd nearly died. Not only that but it talked of changes in personality as well as mannerisms, which most of the other sites had not.

Then I read over one part and had to read it several more times to make sure I'd read it correctly.

While some people who have near death experiences are the same in everything else but their outlook on life, there are those who seem to be missing pieces of their memory. Those who seem completely changed. You might not notice it at first because you're too happy that your loved one is alive and safe now, but it's not long before you begin to wonder what's going on with them.

Sometimes a near death can unlock a part of them they never knew they had in them, but I have found that most of the time, these changes mean that your loved one is no longer with you.

You see, there are earthbound spirits everywhere. Sometimes they forget to go, sometime they don't want to. Whatever the case may be for them, some have figured out that they can possess those who've recently died. It may only take a second of the heart stopping, but as long as the body's soul has vacated the premises the earthbound spirit may take over. This accounts for some memory loss and the other changes your loved one may be suffering from.

Sometimes they're not too bad, all they want is another chance at life, but other times they possess people in order to fulfill some mischievous task that could very well harm those around them.

If you've realized that your loved one may be possessed, don't panic. If you're lucky, you may get their soul back, but I won't say there haven't been times when the original soul has moved on. Sometimes it was just that person's time to go.

I have visited several people who began to wonder if their loved one was possessed and when the original soul is still lingering, I have been able to send the earthbound spirit on, allowing the body's actual soul to come back.

If you believe you are experiencing this and would like help, please contact me. I have had this happen to someone in my family and I know how scary it can be. I want to help.

It was the closest thing I could find to my problem. I had nothing to lose if I contacted this person. Scrolling down the page I saw that the writer, a man, lived in the same state. I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly copied his e-mail address and went to compose a message to him. I could only hope he'd get back to me soon.

The next morning after more rough sex with Jared, he announced he was going out for a while. Inwardly I sighed with relief and hoped that he'd be gone for several hours.

As he grabbed the car keys and opened the front door he stopped and turned to me. "I don't want you leaving this house, you hear?" he said, his face stern as he looked at me.

I smiled weakly and nodded. He smiled then and quickly pulled me to him, crushing my lips against his. His tongue forced my lips open and he ravaged my mouth. As quickly as he had begun, he stopped and let me go.

"I'm not trying to control you, hun, I just think you're too pretty to be going anywhere by yourself. You need me there to keep the losers away," he said with a wink and a chuckle then left the house.

As soon as I had the door closed and locked behind him I ran to the living room and peeked out the window, watching him get in the car and drive off down the road. I then turned around and sat on the couch for several minutes to make sure he wouldn't suddenly turn around and come home because he forgot something.

When I felt it was safe I jumped up and went to the computer, turning it on. I sat down in the chair, my right leg bouncing with impatience as the machine booted up. After everything was running I opened a web browser and checked my e-mail. Nothing in the inbox. I sighed. I had hoped the guy would get back to me soon. I went to close out of the window when I noticed I had something in my spam folder. Opening it up I found a reply from the ghost guy.

My pulse raced as I read through the few lines he wrote.

Mrs. Wright,

I'm very glad you found my site and have contacted me. From what you mentioned it could be very possible your husband has become possessed. If he's as touchy as you say he is I would advise caution and I would like to make a visit as soon as possible. Are you available any time today?

-Gary Farmer

I quickly typed out a reply, letting him know that I was not busy at the moment but not sure how long my husband would be gone and sent it. Once that was done I decided I'd surf the net for a bit, hoping he would reply within minutes.

It didn't take long at all to receive his answer.

I am in your area right now. If you can make it to the little coffee shop on Main I would be happy to talk about this.

For a moment I sat there debating on if I should go or not. What if Jared came back while I was out? I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought. Would it be worth it to get caught by Jared should I be gone when he got back? What if this set him off enough to hit me? Of course, if I didn't find out if possession could actually be real and what's happening to Jared, I could end up with an abusive husband for the rest of my life. That did it. What were a few hits compared to how many I could receive in the years to come should I not try and fix things? I sent a reply back saying I'd be there in ten minutes and briefly described myself then ran to get ready to leave.

At the coffee shop I stood just inside the entrance, scanning the crowd. I had no idea what this man looked like. I should have taken a few minutes to go back to the site to see if he had a picture. Since I didn't I just had to wait and see if he realized who I was. There weren't very many people in the shop. It was the in-between time for coffee drinkers. Those that were there were spread out over the many tables or plush couches and chairs. I glanced at the little fireplace against the far wall and smiled, no one was sitting there. It would be nice to have a drink and let the liquid warmth and the heat from the fire take some of the edge off since it was an unusually chilly morning.

Taking in the room one more time my eyes roved over those at the counter waiting to order or pick up their drink. One customer was just taking up two cups from the counter when he turned and caught my eye. Something passed in his eyes and I knew that must be him. Sure he enough he began walking over to me.

He was tall. Had to be a few inches over six feet. His short-cropped hair was a dark, steely gray, making him look very distinguished. Sensitive, eyes- that looked dark from this far away- sat under rimless glasses that were perched on a straight nose that wasn't too small or too big at the end. Under that his lips could just barely pass for full. A stubborn-looking chin led to a strong jaw that was clean-shaven. What few wrinkles he had weren't deep and only showed that he must smile quite often.

I took in the square of his shoulders under his black trench coat and the way the fabric of his sky blue button-down shirt fit snugly over a broad chest. His shirt was tucked into dark slacks at a narrow waist that led the eye down long legs ending in feet shod in shiny black shoes. The overall appearance was of a man who was comfortable in sensible, business-like clothing but you could easily see him in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He must've been at least ten years older than me, putting him in his mid-forties. I felt my heart begin to thud in my chest as he neared me.

"Mrs. Wright?" he asked, his voice soothing with just the hint of a bass tone.

"Y-yes," I stuttered as I realized he was now standing right in front of me.

He smiled and my heart melted, the parenthesis on either side of his lips deepening as he showed off pearly white, almost perfect teeth. "Good, I was afraid I'd end up approaching the wrong woman."

"Oh I don't think any woman would mind be approached by you," I suddenly blurted then realized what I said.

He flashed me that smile yet again, his dark honey eyes twinkling in amusement. "Shall we sit?" He motioned to the fireplace and I turned and went to it. Once seated he handed me one of the drinks. "Of course I'm not sure what you liked so I asked them to go light on the flavoring. It's just a regular mocha."

"Oh, thank you," I replied as I took the drink, my fingers just barely brushing his, causing a blush to creep into my cheeks.

"So I won't keep you here long, you did mention that you might not have enough time. The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble with your husband."

"Right. Well first you have to understand that I'm a bit skeptical about all this ghost stuff. I didn't even click the link to your site until I'd exhausted all others. It was a shock to see how much everything you described matched my husband to a T."

"Of course, I understand. Most people are like you and that's not a bad thing. There's stuff out there that we are better off not knowing anything about. Ignorance is bliss, right?" He chuckled, making me smile.

"So how do you suppose you'll know if he's actually possessed- if that's what's going on, that is."

"Well I'd need to meet him somewhere in a situation that would allow me to shake his hand. I will know then."

"You're psychic or something?"

"Or something," he replied with a small smile then took a sip of his drink, which prompted me to drink my own. "I've been this way since an accident when I was a kid. I almost died myself. I was lucky that nothing tried to take over my own body, but the residue of death stayed with me and allowed me to sense things and sometimes see them."

"Oh, I see."

"So about meeting your husband. When do you think is a good time? I must insist that it be very, very soon."

"Why?"

"You see, while it's possible to put a soul back in its own body or pull an intruding one out, it can take time and a lot of effort. I'd normally need a few people to help me. Unfortunately all those I know are currently out of town for one thing or another. So in order for me to do this I have to use Halloween to get this done. Now spirits are stronger that day, but so is pretty much everything else and a human body was really only made for the soul it was born with. It'll want to get rid of this wandering ghost. If I can't get this done on Halloween night, then it could be up to a year before anything is done about it."

"A whole year?" I gulped. I couldn't stand a whole year with whoever this man was that was my husband.

"My friends are wanted elsewhere most of the time, as am I usually. I must say, Mrs. Wright, you are one lucky woman. I've had an uncanny break in calls for my services so I've been happy to be home for a while."

"I suppose something needs to go right at the moment," I murmured and took another sip of my coffee.

"So, meeting?"

"Right! Well you could always come by the house pretending to be some salesman or something. Maybe a new neighbor? I don't know."

"A new neighbor might work. That way if he happens to see me around the neighborhood he won't get suspicious. I'll have to keep an eye on you if it turns out he's actually possessed. Ghosts sometimes just know things, even when hindered in most ways by a physical form. If the spirit realizes what's going on, he could try to harm you."

My eyes grew big at the thought. "Goodness, has that ever happened before?"

"Several times. If they're showing signs of aggression to begin with then that and the fact that they've snatched a body, means they'll do anything to not leave. I want to keep him in the dark for as long as possible. I have to keep my clients safe."

"Okay so new neighbor it is, then." I rummaged through my purse and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen. "Here is my address," I said as I wrote it on the paper. "It's best to come by during mid-afternoon, just before dinner. He'll get angry if someone comes calling once the sun has set." I handed him the slip of paper and stuck the pen back in my pocket.

Taking it, the man looked at the address then tucked it in a pocket of his coat, pulling out a small notepad and pen when he took his hand out. "Here's my cell number. You can reach me on it day or night."

"Thank you so much for doing this, Mr. Farmer," I said as I took the phone number and slipped it into my purse.

"Call me Gary," he replied and I looked up to see him giving me that model smile, thankful that I was sitting down.

"All right, Gary, " I said and stood. "I should be going now. If you care to stop by this afternoon that would be good."

"Perfect. I'll see you then. Have a good morning, Mrs. Wright."

"Lis," I said with my own smile and was given a nod in return before I walked from the shop.

That afternoon I was in the kitchen going through cookbooks, trying to think of something to make for dinner. I looked up at the clock and saw I had two hours until Jared expected something on a plate in front of him. Gary should be arriving soon. My heart beat hard against my chest. I could find out what exactly was going on with my husband and I only hoped that the spirit inside of him didn't catch on- if he was actually possessed.

Shutting the book I had been looking at with no sign of inspiration in sight, I went to the fridge and opened it, staring at the meager contents. I hadn't been to the store in a few days and with my poor cooking skills there were no leftovers as Jared made me dump what he didn't eat.

I sighed. I really didn't feel like cooking. I was too nervous to do anything but sit and stare at the clock, waiting.

"Jared, honey," I called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" he yelled back from the living room.

"Would you mind if I ordered us a pizza or some Chinese food tonight?"

"Why?"

I walked around into the living room and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my stomach. "Well I haven't been able to get to the store to restock the kitchen so there's really not much of anything to make a meal out of. Not to mention I think you deserve a break from my awful cooking." I forced myself to smile at the dig at myself.

"I guess it's fine. Get two pizzas, meatlovers, and an order of breadsticks and some soda."

"What kind of soda?"

"Dammit woman, I'm trying to watch T.V! You should know what I like anyway. Just go order it and stop asking so many questions!"

I flinched when he yelled at me and turned to grab the phone in the kitchen and order the food. Just as I picked up the phone, the doorbell rang.

"Who the hell is coming over at this time? Lis! Get the door and tell whoever it is to go away!"

I hurried to the door before the bell rang again. Opening it I found Gary standing there. He smiled and I gripped the side of the door to keep myself from falling on legs that had suddenly turned to jelly.

"Hi there," he said brightly. "My name is Gary, I just moved into the neighborhood and I realized I lost my cell phone and I haven't had the chance to set up the phone at my house. Is it possible I could use yours?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," I said and stepped aside. "Come in and I'll get the phone for you."

On my way to the kitchen, I noticed Jared had muted the television and was now standing up and making his way to the front door. In the kitchen I picked up the phone and waited for a moment, my breath held as I heard Gary begin to speak to Jared.

"Sorry to bother you, sir. My name's Gary. I just asked your wife if I could borrow your phone for just a moment. I promise it won't take long."

"Jared," my husband said gruffly. "There are plenty of other houses in this neighborhood you know. Couldn't you have gone to one of them and bothered the people there?"

I took that moment to step from the kitchen and found them just letting go of each other's hand.

"I just came to the first house that looked occupied, sir. I'm terribly sorry if I'm inconveniencing you in any way."

"Here's the phone," I said quickly before Jared had a chance to respond. When I handed Gary the phone, the look in his eyes told me everything. There was someone else inside my husband's body. A chill went through my spine and my stomach began to roll, the urge to vomit increasing with each second. Some strange...thing had been having its way with me for the past five days.

Gary dialed a number quickly and spoke to whoever answered on the other end for a moment and then hung up, handing the phone back to me. Jared grabbed it from Gary's hand before I could even begin to reach for it.

"Thanks for letting me use your phone. You folks have a nice night." With that he left the house and I shut and locked the door behind him.

"Next time don't go letting just anyone into the house, you hear me?" Jared said, his voice deadly. I nodded quickly in response and he shoved the phone into my hand. "Order the pizza," he muttered and went back to the couch and the television.

Again, the next day, Jared went out for several hours. I took the time alone to call Gary and have him come over to explain everything. While I waited I cleaned the house, trying to rid myself of the nervous energy that was building.

I jumped when the doorbell rang and threw down the sponge and ran to the door. As I opened it, Gary took in my bright yellow gloves and flushed faced, quirking an eyebrow. "Nervous?"

"Beyond," I answered and let him inside as I pulled the gloves off. I stuck my head out of the house briefly and glanced around, hoping no one saw and that Jared wasn't anywhere nearby. Coming back in I shut the door and led the way into the living room where I motioned for Gary to sit.

"Well?" I asked as before his gorgeous ass made contact with the couch cushion. My own small, but well-rounded, one was on the edge of the couch as I was too wound up to relax and sit back.

"That's definitely not your husband," he began with a heavy sigh. "But I assume you realized that last night. You were pretty pale when I left."

"Yeah, your look said it all. It's just...sickening. I've only had sex with one other guy besides Jared and that was before I ever met him. The thought of someone I don't know touching me like that and then..." I trailed off at the thought of all the rough sex and shuddered.