“I see.”
“The thing is, there have been some strange things happening up there and—”
“You mean the ghost?” Isaac said.
“Demon,” Leah corrected.
Meggie looked from one to the other. “You know?”
Leah shivered. “We always have known. Why do you think we moved out and won’t go back? At least not until she’s gone.”
“It’s gotten worse. I got attacked. Aaron’s hair has turned white and the mold has taken over an entire room.” She sipped her coffee as she went into the details for them of how things were fine after Pastor Jack’s visit, but had now escalated.
“So, are you saying my brother is possessed?” Isaac asked.
“No, that wouldn’t be the case, I’m sure. He is just as much affected by this as I was. Besides, he rededicated himself to God on Sunday,” she paused, taking a deep breath. Aaron certainly hadn’t acted very Christian-like last night, but then, neither had she. She shook her head and continued. “And he prayed around the house again last night. But I know Tanis is involved in the occult. As is the bloke she moved in there. Drake Stormcrow.”
“Oh, I know Drake,” Isaac said, looking at her over the cup. “He’s been involved in something illegal on the farm for years. I just couldn’t put a finger on what.”
She straightened. “Really?”
“How is this related to the trust fund?” Irritation flickered in his voice.
“Anyway, what I’m trying to say, is that Aaron has hired a lawyer to contest the codicil of your dad’s will. The lawyer is also looking into the trust funds and several other things on the farm that Aaron isn’t happy with. The lawyer uncovered some things he thinks you should know, but wants to tell the three of you at the same time.”
“Why didn’t either Aaron or this lawyer ring us to say?”
“Well, Aaron didn’t think you’d listen to him and Mr. Knight, the lawyer, didn’t want you to feel he was forcing you into a confrontation.”
“Mr. Knight? Are you married to this lawyer?”
Meggie laughed quietly. “Hardly. He’s one of my brothers. And he’s not doing this for the money either. Aaron doesn’t have any. He can barely keep his head above water right now as it is.”
“But the trust fund—?”
“Gareth will explain it all when he sees you. If you want to meet him.”
“Will Aaron be there?”
“Yes.” She picked up her cup, sipping the now cold coffee. She pulled a face and put the cup back down.
Isaac and Leah exchanged a long glance. “I hate fighting,” Leah said. “I miss my brother. Please, Isaac. Maybe he didn’t take the money. We should at least hear what this lawyer has to say.”
“I guess just listening won’t hurt. “
Meggie smiled. “Thank you. I’ll text Gareth and let him know you’ll meet him there. He suggested meeting outside Wokingham town hall at eleven forty.”
“OK.”
She pulled out a sealed envelope from her pocket. “He also asked me to give you this.”
Leah’s gaze fixed on Meggie’s sleeve. “You’re bleeding.”
She glanced down. “It keeps doing that. The sooner this is over with the better.”
Leah slowly pulled up her sleeve. “Mine won’t go away either. Every time I see Tanis or hear her voice in my head—” She shivered. “That makes me sound crazy.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I have, too.”
Meggie and Isaac spoke at the same time.
Meggie paused and looked at him, before continuing. “And so’s Aaron, not that he’ll admit it. We have to work together here. With God’s help, we can defeat her and whatever forces of evil are working through her. The first step is to put things right with Aaron.”
“The Lord is the help and shield of the house of Aaron,” Isaac said wryly.
“That’s one of his favourite verses.”
“I can see why.”
Pastor Jack tapped on the door and opened it in the same movement. “Sorry to interrupt, I need my diary.”
“It’s your office, Pastor.” Meggie managed a smile.
Isaac looked up. “Hello, Pastor.” He stood and held out a hand.
“Isaac. Meggie didn’t tell me it was you she was seeing,” came the reply as the two men shook hands. “Hey, Leah.”
“Pastor.”
Pastor Jack looked at Meggie as he picked up his diary, and his eyes clouded. “What happened to your arm?”
Meggie shivered. “That was last night.”
“Last night? From the unedited version I imagine.”
“I didn’t tell you everything. It’s worse than before. Aaron and I prayed around the house, but when we reached what was the red room, something happened. There is something there again. More than one something. It did this, Aaron’s hair turned white and then we had the fight.”
Pastor Jack let out a deep slow breath. “I was afraid of this. It is very evident that something is happening on the farm. I originally thought it was to prevent the bonfire celebration this weekend, but it goes deeper than that.”
“The evil there has been happening for years,” Leah said quietly. “For as long as I can remember.”
“Before you were born,” her brother added.
“It’s just escalating,” Meggie repeated. “Maybe one demon left and seven took its place.”
“I thought stuff like this only happened in the movies,” Isaac said.
“No, it’s more common than people think.”
“But surely it doesn’t affect Christians?” he asked.
Pastor Jack perched on the edge of the desk. He folded his hands on his lap, looking at them intently. “Actually, Christians are the ones most under attack. Not always as blatantly as this, it could be in small ways, little temptations that grow into larger ones. The same way a small lie turns into a bigger one to cover itself and so on. Sometimes, the larger the task you are doing for the Lord, the more intent the devil is on stopping you from doing it. He’ll use whatever he can against you, doubts, fears, temptation, and persecution. But above all else, he wants to devour you. He wants you to fall. He’s a defeated foe, but he’s determined to bring as many people down with him as he can.”
“But this…hauntings, demons, eyes…” Leah shivered. “It can’t be real.”
“I experienced it myself last week,” Pastor Jack told them. “But if you believe in God, then you have to believe in the devil and forces of evil. A huge war waged on Calvary, but we know the end of the story. The battle is over, the war is won and Jesus is the victor.”
“The house was fine after you prayed around it,” Meggie said. “It’s since Tanis came back. I saw…” For a moment she saw a fire, then the image was replaced with one of a dead baby and a huge sign reading ‘you are unwanted, unworthy and unloved’.
“You saw?”
“Nothing,” she said, emotion draining from her. “I saw nothing. I am unworthy, unwanted and unloved.”
A hand touched her arm. “Meggie.”
She shook her head, looking at Pastor Jack. “I’m sorry, I zoned out for a moment.”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t remember…”
Pastor Jack looked at her. “Meggie, who told you that you were unworthy, unwanted and unloved?”
“I am. I always have been.”
“Leah says that, too,” Isaac said. “And she never remembers it either.”
Pastor Jack took a deep breath. “We need to pray. Join hands.”
Feeling like part of a TV program she used to watch as a child, Meggie joined hands with Isaac and Pastor Jack, Leah taking their other hands. She closed her eyes.
Pastor Jack began praying. “Lord God, right now we are facing a huge attack by the devil and his forces. It seems to be centered on and around Maranatha Farm and Aaron Field. But, Lord, the attacks are spreading outwards. The people that Aaron loves, his family, his friends are also being targeted by the forces of evil. These direct, frightening attacks seem too much to bear and are affecting every part of our lives. The devil is whispering things to them, trying to divide them, and deny them their salvation. But, Lord, we rejoice in the fact that we are loved and wanted and worthy in Your sight because of the victory that Jesus won for us.”
Meggie shivered. Something cold tugged at her.
Pastor Jack’s voice became more authoritative. “Lord, we ask that you bind the spirits currently at work in this room. Surround us with Your Holy Light, fill us, and shine through us so that they have nowhere to hide. Bind them in Jesus name. Send an army of angels to aid us in our fight and to protect us now. Cover us, shield us and free us from the grip of the evil one.”
As he spoke, the cold lifted and it was as if the sun had come out.
You are loved and wanted, My child. Never forget that. I am with you, always.
Her head jerked up and she looked around to see who had spoken. The others looked at her, their faces seemed less oppressed, lighter, much the same as the way she felt. Had they heard the same voice that she had? It didn’t matter.
The Lord had spoken to her. He was in her and with her and she was safe in Him.
22
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. Psalm 22:22
Aaron glanced at Gareth he parked outside Tunstell Refineries. Why hadn’t he said anything? Surely Meggie would have told him what happened between them last night? Or would she just have kept quiet? Maybe she hadn’t told anyone what she’d done.
Gareth turned off the engine. He cleared his throat. “I thoroughly read those files you gave me. Including the one on my sister. I’m assuming, as you said you’d looked at it, that you know what was in it. Or if you didn’t, that someone told you what was in there.”
Aaron nodded slowly, his face burning and a sour taste in his mouth. “I didn’t read all of it. Just the bits about Ted, but yeah, someone filled in the gaps.”
“It’s up to Megs to tell you what really happened.
If
she wants to. She was extremely upset when she got home last night. Actually, make that almost hysterical. She hasn’t been that upset since the incident happened.” Gareth’s eyes narrowed. “But that file wasn’t one hundred percent accurate.”
Aaron swallowed hard.
“It gave the bare bones, hints at the truth, but it left the most of the details out. I’m not at liberty to say what. Like I said, that depends on whether Megs wants to tell you. It’s not something we talk about at home much.”
“I’m sure it can’t be that different to what I’ve been told.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Aaron pulled an envelope from his pocket. “Anyway, can I give you this for safekeeping?”
“What is it?”
“My copy of some papers Tanis gave me to sign last night.”
“You signed them?” Gareth sounded shocked.
“Sure I did. The offer was too good to pass up. But I’d like these lodged with you for safe keeping.”
“OK.” He put the envelope into his briefcase and got out of the car.
Aaron followed him up the stone steps and into the reception area. Stone pillars and a high glass ceiling gave the whole lobby the impression of grandeur and space.
Gareth went over to the desk. “Gareth Knight and Aaron Field to see Gavin Barstow.”
“Sign here, please.”
Both men signed in and Aaron slid his hand into his pocket. His fractured wrist hurt this morning. He’d forgotten to take the pain killers and pain always made him grotty. But today he was cranky anyway. His grandmother would tell him the reason he was grotty and unable to dance was because he had the devil on his back.
He stopped half way to the lift. Dance…Meggie…he’d signed away any chance with her for the land his grandparents worked so hard to keep. No wonder he was grotty. He’d never dance again. He’d exchanged light for dark. Wasn’t there another song Nanna had sung? About shooing the devil away? He wished he could remember it. And the other one Meggie had taught him.
“Come on. We need to go up to the fourth floor.”
He followed Gareth into the lift and leaned against the wall. His shoulders slumped and fingers clenched and unclenched.
What had seemed so right now seemed so wrong. Was what he’d thought the truth about Meggie, wrong after all?
God, please, I’ve so messed up here…
He glanced in the mirrored walls, seeing red rimmed eyes and white rather than blond hair. He looked so old. What was happening to him? “If you see Meggie before I do, will you tell her I’m sorry. For everything.”
“I’m sure she’d rather you tell her yourself.”
“I was pretty horrid to her.”
Gareth held his gaze. “I know. She said. But one thing you need to know about my sister, she doesn’t hold grudges. As mad as she was at you last night, she won’t be now. She forgives most things, given time.”
Aaron dragged his hand through his course white hair. “Not sure I have time,” he said dully.
“What do you mean?”
“I look older than I did last night. Something on that farm is sucking the life out of me.”
“It’s not the farm, it’s whatever is in the farm house. You need to pray long and hard and only go back when you are wearing the armor of Christ.”
“What’s that? Jack mentioned it in passing and I haven’t gotten around to looking it up yet.” The doors opened and he followed Gareth down the hallway.
“It says in Ephesians that our fight is against the spiritual forces of evil and we have to stand against it. The armor is the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. We also have the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Only when wearing this can we stand against evil.”
“Would you pray for me?”
Gareth nodded. “I’ve been doing so ever since I met you last weekend, but even more so since Meggie came home last night. Just hold tight to the Lord and trust Him to get you through this and out of the other side.”
“Thank you. I will.”
The secretary glanced up as they entered a large lobby. Gareth looked at her. “Gareth Knight. This is Aaron Field.”
“Go on in, Mr. Barstow’s expecting you.”
The two men walked into the huge spacious office behind her. Floor to ceiling windows looked out over the main refinery. Three tall chimneys belched smoke into the sky, the wind blowing it over the massive grain stores.