The Crossroads

Billy stopped running when he reached the cemetery fence.

“I want to go home,” he groaned. “Now.”

“Shut up, you big baby!” he yelled at himself in the voice of Clint Eberhart.

“I need to go home,” said Billy. “I’m exhausted.”

“You’re like a broken record! I swear I ought to—”

“There will be no swearing, young man. This is sacred ground.”

Three nuns were standing behind the fence—three penguins in flowing black robes with winged white wimples on their heads.

“Nuns?” fumed Eberhart. “I hate nuns!”

“Hate can be very dangerous, Mr. Eberhart,” said the shortest nun. “Hate will doom you to hell for all eternity!”

“Hah! I ain’t never going to hell, Sister. I’m going to live forever!”

“No man lives forever.”

“Oh, yeah? Just watch me, doll!”

The oldest nun spoke even more serenely than the first.

“Mr. O’Claire? Mr. William O’Claire? Can you hear me? I know the demon spirit has taken control of your body, but I hope you are in there, too. Mr. O’Claire, my name is Sister Elizabeth Synnott.”

“Sin-snot? What kind of name is that? Do people call you Sister Boogers?”

“Billy?” said Sister Elizabeth. “Listen carefully. Your grandmother forgives you for what the evil spirit forced you to do.”

“What?” Billy heard the nun through the fog that always came whenever Eberhart took charge of his body.

“Mee Maw forgives you, Billy. She told me that you were a good boy. That you visited her in the nursing home and brought her oatmeal pies and—”

“Shut your mouth!” Clint snarled through Billy’s lips.

But Billy fought back.

“Sister, tell Mee Maw I—”

“Hate her guts for turning me into such a pansy!” Clint’s spirit was stronger.

“Go home, Billy,” Sister Elizabeth said gently. “Resist the demon. Can you do that for your Mee Maw?”

“I’ll try, Sister.”

“One last thing, Mr. O’Claire.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Watch over your son.”

Eberhart yanked Billy’s head sideways, wrenched his neck out of joint, sent spasms wriggling through his limbs.

“You have a son, Billy boy?”

Sister Elizabeth gasped. Understanding dawned. “I’m sorry, Billy,” she said. “I didn’t realize—”

“Why is this the first I’m hearing about my great-grandson?”

“Keep him away from Aidan!” the nun implored.

“Why, Sister, what a horrible thing to say! Keep me away from my great-grandson? This Aidan and I are family.”