Elijah

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Elijah sat in the back
Of the cab looking out
At the city lights, listening
To the constant din
Of city life, absorbing
It all in like a sponge.

The cab stopped in front
Of the hotel, he paid
The fare and left a generous
Tip then exited the cab
With his small carry on
And a troubled expression.

It was his first time
Visiting a big city.
First time and most likely
His last time. 
He entered the lobby and
Checked in under his alias.

It should take two days,
Three, if he was thorough.
He wanted to be fast,
Hoping it would only be two
But in a city this big,
He needed to be thorough.

After taking a shower,
He called room service
Ordering a cheeseburger
And two beers. As he
Waited for his order,
Elijah made one more call.

When his order arrived,
He thanked the hotel worker
And tipped him generously,
Opening one of the beers
As he closed the door.

He waited 'til he heard
The elevator doors close.
He changed quickly into
All black and crept out
Of the hotel using the
Exit to the back.

His destination was 
Two blocks away and
He was there in no time,
Keeping to the shadows.
He slipped through a door
Left open for him, then
Walked up to the seventh floor.

He found the door
And knocked on it swiftly,
It opened immediately.
The woman before him was
Distraught, but seeing him
Seemed to have given
Her some relief.

"Come, come this way...."
She grabbed his wrist
And pulled him inside,
Practically dragging him 
Down the hallway to a room
Filled with people.

Although he was a newcomer,
The people's attention remained
At the center of the room
Where sat a little girl.

"Welcome Elijah, 
I've been waiting 
For you."

Elijah looked around
Looking for the person 
Who spoke with the voice
Of an old crone, he then
Looked at the girl
Who smirked at him.

She winked at him,
Her eyes turning from brown
To red, "Elijah,
It's been too long since
We last met. When was that?
Oh yes, the possession 
Of little Tommy O'Hare.

"Hopefully, this will be
The last time we meet like this,"
Elijah said, pulling out his tools,
A cross, a bible and
A flask of holy water.
"How long ago was that possession?"

The little girl hissed,
The people walked towards
Elijah, grabbing at him.
He said a prayer under his breath,
He walked to the door,
He waited till they all left
Then he locked the door.

"How long demon?
How long since we met
Like this?" Elijah demanded.
He picked up his bible 
And looked for the verse.

"Long enough, you old fool!"
The girl spat out.
"Long enough!" 

"Not long enough in
My estimation. Ah,
Here it is," Elijah
Read the text once
Then looked at the child.
She had curled up 
In the corner of the room.

Elijah lit eight candles,
Four white candles were
Placed in the corners
Of the room. Then he lit
Four red candles and 
Placed them in between
The white candles.

He dragged the child
Into the center of the room,
It was stunned but not for
Much longer, Elijah made
The sign of the cross on
The girl's forehead with
A few drops of holy water.

The child was coming to
"Elijah!" the cross on
Her forehead burned red,
"Your father sent me,
He wants you to join him
In hell!" the child taunted.

Elijah read the text,
This time he read it over
And over and over. It was
As though he had fallen
Into a trance while reading
The sacred text.

All the while,
The little shrieked
Or taunted him or
Curled up, trying to not
Hear him reading the text.

One by one,
The candles changed colours,
The white ones turned red
And the red ones turned white,
When the transformations
Were completed,
Elijah put out the flame.

Soon all the candles sat unlit,
"Tell me your name," Elijah demanded.

"Has it been so long that
You have forgotten my name?"
The girl asked weakly.

"Your name, give it to me,
Foul creature," Elijah demanded.

"Bastian is what they call me,
Bastian," she said ever so weakly.

"With the power of the most high,
I return you to your master.
Bastian, I return you to hell.
If you return to this place,
To the land of the living,
You will perish, you will
Cease to be."

With that said, Elijah
Placed the cross before the child
Who shook terribly then went still.
A few minutes passed,
Then an hour or two,
The child opened her eyes.

They were red.

Two more days to go.