The Conjuring (The Warren daughter)

Chapter 23 (Under the Floorboards)

A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated for like a week plus, but I had multiple exams coming up and I needed to study. This'll be the last chapter of this book. There might be a sequel so keep your eyes out for it. Enjoy this chapter.

Suddenly, a yell came from upstairs. Drew had found April under the floorboards hiding and hugging her teddy. "I FOUND HER! SHE'S UNDER THE HOUSE! UNDER THE KITCHEN!" Drew called out, alerting the group in the basement and informing Bathsheba. In the basement, Bathsheba turned her head and gave a crooked smile before scrambling to the scissors abandoned on the floor, grabbing in like a knife in her hands and rushed to the hole in the wall which led under the floorboards of the house.

"Carolyn don't!" Roger and Ed said, stumbling after the possessed woman. Diana yelled out in exertion as she tried to get out from under the fallen cabinet but only made her situation worse as the weight shifted to her left foot. From there, Diana knew whatever movement she made would most likely end with a broken foot. Diana let out an angry yell and relaxed under the cabinet. She had given up trying to move it. She wanted to help, but now she couldn't.

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Back under the floorboards, Roger and Ed had finally gotten under the house, following after the cackling woman. Lorraine's eyes widened and an idea popped into her head. But that idea would mean having to leave Diana in the basement under the cabinet alone. Lorraine apologised softly to her daughter before rushing back up the basement steps with Diana now panicking, screaming for her mother.

Lorraine rushed up into the kitchen and found the hole Drew had created with a crowbar and watched as her husband and Roger struggled to get Carolyn as she squeezed through a small hole, coming face to face with little April who let out a shrill scream, crawling away from her mother, the little streaks of moonlight illuminating the wicked smile on Carolyn's face.

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Diana, in the basement began to panic. She didn't like being alone. Not in this house. As she let out her final terrified scream, footsteps came down the basement stairs and Diana broke into tears. Drew had been ordered by Lorraine to look after Diana in the basement. The boy dropped to his knees and shushed Diana calmly as he tried to assess her situation. He looked the cabinet over and began to lift it with all his might, his face red from exertion. Diana whimpered lightly as the weight lifted off her leg and hips before crawling out from underneath, and once far enough, Drew dropped the cabinet and ran to comfort the terrified Warren.

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Under the house, Bathsheba has gotten ahold of April, lifting the rusted scissors in hand, ready to plunge it into the little girl's chest. Ed had tried his hardest to squeeze through the hole in the supports but his shoulders were too broad, only his head could look through the hole to see the chaos. Roger yelled and reached for his daughter, his hand grabbing her outstretched ones and pulling her away from her mother. Up above the floorboards, Lorraine was now crouched in front of the hole in the floor on all fours and screamed. "Carolyn, no!"

"Bathsheba!" Ed roared and Carolyn turned her head, revealing the face of the demon. White messed up hair covered her scaly face as she turned to scream at Ed. "By the power of God, I condemn you back to Hell!" Ed finished with his exorcism. Not a moment later, Lorraine reached her hand into the hole to grab on to Carolyn's forehead, causing her to scream in pain.

"This is your daughter!" Lorraine yelled, trying to get Carolyn to come back into her own mind and body. "You can't give in!" Carolyn thrashed her head around, trying hard to shake Lorraine's hand away from her head, wailing. Ed turned to Roger who was holding April away from Carolyn, behind a wall of planks. "Roger, you need to get her to fight from the inside," Ed looked to Roger with purpose and Roger immediately complied, speaking words to his possessed wife, begging her to see some sense.

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Diana, who was now free from under the cabinet slowly took some steps, testing the waters, placing weight on both her legs as Drew had her arm draped around his neck, him holding most of her weight. Nothing hurt except for a few aches and pains that occasionally flared up in her hips. Looking to Drew, he didn't need to know what she was going to say. He knew she wanted to get up to the kitchen to help.

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"Remember what you showed me!" Lorraine said, pushing a vision into Carolyn's mind as Bathsheba wailed for Lorraine to stop. The day at the beach where the photo on the shelf upstairs had been taken. That powerful and happy memory. "Remember that day that you said you would never forget!" Carolyn stopped trashing, now instead began to sob as her mind was filled with the happy memory of that beautiful sunny day. 

"You said the meant the world to you. This is what you'll be leaving behind," Lorraine finished. By now, the morning rays of light of the sunrise peeked through the windows of the kitchen, illuminating the house. The hole in the floorboards let a streak of light pass, showing a now sobbing Carolyn. 

A few seconds passed as Carolyn finally repossessed her own body once more. A bubbling feeling began to climb her throat, like something was being forced out of her. She pitched forward onto all fours, retching out a substance that looked freakishly similar to blood. April was still clutching on to her father's arms and she watched her mother return to herself. Carolyn looked up, her features began to change, what once was scaly grey skin turned into a light pale shade of ivory as the effects of Bathsheba finally left her body. 

Diana appeared in the kitchen and squinted as the sunlight bathed the entire room. It was over. A new day has risen and evil has been defeated. It took a while to get out from under the floorboards but once they were, Lorraine and Ed grabbed Diana in a bone crushing hug, Ed apologising profusely for falling on top of the cabinet and Lorraine for leaving her alone in that dastardly basement.

Roger took his wife and slowly helped her outside, into the bright morning sun. The bruise marks on her skin began to fade, and her face looked much healthier, much fuller. "It's over," Roger sighed with relief. Now that Carolyn was sure she wouldn't hurt anyone she turned to April and gave her a huge hug, crying in relief. A sheriff's car turned up moments later, the rest of the girls piling out of the car and running to hug their newly exorcised mother.

Ed and Lorraine walked out, Diana between the two and Brad following not far behind with a clean white rag held over the wound Carolyn had bitten out earlier. "Thank you Drew," Diana smiled, looking at Drew before walking over, giving him a tight hug in thanks. Diana turned to sit on the steps of the house as Drew walked up to Brad. "A draft do that to your face?" Drew teased. "Oh, leave him alone Drew," Diana called from the side.

"I'd take a guy with a gun any day."

The three Warrens continued to watch as the Perron's piled into a whole bundle, hugging and talking going on all at once. April stood from the bundle, slowly walking over to the three Warrens with something clutched tightly in her hand. She gave them a small smile and placed it in Lorraine's palm before tottering back to the group. It was the necklace Judy had given to Lorraine. 

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As soon as they returned home, Lorraine called Father Gordon, turns out the approval came through from the Vatican after all. 'A little too late' Diana thought to herself. Ed went down to the museum, placing Rory's music box on one of the many shelves in the room. Lorraine waited at the door before informing Ed that Father Gordon needed them for another case in Long Island. 

"Diabolical forces are formidable. There forces are eternal, and they exist today. The fairy tale is true. The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."

-Ed Warren

A/N; That's it! It's done! Thanl you readers so much for reading the whole book. It really means a lot to me. Goodness me, I mean, this book hit 3k! Thank you so much, really. Just in case you were wondering, I'll add a little extra chapter just for casting. Byeeeee!