Chapter 120 – This Is What Real Exorcism Prep Looks Like!
The case file described it all in grim detail —
A doll with a twisted face, one that wandered its owner's home when no one was looking.
Every family that possessed it eventually realized something was wrong.
That should've been the moment to throw it out — to destroy it, burn it, anything.
And some actually did.
But when the doll somehow reappeared in their homes… they simply accepted it.
And that — Gideon thought darkly — was always when the tragedy began.
If it were him, he'd never let it get that far.
No — if it were him, he'd slice the damn thing into pieces, burn each fragment in a separate fire pit, and bury the ashes in different corners of the city.
Better yet, he'd never go near it in the first place.
Across from him, Lorraine noticed his furrowed brow and misunderstood.
"If this is too dangerous, Father Gideon, please don't feel obligated," she said softly.
"No," Gideon replied, his tone calm but heavy. "I was just… thinking how much I pity the victims."
Then, without hesitation, he added, "I'll take the case."
Lorraine's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful news!"
For the first time in days, relief washed over her face. If a priest like Gideon was involved, maybe they'd finally find a way to confront the spirit.
After finalizing the payment, they signed the official exorcism contract. Then the four of them sat together to review details.
Lorraine explained that the client, Mia, had recently relocated from California to an apartment in Philadelphia.
"It's close," Lorraine said. "Just a few blocks from Dey Church."
"Then we'll go now," Gideon replied.
Dawnlight Apartments
The four arrived at the foot of the tall brick building.
"Mia lives on the top floor," Lorraine pointed out.
Gideon looked up — ten stories high. A thick, oppressive shadow seemed to hang over the upper levels. Through his sight, he could see faint shapes swirling within the haze — wandering spirits, restless and dark.
It looked like a foothold of Hell.
As Lorraine reached for the intercom, Gideon raised a hand to stop her.
"Wait. Let's check the perimeter first."
Lorraine hesitated — there hadn't been any reports of other incidents nearby — but she trusted his instincts and nodded.
They began their inspection, circling the area around the building. Shops lined the street, and neon signs flickered faintly in the early dusk.
Gideon's expression grew sharp. "There," he murmured.
He pointed toward a shop window. The glass faintly shimmered with a dark residue.
The trash cans, a parked delivery truck — all bore faint traces of corruption.
"Did Mia ever encounter anything unusual outside her home?" Gideon asked suddenly. "Like… a vehicle acting strangely?"
The Warrens exchanged startled glances and nodded.
"Yesterday," Ed said, "a truck nearly hit her baby carriage. Luckily, she pulled the child away just in time."
Lorraine's eyes widened. That detail hadn't been in any report.
How did he know that?
Gideon simply sighed. "Then it's confirmed. Annabelle's influence isn't confined to the apartment. Her curse extends much farther than expected."
They continued several blocks until Gideon finally sensed the air clearing.
Then he stopped, unfolded a map, and began marking several points.
"All right," he said. "Place these bells exactly at these spots."
Lorraine took one of the small silver bells from his hand — and her eyes widened as she felt the holy energy radiating from it.
"Such powerful sanctity…" she whispered.
Then it hit her.
"Different positions, precise arrangement… this is—an exorcism array!"
Her voice was half awe, half disbelief.
She'd read about such things in Church archives — a binding formation, a powerful but costly ritual that once defined medieval exorcism. But it had long fallen out of use — too demanding, too draining of holy power.
"Could he be from an ancient Church lineage?" Lorraine wondered silently.
Judy, of course, was the first to grab a bell, her eyes bright.
"I've done this before!" she said excitedly, tugging her mother's hand. "Come on, I'll show you how!"
They split up to cover more ground. In less than an hour, every bell was perfectly placed, forming a subtle but potent ring around the apartment block.
"Now any spirit bound here won't be able to escape," Gideon said. Last thing I need is another 'Plague Zone' scenario.
Lorraine exhaled slowly, her confidence growing.
"So… shall we meet Mia now?"
"Not yet," Gideon said, shaking his head. "One more step."
He walked back toward the main street. The others followed, watching as he paused in several spots, raising his cross and murmuring prayers under his breath.
To the Warrens, it looked random — as if he were simply wandering.
But through Lorraine's Sight, she could see it: each place he stopped shimmered faintly with the lingering shadows of banished spirits.
There were dozens of them.
Her heart skipped.
They had walked these same streets before — past those exact spots — completely unaware.
How close we were to danger…
When Gideon finally purified the last corrupted trace, he slipped the cross back into his coat.
"All right," he said. "Now we go."
Lorraine nodded, a thrill of anticipation replacing her fatigue. At last, the real exorcism could begin.
The four returned to the apartment's entrance.
Lorraine moved to press the bell again — but once more, Gideon raised his hand to stop her.
"Not yet. We still need to set up a second layer of protection."
"A… second?"
Ed blinked. He'd already learned more in an hour than from half his career. That was just the preliminary setup?
He suddenly felt embarrassed even calling himself a "professional exorcist."
He turned his head—and froze.
Judy was staring at Gideon, her eyes wide with admiration, as though she were watching a hero step out of scripture.
Ed felt his face flush with awkwardness. "I'm not that bad, am I…" he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Lorraine watched Gideon pull more holy implements from his bag — relics and sacramentals that thrummed with unmistakable purity. Some of them radiated particularly strong sanctity; their age suggested they were rare, high-year artifacts. The sight deepened her curiosity about Gideon's true standing.
Gideon continued his sweep around the block, placing blessed objects of various vintages to shrink the spirit's roaming area. Upstairs, the malign presences in Mia's apartment still paced and plotted, completely unaware they were being corralled.
"All set," Gideon announced, snapping his hands together.
"Shall I ring the bell?" Lorraine asked tentatively; she was experienced enough to take the lead.
Gideon nodded. "Ask her to come down with the child. Find a plausible reason."
Ed, already hauling equipment from the car, looked surprised. "We aren't going in?" he asked.
Gideon's expression turned serious. "Charging into a room you know is haunted is reckless. If you get trapped, you lose control. And you don't even know whether you've been compromised."
Lorraine and Ed fell silent. Both had worked exorcisms for years, but Gideon's reasoning — methodical, cautious — was new to them. It made perfect sense.
"Father Gideon's right," Lorraine said, accepting his plan with relief. She moved to the apartment intercom. This time Gideon didn't stop her.
A soft click, and a woman's voice answered through the speaker. Lorraine improvised a casual line about dinner plans and waited.
A young mother pushed a stroller down the building steps. Mia had pale blond hair and a strong nose; despite recently giving birth she held herself with a steady, healthy posture.
"Hey, Lorraine — I called John, he'll be late," she said, then froze when she saw strangers gathered outside. "Who's this priest?"
Gideon stepped forward and introduced himself, then handed Mia a small vial. "This is holy water," he said. "Please drink it — it's a precaution to ensure you haven't been influenced by anything."
Mia's face went pale. "Am I… possessed?" she asked, voice trembling.
Lorraine, too, looked surprised; she hadn't perceived any corruption on Mia herself. Gideon gestured calmly upward. "Relax. It's preventive."
Their heads involuntarily tilted in the same direction — toward the tenth floor balcony. Perched over the railing was something that made every throat go dry: a doll with an uncanny face, its head turned as if it were watching them below.