TALES OF DANSVILLE: EPISODE 2 PART 1

"What the hell is happening?"
"I-I-I d-d-don't know. Abena?"
"I don't either"
"Calm kids, he is praying for Stella. The pastor is trying to remove us"
"Remove us, but why??"
"They say we're demonic"
"But why, I don't like demons. No no!"

Stella shook vigorously as her blinking worsened.

"Yes, pray! Holy Ghost...fire, holy ghost, fire" As the pastor proclaimed, his hand aggressively rubbed Stella's head. Her husband and a few other church members surrounded them, all praying with fervency. Stella, still knelt on the floor confused. What were these people doing? Demons?

After her adoptive dad died, Stella was distraught. He was her best friend and her protector. Not only did he put in efforts to make her feel safe, but he also stood behind her every step of the way. She remembered her parents died in a car accident when she was little.

"Stella, tell them to stop"
"They won't, they think their prayer is touching her"
"But they are doing noise, I want ice cream"

Her head felt like it could explode at any moment. Stella herself didn't know what had happened to her but demonic? No.

A week after her dad's passing, she felt her shoulder shudder subtly one morning, out of the blue, then she was suddenly excited about everything and wanted to do anything. She rushed out of the house and went to the bar to get drunk. Club, star, anything. Halfway into her third drink, she felt her shoulder jiggle slightly and her eye blink twice


"What am I doing here? How did I even get here? What?" Confused, she went back to the house.

It happened a few more times where she'd get drastically excited to do things. The worst part of it all was that Stella didn't feel in control of her body. She barely saw the things she did when the excitement took over her body, but it was as if she was locked up somewhere in her own body. She confided in her husband who concluded it was to be demonic, like the overly spiritual or religious person he was.

When the pastor poured oil over her head, she knew he was going full "hell on you" mode.

"No! Oh oh stop stop"

Shudder
"Would you please just stop, I'm trying to think"

Shudder, blink
"I tell my mother. Mummy?"

Jiggle, blink
"Okay if you won't fine, get it over with"

"Shut up you devil! Get out of this body. This is the temple of God. Out in Jesus' name" The pastor continued to declare.

As their prayers intensified, the pastor continually slapped her back to get the "demons" out. She screamed, her body shook vigorously, and her headaches from all the noise. She eventually passed out. She woke up to them singing.

"Hallelujah! It is done". The sweaty pastor got up as they sang hymns of praise and worship. Her husband led the charge. According to her husband, who was a deacon in the church, the devil had sent demons to his wife to torment him. But he wasn't going to give in, he'd overcome them.

"I want ice cream! Ice cream!"
"I want to go home and rest, I'm freaking tired"
"Let's go to the bar!"

Shudder, blink
Stella got up and wanted to go home. Her husband was still talking to the pastor as she straightened her hair and cleaned the dust off her.

"I still don't understand why they still do this. It's every month"

"I don' like it. My head is paining me"

Stella was scared. This prayer thing was stressing her out and it wasn't working but her husband wouldn't listen. It was because of something about praying continually and persistently.

Jiggle, blink
"I look like a mess. Oh God, I can't go home like this. Ken, did you bring the dress?"
When her husband confirmed she went into the bathroom to change. It felt so much better.

"Okay honey, let's go." Ken kissed her on the cheeks and hugged her.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel better than before. I think I'm healed this time", Stella picked her handbag from one of the seats at the back of the hall.

"Hallelujah". They walked to the car and set off.

"Why did she lie, we're still here"
"Yes, she saved us from another prayer circus."
"Okay, I want ice cream"

She sat in the back of the car to rest. This was too much for her to handle. She felt it again, the jiggle.

Oh no

"I want ice cream"

"Okay" Ken turned to the left and their house was in view.

She went straight to the bathroom. She felt it again

Stella was different. She was filled with anger, towards herself. The rage ran through her body like electricity. She wrapped a towel around herself and went to the kitchen. Ken was probably asleep. The knife kept calling her to pick it up as the anger took over her body. As soon as she ran the knife through her thigh, she felt her shoulder shudder and she gained control. Then she felt an excruciating pain in her thigh. What happened?

I was taking a shower. How did I end up here? What? How am I explaining this?

She screamed out for Ken to come. She couldn't walk without wincing and limping. When Ken saw her, he rushed to pick a dress for her and they drove to the hospital.

All he wanted to do was have a normal wife. What did he ever do to God to deserve this, he'd occasionally ask. Then he'd point a middle finger downwards to the devil, telling himself he could handle anything. This time, he was fed up. They'd been praying about this for almost 5 months. Nothing had changed.
When the doctor came back in, he asked what had happened.

"I was craving for ice cream and bread. So I decided to cut the bread on my thigh and then I cut a little too deep."

"But that cut was quite deep"

"Isn't that what I'm saying?" She wanted to rest but the doctor was asking too many questions. Unnecessary ones like that.

"We're going to keep you here for the night. You can go tomorrow."

Ken knew she was lying. After the doctor left, he confronted her
"You know that's not true. What happened?"

"I'm serious, K. I was cutting bread."

"So if I go back to the house, I should see cut bread in the kitchen?"

She was quiet. Ken banged the bed with his hand in frustration.

"It's that demonic possession isn't it?" He started crying.
"I'm tired of this. What sin have I committed to deserve this? I'm done. I am. I can't go on with this. I've tried but I can't be with you any longer. You have so many demons in you and we can't do jack about it. How can I, a man of God, be harbouring demons in my own house"
He walked out slamming the door as Stella called out to him. Tears trickled down her face.

Next day
When the doctor came in, Stella had coiled herself up in the corner, angry.

Shudder, blink
"Oh doc, I feel better now", smiling excessively and stroking the back of her hair. She got up and walked closer to him. The smell of his cologne gave her life.

"You looked angry when I entered?"

"Oh. It's nothing, I was..uhhh...praying" Stella quickly replied.

"Not to be intrusive, but what happened last night? The knife scar looks like a deep stab."

"Oh doc, sit with me" She held his hand and motioned to sit down, dragging him down. When he sat, Stella placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Well, we...no I was cutting bread on my thighs, then while I was going to take the spread, I missed the container. Yes that's what happened"

"Look, you need to-"

"Are you single?" Stella cut him short. He confirmed he wasn't and she was infatuated even more.

"I'll check up on you later. I have work to do. With that, he got up to leave.

Shudder, blink
"Okay doc" She looked as dull as she picked up the blanket to cover herself

"Wasn't she all lively a second ago, trying to flirt with me? I came to meet her angry earlier, and now dejected?", the doctor muttered to himself

5 hours later
The doctor came back to tell her she was almost free to go back home. She only needed to see a psychiatrist

"You think I'm crazy? I'm telling the truth" she let out an exasperated gasp

"Yes I know, and I don't think you're crazy. We just want to do a review, talk to you then you can go home okay?"

Stella agreed and proceeded to follow him down the hallway with the doctor.

"Where are we going?"
"I want biscuits"
"He said we're going to see a psych-something."
"Is that bad?"

The kind doctor opened the door for her once they got there. He said something to the new doctor and then introduced them.

"I don't like him"
"I don' want to be here, biscuits"
"Calm, let's see what he has for us. Cool?"

"I'm Akwasi. I want to ask you a few questions then you can go. Is that okay?

"Yes"

Dr. Akwasi picked up a notebook from his drawer and pen to jot her answer down. After a few preliminary questions, he asked

"So what brought you here?" He removed the cap off the pen with his mouth.

"I don't know, that doctor said I should come here before I can go home?"

"Okay, so what brought you to this hospital?"

"I mistakenly cut myself while cutting bread" Stella was beginning to believe the lie herself.

"But the scar according to the report looks like it was more than slicing."

She was still adamant about the lie and was going to her grave with the lie if it came to that.

"See, you can tell me anything. I understand that these things can be difficult to say. I'm not going to judge or criticize you for anything. You can trust me"

"That's what happened" she was fed up at this point.

Dr. Akwasi was calm with her. He took his time to assure her of confidentiality and trust that Stella finally opened up

"I don't know what happened. It was like I was no longer aware of anything then the next minute I'm holding a knife and a cut on my thigh"

"Ohh. And what do you think is happening?" Dr. Akwasia jotted a few things down

"My husband thinks it's demonic. He's a pastor, no... deacon"

"But do you think it is?"

"I don' like demons, I want biscuits! Biscuits!" Stella became agitated and banged the chair she sat on.
Dr. Akwasi tried to calm her by giving her biscuits he placed on his table to calm the kids that came through.

"Thank you".

Dr. Akwasi maintained a straight face. He suspected a disorder.

"So what's your name?"

"Efua". She was struggling to open the biscuit wrapper

"Efua how old are you?"
She raised 4 fingers to indicate 4 years.

After a few more questions from his instrument, he was almost sure it was what he expected but he needed more testing and evidence to pin it down. When he called out Stella's name, her shoulders jiggled and her eyes blinked.

"Do you remember throwing a fit and asking for biscuits earlier?"

Stella then realized she had an open pack of biscuits in her hand. She didn't recall anything.
He asked her for instances where she found herself in a situation she didn't recall being actively involved.

"It happens quite often, more than at the beginning. Like I'd pass by a shop and then moments later I'm coming back with toys, and I don't have children. Or I'd be wearing full makeup well done when I don't even know to. It's a lot of things?"

"I see". He put down a few more notes then looked back up at her.

"Doc, what do you think it's happening? Am I crazy?"


"No no. I think there are different versions of yourself because of a disconnect between your memories. All with their own stories and that's why when one manifests, you lose your sense of self."

"I don't understand" Stella was so calm.

"You may have suffered abuse or trauma which caused your brain to detach those memories or dissociate those memories from you, so now those different memories have formed their personalities.

"I've not suffered any abuse. My parents died and my new parents couldn't have done that. Nothing like that could have happened."

"That's what we're here to find out"

"I don't have different people in me. I've not suffered any abuse." She yelled at Dr. Akwasi.

"When I asked you your name, you said it was Efua. Is that one of your names?"

"No"

"Oh ok." He paused. "Mrs. Stella, we can help you manage and control this, that is if you corporate. It's nothing to be afraid of. With treatment, you'll surely get better. Are you willing to do this?

Shudder, blink, switch

"Are you going to remove us? She started screaming and destroying the things on the table. Dr. Akwasi remained calm

"No no. Efua?"

"It's Abena"

"Abena, no I'm not going to remove you. Stay calm okay"

"Okay, whatever"

"And I want you to tell the rest to be calm, and wait for their turn, everyone will speak eventually, but I need to speak with Stella okay"

Shudder, blink, switch

"We're going to keep you here in the hospital so that we can take good care of you. You're also a danger to yourself. We'll do more tests to be 100% sure tomorrow but for now just try and rest " Dr. Akwasi closed his notebook and put the pen back into his front pocket.

"Stella, where is your husband?"