Free Suffer a Witch by Claudia Hall Christian Page A

hissed at Em.
    “You will leave this place,” Em said.
    “  . . .thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven . . . ” the witches said.
    To the demon’s dismay, his legs began to fade from under him.
    “I built this building from the ground up,” Em said.
    “ . . . Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses  . . .”
    “This is my building, my store, my home. You are not welcome here. It is protected from the likes of you. You will leave.”
    Em reached the palm of her left hand up to the heavens to pull down the power of the angels.
    “ . . . as we forgive those who trespass against us  . . .”
    She pushed the palm of her right hand out in front of her. She looked up to see a sparkling figure eight shining above her head.
    “ . . . Lead us not into temptation  . . .”
    “Be gone!” Em said.
    “ . . . but deliver us from evil! ”
    The demon sprang into the air to attack her. She pointed the palm of her right hand at him. There was a flash, like a firecracker, and the room fell into pitch-black silence. Sarah Wildes and Bridget screamed in horror. The smell of smoke rose from the front of the room.
    “Light returneth,” Em said.
    The gloom vanished. The room lights flickered and came on. The room was absolutely still. The demon had vanished, leaving only a wisp of smoke in his place.
    “We believe we’ve found the actual site of the Salem Witch burials.” John Parker’s voice cracked through the still silence.
    The young man had been speaking the entire time the demon was there. He stopped talking and looked confused at Em, who was still standing in the aisle.
    “Is there a problem?” John Parker asked.
    “Spider emergency,” Em said.
    She took a tissue from the boxes along the aisle and pretended to capture a spider. John Parker glanced at Isaac and Asher, who were sitting down.
    “My son is terrible allergic,” Isaac said in a thick Yiddish accent that would rival his ancestor. “Very bad, very bad.”
    Asher nodded. Em held up the tissue indicating that she’d captured the spider. With great flourish, George took the tissue from her and jogged to the bathroom. Em went back to her spot next to the door.
    “I had no idea there were horrible spiders here,” Alice said in her southern accent. “I’m terrified of those spiders.”
    She turned to her gentleman. Touching his arm, she cleared his memory of the demon. His face went from care worn to a bright smile for the lovely Alice.
    “Come on, Shug. Let’s get out of here,” Alice said.
    The man looked at John Parker and then at Alice. She held out her hand, and he took it. They walked down the aisle and left the building.
    “Now, where was I?” John Parker asked. “That’s right . . .”
    When George returned, Em pointed out the door. George, Sarah Wildes, and Bridget followed her to her office. Em didn’t say a word until her office door was closed. Em took her seat at her desk. Bridget sat down in a chair while George and Sarah Wildes stood.
    “What the hell was that?” George asked.
    “No idea,” Em said.
    “But you . . .?” Sarah Wildes asked. “How?”
    “No idea,” Em said. “Have any of you seen this demon before?”
    “No,” Bridget said. Sarah Wildes shook her head.
    “George?” Em asked. “Have you read about such a thing?”
    “Never,” George said. “We covered devils and demons in theology school, but that guy never came up. And I assure you, I’ve never seen him before.”
    “Have you ever felt his presence?” Em asked. “Any of you?”
    “Yes,” Sarah Wildes said. “Yes. I have.”
    “Do you remember when?” Em asked.
    “Have you?” Sarah Wildes ignored Em’s question to ask Bridget and George. “Have you felt him before?”
    Bridget nodded. George was staring off into the distance. Sarah Wildes touched his arm, and he looked at her.
    “Have you felt this demon before?” Sarah Wildes repeated.
    “Yes,” George