Exorcist of the American Nightmares

9:52 PM.

In a chillingly arranged hall, a man is tied to a bed, flanked by an old man and two women standing by his side, appearing to be a family setup.

Next to them, Max, previously a wandering playboy lounging on the sofa, now dons a priest's robe, embodying the gentle image of a clergyman.

Behind him, a vast array of photographic equipment sprawls out.

Drew, in charge of everything, sits behind the equipment, holding a walkie-talkie.

He looks at the screen in front of him with some excitement.

"We now have nearly ten thousand viewers tuning in. Everyone, take your positions, I need your full commitment," Drew announces loudly, glancing towards Max, missing the hefty Bible that could add gravitas to his role.

"Max, where's your book? Someone, get it for him," Drew calls out, directing a staff member to pass the Bible to Max.

Max eyes the Bible with a flicker of disgust but takes it regardless.

"Okay!" Drew commands, controlling the situation like a film director.

"Luciano, check your props, no mistakes allowed," he orders a stout man standing off-camera.

Luciano inspects the bed, gives Drew an okay signal after confirming everything is in order, and quickly steps out of the camera's view.

Drew exhales softly, glancing at Max who is now flipping through the Bible.

"Max, it's on you. Bring a thousandfold seriousness."

Max nods, approaching the foot of the bed to face the actor who will soon portray a man possessed by demons.

The women standing by represent family members, props to enhance the atmosphere.

As time trickles down, everyone waits for the broadcast to begin at ten o'clock.

Minutes swiftly pass.

Drew picks up the walkie-talkie again, watching the countdown.

"Ten, nine, eight, three, two, one, start."

With that command, everyone immerses themselves in their roles.

The broadcast lights up.

"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses," Max starts, facing the bed where the actor begins his ghastly, growling performance, speaking in an ethereal, calm tone.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!"

With each sentence Max utters, the actor on the bed becomes more agitated, violently struggling to break free from the ropes binding his limbs.

"Roar! I will tear you to pieces!"

The women at his bedside instantly cover their mouths, their faces filled with horror.

The setting and atmosphere seem genuinely like a live exorcism.

New viewers flooding into the live stream quickly fill the comment section.

"Is this for real?"

"Could this actually be an exorcism?"

"The man on the bed looks terrifying."

"..."

Comment after comment fills the chat, Drew watching the actual viewer count rise, thrilled by the believably intense scene captured on camera.

He knows he has succeeded; the hardest first step is taken.

Now, Max holds the Bible in one hand and places his other hand on the growling man's forehead.

He then pulls out a small bottle containing a liquid and sprinkles it over the still struggling man.

Luciano, ready at the side, presses a button on a device.

The supposed holy water is actually just water, but it creates a thick smoke around the man on the bed, enhancing the illusion of demonic presence.

The man on the bed reacts instinctively, arching his back and screaming loudly.

The scene becomes eerily disturbing.

The comment section's activity suddenly spikes.

"..."

"Damn, is this real?"

"I thought it was fake, but it looks so real."

"Does the world really have demons?"

"..."

Every comment varies, but all viewers are captivated by the spectacle.

Drew smiles as he watches the screen and the numbers grow, then looks towards the next prop deployment.

With a thought, Luciano in his sight, presses the corresponding button.

The next second, the man on the bed, pretending to be possessed, screams loudly. Behind him, the previously extinguished candles suddenly light up, adding an unnerving edge to the scene.

"..."

"Holy crap!"

"The candles just lit up by themselves; it must be a demon, right?"

"That scared me; I can't watch this anymore!"

"I'm done watching; my closet just moved!"

"..."

Max frowns, continuing his role as a determined priest, watching the man on the bed, then pulls out a crucifix and presses it onto the growling man's forehead.

Whatever prop was set up, the crucifix contacts the man's forehead and emits a burst of smoke, adding a layer of authenticity to the exorcism.

The comments in the live stream, initially skeptical, now all shift in tone.

Seeing this, Drew laughs softly, adding a merchandise section below the live stream.

Vatican-certified robes, Vatican-certified holy water.

In reality, these items are cheap street market goods, the robes poorly made and the so-called holy water just mineral water with a bit of perfume added.

But none of this stops them from making money. In previous broadcasts, they've sold plenty, making a tidy profit.

Glancing at the rising sales data, Drew smirks, then looks back at the dramatic scene unfolding.

Today's climax isn't just this act; there's more to come.

As if to prove his point.

"Demons from hell!" Max's stern voice echoes.

"In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I command you to reveal your name!!!"

Max shouts, causing a surge in the live comments.

Some doubt while others flaunt their knowledge.

"..."

"That's it for an exorcism? That simple?"

"Just like that? Does asking for a name do anything?"

"To the above, asking for a name is important, fun fact, demons cannot lie."

Drew shakes his head from his spot.

Some comments are accurate, but others are not. His ability to create and stage such an exorcism atmosphere comes from some knowledge about exorcisms.

After research and digging through library books, he knows the crucial aspect of a church exorcism is knowing the demon or devil you're facing—its name.

Because each different demon or devil has a corresponding exorcism spell linked to its true name.

Aside from knowing the name, you also need the corresponding exorcism ritual to successfully banish the demon or devil.

Of course, Drew, a man who believes what he sees and does not think this peaceful world harbors any real demons or devils, would not host such broadcasts.

Drew listens to Max demanding the name, glancing at a book under the equipment.

He had specifically purchased this book, filled with names of various demons and devils and their associated exorcism rituals, all for the authenticity of the live stream.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Under Max's pressing, the man on the bed roars in anger, his eyes filled with blood vessels.

"Who do you think you are!"

His voice takes on a wild beast's tone, highly effective as Drew watches through the camera, pleased with the actor's performance.

This actor is perfect; Drew even thinks an Oscar should be awarded to him.

"I command you, submit to our creator!" On camera, Max remains unflappable, truly like a serious priest, and loudly declares.

"Our only Lord Jesus Christ! State your name!"

Max's loud voice, pressing the crucifix down.

Smoke rises, and the man, as planned, reveals his so-called true name.

"Beleth! Beleth!"

Hearing this, Max quickly puts away the crucifix and walks briskly to a table set up on the side.

The camera on this table shows his true appearance, allowing viewers to see a real priest.

"We now know its name, and we can now conduct the proper exorcism ritual."

As he explains, Max begins to rapidly flip through a book on the table, trying to find the demon's name and its associated exorcism ritual among the many names.

"We can now relieve his suffering from the evil spirit."

At that moment, the man on the bed suddenly stops struggling, staring fixedly at Max in the background, though his next move is unclear. Luciano, at the side, presses the next prop's switch, and the bed he lies on suddenly moves.

The family members widen their eyes, staring in horror, perfectly enhancing the atmosphere.

Drew, who has been controlling the entire scene, can't help but applaud. It has the flavor of those exorcism movies.

He glances at the screen again, sure enough, the comment section's activity instantly skyrockets, and sales data also rapidly climbs.

In his, including the audience and family members' view, a large bed suddenly moves on its own and hits Max, who is thrown backward.

"Kee kee kee kee!"

The man on the bed laughs arrogantly.

However, the thrown Max quickly gets up, blood streaming down his face, showing determination on camera.

He looks at the slowly rising bed and the snarling man, delivering his most immersed performance.

"Beleth! Rebel, servant of the wicked Satan! I command you!"

Max stares at the struggling man, loudly speaking a Latin phrase.

It's an exorcism spell, and even if viewers check, they'll find it's genuinely an exorcism phrase.

For authenticity, Drew mixes in some truth at critical moments, this spell also found in an old book during his library visits.

In this string of Latin, Max focuses on the struggling man, shouting.

"I command you! Beleth! Leave this flesh, never to return, cease tormenting this soul!"

"Beleth! In the name of Lord Jesus Christ!"

Max shouts this out, actually marking the human in front of him.

Then he watches the performance, watches

 as blood streams down the man's face and body as he roars.

"Foolish humans, you cannot defeat me!"

Max's eyes flash with indifference, but he continues, adding the final sentence.

"Beleth! In the Lord's name, I command you to return to the chaos of hell, your rightful place."

He continues wielding the crucifix, sprinkling holy water towards the man.

Then the bed returns to normal, the man struggling as if it's his last moments.

Max steps forward, sprinkling water while loudly declaring.

"Be gone, Beleth! Be gone, devil from hell! Be gone! I command you in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, be gone,

be gone!!!!"

In the continuing echo of this command, the candles suddenly extinguish, the man props himself up and roars, then stops struggling, lying down, everything returning to calm.

Max immediately steps forward, placing the crucifix on the man's forehead, the lack of smoke seeming to indicate the demon has indeed returned to hell.

"Hello, Father," the man delivers his final line, then faints.

Max nods in satisfaction as the family members rush up, creating a touching scene.

Drew watches as Max turns to face the camera, smiling. This performance has truly been mesmerizing, captivating even him behind the scenes.

"A soul has been saved, the Lord loves us," Max says against the backdrop of the touching scene.

"The power of prayer, your power of prayer is strong. Don't forget to join us next time, same time, to witness another miracle, follow God's will, and don't forget to tag my account on social media, we thank you again for your support…"

The live stream's camera pulls back, showing the merchandise, Vatican robes and holy water.

This causes a voice to ring out in another luxurious, sci-fi styled living room.

"Truly shameless!"

Saxon, sitting on the sofa watching his tablet, can't help but shake his head.

In his view, this so-called fake priest pales in comparison to Father York, whose genuine aura and mystical warmth aren't something this fake priest could ever match.

Remembering Father York, Saxon stares at the fake priest on the tablet screen and frowns.

Because of something Father York once said, he had specifically followed this fake priest's account, but having now watched a full live stream, he feels increasingly uneasy.

The source of his unease stems from a crucifix Father York once gave him.

Saxon pulls at the crucifix hanging around his neck, recalling the recent events.

Just earlier, as he watched the man on camera claiming to be Father Max, the crucifix hanging on his neck felt inexplicably warm.

"Is this hinting at something?" Saxon's brow furrows deeper, the live stream now closed, but his unease continues to grow, not subsiding.

He recalls a phrase from Father York, "When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

"Should I call Father York?? It's been a while since I've checked in…"

___________________

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