02 | Brown Eyes

Hollis started her final year of school in a new place, with no friends or ambition. Regardless of how withdrawn she'd become, she was still out working with her parents after school. She thought New York was a cesspool, but with fewer evangelicals and not many demonologists, LA had a growing problem that The Balfour Family was determined to solve. Hollis played the good daughter; helping bring out the demons to be exorcised, reading auras, and leveling the field so her parents could take over and begin healing the infection that had spread throughout their neighborhood. Her father was undoubtedly proud of his brood. His eldest son, a holy man, while his daughter was a gifted medium who could speak to the dead.

Her older brother Huey loved the attention from both his family and his flock of followers. He had the charm and appeal to sway even the most objective believers, and with their family name, there would be no limit to what he could do with his career. Hollis, on the other hand, was less interested in talking to the dead and more interested in a normal life. Something that wasn't to be considered by her overbearing father.

Victor Balfour was an intense individual. Stern and ambitious, Victor was born to two very conservative parents in eastern Missouri. Fortunate or cursed, depending on how you looked at it, he held a famously supernatural name. Victor was drawn to the dark from a young age, seeking out any way to fight the spirits and demons that threatened his community. He relied on his pillars of religion and innermost strength to exorcise demons and purify the unholy. Even as a young man he became well known in his circles as a man of God. In his early twenties Victor came across a case that nearly ended his life, a very nasty ancient entity was plaguing a young woman and her family, and he had to accept the help of a young medium who was already trying to purify the home the family was occupying. That woman would become his future wife.

Merida was the warm, sweet honey that kept their rigid, coarse family in place. She was soft-spoken and the light she gave off was unearthly. Hollis had been faced with many difficulties growing up in a non-traditional home, but Merida had done everything to ease their transition. She celebrated her children, through their imperfections and triumphs, she could see the positive side of any two-sided coin.

Hollis was in her fourth week of school and was playing the long game. Waiting for school to slowly fade out so she could finish out this occult of a year and try to move far away to somewhere with fewer weirdos. Little did she know she was already surrounded by warlocks, demons, and satan worshipers, so to find a more normal crowd, she'd have to go far, far away.

The last period of the day was always the longest. Even if this study was shortened by fifteen minutes, the large class size and high sun outside, made for a big group of miserable teenagers. Everyone watched the clock drain on as the study hall seemed to stand still. Hollis fanned her damp skin with a folded calculus worksheet and closed her eyes. Pretending to be somewhere else with someone else. But instead of in a cool dark room, she was in this blistering white one. With peeling paint and barred windows, Hollis's unacceptance of this place grew more and more, as she let the little things annoy her and get under her skin.

She could have used her time constructively, but she was annoyed and had vouched for waiting through this nightmare. She placed a palm on her damp neck, bowing her head slightly and letting her chin rest against her chest. Hollis listened as the door to their classroom opened and close letting through a brief burst of fresh air. She remained still, keeping her eyes shut as she tried to doze off and waste the rest of her time in hell.

An electric current flew up through her spine and neck. The blistering bolt nearly caused her to crawl out of her skin as she hunched up, and frantically looked around. Her breathing doubled as she tried to contain the sudden shock to her body and not draw attention to herself. Her desk rattled slightly, and instantly she adjusted in, acting as though she was readjusting. Hollis rubbed her neck again, her hair on complete edge as she felt her eyes pull to the corner of the room. The sudden sensation of pain quickly changed to fear as she felt a knot in her chest tighten and rise.

Staring at her from the corner of the room was a young man, with a leather jacket and dark eyes. His unusually pale complexion contrasted his dark hair, and Hollis watched as the corner of his mouth rose just slightly.

Hollis could feel his eyes on her, his glances sending angry pulses of energy to shoot through her, her dampened clairvoyance had reawakened in early adolescence, and had been more sensitive to noticing things. Clearly, this man had triggered something but she wasn't sure why. The study period would be over in a few short minutes and she could get away from him and all of these strangers.

But his eyes burned through her. Like a redhot shot, it pierced through her chest and shook her to the core.

Hollis rubbed the back of her neck one last time before looking back at him again. Dark, ominous eyes seemed to gravitate to her, and without realizing it, her gaze couldn't leave his. It was alarming and frightening but Hollis couldn't understand why she was so drawn to this stranger. She wouldn't have much time to overthink her situation, the closing bell for class finally rang and without hesitation, she left as quickly as she could.

Hollis would normally head home after school to hibernate away from the cares of the world, but today was different. She needed to see her brother.

Huey was already working with the leaders of the local churches and community centers, investing all of his time in helping those who had no one to help them. He was passionate about his work, and people noticed. He was charming and handsome so his influence was effortless. Huey had his father's gumption with his mother's soft features, and he was, undoubtedly, and as much as she'd always deny it, her best friend.

Huey was the first person to realize Hollis wasn't just clairvoyant, but a powerful psychic. He kept her secrets and gave her advice when she was at her lowest point. She could feel the lingering effects of her blow-up from earlier and was sensitive to everyone around her at the moment. The community center Huey was at least a thirty-minute walk from her school, but she didn't care. There was something she needed to tell him.

The dry afternoon sun warmed against her damp skin. She readjusted the backpack on her shoulder and pushed her raven hair behind her ears before crossing a busy intersection and heading towards a towering chapel.

Huey was inside working with a few heads of a community center when Hollis waved him down from the entrance to the church. The velvet carpeting and low-hanging odor of old hardwood made her pause. The two sensations caused a rock to form in her gut, from a source she wasn't sure of, further building up her anxiety. Huey noticed her right away, perhaps even before she entered the building. It was a strange thing, something she couldn't understand but could feel so deeply. She was much closer to him than anyone else in their family, and although she was sure it was one-sided, times like now was when she questioned if Hues himself, was psychic.

She hated that word. To be a psychic brought on all these cult references of musty rooms with tarot cards and a crystal ball. To be psychic was so much more frightening. Visions, horrifyingly realistic dreams that seem to burrow under your skin, feeding on your fears until you couldn't fight back anymore. The things she could see on a daily basis would have normally put anyone into an asylum, but in the Balfour household, she was deemed gifted.

Hues dismissed himself from his small flock and walked down the main aisle to Hollis, pulling up his hands for a minute and beaming proudly. He was just a few feet from her before extending an arm and guiding her down the pews and to the main podium.

" What do you think? "

He smiled comically as he scuffed one of his polished black shoes against the aged carpet. He was in good spirits and Hollis had guessed why.

" I'm thinking we'll rip up this old flooring, update the stained glass. It's overdue. " he huffed and crossed his arms, proud of what his vision held. He looked to Hollis for approval. Her mouth was open, her lips parted as she paused, insistent on telling him what had happened to her, but so happy that he was excited about this new project.

" It smells like aunt Leena's house. "

Hollis smirked as she spoke, causing both of them to laugh the moment she admitted her opinion.

" Gross. "

Huey chuckled and muttered to himself as he brushed his coiled raven locks from his forehead and cleared his throat.  He turned to face Hollis, continuing to show her the church. He was beaming with pride as he bounced new ideas off of her and showed her his new creation.

" I'm going to update this old gal, some new paint, and updated sound systems and she'll be singing to the heavens in no time. I'll be able to bring in more people for this area, save a few souls, " he paused, " which this city desperately needs. "

Hollis hated it when he went Robo-religious but it was Huey's favorite thing to do to annoy her. He waved at her again, wanting to show her more of his ideas and what he had planned.  She begrudgingly followed him, rolling her eyes at him once or twice as he talked about saving the masses and making a difference.

But, that was his defining trait, that annoying thing that Hollis had to listen to him go on, and on about all the time. He was going to make a difference or he was going to heal the wounded. It was constant and tedious but to her core, Hollis wished she was more caring, more like him.

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