• THE EXORCISM OF

    STEPHANIE LEWIS








    CHAPTER 1






    A young girl, the age of 19 is sitting in the doctor’s office. Her curly black hair is tied into a ponytail and she always wears clothing with a bit of rips on them, it would make more sense since it was the end of spring. She looks up at the ceiling and lets out a big sigh-she didn't feel like being there at all. Too many hospital visits for a 19 year old, she felt as if she went through what an average 35 year old goes through. Stephanie Lewis is her name.

    “I have some bad news…”

    Stephanie heard the Doctor say those words from outside. She turns her head and listens closely. Those words almost made her heart stop, but what could she expect? She was a cancer patient.

    Stephanie’s parents, Peter and Martha Lewis are with the Doctor, just outside the room. A lot of people have mistaken Martha for being Stephanie’s sister. She might have been older, but she kept very good care of herself, even at the age of forty three. Her dark hair was healthy and she never smoked or drank. Peter on the other hand did look his age, at the age of forty-six, but he looked a lot better than the average forty six year old.

    “Doctor…please...tell us…what’s wrong with her..?” Martha asked, worrying sick. Peter puts holds Martha’s hand tight, expecting the worst. The Doctor sighs and says,

    “The cancer cells keep expanding and expanding. These injections, these pills, they’re not making the cancer cells disappear, nor are they making them stop expanding.”

    “Doctor, please…” Martha pleaded, “There has to be something we can do…” Stephanie, from the other room looks down. ‘Why?’ Stephanie thought. ‘It’s just not fair. Why me..?’ A tear drop rolls down the side of her cheek and she watches as the tear drop lands on the floor.

    “I’m really sorry Mr. and Mrs. Lewis,” the Doctor said, “but it’s only a matter of time before-“

    “Don’t say it.” Peter interrupted. Peter and the Doctor lock eyes for a minute.

    “So…that’s it?” Martha asked, “You’re telling me you’re going to stop helping our daughter? We’ve been seeing you for how many years now?”

    “Listen, if you want, we can prescribe her with more pills, but to be honest, I don’t see how it’s going to help.” The Doctor goes to walk away but Peter stands in front of him.

    “Listen, Doc,” Peter said, “If you’re telling us there’s no hope whatsoever then you’re wrong. You should know, miracles happen every day. You’re a doctor, aren’t you? Do they not happen every day in the office my 19 year old daughter is in now..?”

    A very long pause. Tears slowly drop from Martha’s cheek as she looks away.

    “To be honest, no, but I would like to see them happen every day.” the Doctor said.

    Peter chuckles, “Then maybe you suck at being a doctor…” Peter grabs Martha’s hand and they walk away to the lobby. The Doctor sighs and looks at his chart to review Stephanie’s conditions. He then walks into the room.

    “Hey, kid.” The Doctor said with a grin on his face, “feeling any better?”

    Stephanie looks at him then shakes her head.

    “No,” Stephanie said, “but…will things get better in the end?”

    The Doctor smiles and starts filling out his chart, “Time will tell, Stephanie. But you’re strong; I know you can pull through no matter what comes your way.”

    In a way, that made Stephanie feel a bit better, but it didn’t last long. Stephanie has had cancer for a year now. Hearing from a Doctor saying ‘All hope is lost’ killed her inside. A hospital, where hope is supposed to live, dies. What was there to be hopeful about again? What was Stephanie supposed to do now?



    In the back seat of the car, Stephanie is looking outside through the window, staring at the trees and what’s outside. Little kids playing, on a nice spring day. She sees a woman, pregnant with her husband taking pictures. She then sees a teenage couple holding hands, and then tickling each other. ‘How nice it must be knowing you’re going to live another day’ Stephanie thought, ‘must be REAL nice…’

    In the front, Martha turns her head and looks at Stephanie

    “You okay, honey?” Martha asked. Stephanie just nods her head, as if she just didn’t care if she was okay or not. Martha then turns to Peter, who’s driving. Peter looks at the rear view mirror and sees the look Stephanie has on her face; not a very good one.

    “You know…” Peter started; “Brandon would be very proud of you…of how strong you’re staying…” they stop at a red light, and Peter turns to her, “Just like how me and your mother are…just hang in there Stephanie.”

    Stephanie forces a smile on her face. ‘Yeah, I’m only staying strong because I really don’t have a choice,’ Stephanie thought.

    The light turns green and Peter turns his attention to the road again. Stephanie adjusts herself as she continues to look outside. They pull into a small path, which took them to their house. Their house was deep in the woods; Peter had made good money so they bought the land around them so they could have more peace and quiet. They have a large front yard with a few plants growing on the side of the house. A small bird bath sits just before the driveway, surrounded by buttercups and tulips. They Lewis’ family always knew how to keep a nice home. They all walk inside and Martha puts her belongings on the island in the kitchen. Stephanie goes straight upstairs.

    “Are you hungry, Steph?” Martha asked. She doesn’t get a reply, just Stephanie’s bedroom door close. Martha sighs and starts going through the mail.

    Peter takes off his jacket and goes to the coffee pot.

    “You want some coffee?” Peter asked.

    “Please…” Martha answered, putting down the mail. She then puts her hands on the island and exhales deeply. Peter takes the coffee powder out and starts to set up.

    “Here, your cell phone bill came.” Martha tosses the mail on the counter, near him. Peter just chuckles and fills the coffee pot with water.

    “Just what we needed, huh?” Peter joked.

    Upstairs, Stephanie is on her bed, lying on her back with her eyes closed. Those words were still in her head. ‘Cancer cells keep expanding and expanding.’ Stephanie always had moments where she just wishes the cancer cells WOULD disappear, just as easy as they came. She takes out her ponytail and lets her hair out.

    Downstairs, Peter is brewing the coffee, and opens his envelope. Martha then sits down on the stool and sighs. She then puts her hands on her forehead. Peter turns around and notices.

    “You ok..?” Peter asked, walking towards her. Martha shakes her head and puts her hands down.

    “Peter…what are we going to do..?” Martha asked, looking at him. Peter looks down for a minute and tries thinking of something to say that will comfort her.

    “We’ve been to hospital to hospital, doctors to doctors, and not ONE can at least try to keep Stephanie healthy longer…what are we going to do…?” Martha’s eyes fill with tears.

    Peter sits himself next to Martha. “Listen, I know this isn’t easy but we can’t lose hope just because things are getting worse…once we do that-“

    Martha interrupts by getting up and she goes to her purse. She flips her purse upside down, and everything falls on the floor.

    “Martha…” Peter said softly.

    Martha then grabs a picture and holds it to him. “Look…look…just look!” Peter looks at the picture. It’s a picture of their son, Brandon who died of cancer a few years back. He fought a long battle of 3 years with cancer.

    “We had him at 17…17, Peter! We were kids ourselves! We promised him that he will live a long life…a happy life…I still remember his face…when he was a newborn, when WE were seniors in high school.”

    “Martha, please…” Peter said, trying to calm her down.

    Martha still goes on, “I still remember his laugh…his cry…his DREAMS! Our son, had dreams and they were taken away. Our little girl…has cancer…and God might be taking her away from us...!”

    Peter gets up and goes to hug Martha as she cries in his arms. Peter rests his chin on Martha’s head.

    “It’s going to be okay…trust me…Stephanie has been through so much, I know she’ll make it..” Peter looks at Martha, “she has your strength…”

    Martha looks up and looks into Peter’s eyes, “I just can’t imagine losing her…she’s all we have left…I won’t be able to live with myself…”

    “Listen, if Stephanie is being strong for herself…the only thing we can do is be strong for her as well…I know she’s hurting, we both know that,” Peter tries holding back tears, “maybe we lost our only son, but we’re going to do whatever it takes to keep Stephanie with us…we won’t let her down.”

    Martha’s tears go away as she looks to the side and takes a breather.

    “She’ll make it…” Peter added, “I know she will…”

    They hug and embrace each other. Martha looks at Peter as more tears fill her eyes and they both nod at each other.

    No matter what, Peter and Martha had never given up when their son had cancer. When he passed away, Martha had always felt as if she didn’t do everything in her power to try and keep him alive, which she did. Peter had always held back tears when the family was in hard situations. For the first time, with Stephanie’s condition, he was trying so hard to fight back those tears. They’re so close to losing almost everything.



    Upstairs, Stephanie is looking at a picture of her and Brandon when they were younger. Stephanie was 15 and Brandon was just turning 19. Three years before Brandon passed away. When they were younger, Brandon was always there for Stephanie, they had always gotten along. Stephanie started the love phase very early and whenever she experienced a heartbreak, Brandon would do whatever it took to comfort her and be there. Growing up, Stephanie never had many friends. When Brandon passed away, Stephanie had no idea what to do with herself. She knew that nothing could replace the love Brandon has given her for so many years.

    Stephanie stared at the picture of them when they were at an amusement park. Tears filled her eyes as the tear drops dripped on the picture.

    “Why, Brandon…?” she sobbed, “Why did you leave me all alone…? You were the ONLY one who understood me…why did you leave?” More tears started rolling down her cheek. She then suddenly looked at the rosemary beads Brandon had given her when she was just a toddler. She reaches over to grab it and she stared at it, crying. Suddenly she started getting angry. She clenched the beads and almost started to break them from her grasp.

    “Why, God?” she cried out loud, “Why did you take the most important person in my life..?! You don’t love me! You don’t love our family! Look what you’re doing to us!!!” She throws the beads across her room to the wall. Stephanie then covers her face and sobs more. This time, she didn’t have a loving, caring older brother to put his arm around her and say ‘don’t worry little sis…everything will be okay. As long as we have each other, you’ll be great’. Those were the things Brandon used to say to her. The most comforting words…gone. Stephanie always asked herself why, but she always put in her head ‘God will never give me the answer’.

    She then puts the covers over her and closes her eyes, with tears still rolling down her face.