18 Truths by Jamie Ayres

learning the basics of hypnosis, how the process worked. Now Ruth was going to put me under as part of my training. Nate would experience the same training session but without me in the room, since hypnosis was a very personal matter.
    “Pay attention to the tone of my voice and language so you can integrate my techniques into your own hypnosis,” she reminded me. “I’ll start with the most basic induction and then move to a more progressive approach. By the end of today, you’ll have the ability to relax yourself and others deeply in minutes, no matter the emotional state.”
    Over the next hour, Ruth tried to put me under hypnosis, but the process didn’t take. “Is there something wrong with me?”
    She smoothed a hand over her hair. “We’re all broken, Olga. Some people just have a harder time relaxing than others. With your photographic memory, I’m sure you know the hypnosis script by heart now. But the most important thing to know before I release you today is not necessarily if you can hypnotize someone. It’s can you stay calm in crisis?”
    After Ruth muttered some words, a demon materialized in the room.
    I stepped back, staring in horror. “What are you doing?” I screamed, eyeing the dark creature before me, his red eyes sparkling with amusement. He stood at least a foot taller than me and wore a black robe. His face was a skeleton, whiter than Riel’s skin, nothing remotely human in his glowing scarlet eyes at all.
    “Training you. Remember, look up.”
    Taking Ruth’s advice literally, I pinned my gaze on the ceiling but saw nothing.
    The demon took advantage of my momentary distraction by lurching forward and grabbing a hold of my crucifix, choking me with his thin, skeletal hands. I closed my eyes for a heartbeat or two, praying for Ruth to fight this battle for me. When she didn’t, I realized her advice to look up wasn’t meant to be taken literally. I narrowed my eyes at the demon and stretched a hand in front of me. “Satan’s angel, I command you, in the name of the Lord, to leave my presence, and I bring the blood of Jesus Christ between us.”
    The demon didn’t listen. Instead, he tightened his grip, paralyzing me. My eyes pleaded with Ruth, letting her know I was in trouble, the only thing I was capable of. I couldn’t even open my mouth to speak. My lips felt like somebody had glued them shut. Then, I forced myself to breathe in and out through my nose like Ruth instructed during hypnotherapy, and pictured the fear wearing away at my face disappear.
    Closing my eyes so I couldn’t see the demon again, I prayed silently, asking God to give me the strength and faith to pass this test. I wasn’t sure what would happen if I didn’t, but I knew I would trade in several years of staying in a cold room of steel and concrete over having to redo this particular exercise. I opened my eyes and focused, finding my words enough to shout the same prayer as before. This time a strange feeling swelled in my chest, and I knew I really meant the words. My crucifix went slack, and the demon popped out of the room, like it was never there in the first place.
    Ruth pulled me toward her in a hug. “Well done, Olga, well done. In fact, you defeated that demon in record time. Looks like I won’t have to give you detention for your lack of faith after all.”

    “Day three of our training session will commence outside,” Ruth announced. “Follow me, please.”
    “This should be interesting,” Nate whispered to me on our way out.
    A knot formed in my stomach. “Not sure if interesting is the right word, but I guess anything will be better than yesterday.”
    We ended up at a grassy knoll behind the headquarters building, where Riel waited in a tree for us. He popped his wings, then flew to the ground with the grace of, well, an angel. He stood across from me, dimming his brightness so I could actually look at him. “So, I heard you fought a demon and won. Do you think you’ll have the same