“Daddy, please come home!! Mom is screaming…”
It was a normal workday when my son called me 10 times while I was in a meeting. My heart sank with each missed call. Finally, during a break, I called him back, my hands shaking.
“Daddy, I don’t know what to do. I just came home and can hear Mom screaming in her room,” he said, his voice trembling.
“Why didn’t you walk into her room?” I inquired, attempting to keep my voice steady despite the increasing panic within me.
“I am too terrified to go inside. “I hear other voices inside,” he said, his terror obvious over the phone.
I quickly called my wife, but she didn’t answer. I had no choice but to phone 911 in case they could arrive faster. The drive home felt like a lifetime, and my mind was racing with worst-case scenarios.
When I eventually got home, I did not hesitate. I dashed to our bedroom door after hearing the faint sound of police sirens in the distance. I burst down the door, adrenaline racing through my veins, and what I saw paralyzed me.
My wife lay on the bed, convulsing and screaming, her eyes wide with fear. Three people, two men and one woman, were chanting in a language I couldn’t understand. They were holding odd things, and the room was filled with an eerie light.
“Get away from her!” I yelled, but they wouldn’t stop. I lunged at the nearest person, knocking him down. The other two stepped away, alarmed by my unexpected aggression.
“Daddy!” my son cried from the doorway, and I turned to see him standing there, tears streaming down his face.
“Call the police again, tell them to hurry!” I shouted, turning back to my wife. She was still convulsing, her screams piercing the air. I grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold her still. “It’s going to be okay, honey. I’m here,” I whispered, more to reassure myself than her.
Within minutes, the police arrived, bursting into the room and pulling the intruders away. Paramedics followed, rushing to my wife’s side. I watched helplessly as they worked to stabilize her, my heart breaking at the sight of her pain.
After what felt like hours, the paramedics were able to settle her down. She was transferred to the hospital, drugged, and kept under observation. The police apprehended the invaders, and I was left to piece together what had transpired.
At the hospital, I sat at my wife’s bedside, holding her hand and praying for her to awake. My son sat beside me, his tiny hand gripping mine.
“Daddy, what happened?” He asked, his voice tiny and terrified.
“I don’t know, buddy,” I said, my voice choked with emotion. “But we’ll get through it.” “I promise.”
When my wife finally awoke, she was confused and terrified. She couldn’t recall much of what had happened, except that she had been feeling funny all day and then everything went dark.
The police inquiry showed that the invaders were members of a cult who believed they could use their energies to heal others. They had targeted my wife, believing she was exceptional.
The days that followed were a flurry of hospital visits, police interviews, and attempting to console my kid. But, through it all, we remained together, pulling strength from one another.
My wife gradually healed, but it took some time. The physical wounds had healed, but the mental scars remained. We relocated to a new house, seeking a fresh start, and focused on rebuilding our lives.
Looking back, I understand how close I was to losing everything. But in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty, I discovered a strength I didn’t know I possessed. And I discovered that no matter what occurs, the love and bond of family can help us get through even the darkest circumstances.