“Madness” by Michael Rockefeller

Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi plays.

Lacey has a very poor opinion of herself but it’s not rooted in insecurity or low self-esteem. It’s her humility and desire to be honest. And…so…she can’t take anything seriously…the way you might if you were her.

That being said…she’s in love with Lem. And yet she’s unaware of his true feelings for her. She almost always has been.

“What the fuck?!?” yells a man in the Illuminati.

Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven plays.

“You weren’t expecting me.” says Louis, manifesting. “God’s tired of this.” he announces.

“Tired of what?” asks the man leading the Illuminati meeting.

“You can’t keep attacking her with religious spirits who accuse her of being a witch. It’s become too perverse. Combined with everything else you’re accusing her of daily it’s beyond measure. Christ Himself has to intervene, potentially.” says Louis.

“Eww! She’s a witch!” says Jonah in his spirit.

“No. Jonah…she is…you’re right…but…my son…she’s also a a broken hearted woman.” says the man in the Illuminati to Jonah Wiley in imitation of the voice of God.

Jonah seems receptive to this. Unfortunately. He looks sad and empathetic.

“You must pray for her to repent.” says the man in the Illuminati.

“Oh my gosh! She’s not conjuring them.” says a woman somewhere to Jonah as desperately as she can.

“But then how is she having sex with them?!?” he says.

“Why do you assume I’m not being taken advantage of by demons?” asks Lacey.

“Because you’re a Christian. But you’ve gotta be doing something!!” says Jonah in his spirit.

(Adult content below)

This afternoon Lacey and Lem made love. He’s desperate for her. But she doesn’t believe it and that’s why last night he came so close to killing her.

A noise is made in the corner of Lacey’s room.

Why doesn’t she believe it? Because Jack is easier to hear than Lem. Jack is very loud in Lacey’s ears, so to speak. So am I. I’m barely dead.

Louis is louder than Lem but not as loud as me. Harold is a little louder than Louis but Harold has a strong presence and he’s incredibly clever. He literally appeared to her once out of the blue at her house and she just shrugged it off.

JP is loud as a father-in-law figure or friend but nothing else. She can barely consciously hear her father but her spirit runs to him subconsciously like she’s still about 3. Hides in his arms. It’s been that way her whole life.

Lem and her are meant for each other though. He just has to believe that she’s in love with him. And thanks to Jack’s lies…he struggles to believe that.

“Lem, are we through?” asks Lacey.

“No.” he says. Wearing glasses and hunched over in a corner.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

And at that Taylor Swift accidentally conjures Lem Billings. Taylor Swifts arm starts twitching. “It’s like he’s straight and annoying.” says Taylor.

“This male energy?” asks a wizard trying to help her.

“Yeah! Did he die in the 1940’s?” she asks, ready to cry.

“No. I did.” says Joe Kennedy Junior manifesting.

“Who are you?” asks Taylor somewhat smitten, but curious, regardless.

And at that Joe suddenly disappears.

“Who was that?!?!?” asks Taylor, in desperation, confused and bewildered.

“It looks like Lacey is going into the East Room. I can see her.” says a witch. She waves to Lacey.

“Oh! Hello!” says Lacey. She waves back.

I took Lacey’s phone. She thinks it’s in her bag. She’ll read this post and decide if it’s acceptable later.

The East Room? No. I don’t mean the White House. I mean the mansion she visits with me. We go inside and look around. Read. Eat Oreos. Sip tea. And she thinks it’s just…something secretive she has to do…given her mistake. The mistake she made years ago online in “accidentally finding” the real Illuminati.

On a good night an English accent shows up and understands her. On a bad night…she goes home and tries not to cry. But she never lets go of her faith in God.

“I’m not mad.” says Lem. “I’ve never been mad.”

“This sounds like me!” shouts Joe Junior.

“It’s not. It’s me.” says Lem.

Joe stares at him from across a hallway.

In tears, “Why did you do it?” asks Lem of Lacey.

“When?” asks Lacey.

He smiles. Laughs. Then cries. His mouth drops open.

“Ahh…a few days ago.” he says.

And at that Taylor Swift can be heard darting around in another room on a panic. Someone unseen is chasing her.

“I don’t know you!” screams Taylor. “I don’t know you!”

“I didn’t do it!” shrieks Joe Kennedy Junior loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.

There’s sudden silence. Whispers can be heard.

Everyone wonders who the disembodied voice was.

And at that Taylor can be heard laughing. She can’t stop laughing.

“I gotta go home.” says Taylor still laughing.

“Why?” asks her guide, worried.

But Taylor can’t stop laughing. She leaves.

The door opens and a gust of wind blows out of the house. When the door shuts behind her it’s as if all is quite different.

I wander back to Lem and Lacey.

“What happened?” I ask F. Scott Fitzgerald. No one can see us right now.

Road To Perdition by Thomas Newman plays for Scott and me.

“Lem told Lacey he’s hurt.” says Scott. “She’s still waiting to hear more.”

“He’s refusing to tell her when?” I ask in a panic. “Does he even know what she means?”

Scott laughs. He covers his mouth with a corn chip in his hand. He’s eating her latest homemade salsa.

I approach Lem. “Hey! What does she mean by when?” I ask.

Scott can’t stop laughing.

“Just answer her. Please!!” I say.

Lem tries to explain when to Lacey.

“I barely remember.” says Lacey.

“Why!?” asks Lem.

“I don’t want to remember.” says Lacey.

His face sinks. He closes his eyes.

Mountains by Hans Zimmer plays.

And at that Lem rips Jack’s head off.

“I HATE YOU!!” Lem yells at the Kennedys.

“You mean I’m Joe Kennedy Junior’s soulmate? By nature?” asks Taylor Swift, pulled over in her car.

“That’s what our wizard is telling us. It’s a good reading.” says her guide on the phone.

“Oh dear god! Do the Kennedys know!?” asks Taylor, anxiously.

“Yes and no.” says the witch.

“Yeah. He’s here with me in the car. Isn’t he?” says Taylor. “I can smell cologne.”

“He might be?” says the guide.

The song plays.

“Don’t be scared.” he says, manifesting in the front seat. “I’m just a dead narcissist.”

She glares at him. “How we’ll do you know me?”

“Don’t ask that question, Taylor.” he says.

She laughs. “Huh.”

“Oh my.” says Erin. Miles away.

S.T.A.Y. by Hans Zimmer plays.

“I’m sorry. You aren’t…aware.” says Lem. “I can tell you what happened later? How about that?”

“Why does it feel like you’re taking advantage of me?” asks Lacey.

Lem smiles. “Because I’m scum.”

“Are you really?” asks Lacey.

And at that he struggles not to kill Lacey. She can feel it. It’s like he’s almost capable of making her come literally out of her body. It’s not scary necessarily. It’s more bizarre and worrisome than scary.

“I feel dirty inside. It’s the drugs. The way I became…so…useless.” says Lem. “But most of all I’m sorry to you. Do you even care?”

“Of course I care!” says Lacey.

He closes his eyes.

Lacey’s vision blurs.

“Why do you love me?” he asks.

“Do you want a list?” asks Lacey.

He smiles. Laughs. Shakes his head no.

“I’d like one. I’ve even asked for one.” she says.

“Yeah.” he says.

“I can’t give you one. Lem doesn’t love you. Or he’d answer that himself!” says JFK in another room. He somehow got the idea he was being expected to “be Lem.”

“She wasn’t talking to you.” says an angel to JFK. He seems hurt and offended by this.

“So you love me?” asks Lem of Lacey.

“Yes. You told me I did.” says Lacey. “You told me I loved you more than anyone else. And I think you might be right. And I never say anything like that carelessly. Do I?”

“No. You don’t.” he says.

Lacey feels dizzy.

“But do you love me?” asks Lacey.

“Yeah! I do.” says JFK.

“She’s not talking to you, Jack.” says Kick, sadly.

This time Jack starts laughing.

“Yeah.” he says. He kisses her face and mouth in particular.

“Yes. I love you.” says Lacey.

“Then don’t worry. You’ll find out about the other guys later. I’ll tell you. Even Micheal. Although I think you recall more with him.” says Lem. “All you have to think about is me.”

“But you don’t love me.” says Lacey.

“That’s not true. It’s a lie. A very clever lie. I love you more than I could love Jack or anyone else. I can explain it all. With loads of evidence. …And I will. No, I love you. …I just struggle to keep you alive. And I have for years.” says Lem.

More later.