Early this morning, Lívia called.
"I had a horrible dream. It really worried me..."
"What happened?"
"I dreamed blood was coming out of my mouth, and then I collapsed to the ground. It felt so real. I woke up in a panic... Do you think it's a warning? Do you think something is going to happen to me?" she asked slowly, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears.
"And I dreamed that I shot and killed you. Nothing is going to happen to you, so don't worry. This was an attack from the enemy."
"Mom said that last night, when she was praying for you, she suddenly got a cramp in her leg."
"They're attacking the family! We need to pray and drive them away!" I said, outraged.
They had visited all of us on the same night... What a strange coincidence.
I went to the office.
At lunchtime, Cássio arrived in an excited rush and sat down beside me, setting his plate on the table.
"I need to talk to you, Ana. It's urgent. Just give me a second..."
He answered a message on his phone. I grew concerned and waited.
Then he continued.
"I dreamed about you, and it worried me. In the dream, you kept calling me over and over. Since you never call, I thought, This must be something serious. So I answered. I kept saying, 'Hello? Hello?' and a demon answered from the other end. It had a horrible, raspy voice. It scared me to death. I probably would've forgotten the dream, but on my way here I saw a friend request online from your ex-husband..."
"He wants to find out whether I'm seeing someone. He sent requests to you, and Sibila told me this morning that he sent one to her too," I explained.
"It's just... too much of a coincidence. The dream, and then the request afterward!" he said nervously, gesturing with his hands.
"It happened. You received a visit from the enemy. Now you know what I deal with. How many voices were speaking?"
"I don't know. One seemed to overlap the others."
"So there was more than one voice?"
"I think so."
"Then it was a legion," I concluded.
"Don't tell anyone about the dream. I've only told you," he pleaded.
"And you don't tell anyone the things I tell you, either. Only you and my family know that I can see."
He smiled and glanced over my body... like a man with less-than-pure intentions.
When he finished lunch, he left. One of Sibila's employees called him over; she wanted to speak with him.
That night, I called my mother and told her everything.
She came to a conclusion immediately.
"That last one—the one from the dream—came back with him from wherever he went during Carnival. He didn't come back alone. He's trying to live on both sides of the fence: church on one side, Carnival on the other. God was not pleased with that trip."
"Are you sure? Are you sure the thing that attacked me last came from him?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"But that's your opinion. God didn't reveal to me where that one came from."
"It's not my opinion. It's a fact. Carnival brings spiritual contamination. Now he's seen what's on the other side. He's seen evil, and it frightened him, didn't it? He got scared and came running to you, just like a child. God allowed him to see it. God is calling him. This trial is for him, so he can learn how to defend himself. It's not for you. You need to ask God for protection and ask Him to work in his life. Are you listening to me?"
"I am, Mom... Thank you."
"One more thing. What's the point of you praying for him, cleansing everything, if he keeps going back and getting contaminated again? Those hugs he gives you... contamination can pass through them. Be careful. Avoid the hugs."
"I try to."
"And ask God whether you're supposed to keep praying for him. Because at some point, your prayers might start interfering with what God needs to do in his life. God wants that soul, and He's going to start applying pressure. You can't interfere with that, do you understand?"
"I understand. I'll ask."
"You need to pray that God does His work in his life."
"I'll pray that way. I need to go now—I've got work to do."
"God be with you."
"God bless you."