Alex Brown was twenty-one this year. He lived in a scenic small city in Florida, America.
He was currently a student at a state university. He enjoyed sports and socializing, had no bad habits apart from occasionally getting drunk and making reckless decisions without thinking, and had no family history of hereditary mental illness.
Before being sent to the monastery, he had gone exploring on Poveglia Island in Venice. He later underwent routine examinations at a local hospital, where nothing abnormal was found. The day after arriving at the monastery, he developed a fever and began babbling nonsense. That night, he attacked the monk assigned to watch him and killed him.
He was currently confined in the room where he had been staying. Several elderly monks had worked together to subdue him and remove the victim's body, which was now stored in the icehouse.
The monastery's Middle Ages windows were small and set high up. Joseph had to climb a ladder to see inside. Alex was pacing around the room like a trapped beast, letting out roars from time to time.
Joseph shook his head slightly and climbed down the ladder. Abbot Sean and the former exorcist were both watching him, seemingly waiting for him to offer some insight.
"His condition worsened after he came to the monastery?" Joseph asked.
"Yes, Father Joseph," Abbot Sean said. "When he first arrived, he was fairly quiet. He just kept saying in terror that he had been cursed."
"He said someone on Poveglia Island threw a handful of ashes in his face," the former exorcist said. "Could we borrow your helicopter and take him to a nearby hospital for an examination? At the hospital in Venice, he only received routine tests."
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked.
"I suspect he isn't possessed." The