Can't get a Catholic exorcism in Kansas City? James Vivian is here to help

The boxer falls onto his back and stays there, still and silent, eyes shut.

Vivian shambles away, still speaking in tongues.

Five minutes later, the prayers have stopped, and both Mario and Linda are back in their seats. Vivian thanks everyone for coming and tells them that he'll be back tomorrow for another session. Anybody who wants an extended deliverance should fill out a personal history for him, and he'll study them tonight. Otherwise, that's enough for one day.

As the class files out, Vivian says he didn't expect things to go as far as they did.

"You talk to someone and you never know how these things are going to manifest," he says with a laugh. After the woman in leopard print leaves, he whispers, "Did you get a weird vibe from her? I did. I think she was here to check out the opposition. She wasn't here because she wants to get rid of spirits. We'll see what happens, but I bet she won't be back tomorrow. She already saw what she wanted."

Linda and Mario thank him and hand him personal histories. They promise to return tomorrow.

"I love my mother, but she won't stop messing with the fortune-telling, so I just can't be around her anymore," Linda says. "If I learn this, maybe I can do some good in my family."

After they leave, Vivian confides that he isn't sure what good it'll do as long as Mario and Linda are living together out of wedlock.

"I can work on them, but they're shacking up together, so they'll still have problems," he says. "I can do all you want me to, but you've got to get your life right first."

The next day, a few more people come. (The woman in leopard print doesn't return.) Vivian plans to make another trip to Wichita. He expects that after one more class, he'll have a new team ready to work.

Before then, though, he has to deal with Max.

Vivian puts on a pair of reading glasses and starts to go through the answers on Max's personal history.

"I almost forgot," Max points to an unchecked box on the sheet. "How about that? I did it once, but it was a long time ago when I was young."

"Oh, yeah. That counts."

"Even one time?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. We all have something."

Vivian finishes reading. He sees some things he doesn't like, but not too much. The yoga class Max attended might be trouble, and there's a history of family discord that could have opened a door.

He'd planned to prepare Max with videos of Larson fighting demons, but his laptop DVD player doesn't work. So he proceeds with the cross on his lap and a bottle of frankincense oil in hand.

Vivian follows the same script he did with Linda. First, there's renouncing curses, then pledging Max's life to God. He has Max read some Bible verses, then repeats the renunciations and pledges to God, along with forgiving everyone who's ever done anything wrong to his family, including people he's never met.

When the renunciations are finished and Vivian knows that whatever lives in Max has lost its legal right to a home, the real work can start.

He pulls his chair up to Max's and leans into his face. He's close now, staring into his eyes, looking for a sign of something inside.

"Come out! You come out and face the judgment now."

Max shakes his head. "I'm sorry," he says. "I don't know what you want me to do."

"You just need to get out of the way. You need to get out of its way for me to deal with it."

Vivian orders the demon to come out.

Again, Max shakes his head. "I feel confused," he says.

"Who am I talking to? Who's in there?"

"Me," Max says. "And I'm 4 years old."

"What do you want to tell me?"

"I'm 4. I see my dad kissing a woman. She's not my mother."

"All right — right now I'm your father. You talk to me like I'm your father. Why were you spying on me?"

"I wasn't. I just saw it and I felt bad."

"You felt bad? Why, it was none of your business."

"Because it hurt me and my mother."

"I don't care. I don't love you."

"I was wrong, and it hurt us."

Vivian nods. "I'm proud of you, son. I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. I love you, son."

"I love you, too."

"Can I hug you?"

"Yes."

Vivian holds him for less than a minute, but it seems longer. Max keeps his eyes closed all the way through it.

"That was good work, but there's still something in there," Vivian says when the two finally break. "I'm going to go over your history more, and I'll call you. When you're ready, we can work some more. Just know that this can take a long time, but if you keep working with me, we'll get it out."

"I'm just tired," Max says. "I want to go to sleep."