QWhy does Caleb write the note telling Cotton not to leave Nell alone with Louis?
AEarlier in the film, when Cotton talked about the demon Abalam to Nell's father Louis (Louis Herthum), he says that the only way out of possession is death. Consequently, Nell's brother Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones) fears that Louis intends to kill her if the demon cannot be exorcised.
ASeveral possibilities are mentioned, either in the movie or by viewers. At first, Cotton suspects that Nell may be a victim of incest, probably by her father or brother. Nell says that she had sex with a boy named Logan Winters (Logan Craig Reid), who works in a local coffee shop and turns out to be gay, but Logan denies ever having sex with Nell and admits that he only talked with her for a minute when they were attending a party thrown last summer by Pastor Manley (Tony Bentley). Since Manley told Cotton that the last time he saw Nell was some three years ago, Cotton concludes that Manley was lying, making Manley also suspect. Viewers who accept the fact that Nell was truly possessed by Abalam conclude that Abalam impregnated her, either through rape or possession, or that the baby is Abalam himself. This idea is supported by Cotton's book of demons, which defines Abalam as a "defiler" of young women.
QA Note Regarding Spoilers
AThe following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
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