“Blessed are you, Lord, Almighty God, and blessed is your only son Jesus Christ. As you blessed this salt may you use its holy powers to cleanse and bless this water. This we beseech of you oh Almighty God, so that we may use it in the eternal fight against evil.” Father Pritchard then made the sign of the cross above the water.
“We really should use fresh spring water, but needs must when one of the devil`s minions is just outside the door.” Father Pritchard said with a weak smile.
Just then the room was filled with a bright white light that blinded them, then it slowly faded away, leaving them once more in total blackness.
“Err, David, does that normally happen when you bless water, because if so you might have warned me, I nearly dropped the bucket.” Gerry said in wonder at what had happened.
“No, Gerry, it never happens, the fact that it did scares me silly, and the reason behind it could be good or bad.” Father Pritchard said hesitantly.
“You are right David, whether it was caused by the good, the bad, or the ugly, the reason behind it tells me that the Key of Tartarus that I brought back from the Dreamscape might just be a working copy.” Rob said fearfully.
**********
In the courtyard above the dark cellar, Simon Parkston looked briefly at his oldest niece Evelyn, who had turned sixteen this very day, then he glanced at his youngest niece Stephanie, she was just fourteen years old. Both of the young girls were dancing to the modern music that filled the courtyard, and neither of them realised the true reason behind their being there. Parkston now looked at Jonathan Towers who was standing by the Great Hall, with him were three other members of the coven, he nodded at Towers who returned the signal.
“It is time, let`s collect the sacrifices.” Towers said to his three friends.
They walked over to the two young sisters who were dancing with two men, who were both older than the sisters were by at least ten years, but there was a distinct lack of young people at the party, which Evelyn thought strange. As Towers and the other men approached the girls, their two dancing partners stopped dancing and waited. Evelyn and Stephanie gasped as the four men grabbed them roughly from behind and pulled them both towards the stone altar.
“What the hell, hey you are hurting me you jerk.” Evelyn cried out in anger.
Towers stopped for a moment and shook the struggling girl violently, then a woman appeared and she slapped the young girl violently across the face. “Shut it girl, or I promise you that I will take great pleasure in stopping your girly squeals.”
“Uncle Simon, tell these people to cut it out.” Stephanie begged, but when the help failed to materialise she began to scream, as too did her sister.
Simon Parkston smiled and followed after the struggling group, with him were his wife Marjorie, and Moira Bourbon.
“Quiet bitches.” Moira ordered. However, the two sisters continued to scream out in fear, and as the two sisters came to a halt before the altar, Moira struck both of them hard across the face, silencing the two girls who were now in total shock at what was happening to them. Evelyn grabbed a hold of her younger sister`s hand and looked up at Simon Parkston.
“You bastard, you planned all of this at our parents` funeral.” Evelyn sobbed. “Stephanie and I, we are both virgins, do not do this to us, please.” She begged.
“You were born for this, born to serve us as sacrifices, you should be happy to die in the service of our Lord Lucifer.” Moira declared loudly and moving threateningly towards the two girls. “Now shut up, our Halloween party is just about to begin.”
Evelyn was picked up and put on top of the cold stone altar, and chained to it, and then Stephanie was lifted up and chained by her side, the key being put onto a hook fitted to the side of the altar. Fear of their uncertain future almost made the two girls faint, but thankfully, they were then left alone.
Mrs Knightly had a question for Parkston, one that had been troubling her for some time, in fact ever since she had been told of the quest for the golden Ark.
“Simon, when we enter the realm of Tartarus, how will we locate the Ark, for speed will be of the utmost importance, considering the inhabitants that are supposed to dwell there?” She asked quizzically.
“We know from the book that Moira provided, that the Ark is kept within the Fortress of Kronos, it is guarded by one of the Cyclops, however, we shall be hidden from it by the Mist of Glairmore. When Moira activates the Key of Tartarus she will be concentrating upon the fortress, and this should ensure that the portal that we create will be created near to the fortress.” Parkston explained.
“However, Joanna, enough of that, it is now time to invite a guest to our party.” Parkston said, and he moved forward and called out in ringing terms.
“Hekate, long have we offered tribute to you, now we ask you to join our celebrations so yet another tribute can be offered to you.”
A dark form began to appear in a swirl of bright orange lights in front of the Great Hall, soon they saw it was a woman, but one fully eight foot tall. She was dressed all in white, her long black hair flowing down her shoulders and contrasting with her attire. Evelyn on seeing her felt oddly safe, that is until the woman spoke.
“Satanist, I honour your celebrations with my visit, and I remember your tokens of tribute well, what is it that you have for me this time, surely not yet another pair of virgins.” Hekate scoffed on seeing the two young girls.
“No my Goddess, nothing so mundane, what I have is a tribute to your beauty my Goddess.” Parkston said bowing before Hekate. He now moved over to the Great Hall where a meter high statue stood.
“This is a statue of you my Goddess, carved from the Yew tree that is held sacred to you, and us, your followers.” Parkston said bowing once again before Hekate.
Hekate smiled at Parkston and took the tribute that he offered, and then she turned and sat on the throne that had been placed there prior to the commencements of the party.
The members of the coven now began to gather around the fire, soon they were dancing, some were singing along with the song coming from the speakers, but when Evelyn listened to the words, she realised that they were all about satanic rites and black masses, and her fear increased.
“Evelyn, are you awake?” Stephanie whispered.
“Yes, Stephanie, but I sure wish that I was not.” Evelyn replied,
“Evelyn, who is that giant woman, and why are they doing this to us, why?” Stephanie cried out in terror.
“I do not know Stephanie; I just hope that it is a dream.” Evelyn replied anxiously.
Moira Bourbon may have been a black hearted Satanist, but she was still a young woman who liked to dance, and she soon attracted the attention of the youngest male member of the coven, Mark Chambers. Forgetting the other Satanists their dancing became ever more erotic as the night progressed.
Simon Parkston and his wife Marjorie kept away from the dancers, until just after eleven o`clock, and time enough before midnight for the preceding events. He first unveiled the ‘punch bowl’ it was filled with a smoking brew right out of the Adams Family, and the Satanists went wild when they saw it, and the action really began to hot up now, for after the Satanists drunk from the ‘punch bowl’ they began to strip off, it was orgy time. Now Simon Parkston and his wife joined in the action, Marjorie had long had her eye on young Mark Chambers, and as he had drunk deeply from the ‘punch bowl’, she easily untwined him from Moira. Moira was taken by Simon Parkston; however, he found that Moira had ensured that she had retained full control of her faculties for the main event. Even so, Moira allowed him to lead him clear of the dancers, to a less crowded spot within the courtyard.
As the clock on the Great Hall struck the quarter hour, Simon Parkston walked across to the altar and looked down upon Stephanie Parkston, his youngest niece, then he pulled out an ornate looking dagger, both Evelyn and Stephanie screamed and went into a faint. His wife joined him as he cut the clothes off Stephanie, and then Evelyn, then Marjorie Parkston painted sata
nic symbols upon their naked bodies.
“Simon, they do have such lovely bodies, it is a pity that we cannot play with them before they are sacrificed.” Marjorie Parkston lamented.
“These two girls must die as virgins Marjorie, the prize that we are seeking is far too important to risk losing it.” Simon Parkston replied firmly.
It was now that the clock on the Great Hall struck the half hour, Simon Parkston called a halt to the proceedings; it was time to charge the Mist of Glairmore.
“Oh magnificent Goddess Hekate, we have in our possession an ancient artefact, designed by you and created by Sir Richard Glairmore so many centuries ago. It came to be known by the name Mist of Glairmore, but its original name is the Veil of Hekate. We call upon you to charge it as we fill it with the blood of a female virgin.”
Evelyn and Stephanie had both just awakened, and saw that they were both naked, and that someone had painted strange symbols upon their bodies.
“My god Stephanie, this is exactly like my nightmare, except you were not with me.” Evelyn gasped out.
“Do you mean that I was already dead? Stephanie gasped in horror.
Evelyn caught sight of Moira, she was speaking with her uncle, she was wearing a mask, and in her hand, she held the same ornate dagger that Evelyn had seen in her nightmare. Evelyn told her sister, who then looked across at Moira and then she began to cry, the two girls looked at one another in dread, for they knew what their fate was to be, death, and now they learned how, from a sharp knife.
Chapter Six
Rescue
While the situation in the courtyard of the manor house had gone from bad to worse for the two girls, down in the cellar below the gatehouse, and ten minutes prior, the three friends were just about ready to repeat their escape attempt, and hopefully with a better result this time.
“Rob please unlock the door again, and then pull the door wide open, I will shine the torch on our friend outside of the door, and you Gerry, you will throw the whole bucket of water at the demon. I suggest that you then close the door again Rob, and quickly, just in case.”
The three men now returned to the wooden door, Rob handed the slim torch back to Father Pritchard, and Gerry put the bucket of water down onto the floor until Rob had finished unlocking the door. This time Rob unlocked the door in under half a minute, then he looked up at the dim figure of Gerry.” Tell me when you are ready Gerry, and I will open the door, OK?” Rob asked of his friend.
Gerry picked up the bucket and positioned it for throwing. “OK, Rob, I am ready, open the door.” Gerry said in a whisper.
Rob opened the wooden door, which squeaked loudly yet again, and Father Pritchard aimed the slim torch into the inky blackness beyond. Caught in the beam of light was one ugly looking demon, it growled savagely and made to move towards them again. Gerry was ready for his part in the escape bid, he threw the entire contents of the bucket into the face of the demon, who screamed out in pain and stepped back three paces. Rob immediately closed the door on the demon, and the three men each put their weight against the door. The screaming outside of the door died away almost instantaneously, however, this time the demon did not launch an assault on the door. Ever so cautiously, they reopened the door, but the demon was gone, and all that was left at the foot of the stairs was the terrible stench of hell.
Rob led the way up the stairs, and after the few seconds that it took him to open the door at the top of the stairs, they stood and listened to the voice of Simon Parkston. Rob now chanced a quick look into the courtyard, he saw the two young girls chained to the altar, saw the bright shiny key set down at its base, and he saw just one chance to prevail against the terrible odds that opposed them.
“Come on, from the sound of that madman we do not have a moment to spare.” Rob whispered and then led the others out of the manor house and over to their vehicle, that was still parked before the public house, which of course was now closed.
They jumped into the vehicle and Rob drove it around to the other side of the manor house, here the others caught their first sight of a wooden door that was set into the curtain wall. Rob leapt from the vehicle and rushed to the door, in just moments he had picked the lock and opened the door. With everyone’s attention upon Hekate and Simon Parkston, Rob moved swiftly to the altar, which was only ten feet from the wooden door, and taking the key, he quickly unlocked the padlocks holding the chains in place.
Evelyn and Stephanie gasped in surprise as they saw that they were to be rescued at the last moment, and as soon as they were free of their chains, they leapt down from the altar and raced to the open door, with Rob close behind them.
As they sped through the open door, they were finally seen by Simon Parkston, who screamed in anger. “Quick, they are escaping, stop them.”
The Satanists charged after Rob and the two girls, but when the Satanists were through the doorway set in the curtain wall, all they saw was the rear of a departing vehicle; Gerry Handley was once again at the wheel. The night was already overcast, now thunder threatened, and as they made their escape a rain storm suddenly exploded all around them, making their drive along the dark country roads all the more difficult. Rob and Father Pritchard hastily took off their jackets and handed them to the two young girls, who being naked were thankful for even this scant attire. Father Pritchard then went through their gear in the back and pulled out two large blankets, there in case of an emergency, and with these covering their bodies the two girls felt a little better. Evelyn then told their rescuers how she and her sister happened to be living at the manor house, and how they never imagined for one second that their uncle was a Satanist.
**********
Angry eyes looked down upon the manor house, these eyes had been full of excitement just one minute earlier, now they saw yet another failure looming ever nearer, and yet they could do nothing to influence the outcome.
**********
Simon Parkston and Moira had hurried from the courtyard, leaving an angry goddess to stalk around the courtyard wondering whether to kill all of the pathetic Satanists, or to help them. However, she too disappeared when the rain began to fall in sheets upon her, drenching her to the skin. The two Satanists were now standing in a small room that led off the small inner temple beneath the manor house; with them was Jonathan Towers and Mrs Knightly. Parkston now began to put the ingredients of a potion in a deep glass tray, and when ready he moved back into the small temple. Here he mixed the ingredients together and almost immediately a yellow plume of smoke began to rise from the glass tray, and when it reached the ceiling of the temple, it spread around it, thinning out as it went, before finally disappearing.
Jonathan Towers called upon the demon Veigel as the plume of smoke had begun to rise. “Veigel, obey my call so that I might punish the man who ruined our Halloween celebrations, and who kidnapped our sacrifices to the terrible but most magnificent Lord Lucifer and the wondrous Goddess Hekate.” Towers commanded angrily. Moments later a thin veil of smoke began to rise from the corner of the temple, and the temple itself cooled, but as the situation was drastic, he now repeated his command.
“Veigel come to me I command you.” Towers screamed out in anger, not wishing to appear useless to the other three Satanists.
Veigel, a minor demon that they used on such occasions as this, appeared amid the veil of smoke, his stunted body bent and his face terribly misshapen. Parkston and Moira were almost sick as the stench of the beast reached them, but as usual, they showed no outward sign of it. Parkston now added a piece of hair belonging to his oldest niece, which was quickly consumed by the smoking brew.
“Veigel, show me where Evelyn Parkston is currently located, so that I might reclaim her and her sister, and then kill those who defiled the ceremony.” Johnathan Towers commanded the small demon.
“Of course Master.” Veigel replied in a thin rasping voice that Simon Parkston always thought had a touch of Cornish within it.
Within the thin veil of smoke, they saw a car spee
ding along a narrow lane that led away from the small hamlet of Parkston.
“Joanna, you must now conjure up the demon Mughasar, tell him to transport your spirit to a spot further along that road, you must jump in front of the car and make them crash, it is the only way.” Moira commanded.
Mrs Knightly nodded and then called upon the demon Mughasar. “Mughasar, come to me immediately, I command you to assist me, make your presence known to me now.” Mrs Knightly ordered.
The temple cooled rapidly once again, and frost appeared around her feet; and in the corner of the temple, a demon began to form. “I am here oh Master, what is it that you would command of me?” Mughasar asked of the Satanist.
“The road in the view that the demon Veigel has conjured up, take me to a point further along that stretch of road Mughasar, so that I might surprise them.” Mrs Knightly ordered.
**********
Although Mrs Knightly’s body was not transported, her mind was, and an image of her appeared in the road just as the vehicle, with Gerry Handley at the wheel, appeared around a bend, and the image of Mrs Knightly leapt in front of it.
Gerry Handley saw the woman appear in front of him through the driving rain and swerved to avoid her, unfortunately, a ditch ran alongside this stretch of the road and their car came to a shuddering stop as the two passenger side wheels of the car buried themselves deep within the ditch, now filled with rainwater.
“That woman who appeared in front of us, it was Mrs Knightly, the housekeeper, she is one of the Satanists, where is she, where has she gone?” Stephanie sobbed.
“She was never there Stephanie, it was a hallucination sent by your uncle.” Father Pritchard said gently. “They wanted to stop us from escaping.” He added.
“Well they have succeeded then, haven`t they?” Stephanie sobbed as Evelyn moved over to her and threw a comforting arm around her.
“Let`s try to get the car back on the road.” Gerry Handley suggested. However, their attempts to push the car back onto the road failed dismally, and when they saw the oil that had begun to leak out of a broken oil line somewhere beneath the car, they stopped what they were doing and looked about for another way to escape from the Satanists.