Chapter 21-2
Black Sabbath
Part 3
It was nearly ten-thirty when someone turned out the lights and the candles around the pentagram were lit, and a large spotlight took center stage. Which indicated that the meeting was about to start. The place really gave off a vibe that the God they worshiped was not the same God we worshiped, and that bothered me greatly. The moment the High Bishop entered from stage right everything went quiet. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. The first thing I noticed was that no babies were crying. In fact, the only children in the room were either the same age as Jared and Jason, or me and my mermaid friends, which made it even spookier.
As I watched, the High Bishop knelt in front of the pentagram and took the bell off the altar. The sound of the bell echoed throughout the room as the words were spoken by everyone around me. In our group, none of us dared to utter those words, fearing the influence of the devil in our lives. Instead, we silently mouthed our own prayers, trying to keep our lips moving. It was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced, being surrounded by such darkness and witnessing people invoking Satan and the powers of hell.
My attention then shifted to Stringham, who swiftly pocketed the placement card that had been intended for us as new members. This card contained the prayer or mantra that everyone was reciting together. Each time they paused, the bell rang, signaling the start of the next verse. Eventually, they completed the recitation. If you're curious, I managed to find a copy of the prayer online. You can read it at http://thedarknesscoven.blogspot.com/2012/09/prayers-to-satan.html.
The opening prayer that I recall them using is called "Bestow upon me Satan." However, I'd rather not post the prayer here for obvious reasons. Once the prayer was said and the announcement made that we today were participating in today's service in hopes of finding true enlightenment and joining their ranks. We were told to stand and as he introduced us, except for Jared and I as we remained seated in our wheelchairs. Once again, the women and the girls that were with us were passed over. Noting he only called our names, not the women as if they didn't exist. Again, that explained much regarding Shawn and Arthur's behavior towards women.
I could feel Jeff inside me, and what I was feeling was nervous anxiety, and that bothered me. I looked over at Jared and he looked over at me as we both watched several people line the pentagram. That was now lit with candles and the Alter had been pushed back out of the circle noticing the Bishop and the High Priestess standing side by side, indicating that the circle began or ended with them. They begin another mantra. It made my skin crawl as we watched a family come forward all barefoot and all dressed in white robes. Like sackcloth. One step up from a flour sack or a rag.
I couldn't tell their ages or sex, because they were hooded as they made their way towards the stage. My guts inside were twitching. Hearing the soft clicks of the camera to take pictures every few seconds, then stop as it waited for me to press the button again.
The first thing they did once they arrived at the pentagram was remove their robes, letting them fall to their ankles. It then became clear that it was indeed an entire family of six of three boys and one girl. Two parents, and a man a little older than Stringham who needed help with the use of a wheelchair, he is being the only one still wearing a white robe, which indicates he could be their elderly grandfather. I could barely make out their definition because of how dark it was until they each entered the circle as the spotlight shined upon them.
Even then it was only clear enough to see that they were all naked and had painted symbols on their bodies. The only thing that set them apart was the color of their hair and the length and the ages that ranged from eight to sixteen. They had tears in their eyes as if they were being forced to do what had been asked of them, and that concerned me. It concerned me, even more, when the Bishop picked up a second knife smaller than the one that was lying on the table. A replica of the other knife, but two times smaller. He held the knife in the air lengthwise and said some words that sounded a lot like Latin. I gasped as the knife burst into flames, surrounding the blade, then watched them distinguish as he handed the knife to her watching her do the same thing. The only difference was the flame went from green to blue before it was distinguished.
She quickly handed the knife to the Bishop and picked up the chalice and the burning bowl of fire. Then they both walked towards the father and took his offered hand. I cringed as we watched him cut his hand and let the blood drip into the bowl of flames as the flames turned to blue. Watching the Bishop and the High Priestess said words in Latin together. Then drip some of his blood into the chalice, making its way to each of the family members as someone in the circle attended to their injuries.
Once he and his helper had completed that part of the ritual, she replaced the burning bowl from the altar and quickly came to the Bishop's side as they asked the congregation to, join in the blessing mantra or welcome them into the fold. Again, we remained silent, or only used the words of a short poem that we had practiced. So, it would look like we were participating as we watched the Bishop mark them with some of the blood. Using his fingertips to paint the pentagram on each of their foreheads and let them drink from the chalice. In a sense, it was a replica of the blood ceremony that the Rothwells did to make me part of their family, but only spookier, and creepier. Yet so far, they haven't done anything other than a blood ritual that tied them to the devil and the coven.
Yet it was about to get a lot scarier and would have given me nightmares for a very long time. Wanting me to get the hell out of there and never look back. As I watched them place and light more torches around the pentagram and uncovered the altar.
The first thing I noticed was the bumps on the corners were metal rings with wrists and ankle attachments. Dad motioned to Stringham that it was time to leave, and he and everyone else agreed. The moment Dad and they made the attempt several of the people in red robes blocked our way out. Asking if we were squeamish because of a little blood offering. Stringham said. "No, we are just concerned for our children."
The man in charge laughed and said. "My own children have all been through this many times. Are you telling us that you and your guests are cowering before our God? You should feel privileged to be here and witness such a wonderful and rare occasion of an aged man such as you Mr. Stringham. Being reborn as his family takes on his soul, now that they have been blessed to be in our ever-growing ranks. No one leaves until the services are over. Now if you wouldn't mind retaking your seats, unless you have decided to forfeit your rights as becoming members of our church. Then you will be shunned by the community and hunted down until you and your families are extinct. After you have witnessed the true power of our God, and his true son Mormo, may he bless us all and take us into his bosom, make us Gods of this world and the worlds beyond the stars."
In the blink of an eye, I felt a blade at my throat which told us he would sacrifice me if they didn't do what they were told. Everyone quickly returned to their seats, and the man removed the blade, only to replace it near my kidneys while another man placed another one at Jared's throat. Said if they made a single move that looked like we were leaving they'd kill us. The High Priestess and the Bishop made their way over asking why they were disturbing our meeting and threatening their guests.
The man in charge said. "My most holy Bishop and High Priestess please forgive us, we didn't know they were your personal guests." Removing the blades and shielding them. I caught a grin on the High Priestess's face as she whispered something in his ear.
He nodded. "Perhaps it would be better if they left until they joined our ranks. Before they see how our God takes our old and afflicted into his bosom and gives them a new life and is reborn. They will stay until up to that point, so they will see they have nothing to fear as we prepare their grandfather and girl who have been chosen to be a host. So, his spirit can be reborn, but I request that Mr. Stringham stay and as well as their parents and allow the children to be removed until their coronation as they meet our God and his son for the first time. May Mormo watch over you?"
The guards remained at our sides, preventing us from leaving, as the Bishop and the priestess apologized on our behalf, stating we had been overcome by the spirit for the first time and felt that they would like to be counted in their ranks. That they will be baptized and bestowed the blessing in a special ceremony on Tuesday, during the social gathering of friends and family. The crowd cheered. The feeling of Jeff was faint, but what I felt was something that said we were in deep trouble. More than we would have been if we didn't attempt to leave. Yet I questioned if it was unavoidable, and for the first time, I blamed Stringham for it.
The girl stood shaking the moment the High Priestess reentered the circle placing one hand on her head and one hand on her stomach. If I was to guess, she was no older than me or my mermaids. The moment she did, the circle began another mantra, while the rest of her family kneeled around her. I nearly jumped out of my wheelchair as the Bishop handed the High Priestess the knife. She nodded and said something in Latin which I didn't understand and held it lengthwise in the air as it burst into black and blue flames along the blade before it distinguished and then kissed the blade. Then handed back the knife to the Bishop as he too said the words in Latin, kissing the knife after the flames distinguished.
He made two cuts, one on each of her breasts. Taking the blood and drawing another unfamiliar symbol on both her breasts and a large one on her stomach before placing a kiss on her forehead. She broke down into tears like they and we watched her grandfather being helped off with his robe and letting him kiss each of them. Yet the way it looked it seemed he was being forced as they practically dragged him, as if he was trying to fight being placed on the altar.
He didn't scream, as they tied him down and I noticed someone was ministering some sort of drug. Dad asked what he was given, and the guard said rudely. "A mild sedative so to keep him calm so he can great our God Mormo when the time comes before he can be reborn, like we all will. May he be counted as one of the blessed in Mormo's name."
The moment the girl that had been chosen had been helped onto the altar they draped the black cloth across the back of her. Covering most of the bottom half of the altar. It was then that I had noticed the same pentagram that was on the floor was etched on the cloth in gold, as the candlelight caused it to simmer. While we watched her move in the pattern, I knew so well that told us she was having sex with him.
It was our cue to leave as the family gathered around the altar, watching her and helping their grandfather remain still as they said their goodbyes. I heard the grandfather scream and the girl scream. The moment the doors were about to close, I didn't dare look back.
His scream was all I needed to know that they just killed him in cold blood. They had murdered him; his own children and grandchildren murdered their grandfather for some nameless God. It made me sick to my stomach as they hurried us into some office as they forced Jared and me out of our wheelchairs and then locked us inside the office, letting my friends help me and Jared onto the couch. It seemed like forever as we all sat in silence. Nobody wanted to talk about what had just happened. Afraid if we did, that someone would come into the room and kill us.
We breathed a sigh of relief when our parents came into the room, yet the relief soon dissipated seeing the markings on their heads and the bandages on each of their hands. Everyone's face was white with terror as they quickly tried to cover up what had just happened or what they had just been through. Even Stringham was quite shaken. He held two fingers to his lips and said for us not to ask or say anything until we were safe and far away from this place.
Dad and Mr. Vincent helped Jared and me into our wheelchairs as the guards stood and watched. Telling us that it would be so much better when we too accept Mormo into our lives as our parents did, and perhaps end Jared's and my suffering being reborn through their God and Savior.
Dad said. "You are forgetting that according to your bible that they only need to be reborn if they will remain this way or they become elderly, and only then will our God and his holy son Mormo will take them into his bosom, And not until then. They will not be touched.
"You yourselves have seen they can walk with the help of their braces and crutches. It has only been recently that this was able to happen and according to our doctors, they have a seventy- five percent chance of gaining full use of their legs. Now we need to go home and prepare ourselves and our bodies before being in the presence of our most holy Bishop. Who has requested our presence to dine with him and his family this evening?" With that being said, Mom and Dad quickly and discreetly took us home.