narrow staircase and saw
her apparition materialize on the landing, illuminated by the hard, cross-light
from the bathroom. An icy cloud rose from the front door lock.
‘Now thou knowest, my love , what
happened to thy precious, fucking crucifix!’ it spat, scornfully, mimicking her.
‘Kristin ... you’re
stronger than this scum!’
‘So much shit ... there is
no force in the universe stronger than me!’
‘But she’s kept you under
control all her life, limited your mastery of her soul.’
It made her bowels open and
the foul smell spread quickly. ‘She has offered some resistance, but her life
has been brief, she has only just been born . As her purpose becomes clear to her, her objective
closer, so my dominion over her spirit grows. Soon she will cease to exist and
I will live within the shell of her temporal body.’
He started up the stairs
towards her. ‘ Never. ’
She vomited a thick
substance onto the floor. ‘Thou shalt not oppose me! Thou canst not stand
against the desire I have instilled within the souls and minds of each fucker
on this Earth, the need to inflict as much pain and misery as possible, a
hunger so pure, one that I shall nurture over centuries to come.’
He stepped onto the reeking
landing. ‘I’ll find a way.’
‘FUCKER!’
It tried to corrupt his mind,
to destroy his soul, strike him down.
‘You can’t get inside my
head, hurt me, kill me. Kristin’s love for me, her human passion, is greater than your malice.’
‘ Her love ? The bitch slaughtered thy friend.’
‘No, you did, and God knows
I’ll make you pay for it.’
‘ God? God will not help thee. God has
forsaken thee all. The righteous have none to guide them now, none but me, and
I will slowly suck them dry of morality, eat them up and shit them back out.’
‘You will not win. Humanity
will retain its faith, its integrity.’
The sullen face leered at
him from the shadows and ejected a glob of saliva into his face. Then she flew
at him, her mouth gaping, and fused her lips to his. Her sour, caustic spittle met the taste buds of his
tongue as hers washed it into his mouth, flicking in burning, erotic circles.
Then she pulled away with a violent jerk. ‘Hold me, Thom!’ she pleaded. ‘Hold
me tight! ... Insolent
fuckbitch , slap her , how dare she defy me !’ She felt the mess on her legs, under her naked feet,
and felt nauseous. ‘I’ll wash, I’m going to wash ... Thou art indelibly stained by my animus ! ... Make love to me, Thom, make
love to me now, my love ... Ficken sie , sie bedeutet ! Fuck her in her arse! Fuck her good and hard , draw the harlot ’ s blood ! Fuck her ! Fuck her ! Fuck her !
... LEAVE ... ME … ALONE!’
A wolfen howl mutated into
a scream and she passed from the conscious world.
Twelve
Reverend Terence Lowrie stepped up into the pulpit
of St Vincent-in-the-Field Church, Battersea, and surveyed his meagre Sunday
morning congregation solemnly, searching for those who were no longer welcome
in the house of God.
‘Our situation this day is
so very grave, I will begin the service with a short prayer,’ he said.
But not everyone present
bowed their heads.
‘Lord, please give us
strength in these darkest of days, that we might resist the evil in our midst,
seek it out and banish it from this world. Amen.
‘I would like to read now
from the Book of Revelation, chapter fourteen, verses nine to ten.’
‘ If anyone worships the Beast and
his image , and receives his mark
on his forehead or on his hand ,
he himself shall also drink of the
wine of the wrath of God , which is
poured out full strength into the
cup of his indignation. He shall
be
tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the lamb. ’
‘All of you here, all of God’s children,
should study this prophecy and be sure
in your hearts