The Book of Souls

The Ritual and A Vessel

David filled up a bucket of water outside of the church and carried it inside, towards the back storage room.  This was the church that he had tried to same ritual in before.  His last efforts had failed, but this time he was going to do it right.  He unlocked the door and opened it, light flooding into the dark room and revealing a still unconscious Julie lying on the floor.  He lifted the bucket and poured it over her head.  She woke instantly, sputtering and coughing up water.

“Good morning sunshine.” He grabbed her by the ankle and drug her into the main area of the church where the pastor would have stood to give his sermons.

In the middle of the church, a giant symbol had been drawn.  The pain in Julie’s leg made her almost black out again when he dropped her ankle.

“Welcome to the last place you will ever see again.”

Julie glanced around and realized it was the same church from her dreams, “Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?”

David’s laugh made Julie shiver, “I’m not going to kill you Julie. I’m going to fuck you.”

Confused, Julie shook her head, “I don’t understand.”

“It’s not that hard to get dear.  You are like the Mother Mary.  The child you give birth to, depending on the father, will become Jesus Christ.”

Julie struggled against the ropes that had her arms tied together, “I call bullshit. Mother Mary was a virgin, I am not.”

“That’s what the bible tells you.  She was no virgin my dear so you better believe it.  When I spread my Demonic see inside you, you will birth Satan, not the Savior.”

He walked to the symbol on the floor, picking the book up off the floor, “The ceremony starts at midnight Julie; you’d better get some rest.”

Julie watched him leave the church and she struggled a little more against her restraints.  She felt betrayed.  Both Brook and Michael had been lying to her the whole time.  She was going to carry a baby Jesus Christ.  She closed her eyes, fighting back tears.  She had to figure out a way to get out of the church.  She rolled over onto her stomach and opened her eyes.  With a couple of scoots and a ton of wiggling she got to the edge of the sermon stage.  Bracing herself, she rolled down the two steps to the main floor of the church.  She bit her lip, fighting the urge to scream in pain.  She didn’t want to get David’s attention and piss him off because she was trying to escape.

After a couple more rolls and scooting she was in the middle of the symbol on the floor.  That’s when she spotted the knife on the edge of the symbol.  It took her longer than expected, but she finally cut the ropes from her arms.  She slowly pulled herself to her feet and winced in pain.  When the pain in her leg subsided she walked to one of the broken windows and looked out, trying to spot David.  The woods surround the old church were barren.  She slowly made her way to the heavy wooden doors, and as she opened them she took a step forward towards freedom.  Before her foot made contact with the first step, arms wrapped around her midsection, pulling her back inside and away from the door.  The force from her being pulled back made her land in the middle of the symbol once again.  Julie landed hard on her bad leg and she finally let out a cry.

“You think he’s going to leave you unattended? Think again hot stuff.” A male voice said from above Julies head and she closed her eyes, feeling defeated.

 ***********************

Michael came out of the trance he had been in.  As much as he hated to admit it, it had taken him almost two hours to locate Julies mind.  He was mentally exhausted, and slightly embarrassed.  He had been so relieved to find her he couldn’t help himself.  It had been something he had dreamt of for a very long time since the first time he had touched her mind in the hospital.  It had been an instant connection.  She had made it easy on him by reaching out and grabbing him in the fog.  He stood from the chair he had been sitting.  He stretched out his body and disappeared.  In his mind it didn’t take much to envision the church where it all had started.