Right next door to Hell

13

      My phone began to vibrate. I had a text. It was from Marilyn. "Can we meet today? It's urgent. Tonight the moon is full and you have to go to the next stage during the full moon."

       I replied that I agreed and I'll see him at my home at eight. I left my phone and I plunged into the abyss of the the daily questions: What will I wear today? I searched for a pair of black jeans and a jacket. I went downstairs and I started to read about the fourth stage: Mark of Baphomet. The ritual was described in an interesting way.

    "The pearl of the night have to rise in the black sky. It must be in top shape. The earth must carved sign of Baphomet. A drop of blood is enough to activate the spell. When the star of the night reaches the highest point, the drawing will burn and will appear on the character." It could not be that bad. Compared to what was until now...

      I closed the book and turned on the TV. I stopped changing channels barely reached a post where broadcast an episode of House MD. There were the episodes which conclude the series of eight seasons. The first commercial break I went to the kitchen and took the box of tissues. I took a cup of coffee and looked sequences, each time you finish the series - what happened so many times, it makes you cry with laughter for hours.

     After nearly two hours of viewing, Thomas returned home. I heard the door shut and leave things as they fall to the floor and how fast he came to the couch. He hugged me and I looked at him for a long. He wiped away my tears and looked at the pile of tissues used in the trash. "What happened?" He scared asked. "House..."

    He raised an eyebrow when he saw "The end..." written on the screen. He rolled his eyes. I took his hand in mine and he kissed me. I watched as the rain began to fall lightly on the earth. They were splashes sketches of a city. It was the city of glass, and drops were fallen angels.

      I spent all day hanging around. It was around ten. Thomas fell asleep on the couch. I quickly got up and I got everything I needed. I opened the room an I stood my mother. She was sleeping too.

     I quickly put my boots and left the house. Marilyn was waiting for me outside. I opened the door and I sat in the passenger seat. I put my belt and he left the whirlwind. Here and there, were people walking along paths that artificial light was at war with the darkness of night. The moon went shy after the city forms. Somewhere in the distance I saw colored lights on the sky that reminded me of the famous Jay Gatsby's party.

         The world has gone. It was only the forest around us. He stopped the car and took the keys from the ignition. None of us said a word so far. I left the car and started to go to a certain place in the middle of nowhere. We came into a clearing where Marilyn lit four candles - each cardinal point. "Sit in the center." I did as he said.

       "Moon's peak. All you have to do is to put in the four candles a few drops of blood starting from the North." With a blade that I had in my bag I nicked a small cut in my palm. I stepped into the first candle, a drop was enough. The second was quenched after three drops. The next five. Last, after almost ten drops, nothing. I kept looking at Marilyn panic. He lifted his shoulders. I wound up a little bit: Still nothing. Rather, the flame was growing more and more until it reached the size of a small campfire. "You have twenty seconds to complete". He said.

     I looked desperate at my hand than at the fire. "Ten seconds!" I closed my eyes and pressed my hand in the fire to the wick. It extinguished. I didn't burn myself. I turned around and saw the sign encrusted on my hand. "It's not Ready! You really need to go through and the fifth stage right now." He told me. "There you go. And what would I supposed to do?" "Engraving of Chuchulcain, in my opinion, is one of the easiest. Hold this." He said throwing me a bottle filled with a strange liquid. I studied but in the dead of night could not have another color than black.

     "It's a mixture. Do not worry. All you have to do is to drink and to make a small cut. Then moonlight will work for Chuchulcain and the cut will be engraving."
I opened the bottle and tried to drink it as fast as I could because it tasted absolutely horrible. I cut my skin a little - again - and I gaze upon the trees. Someone was watching from the shadows. I ignored the pain began to cup. The moonlight simply drew stripes on my arm. Suddenly, everything was gone and I couldn't feel, see or hear anything.