Dark Absolution

Insanity follows the Priest in this 2nd chapter

Chapter Two:

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The next morning, the religious man found himself sitting at the head of the dining table. It was a long table that usually can seat up to 24people.

" How did I get here?" he asked himself. " Why am I here?"

" Breakfast," someone replied from behind him.

The religious man flinched as he turned around. Standing behind him was a tall woman with dark features. She had very short hair, and darker circles beneath her eyes. She was carrying a small tray with fruit, and she had no clothing.

" Who are you?" he asked.

The woman drew herself up, clearly trying to get a reaction from the religious man. " I am serving breakfast."

" We employ our own cooks," said the religious man.

" I’m not hiding anything," she said. " I am here just doing my job."

" Who hired you?"

She smiled sheepishly.

" Well?"

She looked toward the end of the table and sitting there were four beast like creatures. They had scaly skin, and serpent heads. They were slightly greenish with brown horns on their heads.

Turning toward the beast like creatures was almost a task for the religious man. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He cleared his throat as a gesture, but the beast like creatures ignored him.

" What are you?" he shouted.

" Quiet!" One of them roared. " We are trying to eat our meal!"

Their meal consisted of uncooked, and just freshly killed swine. They were snapping at it like wolves.

" Stop it!" shouted the religious man. " Make sense of this, I can’t take this insanity!"

But the religious man’s words were lost as the beast like creatures fed noisily on the freshly killed swine.

They chewed vigorously as blood spattered against the religious man’s robe.

" They really don’t like to be bothered," said the woman. " I suggest you just eat your breakfast, and let them be."

" This is my home?"

She nodded.

" I don’t permit this in my home," he continued.

" They do not care."

The religious man didn’t know what else to do about the situation so he stood up. He grimaced as he pointed his finger toward the beast like creatures. " Go back to Hell!"

One of the creatures stood up, and moved away from the table. He looked toward the religious man and grunted. The grunt was so loud it cut through the religious man’s eardrums like a knife.

" Get out!" shouted the religious man. Head high, still flanked by fear, but he tried not to let it show. " You don’t belong here. This is my home."

" Evil lives here," said the standing beast. " Evil has planted roots here, and does plan to stay. I fear there is nothing you or God can do about it."

" God is mighty!"

" Indeed?"

The beast walked closer, and his voice deeper.

" I wish to be left alone," said the religious man.

The beast like creature swelled and heaved toward the religious man, but stop directly in front of him. Their faces were close, and their breaths shared. One stale, the other dry.

" You filthy creature," said the religious man between clenched teeth. " Get out of my house. Get out of my chapel!"

" I can snap your neck," replied the beast.

" Devil’s spawn," continued the religious man. " You are in a house of worship."

" I can snap your neck," The beast repeated.

" Go back to Hell! Damn you!"

" I can snap your neck."

" You won’t take my soul!"

" We have no designs on your soul."

" No desire to take the soul away from a religious man?"

" None," answered the beast like creature. " None whatsoever."

" I don’t understand," he added confusingly.

" Just eat your breakfast," whispered the naked woman.

The religious man almost turned to face the woman, but decided to keep his eyes on the beast like creature. He did so only because he didn’t want his neck snapped.

" I am going to sit down and finish my meal," said the beast like creature. " I suggest you do the same."

The religious man wanted to continue the disagreement, but thought it over clearly in his mind. He knew he was in a battle he couldn’t win. He knew that the moment they stepped into his face he would be sickened by their appearance, and their evil ways. He felt hatred building up inside him, and it fueled his insanity. He wasn’t going to allow it to get the better of him. Besides, he knew that the beast like creature would easily snap his neck. That was probably a ritual he wanted no part of. So he sat down.

" Good move," whispered the woman.

" Did I have a choice?"

" No," she answered. " But you did the right thing."

He turned toward her and smiled.

" So many sins roam freely in your mind," she said.

" Sins?"

" Yes," she said as she placed more fruit in front of him. " I can sense it."

" How would you know what I have in my head?" he asked. " Do you read minds?"

" No," she giggled. " I just sense it."

" I have no sins," he half shouted.

" Look at those creatures," she said tilting her chin in their direction. " That’s not coming from my mind."

" What?" he looked confused.

" I haven’t a sin in me," she said.

" Those creatures are coming from my mind?"

She nodded.

" But how?"

" Sin," she replied.

" I don’t understand."

" You will," she answered. " Trust me, you will."

" You speak in riddles! Damn it!" He shouted. " Why don’t you just give me a damn straight answer?"

" Because your insanity doesn’t allow it," she replied.

" You mean my sanity?"

She shook her head from side to side indicating no.

" How can I get rid of these creatures?" he asked.

" When your mind is free," she answered.

Her words didn’t make any sense to him, but he tried to clear his mind. He tried to free his thoughts, but it didn’t work. The beast like creatures were still there.

" Nothing!" he half shouted. He looked around and notice that the naked woman was gone. " Where did you go?"

There was no answer.

" Hey!"

Still no answer.