Vile Curse of Virulence

Now Celestine had got the taste for sacrifice. However, she was no nearer finding her demon, instead finding herself in trouble.....

As the moon glowed over the Devils Peak looking down on the houses below, the night-time security guard was busy questioning the past few weeks. His mind was full of theory and now he wanted fact. He had spoken to a few of Celestine's neighbours about the first man he had seen and of the others that now followed over the past nights. No-one appeared helpful with any reports, hearing noises or anything out of the ordinary. Then came a report in the local news and he began to tie up what was happening.

"Mystery as four people vanish on the same area of the beach" went the headline of the newsreader, stopping at carefully selected moments to ensure the full facts were put out to the Cape Town residents. More than anything the newsreader wanted to strike fear into the community knowing that such a feeling was sure to provoke answers.

The guard listened to his small radio receiver realising that each person mentioned had been a man that had visited Celestine. Even though there was little identification, the description of clothes found, some glasses, an expensive watch and shoes matched very closely to the men he had seen. The guards job was protection. His memory was full of occurances that might be useful in the future, whether being a broken down car outside of the housing block or an arguement between residents. With his suspicions now aroused he decided to wait until later that evening when the nights activities had settled down and go to number 17 to investigate.

'I am calling, I am calling. Let us be one once more. Come to this world, touch me. Thou who accordest thy skin to touch mine, thou who unitest, thou who lovest, thou who seizest with furious desire the multiplied races of savage beasts mixed with couplest the sexes in the wood........'

So desperate was Celestine to draw her demon to her she was mixing invocations, the Songs of Bilitis fell into Thelemic Mysticism along with verses from the Hermetic Brotherhood. Her books of magic and mysticism were scattered over her floor along with sacrificial knives whilst she stood crying out holding a flask of bodily fluids as an offering. The sickness of her words turned to foul and disingeneous acts but still failed to uncover the beast.

Celestine began to lose her mind as she tried to delve further, then she heard Jonathan from the adjacent room. At first she chose to ignore him then realising he was a gift of the one she so desired she left her chanting. Jonathan had become scared by his mothers lamentations. He grabbed her desperate to feel some love. Jonathan only felt a small amount of sympathy that Celestine gave until her feelings changed away from him. She wanted the lust of the beast and went back into her fantasies once more. However much Celestine tried she could not bring herself to give her true love to the child.

Jonathan was growing in his mind and thoughts and these were far quicker than the growth of his tiny body. The mixture of human blood with that of Djinn had left him with heightened perception and an understanding that for the time being lacked speech. Whilst he loved his mother he knew something wasn't right. There had been a detachment between the two of them from the moment of his birth as though Celestine had a feeling of revulsion about him. Jonathan had not yet established his mothers incessant need for a repeat of the night of desire his father provided. He also wished for him though, to find out why he was upon this earth. Destiny told him they would eventually meet.

Eventually Jonathan was left alone again. An hour or so after, there was a noise outside. His mother had been quiet and he wasn't sure if attracting her would be a great idea. Jonathan let out a little cry. This co-incided with the security guard opening the front door carefully with the spare set of keys he had been given. They were his in trust and only to be used in emergency or trouble. He decided this could be both. Jonathan wondered where his mother was as he heard the sounds of feet moving around below him. Everything in the house became deathly quiet. Jonathan tried to hold his breath so whoever it was would not come to enter his room. The stairs began to creak.

His mothers voice broke the silence cursing. The noise alerted the guard who, having worked his way through the rooms in the house had now just two upstairs to enter. There was one with a key, the other, a heavier darker door seemed to be enticing him more. Turning the knob around and slowly moving that door open the guard saw Celestine. In turn she was shocked to see this man enter the domain. However she quickly became wise to his movements, following his eyes as he took in the room before him. Celestine waited for him to speak, her eyes glowing with disgust that this person could enter her house without an invite.

As the guard opened his mouth to speak, his voice cut short by the firing of knives into his body. The circle of daggers that Celestine had drawn for her spells had come alive. Spraying the room with blood he was carved into pieces, stabbing at any moving body parts until all that was left was crimson. The blood moved thick and fast out through the door of the room. Then the silence of before returned.

Jonathan suddenly heard a voice next to him talking in tongues, a strange language and he had no idea what she was saying. Then he saw the most abomniable figure. This creature of the night looked at him with great adoration. Her eyes shone with death, her lips drooled a yellow saliva that dripped onto his face. Again Jonathan wanted to scream but this time he couldn't as the creature wouldn't let him.

'One day young child, you will be mine. You will live as the seed that gives me my life once again'.

A blackened hand moved to touch his fair skin. There was laughter and he fainted.

Celestine's desires to provoke a demon had worked. The candles and knives neatly arranged for the evenings entertainment had been dishevelled by the entrance of the guard in her room.. Now they took on a new appearance. The knives lay scattered in bloodied 'L' shapes upon the floor whilst the candles gave off an green light of vomit like discharge. Celestine knew then she had conjured up a something but had no idea of who or what it was. She felt frustrated by the nights events knowing that everything had gone out of her control. Now she had to clear this mess.

Celestine had not enticed Djinn, instead from her Castle of Darkness, Lillith, his sister had heard the words. Parting the night clouds Lillith looked down into Celestine's house. A loud storm immediately came from the darkness thrashing heavy rain onto the earth. Lillith lay in her backened pit of depravity seeing into Celestine's life and soul. Immediately Lillith saw the appearance of her brother and was sick in disgust until she saw the birth of the child. She had spent many moons searching for what he had been up to, having been alerted by her minnions of Djinns plans to destroy her. She made a putrid smile as her thoughts came to mind about how she could use this situation with her immense power. Now she had broken into the boys world. Lillith knew what she wanted and Jonathan was going to provide her with future life for her demon world.


Being a lost force and banished from the Kingdom of Destruction, Djinn had been made weak. He could no longer foretell events of the future, see all around him or fight his sister. His only power was in being sly and devious. The child would be the one to save him. He felt sure of that and the house that Celestine lived in was safe and secure from anything that Lillith could do. Djinn had protectors to look after his son. At least that is what he had thought. Celestine had now broken this apart.

Jonathan's mother collected up the dismembered bodyparts. Slicing fingerprints off, finding the eyes and smashing teeth became the most time consuming part of her work. Collecting the clothes and the hair she took all the parts covered in sheets and poured petrol over them. Her back garden was secluded so she could create a fire with no disturbance and be able to make sure this did not spread elsewhere. The weather of the evening would make the fire easier to control and also washed away any traces of of the guard's footsteps.

Inside the house the darkness ate away the blood. Jonathan's protectors saw to that although they had been unable to save him from Lillith's discovery. However, Celestine had mislaid the security guard's ID card. This was to prove her downfall as it lay under the bed glinting in the nightlight.

Questions were asked over the next few days. Residents had been unable to leave or access the gates they were shielded behind until a morning relief security guard arrived. Although residents asked around about what had happened to the previous employee, the company that looked after the complex kept quiet. They were told by Joan Liebenberg, the neighbour, where the guard had gone that night. Then a few days later she too was dead, a suspected heart failure. Having alerted the police something was about to happen.

When Celestine found herself under suspicion and the house was in line to be searched she had no option but to leave the country.....

Author's Note

Do you think this part works? Should there be more concise description? There is another section that we have scrapped so we are interested in what your views are.

Reviews

[Fantasyfairy]

This chapter works well with the story. She couldn't keep doing the things she was doing without getting caught, or having suspicion thrown onto her at some point. But, unlike the other chapters, this one seemed almost rushed, and there is something missing, though I am unsure what. I think the description of Lillith needs more work, and also of Jonathan's vision. You don't describe Lillith the first time we see her either, so she needs some form gven to her appearance now to make her real as a character.

It says that he see's Lillith, but also that his Mother directs her thought towards him. So what I am unsure of is this:
Does Lillith come because of Celestine directed anger and hate towards her own son, or some other reason that I have missed?
Also, I think a small reminder of who Lillith is would help. I had to read backwards to remember that she was his Aunt.

[Nick Erickson]

Jonathan's mother - I get the impression that Celestine is moving away from center to a supporting character.

The irony, in Celestine constantly inviting deamons, hoping it'll be Djinn is not lost here. Especially since she welcomed Lillith.

The "darkness eating the blood" was excellent and really kept with the mood of the story - darkness itself.

I think this chapter works well with the flow of the story and that there is enough description to keep the story flowing smoothly. We've been given enough to know Jonathan is growing in knowledge and that he is definately protected, regardless of his mother's reckless behaviors and un-loving attitude towards him.

Again, well done!!

[These Haunted Hallways]

Twas very good. Gruesome and shred-like, but pretty good for the most part. I think the very last part was a little rushed in the concluding statements of the last victim, and thought maybe it could go into some longer detailed information. Other than that, really good!

B.A.

[Rain]

I have to be honest here, I had to really stop and think where I was at. It's very difficult to spread the time out between Chapters. The other Chapters seemed to grab me. I had a harder time with this one. It's good, and it held my attention, but something felt different. I can't explain it. It's good, but could be stronger. Is this the last chapter ? It also could just be me. I'm not feeling good and that can effect your reading. You guys have been terrific together. Rain..

[R J Askew]

Firstly, I will try to avoid ever taking a job as a security guard and if I do I will never be curious!

Incidentally, when it got to the blades slicing the guy up. I did not freak. The point of telling you this is more a reflection on the power of those poems of yours that really did get to to me when you came to the blood.

I found the woman tragic in her desperation to recall her evil lover. She is totally corrupted in her lust. The positon of the boy arouses sympathy as he seems innocent for the moment. But the most intriguing part for me is the sub plot of the rivalry between the evil ones. I found the image of Lillith in her lair very striking. I'm not sure about the final paragraphs here which seem to return the story to reality with the disposal of the corpse and the issue over the card. But I suppose the link with reality is there to lend a twist of plausibility i.e. in a house near yooo-hooo...lurks... You still have my curiosity and I want to know where you will take this and how you will land it. There was so much fury in the earlier parts...the question I now ask is can you exceed that?

[Dead Angel]

this is a great continuation of the story, works well with the other parts. a great turn of events and a very suspenseful ending. very well detailed and the imagery was both gruesome and enjoyable. although i wish you would give some insight from Celestine's point of view. try to get some more of this story from her eyes so the reader can see where she is coming from. other than that well done to you both i can't wait to see where it goes from here and what lilliath will do to johnathan.

[James Watts]

I agree it does seem a bit rushed, but it is still a nice read. What I suggest is when each draft is done...take a deep breath and each one of you read over it. Sometimes reading aloud helps, the ear is a valuable backup tool for the eye. I did enjoy this though and it is a nice piece.