~The House of God~


~The Devils Hide~

Riding hard most of the night through a wooded rivine on a mountainside, a place known as the ‘DEVILS HIDE’. After many hours of riding under a canopy of trees so thick that no moonlight could make its way through the tangled and snarled branches. He cursed himself for not bringing along a torch to light the way, now that it was obvious that he was lost. He dismounted to take a closer look but it seemed the road had vanished from sight. King searches for a path leading his faithful horse and long time companion, "Magic" carefully through the thick folage when he suddenly had a strong feeling he was being watched! It was as if the very trees themselves had eyes.

The still night air filled with howls of many wolves... a sound so haunting that it chilled his bones. The snap of a twig and the rustling of leaves and Magic, who could usually keep a clear head in the worst of times began to whine and canter about. It was clear she sensed the approaching danger! "Easy Magic, easy girl." He said in a calm and soothing voice, "It'll be ok..." but before he could get out his words he was surrounded by glowing yellow eyes. A few of the larger alpha males approached threateningly and began to growl viciously while baring their long dagger like fangs! King thought he was about to die... his heart pounded and sweat ran down his neck and forehead stinging his eyes when suddenly there was a beautiful sight, a wolf in a halo of light. He wiped the sweat from his eyes furiously and looked again but it was still there the most amazing animal he had ever seen!

The first light of morn' slowly came over the horizon. The beautiful new arrival bounded in one mighty leap from the rocky out-cropping over the heads of the other wolves to place herself between King and the hungry pack. She was facing King and he thought to himself 'This must be their leader she must want to get the most tasty parts of me before the rest of the pack has their way.' The very thought sickend him, he knew that he must flee... do something, Anything but he was frozen with fear. Suddenly to his surprise the great beast spun around and let out a vicious growl most of the pack lower their heads submissivly and take a few steps back but the largest of the pack who was the true leader was not going to submit to a female that easily not without a fight, he snarled a retort and took a step toward her, both of their backs were arched and the hair on the backs of their neck where standing straight up in the air it seemed like a stalemate but then his unexpected savour stood up on her hind legs and with bared claws and fangs came down slashing and biting in a way that he had never known an animal to act. It was clear that her challenger was taken aback by her strange behavior as well, it was just as clear that he was outclassed by this amazing beast. He quickly backed down, crawling away bloody and mortally wounded. It was then an easy matter for her to chase the rest of the pack off with their tails between their legs.

The angelic wolf had saved his life! He could do nothing but stare in awe at the magnificent creature before him. Seconds pass like hours and without a word the wolf said follow me...

King felt an overwhelming urge to follow the beautiful wolf, so he did. Near the top of the raise the wolf stopped and King could see the village below, the old houses dotted the town like dark decaying teeth. It appeared to be deserted, the streets lay empty, no smoke came from the smoke stacks, no lights shined in the dirty windows no sounds of children playing, no rattling of coachwheels running down the cobblestone streets, "Nothing" King said to himself "None of the things you would expect to hear even in the quietest of towns. Something is not right here!" His only reply was the sound of a lonely dog barking off in the distance. Before he had much time to think about this he realizes that the wolf has moved on so he hurried to catch up with her but by the time he caught up with her she stopped. It seemed that at last they had reached their destination. He could honestly say that he was not prepared for what he saw there in front of him...the most dark and forbidding church ever to scar the face of the earth, he didn't know it then but it was THE HOUSE OF GOD.

Above the door to the old church was inscribed ‘This Place Is Terrible’ and he thought with a shudder it truly was a terrible place! King could feel distance thoughts inviting him in to sin and he wondered to himself if God was ever here at all! As he enters the church everything begins to change before his eyes into a place of glorious beauty, on one end of the church, facing east what was a crumbing pile of stone transforms into a magnificent pulpit of gold and silver with a canopy above portraying gargoyles in the sun and on the other side facing west is a evil looking pulpit made of ebony marble of a type he had never seen before and like the oppisite pulpit there was a canopy above it showing demons having fun. Next to the alter there was a little Black Devil carved out of some unknown blackened stone, it gave him a feeling of deep dread to look apon it. He walked about the church and seen an unbelieveable sight! To one side there was a table laden with a feast of food and wine, a spread unlike anything he had ever seen. The entire place was kept dimly lit by a few black candles about the room.

Suddenly as he watched, the wolf began to shed its skin, he grabs his silver crucifix for protection from whatever evil was to come! But he dropped it in surprise when he saw what lay underneath the thick coat of fur. He stood there with his mouth agapped for what he saw standing in front of him now aroused much more in him then just his curiousity, a beautiful women naked as the day she was born. She wore her nudity with a grace and pride that made it seem as if he was the one out of place by the act of wearing cloths. She said her name was ANGEL and to King she was just that. For he could not imagine that any earthly women whom had not came down from heaven above could ever hope to be as incredibly beautiful as she. Not a single blemish mared her flawless skin, not a single winkel on her face nor slightest sag in her perfect breast. He realized that he was staring at her with his mouth wide open like a love sick school-boy. He closed his mouth and slowly approached her...he tried to speak, to think of the right words to say that would make this women love him as he already loved her. But the words did not come for they were snatched away in the passion of the moment as their lips touched for the first time. She began unbuttoning his shirt and before he knew it his close were on the floor. Her touch apon his body was like a euphoria he knew he could never again live without. For both of them it seemed it was love at first sight and for the next six days and six nights they filled the church with heavenly sin, making love in every single way, joining body and soul their hearts entwined as one. Everything was perfect until…

The early morning of the seventh day when King awoke to find Angel kissing the little Black Devil on the head, That damn little Devil that he hated so, for somehow he knew there was more to it then meets the eye. Somehow every time he looked at it he could feel an evil hatred coming from it…as if… it where Alive!

Later that same day as King and Angel are in the confessional playing a sexy game acting like he’s the priest and she is the sinner of all his dreams. Her face suddenly changes and her smile vanishes without a trace. She tells King,
"Nothing is forever" she said,"Nothing is forever, my dear. So many things are wrong in here, so many times I’ve lived in fear" She goes on to tell him, "A year ago…I signed a sacred Pact."she cries, "and if you love me so will you." She was terrified and trembling and he could tell it was not an act. as she continued, "The Pact is so powerful it leaves you no way out!" She looked up at him then with a desperate, hopeful look, "unless…unless within a year" She paused "unless what? What can save you from this terrible place?" King yelled overcome with fear and frustration at the thought of losing her, his sweetangel after all the lonely years… He would do anything to save her! "unless within a year someone else will sign it in blood!"

A chill runs through King as he slowly begins to see the truth. "What are you saying?" He asks in disbelief, "If you sign it now I may go free I’ll be able to leave as myself not in the form of a wolf like I’ve had to for the past year." though he knew what was coming his heart still soared at the thought of his beloved being free from this place. "Unfortunately I would leave without my memory. I wouldnt remember this place, or anything that has happened though the year I spent in this Hell but worst of all..." She paused the tears streaming down her face as she drew closer to him, taking his hand she said. "I would have no memory of you or your noble sacrifice" she wept, "I would never see you again!" He took her in his arms, holding her tightly knowing that he could never let her go. Knowing that he would have to. He kissed her and said, "If I don’t sign the Pact then in seven days you will die before my very eyes But if I sign then I must stay and only leave as a wolf for pray! So either way I’ll never she you again." he looks her in the eyes and says,"For me there is no choice I’ll not let you die in this evil place! You will be free and I will stay. So please my sweetangel fly away…fly away."

Alone in the church King slowly starts to lose his sanity! The long nights roaming the woods as a wolf stalking his pray the feel of his teeth tearing into the fresh of the small animals he prays on tearing out their throats and eating their entrails. Then the endless days in the church searching for some clue, some hope that there might be some way for him to leave this place before his year was up and he would have to find some poor soul to take his place or die an agonizing death. The memory of angel haunted him more and more each day and he knows it will haunt him till the day he dies…which was sooner then he realized. For as the days passed the heartache, isolation and he’s looming inevitable doom all became to much for him and he truly loses his mind. He begins to destroy the church smashing the mirrors, smashing them over and over until blood is running down his arms and dripping on the floor. He stops smashing the mirrors and screams out to God or Satan or whomever it is hiding in the shadows. He screams for help from anything that would take him from this wretched life…

Suddenly there’s a crashing sound and King slowly turns around, he see something move, a void of darkness in the floor, where the alter stood. He moves closer, the blood still running down he’s arms from all the cuts in his hands. A musty old smell rises up from the hole and he thinks he hears a sound coming up from the darkness below. At the same time he hears a bell ringing but he is all alone, who could be ringing the bell? Then he knows, now must be the time. He will find the secret of this place or he will die trying!

Armed with only a candle and his soul he set off to explore a hidden path that leads to an underground catacombs. Spiders and rats were everywhere and the shadows dance along the wall like demons stalking his every step. He can just make out a cryptic message carved into the floor. As he follows the catacombs he looks into the little chambers all along the narrow halls to his horror he finds there all full of human bones! Finally he sees a light, he pushes some bones aside to find another chamber. This chamber had a glow to it and he could feel the evil energy stronger then before he thinks to himself that it might even be a doorway to another world. As his eyes adjust to the darkness he begins to see what looks like the Virgin Mary! A life size statue carved out of wood standing tall up against the far wall. Her face peeling from all the years that it had been down here. He wonders if it was just a statue or was it what he had been looking for all along? He starts to pick at the peeling face of the statue until he completely breaks away the face to find another one instead…

The face of a mummy appears as the bandages fall away… the face beneath is grotesque, dried and shriveled, the empty sockets of its eyes were sown shut and about its head he wore a crown of thorns! From the empty eyes came an entity of light pouring out towards him and he begins to run. He feels a cold wind from far beyond the dark chasing him through the catacombs and he runs even faster till finally he sees the flickering candle light at the top of the stairs. He dashes up through hole in the floor just in time, he turns around he can hear the wind from the catacombs as the magnificent blinding light floods out from the hole and the church blazes with a light that it had never known before.

The entity floated above him their contorted faces and bodies glowed and shimmered even brighter then the blinding light filling the church. The fear of dying was long gone but the terror that soon he would know the truth was heavy upon him. "YOU HAVE ENTERED WHERE NO HUMAN MUST GO YOU HAVE SEEN THE LIE. THE LIE ABOUT THE CROSS" They spoke in unison in a loud voice.

"I AM MANY… WE ARE ONE, THE HIGHEST. YOU’LL NEVER KNOW WHY WE KEPT HIM HERE THE ONE WHO DID NOT DIE ON THE CROSS. COULD IT BE THAT WE KEPT HIM AWAY FROM GOD, SO THAT HE MAY NEVER WALK THE EARTH AGAIN!" Their voices boomed on for some time, "GOD AND SATAN ARE JUST PUPPETS ON OUR STRINGS, CREATING CONFLICT IN YOUR LITTLE HUMAN MINDS, KEEPING US ALIVE! IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO OR WHAT YOU THINK WE ARE ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU KNOW WE ARE! GOD, THE DEVIL, GOOD AND EVIL, WE ARE ALL THAT AND SO MUCH MORE!" King burned with rage over how these pompous, arrogant ‘gods’ played with the lives of all mankind! He stood before these ‘gods’ and challenged them to prove themselves to him! He screamed defiantly "Show to mankind that you really exist and then explain to us the meaning of chaos, give us reason to persist, to go on living through this hell on earth! All I want is peace of mind from all these non-existence gods. I bet that not even you will ever understand the truth cause you are nothing but puppets on even higher strings" King begins to climb the gray cold stairs, the stairs that lead to the tower of Hell! One by one he slowly ascends the stairs with rope in hand, lashing out at the shimmering ‘gods’. The realization that what man has believed for thousands of years has been all a game! That man has never truly known what lies beyond and after or before. We’ve created for our selves a belief system that’s based on a foundation of lies and half- truths, misinterpreted scriptures and blatant outright corruption. He screams to them, "Your unholy eyes I want to sew them shut! Oh you meaningless little god, and so I choose death over you!" Up the final stairs to the tower of hell he can hear his heart beating in his chest as he feels their presents growing ever nearing, hastly he wraps the rope around his neck, there is no fear for this one has seen the truth and he knows… He ties the other end of the rope to a ceiling beam. The Highest were almost upon him and he knew they would stop him from killing himself for they needed him to bring more innocent souls to this forsaken place. Only feet away from him and he stares them right in the eyes and spits on them in disgust as he cries out, "Father of the universe here I come!" He jumps into the void and the rope snaps his neck! The Highest scream out in rage and agony as they are drawn back down to the celler below the church the noise was so great that they could not hear his last whispered words "This place is terrible!" And he dies….

"So its settled then, we will begin the constuction as soon as this old church it torn down." The Count said, he had known the O'Brians for years and Gregory was the only man he trusted with the job of building his new mansion. "Yes sir, and to save time and money we shall use the existing celler and foundation of the church." Gregory knew that the one thing the boss liked to hear was 'saving money'.

"Well thats outstanding but you know that money is no object I want this to be a grand ol' home for the Countess were expecting you know." Gregory was relieved to see that the Count was looking out over the worksite else he might have caught the look on his face when he mentioned the baby. He swallowed hard and said, "Ye...yes I have been meaning to congratulate you, thats wonderful news..." He wiped the sweat from his forehead looking about nervously. He hoped there would be no more mention of it.

"Now where well you and the brotherhood be staying while you oversee constuction?" The Count asked him? "Well, as chance would have it there is an old temple deep in the forest that we plan to renovate." Gregory said thankful that he had changed the subject, "It should be perfect for our modest needs and is still close enough to make for an easy ride back in forth from the mansion."

"Well then I leave it in your capable hands the foremen have been instructed to report to you and that you have final say on any important matters." The Count said as he stepped into the waiting carriage. "I will be back in 2 months time and I should hope that all will be ready."

"That it will." Gregory said as the Count closed the carriage door and speed back home to his beloved wife.

Two months passed and construction had fallen behind. The Count was on his way to check on their progress and to see his old friend Gregory. He had heard from one of the works, one whom he had paid to keep an eye on things for him, that disturbing events had slowed the work on the mansion. The carriage was racing down the dirt road and passed the crossroads down to the mansion. It did look magnificent though and it seemed to be almost finished....


To be continued...

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