Chastening of the Witch, Part 16
Date: 4/26/98
From: AngeliqueBouchard

Angelique knelt on the hard stone floor in the house of Reverend Trask. The many religious artifacts and symbols bedecking the room made Angelique feel weighted down and sluggish. "What must I endure to make this fool help me?" she thought. She had tried to explain that she wanted him to help her battle Judah, but Trask seemed much more interested in Angelique's confession to being a practitioner of witchcraft. He ushered her inside and told her to kneel and wait while he prepared for whatever it was he planned to do.

Angelique was deep in thought, as Trask paced in the background praying aloud. She imagined how she would fake a convincing conversion when black shadows began to appear in front of Angelique and take strange forms. She drew in her breath sharply when she saw who exactly it was before her. Diabolos stood shrouded in a black hooded robe, surrounded by lesser demons of various sizes, shapes, and colors. "Angelique, how dare you try to leave us," he boomed.

Trask seemed unaware of Diabolos presence nor could he hear him speak. Angelique wanted to blurt out how she had no intention of leaving her master and beg him for help, but she suddenly felt an unexpected anger take control of her. "I have called to you and begged for your help, but you only now come when you think I am about to try and win back my soul?"

"You are a foolish, foolish witch. I once held you in high regard, but now you are a worthless, pathetic creature; more human than a worthy servant of Satan. Love has made you weak, Angelique. You have forgotten there is no love in hell."

"That is why you refuse to help me? Because I love my children and want to spare them my fate? Because Judah Zachary is punishing me for crimes I committed a lifetime ago?" Angelique cried.

"You have also forgotten there is no forgiveness in hell. When Judah Zachary implored me for a chance to confront you for your betrayal against him, I knew you had the potential to stand up to the challenge and prove you were truly worthy. But you have greatly disappointed me. Your love for that man was the beginning of your fall and made you an easy target for Judah Zachary," Diabolos answered.

Angelique couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you telling me that you were behind this from the beginning? Judah Zachary returning to this world was a test for me?"

"Who do you think made Nicholas obsessive to find Judah and restore him to life? Who do think revealed to Judah you were living in Martinique?"

Angelique never felt such rage. "And now you are allowing him to destroy my children."

"Any children you had in this lifetime should have been servants of darkness long ago," he said sternly. "You're only chance at earning my approval is to assist Judah inducting your children into my service and offer yourself willingly as the blood sacrifice. Perhaps after a few hundred years of labor in the abyss I will allow you to return to earth once again."

"If you were alive I would kill you," Angelique spat.

Reverend Trask finally finished and came over to Angelique. He stood in front of her as she knelt, but she continued to stare into the darkness under the hood which hid Diabolos face. Reverend Trask prayed a prayer in a loud voice and then said, "Do you Angelique Collins reject Satan and all his works?"

Angelique gazed at Diabolos defiantly, "I do."

The demons roared. Diabolos seemed to shake with rage. "You will pay most dearly for this, Angelique." He tried to walk to her, obviously with the intention of destroying Angelique, but the many religious symbols made it hard for him to take a step. Every movement seemed to be taking place in slow motion.

Trask was still oblivious to anyone else present, but Angelique. "Do you renounce your agreement with the devil and ask for God's forgiveness?"

"I do," said Angelique with a small hard smile in Diabolos' direction. Trask lead Angelique in a prayer then, as Diabolos came very close to reaching Angelique. She closed her eyes not wanting to see him any longer. Reverend Trask then pronounced he would baptize her. Angelique cringed, knowing it would burn her skin. "Lovely," she thought. "This is how my life will end. A bitter send off before I am whisked away to hell where I will suffer greater atrocities than I have ever known. Barnabas will die, my children will be doomed forever, and all I will do is watch from the depths." Still with her eyes shut Angelique felt the bony finger of Diabolos touch her neck and then the cool water pour over her head as Trask baptized her.

Angelique snapped open her eyes. Why didn't that burn? She looked around the room. Diabolos and his cohorts were gone. She touched some of the water on her face and looked at her hand. She whispered, "Can it be? Can I really be free?"

Trask answered, "Yes, you are free of the evil forces that have bound you."

"I was told that was not possible," Angelique said still not being able to comprehend what had happened.

"The devil tells many lies Mrs. Collins," Trask said helping her to her feet.

"I do not know what to say," Angelique said. "One thing I do know, we must go now and help my children. There is no time to lose."

"Wait Mrs. Collins, there is still more for us to do," Trask said and then yelled for his son, Lamar. "We must purge you from the evil works you have done. Only though suffering can you remain free."

Angelique panicked. She knew what he was speaking of. Trask had a reputation for the "unique ways" he cleansed people from evil. Ways which only satisfied his own sadistic hungers and had no spiritual relevance. "This idiot has no idea of what has just happened," Angelique thought. She protested, trying to convince Trask and his son that this was not necessary and that there was little time remaining to save her children. Trask ignored Angelique's pleas however and he and his son dragged her to his basement.

TO BE CONTINUED