Alannah breaks down crying. “No, why?”
“We don’t fully know. The children have been taken and your sisters have unfortunately passed. The Lord was looking over you and Sister Elisabeth when you both left the convent. Had either of you stayed your fate would have more than likely been the same.”
“I just…” Alannah’s jaw has dropped. She never in a million years believed this would be the response she would receive when she made the call home. Tears slowly descend her cheeks. “I just don’t understand how this could have happened.”
“I know, Sister, we are all very much in shock ourselves. It is believed that a dark spirit had somehow gained entry into the nunnery. We don’t know when and we don’t know how, but what we do know is that it had one sole purpose and it succeeded.”
“How do you know this?”
“When I received the call from the police to say that an incident had taken place at Moycullen, I had no idea what it could be. I panicked and immediately made my way there. Please believe me, Sister, I wasn’t prepared for the horrors that lay ahead and I won’t go into any details with you. I believe it is my duty to spare you. Upon my arrival, I was met by a young gent called Matthew. He was the one who found your sisters and he had stayed behind with the police to give them all the information he knew.”
Alannah tries desperately to muffle the sound of her sobs with her hand.
“It would appear that a dark spirit of sorts is capturing souls of the young and is killing the adults who hold legal rights over the children so that they do not get in the way of their possession and bring alarm or attention to their plans.”
“What? Why?”
“What do all bad spirits arrive on earth for?”
“You mean…”
“Yes, I believe this one is more powerful than ever. We even know her name. And she is showing no signs of slowing down. It is rather concerning and quite frightful indeed. I have been praying for us all.”
Alanna wipes her face and takes a big sip of water from the glass on her desk. Grabbing a pen and notepad she continues, “Father, what was the full name of the man who knew this information?”
“Erm, it was Honey something.”
Alannah can hear Father McDoyle fumbling around with some papers.
“Ah, Matthew Honey, that’s it. His daughter, Evelyn Jade Honey, has been taken by this entity already. He had another gent with him by the name of Phil and I believe his five children have also been taken. Erm, I can’t quite remember their names off the top of my head.”
“Not Sister Eve,” Alannah whispers to herself as she’s taking notes.
“Sorry, what was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”
Stopping her scribbling, Alannah says, “Were the other children called Freddie, Terrence, Rupert and Hope?”
“Yes, yes, I do believe those were their names, and there was an older boy. I don’t fully recall his name. Levi something.”
“Do you mean Lewis?”
“Yes, yes, that’s it, Lewis.”
Alannah writes the list of names on the notepad.
“Well, they were the other gent’s children and this dark spirit has taken possession of those little ones, too. And all the children from the nunnery. I had to identify all the bodies and the only missing members of the convent were the children along with you and Sister Elisabeth. We were all so worried that the entity may have taken you both.”
“Now that I think about it, Sister Elisabeth wasn’t herself at all. She was acting strange for weeks before I left. She’d even managed to get herself ostracized and locked away by the sisters as we thought it was going to be the best thing for her own safety and for the protection of the convent so that she didn’t get us shut down.” Sitting back in her seat in shock, Alannah continues, “I remember she was ranting about strange happenings. She’d been locked inside her room for weeks. Something inside her changed. Oh my goodness, Father, what did we do? She was trying to warn us the whole time, wasn’t she?”
“Quite possibly.”
“And we just left her.” Alannah gasps at the realisation. “It all makes sense now.”
“When was the last time you saw Sister Elisabeth?”
“The last time I saw my sister was just as I was leaving the convent with Brennan. I remember her standing at the top of the stairway and questioning me about where I was heading. It was weird, like she already knew what I was doing before I had a chance to do it. But she never stopped me. Do you think she may have been influenced by this entity?”
“It would appear to be the case. If you say she was left vulnerable and alone, then yes, I believe we may have to start thinking of this as a potential outcome for her.”
“Do you have any leads on where they could have taken Sister Elisabeth and the children?”
“No, we have no clue as to their whereabouts and I’m not sure if we ever will.”
“Well, do you have a contact number for Matthew Honey?” Alannah asks as she leans forward, pen at the ready.
“I don’t. They were with a Detective… erm… his name was Terry something. He left me his card. One moment, I’ll get the details for you.”
Alannah waits anxiously, overwhelmed by the information she has just received. There is scuffling as the receiver is picked up at the other end. Alannah is relieved to hear Father McDoyle’s voice. “Okay, so his name is Detective Chief Superintendent John Terry and he’s based within the Metropolitan Police in London.”
Father McDoyle reads out the contact details, and she writes them down.
“Thank you so much, Father, that’s all the information I need.”
“Sister Alannah, you must know that the Lord and your sisters will never judge you or Sister Elisabeth. I believe if anything, the Lord was looking over you, especially as he was powerless to stop what happened at the convent. Yet I think he knew you would be the one who could help bring justice for all of your sisters and of course the children, wherever their blessed souls maybe.”
Fidgeting in her seat, Alannah replies to his kind words, “Thank you, Father. However, I’m not sure that my betrayal will be taken as lightly as you may believe.”
“Sister Alannah, you’re certainly misreading the situation. I truly believe you and Sister Elisabeth have a much bigger role to play in this. Neither of you have betrayed our Lord, you have taken the path he had always set out for you.”
“You really think that?” Alannah says.
“Yes, of course I do. You are courageous, you are dedicated, and you are strong. If anyone can bring back Sister Elisabeth and those beautiful children, it is you. You have such a huge heart and a fire in your tummy like no other.”
Alannah is smiling through her tears at his kind words.
“I know our Lord chose you for this path because he knew he required a strong and heroic figure to end the suffering and rid the world of this entity. You are that chosen one.”
“Thank you so much. Those words mean more to me right now than you’ll ever understand.”
“I speak the truth.”
Sitting up straight, Alannah pulls herself together, wipes her face and says, “I will stop at nothing to get justice for my sisters and claim those children back. And you are right. I will rid the world of this dark spirit.”
“I know you will. Goodbye, Sister. You will be in my prayers.”
“Thank you, Father. Goodbye.”
As she hangs up the phone, Alannah hears the door bang shut, and then her husband shouts, “Hey, baby, where are ya? Ha, karma missed me this time, the New Yorker pro that I am, didn’t even slide. Oh, and you’ll never believe what snacks I got you from the store.”
Alannah runs out to him, her face swollen and blotchy and tears drenching her blouse. She jumps on her husband and wraps her arms tightly around his neck.
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s happe
ned? It can’t have gone that badly.”
Unable to speak as she begins hyperventilating, Alannah falls to the ground.
Quickly dropping the bags and kneeling by her side, Brennan holds her and says, “Alannah, please, talk to me.”
Her head in her hands, Alannah says, “They’re…”
“They’re what?”
“They’re…” Alannah chokes on her words, her breathing so erratic she feels as though her chest is going to explode.
“Baby, take deep breaths. Deep breaths. Copy me. In. And. Out.”
Following her husband’s breathing pattern, Alannah calms slightly. Eventually, she is able to speak. “They’re dead, Brennan.”
“What? Wait a minute, who are?”
“My sisters. They’re dead. They were brutally murdered. All of them except the children, and Sister Elisabeth. I just spoke with Father McDoyle.”
“What?”
“They’re dead, Brennan!”
“How can they… oh my, baby. I am so, so, so sorry.”
Alannah is now incapable of stopping the tears from falling. The traumatic news has made her eyes and her head heavy.
“Shh, shh, shh, oh, my baby. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe,” Brennan says as he lifts her off the ground and guides her into the bedroom.
Sobbing uncontrollably, Alannah lies down on the bed. Through the tiny gap in her swollen eyes, she sees Brennan pull off his wellingtons and place his coat on the floor. Opening her arms once more, she whispers, “Hold me.”
Brennan immediately crawls into her arms. As time passes, Alannah’s sobs slow down. She feels safe and thankful to have her husband. And yet, the pain surging through her heart at her overwhelming loss is more real than ever. Wishing this was nothing more than a horrific nightmare, Alannah’s eyes grow heavier and heavier as she tries to piece things together in her mind. In a desperate bid to ease the pain, she closes her eyes. Eventually, she falls silent.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, baby,” Brennan whispers as he kisses her on the head.
The pair embrace one another as they fall asleep.
Chapter Five
“Collect their souls!”
It’s just past three a.m. and the moon is at full capacity. Stars beam brightly as far as the eye can see, creating a blanket of beauty over the county of Morrisville. Lavish trucks and cars are parked on the driveways, which lead to enormous homes. Spread out one after the other on various plots of land, each house has its own character and unique take on Christmas decorations. And yet at present, they all have one thing in common – a singular light on the upper floor glaring out through a window. A desperate attempt to deter the predators of the night from entering.
The town is positioned behind the Delaware River, which is famous for the crossing of George Washington during the seventeenth century. The historic location is soon to gain another notch on its belt, and this time it will come in the form of notoriety.
Moycullen Orphanage stands undisturbed and alone in the murkiest depths of the woodland. A long, dark driveway leads towards it. There’s not a single item present that would indicate Christmas time is upon us. A wicked and intimidating atmosphere surrounds the orphanage. It’s so strong it keeps even the nocturnal and scavenging animals of the night away. It is hidden by the trees, which have grown to an impressive height. Out of sight, out of mind. And that’s the way the owner of this eccentric establishment wants it to remain. It is widely said that behind every closed-door secrets are held – and this home is no exception. Hidden behind the oversized entrance, the most sinister of secrets lurk.
Oversized oil paintings with expensive, thick gold-trim frames hang upon the walls, displaying each resident proudly. And yet, these images are not the happy family image you would expect to see inside a home. Each child’s expression is blank. Utterly emotionless. Appearing stiff in posture, they’re all positioned in the exact same way. On the right, the girls all have their hair tied up high and wear white-collared shirts with grey knitted tank tops. On the left, the boys all have short hair and wear the same uniform. Not a shade of their natural colour is present in any of their eyes. They’re all black and have dark rims around them. Their hands are placed upon their laps. And although they have youthful features, the children’s eyes tell no lies. These youngsters have more stories to tell than most elderly people.
Inside the biggest room, where all the gatherings and the height of possessive activity take place, on the left of the central feature wall, hangs the painted portrait of Elisabeth. Below are the portraits of Freddie, Terence and Rupert. On the right-hand side of the wall hangs the portrait of Eve and Lewis cradling baby Honey. Now for the piece de resistance: the centre of the feature wall has an eccentric Victorian-themed fireplace, and in pride of place above this is a portrait of Principal Jesiah, with a stern expression upon his face, and Hope perched upon his hip. A man who is also known to those inside the orphanage as Jezebel, the Dark Empress.
Jezebel took great pleasure in retaining the name Moycullen as a trophy for her biggest collection of souls in one swoop to date, though this wasn’t going to be any match for the number she is now ready to accumulate and the plan that lies ahead.
“Ring a’ Ring o’ Roses…” echoes throughout.
“Your souls are mine,” follows.
The children levitate from their beds. The transition has begun. Their skin has turned grey, their eyes as black as the midnight sky. Deep cracks slowly form across their tiny bodies, oozing a thick, black sinister substance. They’re all the mirror reflection of their owner. As she moves around the home, dragging her feet, Jezebel is embracing every tiny bit of their evolution. Slowly drifting back down to their beds, the children haul their bodies across their rooms and head out of the doorway and onto the landing space one by one. They wait for Jezebel to pass, and then follow her to the bottom of the staircase. Gaining a strong sense of pleasure that becomes orgasmic, Jezebel is thriving from the vision of all fifty children travelling in the same direction. They levitate slightly on their tiptoes, creating a scratching sound as their overgrown jagged grey nails grind against the wood.
“Ring a’ Ring o’ Roses…” continues to echo throughout.
The main room of the house is lit only by candlelight, along with the flames glowing from the fire. And true to form, these flames are no ordinary flames. They glow vibrant green, giving the room a wicked ambiance. As Jezebel enters the room, she sees Elisabeth, Eve, Lewis, Freddie, Terence and Rupert standing either side of the main focal point wall. Setting an example, their heads are low and they’ve all made the transition. Thick drops of the black substance drips from a great height and lands on the floor. A dulcet giggle then follows. Looking up high, Jezebel sees Hope, who appears to be enjoying herself as she crawls at a rapid rate across the ceiling. Now positioned in front of the Victorian fireplace, Jezebel glares out at the view before her. More powerful than ever, Jezebel is ready to enter the homes of the young using her army of children. She is content with their acceptance and transformation. The black substance drips from her mouth and flies across the room as she initiates the summonsing of the children.
“Nunc est tempus nostrum.” Raising her arms, she continues. “Resurgemus mecum. Resurgemus mecum. Resurgemus mecum!”
In single file, the children continue to enter the room. Gazing through the gap in her hair, Jezebel smirks as she continues to admire the sight before her. Her jet-black eyes are like gaping holes in her face. She has waited decades upon decades for this. As the last child enters the room, the door slams shut. Clicking her fingers, Jezebel summons Hope. The baby crawls down the wall and makes her way to her owner. Jezebel scoops her up and rests her on her hip. Using her coarse tongue, she licks the black substance from Hope’s face and begins ingesting it.
“My greatest prodigy. You are so compliant.”
Ho
pe smiles, a thick dribble of the black substance hanging from her mouth. Appearing happy, she nestles into her owner’s arms. Looking around the room, Jezebel is beyond satisfied. Her time is coming – fast. Soon she will reign supreme across this pathetic planet, and everyone will obey her command or face the consequence of a horrific death at their very own hands.
“Liberi – our time is now!” Dragging her feet, Jezebel gradually begins to make her way around the children. “We have worked the minds of the young throughout the day, and they are now ready to embrace us in the night. We will complete our mission in phases. Each of you will enter their homes in pairs. One will sedate the vile people those children call parents. And do not forget, it is imperative that you abide by the techniques which I have taught you. To recap, you will attain sedation by standing at the end of their bed. You will watch as the suffocating mist travels up their body to restrict their movements. Wait until this reaches their necks. At this point, you will repeat the following rhyme – ‘Ring a’ Ring o’ Roses, their souls are ours. Ring a’ Ring o’ Roses, they belong to the dark side.’ In doing this step, you are placing them into their worst nightmare. The nightmare I have set for them all inside the depths of the forgotten forest. It is your mission to have them filled with fear. You want them to beg for their release. Beg for their life. It is your responsibility to get them to submit to you. Taunt their soul.”
Leaning down and grabbing young Rita by the chin, Jezebel turns her to face her, as she continues, “Scare them to their death.” Through the slight gap in her hair, Jezebel can see her reflection in Rita’s eyes. “Ensure that they’re quivering in their skin. At this point, you will command Temimi – only then will they truly submit themselves to you. Be on guard, do not let them lie to you. They will try and trick you to let them go. You must not surrender. It is vital that this process is completed. We must control their minds, ready for when it is our time to rule.” Letting go of Rita’s chin, Jezebel steps forward once more. “Do I make myself clear?”
The Broken IV: Vengeance Page 5
