“Repeat after me, Mr. Porter.”
“Yes, sir!”
“I pledge my life on this earth, my soul for all eternity, to faithfully protect and serve.”
Sammy Porter repeated the oath, beaming with pride.
“I renounce the faiths of mankind, the words of the prophets, and I reject the works of the Son of God.”
Sammy spoke in a firm voice, without hesitation.
“Be seated,” said the Judge.
The boy did as he was told.
The Reverend now stood up before the group. He opened his arms as he spoke.
“Seated in this room, Mr. Porter, are the chosen Keepers of HIS word. We are all descendants of the original coven, hand picked for the important task of being the assembled ones, to serve our leader, the Monarch of Hell, in this life and for all eternity. Our ancestors once agreed to serve as we now serve. A sacred final covenant had been reached to bring HIM to this side, to once again walk the earth in human form. As you have been taught, Mr. Porter, that covenant was broken by an unfaithful one. We carry forward a sacred tradition that one day it will be fulfilled as it is written in the Book of Final Covenant, to which you have just laid your hand in a solemn pledge.”
As the Reverend spoke, each one in the room sat straight backed in their chairs as if they were hearing these words for the first time.
“Mr. Porter, you have been chosen not by us but by HIM who seeks you. Yes, you have smitten the enemy in HIS name with the two silencings that you participated in. But HE calls you because of a greater part that you can play in serving HIM. You, Mr. Porter, have a gift, the ability to listen to the thoughts of others. A gift that “HE who we all made a promise to,” revealed to us. Are you aware of this great gift?”
The truth was all that was required at this moment.
“Yes, Reverend, I…I sort of knew I could hear the thoughts of others. I didn’t…”
The Reverend held up his right hand to silence Sammy.
“We will work with you to develop this gift which you will use to serve HIM. Now, before we proceed with your receiving HIS gifts for eternal life, I want you to look at this and focus all of your attention on this symbol of our loyalty.”
The Reverend pulls from his waistcoat a shiny object at the end of a long gold chain. It is a crucifix hanging from the chain in an upside down position. The Reverend begins to slowly twirl the crucifix. It sparkles, reflecting the overhead lights.
Slowly it rotates.
Sammy stares at the distant object. After a few moments, the crucifix seems to be coming through the air towards him. It is getting larger and larger. The Reverend seems to be fading into the background. The whole room begins to fade to black, except for the golden sparkle of the upside down crucifix, suspended in the midst of a blacker than black void.
The voice of the Reverend drifts away. Sammy hears a whispered voice calling to him.
The others in the room sit forward in their seats, knowing t they will only hear one half of the conversation to come. Each remembers, in their own way, their own first direct encounter with HIM.
“Sammy, it is I.”
“Yes, Master,” he responds.
“Sammy Porter, since the beginnings of creation, the Creator has made each of us in his likeness and image. Do you believe?”
“Yes, I believe.”
“In the beginning, we were promised eternal life, to stand beside the Creator, to share in his gifts. Do you believe?”
“Yes, I believe.”
“We were cast out, thrown down, sent away. Condemned and unloved, to be feared by mankind. Do you believe?”
“Yes, feared by mankind. I believe.”
“I am Moloch, Lucifer’s most loyal lieutenant, on his behalf I offer you eternal life, power over all. I will make you Master over Mankind. We will not break our covenant to you. You will one day sit at HIS right hand along with all the other faithful. Do you believe?”
“Yes, Moloch, I believe.”
Just hearing HIS name caused a mild gasp from some in the room.
“Samuel Porter, will you serve me loyally, will you strive to find the unfaithful one, are you willing to reach into this blackness and bring me forth so that I may pave the way for Lucifer’s arrival to rule over the earth?”
“Yes, I will be a faithful servant, I will be a keeper, ever loyal.”
With his eyes in a trance like state, Sammy extends his slender arms onto the table, palms facing upward.
“I want to serve,” says Sammy Porter.
With that, Ed Foley rises from his seat and unfolds a small white cloth onto the table. Inside the cloth is a small vial attached to a needle, a small piece of gauze and a band aid. He is seated to Sammy’s right. Standing next to the boy, he removes elastic from his own coat pocket and ties the upper left arm of the boy with it. Next, he searches for a suitable vein which he soon locates in the crook of the boys inner arm at the elbow. He takes the needle with the vial attached and plunges it indelicately into the boy’s arm. In a moment, the vial fills up with rich, dark blood. Ed now pulls the needle and vial out of the boy’s arm, while he places the piece of gauze over the puncture wound and applies modest pressure. The gauze is soon replaced by the band aid.
“Mrs. Lawless, will you please retrieve the sacred goblet.”
She pushes herself from the table and goes over to the bulletin board. She removes a small device from her suit coat that resembles a garage door opener and points it at the bulletin board. Her thumb presses down on the device. At that instant, a soft click is heard as the bulletin board pushes away from the wall. She puts the device back into her coat pocket as she steps forward to the bulletin board. She reaches out and pulls it open to the left, revealing a hidden safe. She nimbly turns the dial a couple of times, then pulls down on the small black handle. She reaches inside the safe and removes a small earthen cup, etched with several markings. Protruding from inside the cup is a small yellowish brown bone of some sort. Mrs. Lawless walks to the front of the room and places the cup on the table in front of the Reverend. She continues around the table and returns to her seat.
“Mr. Foley, if you please,” said the Reverend.
Ed moves from his seat to the head of the table. He pours the contents of the vial of blood that he had just extracted from Sammy Porter into the cup before the Reverend. From his coat pocket he removes a small folding case. The case glitters in the room’s light. It is obviously made of gold. He opens the case and inside of it is a small vial of blood just like the one he just emptied into the cup. Ed empties this vial of blood into the cup as well. Also inside this gold case is a small gold compact. Ed delicately removes this compact and opens it over the cup. He pinches a small amount of gray ashen dust from inside and drops it into the cup. Ed replaces the compact and vial inside the case and places them back into his pocket. Ed returns to his seat next to Sammy Porter.
The Reverend pulls the cup directly in front of him and proceeds to gently stir the contents inside of the cup. He whispers an ancient incantation taught to him by Moloch. He passes the cup to his left and Shirley Carter, Sutton’s one and only beautician, takes the cup with both hands. She removes the bone and licks at the dark red liquid that drips from it. She passes the cup around the table and each one present repeats this ritual. Finally after the cup has returned to the Reverend and he too has tasted its contents by licking the small bone, he rises and walks down to where Sammy Porter is seated and places the cup in front of Sammy.
“Moloch commands all to drink and share in the promise of the blood.”
Sammy opens his eyes and looks down at the cup set before him. He picks it up with both hands and slowly drinks from it while closing his eyes.
Everyone else in the room rises from their chairs and applauds Sammy Porter. Joy engulfs them all. Sammy, finished drinking the contents of the cup, removes the bone and licks it clean. He puts the cup with the bone placed inside back down onto the table.
Sammy opens his eye
s. They have changed to a deep, lifeless black. They resemble the eyes of a shark—haunting, menacing, cold and totally evil. Sammy responds to everyone’s applause by rising and nodding to the room. Sammy raises his hands and gestures for all to be seated. The room falls silent.
Sammy now speaks in a raspy guttural voice that is clearly not his own “I am pleased you have chosen this one for our coven, our circle of Keepers. You and your ancestors have all served me faithfully for these many years and as I have promised to each of you before, I repeat once again. I, Moloch, on behalf of the Great Satan, solemnly pledge that you shall have all the riches of this earth, all the power known to mankind, all that there is shall be yours and your successors forevermore, once you have fulfilled our pact. Once I take up human form, and walk again upon this earth to prepare the way, you, each of you, shall rule beside us over all that is created.”
Sammy now closes his eyes and sits limply back into his chair. He rolls his head once and then his eyes flutter open. His eyes are once again the eyes of Sammy Porter.
The Reverend speaks to Sammy.
“Mr. Porter, tonight you mingled your blood with the blood and ashes of the late John Farnum, Sutton’s Fire Chief who had served each of us and the Prince of Darkness well since he became a Keeper over forty years ago. We all have shared in that blood union tonight. We have joined you as you have joined us. That blood and ashes potion was mixed with a bone from the family of the one who deceived the first Keepers that night long ago. Mr. Porter, now and forevermore you are one of us, a Keeper. Welcome.”
They all rise and proceed to approach young Sammy Porter and shake his hand. He blushes from all of the attention.
Reverend Mitchell hands the cup and bone to Mrs. Lawless and she carefully returns it to the security of the wall safe. Soon the safe is closed, locked and the bulletin board is returned to its usual place.
Reverend Mitchell raps his knuckles upon the table to get everyone’s attention.
“Please, if everyone could be seated we can go on to the rest of our affairs.”
The room returns to a complete silence as they each await direction from Reverend Simon B. Mitchell. The Reverend serves as the current leader of the coven. He became the coven’s new leader when he succeeded the late Cornelius Schenk who had been one of the Town’s most successful businessmen. Long ago, Schenk founded a business manufacturing wooden screen doors and windows. His company, Schenk Screens Incorporated, at one time employed 360 people. After the Korean War, he sold his business to a large national company for what some say was several millions of dollars. He died in 1960, at the age of fifty-one, from syphilis. He had gone stark raving mad at the end. There had even been rumors that he had taken his own life.
The truth was neither. The Reverend Simon B. Mitchell, then a young twenty five-year old assistant pastor of the local church, had strangled Cornelius Schenk to death.
Moloch had told the Reverend it must be done. The Reverend was an obedient servant. Indeed, he was a most obedient servant.
10
Aaron woke up with a huge headache. His temples were throbbing with a pounding that seemed to increase with any movement. His eyes ached from a different sort of pain. They seemed to burn from within. He could only manage to open his eyes after a huge effort, and then only just a mere slit of an opening. He looked about the room and realized that it wasn’t his own place. He sat on the couch for a few minutes trying to get a grip on his battling senses. He spotted his pants draped across the back of chair. He reached over and grabbed his pants and slipped them on. Aaron now seemed to remember talking to the beautiful waitress that had served him last night.
What was her name? he thought.
His morning after mental fog began to lift as he tried to focus upon his whereabouts. He stood up with the aid of holding on to the arm of the couch. As he looked about, he began to remember the layout of the place and more.
Korie, that’s her name, he recalled speaking it in a whisper. He looked at his wristwatch. The digital display told him it was a quarter to twelve or nearly noon. Aaron headed to the bathroom, tiptoeing as he went. He remembered that her bedroom was just off the hall, which leads to the bathroom. He used the bathroom to relieve himself. Aaron also borrowed some toothpaste to swish around in his mouth. His mouth had tasted like worn out carpet. Now it felt almost normal.
After exiting the bathroom, he tiptoed to the door which led to Korie’s bedroom. It was open slightly. As he tried to sneak a peak inside, he noticed a note taped to the door. Aaron pulled the taped note from the door and headed to the kitchen. In the kitchen, he read the note.
Good morning, Aaron.
I had to leave to go to work. Today I have a double shift at the restaurant. I’ll try to call you this afternoon when I get a break. If you’re still there, that is. Please help yourself to anything you want. If you want some fresh coffee, just turn on the coffee maker. It’s all ready filled and ready to go.
If you have to go, I left the number of the local cab company on the note pad next to the phone. Don’t worry about locking up, because my landlord keeps a close eye on the place.
I want you to know I enjoyed talking with you last night. I hope your head doesn’t hurt too much.
Hugs, Korie
Aaron put the note into his pants pocket. Later after he had a cup of coffee, he called the cab company, whose number Korie had left for him. The bright summer light hurt his eyes when he first stepped outside. He held his right hand up to block the direct effect of the afternoon’s light from his eyes.
“Where to?”
“Take me to The Royals.”
The cab backed slowly down the narrow driveway. The cabbie had all the windows of his cab fully open.
“If you don’t want the windows open, I’ll close them,” said the young driver.
“No, it’s fine. I’m enjoying the fresh air.”
Moments later, the cab pulled into the half filled parking lot of The Royals Restaurant. Aaron got out of the cab and paid the driver. The driver gave him a friendly wave as he drove off. For a moment, Aaron thought he would go inside the restaurant and see Korie. After a moment, he decided against going inside. He had made a spectacle of himself last night. She had been a Good Samaritan and helped him out. He would leave it at that.
Aaron fished around his pants pocket and came up with his car keys. He went over to his car and unlocked it. As he opened the driver’s door, a blast of hot air pushed at him from the car’s overheated interior. He went around the car to all four doors and rolled each window completely down. Aaron drove off, heading to his own place. From his apartment, he would call a local florist and have a bouquet of flowers sent to Korie at the restaurant, as an expression of his gratitude for her having befriended him the night before.
From the moment the cab arrived in the parking lot of the restaurant, Korie watched Aaron’s movements from behind the tinted windows of the restaurant. As she served her lunch crowd customers, she kept an eye on the parking lot.
Would he come inside and thank her? she wondered.
Her thoughts were quickly answered when he headed towards his car. When the car pulled out of the parking lot, her heart sank.
There you go again Korie, helping some stray, she thought to herself. For a moment she indulged herself with some self pity. She had liked Aaron. There was a quiet but sensitive quality about him that she was attracted to. Her defenses took over now. She closed her mental drawer on Aaron, as she focused her attention entirely upon her job.
After entering his condominium, Aaron immediately called a local florist and ordered a huge bouquet to be delivered to Korie by three o’clock that afternoon. He dictated a note to be delivered along with the flowers. The florist took down Aaron’s charge card number and assured him that the delivery would be on time as requested.
Aaron headed to his bathroom to take a long shower. Half an hour later, he emerged from his bathroom freshly shaved and showered. He went to the kitchen and poured himse
lf a tall glass of milk. Aaron then opened the cupboard and pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies.
Milk and cookies for lunch. What would my Aunt, check that, my Mother, say about that? he thought.
He could feel the “blues” coming on, so he pushed the thought back deep into his mind.
With a fresh change of clothes, Aaron headed out the door on a mission. He was going to the bank to retrieve the diary that his mother’s letter spoke about. The safety deposit box key was safely tucked away inside its envelope. He still carried the letter from his late mother. The jacket was sitting on the passenger side seat of his car. His mind was swirling with questions as he drove north along the highway back to Boston. He had a growing urge to follow this mystery to its conclusion, wherever it would take him.
Meanwhile, back at The Royals Restaurant a florist’s delivery car pulled up in front and the young driver got out of the car. He opened the hatch back and removed a large bouquet of colorful flowers. He took the front steps to the restaurant two at a time. In a moment, he is speaking to the young female hostess. The hostess tells him to wait at her station for a moment. She enters the restaurant’s large dining area and searches out Korie.
After whispering to Korie, the two of them returned to the Hostess’s station.
“This is Korie,” said the young hostess.
“I’ve been instructed to give these to you personally. Oh, and this card, too,” said the young delivery boy as he placed the bouquet into Korie’s outstretched arms. He tucked the note into the bouquet.
“Have a nice day,” said the delivery boy as he turned and hurried out the front door.
The two women just stood there giggling over the surprise bouquet and admiring its beauty and fragrance.
“I’ll find something to put them in,” said the hostess.
“That would be great,” said Korie. The hostess disappeared and in a few moments returned with a large, open mouthed wine carafe, half filled with water.
Evil Agreement Page 6
