Chapter 4

Lily whimpered with her face to the ground, feeling more humiliated than ever in her life. She felt like she was doing something wrong, something dangerous and unwholesome. She was with Xavier behind the university gym, enjoying the privacy. Buzzing inside her were two large vibrators, one in her ass and one in her pussy, with Xavier stirring them to further intensify the tidal wave of sensations sweeping through her. He was training her in anal play, having convinced her that it would be a great method of bringing her joy and physical pleasure, as well as let them break down the physical and emotional barriers between them.

In reality, he was doing this to weaken whatever resistance she might have to his will. The more he humiliated her like this, the more accustomed she would be to following his orders. But this covert abuse wasn’t all that was in their relationship. Over the weekend, he had taken her off campus for a couple of dates, the first being lunch and walk around the park and the second being dinner and a movie. Never in her life had Lily smiled so much and been so happy as when she clung to Xavier’s arm, and her love for him only grew stronger. This concoction of affection and abuse was turning her into the perfect slave.

“So how does your ass feel?” he asked while licking his lips.

“I-it f-feels… really… w-weird!” she whined.

“But you must enjoy it, don’t you? The feel the toys buzzing in your naughty parts? I bet it’ll really feel good if I do this…”

He revealed another vibrator, about the size of a dime and worn on his finger with a small strap. He pressed it to her clitoris, making Lily’s voice jump in volume. The expression on her face, it was like she was melting. She couldn’t take it anymore; the three toys were too much. Covering her mouth with her hand, she cried out as she had orgasm after orgasm, cumming so hard that the toy in her pussy was pushed out with a splash of her liquid arousal. Her small body heaving from her desperate panting, she shivered as she felt Xavier’s tongue replace the dildo in her ass. After all the time with the vibrators inside her, her interior was incredibly sensitive, but that didn’t stop him from licking every corner. He moved back and forth between the two orifices, sending his tongue so deep inside her that should have almost sworn that he was part snake.

“I can still smell the soap from how hard you scrubbed down here in the shower. You’re such a good girl. I love going down on you, you have a delicious and beautiful body.”

“Really?”

“Oh course, you’re the most beautiful girl in the entire world.”

He pulled away and got to his feet, proceeding to unbuckle his pants and let his manhood break free. “Make sure you get it good and wet so that it will slide in easy.”

Sitting up, Lily took his cock in her mouth as if it had become second nature. They hadn’t been dating long, but Xavier had quickly taught her what her duty was as his woman. Several times during their dates, and every time they were able to meet up during the school day, he would have her suck him off until she had mastered it. She had even learned how to deep-throat him without nearly throwing up or suffocating. Her head bobbed back and forth with the end of his cock rubbing against the back of her throat. He made sure to stroke her hair and give her a loving smile, as well as tell her what a good girl she was and what a perfect job she was doing.

After a few minutes, he had her stop and then sat down on the ground, motioning for her to get on. Knowing what he wanted, she crouched over his lap and spread her cheeks, letting him set her down on his cock. She yelped as she felt him enter her, his member being larger than the dildo he had used on her.

“Can you feel it? Our bodies are joined together, just as they should be.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, “I can feel it.”

With her back to him, Xavier had her put her feet on his knees and started bucking his hips, thrusting up into her with centuries of experience. Lily had to work to keep her voice contained, feeling her body wanting to convulse from the sensation of Xavier’s manhood slamming into her back door. She often wished he could be more merciful with how hard he fucked her, especially since this was her first time being sodomized, but as long as he loved her and as long as she got to cum, she could hold in her complaints. Besides, she was beginning to enjoy it.

“Your asshole feels so nice around my cock, it’s so warm and soft. Do you feel good?”

“Yes! It feels good!”

“Then I’ll make you feel even better.”

He wrapped one arm around her legs and lifted them, curling her up with her knees to his chest. While continuing to send his cock deep into her asshole, he used his other hand to finger her dripping pussy. It took less than a minute for them to both cum, Lily soaking Xavier’s fingers and Xavier sending spurt after spurt of semen into her asshole.

“Can you feel it? Feel how much love I pumped into you?”

“I can feel it, it’s so hot inside me,” she whimpered.

Xavier had engraved this into her mind: semen equaled affection. He had brainwashed her into thinking that it was the physical manifestation of his love for her. She would lick it off the floor if any drops were to fall and would beg him to pour it into her.

“Ok, time to suck it clean.”

“B-but it was in my…”

“I still have more semen, don’t you want to drink it up? Besides, you have to clean me off.”

She wordlessly obeyed, getting off his lap and turning around. She winced at the taste but did as she was told and began sucking on his cock. As she stirred his manhood around in her mouth, she suddenly shuddered. Xavier had just inserted a small butt plug in her rear end.

“There. That way it won’t leak out and go to waste. I want you to keep it inside you until we can meet up tomorrow. Do not take it out, got it?”

She gave a sad nod and crawled over to her pile of clothes. Xavier quickly stopped her and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re beautiful, you know that? You’re as beautiful as you are sweet.”

She smiled, her unease removed.

Thane crouched down in the hallway, duct-taping a battery to the wall. He had done this well over a hundred times already, taking advantage of his free period to try and shed some light on what was going on. He had to be quiet when he moved around like this, as while the school did give him some allowances, there were classes going on all around him. Making sure he couldn’t be seen through the small window in the door of the classroom at his side, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a compass. The needle jiggled from the movement, but did not spin, something that would normally occur in an area of paranormal activity. What was going on? He was sure there was something evil in these halls, but if the compass wasn’t showing any signs, then this really was something different.

He put the compass back in his pocket and replaced it with a voice recorder.

“Elementary School Building, Wing 5. April 17th, 2015.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.”

He stopped the recorder and moved to the end of the all. With a camera in hand, he snapped a picture of the empty corridor.

Likewise, Father Hauser was doing research as well. Hearing Thane’s words had made him curious about something. He had told the student about the three suicides, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was a connection between them and whatever it was that Thane was sensing. He was in his office, looking over every newspaper and tabloid he could get his hands on. The three suicides had made the news with their unusual and gruesome behavior, but the information he was able to glean was limited. He knew their names and what school they went to, but nothing personal. There was plenty of speculation of course; different sources claiming that they had been on drugs, that it was a Satanic ritual, or that they had done it simply to get their fifteen minutes of fame.

He had considered speaking to the parents of the victims, but that wouldn’t work. He was a priest, not a detective. He wasn’t even the priest from their church. They had no reason to answer his questions and were probably sick of the inquirers, not to mention that as a Catholic priest, he had to keep a distance from the families since the boys had committed the sin of suicide.

Wait, there was something. On one of the tabloids, he saw that the boys had been admitted to and released from a hospital that very day. Why did they all go to the hospital? Did it have something to do with their deaths?

Helena watched Xavier have his way with the crying Sophie, as he had done time and time again. She had lost count of how many times she had been forced to watch. She had no idea how many hours he had spent raping her best friend in front of her. These long, restless nights were sapping her strength, making it difficult to stay awake during class. When she did sleep, she had nightmares of Xavier. He would be in her bed, fondling her, whispering in her ear. Some nights, he wouldn’t show up, and she would lie awake, waiting for him out of dread. She wasn’t sure why he’d skip, thinking that maybe he was doing it just to mess with her. The other possibility was that he had gotten his fill of the flesh of a woman, finding some other poor girl to use.

Hours later, he stood up, panting with semen dribbling out of Sophie’s pussy and asshole. He then turned to Helena, still paralyzed. A small smile, he strode over to her, making her heart race with each step he took. What was he going to do to her? Was she next?

He sat down on the bed, licking his lips while he stroked her hair. “What do you think? By now, you must have developed a taste for it.” He reached under the covers and Helena struggled against her paralysis, feeling his fingers reach her moist panties. “My, my, you’re so wet. Are you aware of how horny you are? What goes through your mind while I violate Sophie? Is it the fact that I’m brutalizing her that turns you on? Do you enjoy seeing her suffer? Do her screams of pain and humiliation make you shiver? Or do you feel left out? Do you envy her for being able to feel the manhood of her master thrusting deep into her slit?”

With her lips stuck together, she could only give a muffled rejection.

“Ah, I love that wrathful fire in your eyes. Let’s put it to the test, shall we?”

With a flick of his hand, he drew a notecard from nonexistence, holding it between his fingers. He slipped it under her pillow. “Time for things to start moving between you and I. Goodnight.”

He then kissed her on the forehead and disappeared.

Helena slowly stirred to the sound of her alarm clock. The events of last night were blurred to her. She remembered Xavier brutalizing Sophie… then coming over to her. Wait, the notecard! About to look for it under her pillow, she realized it was clutched tightly in her hands, the way she would clutch her medallion in prayer. Making sure Sophie didn’t see it, she faced the wall and read the card.

IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT SOPHIE FROM ME TONIGHT, WAIT FOR HER TO LEAVE THE ROOM AND SAY THE WORDS “PUNISH ME”. YOUR TASK FOR THE DAY WILL BEGIN.

Helena’s heart dropped into her stomach. Oh God, what in the world was he going to have her do?!

“Helena, aren’t you getting up?” Sophie asked as she got dressed.

She took a deep breath. “I really just want to lie in bed for a little while longer. Go on to breakfast without me, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Ok, but please don’t fall back to sleep. You don’t want to miss breakfast AND be late for class.”

“I’ll be fine, just go on ahead.”

Sophie left and Helena immediately sat up in bed. She looked over the card again, studying every millimeter. There was no fine print she could find, no other instructions or clarifications. If she said the words “punish me”, then she would be given some kind of task for the day, and in exchange, Sophie would be free from torment for that night. But could she believe Xavier? Would he keep his word? Would this task really only last for a day or would this be the submission he claimed he would win from her? She knew… she had to do it. What kind of friend would she be if she allowed that monster to have his way with Sophie when she had the chance to protect her? And if Christ was willing to give his life for the sins of all mankind, she could put up with Xavier’s cruelty for the sake of her friend’s safety.

She stood up out of bed and took a deep breath. “Lord, give me strength.” She looked down at the card. “Punish me.”

Her collar immediately activated, turning into a ring of light around her neck. From the ring stretched black ribbons, wrapping around her torso over and over again in complex knots. Known as the tortoise shell formation, they formed a net across her body like a spider web. She didn’t feel anything from the ribbons; they were fairly loose. It was awkward and embarrassing, sure, but not painful or even very unpleasant. About to think that she had lucked out, she gagged as the ribbons merged with her skin, turning into tattoos. It wasn’t the sensation of them merging with her that had nearly brought her to her knees, but what happened on those lines. Invisible ropes bound her, following the pattern of the lines etched into her skin. They were so tight, digging into her skin and making it hard to take full breaths. Her breasts were being squeezed as if with zip ties, while one segment of the rope went between her legs. Not only was had it settled in her ass like a thong, but there was a knot right against her clitoris.

She fell to her knees, blushing from the sensation of the bonds rubbing against her most sensitive spots. No matter how she moved, she felt the rope slide between her legs and around her breasts. She moved her hands across her body, feeling real invisible ropes tied around her, as if she could cut them off and them use them for mountain climbing. Or was it the lines on her skin making her feel like they were real? What was the point of this? To make her feel helpless? To inflict pain? It was certainly working. She had heard that people liked to be tied up like this for sexual pleasure, but she just failed to grasp how anyone could enjoy it. Though with the way the ropes were touching her, she could definitely feel stimulation…

She looked down at the card. The words had changed.

HAVE A NICE DAY AT SCHOOL

That son of a bitch.

“Good morning, Helena. Oh… wow, are you ok?”

Helena had arrived at the usual spot where she ate with her friends, and they immediately noticed how flushed her face was. It had taken a lot of courage to leave her room. Her clothes didn’t show the invisible ropes on her body, confirming for her that it was really the black lines on her skin that were binding her. Getting dressed had been difficult and going down the stairs had been even worse. The ropes weren’t chafing or leaving any marks. It was more like she was feeling intangible pressure and her nerve endings were being tricked into thinking they were really there.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

She sat down at the table, trying not to wince from the feeling of the rope grinding against her slit. The longer she was bound, the more sensitive she was becoming.

“Hey, look over there. It’s Thane. I heard he’s been missing a lot of classes.”

Helena looked to where her friend was pointing, spotting the disheveled student. “So what?”

“If Thane is missing class, it means he’s busy, and considering the work he does with the priests, it’s important. He’s an exorcist after all. Rumors say he’s been snooping around the school, looking for some kind of demon or something.”

Helena stared at him with wide eyes. ‘Wait, he’s looking for a demon? Is it possible that he knows Xavier is here? Maybe he can help me!’

Father Hauser sat in the waiting area by the entrance to the tabloid building. He had managed to convince the chief of the magazine to see him, and hopefully he could get more information on the suicides. Behind her desk, a receptionist got a call through her intercom.

“Father, he’ll see you know.”

He nodded in gratitude and walked over to the closed office door, which had a window of blurred glass with the chief’s name and title. He stepped into the office, the walls lined with framed headlines from the magazine. Working at his computer was the chief, an overweight balding man.

He stood up and shook Hauser’s hand. “Ah, Father Hauser, what can I do for you?”

“Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Elan. I’m here because I wanted to ask you about the story you posted last week, about the three boys who killed themselves.”

“Father, I’m sure you know I can’t give up my sources, even to a man of the church.”

Hauser sighed. “Well then I was hoping you could tell me any other pieces of information you might have. I’m worried that there may be something going on with these deaths.”

“Oh please, you think you’re the only one? We weren’t the first paper to say they were doing Devil worship. Every media outlet is being hounded by zealots.”

“Well what I’m curious about is the fact that they were coming from a hospital. Can you at least tell me what you know about that?”

“Well from what we heard, they got assaulted that morning.”

“Wait, do you know by who?”

“Now I certainly can’t just give you that information. I do have—”

“I hereby absolve you of all your sins.”

“There we go. Supposedly it was a girl from Rosewood University.”

“Come on, O’Connor! Try to keep up!”

Regardless of the coach’s barking, Helena struggled to keep up with the other girls. It was gym class and she was swimming in the university pool. With the invisible ropes binding her, any kind of physical activity was a nightmare. She never realized how much she moved her torso when swimming, and every time she gasped for air, she felt her breath being halved from the tightness of the restraints. Then there was the humiliation she was feeling. Everything she had seen and experienced so far today told her that the ropes were invisible, but when wearing nothing but a school swimsuit, she felt like the whole world could see her in this shameful straightjacket. Then there were the lines, the black lines on her skin, as wide as her fingers and clear as day. Luckily, swimsuits at a Catholic school were as modest they could be. They were more like wetsuits but with shorter sleeves and pants legs and covering her throat like a turtleneck, so her collar and the binds around her shoulders were covered.

The class was supposed to do five laps, but by the time all the other girls were done, she had only accomplished two. She was more tired than any of them, feeling the ropes sap her strength. The sensation was different in the water. They felt almost like fingers brushing up against her flesh, like a full-body massage. It wasn’t nearly as blissful as a real massage, but the stimulation was just as potent. The tightness around her breasts like they were being fondled, the friction of the rope between her legs, and the grip on her shoulders and stomach left her a blushing wreck, clinging to the edge of the pool with the other girls and gasping for air. The water was cool but she felt so damn hot. Her classmates all looked back at her and whispered amongst themselves, wondering what was wrong with her.

No surprise, the coach stormed over. “O’Connor, what’s the matter with you? Normally you would have been the first to make the fifth lap, but now you look like a half-dead dog out there.”

“Sorry, Ms. Edwards. I’m feeling sick today.”

“Well you can’t do much if you’re sick. Go hit the showers and wait for class to end.”

Nodding in gratitude, Helena slowly climbed out of the pool and made her way to the locker room. This was actually the best possibility for her. She had been forced to change into her swimsuit before class in the privacy of the bathroom, wearing it under her uniform so that no one would see the tattoos. Now, she could shower and get dressed without anyone seeing her. She stepped into the showers and turned the hot water on, panting as she removed her swimsuit. She looked at the tattoos, feeling them pressing down on her. They looked so strange on her, but also seemed to compliment her figure. Now that she thought about it, the look was kind of cool. Perverted, sure, but ignoring that, the bible forbidding tattoos, the pain of getting them, and the cost, this wouldn’t be half bad to get permanently. She’d just need a less sinful version.

She released a gasp of euphoria as she stepped under the shower, feeling the hot water wash away the chill and the chlorine of the pool and ease her muscles. She ran her hands across her naked body, rubbing the tattoos to try and ease the tension of her binds. Why did this feel so good? She leaned against the wall, letting the water pour down her unclothed frame while she massaged herself. Her eyes bolted open when she realized what she was doing, discovering that she had started squeezing her breasts and was sliding her fingers between her legs. She held her arms out to her sides and shook her head like a dog, trying to free herself of these sinful sensations.

About to turn off the shower, she stopped and nearly fell to her knees. Her breathing became haggard and she clutched herself. The bonds, they were… changing! The tattoos rearranged themselves on her body taking a new pattern. Originally, amongst the different knots and webs on her chest and stomach, she had had a rope going between her legs like a thong, tucked into her ass with a knot against her clitoris, as well as two choking bonds around her breasts, as if they each had collars of their own. Now, she had two spider webs on her breasts, the arranged binds converging on what felt like two rings, pressing down on her areolas with her nipples poking through, making them swell and stand erect. The rope between her legs had now become two, but they were wrapped around her thighs like a harness. They had settled right in the creases, between the sides of her pussy and her inner thighs, squeezing the plump lips and making them pucker as if expecting a kiss.

Helena could barely stay on her feet. With how sensitive the first pattern had made her body, the changing on the bonds had almost invoked an orgasm, the first orgasm she had ever had. Catching her breath, she at last turned off the shower and staggered out. She sat down on one of the benches amongst the lockers, nearly yelping as the bonds tightened from the movements.

‘Oh God, how much longer am I going to have to suffer through this?’

Once her heartbeat had slowed, she dried herself off and changed back into her uniform. Just as she finished buttoning the top of her blouse, the door to the locker room swung open and her classmates strolled in. How long had she been in the shower? As she got her things together, her classmates all cleaned themselves off and came to the lockers to get dressed.

“Hey, loser!”

Helena rolled her eyes at the sound of the shrill voice. It belonged to someone she hated more than anyone else in the world, second only to Xavier: Daphne Brooke, one of the bitchiest girls in the school, and before the Antichrist’s arrival, she had been Helena’s nemesis. Their mutual hatred was understandable: Helena was an uptight child of God with a pure heart and soul (minus her violent temper and affinity for violence against heathens), and Daphne was a sinful delinquent with a hobby of “convincing” priests in training to break their vows of celibacy. In order to get her off drugs and put the fear of God in her, her parents had dumped her at Rosewood University. From day one, the two women had been at each other’s throats, always snitching on each other and badmouthing each other.

“What do you want, harlot?”

Helena’s rule was to never swear and she wasn’t going to break it because of Daphne. The worst she would ever call her was a whore, and even then it was only because it was a word used in the bible.

“I’m just enjoying the sight of the high and mighty “Saint Helena” falling behind everyone else. Let me guess, you’re still sick from throwing up this morning? Do you know who the father is?”

All the other girls watched and whispered amongst themselves, while Helena, having yet to even face Daphne, gave an annoyed sigh.

“I’m not pregnant, but knowing you, I’d be surprised if you could say the same. And even if I was, I would go through with childbirth and give that baby a wonderful life, unlike you with your trusty coat hanger and favorite dumpster.”

The other students all covered their mouths and silently laughed in shock from the brutality of Helena’s response.

Daphne just gave a smug sneer, tying her wiry black hair back into pigtails. “As if any man would be willing to put up with a girl who’s on her period 24/7.”

“Yeah, well, I at least I still get mine.”

Shutting her locker, Helena strode past Daphne, drunk on prideful triumph for getting the last word and making it perfect. Even the invisible binds couldn’t dampen her spirits after that righteous beating.

Xavier glared at Lily, cowering in shame before him.

“You took it out, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep with it inside me. But I have it in me now!”

“That’s not the point! I trusted you with this task and you betrayed me! How am I supposed to believe in you?”

Lily kneeled down in front of him, her eyes filled with terror. “You can trust me! Please! I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me!”

Xavier put his hand on her head. “I’m not going to leave you, but you clearly don’t respect the rules and understand how important they are. You have to be punished. I don’t want to, but you’re forcing me to do this.”

“What do I have to do?”

“Follow me.”

With Lily behind him, Xavier entered the gymnasium and made his way to the storage room. There weren’t any classes going on, and while the teacher was in his office, Xavier was using his powers to put him in a brief coma. While he walked, it took all of Xavier’s willpower to keep from grinning. It was time to see just how devoted this stupid girl was. Would she leave him after this, or would her submissiveness only become more deeply rooted in her soul? Plus it would let him quench his thirst for malice.

He brought her into the dark storeroom and closed the door behind them. “Ok, take off your clothes.”

Lily did as she was told and Xavier had her stand under a low-hanging pipe. Taking her blouse, he looped it over the pipe and then tied the sleeves around her wrists, keeping her bound like shackles with her arms raised. Standing naked while tied up, Lily shivered with embarrassment and fear. This was different from all her other moments with Xavier, there would be no fun or pleasure. She had broken the rules and now she had to be punished. He was standing behind her, what was he doing?

The whiplash of a belt across her lower back made her cry out in pain unmatched by anything in her life. She could feel a red welt forming on her vanilla skin and she tried to hold back her tears.

“What are you doing?!”

“I’m punishing you. You broke the rules and brought this on yourself.”

He whipped her again, this time on her thighs. She screamed and pulled at the blouse binding her wrists. A third strike was delivered, landing across her rear end.

“I’m sorry! Please stop!” she sobbed.

“I thought you loved me,” he scolded while whipping her across the back three times.

“I do! I love you!”

He whipped her several more times, crisscrossing her back and ass with long bruises. He then had her turn around and face him, her eyes puffy and red from crying. But when she saw him, her eyes widened. He was crying as well, crocodile tears of course, but she didn’t know that.

‘He’s suffering too, this probably hurts him more than it does me! He really does love me!’

A strike to her flat belly robbed her of the smile that was about to appear.

“Every choice has consequences, this is how the world works. I gave you love and the promise of a beautiful future, but apparently that didn’t mean anything to you.” His belt slashed her inner thigh, just inches from her pussy, then twice more. “I thought you were a good girl. That was what made me love you.” She continued to cry, trying to lean back to lesson the pain when he whipped her between the legs. “Bad girls get punished because they hurt the people that care about them. Are you a bad girl? Good girls do whatever they’re told and follow the rules. Are you a good girl?”

Lily’s scream reached new heights of volume once he started whipping her breasts. Her nipples stung as if wasps had stung them and the nerves felt like they were on fire.

“I’ll never break the rules again! I’m a good girl! I’m a good girl! I’ll never disobey you again!”

“Good, then it seems the punishment did what it was supposed to.”

Xavier untied her and she collapsed to the cold concrete floor, her body lined with bruises. She looked up at him, her head shaking slightly as if she were drunk.

“I’m sorry I made you punish me. Can you forgive me?”

He got down and kissed her. “Yes, I forgive you.”

Lily then lied back and spread her legs. “Please give me your love, put it in all my holes.”

Xavier grinned and took out his cock, not hesitating to penetrate her tiny pussy and mount her like an animal.

‘It’s just so easy!’

Helena walked down the hallway in between class periods. She was exhausted, unable to ever get comfortable with the invisible binds stimulating her flesh every second. She was counting down the minutes until the end of the day, wondering when this curse would finally be lifted. Her panties were soaked, the rubbing of the rope between her legs made her vagina feel like a runny nose. Looking through the crowds of students, she came to a sudden stop and felt her heart drop. Walking towards her was Xavier, that usual smirk on his face, like he had the whole world in the palm of his hand. In his presence, she could swear that her binds tightened, leaving her gasping for breath. He passed by her, and in that fraction of a second, their eyes met. His gaze was piercing, inhuman, peering into her soul. With a lazy swish of his hand, he reached around to her lower back. His fingers passed through her blouse as if it was a hologram and he pulled up on one of the ropes and let it snap back. She shuddered, feeling like he might as well have just sodomized her in front of everyone. The hallway was full of people, but no one had seen the movement. He walked away, leaving her to stand there with people passing by like spawning salmon.

“Ah, Helena, there you are.”

She spun around, finding Father Hauser behind her. He immediately noticed the frantic look on her pretty face. “Are you all right, dear?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine.”

“Good, then I was hoping we could have little talk.”

“I’m sorry, Father, but I’ll be late for class.”

“I’ll tell your teacher that I held you back, you won’t get into any trouble.”

He then grasped her wrist and led her into an empty hallway. This was strange; he was never this forceful before. He was being polite and gentle, but he had never laid a hand on a student like this. Away from prying ears, he turned to her, a cautious look on his face. “On the 10th, did you get into a fight with three boys in the city?”

The image of the dead boy flashed across her mind, his body hanging from a noose with his organs spilled out.

“What? Why do you ask?”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Helena, did they do anything to you? Something that you might have thought silly or just shrugged off? Did they say anything that you didn’t understand? What were they doing when you found them?”

“They were just spraying some graffiti on the wall of a building! No, they didn’t do anything! I saw them, I punished them for their sins, and then I left! Please tell me why you’re asking me this.”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me more about that dream you had. You said that there would be a war that would show the truth. What did you mean?”

Helena bit her lip, knowing her collar would activate if she used the wrong words. “I saw a valley where the fighting would take place. But it would all start in the school.”

“And what is the truth that will be shown?”

“I don’t know. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. I really wish I could, but I just can’t.

Hauser’s brow furrowed. “One more thing. What made you think God sent you this dream?”

She looked up at him, hoping he would understand what she was trying to tell him. “Because we need His protection. I’m sorry, Father. I really need to go.”

She turned around and ran off, leaving Hauser to ponder over what she had told him. He was now certain from that desperate look in her eye that she was holding something back, probably even lying. She repeatedly told him that while she wished she could tell him more, she was unable. What if it wasn’t because of a lack of information on her part? Maybe someone was keeping her quiet. The police? The school? Or maybe something evil had had actually latched itself onto her and was trying to stop her from spilling its secret. It was time to consult someone on this matter, should the worst be true.

The day at last came to an end, and once Helena went to bed, she felt the invisible bonds disappear. The black lines on her skin vanished, and last, she could breathe and stretch fully. If Xavier kept his word, then he would not come into their room and Sophie would be safe tonight. She still had the card with her. She’d have to see if the deal would continue on the following day. If it did, what would happen? Would it be the ropes again? Or would it be something else? It didn’t matter; she had won this round. Her pride remained intact. She and Sophie said their evening prayers and went to bed, and finally, Helena got a good night’s sleep.

Please comment! I’m dying here!

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