Berserk belongs to Kentaro Miura and Kittens belongs to Dean Kootz.
The cool green water glimmered in the light of the setting sun, before a flying rock shattered it's serenity. However it didn't flew, it throw into the water by a seven year old girl named Marnie. As Marine continued to pick up the stones, she through about the kittens. This year's kittens, not last year's. A year ago, her parents had told her that the kittens had gone to Heaven. Pinkie's litter had disappeared the third day after their squealing birth. Marine's father had said, "God took them away to Heaven to live with Him." She didn't doubt her father. After all, he was a religious man. He taught Sunday school every week and was an officer or something in the church, whose duty it was to count collection money and mark it down in a little red book. He was always picked to give the sermon on Laymen's Sunday. And every evening, he read passages to them from the Bible. She had been late for the reading last night and had been spanked. "Spare the rod and spoil the child," her father always said. No, she didn't actually doubt her father, for if anyone would know about God and kittens in the world, did God have to take all four of hers? Was God selfish? Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when felt something move in her hand. Marine looked at her hand to what appeared to be a stone in her hand. As she took a closer look, Marine quickly realized this wasn't a stone, but the strangest necklace she had ever seen. Held by brown rope, dangled a brownstone that had eyes, a nose and mouth scattered across the stone. Marine felt both fascinated and creeped out by the strange stone, but before she could get rid of it, she heard a voice say "What are you doing, Marine?"
Without thinking, Marine quickly shoved the strange necklace in her pocket as she turned to face her father.
"Throwing stones," she answered quietly.
"At the fish?" He asked.
"Oh, no, sir. Just throwing stones." Marine replied
"Do we remember who was the victim of stone throwing?" Her father questioned as he smiled a patronizing smile.
"Saint Stephen." She answered.
"Very good." Her father said just before his smile faded.
"Supper's ready." He added.
Marine still continued to think about her kittens and her fear that God would take them away. After her mother went to fetch her daughter a glass of milk. Marine was unable to hold it inside any longer.
Working up her courage, Marine turned towards her father and asked "Father?"
Her father gave her an expressionless face as he turned towards his daughter.
"What about the kittens?" Marine questioned.
"What about them?" He counted.
"Will God take them this year?" She wondered.
"Perhaps." Was all he said.
"He can't." Marine almost sobbed.
"Are you saying what God can and can't do young lady?" Her father questioned in a warming tone.
"No, sir." Marine quickly answered.
"God can do anything." Her father stated in a matter of fact tone.
"Yes, sir." Marine replied before she added "But why would he want my kittens again? Why always mine?"
"I heard enough of this, Marine. Now by quiet." Her father ordered.
"But why mine?" Marine pleaded. At once her father stood up, walked towards and slapped her so hard that a trickle of blood slid down her mouth. "You must not doubt God's motives!" He demanded. "You are too young to doubt." He repited.
He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet. "Now you get up those stairs and into bed."
Marine didn't argue. As walked she felt the weight of the neckline in her pocket. Suddenly, for reasons she couldn't explain, Marine didn't feel like throwing the strange necklace away anymore.
The next day Marine shows it to Pinkie in the barn. At once, Marine's beloved cat hissed at the sight of it.
"I'll get rid of it. If God doesn't take your kittens away." Marine promised as she shoved back in her pocket. Once it was gone, Pinkie reluctantly allowed Marine to let her and play with her kittens. Suddenly she heard her father's approaching footsteps as he said "Where's Marine?"
Marine was about to reply back when her mother said "I sent her to the Brown's for a recipe of Helen's. She'll be gone for twenty minutes."
"That's plenty of time." Her father answered as they footsteps drew closer towards the hay room. Sensing that she was not meant to see what would happened, Marine quickly placed the kittens back in the red and gold box and hid been a stack of hay. Marine watched as her parents entered with a bucket of water. As Marine's father placed the bucket next the kittens, Pinkie hissed. Marine watched as her mother picked up and locked her in a nearby crate. Then he petted one kitten before he picked it up and thruster it's head under the water of the bucket. Marine's grimaced as it thrashed until it moved no more. Marine dug her nails into the concert floor.
Why? Why? Why? The young thought with horror. Before her father could drown the next kitten, the barn suddenly became filled with terrible screams that were filled with rage and sadness. Marine jumped out from her hiding place in shock as she realized the screams were coming from her pocket. Before her parents punish her, Marine pulled the necklace out of her pocket and discovered that the screams were coming from the necklace. Not only did it now have a human face, but it was bleeding from the eyes! As Marine dropped the necklace in horror, five monsters appeared before the family. The first one looked like a skeleton with a human brain, the second one looked like an almost human woman who barely wore anything, the third appeared to be floating bluish face with atrophied tentacles, the fourth looked like giant fat wood louse with a picketed human face and the fifth was a bat like monster. Her mother tried to reach for Marine, but without warning, the ground suddenly lifted Marine closer to the monsters. Marine felt afraid as she heard her parents cry out for her.
"Don't be afraid little girl, we won't you or your pets unlike your father." The bluish face spoke.
"Who...who are you?" A confused Marine wondered.
Before the demon could reply, Marine heard her father cry from below. "Marine don't listen to that thing. It is a demon and Satan is the father of all lies!"
At this the demon laughed "Lies! I've never told a lie in my life. Unlike you, who made a business out of lying."
"I've never lied to anyone." Marine's father started to say, but the demon interrupted him with "You lied to your daughter about the fate of her kittens and you lied to your fellow church goers and family on a daily basis."
"I was only lying to protect her!" Marine's father protested. He had said the wrong thing, for Marine replied "I trusted you! I loved you! I never doubted you! You always said that God took my kittens last year, but it was you! What else have you been lying to me about?"
Marine's father struggled to reply, but no words could leave his mouth.
Turning it's attention back to Marnie, the demon said "I can give you the power to protect the rest of your kittens and punish your parents for drowning your poor sweets kittens last year and the first one."
At once Marine, felt herself becoming seduced by the demon's words. "Really?" She wondered.
"Yes, but it must be your choice and your choice alone." The demon added.
Marine felt tempted but unsure. While she was crushed and betrayed, she knew she would damn herself, if she let the demons punish her parents. But still they already killed her kittens once before and would kill the rest if Marine didn't do something.
"Marine, please!" Her mother pleaded. "I love you and so does your father." She added.
Marine's mother started to say something else , but faltered upon seeing look of hatred on her daughter's face.
"If you really loved me, you wouldn't have done this." Marine said before she added "I submit."
Suddenly Marine became enveloped in a cocoon. Her parents started rushing towards screaming "Let our daughter go!"
The skeleton with the brain laughed as he conjured a symbol that appeared to be a circle with an eight inside in the air. "She's already made her choice. Now you are her sacrifices."
Then the symbol glowed and two copies flew towards the couple and baraned them.
"You tricked her and turned her against us, you abominations from hell!" Marine's father cried out just as a portal began to appear.
"Your lies and murdering her pets have already done that." The Bluish demon answered.
"Anyway it matters not that she damned you, the two of would've gone to hell regardless for what you done." He added just the portal fully opened.
Marine's father gasped in fear and held his wife close to him just as the demons began to emerge. "No! No! No! I'm a good Christen! I'm a good Christian!" He screamed in horror and denial.
"If you were, you never would've drowned those kittens, lied to your daughter about it. Your God had abandoned you a long time ago." The bluish demon answered as the demons leaped upon the screaming couple.