A Stone in Salem
Chapter 1.
Ezekiel Stone was sitting down to enjoy some General Tao's chicken and broccoli with noodles when he sensed a presence; a darkness so vile it should have made everyone in the place sick and had them running to the nearest patch of sanctified ground. He looked up and scowled at the man sitting in the chair across the table.
"Hello, Ezekiel, taking a little break are you?" The man was smoking a Cuban, wearing a gray suit, a brown tie with a white criss-crossed pattern on it, and brown loafers with white cotton socks. Ezekiel ate his chicken as he looked at the man in the other chair.
He swallowed and said, "What? A man can't eat?"
"You don't need to eat," said the man in the brown suit with a devilish grin. He took a sip of cognac and said, "You're dead."
"Yes, I know," Stone said, "Why not say that a little louder, I don't think the government heard you."
"Ha ha. You always have an answer don't you," he said humorously.
"Why don't you just tell me why you came here other than to ruin a perfectly good meal," said Ezekiel with a sour expression on his face.
"Normally, I have you go after condemned souls, however this time I need you to go after a little tool of mine, a very powerful tool."
"What tool?" Stone asked carefully.
"My pitch fork. I use it all the time to seal the deal, as it were. And now it's gone."
"And you can't find it? So what?" Stone said as he drank his tea.
"So find it. That pitchfork allows whoever has it to convince others that what he or she says is real."
"So that's how you do it, that's how you get people to sell their souls."
"Well, I just give them a visual picture of what they think they want. After that, it's their choice."
"So it makes you able to show people a mirage of what they think they want. What would it do to a regular mortal?"
The man looked seriously at Stone and said, "It would make them fixate on what he or she wants the most and if they don't get it, they go insane. Even if they get what they wanted, the pitchfork would make them go after more and more until they eventually burn up with desire."
Stone looked at him, finished his meal and said, "Where is it?"
"Ahhh hah! There's the little deal maker I know," said the man. "It's in Salem Massachusetts 1692."
Stone laughed and said, "You almost had me."
"Stone," the other man growled, his eyes flaring red, "I'm not joking and you don't have a choice."
Stone knew he didn't have choice, not if he wanted a second chance. "So why don't you get it yourself?" he asked curiously.
The man calmed down, drank his cognac and said grinning, "Because the witch trials are in full swing, and everybody is on the lookout for me."
With a resigned sigh, Stone said, "How will I get back there. Can't time travel ya know. Besides, won't your pitchfork look a little out of place there—or anywhere for that matter?"
"No only you, me, and 'any others'," he said using finger quotations to illustrate what he meant, "will recognize it."
"Others?" asked Stone warily, "What do you mean by that?"
"Like you dear boy, or angels, or any psychically inclined person."
"What about clothes, money, etcetera?"
"Let me handle that, and the person does not have to hold my pitchfork for it to work once it's activated, by the way. It will work whenever the soul who touched it acts out of one of the 7 deadly sins."
"Ah huh," grunted Stone as he paid for dinner and walked down the street.
"Stone," said the man in the suit. "Angels can travel through time, and I am an angel, ya know."
Stone half-turned and said, "Fallen angel."
With a face slightly clouded in anger the man said, "Yes, well, I was going to tell you to watch out for a certain Reverend, as he is a truly righteous soul and could be trouble, but you can figure out which one is which for yourself."
Stone just shook his head, turned a corner, and was suddenly standing outside a small clearing in the woods on a path leading into town. He looked at his face and clothes and a body-sized mud puddle. He looked like a pilgrim. Great, just great. Wonder how long I can keep up this act? he thought to himself. He reached into his pocket and found his money was different, more like old English currency and he also found a folded piece of paper. "What on earth?" Stone muttered as he unfolded it and read...
Chapter 2.
It read:
To Stone,
By now you have noticed a wardrobe change and currency more befitting an English colony. I don' think anyone will accuse you with the identity that I set you up with, but be weary anyway, and trust no one. Also the pitchfork makes it's user, if they are mortal, glow with an internal fire and makes that soul look damned. Oh yes! One more thing: if the trials go beyond April 3rd, history will be forever altered—but no pressure.
D
P.S.—today's date is March 30th
"Oh, no pressure," Stone graded through clenched teeth as he walked into town, unaware he was being watched.
When he finally got into town, he saw a row of houses on either side of a well, a port with ships docked in it, and men cleaning the rigging. He saw farmers with their families and men and women, who were clearly African, carrying fruit tools and other things.
"Slavery, what a dumb thing to have," said Stone with a disgusted look on his face.
"Excuse me, but have you seen Reverend Parish?" asked a small voice.
Ezekiel turned to see him. "What are you doing here?" said Stone in a surprised but low voice.
"Just checking up on you to make sure you get going. Go to that Inn just outside of town. It's run by Sarah Goodwin and you are Ezekiel Quarry."
"Oh great, how am I supposed to explain the reason I am here?" asked Stone sarcastically.
"You're a demon and a mystical object hunter for the Vatican," said the man with a mischievous smile.
"Of course," said Stone as he rolled his eyes, "big stretch."
"Hey, aren't you worried about this reverend finding you?" Stone asked.
"Do you care?" said D.
"Until I get back to the 21th century, yes I do," Stone said with a grimace. Stone then looked up with a cold feeling growing in his stomach. A group of girls walking by were heading toward the meetinghouse. Their leader was a tall, thin, 16 year old girl with dark hair and white skin. The others were all of varying heights, and some were only slightly younger than the 16 year old.
"Abigail, I heard Reverend Hale is coming tomorrow to help clear the village of witches and spirits. What do we do if he finds us out?"
The tall girl turned to the slightly plump girl and said, "He will believe or he will be accused. Now be quiet," She said sternly.
Stone could see a fiery glow from within her, yet she wasn't in pain and no one else saw it. "That must be her," he mused. Stone then turned to ask D. if that was the girl but found that he was not there.
Later that night Stone had a horrible dream...
Chapter 3.
(Dream sequence)
Flames of a horrible redness were everywhere. Smoke was so thick it made Los Angeles look clear, and screams of pain and horror resounded off the walls. He was strapped to a burning hot table. As hot acid ate his skin and bones, he was forced to watch his wife weep over his dead body at a funeral. Then, his head was wrenched painfully to the left as D. said, "That was the past, and this is the future." He then dumped flesh eating death-head beetles onto his already acid-eaten body. "And this is the future for all eternity."
"No! It won't be like that! I will get out, even if I have to rip my way out!" Stone exclaimed angrily.
D. laughed menacingly. "The only way you could escape is if you made a deal with the priest that truly believes there is redemption after coming here, and that will never happen."
"What about sacrificing myself for another. Bet that could work."
"Talk while you can," the dark one sneered, "only a priest could help, and the only ones who believed a soul could be redeemed after being put here lived 319 years ago. You will never leave! Ha ha ha!" The last thing he saw before the acid and the beetles ate his eyes was his antagonist's true vestige.
Chapter 4.
"Ahhh!" Stone jerked awake, a cold sweat covering him. "I will break free, I will," he grumbled deep in his throat.
The next morning, Stone was down at the tavern portion of the Inn having what passed for an early version of oatmeal, when a tall girl with blonde hair down to her ears came in with a package for Bridgette Bishop's husband.
"I thank thee, Suzanna. What makes you so nervous?"
"Reverend Hale comes today, and Dr. Griggs thinks he may find evidence of the unnatural, it makes me quake with worry."
"Reverend Hale is not the only demon hunter here ya know," said Bridgette Bishop.
"Well, have a good day," she said. Suzanna then hurried out of the tavern.
Stone got up and walked to where the house of Reverend Parish stood. He knocked on the door and a tall, dark-haired girl of sixteen opened it. It was the same girl that he had seen the other day. The fire burning within her was almost palpable.
Stone cleared his throat and said, "Is your father, Reverend Parish, home? I wish to speak with him."
"My father is dead. Reverend Parish is my uncle. And who are you?" she said coolly.
"My name is Ezekiel Quarry, and I've come to ask if you've seen anything unusual lately."
"Abigail, who is it?" asked Reverend Parish and he came to the door with a suspicious look on his face.
"He says his name is Ezekiel Quarry," she said with a pinched look on her face.
"Mr. Quarry, come in! What an honor," said Parish.
Stone walked in and saw a house with raw timber and rough wooden chairs around an unrefined wooden table.
"What brings you to such a wild place from such a wonderfully civilized country, like the Vatican?"
"Well, I was sent here because Cardinal Johnson received a letter from Boston about an unholy object that was smuggled by the colony of Virginia to here."
"Heaven help us! Are you sure?" said Rev. Parish in shock.
"Yes I am, and whoever has it will take a lot of people with them when they die."
"So this object will bring madness to whoever is using it?"
"Yes it will," said Stone with a look from Abigail to Parish.
"Well, it is a very good thing that Reverend Hail is coming today," said Abigail primly.
"Abigail!" said the Reverend irritably, "Go be useful, see to your cousin, she has been too quiet lately."
"Yes Uncle," Abigail said, and stalked off.
"Tell me, do you know much about Reverend Hail," asked Stone, suddenly very curious about the so-called priest.
"Yes, yes I do Mr. Quarry. He is a noted witch finder. Why, well two years ago in Boston he found two witches and they were hung, and an innocent woman was found to be just a nuisance and not a witch."
At noon Mary Warren and Abigail and the rest of the girls watched from Betty's window as Reverend Hale came into Salem with half a dozen books.
"I pray thee someone take these," Reverend Hale said with a grunt.
Stone took some of the books and looked at the title of the top one: "The Finding of Witches, Demons, and Other Unnatural Creatures".
"Mr. Hail, welcome to Salem," said Parish. "Please tell me you can help my little Betty."
"I will try," said Hale seriously, "I will try."
"You must go!" hissed Abigail, as she made the girls leave.
"I want to see her fly," pouted Mary Warren.
"She does not fly!" said Abigail harshly.
They all made it downstairs just as Stone, Hale, her uncle, and now John Proctor came in.
"John Proctor, I have not seen you in a fort night," said Abigail and she sidled up next to him.
"I have a farm to tend to and a family to raise," said John with a smile.
"Abigail, how is you cousin, has she moved at all?" asked Hale.
"No, she lies still as death, except her chest rises and falls."
"Come, come. Let me show you two gentlemen what my niece means," said Rev. Parish hurriedly.
"Mr. Proctor, come with us. We may need you and Mr. Quarry to hold her down, just in case she tries to fly."
"Tries to fly?" exclaimed Hail and Stone in shock and surprise.
When they got to Betty's room they saw her lying on the bed, still, save for her breathing.
Chapter 5.
"Betty, this is Revered Hale, from Beverly," said her father, Reverend Hale. "Betty, little one, do you remember my two little girls in Beverly?" said Hale Gently.
This is odd. Why is she so still? She isn't the one that touched the pitchfork. Hmmm..., thought Stone.
Reverend Hail turned to get his Bible and saw Stone looking intently at the child. "Sir, if I may ask who you are?" asked Hale.
"I am Ezekiel Quarry, a demon hunter and mystical object-finder for the Vatican. I just arrived here yesterday."
Hail looked at him with scrutiny, then said, "Reverend John Hale at your service." They shook hands, then Hale took his book and started to intone in Latin: "Innomine domini sabaoth suifiliique ite adinfernos."
Unknown to anyone in the room, Stone had gone cold at the start of the incantation and felt horribly weak. Abigail had also gone weak. Then she looked up and saw blue light, like firelight, but prettier, coming from Betty's room. I must see the light, she thought to herself. She got up the stairs and looked into the room and saw Mr. Quarry ablaze in blue light. She walked in just as the Reverend stopped praying.
"She does not move, what can we do?" asked Proctor with a worried frown.
Reverend Parish looked at his niece and said, "I saw Abigail and Betty and others dancing in the forest with Tituba. They had a caldron."
"What?" exclaimed Reverend Hale in shocked dismay. "You permit this dancing?"
"No! It was in secret!" said Parish.
"Tituba has knowledge of conjuring. She killed a chicken and poured its blood into the pot, it was just beans and lentils before that!"
Hail looked at Abigail with narrow eyes, "You may have given your cousin to an unholy darkness. Go get Tituba, we may yet be able to save this child and the two of you!"
Tituba came up and looked at Betty with pity in her eyes.
"Tituba! Remove the spell that you have cast!" said Hale as he pointed at Betty.
"No," said Tituba, "I cast no spell on her, I love she."
"She did cast a spell, and tried to give me blood to drink!" as Abigail cringed in convincing but mock-terror. All the people in the room had looked at Abigail as she yelled out.
Stone saw the flames burn brightly around Abigail. He did not notice how Hale was looking at him or the older girl in the corner. Those two have made an unholy deal with darkness. I will have to deal with that later. My job is to save the child now, Hale thought.
Tituba was desperate. She knew they were going to beat her, or worse, and she knew that this was all Abigail's idea.
"Because you have done this you should be beaten to within an inch of your life," said Parish in a rage. He then started to move toward Tituba, but Stone stepped between them with a determined look on his face.
"There is no need to beat her, she is terrified of us—well—of you anyway. Let her speak," Stone said with a cold firmness.
Parish swallowed hard and stepped back and said a little uncomfortably, "Of course, you're quite right."
Tituba told them that they had all been dancing and that the spell had been a love charm for the girls.
"Abigail begged me make charm," she said sobbing; speaking in jerks and starts.
Reverend Hale looked at the men in the room. He noticed that Stone was staring at Tituba, almost with something of concern in his eyes. He also noticed Rev. Parish looked very uncomfortable, almost intimidated by the men in the room. Turning back to look at the woman on the floor shaking and sobbing in fear, Hale lowered himself down to her level, gently took her hands, and made her look him in the eye.
He said, "Do you renounce all witchcraft and deeds of darkness?"
"Yes I do. I love only heaven," she said.
Stone looked at Abigail, then at Tituba, and said, "Did you make that charm to make the girls fall in love?"
"No, no. It was for the boys; they love to love them."
"Did anyone ever have an odd-looking pitchfork with them when you did the charm?" asked Stone.
"What do you mean?" said Hale with suspicion in his voice.
"Let her answer," said Proctor evenly.
"Yes, Abby did. She said a man gave her a dreamstick and in the woods she'd find it for real."
"It's not a dreamstick, it's a pitchfork," said Stone snippily.
"Ah!"
Everyone turned to see Betty sit straight up and point to Abby. She said, "In the woods, she found an unholy thing in the woods! Then dad found us and she threw it away before he saw it."
"Praise thee! The spell is over! She speaks!" said Hale with a grin.
"Yes," said Parish. "But now we must find the foul demon who has thrust darkness upon our God-fearing souls."
As they all left the room except for Betty and Rev. Parish, Abigail thought to herself Quarry is dangerous. He must not find my precious pitchfork... I know! I will accuse him; after all I know Marry Warren was in the woods yesterday and the day before to look for her dress. Yes! She and the others will do what I say—they are such spineless souls, Abigail thought with glee.
Chapter 6.
Two days later, Stone was in the woods using his abilities he had gained during his 15 years down below. He opened his eyes. Having the ability to send out vibes like a bat's echolocation did not appear to be doing much good. I have to find that pitchfork before tomorrow ends, or history will change forever, he thought with an inward sigh. "That girl is ablaze with anger and lust, she will burn and take everyone with her. That can't be allowed to happen. I can't allow that to happen," he said aloud.
Upon his return to town, Rev. Hale came up to him and said, "What are you?"
"Excuse me?" Stone said with a touch of shock and defensiveness. "What do you mean?" He asked with deliberate slowness.
"What are you?" Hale said again with a righteous glint in his eyes.
"I ask you again, what do you mean?" Stone said exasperated, as he started to walk around the Reverend.
Hale grabbed his arm and pulled him back so that they were facing eye to eye. "The day I arrived I saw a blue flame flicker around thee and a fire's flame burn around Abigail, and yet you two are not in pain from it. Then, during the trial of Tituba, she and Mary Warren said they saw you step out of a lightening bolt onto the path that leads to town grumbling to yourself about pressure."
Stone looked at Hale wearily, but did not say anything. "Suzanna Walcott said she saw you talking to an old man dressed in a brown cloth the day before I arrived," said Hale with firmness.
"There was an old man, but he was just begging. Nothing sinister there," said Stone trying to be pleasant.
Hale looked at him with more than a hint of suspicion and said, "No, it's not. Unless he was to simply vanish as quickly as he appeared."
"What are you getting at?" Stone snapped irritated.
Hale looked at the man he knew as Quarry and said, "Abigail and the others have accused you of being a servant of evil."
Stone looked at the man and thought, ah ha! This must be the righteous soul I wasn't warned about. "So they dare accuse me of being a witch!" he said aloud in mock-rage, but still believable outrage.
"Nay, not a witch," said Hale trying to calm him, "a demon trying to bring down a holy mission."
Stone rolled his eyes and wiped his hand over his face. "That's a lie. I have my reasons for being here, and they are not concern of anyone else's."
"Nevertheless, you have to come with me to jail. You're trial is tomorrow. Please show me that you are not guilty," said Rev. Hale with compassion in his eyes.
Stone groaned inwardly, what to say? Could he trust the man with the truth?
Chapter 7.
"Quarry!" yelled Parish as he, Danforth, and Cheeverswalked briskly toward them with Cheevers huffing and puffing.
"Yes Rev. Parish?" asked Stone with a polite smile, "What can I do for you?"
"What's all this about then?" said Rev. Hale looking slightly worried.
Danforth stepped forward and read from an open scroll, "You, Ezekiel Quarry are hereby charged with the crime of dark servitude. Your trial will be tomorrow at dawn. May heaven smile mercy down upon thee."
As Cheevers clapped him in irons and lead him to jail, Rev. Hale thought to himself, I must talk more with this man, though he is a dark servant, I see light in him yet.
Stone was shackled to a bench by a window five steps behind the door. He looked out the window at the setting sun and said in a barely human growl, "When I'm free, that angel will be eating his own pointed tail!"
Two hours later, Cheevers opened the door and gave everyone a bowl of what looked like week-old meat and slop not fit for people or animals.
"You there!" he snarled at a young woman about to eat. "You don't look grateful for your food!"
She shook like a leaf out of fear and cold, "I am, I really am."
He looked at her and said, "Ya well, you ate already so I'll just take yours." The drunken lout laughed as he started to take the bowl despite the protest of the woman and the others in jail saying that she was grateful.
Cheevers said to all of them, "Shut up! You're all gonna hang anyway!" Then he laughed, as if he thought what he said was funny.
"Please kind sir, I just had watery soup yesterday. Please let me keep my bowl, show some kindness."
Cheevers eyed her harshly. "No! You soured my cow! Now you starve!" he said coldly with a sneer on his face.
She started to grab for the bowl again when Stone said, "Leave her alone you lousy drunk excuse for a jailer!"
Cheevers turned around, eyes full of anger and a deflated ego, and said, "Who are you to talk to an officer of the law like that? If you don't shut up I'll have you clubbed so badly there will be hardly anything left to put on trial tomorrow!" Cheevers then turned back to try to grab for the bowl again, convinced that nobody would dare try to attack him.
Stone stood up with fury in his eyes and grabbed Cheevers and turned him around and said, "I don't like people who pick on defenseless souls."
"How could you be so strong!" the guard said clearly terrified and shocked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," said Stone bitterly. He then literally threw him against the wall and then out the door.
All eyes looked at him, then the girl said, "Thanks kind sir. I pray thee not guilty."
"Your welcome," he said.
Chapter 8.
"Quarry! What has thou done?" said Hale in surprise and utter disbelief as he stepped into the jail.
Having given his bowl of food to one of the other prisoners because he did not have to eat, Stone had been looking at the ground and now looked up and jerked his head when his name had been called.
Stone said, "That drunk was going to let that poor girl starve and I could not abide that."
Hale saw the blue flames growing brighter around Quarry, yet still, he was in no discomfort. He pulled up a stool and sat close to the man.
"I know you are not from the Vatican. I have a cousin who works there; he told me. I know you're not human because I've seen you and Abigail in flames and yet neither one of you is in torment from them. And you threw a man out the door when the last time he fell it took 7 men just to get him on his feet.
Stone eyed him carefully then said, "Technically, I still am human, I just happen to be dead."
"What brings you here?" asked Hale, curiously.
Stone gave him a grim look and said, "I'm here on a mission."
"Are you a dark soul? Have you corrupted Abigail against heaven?"
"No, I'm not a dark soul, by choice, and no I have not corrupted Abigail."
"You said you were on a mission," Hale said firmly. "What is it?"
How to answer that...Stone thought to himself, would he believe the truth? Will he help me?
Stone told him everything about his current situation and when he was done Hale said, "Tomorrow at your trial Abigail will say things that are close to being true. You must find that fork before sunset."
"So you believe me?" Stone asked with weary hope in his voice.
Hale looked at him with compassion and curiosity in his eyes and said, "I should not, you work for the ruler of all that is dark and evil, but I do. If you should succeed, meet me by the port on the loading dock, I will give you absolution."
"I thank you," Stone said.
"Pray that it works," said Hale as he got up and turned to leave. He paused, and then turned back and said, "What powers do you have?"
Stone looked at him and smiled, "You assume I have powers, that's swell."
"All souls and darkness, willing or no, have powers," stated Hale with priestly authority.
Stone just shook his head. He then told Hale he could send out a pulse to locate dark souls, normally, but now it's to find that fork.
"What else?" asked Hale.
"I can tell when people are lying, I am stronger than normal, and I can't die...I'm already dead.
"Hale," Stone said quietly, "How can you see the flames on Abigail and I and no one else can?"
"I am a priest. I am blessed, and I have always been able to see strange lights around people that no one else can see. I've learned to keep this to myself, for obvious reasons."
Stone looked at Hale and said, "I'm surprised you haven't asked about the pitchfork."
Hale said, "I've been wanting to ask about it but it just didn't seem appropriate at the time. Tell me what it can do, though."
Stone told him everything that he was told about the fork and Hale sat there in utter shock.
"It is an unholy beacon," Hale said, "And that would explain the flames around you both. Darkness drawn to darkness."
Stone shook his head and said, "What I do is not entirely willing, so not entirely in darkness."
Hale just nodded and got up and left, and Stone pretended to sleep.
Chapter 9.
The next day at dawn Stone was brought before Judge Hawthorn, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Judge Hopkins in the meetinghouse.
"Ezekiel Quarry, do you know why you are here?"
"Well," he said with a smirk, "it's because Abigail and the scared little girls she is controlling have accused me of being a demon."
At that Abigail cried out, "Yellow bird! He hath a yellow bird to aid in his evil works!"
"Mercy!" Warren said, "I saw him appear out of the lightening bolt, but it left no mark."
"What were you doing in the woods?" Stone asked deliberately with a cold smile as he looked at the girls.
"Look at us!" shouted Danforth sternly.
"It's true, I was in the woods, but it was to retrieve an extra dress incase the one I wore got dirty," said Mary Warren.
"Quarry, do you maintain that you work for the Vatican?"
"He is a liar!" Abigail shouted tearfully. "Reverend Hale tried to ask me questions but I could not, he used his blue fire to make me dumb."
Sara Walcott stood up and said, "Abigail said she saw him chanting as Reverend Hale said prayers over Betty."
"Is this true?" asked Danforth sternly.
"Reverend Hale did pray over her but Abigail did not come in until he was almost done, and clearly the flames of which she speaks are not blue, but bright red and orange of vengeance and wantonness, and they are around her!" said Stone as he pointed toward Abigail.
Gasps abounded from shocked mouths as people took in what was said.
"You dare utter such blasphemy! You don't work for the Vatican or the church at all! You are a deceiver!" shouted Parish.
Stone looked to Hale and then looked at Abigail and saw her wriest in bright flames with a particularly bright glow around her neck.
"Quarry!" Hawthorne said nastily, "You will hang if you don't confess your deal to hurt these girls."
"Gee, never been hung before," Stone said with a grin of ice.
Hawthorne glared and turned to Parish, "You are the emissary of all that is Godly, yet your niece is the center of this trial. Why?"
Parish looked at the judge, and not wanting to be accused himself said, "The man is manipulating her, forcing her to do his bidding, spreading fear and unrest among us."
Stone laughed a short bitter chuckle, "Yes, you would say that, and it's better to lie and save yourself than to be a man and tell the truth and maybe get killed for it."
"Enough!" shouted Hale, "I will go get the newest weapon in heavens arsenal." And with that he left.
Stone knew he was really going to the port to make sure things were ready if a quick getaway was necessary.
"While Hale is gone, Parish will recite a blessing while trying to restore calm," said Judge Hopkins.
As Parish started to pray, Stone felt himself grow weaker. He looked at Abigail, and then he broke the cuffs and ran to the girls.
"Ah! Ahh!" they all screamed. He grabbed the pitchfork (which was about the size of a necklace) and yanked it from around her neck. She fell to the floor.
"What did you do to her?" yelled Parish and Danforth in unison.
Stone turned to them and said, "She is free of this unholy object's influence as are all of you!"
"Seize him!" yelled Parish. Stone turned and ran straight toward the door and everyone scattered out of their seats to get out of his way. Ezekiel stopped, turned down an isle of pews and jumped out the window; glass crashing out of the frames onto the street outside.
"After him!" shouted the judges. Stone ran down to the court and saw Hale.
"There's a lynch mob after me. We had better hurry please."
Hale opened his Latin prayer book and uttered the Latin prayer of redemption with his hand over Stone's head.
"Ah! Ahhh! Ahrrghh argg!" Stone yelled, and a wall of blue flames erupted around him as he lay in agony. Then, just as quickly, they disappeared and Stone stood up and looked at Hale with a grin.
"Wow. I feel so much lighter," said Stone is amazement as he patted himself to make sure everything was still where it should be.
Hale smiled and said, "That's because you are now absolved of all the wrongs but one that you have been forced to do. So, you are now heaven's soul finder. It's like your old job, but you work with good now."
"Thanks," Stone said with a grin and shook Hales hand, and then he ran to the woods. The mob showed up minutes after he left.
"Hale, what happened?" asked Judge Thompson with concern.
"He overpowered me, brought be down here, and stole the book of absolution. How are the girls?" Hale said with a look of concern on his face.
"All are well, Abigail is her normal self again," said Parish, practically crying.
"Where's that bloody path?" Stone growled as he turned to look back, then at an old oak, and instead saw a pair of neon dragons in the window of his favorite Chinese restaurant. "I'm back, but how?" he mused to himself.
"I brought you back, just as I put you there," said the man in the brown suit, coming out of the restaurant. The man smiled and said, "I believe you have something for me."
Stone handed the fork, which immediately grew to full size.
"So this is what it really looks like..." said the man named D. "Congratulations," he said, "I heard all about your little deal with Hale, you did it, you won, now leave."
"Really?" asked Stone is shock, "Just like that?"
"Yes," said D. in exasperation, "A deal with a priest that truly believes is a deal that I cannot break."
Stone jumped up and shouted, "Yippee! I'm free!"
And in a blaze of white light, he disappeared. D. shook his head and left, humming tubular bells.
The End