DISCLAIMER I OWN NOTHING BUT ORIGINAL CHARACTERS
CHAPTER 1
"Dusk said she'd meet us there," Luna said, as she and Thorn slipped into the woods behind Thorn's house. The dark-skinned girl carried a cardboard box filled with various black scented candles, bottles filled with powders and sandwich baggies with various plants in them. "You haven't told me why I have to carry everything, or why you needed to bring your cat."
Thorn looked down at the black kitten snoozing in the crook of her arm and gave a smile laced with sadness.
"I'm carrying the most important things we'll need," she replied, slightly moving her arm to indicate the kitten. "Nightshade has a big role to play tonight, almost as important as the book itself.
The book Thorn carried was old and tattered. A big, thick leather bound grimoire that was adorned with a large and imposing bat winged skull glaring out at them. They had found it buried in an abandoned cemetery back in the woods.
"Tonight, everything changes," Luna said. "I know what I'm going to do first."
"Oh yeah?" Thorn asked. "What?"
Luna smiled.
"Get back at Hayden Marsh, the cheerleading slut," Luna replied in a matter-of-fact tone that said why did Thorn even need to ask.
Of course, Thorn vaguely remembered that Luna had been on and off with Evan Daniels for what seemed like forever, and finally they managed somehow to last more than 2 weeks without breaking up. Well, before he'd been caught by Luna necking with Hayden Marsh under the bleachers.
"Bet I know who you want to get back at," Luna said, snapping Thorn out of her daze. "It's gotta be Mr. Football himself, Chip Osway."
Thorn scowled despite herself. Chip Osway was a sore subject for her. It seemed like not so long ago, though it had really been 4 months, that she had wanted him. He was tall and muscular with a lantern jaw and curly blonde hair she imagined running her fingers through. she'd laid awake at night in bed and imagined how big his dick must be and what it would feel and taste like.
One day, it happened. he'd stopped her in the hall.
"Hey Sally," he said, leaning up against the locker next to hers and smiling wide enough to show off his perfect white teeth. "I was wondering, if you're free Friday night if maybe you wanted-"
"Yes!- I mean…. Yeah I'm free," she said, trying not to blush too much.
"Great, I'll pick you up at 6," he said.
The rest of that week she'd been walking on air, she was really going out with Chip Osway! Finally, Friday night came. she'd spent hours deciding what to wear, finally deciding on just a plain black dress.
"Wish me luck, Nightshade," she said to the 1 month old kitten lying on her bed.
The night had been amazing, they'd gone to the drive-in, but; had spent all night in the back of Chip's Charger. To Thorn, it was bliss.
She found it odd that he ignored her calls the rest of the weekend, and only too late realized what was going on when she found WHORE spray painted on her locker.
"Yeah, he'll get his alright," She replied. They came out into an open clearing, in the center broken and damaged gravestones began littering the ground like fallen dominoes in the center they could see Dusk sitting on one of the only gravestones that still stood with the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up, smoking.
"Sorry we're late," Thorn said as they approached. "It took longer than I thought for daddy to fall asleep."
"It's okay," she replied quietly, taking a long drag on her cigarette. "Can we get started?"
Luna raised an eyebrow.
"You okay?" she asked, setting the box down on the ground. "Why do you have your hood pulled up?"
She ducked down lower in response.
"No reason, I'm just kinda cold," Dusk said. That was weird, Dusk never got cold.
"Put your hood down," Thorn said.
"I don't want to," Dusk replied, as she stamped out her cigarette.
"Do it," Luna said, as she reached out, Dusk slapped her hand away and jumped up.
"I said no!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing all around them.
In an instant Luna leaped forward and wrapped her arms around Dusk, pinning her arms down. The two struggled as Thorn carefully placed the book under her arm and moved forward and reached for the hood and pulled it down.
"Oh honey," the left side of Ducks face from her ear down to her jaw was purple and black. Her eye was completely red from broken blood vessels and beginning to swell shut. Luna released her grip and stepped back, covering her mouth in shock.
"Happy now? My dad beat me," she said, tears already beginning to fall. "I got caught trying to sneak out and he had to 'take me up'."
Thorn swallowed the bile rising up in her throat, Dusk's dad was so nice to them.
"When did he-"
"Last year when he fell in that house he was building, broke his back in two places," she replied, pulling her hood back up. "The pills and the booze killed my dad, I don't know who he is anymore."
Thorn pulled the blonde into a one-armed hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"It'll be okay," she whispered. "Lets get the ritual started."
They began clearing away some of the more damaged gravestones out of the way until the spot was big enough. Taking a ruler, Luna began drawing a pentagram on the ground using a piece of one of the shattered gravestones while Dusk began pouring the various powders around the drawing in a circle. After that the two began setting up and lighting the candles at each point of the star.
"You gonna help us, Thorn?" Luna asked. Thorn looked up from where she sat petting the snoozing kitten in her arms and smiled.
"I am helping," she replied, as she went back to scratching Nightshade behind the ear. "Gotta make sure my little man's all nice and comfy."
Dusk raised an eyebrow.
"Why is your cat even here?" she asked.
"You'll see," Thorn replied. "You'll see."
The moon was climbing closer and closer to the top of the sky. Thorn stood up and opened the grimoire while walking over to the circle, finally stopping on the page she needed. Luna and Dusk moved to either side of her.
"We three offer blood in sacrifice, a dark boon for dark power, we three seek power of the left hand," Thorn said. All around them the wind began to blow and shriek. "We three offer blood to the dark prince in payment for dark magics."
One by one the candles began to go out, just as the moon vanished in the growing clouds the last candle died, plunging them into complete blackness. Beside her, Thorn could feel Dusk and Luna begin to get nervous.
"What's going on?" Dusk asked, placing a violently shaking hand on Thorn's shoulder.
"Be quiet," Thorn hissed. In the distance thunder began to rumble and the air started to grow colder and colder.
"What do you seek?" a voice, seductive and low asked.
"We three seek witches magics," Thorn replied.
"It is a small boon," the voice said. "What do you offer in sacrifice?"
Quickly handing the book off to Luna, Thorn carefully moved the kitten in her arm into her free hand. He was sleeping like a rock, the half a sleeping pill she'd put in his dinner was still working.
"I offer the best beloved," she said, before quickly snapping the kitten's neck in one swift motion.
"It will do," the voice replied, cold and greedy. When Thorn placed the tiny body into the pentagram the candles burst to life into great red fireballs that chased away the darkness and turned everything the color of blood.
Across the clearing they appeared. A large black goat with horns so long and curved they almost dragged the ground as it walked. The rider was a skinless creature, it's head was a gleaming white skull, with burning yellow eyes that seemed to bore into them. As they came closer the 3 could see blood pumping through the twisting black veins covering its wet and dripping body.
"The Dark Prince has accepted your sacrifice," it's voice was high and raspy, sounding like it was trying to speak while barely being able to breathe. "The boon has been met. Sign your names in the ledger."
In one outstretched bloody hand it presented a small black book, and in the other a quill stained with blood. Thorn tentatively reached out to take the quill, her hand shaking so horribly that she almost dropped it, expecting the thing to seize her wrist in it's wet embrace.
Sally McKnight.
Luna looked at her in shock and surprise as Thorn held out the quill to her. After several long seconds slowly crept by, she took the dripping quill in her hand, and wrote her name.
Kimberly Moss.
Thorn glanced over to see that Dusk hadn't taken her eyes off the demon, tears were running down her cheeks like rain. Reaching over, she took the blonde's trembling hand in hers and leaned over.
"It's okay," she whispered, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I've got you, sister."
"I…. I…. can-" Dusk stammered, finally looking at Thorn. "I don't wanna do this anymore."
"It is too late to break our deal," the demon tittered, pointing a clawed finger at Dusk. "Blood has been spilled, and Satan has accepted."
"She's not breaking the deal," Thorn said, turning to face the demon. "Be quiet while we speak."
Taking Dusk by the hand, Thorn led her a short distance away and placed both hands on her shoulders.
"Look, I know your scared, we're all scared. But; we agreed to do this," she said. When Dusk tried to look away Thorn shook her. "Don't look at him, look at me. I'll keep you safe, no one will ever hurt you again."
Dusk wiped away the tears from her eyes, and sniffled.
"You mean that?" she asked, her eyes big and pleading.
"Always, now lets get this over with," Thorn said, smiling. "We have magic to do."
Leading her friend back by the hand, Thorn took the quill from Luna and handed it to Dusk. The blonde looked at it in disbelief, then to the black book. Licking her lips, she stepped forward and wrote her name.
Muffy St James.
"Our bargain is complete," the demon said, taking back the quill and bowing slightly. "Welcome to the service of the mighty Lord Satan, my mistresses. I return to the pit, but; I will come when beckoned at anytime you have need of me."
The three exchanged glances.
"What's your name?" Thorn asked.
"Traxax," with a final boom of thunder and a flash of lightning the demonic envoy and its mount were gone, leaving the three girls alone.
"You girls head back," Thorn said. "I wanna be left alone for awhile."
"What are you-" Luna began, but; when she glanced down and saw the tiny black form still lying in the pentagram, she knew. "-okay, come on Dusk."
The blonde looked at the dark skinned girl in surprise, then back at Thorn.
"Okay….. see you tomorrow," she said.
Thorn waited until the two were out of sight before she knelt and opened the grimoire.
"Dark master I beg thee come, raise my servant from darkness cold," she read, placing her free hand over Nightshade's body. "To live again and walk the earth, to heed my call let him rebirth!"
Her hand began to tingle and grow warm as dark green energy began to wrap around her outstretched hand. It began to swirl and grow faster and faster in its motion before slowly snaking out and covering the kitten. After all the energy had left her hand, Thorn watched as the kitten's head snapped back into place with a loud crack.
Sluggishly, the tiny form began to stir. She watched as Nightshade tried to sit up, but; kept falling back down until finally he was able to raise without losing his balance.
"There's mommy's baby- ow!" the kitten swiped at her hand as she reached down to pick him up. She sucked at the tiny cuts on her fingers. "-guess I did deserved that. Oh well, come on Nightshade, lets go home. I think you earned a big saucer of milk."
Picking the kitten up, Thorn made her way back towards town.
xxxXXXXxxxxx
Cutting across the town square, Dusk stopped suddenly in her tracks when a realization struck her. Zowie was outside, the big rottweiler would bark and carry on when he saw her he was so happy. Walking slowly, Dusk turned the corner and carefully made her way towards her house.
"Zowie, come here boy," she called softly, dropping down onto her haunches and duck walking along the fence. Peeking up over the fence, she saw the yard empty, and looking over to the house she could see one of the downstairs windows was busted out. "Oh that's not good."
She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood up, if she was lucky her dad would be asleep in his chair in the living room. But; what if he was waiting for her, his belt clenched in a tight fist. There was no getting around it, if she was caught, she was caught.
When she opened the gate a loud crash inside the house made her freeze. Through the living room window she could see a large shadow jumping back and forth across the wall, followed by another, smaller shadow.
Her heart began to race, had someone broken in, were they attacking her dad. All those things raced through her mind as she made her way up the sidewalk to the door. A savage snarling followed by a heavy and pain filled moaning began to fill the air the closer and closer she came to the door.
The doorknob felt slick in her sweaty hand. Turning the knob slowly, she peeked around the edge and felt her blood run cold. Her dad lay in a growing pool of blood. His face was torn and lacerated in several places, one of his eyes was missing. His neck neck was missing a large chunk out of it.
"Daddy?" she whispered, her heart began to pound again. The old love she used to feel for him came back to her, seeing him like this was too much. Pushing the door all the way open, she stepped inside and froze at the sound of growling.
Glancing to the side, all she could see were a pair of glowing green eyes in the darkness of the kitchen. Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes as the eyes began to come closer and closer.
"Zowie?" she asked. The rottweiler stepped out of the shadows, his head and chest were smeared with blood. She took a step back, not towards the door but towards the living room. The dog kept growling low and savage as he came forward. "Zowie, it's me, Dusk. You remember me, right?"
She jumped as he barked at her, the sudden loud noise filled the room. To her shock, her dad began to moan again. Weakly, he reached up and tried to protect his face.
"Help….. get….. dog," he muttered, blood beginning to fill his mouth.
"Traxax help!" she cried. Immediately the temperature in the room dropped. Dusk could feel something move behind her but; couldn't make her body move.
"You called, my mistress?" a soft, hissing voice whispered in her ear.
"Help me, stop Zowie," she said. The rottweiler had stopped moving towards her, but; hadn't stopped his deep, booming growl.
"Stop? Why should I stop him? You are in no danger from your familiar," Traxax said, his hot, putrid breath falling onto her neck. "I fear for you though, your heart is too soft to be a witch, my mistress. Allow me to assist you."
Dusk gasped as a cold feeling began to fill her body. She struggled to breathe as the chill grew colder and colder within her. Soon, it began to subside, and along with it went her fears and apprehensions.
"Begone Traxax," she said. Within seconds the demon vanished. Zowie's growling finally stopped, and he padded over to her, his tail wagging. "Good boy."
Stepping around the dog, she moved past where her dad lay moaning in pain and made her way to the bathroom. Turning on the light she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Placing a hand over the left side of her face, she held it for several seconds before removing it to see the bruise gone and her eye healed.
Smiling to herself, she went back into the living room and sat down on the couch. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag. She looked down at her dad, still conscious despite the blood loss.
"You're not my dad," she said, blowing smoke out her nose. "My dad would never dream of hitting me for any reason."
He managed to feebly turn his head to look at her with his remaining eye.
"My dad died the day he broke his back, but; don't worry if you think I'm going to leave you to suffer like this your wrong," she said. "Zowie."
Her dad began to scream as the rottweiler bounded across the floor and seized him by the throat. Dusk watched as he tried to fight against the dog tearing into him to no effect. She smiled as with one savage wrench of his head, Zowie ripped his throat out.
He padded back over and began to lick her hand.
"Good boy," she said.
END CHAPTER 1