Woo! Chapter 2! My first chapter didn't make much of a ripple, so I'm coming back full steam ahead with my rockin' second chapter.

If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Foreshadowing; Grigori certainly seems strange, doesn't he?

Sarah was outside again. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked this town or not. Suddenly, up ahead, there was a loud clanging of bells. A surge of people dressed in fine clothes marched up the road. Sarah felt like slapping herself. It was Sunday; everyone in the town went to the church on Sunday. She hurried to join the throng.

She entered the church. The air was warm and musty, and smelled of paint, sawdust and wood. The pews were simple; the windows cheap. The carved

Jesus on the carved cross looked over all. She felt as though the wooden figurine was staring at her. She swallowed and sat in a nearly-full pew, feeling like a small juvinile bird in her worn and faded cotton dress next to the silken peacock beside her, chatting animatedly to her neighbour. Sarah looked around the church and, a few pews behind and on the other side of the aisle, she spotted Grigori. She waved, glad to at least know one person's name. He nodded in return.

The chatter in the church seized as the priest stood behind the lectern. He began to read from the Bible, and Sarah allowed her mind to drift. She looked back over the people in the church, all raptly gazing at the priest. 'We must trust in God...' the priest was saying. Sarah was doing her best not to listen, but the preist had a loud, deep voice that, even though it was heard, still needed to echo in the small space. 'For it was He who protected us when...' 'The dead rose from the tombs...' 'The demonic Hessian, on his head-chopping rampage...' Sarah could no longer tune it out, she snapped to attention, and noticed from the corner of her eye that Grigori had lowered his head as though in prayer. 'The Darkness that was the Hessian, sent by the Devil to take those who did not follow the word of God to Hell. The Devil had possessed the body and mind of a woman, the Lady Van Tassel, who was weak in the word of God, and he was finally returned to rest when his head was returned to him.'

Sarah had sat through the hour and a half of church service. When it was finally over, she prepared to leave for home. She briefly saw Grigori dip a silver cup into the font of Holy Water before the tide of people pushed her away. She was halfway down the street when she saw the people were clustered along the sides of the road, not spread all over it as they usually were. She looked for the cause.

A long procession of people, led by Grigori, were walking down the street. There was some twenty people behind him, all holding long sticks with a cross on top. He held the silver chalice in one hand and, in the other, perched a dove. The dove sat serenely and cooed at the watching people. 'What is this?' Sarah asked the woman beside her. 'It's the cleansing. Grigori Konstantin, that's the man in front, he's some Spirit-talker. The mayor employed him to bring spiritual solace to the people. The folks behind him are his followers. A cult of the dirty-' She broke off, for Grigori passed by her, and the dove turned its head to gaze back at Sarah and her companion, its coos almost seeming accusing.

(those things that indicate a change of place and time)

Sarah was at home. The Sunday had passed-it was now a bright and sunny Monday. From the date on the sheet of paper Grigori had left her, the ritual to cleanse her house was to take place today. She sipped her tea. At around quarter past twelve, there was a knock. Sarah opened it to reveal a tall, strong looking woman with heavy eyelids and pronounced cheekbones. 'I am the one who will preform your ritual.' The woman said. Her voice lilted, as though she was a singer. 'Master Konstantin sent me.' She finished. She carried with her a bag, embroidered with a silver sickle, and a piece of paper, which she handed to Sarah. 'This is what the ritual will entail. Master Konstantin wrote the procedure himself. It is best for the energy of the ritual that you are not here when it is preformed, and so Master Konstantin has arranged a wagon to take you away and back here after the ritual is completed. It's just outside.' Sarah bit her lip as she went outside to the wagon. The driver was tall, broadshouldered and handsome. He helped her into the wagon and then drove off, taking her away.

Second chapter! completed! Rate and review for more! Thank you for reading, and if you sneezed while reading, bless you.