"The parchment of Szaell. Flayed From the skin of a drowned virgin." said John as he raised what seemed like a brown piece of paper. He ten raised a jagged iron blade, "The knife of Szaell. From new steal forged on the day of Jupiter."
Each held one of the objects, John then pricked his hand with the blade and bled into a grail, then dipping a feather into his own blood, started drawing magical symbols on the parchment in Judith's hands, all the time they were chanting in unison, "Helon..Taul..Varf..Heon..Homnorium..Agla..Casoly..d'Ermusan."
"By this talisman and this naming character, Inscribed in blood with the pen of Szaell, I wake the Sagatana." said John alone as his voice rose with commanding authority, his doubts and insecurities had evaporated and utter confidence filled him.
"Atalsylum..Asopheil..Iunosteon..Baniel..Ihalva..Omor..Frangram..Oragin..Vencie..SAGATANA. I conjure thee, appear in human form, Fair and agreeable, without noise or inconvenience, In order to obey my will."
The three waited for moments, but nothing happened. Judith chuckled nervously, "That was a good one, bad punch line though."
"I think we might have to torch the place." said Aaron.
"Shut up you two," said John, frustrated at his failure, "It's not over yet, The Demon's playing hard to get."
"Sagatana," John started once more, "Once more, by the power of Szaell here wrought around you, by the name of your lord Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil. Attend me now, or burn forever in the fires of the suns."
Once again, John is faced with failure, he lights a cigarette, cursing at Ben, "That little punk got me to pay three-hundred bucks for a useless phonebook."
"Should I go fetch Sean?" asked Aaron.
"Looks like it."
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Anne sat inside the protective circle cradling the sleeping Astra in her arms, thinking about nothing in particular, when suddenly she heard a whisper, "Anne-Marie." it said.
She turned around and saw a purple cloud in the room, at the centre of which stood John, naked, speaking to her in a whisper, "Anne-Marie, Are you sleeping? Do you want me to slip into your dreams, Annie? Do you want me?"
Powerlss, she crawls out of the circle and walks toward John, who spoke to her, "Come to me, Anne, I WANT you."
"Yes." she passively said.
"Kiss me, Anne-Marie. Hold me tight in your arms, Annie, Embrace me."
"Whatever you say, John."
She put her lips to his and they locked in a passionate kiss, she buried her fingertips into his naked back and enjoyed the euphoria of it all, but bliss only lasts so much before she feels her fingers burning as Acid seeps from his flesh.
Out of no where, Acid explodes from John's body, he glows like a star as the burning liquid smears her and causes her to twist in excruciating pain.
"Woman," said the Ghost of John with a demonic smile on his face, "You are spoiled, Run Now."
Anne-Marie went mad with pain and ran blindly crashing into a window, while the mysterious Ghost made his order, "Run, get thee to a nunnery."
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John wasn't willing to just give up, so he tried for a third time.
"SAGATANA. By the power of the blasting WAND, for the Final time of asking, attend upon me; Your MASTER."
"John, Aaron, look." said Judith as she pointed to the stairs. Astra was descending down them without a care in the world.
"Astra! What're you doing in here? Get out.. Quickly"
"But you called me"
"Not, I wasn't calling you. Go back, it's not safe."
A smile of mischief filled Astra's features as she tokk a deep breath, they realized what she's doing in terror but were too afraid to stop her.
"NOOORRFULTHINGGGGG!" Astra screamed, they heard the sound of something creeping quickly, and they soon saw Norfultihng standing on his hind legs before the little girl.
"Here, boy." said Astra, her tone a blend of a child's simplicity and something very devious, "C'Mon."
Norfulthing seemed ready to bite off Astra's head. "Come to mommy." said Astra and then with unimaginable brute strength grabbed the demon's jaw and ripped its head in two, killing it on the spot.
"It worked," whispered John, "Sagatana came, it's in the girl."
John felt the need to continue with his plan, "Sagatana, Duke of despair, I command you, under heaven's fire, leave the girl unharmed and submit to my instruction."
"Submit to you?" scoffed Astra, "As you wish, Constantine."
Astra then keeled over and started to vomit, but the fowl substance wasn't really vomit, because vomit doesn't heave around and rise to form a harrowing figure of a demon with eyes covering all of its body.
This proved to be too much for Judith who ran out the door, Aaron and John froze in place looking at the demon.
"Run, Aaron. It's all up to me now."
Aaron didn't need too much convincing as he was quick to follow his girlfriend.
"You have no power over me, Constantine. The character you inscribed on the parchment is mine, but the name isn't Sagatana"
"So why did you come"
"For shits and giggles. It's with the witless of your sort that Hell beasts enjoy sport. And now, I am entitled to my fee as I have danced according to your ignorant tune, I'll take the girl with the tattered heart"
"NO!" cried John, "Anything but her"
"There is no negotiation, although if you wish, you can accompany her and witness what hell has in store for her."
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"He's not coming out," said Judith, "Do it, Sean." "Don't you dare! Astra's still there." objected Aaron.
"I'm afraid it's too late. I'm going for it before that thing comes after us."
Sean ignited the gas bomb he'd made and watched as the fuse burned away.
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He wouldn't do it, He knew what hell was like, he'd been there for an eternity once; no one would walk in there in their choice.
He felt a brush of courage filling him and looked at his hand where the Knife still was, the never-say-die attitude grew inside him and then he hurled the knife at the demon.
The blade plunged into one of dozens of eyes that covered him and caused smoke to shoot from the wound, and as the demon tried to remove it, John pulled on Astra's arm and fled the club, running like a bat out of hell, just in time for the bomb to explode blowing the place to rubble. John made his way to his Crew who stood by the van, all had an expression of terror on their faces.
"Damn! They should make me a fuckin' saint!"
"Oh my god!" said Judith, "The Arm"
"Better give that to me John." said Sean as he took Astra's arm from John, who didn't understand what was the deal and why they wanted to separate him from Astra, till he looked at Sean and realized that he held Astra's arm in his hand, and that there was nothing attached to it.
John looked around looking for Astra, and realized she was lost to Hell, it couldn't have been torn off in the explosion, not that neatly and not without hurting John himself; Balthazar called his fee and collected it.
Sean flung Astra's arm into the fire, as the demon's voice emerged from it, saying "Weep now, children. Consider this the beginning of things to come. Know that you've fallen victims to the Baron of Vanity, for I am Balthazar."
Yes, BALTHAZAR! BTW, It's not the last of Astra or the rest of the Greenwich Village crew. And remeber what Einstein said, the more reviews a fan gets, the quicker he updates. Well Einstein didn't say THAT, but It's true.