15 years later ..

.. She was the most charitable creature on Earth.

She looked like this at his eyes, at least. Her figure was as immaculate under the touch of Time, still so thin, so fragile, so precious innocence.

Her body. That body, which grew up under his glance every day a little more, the Pain that suffocated her soul, so cruel, came out, and made all those tortures real, so damn real. She did always hide herself in clothes bigger than her real size, dark colours trying to delete every sign of femininity, to repress every possible instinct in everyone, everywhere, no matter what or how. She wanted not to be watched, not to be seen even.

But she was beautiful. Her smile did often reflect into Walter' s eyes, everytime he met her in the Wish House, or in those rare times she walked through the Subway Station, stopping next to him. And only in his eyes. She didn' t like going away from his home, from the same Orphanage in which she spent her first 19 years of life. Catherine feared everyone and everything.

Her long, black curls, which caressed her back to the ribs, were made such of pure silk of darkness to his eyes. The scent of her amber skin was delicate, fresh and so damn intoxicating. She was born only to enchant man kind. Enchanting men with her beauty, her innocence, her fragility, her face, so clea, as the singing of a Goddess.

But her Mistress, Emily Lawson, the one who took care of her since she arrived to Wish House, and guided her to the Truth of the Second Revelation, was dead from two years. Her brother begun a new life, in the Order, as owner of a little shop. Her sister grew up quickly, maybe too much for her to control, too much for someone who still could get any control on her own same life.

Her brother couldn' t take any control on it even. And when Emily was gone, Jimmy Stone took what he wanted without asking, as always. The violence created new violence, fear became terror, pure evil. The past returned to destroy her life, for ever. Nobody could have been saved her from the same Sons of the Mother: that Mother who had been choosing her, since her birth, from which descend and resurrect, through the completing of Revelations. The First would open the ritual: the twin Gods united for ever, the eyes of the Mother alive and vigilant on the hand of Valtiel. This was Her plot, this what it would be happened.

Not far from then.

Jimmy Stone closed the door of the big room, in the first floor of the Orphanage, silently, as much he could. A tall man of normal weight, with muscles on his arms and a grizzled head, and big, neglected hands; on the contrary, his clothes were quite elegant and fine, his hair cured. His face had high cheekbones, his lips were thin and rose, his eyebrows black and bushy. And his eyes .. his eyes looked like the haunt of evil. A blink of insane perversion always shined in them.

There were a lot of books and two o three big desks, and an altar, in the end of the room, just in front of the door.

Catherine was on her knees, there, praying. Her eyes closed to the ground, her hands held in front of her chest, covered by a big, large and black shirt. Nothing would matter, only Her Mother, and Her Promise. The Red Devil walked toward her in perfect silence, quite feline, as he didn' t want to make any noise, to let her know about his presence. But when he reached her, he bended his head slowly to her, and put his lips next to her ear. " I found you. "

The woman opened her eyes quickly, recognizing the voice. That voice, the voice of the Devil. The Red Devil. She stayed there, without a move, for some seconds, just beginning to tremble.

Her eyes, deep and dark, shined as tears begun to come up. Jimmy smiled, and put his hands, big and strong, on her little shoulders. " I remember I told you that I would like to receive something more, something better from you. As an affectionate reception.. "

She nodded weakly, observing him, his blue eyes. He wiped her tears away with her handkerchief, and gave it to her. " You promised me. She promised you. " he whispered, giving her a weak smile. Catherine took a deep breath, nodding again. " I.. I won' t let him do that to me never again. " she answered, looking at the ground. She was making another promise she couldn' t keep, and this made her feel even worse. " You' re not alone, Kate. You still got me. " Walter said her, while he put his hands on her shoulders,delicate. The woman smiled to him, for the first time after a long time, and hug his body. " This is the best thing I could ever know, really. "

She stayed there, still motionless, just looking at the bronze altar she was in front of. She didn' t say a word, silence was all she gave him for answer. But he won' t have renounced, never. His hands slipped down from her shoulders, to her hands, that he kept, lifting her up. Catherine bended her head, as she was trying to escape from his glance, so dark and pervert. But his left hand took her chin, so he found finally her eyes. Scared, shining of tears.

" Nothing' s changed, I see. You should not be scared of me.. You know that I love you before everything else. You' re mine. " he told her, smiling brilliant. His hand travelled to her cheek, that he caressed slowly, unusually lovely, to her neck. The woman looked at him, moving her head back, as to avoid his hand. " I thought it was your business that you and your dear George loved, over everything. You too. " she answered, giving him nothing but only her Hate, and her Rage. He looked at her, lifting a bit his brown eyebrows. Then he laughed, he laughed insane, for long time, while his hand left her neck. " That' s different. Business are business, and you .. " he said, while he put again his hands on her, holding her hips. He smiled again, his eyes were cruel, the voice a eager whisper, and his hands slipped, holding her body strong to himself " .. you are one of them. The most pleasant. "

Catherine was stoned, blinded by the fear, and she didn' t react to him, until he pushed his lips upon her neck. " Leave me! " she screamed, trying to pull him away, but he held her wrists, so strong to hurt her. A shiver ran through her spine.

Walter has been terrified, for some minutes. The eyes of Catherine were down, to the ground, her arms was speaking him for her. Open sores, bruises on her wrists, on her neck, on her chest. She unzipped some buttons of her shirt, down from the neck, and let him see the sores on her collarbones, and all over the high part of her own sternum. She closed her shirt quickly, but what he did see, was enough yet. She left him behind, and avoid him to see every other sore on her body: the stomach, her legs, her back. Walter moved only one step, stopping when her back was in front of his own chest. " This is the last time you have to show me this wicked scene. " he said her, his hand touched her shoulder softly, as he feared hurting her more than she had been yet. Catherine smiled, and moved a bit her brunet head, as to say otherwise. " He has already ruined me, he won' t do the same with you. "

Jimmy laughed nervous, stopping in a few minutes. His face was now serious again, serious and scornful. " You bored me. " he said her, starting to flex her wrists, slowly but inexorable, as she fell to the ground, under his pressure. " You' re hurting me.. stop it! " she exclaimed, when her knees touched the floor, and tears ran down her cheeks. He looked at her with a blink of malignity in his eyes, and bended with his big, powerful body on her, until she lied down on the floor. Then he left her arms, she quickly touched her wrists, miraculously not broken but quite weak. She couldn' t fight him now, but when she looked for his figure, crying in silence, she found him over her own body, and felt his breath grow rapid and shorter. She closed her eyes, but she couldn' t stop tears, that slipped down unceasing.

" You' re mine, Catherine. " he whispered, while his right hand caressed her cheek, and the other held her hip. " Honestly I can' t understand why do you oppose me so obstinate. If you only want .. " he continued, caressing her cheek with his fingers, while the other hand travelled, to her breasts. She opened her eyes wide him dead scared, only breathing weakly.

" .. I could make you happy, you know that. But maybe I have to show you once more. " he ended, laughing again, pervert insane.

She stopped her steps, once in front of the little bronze altar, into the big room in the Wish House. She turned to observe Walter, just a bit distant, opening her rose lips, clean: but she kept silence. She held her own hands, and took a deep breath. " What' s wrong? " asked Walter, observing her in front of the altar. She smiled just a little. " Nothing, Walter. I .. I just want to thank you, it' s alright now. I need to pray the Mother .. she will give me her Strength. " she ended, bending her head, as the most elegant of the curtsey. Only then her smile vanished, and she kneeled to the altar. Walter nodded, observing her praying for a while, and a smile lied on his lips, unconscious.

His lips kissed her neck, his hands travelled down to her body, unzipping her shirt quickly. Catherine tried to pull him away, although her wrists hurt. She tried to rebel, but he looked at her, lifting his head a little from her chest. " Stop it, idiot! " he screamed, while his right fist hit her stomach with nice strenght. She screamed loudly, but Jimmy stopped her with his own lips, that kissed her again. Violent, with no respect. His mouth slipped again away from her face, to her neck, to her chest, while his hands held her legs, possessive and eager. Catherine tried to rebel again, but he took her wrists again, so strong to light the past pain again. She had nothing to do, but only mourn, and her mourning voice sounded like the most beautiful sound on Earth. " I hate you, Jim. I want you to be buried in Hell! " she cried, but the man laughed, looking at her while he was up to her breasts. " I'm in Hell yet. " he growled, while his left hand held her hip violent, nails in her body. She let out a frightened shriek, tears ran down her cheeks again.

Walter was looking at the books in the room, when the Red Devil came. He quickly hide behind a column, listening to the violent conversation between him and Catherine. Her screams and mourning sounded like a thousand knives in his chest, his heart going to explode. Tears wet his blue eyes, hearing her Pain, her Despair, so pure and cruel. But he couldn' t let Jim do that again. He promised to Catherine, she won' t have to suffer or be humiliated once again. She didn' t deserve that: the only thing she deserved, was Serenity and Protection.

" You' re mine, Catherine. Mine, mine.. " he whispered again, moving his body on her heavy, while his hands continued to scratch her skin, on her back, under the shirt, and touched her breasts. She just cried, continuing to scorn him, her hands beating on his back as strong she could, but it was all vain. His body was quite double than her.

But, in a second, a voice thundered in the room, sounding to Catherine as sent from the Sky. "Leave her NOW! " it screamed. Walter stand behind the two, looking at Stone full of Hate.

The man was shake from the voice, and he quickly lift her head, before lifting completely. The woman slipped away from him on knees, as rapid she could, looking at Walter. She closed her shirt with her hands trembling, and then held herself in her arms, huddled on the floor.

" What do you want, kind of idiot? " Jimmy asked him, following the woman moves with his eye tail. Walter held his left hand in a fist, looking at Catherine still crying on the floor. She was looking at him, with a new shine in the black of her eyes: the evanescent Hope of a Saviour. " Walter .. " she whispered, moving her trembling head just a little, as out of control by terror. But he would not stop. " I want you to stop all of this once for ever. " he said to Stone, still looking at the woman. " She doesn' t deserve this, you have to go away! " he exclaimed ending, looking at him again, in his big black coat, and his face, so cruel. Stone laughed again, indicating the woman, not too far. " SHE is MINE, kid. You can' t give me any order, not especially about what' s my property. Keep this in mind, or otherwise .. " he left his words unspoken, looking only then to Catherine again, then returning to him. The woman trembled a little more, observing him. But Walter moved one step toward him, holding also the other hand in a fist, as to repress Anger. " Go away. NOW. " he answered, looking in his eyes with a blink of pure Rage, united to Hate.

Then his glance searched the little figure of the woman, which he extended his left hand toward, nodding. The Red Devil held his arms in front of his chest, lifting one eyebrow. Then he looked at the woman. " If you only move one single step, you and your stupid friend will pay .. with blood. " he whispered calm to her, laughing to Walter. Catherine looked at him, opening wide her eyes, and trembled a little more. She held her aching stomach, taking a deep breath, but the man still extended his hand to her, but looking at Stone. " I' m not afraid of you. " he answered, simply in anger. Jimmy laughed louder, caressing his own hands. " Well, so you can come here, and let me see what my work served to, in all these years. Come on, creep. " he laughed. Only then, Catherine lifted quickly from the floor, moving in knees toward Walter. She held his hand, from the floor, hiding behind him and his legs, such a scared, little animal. " Don' t, Walter .. please. " she whispered, holding his hand still trembling. He looked at her, her eyes so small and scared, before looking at Stone again. " I don' t need to show you anything. Everything I know, I do thanks to the Father. Only He will guide me to awake the Mother, not another sick human as you. " he declared, while Catherine held his legs with the right arm, scared. The face of Stone begun serious and deep, then he opened the door, going outside the room. " I' ll remember what I heard and seen here, I won' t forget any detail. "

The door closed with a heavy sound, and the woman held Walter' s legs stronger, his hand too, closing her eyes. The man quickly kneeled on the floor, and put his hands on her shoulders. " It' s all ended now, Kate. He' s gone. " he tried to reassure her, looking for her glance, that he found some seconds later. She looked at him, still crying and trembling as an autumn leaf, and quickly moved her head, arrhythmic as her breaths, and her heart. " You should not have come here, not have tell him like that! " she cried, bending her head down, but the man took gently his chin, looking in her eyes again. " He doesn't scary me. I did never leave this room, and you won' t suffer. Never again, it' s a promise. " he said her, smiling as more reassuring he could. She shake his head, black curls caressed his hands and her cheeks, still crying, but his fingers wiped her tears away. " You' ll be right, I promise Kate. " he continued, caressing her cheeks delicate. She kept silence for some instants, before hug him, crying. Walter held her little and trembling body strong to him, lingering his face on her shoulder, in her hair, and he took a deep breath of her scent, sweet and clean. " Are you alright? " he asked, holding her face in his hands gently, turning to watch in her eyes. She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. " Yes, I am alright now. " Her right hand caressed his cheek, and she smiled to him, or she tried at least. " It would be better to go, now. He could come back .. " she whispered, beginning to agitate again, but he held her shoulders, moving his blonde head slowly. " He won' t. You need to cover, Kate, you' re cold and trembling. " he looked at her with a mote of worry, and his hands let her body, travelling to the buttons of his long, blue coat. Catherine moved her head, as to say no, but he took away his coat from his body before she could say anything, and then covered her.

" You will be better. " he whispered, when his left hand left the buttons of the coat on the woman, and caressed her curls slowly, for the first time, timid. His hand begin to tremble, as his eyes that, after have been looking for her, dark and finally free from Fear, fell to the floor, shy. Too much for her. Catherine looked at him and smiled a little, searching his blue glance again. Her fingers touched his cheek, when she hazarded some words. " Is there something wrong? " he returned to watch her, as her smile gave him the necessary strength. " Forgive me Kate, but .. I can' t resist any longer. I just want to hold you in my arms .. " he revealed, and rapid, his cheeks began quite red. He hugged her, continuing to caressing her hair, and the woman smiled again, hugging him without saying anything. For long minutes, held one to the other, the man caressing her small, hurt back, and her soft black curls, the woman hugging his body, big and secure more than her.

" It would be better to get out of here now, Walter. " whispered Catherine, moving slowly her face from his shoulder, to watch him. He nodded, weakly, his face was completely red. He helped her lifting up, with his arms. " Can you move? " he asked, holding her hands. She whispered, giving him a trembling smile. " Yes .. I think. " she tried to leave his hands after a few instants, for walking ahead, to the door. But it needed just two steps, to see her come dangerously behind, to Walter, as she was losing her strength rapid. The man quickly took her in his arms, hug to his body, looking for her eyes. She put her head on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. " I .. I can walk by myself. "

" You can' t, Kate. Come with me. " he answered simply, holding her, moving his steps toward the door.

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I' ll be back soon, with the next chapter. I hope you' ll like it ..