Act XIV

A/N: Let me start this off by apologizing profusely for failing to post for so long. I've been a full time cosmetology student for the past few months and have had no time whatsoever to relax or do anything that I enjoy, let alone write for you darling readers. On top of that, I'm applying for a job, so I should be even more busy. However, I'm a terrible person for knowing that I can always make time for what I love, and yet never doing so. Give your thanks to SebasuchansKtten, because once again they've kicked my ass into gear. Without this lovely author, I would probably still be twiddling my thumbs. Here is a promise; no matter how busy I get, I will do my damnedest to post at least every two weeks. That way, while this story is still on a prolonged hiatus, it will be broken up and give you something to look forward to. I am not abandoning this story, and I never will. I will see it through to the bloody end, and I will not half-ass nor will I rush it. It is going to play out exactly as I wanted it to from the start, with more than 20 chapters of relevant content. There will be plot, character development, smut, fluff, angst, and everything you could ever want from a story. Okay, enough of my psychobabble; please enjoy the second installment of flashbacks.

Warnings: Nuns, religion, swearing, death, mentions of non-consensual sex. Triggers: mentions of rape, abuse.

Sebastian had only lived in the Orphanage for a few months. It was the same every day; the nuns would look down upon him with disdain on their wizened faces, eyes dark with contempt. Their hushed tones did nothing to hide the harsh words they spoke of him.

"A devil child, he is," one would murmur, her eyes watching him pass her by.

Others would voice their agreement, one stating, "He must be; his father was a drug addict who overdosed, and his mother jumped in front of a train."

It always hurt, to hear them speak so horribly of his mother, as if she were a disgusting creature, on the level of his sperm donor, for seeking the only way out of the abusive environment that she could. Sebastian knew that his mother felt it was her only escape, that he would find her wherever else she had gone.

"Such a sad thing to condemn themselves to hell, wouldn't you agree, sisters?" One of them would sigh, though she sounded nowhere near saddened. Hums of agreement rose up, and Sebastian would quickly walk away before he had an outburst.

His mother had been the only beautiful thing in his life; she was a ray of sunshine, brightening up his day, and now she was gone. If there was a heaven, he knew that she would be there, and his "father" would be burning in the eternal flames of hell, never able to reach her or hurt her ever again. He took comfort in that fact.

As the nuns continued to treat him as though he were a demon, he began to act out. Every Sunday, he was forced to sit with the other orphans through Mass, as the Father lead them through prayer and hymns. Sebastian would never pray, never bow his head to a God he didn't believe existed. He never dared to sing along, always staring forward defiantly. The nuns would whack him with rulers, sit him down for hours at a time, and make him listen to verses ad nauseam. Anytime he would sigh, or begin to slouch, he would be lashed thoroughly.

"What a blasphemous child you are," one of the particularly vocal nuns would hiss. Sister Sophia-Anna, the eldest, and perhaps nastiest, nun of the lot, would constantly torment him with horrid words about his mother. "She turned away from God. A wicked woman she was, abandoning her child and throwing away God's love."

Sebastian would grit his teeth, holding his tongue and clenching his fists tightly. He knew if he were to talk back, he would be forced to say too many Hail Mary's to count, and would be beaten to within an inch of his life with the blasted ruler.

For 4 years, he held in his anger, but he was being worn thin with the daily taunts from the vicious nun. The day Sister Sophia-Anne caught Sebastian napping in a pew whilst the Sunday service was going on was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. Roughly rousing him and yanking him out of the worship room, she led him to her office, anger radiating off of her.

"You filthy heaven, defiling the house of God!" she spat at him, her wrinkly old hands reaching for her ruler. "You're a demon, damned to hell just as your parents before you. The spawn of a drug addict and a suicidal prostitute, it amazes me that God has not struck you down where you stand. Coming from such sin, you must be the Devil's child." As she yelled her anger at him, she whipped out her ruler, smacking him clear across the face.

Whether it was the careless way she struck him, or her blatantly calling his mother a whore, he could never be sure. Sebastian did snap though, anger filling him. "Fuck you!" he screamed, snatching her ruler from her claws and smacking her arm with it. "You're a rotten cunt! How dare you speak of my mother that way, as if you're better than her!" He swung out again, striking her wildly in the leg. "My mother was a saint; she was beautiful and loving. She never raised a hand to anybody. And you sit here, abusing children, and call yourself a Godly woman? You're nothing but a crotchety old bitch!" With that, he snapped the ruler over his knee and flung it uselessly to the ground. Breathing heavily, he stared at the shocked Sophia-Anne, her weathered face pale, and her eyes wide and doe-like. His anger began to dissipate, and his limbs went numb with the realisation of what he had just done.

With a surprising calm, the nun turned away from him, walking over to her desk and picking up the phone. After dialing a number, she held the phone to her ear and waited patiently. When it stopped ringing and a cheery hello came in from the receiver, she stared directly into Sebastian's eyes as she spoke. "Hello, Sister Opal, it's Sister Sophia-Anne. We have had an incident with Sebastian," she practically sneered his name. "It is absolutely important that as soon as Mass is over, that you alert the Father that he is needed in my office. It seems that I must call in a higher power, as my punishments are no longer enough to tame this devil of a child."

"Oh, dear. I always knew that child was a bad seed," Sister Opal's tinny voice raised an octave and could be heard even by Sebastian through the receiver.

"We need the hand of God, I'm afraid, to smite the evil that is in this child."

What felt like hours later to the Nun came too soon for Sebastian. Dread coiled in his stomach like a snake, making him feel nauseous. An authoritative knock sounded from the door, and Sophia-Anne rushed forward, opening it and welcoming him in. "Father," she murmured, her voice as soft as a sigh.

"Sister Sophia-Anne," the Father said, his voice grave. "Please explain what has happened."

Stepping aside, the sister, pointed at Sebastian, her face saddened. "I'm afraid it is this child, Father. Ever since he has come here, the Sisters and I have felt a dark presence in him. His parents must have turned their backs on God and become Devil-worshippers. There is a great evil in the child, an evil that he has made known on this very day." she took a trembling breath, barely glancing at Sebastian as she continued. "As you know, he has always been quite the troublemaker, in the 4 years that he has been here. We Sisters have tried to guide him to the path of light, rigorously teaching him the word of God. It seems that despite our best efforts..." Trailing off, the sister sobbed. "Father, today he called me unspeakable names and beat me with the ruler until it broke."

At this, the Father looked deeply perturbed. He rested a gentle hand on Sophia-Anne's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Sister Sophia-Anna, I will take this devil child under my guidance, and through me God will show him the light. For his unforgivable act against you, I will punish him thoroughly, and you need not worry any longer."

The nun gave him thanks, crossing herself and bowing her head in respect. The Father led Sebastian out, his large hand resting on his back as he took him to his private quarters. Finally, finally, he had this child in his grasp. 4 years had been much too long for the Father.

It started out innocently enough. The Father would whip Sebastian as the young male recited Our Father's and Hail Mary's until his voice went raw. "Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen." In the beginning, he didn't remember all the words, but as it would ignite more lashings from the Father, he quickly memorised it and would recite it without hesitation or faltering from the pain.

This would take place daily, several times a day, though he would mostly recite Hail Mary's. "You must repent, child of sin. Ask God for forgiveness. Again," he demanded, and Sebastian would.

"Hail Mary, full of Grace," he began, his voice rough from the constant speech. "The Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus." When the whip ripped across his back, he stifled a cry of pain and finished the prayer. "Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

It did not remain innocent for long. The Father began demanding things that Sebastian didn't quite understand.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned," he would murmur at the beginning of every session, on his knees with bowed head in front of the Father.

It was then, at nine years of age, that Sebastian learned what it was like to have a dick in his mouth. It would gag him, abuse his throat, leave him gasping for air and sickened to his core. He wanted so badly to vomit when the Father abused his mouth, though he never would, knowing that he would be whipped. Every time the Father came, Sebastian had to swallow, and then recite the Act of Contrition.

"My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart," he would gasp out, drool leaking from his mouth and voice raw. "In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have Mercy." He would bow his head, disgust in himself and the Father filling him.

The Father would pray the prayer of absolution, and Sebastian knew that he got off on this power play. He knew deep inside that there was no God, that the man before him was not holy, but a hideous pervert hiding his sick desires behind the mask of a Godly man. He was the worst of them all, including Sophia-Anne.

As years passed, the Father became greedy for Sebastian's body. He had long moved on from using his mouth for pleasure, and had stolen the young boy's innocence as if it belonged to him. Sebastian felt dead inside, the light in his eyes no longer there. He was numb, taking the abuse every day and night. He had no hope; it had dried up long ago, leaving an empty hole where his heart should have been. This must have been how his mother had felt, when his father had kicked her repeatedly in the stomach, insuring that she had a miscarriage. He had stolen her light, just as the Father had stolen his. Would he succumb to the comfort of death, as she had? At 14, did he have the will to live on when all he wanted was to curl up and die? Could he once again bring an evil man's life to an end, without feeling remorse?

If anyone deserved to die, it was his abuser. Sebastian couldn't feel anything anymore. It was as if his nerves had withered up and died, leaving him with the absence of physical pain. It must have been a defense mechanism, though he couldn't remember when it began. It must have been after the Father began fully having his way with him.

Sebastian was at the breaking point. He could no longer take the abuse; his brain felt like it was going to snap in half. By day, he was cleaning, nonstop, with barely a break to eat nothing but bread; by night, he was taking to the Father's bed, so that the wretched man could have his sick pleasures. The youth felt as though he were withering away to nothing. Everything he did, was mechanically so. He was living in a constant state of detachment, just as his mother had done. It was the spider he had spotted as he was absentmindedly dusting a window that finally snapped him out of his stupor.

It was beautiful, the black widow, with her bulbous rear and her sleek, shiny exoskeleton. Her red marking was breath-taking, and he found himself mesmerised by her. Sebastian knew how he would get his freedom. Capturing the deadly beauty in a jar, he took care to hide her away, his skin crawling with excitement for tonight, the first time he had felt anything in a long time. When night fell, he packed the few things he had before heading to the Father's room.

Knocking three times, he barely waited for permission to enter before he pushed the door open. "Father," he purred, the black widow tucked safely away behind his back.

"One moment, Sebastian," the Father's voice came from in his private bathing chamber.

Perfect, Sebastian thought. He quickly walked over to the Father's luxurious bed, which had been his prison for so long. He twisted the cap off of the jar, letting the deadly spider crawl out of the container and into the bedsheets. "I'm sorry, sweet girl," he crooned softly. "I've riled you up, but soon you can release your anger on someone who deserves it."

Straightening up, he crossed his arms and waited in anticipation for the Father to come into the bedchambers. When the man finally graced him with his presence, Sebastian quirked a brow, a smirk making his lips twitch to life.

"Forgive me Father, for I am going to sin," he purred, slowly gliding toward the foul man, as though he were stalking his prey.

"What do you mean, boy?" the Father asked, confusion clear on his face.

"I mean, I am leaving this place. But before I do that..." Striking quickly, Sebastian hit a nerve that made the Father collapse, knocking him out cold. Dragging him over to the bed, he flopped him onto the mussed up sheets, disturbing the black widow.

The beauteous spider scurried out from her hiding place, anger in her jerky movements as she climbed her way onto the man. As soon as she hit flesh, her fangs sunk into him, injecting him with her venom. Still disgruntled from being disturbed earlier, she was far from done. In her anger, she bit him several more times, injecting more of her venom into him blood stream. Sebastian was beyond happy, knowing that soon the venom would work it's magic and the Father would be dead.

"You're going to hell," he stated matter-of-factly, a giddiness in his voice. "It's too bad I can't stay and watch you die." With a shrug and a sigh, Sebastian left the room for the final time. He grabbed his bags from his room and walked leisurely to the front entrance. He ran into Sister Sophia-Anne, who looked older and more severe than she ever had. Their eyes met, and Sebastian gave her a devilish smirk. "You can thank your God, Sophia-Anne. This loathsome demon is finally leaving this place. But let me give you a fair warning..." he paused, watching her skin lose it's color as her frown deepen. "Every time you raise your hand against a child in anger, as you are prone to do, karma will come back to you threefold. Each time you strike a child with your beloved ruler in the name of God, you are further etching your name into the list of those going to hell. May you forever burn in the eternal hellfire you so fear." With that, he got close to her, his voice grating her skin like nails. "May God have mercy on your soul..."

Sebastian then walked out of the front doors, never looking back at the nun he left frozen in fear. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of him, and though he knew not where he was going or what was going to happen to him, he was happy to finally be out of that hellish Orphanage. He would never return.

E/N: I'm so sorry for inflicting this on you. It's my first update in a long time, and I have to fill you with angst and wreck your sweet little hearts. I'm terribly sorry. The next chapter is also a flashback chapter, although it is the last one, and significantly less horrible than this one. Things will be looking up for Sebastian, so at least you have that to look forward to. Oh, and it is also going up with this one, so, double post~

For anyone that may be offended by the way I have portrayed Catholicism, and religion as a whole, I'm sorry. This was not included to mock religion, though I myself am not religious. I do not mock others beliefs, I accept them and am happy that a person believes in something that brings the joy. I had an aunt who was a nun, and she was a cold, mean woman. She was not the only nun I knew to be like this. That is not to say that all nuns are that way, but it is what I am portraying in this fictional work. Likewise, with the Father. I know that not all holy men are pedophiles, but this corruption has been noticed amongst a few of them. This is a fictional portrayal used to show why a character has developed the way he has, and it is not a shot at religion or holy persons of such. I apologize if you have been offended by this chapter, but I will not change nor take it down.

Kisses and many apologies, Ritsy