[Greqoh]

#

Paul and Abigail walked through a small trail that led through the tangled branches and down the rocky hill. It led to a small pond.

They talked for several hours. She recited some of her poetry to him while he listened fascinated by her every word. Her eyes revealed an incredible depth of feeling, the expressed whatever she felt with such innocence that she looked like a child in the body of a young woman.

And though they had known each other a very short time, it was understood that between them was a bond, a connection. They were destined to meet.

In the distance, Abigail saw Aleister. He was with a pregnant snow white Persian cat. "So that's where you go, you devil," she thought to herself.

"So what happened when you wrecked?" Abigail asked as she gently examined some of Paul's wounds.

"I can't explain it. I was just riding by when this woman appeared out of nowhere. She was just standing in the middle of the road right by the turn off that leads here," he told her.

"Really? That's odd. No one ever comes around here. What did she look like?" Abigail asked.

"She was very strange. She had long red hair, like yours. She was dressed up in some kind of white robe. She didn't even try to get away. She just stood there looking at me," Paul said.

Abigail's face grew white. When she was a little girl she used to believe that her mother spoke with her in dreams after she died. After she moved in with her father and grandmother, the dreams stopped. They ridiculed her for thinking her mother could reach out from the dead. It had been years since Abigail even thought of the dreams she used to have. She wondered why?

"Can you wait here? Just for a few minutes, OK?" she asked Paul as she began to run towards the house.

"OK, sure," he said puzzled.

Abigail ran into the house and into her room. She shut the door and began searching for something...anything. She felt something was there.

Something told her to move her bed. She did so, and under it was a black rug positioned over a small spot on the floor.
She pulled it back to reveal a magickal seal, an upside down pentagram encircled by hebrew names of power. It was written in angelic script, and Abigail knew exactly where it had come from and why her mother no longer spoke to her in dreams.

She flew passed out of her room. Samuel was blocking her way. She pushed him to the side as hard as she could.
Before he could get to her, he ran up the stairs and threw open her grandmother's door.

The old woman was sitting with her back to the door rocking.

"Abigail, such a nice young man you brought into our home," she said, her old voice cracking.

"I know what you did. You put that seal under my bed, didn't you?" Abigail demanded, her pretty features wrinkling up in rage.

The old woman stood up and turned. "No, child I am just a poor old blind woman. I had you father do that," she mocked.

Abigail lunged at the old hag, but before she could get to her, she was thrust back by an invisible force. It knocked her to the ground leaving her stunned.

"Poor Abigail, you are so much like your mother. I had such hopes for you. But now it's time for you to join your mother. Samuel!" she called.

Abigail made it to her feet and ran out of the room. Samuel was on the stairs waiting he grabbed her wrist as she pushed by him. The two struggled until Samuel let go her. Abigail fell down the stairs, knocking the breath out of her.

Paul came in the house.
"Abigail, my bike is fine. What was Samuel talking about..."

His eyes fell upon Abigail's helpless body as Samuel began to pick her up.

"Help me, Paul!" she pleaded.

He charged her stocky brother. The two of them wrestled on the ground as Samuel's Rottweiler watched and growled.
Despite his injuries, Paul was easily getting the better of the fight, landing heavy blows that sent Samuel reeling back.

Samuel fell against the wall, sliding down onto the floor in defeat.

"Paul, they want to kill me!" she said as she struggled to get her breath.

"I don't know what is going on, but your coming with me!" he said as he helped her up.

As he turned to the door Malachi was blocking the way.

"Samuel! Finish it you fool. Stop playing," he ordered.

Samuel nodded. He raised his hand and spoke an odd guttural phrase. He pointed at Paul's solar plexus area.
Paul crumbled to the ground helpless.

"You see," Samuel grinned as he got up, "It's that easy."
He gave Paul a kick in the head rendering him unconscious.

No one noticed a small black Bombay fleeing the house.


#


When Paul awoke he was suspended by his wrists by a beam that went across the ceiling. He realized that he was inside the old church that he had seen. It had been converted for more demonic uses. Abigail was on the floor. Her arms and legs tied to four large pegs in the floor. She was struggling helplessly. Samuel and the old woman were on opposite sides of the room clad in black cloaks with blank expressions on their faces. Samuel's dog waited patiently at his side, eyes glowing crimson.

"Help! Someone help us!" Paul called.

Malachi looked over at the young man with a look of sheer amusement. "No one will come. Everyone in this town is a member of our order. You should have listened to the stories young man. This is not a good place for you to be," he laughed.

"Father! Why?" Abigail sobbed.

"Because it is my will, child. What you have is mine!" he answered. And as the two struggled against their bonds, Malachi began the ritual, he dipped his finger into a cup of blood and marked Abigail with an upside down pentagram on her forehead as she fought to get away.

"Mother!" she called in vain. A smile rose up on her grandmother's face.

Paul could only watch as Malachi began to intone strange names, vibrating them in such a way that his head throbbed in the center. Malachi was tracing odd figures in the air over Abigail. Around her, there were several curious designs marked on the floor.

Malachi bent down and put one hand on Abigail's forehead and with the other he drew out a long ornate blade with a serpent handle. As he was ready to cut out his daughter's living heart a loud noise came from the window.

Aleister came crashing through the glass. He had assumed his panther form, and his copper eyes were glowing.
Before Malachi could do anything, Aleister had jumped on top of him and was ripping out his throat. Samuel's Rottweiler charged the panther.

Paul watched in disbelief as the black dog shifted, growing in size as it ran. Its muscles bulged and its bones stretched until it was like a small bear. The two circled each other for one last time before they began rolling around the ground.

Malachi put his hand over his open throat as a blank look came across his face, as Samuel tried to help him.

The old woman was cursing Abigail, "You bitch! What have you done to my son?" she demanded as she cursed the loss of her sight.

Paul heard a noise over his head. The white cat he had seen earlier was frantically working on the ropes that held him over head.

The old woman was sobbing as she began to search the floor for the knife that Malachi had dropped.
Her thin lips turned up in an evil smile as her old fingers came upon it. "I'll see you dead, child!" her cracking voice began to threaten, "I shall take your power, myself!"

Paul dropped to the ground just in time to run over and kick the old hag in the face as hard as he could. She flew back unconscious. He had enough time to cut One of Abigail's ropes before Samuel was on him.

"You! I'll kill you with my bare hands!" he yelled as he began to strangle Paul.

Abigail desperately tried to reach the knife with her free hand her fingers clumsily just touching it, moving it fractions of an inch each attempt.

Outside Aleister and the demonic dog were killing one another, their growls and shrieks filled the air. The town people were beginning to come outside.

Abigail reached the knife and freed herself from the other ropes. Samuel had Paul down choking him in his iron grip.
She raised the knife ready to plunge it in her brother's back, but he suddenly released Paul and caught her hand in mid motion.

"I'll kill both of you!" he declared.

"Let's settle it then!" Abigail challenged.