Chapter Four
Gabriel was still laying in the train station not wanting to get on his feet again. His life was either a lie, or the king of lie's was playing the same old hand as he had for centuries. No matter what the case was he had all of eternity to figure it out. He thought of where he would find answers but no matter what the answer was it would either be a lie, or faith in the devil.
He knew little of religion and even if he did there was no seance that would allow him to die. His parents kept Gabriel sheltered from religion even though his grandfather was once the priest at the towns church. Maybe that was where he would find his answers. The church that he was almost forbidden to set foot in.
Gabriel got back on his feet and looked down at the busted shotgun. He once found comfort in this world holding it in his arms. It could protect him from the madness or end it. But now it was as worthless broken as it was in working condition. He would not stop the forces of hell with a gun. The only weapon he had was the curse given to him and possibly enough hatred and madness to use it in his advantage.
Glancing back up at the grain elevator that he had just plummeted from, he thought about testing the jump one last time. “Fuck it” Gabriel yelled. He turned and walked back to his truck. He thought for a moment before he placed the key in the ignition. Visions of explosions, fiery infernos, the bottom of the ocean, and other planets filled his mind. All physics that restrained a mortal man were nothing to him. But he did not want power, he now wanted to destroy heaven, earth, and hell. If Gabriel could not destroy his reality, then he would find a way to destroy all reality
The truth was ever present, though immortal he was still a suicidal induced redneck who had no control of anything not even his fate. Gabriel put the key in the ignition and started the truck. It firing and clunking to life was the signaling of his next crusade, even if he had no idea what to do or where to go. He turned on the radio and sobbed as some teenage country singer summed up his entire existence in one catchy song.
As he drove through town it was apart the parade was over as kids hyped up on sugar ran the streets. One boy ran out in the street to grab a ball and stopped in his tracks when he saw Gabriel driving down the road. The boy covered in blood just gazed up at Gabriel who was trying his best to hide his pain. Gabriel stopped the truck and jumped out to grab the ball.
“Hey stupid asshole dont take my ball!” The kid shouted at Gabriel. Gabriel was just going to get it for him. “See this ball kid, let it be a lesson to you about manners” Gabriel said as he threw the ball in the cab of the truck and got back in. “Fuck you dick-weed, I'm calling the cops!” The kid shouted. Gabriel forced himself to drive off instead of giving the kid a new lesson in manners. The kid was most likely a product of a dysfunctional home no different from Gabriels. That boy was beyond help and was doomed to be a foul mouthed asshole for the rest of his life.
Sigmund Freud hit the nail on the head when saying people were stuck in one phase of life. Unfortunately most people like that boy were stuck in the two year old stage and would be short tempered dip shits sucking on a bottle their whole life. Just a bunch of uncontrolled balls of emotion scared to show affection because its what they lack most.
Still driving around Gabriel was not downtown and could see the church coming into view. Just as he was a few blocks away his chariot of doom started sputtering and shooting out clouds of black smoke. Gabriel pulled off to the side of the rode just as it died. “Just great” Gabriel thought to himself. He smashed his hand on the dash and got out. He looked around and the closest thing he could see was the church.
He started walking to the church figuring maybe someone could call for a tow truck. In the parking lot was only a couple of cars so there was no service going on at the time. The double doors leading inside of the church were cracked open. As Gabriel got about 20 yards from the door he could feel heat waves coming from inside.
The closer he got to the church the stronger the waves, until it was like he was walking behind a jet engine. The waves of heat were now bright flames and just as Gabriel turned his head from the glare the doors slammed shut. As the doors shut Gabriel fell forward a few steps since he was no longer fighting the heat waves.
He had to figure out why something was trying to keep him away. Grabbing one of the door handles he felt the familiar jolt of electricity. He stopped for a moment before opening the door “Fuck here we go again” He said as he pushed it open.
Inside there was a service going with a man in his thirty's preaching. There was one open seat in the back row so Gabriel sat down. Just as he did everyone stood and began to sing. Next to him was a boy who looked half asleep. The boy unsure of the words looked at his bible and said the words trying not to make a mistake. He struggled and grimaced as he said the wrong word or hit the wrong tone.
Gabriel intently watched the boy as the songs of god were conditioned into his brain. It was becoming clear that they were in a different time period. Possibly the 1950's or 60's but it was hard to tell. One thing stuck out to Gabriel and that was some of the people had no blood on them. Not even a drop, while others were either covered or had small amounts. For the first time Gabriel saw people free of sin and it came as a relief.
The song had ended and everyone sat back down. Scanning the room Gabriel saw Daniel Ratcliff with one of the woman he killed sitting next to him. He was much older then and had gray bloody hair. It was a sickening sight to see that demon there in a place of god with his prey. If only the women knew instead of salvation she would be locked in eternal hell with that devil. The frustrating part to Gabriel about seeing the past is there was nothing he could do but observe in horror.
The service had ended and Gabriel was unable to even hear any of what was preached. He was paying more attention to everyone else rather than the word of god. In one isle people walked to shake the hand of the priest and in the other people walked out of the church in a organized fashion to insure everyone shook the hand of the preacher.
Church was now almost empty but Daniel Ratcliff, a young man in clerical robes and two other men all of which had more blood on them than most. The preacher was looking on at them, he was clean of any sin and looked more like a prophet of god than a typical priest. The preacher resembled Gabriel and he knew who he was.
It was Gabriel's grandfather who he knew almost nothing about. “Did you enjoy today's teachings?” Gabriel's grandfather said. “It was rather...Well watered down I guess you could say. But that is not what we are here to talk about David.” Daniel Ratcliff said. “Well then gentlemen what can I do for you on this divine day?” Gabriel's grandfather David asked.
“We need to talk in private, lets go down to your office.” The young man in clerical robes said. “Well Edmond as you know the house of god is not private, everything we share is with our heavenly father” David said as he turned and began walking behind the alter. The other men got up and followed behind like a pack of wolves.
Gabriel followed behind them as they walked down a dark corridor to a stairway leading to the basement. “You know friends, I have felt the hand of god many times in my days and today as I walk these hollow steps into the unknown I feel his love and fear no evil” David said with a voice of certainty.
The men behind said nothing and kept an eerie silence as they followed down the stairs. Once down there was an old wooden door with a large cast iron cross. David stopped for a moment and ran his hand on the cross and bowed his head to it. There was a moment of silence and then they entered David's office.
“Please, sit down gentlemen” David said as he made sure they all had a chair and even gave up his so the last man had one. David closed the door and stood in front of them. “I now know how Jesus must have felt standing trial amongst the roman's. You must know like him I will not waiver in my faith or my message” David said.
“You know why we are here David, and you are a good man but you must step down and let me lead this town” The young man in clerical robes said. “
Jesse, I showed you my love and god's message. I do hope that one day you will blossom and spread the word of god free from the power from mortal men. But today is not that day and I have so much more I can teach you, if you will just let me.” David said. “The boy is ready and regardless of what your snakelike tongue tells him, he will be preaching to the congregation next week and YOU WILL RESIGN TODAY!” Daniel said.
Gabriel looked at Jesse, he seemed scared and unsure of what he wanted. “Please I beg you David just listen to Daniel and lets do this quietly. You can move and find a new congregation or take time to regain touch with our holy father” Jesse pleaded. “I wounder what Jesus would have said if they told him to move from his pastures and seed and told him to plant elsewhere right after he had just put seed to soil. Do you think he would just abandon his home and crop. If this pasture does not have crop bearing soil for gods seed than as his servant I have toiled and tilled in vain. But I have planted god's seed and I will see it grow even if only one seed succeeds.” David said.
The two men who waited in silence looked over at Daniel. With a nod from him they got up from their chair and headed over to David with Daniel right behind him. Jesse dropped his head into his hands and looked at the floor. Each of the two men grabbed an arm and brought David down to the floor. David did not even struggle he just smiled at them.
“Any last words from a snakes lips?” Daniel asked as he stood above David who was held down to the floor. “May god have mercy on your souls, and may my seed grow and find the same salvation I have found” David said. Just as David finished Jesse got up and left the room. Daniel pulled a knife from his pocket and knelt down next to David.
“Know as the last drop of blood drains from your pathetic corpse that your seed won't grow in my town and when you die you will find no heaven or be granted the honor of hell!” Daniel shouted as he plunged into David with his knife. Gabriel could not believe his eyes, his grandfather looked up at him during the ravishing and smiled as blood rolled from his lips and his eyes stilled.
Daniel pulled the knife from David and wiped the blood off on David's robes. “Fool, still believing in fairy tails, heh no happy ending for you, now clean this mess up” Daniel said as he got up and walked from the room. Gabriel followed behind Daniel and they headed upstairs. Gabriel took a seat in the front row. Jesse was clinching the altar with both hands and didn’t make eye contact with Daniel.
“Its done, you are our new priest so don’t let me down!” Daniel said as he turned and walked out of the church. Gabriel looked down at the floor and felt shock of electricity. The white tile on the floor changed to dark red carpet. Gabriel looked back up and saw a much older Jesse in tattered robes still clinching the altar with both hands.
“There is no service today, come back tomorrow!” Jesse shouted at Gabriel. “If I am not welcome in mans house of god then where am I welcome?” Gabriel asked. “I know who you are, and I know you don't come to my church so what are you doing here?” Jesse asked. “I am in YOUR church to pray, see I think I have been reborn...Or something.” Gabriel said with a smirk. “Well I am leaving for the day, the door will lock behind you and there is nothing here of value so don't bother trying to steal anything!” Jesse said as he stepped from the altar and walked to the double doors.
“Know one thing, if its knowledge of your family's history then you won't find it here, or welcoming arms. This better be the last I see of you.” Jesse said as he opened both doors and headed out into the sunlight. The doors closed behind him and Gabriel was sitting in the empty church. A white ray of sunlight shined through one of the stain glass windows into the corridor that lead to the stairs.
Gabriel was learning that nothing happened by coincidence anymore so he got up and followed the light. There was now a door before the steps. Gabriel opened it up and down below was darkness. He stepped down and at first was hesitant but then he remembered his grandfathers last words on those steps. Gabriel did not feel the love of god but he didn't fear evil since it had just went home for the day.
Once downstairs there was little light shinning in the basement through covered windows. Now there was boxes and desks and other junk stored up to the ceiling with little room to walk. The door to his grandfathers office no longer had the cross on it and had some desks in front of it.
Gabriel moved the desks and touched the spot where the cross once was. He opened the door and flipped the light switch. The light struggled to flip on and made a humming nose. Then it slowly light up the room revealing cobwebs and dust. There was the old desk with boxes stacked on it. There were two chairs in front of the desk and where his grandfather was stabbed to death on the floor was the cross.
Gabriel closed the door and went over and picked up the cross. Cobwebs stuck to him and he sat down in one of the chairs sending plums of dust into the room. He stared at the cross for a moment and ran his finger tips on it. “You spend your whole life in devotion of god, and this is the legacy it leads to?” Gabriel said to the cross.
“Then Abraham said, Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there. The lord said, if I find ten there, I will not destroy it” David's voice said from beside Gabriel. Gabriel jumped from his chair dropping the cross. Next to him was David, But his skin was blue and decomposing. His robes stabbed and torn with dirt and blood on them. His eye's drooping and dead.
David raised his hand to Gabriel and one of the finger bones protruded from the pale blue skin. Gabriel jumped back and made a dash for the door. “Please wait we have little time and this is our only chance!” David pleaded. Gabriel stopped and looked back still terrified. “Lock the door and sit down” David said. Gabriel reluctantly locked the door and went back to his seat, trying not to look at David's decomposing corpse.
“Why are you so hideous looking, all the other dead people I have seen looked full of life but not you. You look like you crawled from the crypt through some swamps to terrify me!” Gabriel said still looking away. “The devil has his way's Gabriel and we have ours. Apollyon will trick you and be appealing to the eye's but some day you will see through his deception and know the road to our holy father is not the easy one, nor appealing to most” David said.
“Well all these years and you are not rusty with the scripture” Gabriel said using his jokes as his defense against the decomposing priest. “Please do not fear me, Gabriel you are of my blood and of the second generation. Through me god has blessed you but he has also given you free will. You have not tainted your soul but you must seek his forgiveness” David said.
“Why must I seek his forgiveness, I am cursed and seek only destruction” Gabriel said. “As long as their is one, just one good seed left then there is still hope for mankind. You must see beyond yourself and re plant the words and commands of god in man” David said. “I don't understand, all this talk of seeds, and crops only confuses me. What must I do to end my suffering?” Gabriel said. “HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE!” Jesse shouted as he tried to open the door. “FORGIVNESS!” David shouted as he vanished into dust. “WHO IS THAT IN THERE WITH YOU!” Jesse demanded still shaking the door.
Gabriel walked over and unlocked the door. “Calm down man I was just seeing what was down here” Gabriel said. “No someone was in here talking to you who was it!” Jesse said. “Sometimes I talk to myself, when I am frightened and the light in this room made me think I saw someone” Gabriel said. “Just....Just get out of here you are not welcome in this church ever again!” Jesse said.
Jesse looked as though he saw a ghost and was more frightened than Gabriel was when he saw his decomposed grandfather. Gabriel ran out the room and up the stairs. The two men who held down his grandfather where sitting next to the altar. “You will find nothing but trouble here, you come back again and we will show you god” One of the men said with a smile.
Gabriel turned to the men and walked over to them. Rage boiled through him and his vision blurred. Gabriel grabbed the man by hi
s leather coat with one hand and cocked his other hand back. “DO NOT GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION GABRIEL!” Davids voice echoed through the church. “What the fuck was that!” The man shouted.
The man grabbed Gabriel's arm “Oh fuuuuck” Gabriel said as the electric shock ripped him into the past. Now he was sitting on a couch in someones living room. There was a party of what appeared to be college kids in the 1960's. The women had on Sunday dresses and the men wore plaid and pastel shirts. One of the men was a much younger version of the man Gabriel was moments away from punching in the face. The man walked behind Gabriel and started heading into the upstairs of the house.
Gabriel refused to follow him, he knew whatever he was about to see could not be anything good. Gabriel just sat in the chair looking at one of the beautiful women at the party. Then Gabriel lost all control of his body as he was ripped violently in the air and tossed from the couch into the staircase. He still refused to follow as an invisible force dragged him up the steps.
The force was uncontrollable and Gabriel would see what was about to happen whether he wanted to or not. After being dragged up the steps he was slid across the floor into a dimly lit room. Gabriel looked up to see the man standing at the end of a bed. “Hey man get off her!” The man shouted into the room. “Wait your turn I am just about done” Another mans voice said back. Gabriel watched the man in front of him walked around the bed and he heard some rustling.
“Seriously man wait your turn, you think you will ever get a chance to have sex with this rich bitch in your wildest dreams, well here's your chance so just wait!” the man said as there was silence for a moment. “Now go shut and lock that fucking door” The man said. The man Gabriel was about to punch walked over to the door and closed and locked it.
Gabriel got up to his feet and could see that the other man was the other one who held down his grandfather so Daniel could stab him. He had his pants down to his knees and under him was a beach blonde woman who appeared to be passed out. Her dress was torn revealing her bear breasts in the moonlight.
The man on top of the woman had one last power full thrust and he stopped. “There now you go ahead” The man on top of the women said. He got up from her and pulled up his pants and sat down on the bed. “Well are you going to have sex with her or not?” The man said to the other. “Ye..yes” the other one said as he climbed on top of the women.
Gabriel turned his head away as he could hear him kissing and thrusting into the unconscious woman. Then after only a few second he stopped. “Heh, he, holy fuck I think she is dead!” The man said. “No way she is just drunk and out of it, hurry up and lets get out of here!” The man sitting down said.
Gabriel turned and looked as the one man had his ear up to her bare breasts. “No, she has no heart beat and is not breathing. Here listen and she is really cold!” The man said. The other one got up from the bed and walked over to the women and felt her pulse. “Oh shit man you are right!” The man said. The other man jolted off the women and pulled up his pants.
“Oh shit I was fucking a dead woman. What are we gonna do!” He said with panic across his face. “Just calm down and wrap her up in the blankets. We will wait until the party is over and take her out into the woods” The other man said. They rolled her up in the blankets and onto the floor. “Now put her under the bed and put something up against the door, we will wait in here until everyone leaves” One of the men said. They pushed her under the bed and sat on the bed and waited. The one man was still frightened. “What if we get caught, maybe we should just tell someone we found her like this?” The frightened man said. “Just shut up and wait, no one will know or care about this bitch” The other man said.
They sat and waited in silence, Gabriel looked out the window in disgust. Most of the people at the party were heading out to their cars laughing and stumbling around. Lights blazed on and out into the room. Until there was only a few cars left outside. “Now look I will go scout it out. Then I will open my trunk. Once everything is clear we will carry her down and get her in my car, got it?” The man said.
“Fine” The other man unwillingly said. The one left the room and the man Gabriel was about to punch looked under the bed at the women one last time. He pulled the covers from her face and removed the hair from her face. He was shaking as he leaned in and gave her a kiss on her blue lips. Gabriel's disgust was enough to make him wince and look away.
After a few moments the other man came back in the room. “Okay the coast is clear, lets hurry!” He said with haste. The two men grabbed the wrapped up woman and headed out the door. Gabriel could feel the same force about to toss him out the room. This time he just followed them.
One of the woman's hands was hanging out and thumped down each step. The men were struggling to carry her and once down the stairs they fumbled with the door. At one point outside they dropped her and she came unwrapped. Gabriel had seen some disturbing things but when the woman was laying on the ground both men just stopped and looked at the women. Their faces were not that of remorse or guilt but of some satanic lust for the dead woman.
They picked her back up and shoved her into the trunk. Gabriel got in the back seat of the car, there was no way he would be tossed through the air again to follow these lunatics on their occult funeral drive for the woman. They started the car and drove into town. The house they had been at was just on the outskirts of Axal.
Once through the town they headed out on the familiar road that headed to Gabriel's house of the dead and the dark woods around it. The men just sat in silence until they pulled off the road. It was just a few miles before the turn off to Gabriels house.
“Now we will take her out in the woods and drop her off one of the cliffs” The man driving said. The other man just nodded as they got out of the car. They opened the trunk and the man driving grabbed the women by the legs as the other one got her head. Just as they closed the trunk headlights came blaring around the turn behind them and shinned on them. The car came to a screeching halt.
“OH SHIT!” The man driving said. They looked like two horrified deer in the headlights as the woman fell from the blankets and on the ground. A man appeared from behind the bright lights. “What do you boys think you are doing!” Daniel Ratcliff's dark image from behind the lights said. “whe whe well we found her like this sir!” The man Gabriel was about to punch said. “Get her back in the car and follow me you fools. We will take her to my house and sort this all out!” Daniel said. “Sir we can't go to prison, please...please don't get the police!” The man driving said.
“Do as I say and I won't get the law on you boys, now hurry up!” Daniel said. The men put the woman back in the trunk and got in the car and followed Daniel. Gabriel knew whatever was about to happen at Daniel's house was worse than the two men going to prison for the rest of their lives.
They pulled down the road and headed past Gabriel's house and into the woods where the old foundation was. They stopped at a gate and Daniel got out and unlocked it. They followed a road where the path now is to the foundation. Once down the road a short distance there was an old house with the cellar. It was smaller than Gabriel imagined and from inside one of the dark windows came a candle light.
One of the women Daniel had murdered was inside looking out with a confused look. They drove past the house and towards the graveyard and came to a halt just before it. Daniel and the men got out of their cars. “Now what are your names?” Daniel asked. “Sir my name is Tony” The man Gabriel was about to punch said. “I am Steven” The other man said. “Well Tony and Steven, you boys really messed up big time tonight. My name is Daniel, just up that path is a shovel next to my family's graveyard. You boys run up there and Grab it. I will get her out of the trunk” Daniel said.
The men walked in the moonlight up the path. Daniel waited until they were far enough out of view and popped open the trunk. He opened it and looked in at the woman wrapped in blankets. He pulled her out onto the ground and uncovered her. He smiled and place one hand on
her leg and the other on her chest. Then he moved up to her neck checking for any signs of life.
Then he pulled away from the girl and gave out a eerie laugh. “Stupid, stupid boys” Daniel said as he pulled his knife from his pocket. He place it up to her neck and with one swift slash blood poured from it onto the ground. He rolled her onto her side until the blood had stopped flowing into the dirt. Then he wrapped her neck with part of the blanket with precision. Once her neck was wrapped he ran the blankets around her tightly and dragged her a few feet into the tree's.
He stopped and waited for the men to come back. “Hurry up we don't have all night!” Daniel shouted into the darkness. A few moments later Tony and Steven reemerged from the night. Steven grabbed one end of the woman while Daniel carried the other. After they had walked a short distance they stopped.
“Now dig here” Daniel said as they put the woman down and started digging. “Yes sir” Tony said as he plunged the shovel into the dirt. “So this the first time you two kill someone?” Daniel asked. “Sir I don't think we killed this girl” Tony said as he continued to dig. “Oh really? haha, so you two just fucked her and buried her in the woods. Well I am sure our mighty fine justice system will forgive such a innocent deed” Daniel said laughing.
“This ain't my first time” Steven said in a calm tone. “Oh really, well please indulge us with the story Steven” Daniel said. Steven looked up at the sky and sighed as Tony continued digging. “It was my cousin when we were younger. See I lived with my aunt and uncle and they treated my cousin Scott like he was gods gift to the world. Me on the other hand, well I was a burden to them. One day me and Steven were up by clear creek falls and he was sitting next to the edge. He didn't speak to me much and just had this presence of arrogance about him. Finally I just had enough, I ran up behind him and pushed him over those falls. Sometimes I still hear him scream as he fell down, but I don't care I still hate even his ghost” Steven said.
“Well now that's a Cain and Abel story, nothing new or unique about it. Here I was hoping you boys would be of some entertainment” Daniel said. “Yeah sir, but uh I thought Cain and Abel were brothers not cousins?” Tony said with confusion. “Haha, you shouldn't take all things literal Tony, you also should not take tonight’s encounter for granted. See I think you boys found me for a reason” Daniel said.
Tony had dug about 3 feet down and looked exhausted. “That's deep enough for these old woods, put her in the hole Steven” Daniel said. Steven rolled the woman into the hole and Daniel grabbed the shovel from Tony and started covering her with dirt. “How about you boys come and work for me, you have a lot to learn about this business of murder and I am getting old and like all old men I must pass my legacy down to someone” Daniel said looking at the two men.
Apollyon's Saint The Collection: Books One through Ten Page 4