The Unforgiven Sin

by R. Twine

  A gust of wind threw me into the air, and dropped me onto the back of the huge dragon Satanail had morphed into.

  ‘Hold tight,’ warned Satanail, and I grabbed him firmly by the neck.

  The dragon was cutting through the air with his powerful wings while turbulent air currents were dragging me downwards.

  We’d been flying at an enormous speed over smooth waters until we reached the snowy peaks of a mountain ridge. Our flight, as fast as lightning, slowed down, and the dragon landed smoothly on an icy plateau which split under his claws, immediately dragging us even deeper into the depths of the earth. This protracted fall was breathtaking; we dashed past flames of fire, and it was unbearably hot down there.

  ‘You’re completely safe with me, Miriam. Soon we’ll arrive at our destination,’ Satanail told me reassuringly.

  Sure enough, we soon descended onto a hard surface, and I saw an impressive scene before me: there was a red rotating fireball. The heat it emanated was unbearable and everything in its vicinity was black and charred.

  ‘What’s this?’ I asked the dragon.

  ‘We’ve approached the center of the earth. This is the fiery core, the living heart of the planet! This is where the earth’s energy is concentrated: so great is the power of this fire that once it is out, all living beings will be destroyed immediately. This energy is under my total control, this is where flaming salamanders live; they help me keep this mighty power. If I really wanted to destroy mankind, I would have quite enough methods at my disposal. But this is something I don’t want to do at this time: man may come to his senses after all, who knows?’ he said, smiling.

  Fiery red salamanders’ bodies were twisting and turning in the red-hot core and in the surrounding space that emanated unbearable heat. They kept on doing their work methodically and thoroughly without taking heed of anyone else.

  Satanail waved his hand, and we found ourselves in a dark hall. Random lights were flaring up chaotically here and there; standing in the center there was a big, glass incubator which was surrounded by salamanders. I tried to get closer to it but I hit an invisible wall – the protective force field kept me away from the vessel inside which there were two vials identical in size and shape; a red fluid was boiling inside both.

  Satanail took on his human appearance again and approached me.

  ‘These two vials contain the symbol of the continuation of mankind,’ he said with a markedly solemn expression on his face. ‘To complete the highest mission of the universe, we need the third and final vial. By putting them together, I will create a new civilization, unparalleled in the entire cosmic space… I will be able to re-establish the immortality that Father had taken away from human beings and give it to the representatives of the new civilization. Thus, I shall reassert my importance in Father’s eyes. I shall re-establish what has been created and destroyed by the Father throughout the existence of the world. I’ll be able to prove that I and Father are one!’

  There was clearly something Satanail was avoiding telling me. I turned to him, bewildered.

  ‘I see no sense in any of this. I cannot see why these vials are so valuable if they are just a symbol.’

  ‘If mankind perishes, then it is only thanks to the live molecules that these vials contain that the creation of a new civilization will become possible. By mixing up their contents, these vessels will become capable of creating new people. But to make this happen, “new people” have to be born out of the mixture which is sealed in the third and final vial. These very people will become the first creatures of the future.’

  Satanail came freely up to the goblet and pointed his finger at the boiling liquid.

  ‘The molecules in this liquid can be linked in different ways and in any order; this process of linking does not have to be simultaneous for all molecules. The main thing is to mix them up together. And then man will be able to resurrect himself, Miriam! He may become immortal, as he was before, he may become powerful, and free! And this time, I will be his creator! Now take a look at this: sealed in the first vial is the blood of the very first woman who gave humanity life. This is your blood, Miriam – taken before your successive incarnations. It is mixed with the seed of the first-ever man, Adam, and this seed contains the essence of The Heavenly Father himself with His power and immortality intact! The second vial contains your blood again, this time with you as the foremother of all people, one of Noah’s descendants. The human seed possessed the qualities it had acquired on Earth. The third vial is the most important of all for it contains your blood of the foremother, mixed up with my seed which carries the genes of might and immortality! This resurrected mankind will obtain the immortality he had been stripped of. This finalizing red fluid is the key to creating the new and most powerful civilization! Miriam, if this vial remains unused, the plans for creating the future life will not come to fruition. Mankind will lose its last chance for rebirth!’ he said, summing up his point.

  ‘I’m sure you already know how to implement this plan,’ I said. ‘The future of mankind is not hidden in these vials; it is hidden elsewhere, maybe in someone’s body.’

  The expression on Satanail’s face became tense; he was clearly trying to find the right answer.

  ‘The salamanders are protecting future generations?’ I went on. ‘I find it hard to believe. Up until this meeting, I’ve had a totally different idea about it. To tell you the truth, I’m at a loss; I won’t be making any decisions for the time being until I become convinced that you’ve been honest with me.’

  ‘I’m not pressuring you for an immediate answer. Take your time,’ Satanail echoed back.

  The vials kept on boiling, and thousands of fiery eyes, flickering in the darkness, were carefully and closely monitoring everything that was going on in the hall. Salamanders were guarding the treasure, keeping everybody away from it with the exception of Satanail. No spirit could slip undetected into this place. The darkness itself seemed to be always ready to close in and crush anyone who would dare touch the valuable bottles.

  ‘There’s no one who’s better than me at understanding and fulfilling man’s secret desires! No one but me is capable of giving him power and wealth! No one but me, Miriam! No one but me, The Immortal Angel, is capable of giving back to mankind the immortality it once possessed but eventually lost! Even Father turned away from humans, leaving all of you unattended. Not all people are entitled to be helped by the angels from the Kingdom of Heaven, but I always rush to help those who call me in, rendering all kinds of services they need.’

  ‘… The services they pay a huge price for later on! Your services put people farther away from Heavenly Father. You think by enslaving some souls you can become more powerful, don’t you?’ I asked.

  ‘You have to understand that I’m not against Father! Everything that’s happening on earth is happening with His consent only. And so is everything that goes on in the entire universe!’

  ‘Still, you have done a lot of harm to people. You cannot love them; it’s just that through people you want to avenge yourself on The Creator for your expulsion! You are here to cause pain! You only push your own agenda, otherwise you would act differently, without intruding into peoples’ lives without their consent; otherwise you wouldn’t be using other peoples’ bodies! You have possessed me through Samuel’s body in total disregard of him and me! You only care about the ideas that motivate you!’

  The atmosphere was becoming increasingly stifling, I felt dizzy.

  ‘I’m ready to apologize for the pain I have caused you. But I had no other way out, Miriam. If I had asked for your permission to engage in a sexual encounter with you, you’d have refused. Besides, one hint at my intentions would be enough for the Archangel to understand what was about to happen, and to take retaliatory measures. And if for the time being you have the vial, it means this is the way Father wants it to be! Finally, if I had insisted on making the third vial part of our agreement it could well mean that you wouldn’t have been born at all –
or you’d have been born in many thousands of years to come when there would have been no one left to save! It may well happen that in several hundred years all living beings will become extinct and just vanish off the face of the earth, and you can be absolutely sure the Father will never again want to recreate mankind. I say once again: this vial is your last chance for survival! Miriam! All of my sacrifices were made for the sake of humanity. I made them for you, the most perfect woman ever created!’

  The atmosphere in the hall was very stuffy. I gasped for air and began feeling like I was going to faint. The objects around me began swaying and moving around; something heavy was pressing my chest, squeezing the air out of my lungs, my legs became rubbery. Satanail scooped me up – and I sank into unconsciousness.

  Somebody patted me cautiously on the shoulder.

  ‘Are you okay, young lady?’ asked a concerned female voice.

  I opened my eyes. I was lying on the road, near my parked car.

  ‘What’s happened to me?’ I asked, turning to a plump woman who began helping me up.

  ‘You fainted’, she answered. ‘It’s past midnight, and you need help. I’m calling an ambulance.’

  ‘No, thanks, I’m quite all right. I’ll consult a doctor in the morning,’ I promised while getting up.

  ‘Are you sure you can walk?’ the woman asked, still concerned.

  ‘Yes, I’m sure I can, thanks for your help’, I said, trying to manage a smile.

  Feeling that I was in no condition to drive, I caught a taxi, and in no time at all I was at Samuel’s villa. I entered the house, went directly upstairs to my bedroom, slumped into my bed and was asleep in seconds.

  But peace of mind wouldn’t come. I heard the Archangel’s voice coming from afar: ‘You take an enormous risk, slighting my warnings. Your insatiable curiosity puts you in jeopardy. Satanail is aiming for total destruction of mankind, and he’ll resort to every sly trick in the book in order to fulfill his plan. His only motive is his craving for power and revenge, he’s very ambitious and he’s not one to give up his principles lightly in order to get what he wants. Remember, he will stop at nothing! He will press on, never letting up until he gets what he needs! Satanail has eyes and ears everywhere and either he or his servants will be setting traps everywhere! I don’t want him to drag you into his abyss again! Your life has very special value, Miriam. If you yield to him again, human beings will pay dearly!’

  ‘You should destroy him then’, I answered defiantly. ‘How do I know you’re not Satanail in the Archangel’s guise? He’s capable of transforming himself into anybody, after all. How do I know it’s you who admonishes me, not the Prince of Darkness who always tries to lead me astray? Satanail talks constantly about my predestination while you warn me not to follow his advice. How do I know that, by doing so, you’re not trying to corner me and then put all the burden of guilt upon my shoulders? I will be listening to what you say, to everything you say. But from now on I’ll be reacting based on what my instincts are telling me’, I said with finality.

  The Archangel disappeared.

  ‘Hi, honey, I’ve missed you all this time’, said Sam, pulling up the blinds. ‘It’s daylight outside but you’re still in bed’, he said, putting on a reproachful air. He kissed me and sat down near me. ‘What happened to you, Miriam?’

  ‘I feel exhausted. I need some rest…’ I replied, mumbling.

  ‘I see; have some rest then. Call me if you need me’.

  ‘Okay, darling. By the way, how was your visit with your sister?’ I asked for the sake of propriety.

  ‘It went pretty well. Nancy was a little upset I came without you because she was looking forward to meeting you. I promised to throw a party sometime soon and invite them over. You wouldn’t mind, would you?’

  ‘No, I wouldn’t. We’ll do just that’.

  ‘Excellent, then’, nodded Samuel, leaving my bedroom.

  Part 3

  Chapter 29

  ‘Darling, you once told me about the man knowledgeable on the rules of invisible worlds. Would you mind helping me get in contact with him? He may help me see through all these strange phenomena,’ I said, reminding Samuel about what he’d once told me.

  ‘The lengths you have to go to please the woman you love!’ said Sam jokingly; he searched through his papers and handed me a business card. ‘Here’s his telephone number’.

  ‘Phil Brinstein, occult demonologist’, I read aloud.

  ‘Dear Miss Henderson! We’d better meet and have a talk rather than discuss such things over the phone,’ Phil said after I told him about the crux of the matter. ‘I’ll expect to meet you on Saturday. You’ll tell me about everything in more detail, and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do for you’.

  I hung up: it was the first time in quite a while that I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The other side of my life was getting increasingly in my way. The scenes from my past reincarnations were surfacing in my memory at an increasingly alarming rate. I was no longer able to tell dreams from reality, my past experience from fantasy; I had to do something about it. I was determined to get to the truth of the matter and put an end to all this once and for all. Why was I ever born with such a burden on my heart? Why was it me who had been destined to carry this weight?

  Filming of the movie was coming to an end, and I felt slightly sad about it. During this time we had all become friends, and it was hard for us to get accustomed to the idea that it wouldn’t be long before we would have to go our separate ways. My relationship with Samuel was becoming greater and increasingly more serious. We were now seen as a couple, our love affair enhanced the movie-goers’ interest, and everybody was looking forward to the opening night.

  We led a bustling social life: parties, receptions and standing dinners went one after another at a stunning rate; we were followed here, there and everywhere by paparazzi, glossy magazines splashed our photos on their front pages. But I quickly became fed up with all that high-life hustle and bustle: I was tired of idle talk, the blinding flash of the camera, and phony smiles… Samuel looked worried, and all my attempts to find out what was worrying him were in vain. But I wouldn’t give up and kept on trying to get him involved in a frank talk.

  ‘Darling, you’ve been looking very annoyed and alarmed lately. What’s troubling you? Do you have some problems? Every telephone call seems to make you start. Is there anything you’re keeping from me? Sam, you can be a hundred per cent sure I’ll always stand by you through thick and thin. Tell me what’s tormenting you,’ I insisted.

  ‘I’m just tired, that’s all’, he said waving my questions off. ‘Soon I’m going to have a month off, and we could travel somewhere for a change of pace and relax… What do you say?’

  ‘Why don’t we go to France, then?’ I said right away.

  ‘Great idea! Why not?’ he replied without hesitation.

  ‘There’s something wrong with you, darling. Are you sure you aren’t keeping anything from me?’ I insisted.

  ‘What makes you think that, Miriam? If something was hurting me inside, you know I’d tell you about it…,’ Samuel kissed me and added quietly, ‘I want you to know that I love you very much and don’t want to lose you. Never – you hear? Never.’

  Sam was worrying me. My premonitions seldom failed me.

  The taxi pulled up near a high iron gate built into a stone fence. I paid the driver, got out of the car and looked around… There seemed to be nothing around but this fence, a forest and a deserted clearing some distance ahead of me.

  “What a weird place,” I thought to myself and drew back inwardly.

  I pressed the button of a camera-equipped house intercom built into a wall near the gate and waited.

  ‘Just a moment,’ came the sound of a voice followed by the barking of dogs; the barking was so vicious and loud that I started back involuntarily.

  The iron gates opened with a loud bang.

  ‘How do you do, Phil?’ I said, extending my hand to an
elderly gray-haired man.

  ‘How do you do, Miriam, glad to meet you. Please, come in’, he said with an inviting gesture. I followed him. Walking on a flagstone walkway, we crossed a well-kept green garden and came to a big gray mansion. ‘Don’t be afraid of the dogs – I locked them in the backyard. They are smart creatures. I live all alone, and they not only guard the house but also keep me company during long evenings,’ he said.

  From within, the building looked even larger – it was very spacious and had carved ceilings made of light wood with vintage chandeliers hanging down from them. On the windows there were purple curtains that let almost no light through. This mansion, with a multitude of rooms in it, seemed cold, uncomfortable and uninviting. We headed for the farthest of the rooms situated at the end of the corridor. ‘It’s a pity, my dogs cannot speak!’ Phil Brinstein went on and laughed a dry rumbling laughter, but checked himself immediately and said with a flourish, ‘Make yourself comfortable, miss, and feel right at home. I’ll be very glad to offer my help to such a beautiful and charming woman. Well, what brought you here?’

  ‘You have a huge library!’ I exclaimed, marveling at the hundreds of volumes standing on the shelves along the walls.

  ‘Yes, my dear Miriam, I’m the owner of a very rare collection of books!’ said Phil proudly. ‘It’s one of a kind. It mainly contains books about the Prince of Darkness, about his black angels and demons, and about the invisible world… This library was founded a long time ago by my ancestors; then my father took up their cause – he succeeded in buying up very valuable copies of ancient tomes. Well, I managed to add something to it, too. Some manuscripts had to be collected literally piece by piece! Among those fragments there are truly priceless manuscripts! I devoted almost all of my life to studying these books.’

  ‘It’s so interesting!’ I exclaimed. ‘So, you’re the man initiated into the secret of secrets?’