The Never Ending Quest For Sanity

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

Dark clouds loomed over the horizon as well as those that Sergey had seen and advised through their problems.  Marriages were in danger daily and the latest advice he gave was of no effect to resolve the problems that people would face.  There was a point of no return that was achieved and  normally this was either in the form of a spouse walking out or, in some cases, the other spouse that was a target of rage no longer breathing, rage and a barrel ending their life.

However, today, there would be a much different solution in which death was the easier, more sudden solution.  It was a means to end the reign of terror in which a father, drunk and full of hatred, would pay for the constant transgressions he committed against his daughters.  The time was 3 PM and school was dismissing for the day, many looking forward to the weekend.  There were a lot of hurried paces that afternoon by both students and school staff alike.  They were just relieved the weekend was in full effect and many would drink away the stress of their jobs while students pondered the weekend parties and what would unfold at these debacherous nights.

Kari and Trinity were sisters who were joined at the hip with not one vindictive bone in their Freshman bodies.  Young and into things that were unknown to their parents that involved witchcraft, they were secretive and often would discuss the craft late at night when they should have been asleep.  To the knowledge of the parents, they were normal girls who were faithful to the church.  What they didn’t see was the other side of life that the girls lived.  This was an ongoing practice for many years when they had been desperate to eliminate their father from their lives upon his abusive nature when he had been drinking.  

He had been paving the road to ruin for quite a while.  It didn’t take long--months in fact--to develop a drinking problem that was a dark side they didn’t want to experience.  To be caught in the crossfire of an angry drunk who had issues with life he refused to seek help in eliminating was unacceptable by so many accounts.  Had the church known of his actions where he served a deacon.  There was a certain code of conduct to adhere to in that type of position and he didn’t exactly set the perfect example at home.  This was one place it mattered most.  

Shortly before he developed his drinking problem to a level that was unbearable, the girls had encountered a new student that they befriended.  They saw her as different and even her name was captivating.

Circe.

Circe was a girl that had a very strong background in witchcraft and was deeply rooted in the practice since she was merely 12 years old.  She was a sophomore and saw a quality in the two sisters that she had taken it upon herself to take under her wing and shape them to be powerful when united, the bond unbroken.  There was no turning back and at first the girls were apprehensive, their fears standing in the way of their untapped powers.  

Their father was no saint and the drinking problem he had was the fuel to the raging fire of hate and apathy that burned deep within him.  The circumstances of his life changed when he was cheated by a man he had depended on to lead him in the path which he would be assistant pastor.  It was a position he longed for and was told one day that, unbeknownst to him, that there had been a change of heart from the pastor and that he was unable to serve due to that conviction.  

Enraged, he began to yell at the man, proving further of his insufficient ability to have the position placed by his name on the church roster.  The title he had worked so fervently to achieve was now out of his hands.  This hurt him quite a lot and he resorted to taking it out on everyone.  His reasoning changed as well as his nature.  He began to live on the opposite side of the spectrum than he had been, the transgressions of his youth and the ghosts that dwelt within him coming to light.  

The demons were at play and he did not want to stop them.  He simply had no desire to do so which would result in dire, unforeseen consequences.

One night, on Halloween, he was sitting on the couch watching a movie that was less than safe for a house with teenage daughters to risk viewing upon walking into the room, stumbling on a sight they were not in any position to see nor was interested in seeing.  He had been drinking and with his wife at work, the extra hours weighing on her since he had lost his job, she was away quite often.  His carnal desires were quite evident and he was completely lost in his own world of ruin.

From upstairs, the girls could hear the audio and decided to act on their plan they had in the works for quite a while.  It was when they witnessed their father hit their mother that they had decided to step in and save the day as well as their mother’s life.  

Opening a book that they kept hidden by gluing the cover of a bible to the front, they had marked the page that contained the ceremony that would be performed to cause the ultimate harm to their father.  Traditional murder was boring to them, they preferred to eliminate by different means.  It was risky and they doubted slightly they could do such a thing, yet were determined, driven by sheer desire to end it once and for all.

“I don’t think I can stand him another second.  He disgusts me, honestly.”  Kari was preparing in spite of her confession.

“It will be over soon, we just have to call upon the right forces.  Together we are all powerful, as goddesses.”  Trinity didn’t look at Kari and had resolved not to until the time was right.  It had not yet come and she was unsure when it would.

“You’re right, you know.  You always were my moral compass, I couldn’t ask for a better sister.”

“We’ll always be sisters.”  A quick glance at the clock and she finally looked at Kari, who was evidently very nervous.  “Don’t be scared, just think of the freedom we will have.”

“It will hurt mom, I know that much.”

“Mom will be fine, trust me.  She has been talking to Aunt Cicily.  I know what she has been saying when she has thought she was alone in the dining room downstairs.  Trust me, I hear way more than you can imagine.”  

“I can’t imagine what she has been saying.”  Kari was almost disturbed at what she imagined had been said.  She knew then that Trinity was right and that it was better for their father to disappear.  “I think I’m ready.”

“Eager than nervous now?”

“I’ll always be nervous.”

“Just relax and let the forces do their work.  After all, it’s in their hands after they are summoned.”  

“I just hope this doesn’t backfire.”

“Now isn’t the time to let doubt creep in.”  A quick check of the spread and Trinity nodded, satisfied   “Let’s begin.”

These 2 words seemed to ring like a gong in Kari’s ears.  Her religious upbringing forbade this act but she figured God understood.  After all, He only wanted happiness for those He had created.  Then again, in the midst of this, they wondered if there really was a God who was watching over them.  The church said ‘yes’ but their reasoning said otherwise.

As it commenced, they cleared their mind and let the supernatural take its course.  It wasn’t long before things began to change in the atmosphere.  There were areas of the room that grew cold and soon, it was evident they were among the girls, the feeling that something brushed across them a frightening feeling.  Yet, they kept their concentration and focused on the reason they had begun this act of summoning the ones who would remedy this and put an end to the reign of terror that loomed over them like hurricane clouds.  The destruction that would ensue unsurpassed by any other fate.  

This was, indeed, a fate that was destined to make its appearance, eliminating all the obstacles that opposed them in life.  The roadblocks to their happiness were soon to be destroyed, the force equivalent to a natural disaster unlike most had ever seen or would see in their lifetime.  

The fantasies and desires were a part of life in a way no one could fathom, especially in the souls of these 2 girls.  The time had come to show themselves more powerful than anyone could ever imagine.

As their father sat on the couch, the adult film having ended, he drank beyond what he should have but knew it was the perfect night to just relax and do as he wanted.  He spotted a letter that had come in the mail on the table.  He didn’t recall its arrival and blindly reached for it, missing it a couple of times until it was in his hand.  As he searched for a letter opener, he found one beside him on the end table.  He held it in his hand and thought for a moment about the origin of the letter when he peered at the address through double vision.  When he could not read it, he threw the letter carelessly to the side, frustrated and swearing loudly at the inconvenience.  Still grasping the letter opener, he laid his head against the couch and sighed.  There was no better night than this and as he fumbled for the remote control to the tv, he felt something grab his wrist, startling him.

“Who’s there?!  I swear, I’ll kill you!”  He turned his head and it suddenly was held to the left where his assailant stood before him, slashes to the face and upper torso, which was exposed proudly.  He blinked for a moment and struggled once he realized that this abnormal being was surely intent on harm.  Soon, he would disappear without a trace but not before Kari and Trinity would say goodbye.

“The forces are already at work.”  Trinity didn’t look up, keeping her head downward.  “Come on, we are going to see him off.”  Kari rose and they made their way to the living room where they saw their father in the clutches of unearthly creatures.  These were certainly malicious spirits with only one mission:  to do the bidding of the one or ones who had summoned them.

“What’s going to happen to him?”  Kari was somewhat fearful and began to have second thoughts.  She then was reminded of how he had been a tyrant and his reign was meant to end tonight.  

“The mortal is joining the ranks of the wicked in Hell tonight.”  The creature began to lick his lips over fangs, the sight somewhat traumatizing to Kari.  She was obviously the one who was the weaker, Trinity having prepared more for this night.  She had to be a strong link, not the weakest of the two.  Trinity took her hand and they stood steadfast in their decision, the sight not pretty but necessary.  After tonight, they would be more fortunate to not have a monster under the same roof, spewing hate and damnation on those in his path.  This was the ultimate and only solution, soon to be welcomed with open arms once the thorn was removed from the lion’s paw.

“Girls!  Do something!  I’m your father!”  He pleaded but to no avail on the heart strings of the two daughters he had terrorized.  They had witnessed much suffering at his hands, including the striking of their mother.  There was a certain degree of Hell reserved for the likes of him and those like him that had tread the same path.  It was practical and completely right, the laws of God not reaching to this act they now were performing.  They felt as though they were doing God’s work and were justified in this.  

Pardons were a glorious thing, free passes were more abundant than one can imagine.

“We did nothing for too long.  How does it feel to fear for once?”  He was completely at a loss for words and began to stream tears.  For a moment, Kari thought about calling off the act but Trinity acted fast, almost as though she could read her sister’s mind.  “Don’t think about, Kari.”  She was stern in her command and delivered it more like a warning in which she was confident was the right thing.  Kari, knowing she was the more superior authority in matters such as this, nodded and stood down.

“Don’t you remember the good times we had?  Remember when we went on vacation together?  Wasn’t that fun?”  He hoped this would save face but Trinity merely shook her head.  

“You are not who you were and we are all better off without you.  Trust me, this is for the best.  When you step foot into the realm of Hell, there won’t be anyone else to terrorize.  You are dead to us.”  She locked eyes with a demonic creature that stood in front of her father.  Her next words were chilling and she thought before she spoke.

They soon came:  “Rip him apart.”

As she spoke this, the floor began to open into a gap.  It resembled a sink hole but there were smells of sulphur and the temperature rose to unbearable levels, almost causing them instantaneous heat exhaustion.  As they reached the point of unconsciousness, their father was immersed deeper until consumed by fire, the floor closing with no trace that it had ever been disturbed, the temperature returning to normal in an instant.

Kari and Trinity stood in the midst of an empty living room and the clock chimed, signaling it was 10 in the evening and almost time for their mother to leave work.  Surely she would dread coming home tonight but no longer live in fear, the threat no longer present in the world.  What happened would always be a secret the girls would take to their grave.

Upon arriving home, the door slowly opened and Chloe was inside, locking behind her immediately.  She glanced around before placing the keys in a basket that sat on a table by the door.  Her black eyes were almost inconceivable by makeup and she was grateful no one had said anything so far.  These wounds would heal on the outside, but the brand her husband had left on her was forever a gaping wound, salt poured in every time she saw him, the fear so real and dominating.  She had contemplated suicide but refused to let the demons he had stirred in her win, her daughters the most important people in her life.

“Mom’s home.”  Kari nodded and they waited for her to call.

“Girls?  Is everything ok?”  The tone of her voice was dominated by worry.  Trinity called back.

“We’re fine mom, how was work?”  She saw that Kari was sporting an expression of worry and she put her hand on her sister’s.  “We know nothing, ok?”

“It was busy as usual.”  Her mother’s voice grew louder as she approached.  “Did you eat dinner?”  She was removing her necklace that had been her Grandmother’s.  It was the one thing of which he had not robbed her, though she assumed he would.  She often feared he would try to sell heirlooms to hurt her.  She didn’t seem to notice there was one less person in the house at the moment and the less they thought about it, the more they would maintain an expression that said nothing.  The less they thought, the more elusive the act would become to their memories.

“We had something earlier.”  Trinity shifted in her seat, getting more comfortable, her concentration fixated on changing the batteries in a remote control.  Kari was reading a book she had started the day before and found rather enjoyable.

The night pressed on and there was no mention of their father disappearing, the rumors not even wasted on him.  Some people were better forgotten than kept alive in the memory of others, and this was one particular person they didn’t want to think about.  After all, they knew too much about the man enough to be grateful he was gone.

Kari and Trinity grew older and one day, Kari reached the depths of despair.  She had always been more susceptible to the presence of guilt and was plagued by it more than she wanted to be.  She had secured a job after high school working in an office.  She loved her job but one day, while typing numbers on the spreadsheet, she began to feel a sense of power overcome her that was strong in its influence.  There was no escape and suddenly, she thought of her father’s screams as he was drug to Hell.  She had been plagued with it in her mind and never spoke of it, but was done pretending that it never happened.  

Her boss happened to observe something was not right with her, the eyes being windows to a tortured soul.  He approached the desk and she didn’t look up at first.  He cleared his throat and she looked up at him.

“Kari?  Are you ok?”  He was a good boss in the sense that he was more in touch with his employees, viewing them as family.  There was not one he didn;’t know by name in the office and viewed them all as a vital part of the overall machine.

“Yes, I am, I just don’t know what...I mean…”  She seemed to be overwhelmed and appeared to search for something on the desk.  She soon had the letter opener in hand and a piece of mail in the other.  He watched her for a moment and without another thought, she dropped the letter and dug the razor sharp point of the letter opener into her left wrist, twisting it as she thrust it deeper into her arm, the blood pouring.  She then dragged it violently down toward her elbow and her boss began to panic.

“CALL 911!”  He was in a frenzy as he watched the blood pour onto the blue carpet.  He elevated her arm immediately above her head until medics arrived.

Sergey was in his office and received a phone call from the hospital where they had taken Kari.  He thought it to be another routine call but when he heard of how badly she was injured and how she had not screamed nor showed emotion and was simply numb, he agreed to come immediately.

As he exited his office, he told his secretary to hold his calls and to cancel the appointments for the rest of the day.  She agreed and, starting his car, he hurried toward the hospital at full speed.