Chapter 20 A Will, A Way

In a cool morning, Muriel walked down a hall scratching her hand. She scratched her neck when she made a turn for the stairs. On the way up, she saw four men in neat suits coming her way. Muriel halted and gave them way with her head bowed.

The men did not acknowledge her presence but walk past her. Muriel continued on her way—scratching all over her hand. The red rash popping out of her skin sent goosebumps all over her body that induced further itchiness.

Muriel hurried her steps and found herself at a closed door. She turned the door knob only to drop her gaze at the sight before her.

A bald man had his eyes closed and head back with his mouth open. His hand was on the head of a woman who was kneeling naked before him. The man moaned and stroked the woman's hair as her head went up and down. Suddenly the man stretched his legs and whimpered.

He let out a satisfied laugh and gazed down at the woman wiping him off her face. His relaxed face turned straight and his lazy grin was replaced by a scowl. He raised his hand and slapped the woman to the side. She didn't scream or cry. The bruises all over her naked tender flesh indicated just how used she was to that sort of treatment.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to clean yourself? How dare you reject my blessings?" he thundered, but she remained silent. "Get on the bed now!" he commanded.

The woman slowly got off her knees and made her way to the bed where she laid down facing up. She spread her legs at the sound of the man clearing his throat.

Muriel's constant scratching finally caught the attention of the man. With swift steps, he yanked her arm and took a closer look at it. His hold on her wrist deepened with his fingers sinking against Muriel's arteries. Muriel took in the sharp feeling of the slap that followed. She fearfully looked at the angry man with his balled up fist threatening to strike her again.

'I was hungry.' she shakily motioned with her blistery hands.

'You are an idiot. One of these days I will let you die.' he motioned back at her.

'Please, I won't eat human flesh again I promise. I need my pills.' Muriel got down on her knees.

The man pulled Muriel off the floor by her hair and forced her into the bathroom. He banged the door behind them and startled the other woman on the bed into a sitting position. The sound of a belt hitting flesh followed and the woman's eyes widened in fear. She jumped off the bed and covered her mouth at the violent sound of things breaking in the bathroom.

The woman ran for the door but closed it when she saw men in robes walking past it. She went to a drawer and searched its contents. She opened two more doors; ravaging through clothes and underwear until she stumbled upon a gun. With shaky hands, she picked it up. Her tears blurred her vision, and she let out a soft cry.

The man opened the bathroom door, zipping up his pants. He threw his hands back at the sudden bang. He grunted at the sight of the woman on the floor. Blood poured out of her head and wet the carpet.

Muriel limped out of the bathroom, battered and with a torn uniform. She clutched a pill bottle in her hand while the other supported what was left of her uniform. Tucking her bruised lip, she left.

Two more men dashed in with their guns. "What's going on, Father Hendricks?" one of them asked.

"Don't worry, another bitch has just committed suicide." Father Hendricks dismissed. "Take her body to the kitchen. Our lord will be pleased to have her for dinner."

"But of course, Father." the men bowed and made their way to the corpse.

****

Ruth stood motionless at her window. She set her hand on the glass as she stared at the vast rainforest behind it. It was drizzling outside and all she wanted was to have a feel of the rain but alas the window was closed shut.

Ruth whipped her hair back to the sound of her door getting unlocked. She smiled at Muriel entering with a trailer. Ruth, however, frowned at the bruise around Muriel's lip.

She gasped alarmed by the other visible bruises and belt lashes. Muriel smiled at Ruth, but she shook her head disapprovingly in return. Ruth gestured to the bed and Muriel reluctantly sat down.

'What happened to you?' Ruth asked, concerned.

'I got punished for doing something I shouldn't have.' she explained but noted that Ruth was still frowning. ‘It's okay, I have been forgiven.' Muriel smiled again.

'What monsters they all are.' Ruth motioned with a scowl and Muriel sighed.

'It's time for your breakfast.' Muriel changed the subject. She tried to get up but cringed at the stinging pain of her wounds.

Ruth got up and went to the trailer. She pulled up the lid on the dish without thinking and dropped it to the floor in fright. Muriel shook her head at her but Ruth kept her eyes on the disgusting bowl before her.

Muriel ignored her pain and bent down to pick up the lid. She covered the fresh intestines in the bowl and shook her finger mockingly at Ruth.

'Never open what I bring on your own.' Muriel told Ruth who obediently nodded her head. 'Your food is down here.' she pulled up the cloth and revealed fries and a chicken drumstick. 'Good, no?' she smiled and Ruth smiled back at her.

'Thank you so much.' Ruth reached out for the plate.

She sat on the floor and sank her teeth into the spicy tender chicken. Ruth forked up three fries and stuffed her mouth. It surprised her so much that she still had an appetite despite the horrific intestines she had just seen. Their smell still lingered in the air.

Her train of thoughts reminded her of her pregnancy, and she put the fork down upset. Ruth turned her eyes to Muriel uncovering the bowl on the tray.

Muriel sighed at the intestines, and pulled out a bottle of pills from her apron. She threw two at the back of her throat and downed them with a bottle of water. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ruth motioning at her.

'Yes?' she asked.

'Is there a chance that you could help me get my hands on abortion pills?' Ruth repeated.

Muriel dropped her gaze in thought. She backed away from the trailer and painfully sat down in front of Ruth. 'You want to abort?'

'Who wouldn't?' Ruth aggressively gestured. 'I strongly believe that my boyfriend will come for me and I don't want to continue my life with him with this Godforsaken child.' Ruth's tears dropped and Muriel frowned sadly at her.

'The baby is innocent.' Muriel motioned and was met with a glare. 'I also can't help you. There is no safe way for you to abort here.' she continued.

Ruth let out soft cries, "Why must I mother this child?" she complained aloud in anguish.

'What if the baby is not my lord's but your boyfriend’s' Muriel pointed out and Ruth looked at her stricken with surprise. 'Think about it, it's possible.'

"Matt's baby?" Ruth mouthed aloud again. 'You could be right.' Ruth smiled and scratched her head. 'Let me see, I met with my boyfriend a day before Asmodues kidnapped me. He raped me almost a week later and... 'Ruth frowned, 'I honestly can't tell who the father is.' she bit her finger.

'That doubt should be enough to stop you from these abortion thoughts. It's too risky at the moment.' Muriel insisted.

Ruth reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. 'Okay, there's only one thing I ask of you then.'

Muriel tilted her head and dropped her eyebrows. 'What?'

'Help me escape this place.' Ruth motioned with seriousness and Muriel widened her eyes in fear.

****

The Brazilian man, whose body was used by Asmodues, laid paralyzed and wide awake on a king-sized bed. He was sweating so much that he wet the bedding beneath him. Mosquitoes fed on his blood, but he was too helpless to smack them away.

The lights in the room flickered uncontrollably. The man muffled in fear. Dark smoke got into the room from underneath the door and through the vents.

The man tried with all his might to move his limbs but it was all in vain. The smoke increased at the same rate as his heartbeat. Before he knew it, he was completely surrounded. He closed his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut.

The smoky figure got hold of his jaw, forcing it open. The man screamed in pain as all the smoke got into his mouth. He sat up with a curved back and head thrown behind screaming like a maniac. Veins in his body popped up throughout his skin. His screams turned into roars. His eyes took up a coal-black color. Fangs filled his mouth as his deafening roars increased.

Asmodues cracked his neck and his eyes returned to normal. The scowl on his face, however, was uncanny. He got out of bed and flexed his muscles. Raising his hand to his face, he balled it up into a fist and grunted.

"I absolutely hate the fact that I only have this ability in the night. As soon as that child is born, I will have a permanent body. I can't wait." Asmodues said, a gentle knock was heard on the door, "Come in," he permitted and Hendricks walked in with his head bowed down.

"Forgive me my lord but the Lamia you sent to attack the trespassers is here. She seeks your presence." Hendricks respectfully announced.

Asmodues put on a shirt over his black vest and walked out of the room. All the men in the hallway bowed down to him as he made his way out. Those on the first floor did the same when they caught sight of him but Asmodues paid no attention to them. One man offered him an umbrella and another opened the door for him.

Asmodues walked into the rain and made his way into the forest alone. The huge Victorian mansion behind him was soon hidden by trees the further he went. He came to the river and scoffed at the pitiful Lamia in it.

More than half of her flesh was peeled off. Her hair was so burnt that what was left was a reddish scalp with patches of hair. She hissed at Asmodues when he got to the river bank.

"You look beautiful, Anna." Asmodues smirked.

"Fuck you," Anna retorted. "this is all your fault."

"How so?"

"You did not tell me that I was going to have to deal with a servant of God!" she whipped her tail hard against the water in anger with a splash.

Asmodues widened his eyes in shock, "What?"

"You heard me. There's a true servant of God amongst those people. She is the reason I am in this state.

"No,"

"Yes, I say we kill her."

Asmodues' fangs appeared, "Are you mad? You should know that no one can touch His anointed." he stressed.

"What will you do then? They are on their way here. With her on their team, He will surely lead them to you and you know what will happen next." she emphasized.

Asmodues cracked up laughing. "Where there is a will, there is a way, descendant of Lilith. We can't kill that servant, but we can surely delay her and everyone else with her. As far as killing is concerned, my focus is only on Matthew Daka. His days are numbered.”

"You are on your own, Asmodues. Not after these wounds." Anna vehemently refused with an eye roll.

Asmodues tilted his head to the side. Anna backed away in fright at his beaming red eyes. She lifted peeled her hands in surrender. "Do you think you have a choice?" he asked her.

"All right but after this, our score is settled." And with that, Anna sank into the river, leaving Asmodues grinning to himself with red beaming eyes.