Savage Moon 06 - The New Breed - 8. Chapter 8

The truck ride home was a quick one. I hardly noticed the time at all. The sun was already beginning its descent, turning the sky to an early afternoon shade of gray. My mind seemed to dive so deep into the depths of the calling that I found myself staring at nothing for long periods of time. Not thinking at all. Simply 'feeling' the world around me. The sounds, with a heightened clarity I've never known before, flooding my ears with a brilliance that I couldn't explain. It was as if my body was relieved to be running on autopilot for a change. No more confusing thoughts, no more conflicting patterns, no more asking myself for 'permission' to think what I was thinking without shame. No hiding. No apologies. Just instinct. Desire. And truth...without guilt.

When the truck came to a stop outside of the old house, we all managed to dismount from the back of the truck and walk towards the front door in a line. Cyrus entered first, and the twins guarded both sides of the doorway. Our union was strong. Even stronger than it was earlier this morning. I could feel it surging through my fingertips, and fluttering behind my heated eyelids with every blink. I believe the others felt it too, because their energies seemed to mix into it naturally. Kriegar's aggression, Kristin's intuition, Sebastian's sexuality, John Boy's awareness..they poured into me, my body taking in as much as it could before giving off a special light of its own in response.

What was my place in all this? Why was it so difficult for me to define, when it came so naturally to the others? Despite my best efforts to let myself be swept into a certain position under Cyrus' rule...there always seemed to be something missing. A tiny, yet important, piece of the puzzle that kept wanting to change things in the group. A slight discomfort that was growing inside of me as I slipped further and further into this new way of life. It hungered for more than my share. It was always desiring more. And what I take from Dexter...I could take from the others What's to stop me, right?

No....no, that's wrong. I can't. Cyrus is our leader. Our father. He brought us into the light, and I am honored to follow him. It would be blasphemy to not submit. To not obey. To not follow. I was chosen to follow...and Father will 'give' me my place at his table...when he feels the time is right.

I expected Cyrus to sit in his usual seat once we entered the house, but instead he went into the kitchen, and told Kristin to accompany him. Scout walked over to the kitchen door behind them, but did not go in. Instead, he sat down, cross-legged, at the door's entrance, and waited patiently for Cyrus' return. While everyone else settled into the couches around the room to enjoy the music and left over alcohol from the night before, I noticed Sebastian sitting gracefully on the steps by himself. As many offenses as he has brought to my heart...I still can't look a his beauty without a certain level of awe and amazement. Just to have him cross your vision was a form of sexual indulgence, and I'm sure that he has inspired some outrageous fantasies in his time.

Before I even had a chance to think twice about it, I walked over to join him. There was so little hesitation between thought and action these past two days, and the time between them was getting shorter all the time. It was almost like watching yourself move from a distance, feeling it happen, but having no real control over what you will do next Something about that felt so...impulsive. So 'wicked'. And just when I thought I couldn't be seduced any further into darkness...I found another lonely glimmer of light shining from within me. A light that needed to be extinguished...so that the darkness could completely take me to the next level. The less light there was...the more release I felt. Unbound and unshackled for the first time, virtually weightless, with no limits on what I could do or what I could have. the walls of my cage broke away, and I was finally left free to roam.

Sebastian had his small paperback novel opened up, ratty with dingy folded pages and half of the cover ripped off. Still, he enjoyed the silence and solitude of reading enough to where it just didn't matter. He didn't seem to be bothered by my intrusion when I sat next to him on the same step. He didn't even look in my direction at first. "Another book?" I asked.

"I try to get through at least one a week, if possible." He replied softly, the soft brown locks of hair hiding all but his small nose and seductive lips from me in profile. "It keeps me tuned in to the mind of the authors writing. I look at life....they look at life." He said. "It's important to notice how others see the world."

"Interesting." I was hoping to get a better reaction from him, but it was silly to think that Sebastian would be one to initiate a 'connection' on even a basic level. "Strange thing...those guys on the road today, huh?"

"Hmm." He said, barely paying attention from the looks of it.

I waited for a few moments, just to make sure that I wasn't actually bothering him. Lord knows he's given me enough rejection for me to not warrant any more 'practice' on his part. But after a short silence, I said, "I guess...I'm supposed to go with you tonight then. Maybe...you know...to watch...and stuff."

Sebastian put his book down between his knees, and looked over me this time. "Watch?"

"Well...yeah. You know...see you guys 'do your thing', or whatever."

"And what exactly is our thing, Wesley?" He said, his eyes becoming a bit intimidating all of a sudden.

"I just...I thought..."

John Boy walked over to the steps with a smile. "What I think our young pup is trying to say is...he's ready and willing to learn how we do things here, Sebastian A game of 'show and tell' that will prepare him for future pack activities." He said. "You'd know that if you paid closer attention."

"I was paying enough attention to know that he's got things backwards." Sebastian answered, raising his book again.

"Backwards?" I asked, and John Boy came to sit a few steps below me, laying his head back in between my open legs.

"Everybody participates" John Boy said.

"Everybody gets their hands dirty." Sebastian added.

I wasn't sure if I had gotten it right...but were they asking me to...hurt somebody tonight? John Boy ran his hand slowly up and down my leg, and moved his head a bit to rest gently between my thighs. My hands instinctively moved down to rub small circles over his short brown hair. It was soft, like baby hair, and I could feel his head vibrate a little as he purred from the contact. The sensual nature of it almost caused my mind to be wiped clean of any questions regarding tonight's little 'raid'...but with some focus and a little bit of a struggle, I was able to hold on to the idea for a little bit longer.

"Wait...am I supposed to help you guys beat them up or something?" Both Sebastian and John Boy began with a smirk, and then started snickering when they couldn't hold it in any longer. "What? What's the joke?"

"Wes, believe me..." John Boy grinned, "Your nights of beating up bullies on beaches and parking lots are over. It was fun for a few 'baby steps' worth of loyalty...but we're moving on to bigger and better things now. This is something you've gotta learn to do for yourself, and quickly."

Sebastian turned a page in his book, and said in a light voice, "He's gonna freeeeeeeeaaaak out on us, watch."

"No he's not. Wesley is going to be awesome, aren't you, Wes?" He asked me.

"I don't know. How bad are we talking about hurting them?"

"Until the 'hurt'....doesn't hurt any more." Sebastian smiled.

"You're gonna...KILL them??? For busting out a headlight? You're gonna KILL them for that?"

"Oh God, no!" John Boy giggled. "We're gonna kill them just for KICKS! Who gives a shit about a headlight? We can buy another one. Hehehe!"

Sebastian let loose, and laughed a bit more as they saw my reaction. Were they just...kidding? Or were they totally serious and just laughing at me for the fun of it? Sebastian said, "Hehehe, I told you he was gonna freak."

"Don't mind him..." John Boy told me. "...Sebastian's just jealous because his last 'picks' for our union turned out to be a total bust." He rubbed my leg some more. "But you, Wes? I think Cyrus sees big things for you."

"But wait...back to this...um...killing thing..." I said, trying to keep my focus from slipping.

"Why don't you just GO, and see what happens?" Sebastian said. "Maybe you'll find out that you enjoy it."

"Enjoy it? But..."

John Boy cut in, "I know what you're thinking, Wesley. You think that it's wrong, and when the time comes...you won't be able to do it. But I can assure you...you can. And you will." Was that supposed to ease my mind or frighten the shit out of me? "You felt it out there on that road today. Didn't you? I know you did."

"I told you, John Boy, the new breed should remain here with the rest of us. Take Kristen instead, and get the job done right." Sebastian cautioned him strongly, still against me being adopted into their activities so quickly.

"He'll be fine. Cyrus needs him to be experienced, and he has a lot to learn."

"He has one transformation under his belt, John Boy. One."

"After tonight...he'll have two." John Boy grinned. "He has to be prepared for his initiation."

"What's my initiation?" I asked, hoping to stop them from talking about me like I wasn't sitting right there with them.

They were both silent for a moment, and instead of telling me, they smiled and said, "...To be continued" I felt a surge of doubt enter my mind, and I think they could sense it somehow, because John Boy leaned his head back again, and rubbed it back and forth between my legs, causing my erection to swell predictably from the contact. You would think that it wouldn't have that much effect on me, but the sexual nature of it seemed to feed the calling with a renewed energy. It pushed all the appropriate buttons in me, and like a dark cloud rolling towards the coast in a high wind...the wickedness within me got stronger. My thought patterns began to change, and it was hard to decipher which patterns were from 'me', and which ones weren't.

I leaned down, with my hands on either side of John Boy's head, and kissed the top of his soft brown hair. Only to pull him back against me again as I grew hard for him. Sometimes..temptation can be bliss.

I would go. I would go out tonight with my family...and I'll find the men that doubted our power..and I'll hurt them. I'll hurt them...until it just doesn't hurt any more. And once we're done spilling their blood from one wall to the other...I'm going to come back to this house, I'm going to take my 13 year old John Boy upstairs...and I'm going to sink my hardness as deeply into his tight young hole as I possibly can. This world is half mine now. I can have whatever I want. Who's to say otherwise.

Sebastian noticed the slight change in my demeanor, and he shook his head at John Boy. "Cheater."

Despite the many mental and spiritual seductions that they had performed on me, cracking the code to my thoughts, to my ego...it was the sexual seduction that had the most instantaneous effects. It was immediate gratification for listening to my passions' call. My instant reward for giving in. And they could trigger it oh so easily.

"So...are you going to join us tonight, Sebastian?" I asked...already feeling a gentle smirk curl up in the corner of my mouth, as I surrendered to the idea of attending this special little game of theirs.

"Me? No." He said, tucking some of his long hair behind his left ear and allowing me to see more of his unblemished skin from the side. "Such brutish displays are more Kriegar's cup of tea than my own. Besides...I don't like getting dirty."

"What about Cyrus?" I asked, and Sebastian looked at me as if I was being silly for even asking such a question. "What? What did I say?"

John Boy answered, "Cyrus doesn't 'change', Wes. The human form you see is usually more than enough."

I thought about it for a second. "Why doesn't he change?"

"Because he often doesn't need to." Sebastian told me. "Full transformation is 'grunt' work, if you ask me. It's the duty of his soldiers, not his generals. Me and John Boy included."

"But...but he CAN change though, right?"

John Boy smiled wickedly. "If the need presents itself, yes. I assure you he can."

"Just like the rest of us?" I asked.

"No. Not like us." Sebastian said.

"Really? Why not?"

"Because Cyrus is a first generation Alpha."

"An alpha?"

"Yes."

"Well...what does that mean?" I was hoping to get a straight answer from Sebastian, but all he said was...

"It means that you should hope and pray on everything you hold dear that you never have to see it. Not a day in your life."

John Boy added, "It's a lightning bolt from the sky, Wesley. An act of God. To ever reach the point where an Alpha has to go through complete transformation...it's the kind of thing nightmares are made of." I tried to imagine what it would be like, seeing Cyrus change...but I guess my vision of him was a severe understatement. "He's bigger than all of us, Wesley. Stronger. A dominant beast of pure horror, that could tear a hole in mankind and shake the stars from the sky. It is a miracle to behold...even without sight. The devil himself couldn't put on a bigger show."

I looked over at Sebastian, who seemed to be looking for the place where he left off in his book, and asked, "So...have you...um...have you guys ever seen it?"

"Once or twice." he said, marking his page with a 'dog ear'.

I almost didn't want to ask, but I was too curious not to. "So...when was the last time...you know...that Cyrus went into...'wolf mode', or whatever?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Please tell me he did not just say 'wolf mode'?"

John Boy grinned and told me, "It was about six or seven months ago actually. A time I'm sure Sebastian, here, would like to forget."

"What happened?" I waited for an answer, and John Boy was waiting on Sebastian to give me one. "Come on, tell me. When was the last time Cyrus had to change?" I asked.

Sebastian lowered his book, and looked me directly in the eye. "It was when Jonah and Simone tried to leave our union. That's when."

Jonah? Simone? The brother and sister that Kyla had told me about? The ones that used to be with them before they met up with an...accident, as Cyrus so eloquently put it? "What happened to them?"

"Don't be dense, Wesley." Sebastian said

"Are they...did he...?" I asked.

"You should know. You're wearing Jonah's clothes. You sleep in his bed. What did you think Kriegar had buried in the backyard? Jimmy Hoffa?" I swore, for a moment...I think I actually felt my body temperature drop. A shiver went through me as I thought about the ghost images I had been seeing of that boy that lived upstairs. The pictures in the bedroom, the scent on his clothes, the stains on the carpet outside of the upstairs bathroom. Perhaps it had been obvious to me the whole time...I just didn't want to see it. My conscious mind wouldn't let me.

"They left the group...?" I said softly, a tremble in my voice.

"They tried." Sebastian replied. "There's only one way out of our union...and they found it. HARD. Cyrus wanted to take care of the problem personally. He wouldn't let us touch either one of them. It was something he wanted to do for himself, I suppose."

"Awful mess." John Boy said. "This place was hardly livable for a week or two afterwards."

Sebastian connected eyes with me and said, "There are two rules that you would do well to remember, kid. Rule number one...Father loves us. He loves us with all his heart. But he will not hesitate to rip any one of us into tiny little shreds of bloody lunch meat if he ever deems it necessary. It can, will, and HAS happened before. So believe it."

"Jesus..." I whispered.

"And rule number two...if you ever disobey Father's order, if you try to take what belongs to him, if you ever try to fucking run out on us or distance yourself for the pack....see rule number one." He told me, a cold stare in his eye. "Family is family. For the rest of your life. How long that 'life' will be...is up to you. As far as Cyrus is concerned...he's the one that gave it to you. And he can take it back whenever he pleases."

At that moment, Cyrus and Kristin emerged from the kitchen, and I saw Scout stand up to swiftly join his master's side. To look at him, he still seemed so calm. Cyrus truly had the face of an angel, and despite his obvious strength and intensity...he was hardly someone that others would classify as being the most dangerous one of us all. He was hardly any bigger than I was, a sweet-faced blond heartbreaker with hazel eyes that could melt your defenses down with the right smile attached. But...behind those eyes, lurking in the darkened corners of that beautiful face...was a true demon. A creature of such power, such rage...that to cross its path was a guaranteed death wish. There would be no defense against it. You couldn't fight it. You wouldn't be able to outrun it. And once you found yourself face to face with the monster inside...all you would be able to do is pray for it to be over quickly. Once those teeth sank into your vulnerable flesh...it would be over. And something about that excited me. A creature more powerful than myself. A beast that had no equal. Lacking remorse, lacking mercy...a broken mold that could neither be copied nor challenged. It was the personification of the apocalypse, all contained in the body of one teenage boy, not much older than myself. How amazing is that?

The room came alive as fresh cold drinks were handed out from the refrigerator, and the music was cranked up slightly in the background. Cyrus sent Scout over to give John Boy, Sebastian, and me a cold bottle each. I expected him to give me the cold shoulder as always...but he didn't. Instead...he handed me the bottle, and held his eye contact for a moment or two before letting a smirk cross his almost 'babyish' lips, and walking back over to join Cyrus in his favorite chair.

I didn't even think about it this time. I just opened the bottle, and began to drink from it. The liquor didn't have the same sting to it as it used to when I was first getting used to it. It was hard to believe that I had never taking a liking to it until a week or so ago. All of the wickedness and taboos that I had built up in my mind against it...had suddenly all vanished. What I once thought would lead me into a downward spiral of misery and self destruction...was nothing more than...a 'drink'. A little dizziness, a couple of giggles, and a minor escape from the world as I saw it when I was completely sober. I don't even know how I got talked into this drinking stuff, it's so hard to remember. But, it was hardly any different from the hang ups I had about being gay. Hiding a desire for it, telling myself it was wrong, trying to avoid the 'evil' of it. And in the end...admitting it wasn't half as bad as I expected it to be. Odd. Ugh...my mind feels so clouded right now. So upside down.

I think that my attention was interrupted however when I heard an Eminem song come on over the blaring speakers connected to the entertainment system. It was one that I remembered distinctly, word for word, and I had to smile to myself for a moment. Somehow, John Boy could sense my grin. "You seem happy." He said.

"Huh? Oh...no. It's just...this song. I remember this song." I said. "My little brother, Nick...he used to..." I paused for a second. And my mind felt as though it had been temporarily scattered, like shaking a picture clean from an Etch-A-Sketch toy. The very idea of referring to my own baby brother as a 'used to' seemed so...strange to me. As though he were some long forgotten memory of a life that barely existed before now. It was so backwards. John Boy and Sebastian looked to me to finish what I was saying, and as the fog rolled back in, I tried to hide my awkward thoughts by making it seem a though it were no big deal. Even though the thought of losing my brother...the one I thought was soooo annoying before...carried with it a sting that rivaled the potent tang of the liquor in my bottle. "Um...he uhhh....he 'used to' keep this CD with him and play it in secret so my parents wouldn't hear. He kept it in an Aaron Carter case, and..." They didn't seem to find much value in my nostalgia, so I decided to wrap it up. "...It was just...something I remember as being...weird. That's all. It's nothing." They were satisfied with the answer I guess, and they didn't pay the comment much attention, but a small pinch of sadness tugged at my heart as I realized...that maybe I missed him. Just a little bit.

I sat there on the stairs, tilting that bottle back, hoping that some of the soothing liquid would somehow help the calling to erase the subtle ache in my belly that cried out for my family, and my friends, and a taste of my old life before getting all caught up in this mess. And then...it was as if I could feel my father's eyes watching me. In fact, I could hear his voice in my head...clear as day.

"LOOK at him, Helen! You see? You SEE? DRINKING! Swearing! Violence! Fornication! He has completely lost his grace!" My father said. "He's no son of mine! He's broken EVERY rule! EVERY God given commandment but one! And he's preparing to complete the circle tonight! There is NO salvation for a soul that has abandoned its God! NO salvation at all!" I took another deep drink from the lips of that glass bottle, hoping and praying that it would make the voices go away. Or at least build me a shield that would protect me from their savage cuts into my spirit. "He's LOST, Helen! We have failed. And now he is well on the path to damnation Damnation and eternal fire. You disappoint me, boy." I drank even more, almost emptying half the bottle until I began to gag a bit on the overindulgence of it. I couldn't understand it. The voice was so crisp. So clear.

And it was then that looked past Sebastian to a wooden Crucifix that was hanging over the fireplace. It was caved to perfection, with a Jesus figure hanging from it, crown of thorns, spear wound in the side...there was much detail paid to the pain and suffering involved in it. But as I looked more closely...I thought....I could have sworn that....I saw it....move!

I rubbed my eyes and just leaned back on the steps a bit more. It must have been the alcohol. It must have been something in the drink that's making me see things. But it was then that I heard a cry from the other room. And when I looked back...the figure on the crucifix was dripping blood from the hands and feet. I saw more streaks of red run down the figurine's face as the crown of thorns began to bleed as well. I tried to blink and clear my eyes again to make me see straight. I tried to ignore it, or somehow push it out of my mind. But the cries of the man being tortured were very clear, and getting louder. It began to move and squirm in agony, the supposed weight of it causing the wounds to rip open, and bleed profusely down into the flames of the fireplace. Wisps of smoke rose from the burning wood as the blood caught fire like gasoline. It burned brightly a the screams got even louder. Sounding like they were right inside my head. I looked on in horror as the Jesus figure struggled helplessly to get down from the cross, the agony and suffering causing him to look up towards the Heavens and scream out with all the power it could muster.

I covered my ears, closed my eyes, and tried to ignore it. Please go away. Please? Bu, even in darkness, my father's voice remained strong. "The boy needs BOUNDARIES! He's running WILD, Helen! I can't turn my back on him for a second!" I put the liquor bottle down beside me, and rocked slightly from side to side, trying to get these visions to leave me But they wouldn't go away.

And when I opened my eyes again...the Jesus figure had given up its struggle. It had stopped screaming. And instead...had traded in his suffering for something else. Something stronger...to take away the pain. And that is when I saw the eyebrows arch upwards at an evil angle, and the mouth stretched wide in each corner as the eyes began to glow a bright shade of greenish gold. The teeth became sharp as daggers, and it ripped one of its arms loose from the cross..blood spraying the fireplace mantle as it fought to be free. A deep and guttural growl came from the figurines belly as it began to transform right in front of me. To stretch and contort, reconstructing itself into a more powerful animal. One that could tear itself down from that crucifix, end its own suffering, and create mayhem and chaos to everyone in its path. The same creature...that I had become.

In that moment, I felt the whole house rumble, and the floor split wide open! The fires of Hell rising up to claim me and every other person in that room! The noise was unbearable! A symphony of souls crying out in pain flooded my mind, and the heat from the fire and brimstone licked mercilessly at my cheeks! The walls began to crumble around me, and my eyes began to burn! I tried to move further up the stairs, but the flames seemed to wrap themselves around me like long tentacles...with human hands at the end. They grabbed me, holding onto my arms and legs as I tried hard to get away. I shouted out for the others, but they all remained still. As though they couldn't hear me. As though they didn't see what was happening!

It's just....it's JUST an illusion! It's...my head just fucking with me! Cyrus said I would see things...and....and I'm seeing things. It's bullshit. All of this....it's bullshit But the more I tried to deny the reality of it, the hotter the fires burned. The tighter the grip of the monstrous tentacles holding on to me. It was all of my worst fears, the darkest side of my beliefs, come to life And suddenly the floor beneath me began to give way, and the stairs began to crumble! There was no ignoring gravity...and I felt myself begin to lose balance and actually FALL! I crawled back up the steps a bit as they withered and burned and disintegrated beneath me. I had to hold on to the side railing, and found myself dangling helplessly over a giant pit of fire! Looking down into it, it looked more like a swirling whirlpool of blood red molten lava! The whole world looked like it was burning, and everything that wasn't on fire was shrouded in a level of darkness that couldn't even be comprehended by the human eye. Hell had come to claim me, and I couldn't fight it. I was too far gone to fight it.

The center of the swirling lava seemed to grow what looked like a thousand rows of sharp teeth, beneath me. The vortex reached out with more tentacles, each one acting like a predatory tongue...and it began to pull and claw at me with razor sharp fingertips. Claws made of ice...that shredded my flesh like warm butter. It was getting harder and harder to hold on. And when my fingers finally let go of the railing...I felt directly into the center of the Hell mouth...to be eaten, and tormented, and ripped to pieces...over and over again....for all eternity.

I shut my eyes so tight that tears squirted out to both sides, and then felt a pain in my chest as I felt it hit the floor beneath me! I coughed and sputtered for a few seconds, and when I had taken notice of the fact that the screams around me had stopped...I opened my eyes.

I was laying face down on the floor of the old house, with my arms folded across my chest...holding on for dear life. I blinked a few times, and then heard a burst of laughter come from the others. "What the FUCK are you doing, new breed???" Kriegar cackled.

Kristin nearly spit out her drink, "Dude, did you just DIVE off of the freakin' staircase! That is MAJOR! Hahaha!"

It took me a second or two to get my bearings back, and when I looked back at John Boy and Sebastian, they were giggling their asses off. John Boy actually had to take off his glasses and wipe the tears of laughter from his silver eyes. He said, "Omigod, Wes...I'm sorry! Hahaha! I tried to catch you before you jumped, but you didn't give us enough warning!"

I quickly jumped up to my feet and brushed myself off, still shivering with fear, trying to make sure that all of 'me' was still there. "What the fuck?!?!?!" I shouted, still twitching from the realism of it all! "What the....I...."

Cyrus put his hand on my shoulder and I practically jumped five feet away from him. "Whoah...hold on! Hehehe, you ok?" He asked me.

"There was...there....I saw....FIRE! I saw fire everywhere!!!" I gasped, unable to catch my breath.

"It's ok, Wes. It's..." He reached out to touch me, and my body still jerked away involuntarily. "...It's alright. I told you...it's just a daydream. They'll go away in a day or two. You just need to get used to the 'spill over', that's all." He tried to hold back his chuckles, but his smile couldn't be contained. "It must have been one hell of a first ride, huh?"

"I saw...fire. And..a giant mouth. And the crucifix on the wall, it was...it was MOVING...and BLEEDING...and..."

"What crucifix on the wall?" Cyrus asked me. And when I looked over the fireplace, sure enough...there was nothing there.

"No. No wait..I...I saw it, it was there. It was RIGHT there! And it was screaming! And I saw blood coming from its hands and feet and head! I fucking SAW it!" I turned to Kristin and said, "It was there, wasn't it? You saw it, didn't you?"

"A crucifix, Wes? In THIS house? You're kidding me, right?" She replied.

Cyrus attempted to comfort me, and this time, I allowed him to lightly rest his hand on my shoulder. "Okaaaaay....so, maybe you've been thumping that Bible a little harder than I thought were." He grinned. "Let me guess...hellfire and brimstone. Right?"

My lips were still quivering a bit, but I answered him anyway. "Y-Y-Yeah..."

"They trained you good, kid. But don't worry about it, k? That doctrine of guilt and punishment will all begin to melt away in time. Trust me on this. It's just your brain reacting to years of horror stories and fairy tales. You understand?" He said, and....I just couldn't seem to relax or regain my composure. Everyone was looking at me, some of them still snickering behind my back. But I know it was real. It FELT real! It just...I just...

Cyrus could see my discomfort, and called to the twins. "Shank, Razor...our boy Wesley isn't feeling too 'righteous' at the moment. And we need him to be focused this evening, if you know what I mean." He told them, and the both stood up on their feet with a sly grin on their faces. "Why don't you two take our pretty little blond upstairs and help him...cast out some of those 'demons', hmmm?"

"Yes, Father." They said in unison, and with an almost cat like stride in their step, they approached me. Their green eyes sparkled with mischief, and the lightly took a hold of each of my hands, and raised them up to their soft lips. They both sucked my middle finger into their warmth, and smiled at me as they gave me a gentle tug to lead me back to the stairs.

"We have the remedy for what ails him, Cyrus." Shank said.

"ALL that ails him." Shank added.

"We'll have ourselves some fun before we head out for the evening."

"Much fun, indeed."

And step by step, they led me up into temptation again. And while my fears and weaknesses were traumatized by what I had just seen....my calling had no choice, but to follow.