Halloween at St. Etienne
...enter Evangeline…
It felt like only yesterday, yet it seemed so long ago. The darkness engulfed me like the hot torrid flames of an uncontrollable inferno. And through the windows the scant light from the candles served as stars in this dark universe. The scent was unmistakably musty with a hint of…blood, old blood. How peculiar. The cold driving rain hit my face like piercing needles. But I didn't mind. I love the rain.
I came to this place to find him. I received his invitation several weeks back, a sort of riddle as you may. He had made references to all things dark and to come to his Halloween soiree. To come to St. Etienne, an abandoned cathedral on the outskirts of the city.
I arrived drenched and tired, coming a long way to get here. The rain had fallen in steady streams of melancholy, pouring the sorrows of the world upon my scalp. Solitary and determined, with a dash of apprehension mixed in for good measure, I enter through the rusted metal gates and past the dying olive trees withered beyond reparation. The two massive wooden doors are already open and I enter….into another dimension. I open his letter to read it again.
"Dearest Evangeline…look around you and what do you see? Deep territories lit by the darkness of my deceit. Ask your spiritual guides for safe passage through emotional burdens too intense for others but can be overcome by your vision. Please come…alone. It will be fun, and I won't touch a hair on your head. I will even let you leave whenever you want. Dress as an angel, you know how much I like to see you in your outfit. Oh, I have a new girl by the way, we'll call her St. Etienne for now. See you then…kisses, Frost."
I know he is here, I can sense him. Cautiously I walk through these hallowed halls, having no destination nor no rendezvous. But with one goal and one goal only…to find Frost.
St. Etienne had been ravaged by the war decades ago and never rebuilt. Many people died in this area and the locals would never step foot on this holy ground. Back then it was the largest cathedral in these parts. Legend had it, that it was haunted. There were reports of strangers lurking outside the grounds in the middle of the night and several miles away, the villagers could hear screams and howls coming from these very walls. As if the old stone walls have a life of their own. I think they do.
In the distance I hear the faint cries of a woman and his trademark laugh. An animalistic guttural chortle that reverberates fear more than anything else. I am getting closer and with each footstep my heartbeat increases. I descend a staircase into deep territories and find myself lost in these passageways. But with his laugh he beckons me, he calls out to me to come closer. I wonder…does he know I am coming?
The woman screams in pain or pleasure? I cannot tell. The echoes are getting louder as the light reflecting off these slick walls gets brighter. Rainwater drips on the floor and I hear whispers. They tell me not to come closer. To go back from where I came. Their words pierce my soul with thoughts of no salvation, asking me for their safety when I all alone cannot validate their request. My heart skips a beat in this darkness. This godforsaken place is alive and I sense it knows who I am and what I am capable of.
I hear the moans of two people fornicating. Knowing Frost, this was his idea of a party. He loved his women, sometimes too much. He is a dangerous being. I say being, for I am not sure "what" he is. He has Angel properties like me, and is immensely psychic and physically strong. There are not too many beings out there like us. Whereas I use my powers for good, he uses his for his own benefit. He is half human and half demon for all I know. Where he went wrong I have no idea, we came from the same school…the School of Velocity.
Yes, the sound is unmistakable. A woman moaning in pleasure and a man grunting along with her. I come upon a large wooden door. Bright yellow light filters out through the cracks with a note placed crookedly across it…"Angels allowed, all others stay the fuck out. Have a Happy Halloween!"
I enter. The first thing I notice are two people in the middle of an enormous room on a king size bed fucking like animals. There are others as well, all seated on velvet chairs fit for a king watching and gabbing. They are all wearing various costumes to celebrate the occasion. At first they don't notice my entrance until I step closer and the lights illuminate me. They gasp at my appearance.
"A real live Angel. Look!" One of the women sitting on a purple velvet chair exclaims. My wet clothes clung to me like saran wrap. My long hair had turn indigo blue, my eyes purple and my lips turquoise blue. Yes, when I am in "angel" mode my appearance changes to several colors depending on my mood. I am 21, stand 5'7" and weigh 110 pounds. My unblemished porcelain skin glows an off-white hue. To some, I look like a ghost. But my blood flows with the forces of the universe. I am very much real.
