This chapter is PG-13 for witchcraft, plus Satan appears. Same warnings as before.
Margaret scampered down the halls, looking for an exit. However, there didn't seem to be any outside door leading out. The kitten then remembered that she had been zapped here with the witches. Maybe that was the only way in or out of this place? If that was the case, Mike was doomed.
Rounding a corner, she spotted a small group of witches, all dressed in black, talking amongst themselves. It was Synthea's coven; disgraced witches Estelle Duke, Magnolia Karol, and Gwen, Sophia and Alice. Julia was sitting in a chair alone on the other side of the room, her hands folded on her lap.
Margaret recognized some of them, but a few were new to her. She went over to the wall, and listened to what they were talking about.
"So, it's too bad you aren't a witch Queen anymore, Estelle." Sophia said sympathetically.
"Yes, I lost a fight to that angel and he punished me." Estelle said bitterly. "After all I've done for him."
"Hush, don't talk like that." Alice said, "You know the master wants results every time."
"I had to sell my castle and..." Estelle paused as an unhappy sensation hit her. "Excuse me, where's the ladies room around here?" Because Estelle had lost a fight with Elizabeth, Satan had also made the witch incontinent for one hundred earth years.
"There's none down here." Alice replied, "You'll have to go upstairs, and I think there's one down the hall from the door."
"Thank you." Estelle said quickly, then walked away.
Margaret heard what Alice said and quickly followed Estelle down the hall. At the end of a dead-end hallway, Estelle pushed a side wall stone in and the wall in front of them slid to the side, revealing a set of stone stairs. The ceiling above the stairs slid back too. The witch climbed up the steps and up onto the floor above. Margaret waited a few seconds, then charged up the steps after her. Half-way up, the ceiling began to close and Margaret just barely got through before the slab slid back all the way.
++++
Elizabeth, Micky, Peter, Davy and Darlene appeared in the hallway between two long rows of musty-smelling books.
"Where are we?" Micky asked.
"I don't believe it." Darlene said.
"What, Darlene?" Peter asked.
"We're in the library's basement." She replied.
"The library?" Davy asked this time.
"Yes, this is where we keep the old, un-used books." Darlene said. "Elizabeth, can you detect Mike?"
"He's this way." The angel said, leading the group to the end of the hall, where it met a wider one.
At the intersection, the group stopped again. Suddenly, Micky shoved everyone back into the smaller hallway.
"Make us invisible, Elizabeth." Micky hissed.
The angel instantly obeyed. Darlene was about to say something, but Peter put a hand over her mouth.
A few seconds later, Estelle rushed down the wider hall past the group on her way to the bathroom. If she felt the angel's presence, she gave no sign of it.
When the witch was gone, Elizabeth turned everyone visible again.
"We're definitely in the right place." Micky said.
"Who was that?" Davy asked. He hadn't seen Estelle before, though he knew of her based on what Micky, Elizabeth and Darlene had told him.
"I know her as Estella Duke." Darlene said, "Former manager of the Blazin' Hot Music Store."
"She looked familiar." Davy said half to himself as Elizabeth led the way down the hall.
Just then, another figure appeared running down the hall toward them. This time it was Margaret, who joyfully jumped into Elizabeth's waiting arms.
"We're so glad to see you." The angel said happily, hugging the kitten, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, but Mike's in trouble!" Margaret said, "Those evil witches are going to drain his blood into Jynger's body!"
"Where is he?" Elizabeth asked.
"Down this way!" She exclaimed, jumping out of Elizabeth's arms.
The group followed Margaret down the hall until they came upon a large, smooth section of floor.
"This slab slides back." The kitten said, "But I don't know how to activate it."
"Leave that to me." Elizabeth said, raising her arms.
Suddenly, Estelle was standing on the slab in front of them!
"No trespassing." The witch snarled, her eyes glowing red.
++++
As Mike slowly regained consciousness, he realized he no longer had the pain in his head. When Mike was able to open his eyes he saw that he was no longer in the same room as before, but a much larger one. He was now strapped to a table. His arms were stretched out on either side of him, strapped to the table's extensions. Looking down, Mike could see he was shirtless, and blue pentacles and other designs drawn on his chest, stomach and sides.
"My, don't you look pretty." Synthea smiled, walking into Mike's line of vision. She had a small clay jar of paint and a paintbrush in her hand.
"You won't get away with this." Mike said, pulling on his bonds.
Synthea just chuckled and the jar and paintbrush disappeared.
"Oh yes we will." She said, "And you're going to bring Jynger back to life." She pointed to an object to his right. It was Jynger, laying on a bed of soft purple pillows. She looked peaceful, almost sleeping.
Just then, a large flame flared up in the middle of the room, and when it died down, Satan was standing there. He was wearing a red suit and a black cape with red trim. A red sash with gold pentacles embroidered on it crossed his chest. The ever-present walking stick with the human skull on top was in his hand. Behind the evil being was a demon carrying an old-fashioned gramophone with a record on the turntable.
"Greetings, Master." Synthea called out. She and everyone else in the room bowed down.
"Where do you want your sister's soul?" Satan asked.
"Over there, please." Synthea replied, pointing to a small table between and slightly behind Mike and Jynger's heads.
Satan pointed, and the demon placed the gramophone on the table. From there, Mike could see Jynger's face on the record. She looked like she was in agony.
"Thank you Bertram, that will be all." Satan told the demon.
Bertram bowed to his master and disappeared in a puff of black, acrid smoke.
"Is everything in readiness?" Satan asked.
"Oh yes, master." Synthea said, then looked over at her coven "Maggie, go see what's keeping Estelle."
Magnolia nodded and walked away.
"Let me see the descendent of St. Thomas." Satan said as he walked over to Mike.
"Are you ready, you fool, to help me open up a new salvo against the Christian church?"
"I'll never help you, you piece of cow dung, to do anything!" Mike shouted back. "Killing me to bring back one person isn't going to help your evil plans at all!"
"Oh yes it will, Nesmith." Satan smiled evilly. "Your sacrifice will just be the beginning of people flocking to me and away from your God!"
"How?" Mike asked, "How will my death do that?"
Satan snapped his fingers and a TV camera appeared off to the side.
"I intend to tape this whole ceremony. I will present indisputable proof that I and only I can bring the dead back to life!"
"Can't believe everything you see on TV." Mike observed.
"Oh, but Jynger here will make the talk-show rounds and personal appearances, telling everyone how she met her death at the hands of your angel friend Elizabeth and that I, under the name of Mr. Zero, brought her back from the dead!"
"Nobody will believe her!" Mike exclaimed, "People have faked their deaths before!"
"There will be proof, mortal." Synthea said fiercely, "The firemen who found her, the ambulance and emergency room personnel who worked on her...and me, who held her cold, dead hand. All of us will be proof that Jynger was dead, and only Lord Satan, and only him, not your God, brought her back to life!"
"And here's the best part." Satan said, his face split in a wide grin. "I'll make sure to mention that it is only the blood of a descendent of a holy martyr can help bring someone back. Then I'll say all the priests, ministers and other clergy are descendents. It will become open season on them as people, desperate to bring loved ones back to life, kidnap and kill them for their blood! People like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell will have to go into hiding. By the time people realize their mistake, if they ever do, it will be too late! The Christian religion will be thrown into chaos...and people will worship...me!"
Chapter 20
Chapter 22
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