Crystal and the Damned - Possession Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Burggraf Audrey
leaving her alone. She leaped at the receiver. A dial tone. Thank God. She dialed her mother’s number.
Half an hour later Crystal emerged from the room in tears. Her mother had confirmed the story. All of it. It was true, nightmarish and true.
Glory and Cornelia were waiting for her in the corridor. Her back leaning against the marble wall, the warrior woman was contemplating the multicolored shoelaces of her Doc Martens. Dollface, who was filing her fingernails, looked at the young woman with an apologetic expression.
“Poor thing, my heart aches for you. But I don’t understand why you’re taking this so hard.”
“Whereas I,” Cornelia protested, “don’t understand why you’re getting all worked up about it. Baby talked to Mommy, baby is going to talk to Daddy, she’ll throw another tantrum, and then she’ll be Damned and we won’t talk about it anymore.”
Crystal stood in front of the two Paladines, swallowed her sobs and took their measure with a murderous look.
“You are monsters. My father as well. Magic or not, it’s a cult. I don’t want to be part of it. I want my life and freedom back. I want to see normal human beings, good people. My mother may have fallen under the yoke of a Damned One, but I am not like her. I will never belong to you.”
“Come on, this way, darling,” Cornelia pushed her forward with an embittered voice, grabbing her by the wrist. “You’re going to tell all that to Daddy.”
Crystal tried to free herself but Cornelia tightened her grip, and, with Glory, dragged her into the Throne Room.
A gothic hall, enormous, blinding and empty. A high vaulted ceiling, white everywhere. White marble, white drapes, white gold.
At the end of the hall were two elevated seats of solid gold. In the one on the left an old man was waiting. In the one on the right, a woman – the Empress, Crystal’s stepmother – held herself as still as a statue.
Each of them taking the girl by an arm, Glory and Cornelia dragged her toward the couple.
The old man stood up. An aura of saintliness emanated from his whole being. He, too, was white. His clothing, his skin, his hair, and even his eyes. His irises seemed almost translucent. He was benevolence and greatness. But Crystal saw nothing. She was crying, desperate and filled with hatred.
The All Powerful reached out a hand to her.
“My child. My little girl. Why so much suffering, when we’re finally together again ? So many years and so many enemies have separated us. When I tore you away from myself to ensure you had a free and untroubled childhood, I ripped out my own soul. Don’t cry anymore, my treasure. Today is a day for happiness.”
“Save it. I don’t want anything from you, I don’t want this cult. You left my mother in the lurch and you abandoned me. I hate you. You will never be my father,” Crystal yelled, as the two Paladines held her by force.
The Empress patted her husband’s knee with compassion before addressing the girl :
“Come, come, my dear little girl. Don’t....”
“Shut up, you old bag. I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Crystal,” Glory growled. Cornelia was on the point of silencing her by force, but with a tranquil glance, the All Powerful ordered them to hold back. He returned his attention to his only daughter.
“I understand your sadness and your anger. I forgive your insults, and I hope that one day you will forgive me for having failed you. I was unable to be a human father, to play with you, build sand castles, encourage you in your successes and support you in your defeats. I would so much like to have been nothing but a father to you ; however, our rank, our destiny decided otherwise. But I love you, Crystal. One day, you will feel that, and then we will be happy.”
She looked him right in the eyes, trembling, foaming at the mouth. She spit in his face.
The Empress tensed up, but the All Powerful did not so much as move a muscle. Pain showed on his venerable face,
Half an hour later Crystal emerged from the room in tears. Her mother had confirmed the story. All of it. It was true, nightmarish and true.
Glory and Cornelia were waiting for her in the corridor. Her back leaning against the marble wall, the warrior woman was contemplating the multicolored shoelaces of her Doc Martens. Dollface, who was filing her fingernails, looked at the young woman with an apologetic expression.
“Poor thing, my heart aches for you. But I don’t understand why you’re taking this so hard.”
“Whereas I,” Cornelia protested, “don’t understand why you’re getting all worked up about it. Baby talked to Mommy, baby is going to talk to Daddy, she’ll throw another tantrum, and then she’ll be Damned and we won’t talk about it anymore.”
Crystal stood in front of the two Paladines, swallowed her sobs and took their measure with a murderous look.
“You are monsters. My father as well. Magic or not, it’s a cult. I don’t want to be part of it. I want my life and freedom back. I want to see normal human beings, good people. My mother may have fallen under the yoke of a Damned One, but I am not like her. I will never belong to you.”
“Come on, this way, darling,” Cornelia pushed her forward with an embittered voice, grabbing her by the wrist. “You’re going to tell all that to Daddy.”
Crystal tried to free herself but Cornelia tightened her grip, and, with Glory, dragged her into the Throne Room.
A gothic hall, enormous, blinding and empty. A high vaulted ceiling, white everywhere. White marble, white drapes, white gold.
At the end of the hall were two elevated seats of solid gold. In the one on the left an old man was waiting. In the one on the right, a woman – the Empress, Crystal’s stepmother – held herself as still as a statue.
Each of them taking the girl by an arm, Glory and Cornelia dragged her toward the couple.
The old man stood up. An aura of saintliness emanated from his whole being. He, too, was white. His clothing, his skin, his hair, and even his eyes. His irises seemed almost translucent. He was benevolence and greatness. But Crystal saw nothing. She was crying, desperate and filled with hatred.
The All Powerful reached out a hand to her.
“My child. My little girl. Why so much suffering, when we’re finally together again ? So many years and so many enemies have separated us. When I tore you away from myself to ensure you had a free and untroubled childhood, I ripped out my own soul. Don’t cry anymore, my treasure. Today is a day for happiness.”
“Save it. I don’t want anything from you, I don’t want this cult. You left my mother in the lurch and you abandoned me. I hate you. You will never be my father,” Crystal yelled, as the two Paladines held her by force.
The Empress patted her husband’s knee with compassion before addressing the girl :
“Come, come, my dear little girl. Don’t....”
“Shut up, you old bag. I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Crystal,” Glory growled. Cornelia was on the point of silencing her by force, but with a tranquil glance, the All Powerful ordered them to hold back. He returned his attention to his only daughter.
“I understand your sadness and your anger. I forgive your insults, and I hope that one day you will forgive me for having failed you. I was unable to be a human father, to play with you, build sand castles, encourage you in your successes and support you in your defeats. I would so much like to have been nothing but a father to you ; however, our rank, our destiny decided otherwise. But I love you, Crystal. One day, you will feel that, and then we will be happy.”
She looked him right in the eyes, trembling, foaming at the mouth. She spit in his face.
The Empress tensed up, but the All Powerful did not so much as move a muscle. Pain showed on his venerable face,