and passion of the dance, humming along with the others.
Outside, the Beasts howled and danced and pranced, flinging their hairy arms upward and strutting about, their cloven hooves making no imprint in the soft damp earth. They spat at the heavens and hissed their contempt at their Master's enemy.
As midnight came straight up, Norman Giddon, upon receiving the signal from the coven leader, held up a hand for silence. The drum and flute ceased. Only the panting from the men and women in the circles could be heard.
'Let the young people come forward. Make way for our Master's new servants, so they may be received into his kingdom and enjoy all the fruits of his worship.'
The circles opened, the young people marched forward, Patsy among them. Sometime during the dancing, her blouse had opened and she had discarded it. She could not remember doing so. But it didn't matter. Some of the others had torn off and thrown away most of their clothing, to stand almost naked in the circle of Satan worshippers.
The coven leader, Frank Gilbert, began his series of questions, the young people responding with the correct answers.
'Renounce all ye have been taught before this night. All Christian teachings and virtues. Do ye do so?'
'Aye!' the young people shouted in one voice. 'All praise the Dark One.'
Patsy did not understand how she knew what to say; she only accepted and did as her mind instructed.
Gilbert waved his hand and smoke erupted from behind the altar.
'Aye!' came the shout.
Gilbert waved his hand and a woman walked to the altar, kneeling in front of Jon. She stroked him and orally brought him to hardness. The boy crawled between the legs of the naked woman and positioned himself. Sweat bathed the woman. Putting her hand on his stiffness, she guided him.
'We invoke the powers of the old gods!' Gilbert called, his voice firm. 'We call upon them to give their blessings to this gathering.'
The odor of burning sulphur permeated the room.
The adults began to hum and sway back and forth.
Gilbert shouted, 'So mote it be!'
Jon shoved, taking the woman with one stroke. She cried out in a strange language and wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him firm within her.
'Show your contempt for the Christian God!' Gilbert screamed the words.
The boys and girls, men and women, began cursing the Lord God Almighty, heaping verbal filth upon His head in a hideous outpouring of blasphemy. Bibles were produced, the pages torn from them and burned and spat upon. The gathering coven urinated on pictures and paintings of Christ. The odor of sulphur became a thin haze that lingered over the worshippers of the Prince of Darkness. Filth rolled from the tongues of those who were now entering the gates of Satan's domain, rejecting the teachings of God Almighty for the fleshy earthy pleasures of Satan.
And thus it would always be so. For these coven members, there would be and could be no turning back, for God Almighty is a vengeful God. He will tolerate no other Gods before Him. And the punishment is death.
The floor of the huge room became a tangle of naked men and women, boys and girls, men with men, women with women, as they consummated the pact between themselves and the Prince of Darkness. Patsy felt her clothing pulled from her. Hands on her body, squeezing and entering. She was pushed to the floor. Her legs spread, she felt hot hardness entering her. She was sore but groaned her pleasure. She opened her eyes and looked into the grinning face of her father.
'All praise the Dark One,' her father panted, as he violated his daughter.
'All praise the Dark One,' Patsy dammed herself. She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him.
Outside, the wind blew hot and stinking.
Sam was too keyed up to sleep, but he did not find it odd that Nydia went on to bed after drinking her customary glass of juice. Janet sat in the den, watching Saturday Night Live on TV. Sam sat with her; Janet on the couch, Sam in his easy chair.
Janet looked over at Sam and smiled shyly. He returned the smile, asking, 'What are you grinning about, Janet?'
'Promise you won't get mad?'
'I promise,' he said with a quiet laugh. Sam was experiencing a mild sort of euphoria. He could not understand the heady feelings, since he knew only too well what lay ahead of him, but he was grateful for the emotions; anything to take his mind off what faced him at dawn.
He did not realize he was facing it now.
'Well—you and Nydia usually stay out later than you did tonight. And I—uh—usually watch the—ah— that other channel.'
Sam grinned. He knew what channel she was talking about. So she had discovered the porn channel and the decoder that brought it in. 'Well, I could say that I objected, Janet, but I really don't. I would have watched the thing at my house when I was your age, if we'd had it. Besides, I imagine you already know most of what goes on there, right?'
'Well, yeah,' she admitted. 'But it's tough being caught between a girl and a woman. You know, all kinds of feelings and no one to ask questions and no one to explain a lot of things. It's tough.'
'Don't your parents talk to you about—things?'
