The Banshee Read Online Free Page A

of Joanne’s figure turned gritty, abrasive, almost metallic, like so many pixels forming a photograph. Her arms blurred then dissolved, falling apart like a broken jigsaw puzzle, followed by her torso and breasts bobbing freely under the fading nightshirt.
    Her entire image dissolved like a sugar cube in hot coffee, then the furniture, the bed, the sheets, walls and ceiling.
    David cried out, “No, damn it, no!”
    He was back in the black void, outstretched like a cartwheel. He watched his feet dissolve. The flesh on the toes turning to paper then crinkling, everything turned to powder and vanished, flesh, bone, blood, sinew.
    His memory was on full throttle, careening out of control, running rampant, sending images across the screen in his mind of things remembered. Images like burnt film on fast forward fluttered for him to recall. A farm house, him climbing a cliff, him running through a forest, a priest, a cemetery, a little girl and a kite, a police car, a grave and an explosion and…and…then it was gone.
    The Unclear pictures also dissolved, leaving his memory blank. His face began to melt, his eyeballs dried like prunes turning to dust. He tried to scream through a collapsed throat and then awoke, on a bus.

Chapter Six

    â€œOh, God…!” Colleen covered her mouth in shock and bewilderment. She turned away from the sight of Betty and her friend standing uncaring of their nudity. The man walked to the large chair and sat. From behind it, another man produced a hollowed goat head and placed it over Betty’s friend’s head. He now had the appearance of half goat, half man.
    Colleen thought she might laugh at the sight but her mounting fear aborted the giggle. Her body began to shake. Moisture formed in her palms and on her brow. Her legs automatically ran for the wall of humans surrounding her, hoping to squeeze through to freedom. Two men quickly grabbed her by the arms and forced her to kneel on the pine needles before the goat headed man.
    â€œPlease,” Colleen sobbed. “Please, let me go. I promise I’ll never tell a soul about this,
please
?”
    She looked up at the silent figure, her hands together as if praying. Her eyes filled with tears and she softly repeated, “Please?”
    The goat headed man raised his arms then without uttering a sound, the others obediently began to undress. They then joined hands, forming a circle inside the larger circle of naked forms with Colleen in the center.
    The outer circle walked with unblinking zombie-like eyes clockwise around the fire, and the inner circle pranced counter clockwise. The shuffle of bare feet upon the pine needles and the crackling of the fire nearly drowned out Colleen’s continued pleas for release.
    â€œMy God, Betty,
please
…”
    â€œYour God cannot help you. Our master, the true God, desires you for his work and he shall have you. Bind her,” Betty demanded.
    â€œNo!” she screamed as the men bound her hands behind her back. Betty stared hard at Colleen, her eyes wide in madness.
    â€œYou will watch our dance of praise and glorification to our master then you will become the vehicle needed to fulfill his desires.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about? Let me go!” Colleen struggled to free her bonds. Betty ignored her and watched the circles break apart and the members dance wildly about the fire. One by one, they approached the goat headed man, knelt, and kissed his feet.
    â€œHomage to our God,” Betty explained to Colleen. “They are paying their respects to their master whose spirit will soon arrive and fulfill his desires through him.” Betty pointed to her strange animal looking friend.
    Colleen’s head spun from screaming and the struggle to free her. She closed her eyes as the group participated in intercourse with each other, moving from partner to partner, the partner’s sex not mattering. She wished it were over so she could