Enslaved by Demonic Passion! The remote forests of the Adirondack Mts. are the setting for this tale of murder, madness, and horror. Her mother's death freed Lea from a lifetime of repression and frigidity, only to make her the helpless prey of erotic fantasies and nightmare terror.
"In the dream, a warm wind swept across her body, like fingertips barely grazing the surface of her flesh. It aroused her and made her desirous of more. Its silken touch pleased her. Her body had spent the totality of its existence in ignorance of carnal pleasures. Contradictory feelings collided within her mind. The body was to be a pure temple to the Lord. That's what the Bible taught—and yet, there were such longings inside her, desires long concealed and repressed that now demanded satisfaction."
Excerpt from WORSHIP THE NIGHT - Chapter XXII
"With the coming of the sundown, I am transformed," Lea began again in a whisper, looking at her near hysterical aunt with eyes that reflected the innocence and joy of devout belief. "I am a priestess of shadows, a consecrator."
Evelyn, shaking, with tears streaming down her face, half mad with fear, questioned Lea in quiet tones. The young woman appeared menacing, ready to do harm, but Evelyn reasoned that perhaps with calming conversation, she might be persuaded to allow her to leave in peace. "Who is it, dear, that you worship? Whose priestess are you?"
Lea's eyes revealed astonishment. How could her aunt be so naive? "I am consecrated to Night. He is my master, my Lord!" Lea then paused for a minute as her aunt began sobbing loudly, once again backing away from her, only this time moving toward the bed. Lea shook her head at the stupidity of her aunt's reaction. Those who were not initiates at the altar of Night were like frightened children when confronted with the presence of the holy one. "Don't cry?" Lea implored. "He is a wonderful God, a deity of pleasure." She moved toward the old woman, forcing Evelyn back onto the bed. "He's freed me. I'm saved. All I need do is bring him the offering, place the holy blood before him, and I shall be forever free of want." Her eyes were saucer-like, searching Evelyn's face. There was no understanding there, no comprehension, only blind fear.
Evelyn shook, flailing around on the satin coverlet, trying to move away from Lea. She was sure that the girl was insane, to a degree far surpassing her worst nightmares.
Lea kept coming, eyes opened wide, as if begging for understanding.
Evelyn, struggling to get up, pushed aside the comforter, revealing brown blood stains. When she realized what they were, she screamed out in terror. With one swift burst of strength, she raised herself up from the bed, only to be intercepted by Lea's strong right arm grabbing out at her. She resisted, only to find her neck caught in the ever-tightening grip of her niece's fingers. They rolled on the bed, finally tumbling off onto the floor.
It was here, at this point, at this precise moment, that the memory became unclear. Lea was unsure of whether the rest of her recollections were fact or fantasy.
She had vague visions of straddling her aunt's body, then lifting and slamming the old woman's skull onto the floor repeatedly, until the body lay motionless. From there, Lea had run to the kitchen. She'd found a thin bladed butcher knife in the drawer and returned to the bedroom to begin the sacrifice.
She dragged the unconscious form near the altar, reaching up to grasp the chalice, and set it down beside her on the floor. This was the moment for which she had been waiting, the time when he would become flesh; but all was not ready. Once again she ran to the kitchen, only this time it was to obtain fresh candles and incense for the sacred altar. She needn't have rushed. The sacrifice could not begin. Lea had tarried too long. The sky had already begun to lighten with the first glow of morning. The shadowed time of ritual had passed, she'd have to wait yet another day before he could come to her.
Angered at the delay, she resumed her place above the body; only this time, held securely in her hands, was the thin, shiny blade of salvation.
"To you my Lord." she whispered softly, "I give this gift!"
With that phrase, the blade began its rapid descent downward. When it was but an inch above the chest, the eyes of the sacrifice opened wide in terror, the mouth screamed out. As the knife plunged into the waiting breast, the body lurched upward, practically knocking Lea off. As the agonized form thrashed about, emitting piercing screams, the face of the sacrifice began to change before Lea's eyes. No longer was the offering the aging Evelyn; but instead, a strange face, one that Lea at first did not recognize. With each second that passed, the screams grew louder, the writhing more intense. As if made from some malleable substance, the features of the face began to distort. The brow became etched with scowling furrows. The eyes became piercing and narrow. The cheeks were wrinkled and colorless. An internal chord had been struck—Lea knew the face. It was so familiar, yet she had been unable to give it a name. Not until the mouth was transformed, evidencing the thin, cruel, lips and the yellowing teeth within, had she realized the identity. The body before her had become Mama.
