Closing the way

After Veronica had secured Trent in the same boot Anna had put her mother, she redressed and exited the bedroom finding Anna in the living room, eyes fixed on something outside the window.

“You let him live,” the dark haired girl said, not a question, nor laden with condemnation of the decision.

“Yes, I have decided I will keep him for now,” Veronica replied, sitting down on the chesterfield on the end opposite to Anna.

The dark haired nodded.

“What is it you are looking at out there?” queried the blonde, eyes following Anna’s to the darkness beyond the glass.

“Power, energy. It is in a constant state of flux, ebb and flow, but there is another source, a well spring bursting out of me and even while it tries, I can see it pulled else place,” she said, voice distant almost absent.

“Inanna?” she asked.

Anna nodded. “I think so. I think they are gathering power to make another attempt to open the way for her to come through. I am most certain they have prepared another receptacle to receive the goddess,” she stated.

“Far from here?” Veronica inquired.

“An hour distant by car maybe,” she answered. “Do you feel it?” she questioned, looking at the other girl.

Veronica shook her head, “I cannot tell,” she replied, mouth curling down into a frown. “There are so many new things, sensations it almost overwhelms me. Should I be able to sense it?” she queried.

“I don’t know,” Anna replied, another pulse of power churning up into her, making her wince.

“Are you okay?” Veronica asked, sliding closer and putting a hand on the dark haired girl’s shoulder.

Anna shook her head, she felt like an overinflated water balloon on the verge of bursting, more power coming in than she could let out. “We must find this other gathering and prevent them from summoning Inanna. There is so much power,” she said, holding her hands up, palms toward her, hands trembling and radiating energy.

Veronica nodded, “What do we do then?” she asked, removing her hand.

“We will take Dr. Henry’s car. You drive while I tried to follow the trail of power,” she explained.

“What about the boys here, Jim, Valen, and Trent?”

“They will be fine here, no one should come to the house while we are gone,” she assured, getting to her feet.

“What do we do when we get there?” Veronica asked, also getting up off the couch.

Turning her head, Anna smiled coldly, “We will address that circumstance whence we get there,” she said bluntly.

Nodding, Veronica grabbed her jacket and threw it on and picked up her purse. “Do you have the keys?”

Anna pointed to the little table near the door.

Finding the keys, Veronica held them up and grinned. Together the two girls went out to the rented Chevy Cruz.

Climbing into the red car, Veronica started it. “Which way?” she inquired.

Watching the threads of power float languorously through the air, Anna pointed, feeling another attack coming on. Gritting her teeth she made a small noise.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Veronica asked in a concerned tone.

Anna nodded, “There is so much it is hard to hold it in. It feel like I’m going to explode,” she answered, voice quavering slightly.

“Veronica smiled, “If you explode in the car, you know that’s probably not covered in Jim’s rental agreement and they’re going to add it to his bill?”

Despite the elevated pain, Anna grinned.

Earlier than Desired

Assembled in the den located in the basement of Rose Walthrop’s house were the nine other members of her gathering as well as the two surviving members of Vera’s gathering. Everyone was chittering away at each other until Rose stood up and commanded the room to be silent.

“I’m sure you’re all curious to know why I have summoned you here today. We need to proceed with the ritual,” Rose declared, adamant, ignoring the susurrus of whispers that followed. “I know we are not at the solstice yet, but time had become an issue.”

“”You said it was our haste that brought our failure when we opened the way for Inanna,” Darlene countered, piping up, smug expression on her face.

“No, I said Vera was a glory hound who attempted to complete the opening prematurely using an inadequate vessel,” she clarified icy, fixing her porcine eyes squarely on Darlene.

“And now you want to do the same?” Darlene asked snidely. “Open the way for the goddess to come through instead of waiting for the appointed time? You risk everything,” she snorted.

Rose laughed bitterly, “I risk? You stupid cow. Again, it was the ineptitude of your gathering that forced us to consider this course of action. Your abject failure that compels us to act quickly. The monstrosity you created, the perversion which you brought forth and which you conveniently feel will just burn out and go away is directly connected to the power of the goddess, power which we are gathering here. You are an absolute imbecile if you think your Anna cannot feel the power building for another attempt for us to return our glorious lady back into this realm. On the contrary, she will be drawn by it,” she spat.

“What makes you think that? That Anna will be drawn to it?” Darlene challenged, shaking her head, mouth pursed.

Rose laughed out loud again, a caustic grating sound. “We are pulling her here. Us. As we try and gather the goddess’ energy, we are pulling Anna right down on top of our heads. Right here! The longer we wait to secure more energy, the greater chance the girl finds us, thereby lessening our opportunity for success. Pure and simple. When you let your vessel be contaminated, you exposed us all,” she indicated.

“I disagree, we made our attempt when we did because of Adam’s release from custody. Yes, he warded Anna, but his efforts were not themselves complete and we couldn’t risk him finishing his work before we could bring Inanna forth. It wasn’t hubris, or glory we sought. We only wished to provide for our lady. For you to stand there wagging your fat chin that our gathering wanted glory is ignorant,” Darlene retorted angrily.

“Really? Where is your circle now?” she asked, spreading her thick arms apart. “Vera? Don? Lyle? Gone because of your quest to be the ones who retuned our goddess!”

Getting to her feet, Darlene shook her head, “No, they are gone because we erred and didn’t have enough power to properly fuel the ritual! That’s how Anna was able to triumph and rip our gathering apart and now you want to do the exact same thing with this gathering!” she barked.

Smiling, Rose stepped close to the other woman and shook her head, “No, you see, we were able to protect our vessel and unlike your abomination, she is uncontaminated, pure. There will be no rejection of our splendid lady,” she explained with a grand smile, swiveling her head around to look at the others sitting quietly as the two women argued.

Imogen’s parents nodded and smiled proudly.

“We will perform the rite tonight,” she announced.

“You are being foolish,” Darlene chirped, shaking her head disdainfully.

Whirling back around, finger aimed directly at Darlene, “You are only here as a courtesy, no more, so you should shut your mouth and sit down before I expel you from my sight,” she commanded.

“Darlene,” Belinda murmured, tone imploring cooperation.

Rose turned to Veronica’s mother, “Why don’t you share with us what the cost of your vainglorious efforts wrought? Share with us what is was like to be in the presence of that repugnant obscenity you brought forth?”

Bringing her hands up to cover her face, Belinda shook her head, moaning, “No.”

Straightening, Rose nodded slowly, conceited expression on her face, “That is why we must move forward. That is why we must act before the abhorrent creature the other gathering created can descend upon us and foil our lady’s design,” she said.

“Yes,” agreed Dr. Whidlow, nodding affirmatively.

“Yes,” added Nathan Hall, Imogen father.

Darlene shook her head, “You are making a mistake!” she said.

Rose snorted, “We are learning from your mistake. Soon the goddess will be here and it is to her you must answer for blatant incompetence,” she said.

“Glory be to our lady,” Miss Blackmore said, smiling.

“Yes!” the others repeated in unison.

Turning to Irma Hall, Imogen’s mother, “While we prepare for the ritual, I want you and Nathan to go with the good doctor here and fetch the vessel and bring it back here,” she instructed.

Irma looked at her husband and nodded.

“You have the shot?” Rose inquired, looking at the doctor.

He nodded and rose to his feet.

Smiling, Rose nodded, “Deliver unto us the vessel, so we might begin a brand new age,” she said.