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       "You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Sir," said Father Jacob.

       "You're the ones to blame." Harrison sneered, his lip curling in disgust.

       "I don't know where you got this information, but I can assure you it is based in untruth." Jacob waited for Harrison to take the offered hand.

       Harrison reached in his jacket and pulled the notebook free and thrust it out at Father Jacob. "Then explain this."

       Father Jacob took the book and began to slowly flick through the pages. "Poor Christopher." A look of sadness creeping over his face. "Where did you find this?" he asked softly, closing the book.

       "Next to his dead body," Harrison replied with intentional harshness.

       "He will be sadly missed." Father Jacob lowered his head and began to walk away.

       "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Harrison jumped up, placed a firm hand on Father Jacob's shoulder and snatched the notepad back.

       Father Jacob reacted to the contact, grabbing Harrison's wrist and twisting quickly. Before Harrison could counter the movement he was flying over Father Jacob's shoulder and hitting the ground. His back slammed down and the air was forced from his lungs but he kept hold of the notepad, unwilling to give up the trophy.

"Despite what you think you know," Father Jacob said. "We are the only ones who can possibly put an end to this." He paused to contemplate his next words. "Yet I fear we may may be too late."

       "Too late for what?" Kaci interrupted.

       "For the sacrifice, of course," answered Father Jacob before marching back towards the truck.

       As he reached the vehicle another robed figure stepped down from the rear. In her arms she held what looked like a bundle of old potato sacks. She held it out to Father Jacob.

       "Thank you, Alyssia." Father Jacob took the bundle and pulled back the hessian fabric and looked into the innocent eyes of the baby. "Your loss will save so many."

       "I am glad to serve the greater good," Alyssia said, falling to her knees at Father Jacob's feet.

       "Where's Peter?" Megan asked, finally able to drag her attention away from Chappell. "Peter?" Panic flooded her voice.

       "He's one of my children now," Chappell answered.

       Megan spun back to face her ex-lover. "What have you done to him?"

       "He has joined the Slavis," Chappell explained. "Offered his body as a vessel to the higher being." As Chappell spoke he backed further up the stairs. "The same fate awaits you all." He raised his right hand and pointed a finger at Megan. "Accept you. I still have such plans for you."

       "Stop him!" Harrison burst in, running towards the cabin as the realisation of Chappell's action's hit him.

       Chappell had already reached the door to the medical cabin and he pulled it open, slipping inside and closing it behind him. Harrison took the steps two at a time, reaching the door and pulling on the handle. From inside he heard Chappell laugh, a hollow chuckle that sent his blood cold.

       "Bastard," Harrison cursed at the locked door, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

       Megan started moving between the robed figures as they continued to chant, her head tilted back as she scanned the ramparts in search of Peter.

       Kaci kept pace with Megan. They'd lost Peter and were already separated from Harrison. Kaci wasn't a coward, never had been, but she feared being alone in the face of this waking nightmare.

       It was difficult to distinguish one Slavis from the next, the human form twisted beyond all recognition. Limbs had reformed into animal-like appendages, claws and hoofs where hands and feet had once been. Gaping wounds were now snapping mouths, vicious teeth having grown from the raw fatty tissue. If Peter was one of them now she could only pray that his mind was gone, that no part of him remained inside his violated shell.

       "You should see through these eyes," the Slavis that had once been Peter announced as he stepped forward, his arm slung around the form of a female Slavis.

       "Oh no" Megan cried.

       "No need for tears," Peter said as the female Slavis leaned across and flicked her tongue into his empty eye socket. "After years of pining for you I finally have a girl of my own." He paused to moan deep in his throat as the tip of her tongue exited a hole in the top of his skull and licked at the matted hair surrounding it. "Blondie's beautiful. Don't you think?"

       Megan was watching the female Slavis, her attention fixed on the bunch of keys that hung from the leather belt that dug into the pale flesh of its hips. She glanced over her shoulder at Harrison and then at the ground at her feet. She saw what she needed and then looked back to the keys. The chances slim, but Megan saw no other option.

       "Not really." Megan took a step forward. "She's pretty fucking ugly."

       Blondie withdrew her tongue from Peter's face and glared down at Megan with blind eyes, the swirling black within, riled with anger.

       "Yeah. I'm talking about you." Megan took another step forward. "You fat stinking bitch." Megan refused to be stared down, but had to fight the urge to fall in love with the black mist within Blonde's eye sockets.

       Kaci stood in silence, waiting for the nightmare to progress.

       "I am Slavis," Blondie growled. "Your words are useless."

       The chanting continued but Father Jacob watched Megan intently as he held the child gently against his chest. He'd spent his life devoted to this moment in time, had studied all the written words and this was not how he'd expected it to be. It was the Ministry's task to face the Slavis, not to stand by whilst a strange young girl goaded them with insults. But Father Jacob could not bring himself to stop her. Her courage and inner strength fascinated him like no other. In awe of her actions he stood and watched events unfold.

"If words can't harm you then why hide up there?" Megan pushed. "Or perhaps you're scared."

       "Scared!" Blondie howled. "The Slavis will feast upon your giblets and fornicate with your corpse."

       "Try it... you fat bitch." Megan forced out a nervous smile.

       Blondie bellowed, threw her bulbous arms above her head and launched herself from the ramparts. Despite her claims the chanted words from the robed ones burned at her flesh, but anger fuelled her attack and blinded her fear.

       Megan held her ground for what felt like an eternity, Blondie's arc of descent playing out in slow motion. At the last second Megan crouched and snatched up the rusted iron railing that laid next to her feet. She thrust the blunt end into the blood soaked ground and angled the eroded spike upwards, bracing her weight in readiness for impact.

       Kaci dropped at Megan's side and leaned into the lance, hoping she'd live to regret the rash action.

       The Slavis screamed out in unison as they saw the trap through Blondie's eyes. The scream reached a crescendo as they suffered her pain, the makeshift lance tearing through her ulcerated left breast and powering through the possessed flesh by her own hulking body weight.

       Blondie slid down the lance, her arms thrashing wildly as she came to a halt. She snapped her teeth as she formed incoherent curses. Megan turned away to avoid the damp, foetid breath.

"The keys," Megan gagged.

       Kaci released the lance and moved below Blondie's flailing arms. She reached out and pulled the keys free from the belt.

       "Get that door open," Megan ordered.

       Kaci nodded, jumped up and ran towards the stairs, throwing the keys up to Harrison before she'd reached the bottom step.

       The ramparts became a hive of motion as the Slavis gained strength through anger. They began to climb down the walls, snarling at the robed figures and the protection they offered.

       "The Slavis will torture you for eternity," hissed Blondie, thick black fluid spraying from her lips. "Pain will be your only companion."