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Star
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Uncle Howard lifted into his arms again. My uncooperative body held him in my arms while he carried , sothing I most definitely would never have done on my own.
With in his arms Uncle Howard walked toward the door with the heavy lock. For so reason, I saw the knob turn and heard the lock click with no one touching it at all. The door then swung open on its own and revealed a long, narrow, winding staircase.
While holding close, as if I was fragile and precious, Uncle Howard carried all the way down the stairs and into a sort of parler. The room had furniture lined up along the edges of the room, chairs, couches, tables, and bookcases. There were so many pieces of furniture that it looked like the room was crowded to begin with. But now, in place of all that furniture there was a black arch covered in black lace.
The lace looked like sothing sinister and evil as it hung from the arch. Intertwined in the lace were green stems and black flowers. The flowers were actually black, not like they were dead but actually black. And I could tell by looking at them that they were roses. They were black roses.
Standing in the room was every male family mber that had ever treated like nothing except than a piece of trash. Nathan, Jared, Larry, Preston, Craig, Brian, Frank, Hank, all of them. And there were more of course, n that I had never t before. There were twenty people in total and they were all lined up along the side of the room leading to the arch.
"Astraia, this is the altar for our wedding, this is where we will beco one in na before we beco one with flesh."
"OK." That was all the hypnotized version of had to say about this.
Uncle Howard then set on my feet and wrapped his arm around mine. He walked with then, slowly, toward the front of the altar. All the n, the ones who had clearly hated before, were now looking at with approval and reverence. What had changed in them?
One of the n that I hadn't noticed before moved to the front of the altar, standing just behind it. Uncle Howard ca to a stop directly underneath the black wood, the black lace, and the black flowers. We were under the altar now and all I could feel was terror. I knew what was about to happen, and I knew what would follow it.
"You may begin, Timothy." Uncle Howard spoke to the man standing in front of us. The man, Timothy, smiled and looked at us then around the room.
"Brother, cousins, uncles and nephews, we have been blessed with the invitation from the great Howard to celebrate his wedding with him. He is marrying the blessed Astraia who was lucky enough to receive his affections. Join in welcoming their union."
Timothy spread his arms wide then and grinned at us all. He was a disgusting man. Not ugly, not disgusting like that, no it was his sll. It was so much like Uncle Howard's. All the n in the room were like Uncle Howard in that way. Were they demons like him or were they just absorbing his stench?
"Beloved brothers, we are gathered here to join Astraia Westbrook and Howard Edmond in this sacred of all ceremonies. All powerful Howard, do you take Astraia to be your bride, accept her as your wife, to rule over and control as you see fit?"
"I do." Uncle Howard answered him imdiately.
'WHAT THE HELL KIND OF WEDDING WAS THIS? I WAS TO BE RULED OVER AND CONTROLLED!'
"Astraia, child of illegitimate birth, do you take Howard as your groom, accept him as your husband and promise to follow every command he gives you, do you swear to bear him children for as long as you are able and provide him with whatever it is he asks of you?"
'NO! NO I DO NOT!' I scread in my head as my voice answered differently.
"I do." I felt the smile on my face as the spell compelled to answer with a delighted look.
"Then, with the power invested in by the all powerful Howard, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Howard you may now kiss your bride."
'Please God NO!' I felt the revulsion building up inside of at those words.
Whistles and cheers erupted throughout the room when we were, apparently, officially married. As the sound rose in volu I felt Uncle Howard turn toward him. I was screaming and crying on the inside, praying and begging for this not to happen, but it was too late.
Uncle Howard tilted my head to the side as he leaned forward. His lips pressed against and I felt my mouth open of its own accord, allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like ash and muck, and so many different foul things. I felt the urge to bite his tongue, to hurt him, but of course I couldn't. No, I was forced to just let him flick that tongue of his all around my mouth like it was so sort of dying fish.
This kiss was nothing like Artem's. With Artem I had felt excitent and heat, and passion. With vile Uncle Howard all I could feel was disgust and horror, and revulsion. This was going to be the worst night of my life, that I was certain of.
When Uncle Howard broke the kiss he pulled back to look in the eyes. The look he gave was one that spoke of excitent and hunger. And I saw that his eyes had once again changed color. The eyes he was looking at with right now were red and the pupils were not normal. They were elliptical, more snakelike than anything. Aside from the fact that they were red, his eyes looked exactly like a picture of a pit viper I had seen in the encyclopedia. He truly was a demon, wasn't he?
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