And here we have it Ghouls! The prologue and first chapter of my fic!
I hope you enjoy and leave me some feedback.
I still haven’t come up with a name yet, but I’m sure that’ll come in time!
PROLOGUE
It was a cold, autumnal evening the day that Seraphim was brought to the doors of the small, isolated convent. It was an old building situated in what one would consider the ‘middle of nowhere’, surrounded by trees, hedgerows and a set of gravel paths leading towards the town and other churches in the area.
The sky was beginning to darken and the flames from the pillar candles in the convent windows flickered invitingly; promising warmth and comfort but for Seraphim, the feeling was far from that.
She was a petite, plain girl with a sweet temperament who loved everything to do with nature. Her brown hair was tied neatly into a long braid that threatened to unravel as the wind tugged at the loosening strands. In her hands she grasped a small succulent in a brown pot, her knuckles white.
She looked up to the rough, stone walls that loomed down at her and couldn’t help but think how ugly the building was. It was not at all like the beautiful and ornate abbeys she had envisioned. She chided herself quickly as she knew it was an unkind thought and that beauty was found within, much like the way she viewed herself.
As the breeze engulfed her, she drew her coat closer and shivered, from fear or a genuine chill, she didn’t know. But one thing she did know, was that her parents had brought her here against her will.
She watched as her father reached forward and grasped the iron door knocker, banging it against the wood with a few deep thuds; listening as the sound reverberated around the doorway and into the abyss within.
A few moments passed until the heavy oak doors creaked open to reveal the Mother Superior who resided at the convent. She was a tall and kindly woman named Rosa, who welcomed those seeking sanctuary with open arms, and only the Lord knew how many women she had helped during all her years in his service.
“Good evening,” she said in a tender voice. “Can I help you?”
Seraphim’s parents glanced at each other nevously. Her father then stepped forward to address Rosa.
“Good evening, Mother Superior” he began, his voice breaking slightly. “I’m here to ask for boarding for my daughter.”
Rosa looked surprised and gazed at Seraphim who kept her eyes firmly planted on the floor, still holding her little plant with care. She looked back to him, confused.
“Have you lost your home?” she asked.
“Not exactly…you see…” Seraphim’s father began, “our daughter…she’s not like other children…she doesn’t play or act like others. She speaks with unwanted vermin! Treats them kindly like they’re pets. We…we believe that she is tainted…marked by Satan himself…” He sounded ashamed.
“Forgive me but this child doesn’t look like she could have possibly…” Rosa started.
“You don’t understand!” exclaimed Seraphim’s mother, pushing herself forward and pat her husband. “She sees things that aren’t there, knows things that she shouldn’t!” She shakily drew in a breath before whispering, “it’s like the earth can hear her…it does her bidding and we cannot deal with this evil anymore. Seraphim’s mother’s voice broke and she erupted into breathy sobs.
Her father reached for his wife and pulled her into his chest. “This has caused my wife a lot of distress, Mother. I cannot expect her to live like this, the last fifteen years have been hellish!” He looked angry. “Our daughter needs your guidance to help her change her ways and become a better person. I cannot accommodate her any longer in my home until something is done.”
With that, he pushed Seraphim forwards who made a slight squeak of a noise at the sudden contact. She stood a good few feet away from Rosa, eyes still trained to the floor and shoulders stiff, shivering.
Rosa eyed her and looked back to the succulent which in the space of a few moments looked as though to have grown a little in size. Rosa shook her head, a trick of the light surely?
She looked back to the older people standing in front of her and eyed them seriously. “If I agree to take your daughter into my care you do understand that she will be giving her devotion to the church and won’t be able to leave until she is of age, should she make that choice?”
“Yes Mother.” replied Seraphim’s father. “It’s for the best.”
“For you or for me?” came the small voice of Seraphim, her gaze still aimed firmly to the floor.
There was pause before Seraphim’s father inhaled and rounded on his daughter, raising his hand. She flinched violently as his hand came down with a crack against her cheek. He grabbed her arm, squeezing her roughly.
“Now you listen here, you little witch!” he spat. “I brought you into existence and I’ll do as I please with you. You’ve done nothing but make myself and your mother miserable and I won’t look at you again until you change your ways!”
Rosa watched the situation unfold, knowing she couldn’t intervene but hoped that it would stop so she could get the girl inside and into better care. She had seen this scenario more times than she cared to admit and knew sadly that this would be the last time this young girl would have parents to speak of.
Seraphim squeezed her eyes shut as her father flung her at Rosa’s feet. She landed with a soft thud, her little succulent falling to the ground and the pot shattering.
She let out a tiny whimper and felt a tear roll down her cheek as she scrambled, attempting to gather the cracked remains of the terracotta.
Her parents turned on their heels and walked away as though it was the easiest thing in the world and Seraphim felt her heart break at how it had come to this. She knew in her heart of hearts that she had always tired her hardest, but it clearly had never been good enough.
Watching the couple depart, Rosa sighed and knelt down to help Seraphim gather her plant. In a steady voice, she spoke to her.
“Now, now don’t cry little one. We can get you a new pot and your plant will be as good as new.”
Seraphim remained silent as Rosa helped her stand but nodded gratefully.
“I’m so sorry that your life has been uprooted like this so suddenly, my dear.” Rosa said gently. “Let’s go inside and warm up. Can you tell me your name?”
For the first time, Seraphim looked up at Rosa who inhaled sharply. The girl in front of her had a large, beautiful pair of eyes the colour of topaz with small specks of green around the pupils.
In a soft voice, she answered. “My name is Seraphim.”
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CHAPTER 1
Seraphim soon found herself settled into the convent under the care of the Mother Superior and the other sisters. Whilst it was a bit of an adjustment to her usual life, she chose to make the most of her situation and try to gain some of the control back.
She thrived whilst learning the ways of God and found her place amongst the others despite her young age.
Over the years, Mother Rosa had kept a watchful eye for any of the evil behaviours that Seraphim’s parents had mentioned, but as of yet there had been nothing. If anything, Seraphim’s green thumb was an asset to their home and the plants thrived under her care and Seraphim loved them. Her topaz coloured eyes though had always caused a stir amongst the other sisters and sadly they kept their distance from their sister.
Rosa had noticed was that whilst Seraphim was a hard worker, she was quite reserved and didn’t bring herself to interact much with her sisters, instead preferring the company of the creatures that made their homes in the old walls of the convent.
But Rosa was of the belief that all of God’s creatures deserved love and equal treatment, and Seraphim did just that. Though she had to be told more than once to remove the bats that were roosting in her small quarters for fear of them biting an unsuspecting sister accidentally.
The only thing that Rosa was mildly concerned about, was that unconsciously Seraphim would move her mouth as though she was speaking with someone, but there was never anyone there. However, when Rosa would call her name, Seraphim would always stop and look over with an almost dreamy expression in her eyes. It never seemed to cause any harm to her or others, so Rosa put it down to an overactive, young imagination and maybe a little trauma from her parents abandoning her at the doors of the convent at such a young age.
Rosa kept Seraphim under her wing until the year of her death which devastated everyone who lived at the convent, as well as those from the outside who knew of the old Mother Superior.
Mother Rosa, whilst being Seraphim’s mentor had in fact become more of a mother to Seraphim than her own and Seraphim knew she would feel the absence of the older woman for a long time. She vowed that she would do Rosa proud.
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At the age of 30, Seraphim became a fully fledged woman of God. Everyday she had a set routine and would often admit that she loved the stability and sureness of the convent and all of the rules that she had to follow. She did however fear the feeling of never being fully accepted by the other women, thought she would never admit it out loud.
The circumstances in which she arrived to her new home were very different to that of her sisters and she felt they pitied her for her abandonment as well as the colour of her eyes, which were deemed ‘unnatural’.
What Seraphim lacked in normal coloured eyes though, she made up for in the rest of her appearance.
Whilst she was of a short height, she was a healthy and demure woman with long brunette hair that she kept twisted into a bun below her veil. She had a strong jawline with prominent cheekbones and plump rosy lips. She knew she was a pretty thing, but still chose to keep her head down and go about her day quietly.
When Seraphim had first arrived, her parents initially had written to her. But the steady flow of letters gradually dwindled to nothing over the years.
She often thought back to her childhood and wondered if they missed her at all? Dare she even dream they regretted sending her away? She wondered if she had any siblings with normal coloured eyes in her place? The place she couldn’t fill… She inhaled sharply at the thought and clasped her rosary for comfort, rolling the small beads between her fingers.
She shouldn’t feel sad, her parents had done wish they thought was right; not only for their sakes, but also for hers. The selflessness of a parent was something she had tried to understand, no matter how painful the memories were, but she still felt anger bubbling beneath the surface.
For her sinful feelings of anger and resentment, she chose to pray to Mary for forgiveness for she was a figure that showed the greatest act of selflessness. Perhaps she could help Seraphim see the light? For good measure, she also chose to ask the Archangel Michael for strength as she clearly needed it.
From the pocket of her worn habit, she pulled a small pouch full of uncooked rice and poured a handful on the floor. Gently pulling her skirts above her knees, she slowly knelt on the rice. Grimacing at the immediate pain, she closed her eyes trying to block the sensation out.
She inhaled and exhaled methodically, and imagined the pain to be a small ball of light. As she exhaled, the pain left her body and melted into the atmosphere.
The pain soon ebbed to nothing but a dull sting and with a sigh of relief, she was able to begin praying as the blood soaked into the rice.
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A day later during the early evening, Seraphim chose to visit her favourite spot just outside of the convent to help her reset from the events of the previous day.
It was an autumnal eve but despite the small breeze, the last rays of sun flickered through what was left of the ember coloured leaves on the trees, creating patterns that resembled stained glass.
As Seraphim stepped out through the front doors, she took a moment to breathe in the fresh, crisp air and feel the little rays of sunlight on her face. Just from this small act alone, she already started feeling more rejuvenated.
Her act of penance had lasted a long while into the night and she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion on top of the grains of rice on the hard floor. Despite this, her mind felt lighter which was what she needed and then the small pains on her skin reminded her that she had to do better in not only her faith, but her feelings.
The place she enjoyed going was an aged bench a short walk from her home and what better way to ground herself than a walk in nature and to sit down in a place where she could collect her thoughts and start afresh. As she rounded the corner though, she noticed that she would not be sitting alone today.
Seated, was an elderly gentleman whom she had never seen before. He was dressed in a red and cream coloured papal robe and sported a large, extravagant mitre on his bald head. His face was coated in a slightly smudged set of grease paints in the design of a skull which Seraphim found to be fascinating. He had pale, milky eyes which to her. appeared to be quite gentle in expression. He also carried with him a small oxygen tank and mask from which he took the occasional puff.
Seraphim gingerly approached him being unsure as to whether he was blind. She didn’t want to frighten him whilst he was looking so peaceful.
“Good afternoon.” She said as she got closer to him, her feet crunching on the gravel path.
He looked up in surprise and smiled at her.
“Good afternoon Seestor,” he said. “Forgive my surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see or speak to anyone today outside of my home, let alone someone as lovely as you!” He had a thick Italian accent and Seraphim caught an air of cheekiness in his tone beneath his seemingly innocent comment. Nonetheless, she found it charming.
“I am Nihil, but you can call me Papa!” He winked flirtatiously at her to which she giggled and sat down.
“Hello Papa, I’m Seraphim.” she replied.
He nodded and took a puff of air from his mask. “What are you doing so far from home, Sorella?” he asked her.
Seraphim shifted in her seat, clasping her hands together and paused before replying “I needed a moment to get away from everything.”
Nihil chuckled quietly. “Don’t we all my dear? Sometimes being out and at one with nature is just what one needs.” He looked around at the trees that were still shedding their leaves and sighed.
“It’s almost like you read my mind, Papa,” she said following his gaze. “I find nothing more soothing than being out amongst nature. I love to speak to the trees, hear what they have to say on the wind…” She smiled and looked down at her hands. “Silly really isnt it?”
Nihil was watching her with curiosity. She was nothing like the sisters he’d met from other convents before and he found his interest piqued. He looked as there was as a tiny flutter of wings and a little wren flew down to Seraphim, landing on the bench.
“Hello little one!” She said excitedly, reaching out to gently stroke the birds tiny tummy. “It’s been a few days hasn’t it?”
The little bird cocked its head at her and bounced around before flying away.
Nihil chucked at her interaction. “Your friend?” He asked indicating the ball of fluff.
Seraphim smiled, “yes,” she replied watching the little bird flying above them. “She’s always been a great comfort to me and someone I can look forward to seeing outside and away from the convent.”
“That’s good, Sorella,” Nihil nodded. “Nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures life has to offer.” He sat back against the bench and closed his eyes. “It really is good to be outside.” he sighed.
“We’ve always been taught to not really enjoy ourselves at home,” Seraphim admitted to Nihil. “It feels…dare I say it, a bit lonely sometimes. Maybe that’s why I love nature so much. It doesn’t feel sinful to love and enjoy something that God himself put upon this earth.”
Nihil opened his eyes and looked at her with interest. “My dear, where I come from it is a sin to NOT love and enjoy your life. But I find it highly interesting that you seem to have a loophole in the rules of your faith.”
That caught Seraphim’s attention and her interest had been captured. She listened with keen interest to the old man.
“Most of your sisters and superiors will follow the rules blindly like sheep as I’m sure you’ve seen. But you seem to have a good head on your shoulders and a mind of your own, Sorella. That is something that you should nurture, not stifle.”
“Thankyou, Papa,” she said slowly. “I feel bad in admitting it, but it’s nice to feel seen and heard. I go about my day alone normally.”
When he looked surprised, she gestured to her eyes. “These make my life harder than it should be, especially as a woman of God. I was abandoned by my family because they were afraid of me.”
Nihil took another breath through his mask. “My family would think nothing of that,” he chucked. “We have our own abnormalities that stick out like a sore thumb!”
Seraphim wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but still she nodded out of politeness.
“Well my dear, it’s getting later than I expected.” He suddenly said standing uneasily. “I should be getting back to the Ministry.”
“Oh…” she said, pausing. “You’re of the Satanic Church?”
“Well of course my child!” Nihil laughed out loud at her question. “Where else would dress in such finery and think that not living was a sin?”
Now that he mentioned it, Seraphim looked again at this robes. To her surprise, she now noticed the beautiful details embroidered into them. Amongst the red and cream there were beautiful, detailed pictures depicting Lucifer and St Michael.
Seraphim felt a little foolish but when she felt Nihil nudge her playfully, she relaxed again. “I’m teasing Sorella,” he said. “You weren’t to know.”
Feeling brave, Seraphim suddenly stood, linking her arm through Nihil’s; his form a lot taller than her now they were standing together. “May I walk you home, Papa?” She asked. “It would be my pleasure.”
Nihil looked down at her kindly. “I would love that my dear,” he said patting her hand. “Shall we begin?”
During the rest of their walk, they spoke of many things and Seraphim felt comfortable in the old man’s presence. She felt guilty at feeling like she didn’t really want to go back to the convent, but chose to ignore those feelings and enjoy the rest of her walk with the old Papa.
But as they reached the aged, metal gates of the Ministry, Seraphim paused slightly looking up at the building looming above them. Nihil, feeling her anxiousness reached over and again patted her hand.
“You have nothing to fear Sorella,” he said gently. “You are with me and you are welcome here. Always.”
Relaxing at his words, Seraphim led him to to the large doors and helped him inside.
He turned to smile at her. “Thankyou Sorella for your company this evening. It has been a pleasure to spend my time with you.” He took her hand a placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I hope we meet again.” He turned to walk inside when he paused and said “In fact, I know we will…”
As the door closed, Seraphim smiled to herself. She turned and began to walk away from the Ministry. It had been an odd evening, but also a lovely one she thought.
However, as she reached the metal gates, she suddenly felt a pull at her soul.
Pausing, she found herself slow and turn to look back at the old building. Her gaze was drawn to one of the windows on the upper floors and there she was met with another’s eyes. Her topaz eyes met with a pair of mismatched that belonged to someone new.
An Antipope, tall and muscular stared back at her. His face, like Nihil’s was covered in grease paints but a lot more striking in design. He wore long robes in black and rich emerald green with a mitre on his head. At his side, with leather clad hands, he held a magnificent silver staff bearing an upside down crucifix.
His aura reeked of authority and superiority, and his face held a stern expression. The pull she realised was towards him. Seraphim found herself intrigued, not realising that he was just as interested in her.
The two stood silently captivated by each other for a few moments, but as the droplets of rain began to fall, Seraphim reluctantly drew her gaze from the mysterious Antipope. She began to walk at a fast pace back to the convent as the rain fell harder and started to soak her habit.
Neither of them realised that in that short moment, the threads of their lives had begun to intertwine and weave creating a bond between them. A bond that would question their beliefs and challenge their desires. A bond that would change them forever.
This is where the story of Seraphim and Secondo began.
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Chapter 2 link:
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 1 · And here we are! Enjoy the next part of my fic. I’ve spent most of today re-editing this chapter so I really hope there ar
