From Glade Hall – Chapter 3
~ The Church of Enlil ~
Brother Gideon Crabb sat at his desk and wondered, not for the first time, what all the paperwork achieved. The UK immigration people seemed to want the same information, repeated in about twenty different ways. Then there were the various government departments that checked on the safety and wellbeing of their students. It had to be done, Gideon understood that. It was just that when he’d been appointed to his current position, head of the college, he’d expected to be doing less paperwork.
The Church of Enlil was a back to basics Christian organisation with definite leanings towards Old Testament Christianity. They believed in heaven and hell as real places and that homosexuals and women priests were definitely going there. Not that anyone from the church shouted about those views, they tried to keep their beliefs and lives private, as far as possible. There had been one unfortunate article in a local paper.
‘Cult in Oxfordshire – Are the views of The Church of Enlil, compatible with current public opinion ? This is the 1980s, not the 1880s……………….’
The article had gone on for several columns and had been quoted in a few Sunday papers. Gideon had saved the day and gained himself a bit of a reputation in the church. A reputation that saw him appointed to his present position, a few years later. Things had come to a head, when an MP had called for their state funding to be removed. In truth they received only a tiny amount of public money, but losing it might scare off the parents of some of their overseas students. And their fees of course, the large fees that kept the college solvent.
“We need to bring the public in.” Gideon had said. “Show them everything, have our own version of meet and greet. We must break bread with them !”
It had worked. The public came to the open days and generally liked what they saw; a lot of overseas kids, smiling a lot, being polite and calling each other brother and sister. What harm could there be in that ? The people of Oxfordshire didn’t come in their thousands, but a few hundred turned up to each open day and they still did. They ate the bread baked on the premises and enjoyed the fresh fruit from the college gardens.
It wasn’t that the public saw the college as a good thing, intense religion will always make people a little wary. The important thing was that the locals saw the church as harmless, maybe even a bit boring. That was perfect; the college kept its government funding and happily drifted into public obscurity once again.
Gideon ticked a box on a form that asked the same thing as another five boxes he’d already ticked. Normally he hated interruptions, but the knock on his door was a bit of a relief.
“Yes, come in !” He shouted.
His office was quite large and the students were often timid. Gideon had found that he needed to shout quite loudly, or they assumed he was busy and wandered off.
“Sister Natalie was seen heading for The Glade again last night.”
Sister Juliet taught the Bible Core Course and she was also very good at keeping him informed on what the students were up to. Sadly sex and drinking were fairly ordinary sins among the students, but Sister Natalie was rumoured to be committing far worse sins. He closed his eyes and quickly prayed for guidance.
“Were the other two with her ?” He asked.
“Yes, Brother Umar and Brother Ryan, her usual little gang.” Answered Juliet.
“Thank you. Do you know where they are now ?”
“In the Chapel, all of them.”
Juliet left him to his thoughts, something had to be done about the three of them. It might have to be something drastic, perhaps permanent expulsion from the college and the church.
Glade Hall had a reputation for being a little odd. There had been reports of various manifestations and sightings for hundreds of years. It was why the church’s patron, the odious pop singer, had been able to buy the estate quite cheaply, with a guarantee there’d be no trouble getting permission to add two dormitory blocks. The problem was that rather than being put off by the unfortunate history of Glade Hall, some parents actually saw it as a plus. Rumours of spiritual manifestations fitted in well with the local version of Christianity in some parts of the world. As for Gideon ? His main aim was to keep a low profile and keep things nice and quiet. If some of the kids brought in Ouija boards or dabbled in a little witchcraft…… he could and often had, turned a blind eye. Besides none of the ‘kids’ was younger than eighteen, they were hardly children.
“If only she’d kept it all in The Glade.” He muttered.
Various members of the staff had told him about dead animals being found in The Glade, some mutilated in a quite horrific manner. Sister Natalie was always seen just leaving or entering The Glade and she’d defied his ban on going there after dark.
“With respect sir.” She’d told him. “I’m not a child.”
She wasn’t, Natalie Roberts was a nineteen year old from Dudley in the Midlands and she scared him. There was something about the look in her eyes. Tonight though he was going to face the three of them and expel them all. Gideon left his office and walked through the main building, on the way to the new extension.
“You’re actually doing it ?!” Said Brother Walter. “Juliet told me you might.”
“Yes, enough is enough. I’m sending all three of them home.”
Walter was older than him and should have been the next head of the college. He didn’t seem to resent Gideon though and they were good friends.
“Would you like some moral support ? I can come with you.”
“Thank you Walter, that would be appreciated.”
The dormitory blocks were dull and drab. Low ceilings and room after room, all small and all about fitting in a large number of fee paying students. Preferably overseas students, paying all those huge tuition costs. The one good thing about the West Dorm, was that it linked onto the chapel. No more going out in the rain to pray.
“Brother Umar Musa is a good lad.” Said Walter. “His father is a government minister in Nigeria.”
“I know, but if I’m expelling the other two, I can hardly spare Umar !”
Walter always wanted to play devil’s advocate and normally it was appreciated. Not when he had three kids to send home though. Brother Ryan Dantzler was from Chicago and he was a good student too, likely to get a first class degree. It was her doing, all of it.
“Be firm old friend.” Said Walter. “You handled the Sister Kukuwa affair very well.”
“I will ! There’ll have their bags packed and be out of here at first light in the morning.”
There had been a few kids who claimed to have been touched by ghosts, or spirits. A few had even shown the nurse bruises on their arms. Strangely the occurrences seemed to suit a religious college and no parent had ever complained. Kukuwa was from Ghana, a long way from her family and their support. She’d claimed to have been interfered with in the middle of the night.
“Fingers….. actually penetrating her.” The nurse had told him.
The girl had been eighteen, far from home and still claiming to be a virgin. It was all likely to be a fantasy, but there was a procedure for such things. The fingers might have been real and on the arm of another student, or a member of staff. It had to be reported. But Gideon hadn’t reported it, his quiet life would have ended if he had. The local press might ignore a strange religious college with iffy views on women clergy, but it would have field day with sexual abuse.
“You’ve been seen with several male students.” He’d told her. “I’d have to mention that to your parents.”
More threats, it had become easier as he became used to bullying her. She’d cried a lot, but had agreed to say nothing and simply go home to Ghana.
“Emotionally unsuited to living away from home.” He’d written on a letter to her family.
Gideon wasn’t proud of himself for bullying a vulnerable young girl, but he was proud of keeping things quiet for the church. Nothing could be allowed to rock the boat, certainly not one hysterical student.
“What………. Who is that ?” Asked Walter. “Is someone with them ?”
They were still some distance from where the corridor widened to give access to the chapel doors. A deep male voice was shouting in Latin of all things. Gideon had once been good at Latin, but not the way it was being pronounced. He picked up pieces though, portions that scared him.
“You dare invoke me here……………………..
punish you all………..
consume you all…..”
Then there had been a scream that made his ears hurt, a male voice, obviously terrified. Gideon might well have run away, but Walter was striding towards the chapel.
“Come on.” He said. “They need our help.”
Several faces appeared round doors, shouting out questions and answers in a string of different languages. It was all adding to the chaos and Walter had just entered the chapel.
“Shut up ! Go back into your rooms.” Shouted Gideon. “Now !!”
There was the noise of several doors closing and he was alone. Gideon Crabb called on what little courage he possessed and walked into the Maynard Family Chapel. It was long, the same length as a small village church. He could see Walter arguing with someone and a bloody carcass on the ground.
“What have you beasts killed now ? Some poor soul’s dog again ?” He fumed. “It won’t do, it definitely will not do !”
His mind wasn’t strong and it rebelled at what he saw, as he walked closer. One Nigerian boy had shown him a picture once, of a relative almost cut in half because of their religion. His mind had refused to properly see that, refused to accept that such horrors existed in the world. He carried on walking and then, a few feet from the body, he recognised Brother Umar Musa.
“You’ve murdered him, you bitch !” He shouted.
He’d been cut open from neck to crotch and Natalie was holding a bloody knife. Walter didn’t seem as shocked by it all, or he was better at handling it. He was grabbing Natalie’s hand, trying to get her to drop the knife.
“Leave her !” Again the strident voice, speaking Latin.
How hadn’t he seen it ? The figure was huge, barely hidden by a column near the altar. Only it wasn’t a figure of a man, the size, the posture. Gideon’s mind had another few seconds of down time. It couldn’t be of course, no religious person truly believes in Satan. He found himself on his knees, watching something rip Walter apart and then Brother Ryan Dantzler. He picked up Ryan in his claws, yes his mind accepted there were claws at the end of those large muscular arms.
“No, no, this can’t be happening.” He muttered, looking at the floor tiles.
It was true though, he looked again and saw the horned beast, putting Ryan onto the altar and ripping him open. Blood, lots of blood, covering the floral displays. Gideon managed to get to his feet.
“You don’t exist.” He called. “This isn’t real, can’t be real.”
Not just the beast, there were several shadows now, all clustered around Ryan, drinking blood from him, eating his flesh. There was no sign of Natalie though, no sign at all. He had no weapons on him, he was a man of God after all. A candlestick was nearby, but it was far too heavy to be used as a weapon. He just about lifted it to shoulder height and advanced towards him, Lucifer himself.
“Be gone foul serpent, this is not your place !” He shouted.
The creature faced him and smiled, oh those terrible eyes. Like fire filled smoke he looked, the destroyer of man’s innocence. No doubt now, no hiding behind modern logic. Lucifer himself had been summoned up by those stupid kids. Or was it ?! Gideon’s mind kept switching from seeing a solid creature with horns to something purely existing as flame filled smoke.
“No ! You go, spineless coward. Before you’re the next to be devoured !”
English now, but still the same voice. Gideon dropped the candlestick and ran from the chapel. He didn’t stop running until he reached Walter’s rooms. Walter had an old Webley revolver that his father had brought home from the great war, the war that was supposed to end all wars. Satan couldn’t be killed by bullets of course, but just holding the heavy gun, gave him confidence.
Lucifer and the shadows had gone when he returned, but Ryan was still draped over the altar, his blood dripping over the flowers that had been fresh that morning. No sign of Natalie, she never was seen again, not by a living soul. Walter was dead, his throat ripped out by hugely powerful fingers, or claws. As for Umar, poor Umar…. Little was left to identify him by, apart from a small tattoo of a frog on his left wrist. Eaten, most of his soft tissues and a few tendons. Gideon sat on one of the pews for a while, trying to make sense of what he’d seen. Was mortal man supposed to see him clearly, Lucifer, prince of lies ? All he could be certain of was seeing something rip his students apart and his friend. Whatever it may have been, it wasn’t all in his mind. Three people were dead !
Gideon Crabb had called his church and asked them to decide if he called in the police, or they could help him tidy things up. There had been a lot of previous minor problems, which might all come out at the inquest. A class action might ruin The Church of Enlil. Gideon spoke to the parents, it was what he was good at. The three bodies were buried in the Maynard Cemetery, a church doctor had provided death certificates.
“Terrible really.” Gideon told their families. “A virulent flu virus. Truly awful that it should claim three of our brothers. Their wish was to be buried at the college……..”
There had been a lot of blood to clean up and Gideon always imagined that some of it would never clean off his hands. The church sold Glade Hall soon after. They really had experienced more religion than they could handle.
Gideon Crabb died three years later, never having discussed the night with anyone. His sister had heard him talk a few times, when he was drunk and needing an ear. No details, just telling her to believe in the devil.
“He’s real…………… I saw him when he visited Glade Hall.”
As to Natalie Roberts ? Her family reported her missing and the college co-operated, but as Gideon told them.
“She was a troubled young woman. Personally, her disappearance doesn’t surprise me.”
Despite all the best efforts of the police and the local community, no trace of Natalie was ever found.
~ ~
~ The End ~
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