Page 131 of Babalon

Finding the strength to step further inside the home. I lug out a prepaid cell phone given to me by Jazmin, and called EMS.

“9-1-1 What’s your emergency?”

“I just walked into a house and found two dead bodies. Address is 8769 Rawlins Rd.”

“You found two dead bodies?”

“Yes. They are at least two weeks postmortem.”

“Okay, I am sending authorities to your loc...”

Click.

I am not sticking around to answer anyone’s questions, and I will likely be gone before they get here. No use staying on the phone, too.

Powering through the stench, I step over the woman, slowly, making sure I don’t slip in her juices and end up part of the crime scene myself.

Past her, I rove quickly down the hallway. Opening every door until I find the one I am searching for—one that obviously had a sixteen-year-old girl living in it.

Peewee cheer trophies, covered in dust, line shelves that frame the upper walls. Bookcases with trinkets, photos, and art supplies along the far wall next to a window—sans curtains. Sadie’s bed turned caddy-corner against the wall closest to my left, bedding in disarray. To my right was a long dresser that her TV sits on, its drawers looking like they were yanked out and shoved back in carelessly.

The whole room appears… normal. As normal as I can hope anyway.

Taking the time to walk in, and familiarize myself with a few things. I swivel around in the center a few times, looking over every tiny detail. This… is my daughter's life. Though the colors scheme screamed more Metallica and Aerosmith than Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, it is still vibrant.

“Where are you, Sadie?” I whisper in the dead silent space.

Twisting around once more, I know I have to get out of here soon, but there has to be something here that can lead me to her. The cops are coming and they are going to ask why a newly released convict is inside this house— with the dead.

Taking a few steps to the door, a torn envelope grabs my attention. The document inside shoved where it was now creased, almost wadded up. The return address sucking the air right out of my lungs.

Hastily, I snatch it up, my frantic eyes roaming the words until each one is consumed in their entirety.

If I don’t know any better, I’d say I heard the dead scream but… it’s just me. My agonizing wail vibrates the room as thewords before me paint a daunting realization of who the hell has my child.

Epilogue Two

Lucien

My dear, dear Sadie,

I hope this letter finds you well. It will be my first and only letter to you. I can picture your beautiful face and big eyes flicking through the words, confused as to why you received communications from a prison. Truth be told, I’m beyond excited to speak with you. This has been a long time in the making, Sadie. I know you may have questions, a lot of them and if I know anything about your birth mother, you will have them ready forme. Which, I promise to answer every one of them.

Unfortunately, you and I are missing vital pieces of our lives. Damning us to this dreadful existence. You, sweet girl, were not supposed to be born. I tried to stop it, prevent your mother from having a child, leaving you so vulnerable and unprotected. I was too late and while this doesn’t come from a place of hatred, our bloodline is filthy and needs to be eradicated.

Your mother has tried to reach out to you over the duration of your life, which I had someone intercept those attempts and destroy the letters so you wouldn’t be tricked into believing her treachery. She is a wretch, she deserves nothing other than to rot for her sins. You though, sweet girl, are going to be the one who brings this all to an end. Below the surface, you will end up just like us, dark, depraved, a deviant… a Judas.

I will see you soon, Sadie; just the two of us.

My beautiful, corruptive, girl.

Be good,

Uncle Lucien

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