Chapter 1

Prophecy

“Father, forgive me,” Mallory said, kneeling to the floor in prayer. “I have sinned. I have slept with another man.” She shook, not thinking God would forgive her for that. “I couldn’t help it. I wanted revenge against my cheating fiancé. After all, he told me about the woman in the club.” She stroked her stomach; she was already two weeks pregnant. “But don’t let the stranger I met on the roadside be the father. Don’t let him.”

In an instant, she relived the scene with the man. She was stranded on the roadside with a blown tire. “Need some help?” A voice said. She turned to face a blond man in a dark suit. “You seem to have a blown tire.”

“I do,” Mallory replied. She glanced at the gaping hole in the tire. “Will you help?” The man nodded.

“Got a spare in the trunk,” he said, opening the trunk of his car and bringing the spare out. Mallory stepped back and watched him repair the tire. “You were driving erratically, anything wrong?”

“Yes, I’m angry,” she admitted. “My fiancé cheated on me with a woman he met at a nightclub.”

“I think that was my sister he slept with,” the man replied. “She’s always picking up different guys at clubs. What a slut.”

“Yeah, no wonder Stanley slept with her,” Mallory replied. “Are you engaged?”

“Nope, I’m a bachelor,” he said. “More fun alone.”

Her memory abruptly stopped short. She knew what she did; she and the man had a one-night-stand. My baby can’t be his child. It can’t be. Mallory hung her head in shame before getting up and going to the kitchen to get herself a cup of milk.

Stanley Solomon sat on the tan sofa, watching football and eating a bag of potato chips. He too was stunned by his fiancée’s pregnancy and silently wished he was the father. Why was I so stupid? This doubt wouldn’t happen if I didn’t meet that girl at the club.

He remembered the flashing lights and the deafening music. He especially remembered the mysterious woman sitting at a table, sipping a martini. She was rather unusual, but beautiful. He sat down near her. “Oh, hello, miss. You new here?”

“I’m visiting here from somewhere far away,” she said, her voice as seductive as her appearance. The lights made her blond hair look reddish. “I just want to have a little fun before my vacation ends.”

What? Why do I feel this way about her? I’m engaged for Pete’s sake! I don’t want to cheat on Mallory. Stanley tried to distance himself from this woman, but it was too much. This woman was magnetic enough to incite lust within him.

Now, Stanley attempted to concentrate on the game without thinking that the baby wasn’t his. It can’t be the other man’s! If it is, I’m devastated. He took another bite of potato chips, trying to disguise his doubt.

A group of black-clad teenagers gathered together in the park when the sun dipped down below the horizon. Most were boys well-known for their “conquests”.

“Welcome to the Perverse Cult, Jeremy,” the leader said. “You finally earned your right to be one of us.”

The new initiate smiled from under his cloak. “So what’s the first order of business. I already underwent the initiation ceremony.” He was excited that he finally got to join the group.

“We must consult the Perverse for guidance,” the leader, the captain of the high-school football team, a strong young man named Cody Mills, said. He knelt before the makeshift altar. “Our Ruler! The Perverse One!” he called out. “Grant your servants guidance. Send us a sign that you’re listening.”

“Well, my loyal subjects,” a voice said from the heavens. Jeremy shook. He thought the cult was superstition. This Perverse is real? “Aren’t you going to give me a little something? Remember our little deal, Cody?” The voice was androgynous and oddly flirty.

Cody took out a flask of wine from his messenger bag. “I offer this to thee.” He lay it on the altar. The flask disappeared a few seconds later.

“All right, dears,” the voice said. “Fear not, I have a sign. There’ll be a prophet coming in a few years. Just give him time to grow.” He/She gave a slight chuckle.

“Is this true?” one of the other cultists asked.

“Of course,” the Perverse said. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“You haven’t, Master,” Cody replied.

“Good! Now remember, wait for fifteen years before the Prophet comes to this site,” the Perverse warned his/her followers. “He will come.”

Cody got off his knees and dusted off his black robes, wondering if his parents would find out about him taking some wine from the wine cellar. The other cult members returned home.