I heard the howls of the guard wolves in the garden. The room had changed. No more moonlight, the body hidden behind a thick parade of dark cloud.

Miss Hayley lay bleeding on the floor. I thought about lies and how so willingly a strong, smart, determined person could so easily believe them in exchange for what they wanted. She wanted nothing more than freedom. She was willing to believe this was about sex and not taking my first soul.

I had made one mistake though. Her blood was now pooled all over the rug, quite a nice rug, quite an important piece of my families history. Did it really matter though, I was now a true member of this family. Some other Miss Hayley would surely be tasked with cleaning all the mess up.

I stepped outside to breathe. I removed a cigarette from my pocket and sucked the nicotine into my lungs.

I took my hands, clasped them together and sent a prayer to the stars through the clouds.

"You know, we may act like we believe in public but that's no way to be behaving after you slay your first little goat, son."

I turned and saw my father's face glaring at me, half covered by the silk outer curtain, beyond him the body, it looked like a wedding gone wrong.

"Don't worry father, just an extra kick, no meaning in it."

He smiled and asked the question I had asked myself hours before.

"So, did you do it with the blockers, or all natural? Don't lie, I'll test you"

It hadn't been. All natural.

"Blockers." I replied, my voice cracking ever so slightly.

"No shame in that. The ways of the church do have their benefits, my first whack, my heart nearly god-damn exploded." he laughed silently.

He took his hand and gave me a gentle slap of the face and then walked off through the gardens, before reaching the end of the concrete path he turned and shouted...

"SON, DON'T FOREGET, IT'S NOT OVER YET, GOTTA TAKE HER BONES!"

The word bones. The thought of it, crushed my skull and caused an instant pain in the center of my head. I was a child once, back then I never wanted to hurt anyone or do anything against The Church. Unlike my father, unlike the rest of my family, I could still remember, the time I believed, it was the only time in my life I was ever happy.

I flicked the cigarette and took a look back inside the room.

The BONES. Gotta. Take. Her. Bones