The Knowing

The Knowing.
By Stephen A Abell.

Number of Words: 500



The bedroom was uncomfortably warm. He knew the radiators were set to maximum, while the summer sun pounded at the window for access. In the bed, soaked in suffocating sunlight, lay the body of a man. The duvet pulled tight around his shoulders, his face red, and slick with thick globules of sweat.

He knew neither the husband’s nor the wife’s name, nor did he care to. They were nothing.

It was about the money and the souls.

As a child, his interest laid in the dark arts. In the beginning, he called it magic and witchcraft; now years of practise later he knew its real name, a forbidden name which when spoken turned all who heard deaf, dumb and blind.

Over the years, he sold his talents to anyone and everyone. Mobsters taking out competition, or the law. Wives and husbands, wanting to know if their spouse was faithful. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, trying to find missing loved ones, or to talk to them after death. In this new open-minded world with the new paranormal television programs, he did not find it difficult to ply his trade.

Today he was performing his most requested glamour of Sin Eating. This ritual concerned the taking of sins from a dying person upon himself, so when that person passed they would not walk the earth in misery. The catch was the sins are always and unbreakably attached to the soul.

The newly sinless person would feel fantastic and full of light, immersed in pleasure for his last few hours or days. However, when they passed over the sins reattached themselves to the soul. At this time the dearly departed realise their sins have been sold to the landlord of hell, for favours; and without the option to repent at the feet of the great and only God.

Pulling down the duvet, he had the wife place the death cake on her husband’s chest. Next, she passed over the wooden bowl filled with ale. Under his breath, he mumbled the incantation, then lifted the cake to his mouth and took a bite; then took a swig from the ale and mixed the contents in his mouth. His mind was aflame with visions of the man’s sins. Finishing the food and drink, he looked at the wife who only nodded. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he quietly spoke another spell. The woman jerked as she saw her husband and daughter together, time and time again. Then her sister, and twice with her sister’s daughter. Finally, the sight of him throwing their daughter down the stairs, where her mother would find her later that night with her neck broken from a supposed accident.

Releasing her, she fell heavily to the floor. As she picked herself up, her hand found the cake knife on the dressing table. “BURN IN HELL.” She screamed, ceaselessly slamming the knife into his chest.

“He will.” He said turning to the door and striding quickly away.

For the "Invalid Item"  Contest.
Prompt for March 27th to April 3rd - "Sin Eater"
Come and try it out.