Submitted by girl_from_the_crypt t3_10y9ltj in nosleep

Hello, strangers. I'm back from the half-dead. Jacek was kind enough to post the last time, and even though I haven't had the balls to read it yet, I'm very grateful. I'm just not ready to learn more about Jeremy yet.

Our family is so fucked up, isn't it?

I had a talk with my Dad. A very unpleasant one. Jacek had tied him to a chair down in the basement and gagged him, and he was still sitting there, staring ahead with steely malice in his eyes when the miller, my brother and I made our way down the stairs to him. Jacek stepped forward and removed the rolled up piece of wool he'd stuffed down my father's throat.

"Gross, you got my sock all wet," he commented, unrolling the saliva-drenched article of clothing before tossing it aside. "Ah, was time I washed it anyway."

"Son of a bitch," Dad spat, breathing heavily.

"Hey come on, don't drag my mom into this. So, I think your kids got some questions for you?" He motioned for us to step forward. "I'm just here to help them out in case you're gonna try and be stubborn.”

"You're Hettmann's boy," Maxwell muttered. "Your father was just as much of a bastard as you."

"Sure," Jacek said, not batting an eye.

"Stop it, Dad. Just tell me what your game is and we won't have to hurt you. Seeing as being civil is obviously not an option with you."

"I'm not afraid of you," my father growled back.

"Your second-born thought that, too," Jacek answered. "Hour later, I had him wishing he was just a twitch in your nuts again. Just letting you know considering you're putting forth a challenge here."

It seemed to take my father all of his willpower to pull himself together—he squared his shoulders, inhaling deeply and then sagged back in his chair, eyes closed. Despite his reluctance, he spoke. "When I was a young man, I used to talk to an angel," he said in a low, brittle voice. "He told me what I would become. A modern knight of faith. Started when I was in my teens and lasted all the way up until I moved here with Ania. He never came to visit me in these woods. Unholy ground. No matter how hard I tried to reach out to him afterwards, he simply wouldn't show. Sometimes, I'd get far away to contact him. I'd drive for hours, but he never came back, even when I had my mind screaming for him. This place took everything from me that made me special. I would have become a great man, and your freakshow robbed me of that."

"Then why the fuck did you marry Mom in the first place?" I snapped.

"Because of you." A thin, sardonic smile tugged on his lips. "Hadn't planned for Fiona fucking Novak. The princess. You were an accident. Just one slip-up and there I was, stuck with you. Had to play Baby Daddy in the middle of a haunted forest. A shotgun wedding is what it was. Your grandparents would have hunted me down if I hadn't made an honest woman of your mother."

"And that’s my fault?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, bewilderment turning my voice shrill and squeaky. "You knocked up a girl and then decided to be a dick about having to step up? And I'm to blame for you not keeping it in your pants?"

"Great knight of faith you are," Casimir snorted. "Can't even put a condom on right."

I threw him a sidelong glance. "Now that’s ironic."

"Hey shut up, I'm trying to support you here."

“Right, I’m sorry.”

Maxwell regarded us with scornful eyes. "I can't believe you two are my children. Casimir, you just had to throw your life away, too, didn't you? Follow your sister into this hellhole… Ain't no holy light reaching you here, son. If you wind up here, that's it for you. You're lost. Just like Ania, just like Fiona. You're gonna die because you came here, and it's not going to be a peaceful, dignified death."

Cas flinched visibly, but collected himself almost right away. There was something in his eyes, though, something that hadn’t been there before.

"Cas? Do you—" I began, but he cut me off.

"Later, Fi."

Heart pounding, I turned back to my father. "So. You hate me, you hate the woods, you hated mom—"

"I didn't hate your mother. She was a misguided little thing. She needed me. Felt good to be needed. But she pushed away any good sense I tried to instill in her."

"Ania never needed you for shit," Jacek remarked. Throwing me an apologetic look, he added, "Sorry for butting in, gorgeous, but this pissstain is talking out of his ass. I knew Ania. She was like my godmom or something. He didn't let her see me for a long time, but we were close enough." Returning his attention to Maxwell, he continued, "She didn't need anyone. Yes, she was a cold woman from what I've heard, and not always fair, but damn if she wasn't independent. 'S what my old man used to say about her, too. Can't judge her as a mother, but I know she always held her own."

"My wife is none of your business, kid," Maxwell grunted.

"Kid? For fuck's sake, I'm pushing forty. You'll just say anything you can to justify not listening to anyone else, won't you?" Jacek gave a bitter laugh.

"Not to filth like you. Only clever thing my daughter ever did was reject you."

"So you knew about us?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm not stupid, Fiona. Only Ania never allowed me to confront you. Besides, when one day you stop sneaking out and suddenly start wearing wedding gowns, demonic magic is a sound conclusion."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, hold it. All that good stuff aside, why would you try and take me out after all these years? If this is about the Evening Redness, why get it now? Did you only learn of it recently? And how did you find out; who told you?"

A beatific smile suddenly bloomed on my father's face. "The angel came back to me. He told me to find the sleeper, and to offer it to him. The world can then finally submit to order."

“Say, what’d he look like? Your angel?” Jacek chimed in, a strange, meaningful undertone in his voice.

Dad let out a soft, near reverent sigh. “He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. He’s all in white; he’s… not old, but not wholly youthful. His hair is like fresh-fallen snow, and his eyes… his eyes hold the wisdom of centuries.”

Something about this response seemed to take the miller aback. “But he had, like, a human form? He looked like a guy?”

My father nodded, still gazing emptily into the distance.

I cleared my throat. "Why didn't they want it before? I mean, seeing as God's all-knowing, the angels must have been aware of the Evening Redness."

"They didn't need it. But now, there's a power struggle going on. It's not just chaos against order anymore. A bunch of other wannabe deities are trying to make a comeback, out there looking for acolytes," Maxwell explained impatiently.

I threw Jacek a brief glance. He had gone very quiet beside me. "That much is true," he hurried to confirm. "Nick is concerned about it as well. It took him some effort to rise to power. It's not just anyone who can decide over the fate of human souls. He doesn't want to lose his position."

"So what's new? Who's trying to topple the existing forces?"

"Oh, a bunch of guys. I hear Loki is back. Doing considerably well for himself, the old fox. May be a serious contender." The miller shrugged, brows furrowed despite the lightness of his tone.

"Not with the sleeper in the Lord's hands," Maxwell gritted out.

"Or in Nick's," Jacek added. "But I'll admit that I've no idea how such a great shift in power would translate to our lives. I don't want the forest to be wiped out, much as I like the idea of eternal darkness and a world in sin."

"I need to protect my land," I told him. "I can't have anything happening to the forest people. I know they're safe with things the way they are, so I need it to stay this way. Nobody is getting the sleeper." I tilted my head at my former lover ever so slightly, and he mirrored the movement. "Is that okay with you? Can you accept that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course I can. I'm not gonna work against you," he said softly.

"Fiona, you don't know what you're doing," Dad pressed out, sounding like he could barely contain himself. "Give the sleeper to me!"

I ignored the demand, locking eyes with him in what I hoped came off as an indifferent, cold stare. "My soul. For how long have you had it?"

"When the angel reappeared, I asked him about it. He told me how to find it, how to trap it. He assured me it would work on the Evening Redness as well."

I sincerely doubted one could simply trap a being of this power and size. It wasn't the same as a little white rabbit. "My head hurts," I muttered. "Let's take this upstairs, boys. I need a break."

We left Maxwell down in the basement. Casimir and I sat down on the living room couch while Jacek went out onto the porch for a smoke.

"So… down there," I began with a nervous chuckle.

My brother was staring at the black, silent tv screen, avoiding my gaze. I scooted closer to him, one of my arms snaking around his midriff. "I got that wrong, right? You just startled 'cause Dad was being a dick."

He didn't respond. The tip of his tongue moved to moisten his dry lips.

"Casimir, I'm reading too much into that, aren't I?" I asked, trying to mask the desperation creeping into my voice.

"Remember how I talked to Jacek alone, before he first left after coming back?" he finally spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Wanted him to stay. Still need him to stay. You gotta have someone. Just in case."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Fi. You know, don't you?" He turned to face me. His eyes were glistening. "Look. I'm not gonna drop dead tomorrow or anything. I'm taking my meds, and I'm gonna live just as long as you. I'm… sick. But it's not a death sentence. I can go on for a long time. If I watch myself, I'll be fine. Well, not fine fine. It's not gonna be the same again, ever. But all things considered, I—I’ve got hope. This whole cynical thing, that's just the fear. I haven't gotten over that yet."

I swallowed hard. "What is it?"

"Can we… not? Name it? I don't feel like I can talk about it that way yet. So… clinical. I dunno." He grimaced, looking distinctly uneasy. "Whenever I think about it, I'm constantly switching between jumping into a panic or downplaying it entirely, and like, neither of those are good. I suppose I'm just really, really confused. I know I'll be okay eventually, but right now, I don't want to think about it until I've reached a point where I can deal with it level-headedly. That's why I came here, I guess."

"Alright," I said slowly. "And… physically, how do you feel?"

"Normal. The first couple weeks were like a really long flu, that's… that's why I went to get checked in the first place. Now, I've mostly recovered. I'm still a little more fatigued, though. Not as energetic anymore, but that could also be the stress. Got nightsweats occasionally, but not like I used to."

I reached up to massage my temples. "Okay. Okay, so if—if you need something, anything, don't ever hesitate to ask. And please take care of yourself. Don't overdo it. I've literally no medical knowledge but the second you start feeling off, let me know." Noticing how frantic I sounded, I willed my heart to stop racing. "Casimir, I love you more than anything else in this world. When you're ready to talk more, I'll be here."

Cas looked up to meet my gaze, wiping the corners of his eyes with his thumb. "I know.”

I got up, patting down my white tulle skirt. "I really don’t wanna go now, but I need to deal with the sleeper."

"Course, the eldritch horror in our backyard.” Cas snorted.

"I've got an idea. It's a reach, but maybe it'll get me places. Could you stay here, watch Dad?"

"Sure. And I know I don't need to tell you, but… be careful."

"I will."

Out on the porch, the air was chilly and fresh. Icicles had formed on the edge of the roof, hanging down like blades gleaming in the cold sunlight. Jacek was leaning against one of the wooden pillars, cigarette in mouth. His arm stretched up, he was fingering the tip of the icicle right above his head, and I was momentarily distracted by the view of this shirt riding up beneath his open jacket. His eyes flicked down to me, and he dropped his hand, smiling sheepishly.

"So, you… talked to Cas?" he inquired.

"M-hm. He’d already hinted at something there before. Still, it's… you know." It was harder to speak against the lump in my throat.

"Yeah."

"Imma try and focus for now. Evening Redness. That sleeping thing. I think I wanna try and talk to it."

Jacek frowned. "I'd tell you that sounds dangerous as fuck, but I'm sure you're well aware."

"Acutely aware. I think I'll ask the Bannik for help again. I know it didn't go well the last time, but now that I'm actively looking to contact the sleeper, I reckon it's exactly what I need."

"Fair enough. Want me to—?"

"Want to come with?" I asked at the same time.

Hettmann grinned. "Definitely."

We started marching up to the sauna, falling into step beside one another. His shoulder kept brushing against mine, but neither of us moved aside. "Where were you?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Nick. What’d he do to you?"

"He locked me into one of my apartments. I was grounded, basically. No cell phone service, no internet. He made it feel like it lasted a whole month. It's easy dishing out shitty punishments when you can literally create pocket dimensions in which time and space works the way you want."

"Fuck. That sounds awful."

"It's not the first time he's hurt me. Or imprisoned me. He's done worse to others. Not always a breeze dealing with the guy, but I'm used to it." He shrugged.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What? No!" He let out a perplexed snort of laughter. "Why would I be? I-I'm not like that anymore, I've dealt with my anger issues."

I swallowed thickly. "For what it's worth, I really regret not telling you about my missing soul back when we were… you know. If I had… I mean, we could have talked it out, right? And you would have sent Licorice after it for me."

"Guess so."

"Wish I'd trusted you."

"Wish I hadn't pressured you. Got that from my father, I think. In hindsight, my folks were kinda fucked up as well."

"You wanna talk about that sometime?" I offered.

"I'd be glad to. When this is all over. But for now, I really don't want to steal your focus. We have more important things to do right now," he reminded me, voice gentle and perhaps a touch wistful.

I agreed, albeit with a heavy heart. Knocking on the door of the sauna, we waited, exchanging an awkward smile in silence. When the old spirit answered, I told him about my idea. Disappointingly, he seemed rather uneasy about it.

"Seeing as you nearly shook the entity awake the last time, that does sound like an awful plan," he gibbered.

"But I need to communicate with it somehow. And if it stays asleep, that's not going to happen. I have to… I don't know, negotiate with it or warn it or something."

"The Devil will come for it soon. If Fiona doesn't rouse the sleeper, then he will. He wants to consume it, which is most likely going to give him power over these woods. You don’t want that," Jacek added gravely.

The Bannik shook his head. "I'm satisfied with my current warden." He threw me a benevolent smile. "And I've no doubt that once the Beast is in power, he would devour the rest of us as well. Either that or enslave us. Both prospects are equally unpleasant to me. I see why you'd want this, heiress. But I fear I truly cannot help you. This is no matter of clairvoyance or divination. What happened before was an accident."

"It worked, though! Just let me stick my head in that bucket again and bring Arkadiusz' spirit out!" I paused. Another weird sentence to say aloud. "Doesn't matter if it wasn't the intended effect the first time."

"You're aware that it still can and will make you lose your mind if you aren't careful?"

"I guess. I just need to—"

"I may have a better idea. Do you remember when you came to the sauna some nights ago? There was a lady here; a red-haired fairy. Find her, and she will give you what you need. She sells concoctions that allow communication on different planes of existence."

I rubbed my head in thought. "Huh." I didn't doubt it. The woman had indeed kind of given me drug dealer vibes. "Fair enough. Where can I find her?"

"That might be a touch problematic. I will of course let her know that you are looking for her, but I do not know when she will come to visit me again. It may be a few days 'til I next see her."

My shoulders sagged. "But I need to talk to her as soon as possible!"

"I know not the fairies usual haunts. This is all I can do for you. But fear not, her visits have always been quite frequent."

I palmed my forehead. "Okay, well, please, please tell her it's urgent. Thank you for everything."

On that rather frustrating note, we parted ways. We spent some time searching the woods for any sign of the folk, but our efforts remained unrewarded. Eventually, we gave up and turned in for the night. I asked Jacek if there was any way he could delay the coming of Nick, but he was understandably uncertain.

"Best to just hope he has something else on his plate at the moment. If I bring you up again, he might end up doing the exact opposite; drop by early out of pure spite."

I got that, and thus settled on waiting back home. It was all we could think to do. It was weird, though, sitting in the living room together with Cas napping on the couch beside us. Part of me wanted to talk about Jacek and myself in a “where do we go from here?”-kind of way; but that was a conversation I truly did not want to rush. Like he’d said, with everything going on, it would be more sensible to wait. We chatted about some lighter stuff, and then ended up turning on the television. There was a rerun of an old horror movie which we tuned into. I hadn't taken the time to really get into a movie for a while, so I didn't recognize it until Jacek spoke up.

"That's Eight Legged Freaks."

I let out a quiet laugh. "Holy shit, you're right! We watched that together, remember?"

"I remember you being squeamish," he teased, scooting a little closer to me.

"I was not!" I pointedly turned my head away.

"You were! You were making all those little noises, like a guinea pig. It was adorable." He gave me a smug grin. "Ain't no shame it it. I'm just saying; I can't believe that with everything you've always had going on around you, you still got scared from a comedy."

"A horror comedy," I corrected. "With spiders."

He laughed out loud, only stifling it when his eyes briefly fell on the sleeping form of my brother. "Fiona Novak. Seduces forest monsters but gets scared of spiders on tv." His voice had lost its mocking edge, suddenly sounding warm and deeply sentimental. His gaze kept flickering to and away from me, his fingers nimbly pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket only to play with it in his lap.

"Try: Jacek Hettmann; works for the Devil but can't look me in the eyes without turning scarlet," I returned, moving closer to him.

"Yeah, well." He exhaled shakily, hands stilling. "Harsh. True. I do not know how to come back from that."

"You don't have to."

He smiled, tentatively raising his arm and slowly inching it into my direction.

"It's okay, you can hug me," I encouraged with a smirk.

"Oh, you're just gonna make fun of me, aren't you?" he grunted, arm coming closer.

"Always. Go on, do it. Just bring it in."

He groaned, snatching me by the shoulders and quickly but gently pulling me to his chest. I pressed my nose into the crook of his neck before sinking down to rest my head in his lap, leaning against his belly. "Damn, but you are smug about this," he muttered fondly.

"Count on it." I was actually beginning to relax a little bit when a blood-curdling scream rang out from the basement.

I sat up so quickly that I accidentally bumped the top of my head against Jacek’s chin. Cas jerked up from his pillow, blinking and wiping drool from the corner of his mouth. For a second, we all merely stared at one another in shock. Then, we sprang to our feet, rushing for the stairway to the basement just as another cry erupted from behind the door. I grabbed the handle, ready to tear it open, only to find that it wouldn’t budge.

“It’s jammed!” I yelled out, jiggling at it in desperation.

“Don’t think so!” Jacek shouted, pressing himself up to the door as I stepped aside. “Open up!” he barked. “I know you’re down there! Open the fuck up!”

“We tied Dad up though,” Casimir supplied.

“I’m not talking to him,” he muttered curtly as he started banging against the wood with both fists and raised his voice again. “Open the damn door! Open it! Don’t you fucking dare—!” He kicked the frame in sheer frustration. “Fuck!”

The noises grew louder and more unsettling. I thought I could hear the chair falling over as my father’s screams turned increasingly desperate. His voice was all gurgly and weird, but he seemed to be begging for forgiveness. Not mercy, forgiveness. “I’m sorry!” he kept on wailing, over and over again. “I did what I could, I swear I tried—!”

My heart was pounding like a sledgehammer. “Dad?” I bellowed, spittle flying from my mouth. “DAD!” I tried the door handle again, shaking it furiously.

Another cry of agony. Then, everything fell silent. The door suddenly gave in to my demanding tugs and I staggered back as it swung open. The three of us descended the stairs in a hurry, Cas hastily flicking on the lightswitch. The bulb that came fizzling to life revealed a gruesome sight. My father, still tied to the chair that was lying on the floor on its side, had fallen limp. Blood had pooled beneath his body, the source of which being a hole in his stomach that was leaking red everywhere, soaking his shirt and freely running down. As my gaze traveled up his broken frame, it stopped once more at his throat. It was wide open. There’s no other way to describe it. It hadn’t been slit or cut; it had been torn out.

I doubled over and threw up. A bit of my vomit dripped into and mixed with the puddle of blood. I couldn’t look away, despite it making me feel dizzy. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Casimir cover his face with his palms, knees trembling but not quite buckling, like he was fighting it. Jacek was grimacing, his mouth moving as though he was saying something, probably cursing, but I couldn’t hear a word. There was this ringing in my ears, like I’d stood too close to a gun being fired. I swayed on my feet, then caught myself.

Don’t pass out.

For fuck’s sake, do not pass out again.

I looked over at my brother to see him walking towards me with his arms outstretched, almost in slow motion at first, before suddenly being upon me in a heartbeat, wrapping his whole body around me.

We’re okay.

We’re staying awake.

Yeah.

No matter how often we’re gonna be beaten unconscious, how much sick shit we have to see, we’re gonna bounce back.

It’ll be okay.

I held onto my brother like my life depended on it, feeling like I could hear his pulse thrushing. He pulled back only to lock eyes with me, then cupped my cheeks on either side and pushed my forehead up to his, hard. When we eventually parted, we were breathing heavily, my own teary expression reflected in his.

“Let’s cry about this later,” Cas breathed, voice cracking. “When we’ve got the time.”

I nodded emphatically. “Okay.” Wiping the wetness from my puffy cheeks, I rolled my lips together, squaring my shoulders.

Cas cracked his neck and knuckles, stretching his arms. “I feel like doing some yoga right now, just to wind down, you know.” Filling the air with words, terrified of silence.

“You two… Shit, I am so sorry,” Jacek began, voice faltering. “I don’t know what to say.”

“We wouldn’t have let him live anyway, would we?” my brother wondered aloud, tone soft and pensive.

“I’m not sure,” I replied haltingly. “I don’t think so.”

“What the hell happened here? You know something, don’t you?” Cas asked the dark miller who had folded his hands on the back of his neck, looking at the basement ceiling with a lost, shaken expression. His entire body was tense and cramped, muscles straining against the sleeves of his black shirt.

“I thought I knew,” he pressed out. “Guess I was right. I fucked up; I should have told you as soon as I suspected, but I didn’t—I thought I’d just deal with it on my own, I didn’t want you to lose focus, I didn’t wanna put more on your plate… I cannot fucking believe this…” He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself. “Damn, Fiona. I’m so, so sorry.”

“So tell me now,” I prompted gently.

“The being that used to come and talk to your father… That wasn’t an angel.”

X

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 22

Part 23

Part 24

Part 25

Part 27

1,404

Comments

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Michal_17 t1_j7wvzri wrote

Knew it wasn't an angel the moment your male parent didn't mention it having 8 wings an a million eyes.

328

ZAWolfie t1_j7ww8d4 wrote

Well that's terrifying. Sounds like your dad was accidentally worshipping one of those deities that is trying to make a comeback. Jack mentioned Loki... he is a trickster, and pretty ruthless.

​

Your family seriously has shit luck, though.

144

simulatislacrimis t1_j7wx2ph wrote

Jacek asking about it’s form made me think it might not be an angel. Still, kinda shocked it wasn’t. But if it’s not an angel, what is it? I wanna say demon or some similar hellspawn, but that almost seems to easy? Anyways, I’m looking forward to hearing more.

And sorry about your dad. Shitty guy, but still sucks that he had to be murdered in your basement.

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girl_from_the_crypt OP t1_j7wxd3x wrote

I'm guessing it had to have been a hellspawn if Jacek knew of it? But a white, luminous creature kinda seems... not par for the course, at least judging from what I've seen of hell. I dunno.

Yeah. Thanks. I know what you mean. Appreciate it

49

ZAWolfie t1_j7wyfrg wrote

Hopefully he tells you sooner rather than later. This shit is hitting an apocalyptic scale. May also want to ask Jacek what happens if the end of the world hits. He's safe in a hellsphere. What about you and Cas? And the forest folk?

35

girl_from_the_crypt OP t1_j7wysjb wrote

Need to deal with Nick head-on. That's more important than the "angel", least I hope that's got nothing to do with one another. First things first.

We talked about this with the Bannik, if Nick gets the woods, the folk would get consumed for sure. The end of the world is a different story. Sure, the two would go hand in hand, but from what I understand, Nick wants that to happen slowly. No idea what that'd look like for us.

41

Eliz318 t1_j7x07fr wrote

I had a bad feeling Maxwell wasn’t as holy as he’d like to have thought. Sorry you had to overheat his death. Glad you have Jacek to get you through this tough time tho 😉

19

madindenial t1_j7x2roc wrote

Wow... so much to unpack.

Okay. So Cas's illness... could that be related to his vibrant social life?

I feel like at this point we can just call Nick a Novak, since he seems to be fucking with the whole ass family at this point eh?

And, as awful as the fucker was, I'm sorry about your dad. That should have been on your terms, if anything.

29

girl_from_the_crypt OP t1_j7x3e4d wrote

Cas being ill is not something I wanna comment on in that way.

I'm not sure yet if that was Nick. It'd fit his MO but why would he agree to hide the woods for me if it had been him? I dunno... Not saying it totally wasn't him but I'm not sold on it yk.

Thanks, I would have definitely preferred it if it had been on my terms.

24

SpeaksDwarren t1_j7x3fna wrote

>“The being that used to come and talk to your father… That wasn’t an angel.”

Gnosticism engine coming online, it's time to fight the Demiurge

17

[deleted] t1_j7x5pe6 wrote

Good God Fiona you and Cas need to be locked up in a safe with Jacek and we all should be armed and stationed around you three to protect you all.. Like why can't you catch a break.. WHY!? Also please don't blame yourself for what happened. That son of a bitch did not deserve to be alive but of course no child should witness something like this. (P.S: Please marry Jacek and Cas and you two get to be the mother, father, son trio I need to read about to save my mental health)

21

girl_from_the_crypt OP t1_j7x5z2y wrote

Thanks. I appreciate the sympathy, more than I can say. Haha, that sounds like a nice little vacation! Just a guarded dark single room where I could sleep.

Lmao Cas as my son??

I like the marriage thing tho.

18

ouroboro76 t1_j7x6hx7 wrote

I'm guessing your dad's killer is one of the other contenders (or lesser deities) that wants to know about the Evening Redness.

I have no clue how you're going to keep anybody from getting the Evening Redness, but I also understand that you feel a loyalty to the creatures in your forest and that you have to try for their sakes.

39

Fuckpoliteness29 t1_j7x7rao wrote

Maybe once your find the red head and faye folk you will be able to use a elixir to talk to your ancestors AND your dad! I feel like there was still so much useful information you could have gotten from him. If nothing else, more info about the sleeper.

Good luck and be safe

3

petiteasianbae t1_j7x9ovo wrote

I’m taking a guess who the “angel” is, and I think I know who exactly it is…

16

S4njay t1_j7xcu5l wrote

I knew the guy up there was gonna get involved... or maybe not. Well, damn!

5

sugarsuites t1_j7xec1t wrote

Ugh, what a way to go. I’m sorry for your loss. But it sounds like Jacek might have answers.

7

lauraD1309 t1_j7xf09f wrote

Eight legged freaks was awesome! The jumping spiders were the best. The rest....eewww.

Maybe Nick hid the forest for his own reasons, like hiding it from his competition.

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Owlet88 t1_j7xl7lz wrote

I know someone with similar symptoms to Cas. If they have the same illness, Cas can do very well on medications and live a normal lifespan. Maybe have him look into ccr4 defect and the Berlin patient. The person I know was diagnosed 15 years ago and thanks to medication the disease has been undetectable in his body for 14 of them (took a bit to get the right medication cocktail). Just be careful if Cas is bleeding.

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Little-wing-88 t1_j7xmomi wrote

I think Nick might be the angel your father spoke to… I mean it makes sense because Lucifer was of course an angel and if I remember correctly he was Gods favorite angel before Lucifer fell from heaven. And we know Nick can deffo change appearance…

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MotherofPuppos t1_j7xn67g wrote

Wow. I’m betting whatever that thing was killed daddy dearest so he couldn’t spill anymore beans.

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hurtinownconfusion t1_j7xo0en wrote

8 legged freaks was one of my favourite movies as a kid! I’m gonna focus on that cute part of your life rn and pretend the shit show isn’t happening lol

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tina_marie1018 t1_j7xp6ob wrote

It was NICK!!!!! 😥🔥😥

Or Loki, 🤡👹🤡

Please keep us updated

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lexancer t1_j7xq9qi wrote

it was a vampire, wasn't it? always the damn bloodsuckers screwing things up.

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lokisown t1_j7xvhgn wrote

Ya know... if the miller can contact him, Papa Flamehair would be a good ally, but he would want something in return. Not you, your land, the Eldritch entity or any of that. Probably more like able to join the sauna parties.

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Izoniov_Kelestryn t1_j7xyt6m wrote

Ooooh I loved this. Super curious to learn who your Dads 'angel' was. My best guess was Loki or Nick, but you seem confident in comments its not Nick, and if its not Nick then Loki kinda feels too obvious.... could it have been God himself, pretending to be a mere angel? Id imagine Angels wouldnt be super humanoid, but God likely would be.....

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gustbr t1_j7xz968 wrote

I have a couple of friends with Cas' condition. I'm glad he's doing well and that his head is on the right place at least. It's definitely something that you can live along peacefully, as long as you take your meds. Hell, one friend of mine stopped smoking and became a gym rat after being diagnosed and deciding he should take better care of himself. He was very freaked out at first, but time puts things in perspective, you know? Since we can't run from ourselves, sometimes the worst part of the stigma is self-imposed.

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HoneyMCMLXXIII t1_j7y49lh wrote

Holy hell! No pun intended. Sh—‘s getting super real, super fast! I’m so sorry you had to hear that. Maxwell sucked, a lot, but it had to be awful to have to hear and find such a thing. I’m oh, I hurt so much for you and Cas. I hope he gets as much life and happiness as possible. I’m really enjoying the slow burn with you and Jacek. Kind of rediscovering each other near the end of the world, while also trying to stop that end from happening. Just delicious!

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catatonie t1_j7y4n6k wrote

Just don’t give the land to the dream lord. He’ll get stressed out.

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catatonie t1_j7y52ok wrote

It isn’t nick, loki and I don’t think it’s GOD either….

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UnicornT-Rex t1_j7y77ll wrote

If it's not described in a biblically accurate way it's not a real angel.

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ShadoeRavyn t1_j7ye6y7 wrote

I was thinking Nick at first, but my sources refer to him as golden-haired. The snow-fallen hair reminds me of a certain queen that had an unfortunate run in with a mirror, but this "angel" wasn't female, so I doubt it was her. My lazy ass is going to just wait for the next update, but I really need to brush up on my deities.

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SluttyStepDad t1_j7yhgih wrote

And the medications are always getting even better! You can now get an administered injection from your doctor so you don’t have to bother with daily pills. Cas will be (more than) alright. ❤️

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Applejack235 t1_j7yp9ln wrote

I mean, the devil used to be an angel so he wouldn't be lying, and he's pretty adept at shape-shifting. Lucifer means 'Light bringer' after all so would explain the white light, could be he's hedging his bets to make damn sure he gets the Evening Redness.

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ancientevilvorsoason t1_j7ypacl wrote

Not every angel looks like that but angels looking like people is veeeery sus. For somebody who is allegedly deeply religious Fiona's dad didn't know much about his religion. I am not surprised but it begs the question how many players do we have on the board really? It's not just the Abrahamic deities, apparently it's free for all.

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ancientevilvorsoason t1_j7ypill wrote

Ironically, I think Ra would be the least of your problems. I mean... I am starting to worry. This could actually end up really bad. Azathoth. This is starting to remind me waaaaaay to much of Azathoth and his ilk.

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Soggybunchofsocks t1_j7yudpz wrote

If it was, why would that deity/contendor not reach Maxwell while he was still living there, but could show up and murder him just now? If these things had no power over the forest prior to this but now could just show up in the basement I'd be worried something already changed...

I also wonder why Nick needs you to locate the sleeper or if he somehow needs your permission to wake it. I mean, what keeps him from showing up and digging around on your lands?

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Writerhowell t1_j7yuu19 wrote

Okay, so I don't have many books on religion - outside of The Bible itself - but I can absolutely search my books on mythology. I'll also be at a library tomorrow, so if you want me to search for anything there, let me know. Either the being naturally looks beautiful, or it's a shapeshifter, which should narrow things down somewhat. Less so with the polytheistic deities - and of course, standards of beauty are different for everyone - but I think that you might want to look into who created the creatures of the woods. If you can somehow contact them, they'll be more interested in preserving the creatures.

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BellaAngelaDiTerra t1_j7yvxbr wrote

Am thinking this, too. Might be Loki, or one of the other deities. But killing dad was pretty ruthless. Inside the family home, no less. For sure it was not an angel because it could get into unholy ground and stuff, right?

This also gets me thinking, could the Evening Redness be like a Titan or something?

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Diligent-Egg- t1_j7z2xif wrote

Silver lining: Your dad was pretty awful, so post-mortem his soul probably went to hell. And you just so happen to have a boyfriend with an employee pass. As a sidenote: Where has your family's Domovoi gone, that your family isn't protected in your own house? Your family seems to take great care in preserving the traditions and protecting the spirits, and it doesn't sound like your mom would've let your dad banish Dedushko. I wonder if the red thing is suppressing him somehow?? You may want to leave out some cream and apples and honey crepes for the Domovoi

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ouroboro76 t1_j7zdgxz wrote

I think you’re right that something must have changed for this deity to be able to reach Maxwell on this land now when this deity could not set foot on the land in the past. That’s a good observation, and extremely troubling.

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MotherofPuppos t1_j7zk2uh wrote

Idk…I think there has to be more to it than that. Fiona admitted they wouldn’t have been able to just let him go. Killing him doesn’t get that entity any closer to the Redness than leaving him alive and letting Jacek kill him. One way or another, he was going to die in that basement. The only strategic reason to kill him is to eliminate a risk.

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Wishiwashome t1_j7zl1q2 wrote

I had a very good friend who had the same symptoms as your dear Brother. I lost him many years ago when the virus was just found out. It was rather hopeless then. Now? Many people live very long lives if they take their meds, get healthy and( big one here) manage stress. Your brother home with you, regardless of the stress, is food for his health and spirit, Dear. I want to say I am sorry for your loss, but religious extremists are as dangerous a virus as any out there. In the typical fashion for extremists, he thought he knew the best for your mother, you kids, the world. Arrogant much? Damn. And HE was chosen. I am hoping the fairy can help you.

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Wishiwashome t1_j7zt2wn wrote

You deserve the kindness. You had a huge responsibility you inherited. I must say you have a way with words Dear! You make us see and FEEL the people. It is like we are there. Very gifted. I appreciate you! You caring for the entities in your forest is an act of love and kindness!❤️

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CleverGirl2014 t1_j801wb5 wrote

And on an unrelated note, did the whole split-tongue thing affect the way Jacek speaks?

5

Bad_river_exile t1_j80glct wrote

Fiona, I just have to say that, despite all of the stress and turmoil you are dealing with, your writing is beautiful. Also, it might be a good time to brush up on various culture's mythology.

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stomaticmonk t1_j80onhr wrote

I’m sorry this happened. I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to come to the house. If you need help… cleaning, let me know and I’ll come out.

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chalaismyig t1_j81yykx wrote

Did a quick Google and Hades has white hair.. but is Hades and "Nick" the same person/deity?

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Whammytap t1_j82wvjk wrote

I don't have any magical powers but I do have a rather impressive arsenal of conventional weapons (if I say so myself); should they be of help to you for the protection of your woods, they and I are at your disposal, Miss Novak.

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LCyfer t1_j83nmo7 wrote

Either Loki...or could it be the lady from hell that grew up there? The manequinn like monster with a penchant for slaughter. She had a perfect human form. Whoever it was definitely does not like losing.

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Katstories21 t1_j844arn wrote

Kinda figured it wasn't an angel. Gruesome way to go, though. Fi's next idea about Evening sounds killer.

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spacetstacy t1_j846c5c wrote

I knew it!!!! But.... was it Nick? Or something else entirely?

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IndieMedley t1_j84n29j wrote

Ah, false angels. Those buggers are nasty. Some are demons, some aren’t. Those aren’t’s are the ones you gotta look out for. Nasty stuff comes when something evolves to pray on the devoted

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not-an-emu t1_j85yebb wrote

Hmmm that would certainly be interesting, my initial thought is that they wouldn’t be since my understating of Hades is that he doesn’t really punish, he just kind of… Is the head honcho? However, Nick doesn’t seem to totally punish everyone in the afterlife either and acts like the boss man, so could be! But then that begs the question… where’s Persephone?! 😮

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not-an-emu t1_j8698zg wrote

Oooh I like this!!! What determines who goes where though? Maybe it’s divided by personal belief? Like those who practice Christian religions go to the Christian ideas of the afterlife (and Nick has a chance to lay claim), but others don’t?

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not-an-emu t1_j869th8 wrote

Oh I'm not sure I've heard that before but I love it!! 😮 I wonder how many answers we'll get vicariously through Fiona... after all of the chaos has subsided, I would absolutely still stick around for slice-of-life updates and lore drops as Fiona learns things 😂

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mmrg003 t1_j87pd4h wrote

Woof! Hang in there, lady!!

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missantiste t1_j880f47 wrote

Hmmm, a suggestion could be for YOU to consume or take the red entity into you like it went into your ancestor before he killed himself. Everyone wants it, but for things to remain the same for your forest and the beings within it, you'd probably be the best holder. Hopefully, you can talk to it soon and get a feel for it. I mean, it can't be too terrible since it likes to sleep so much. You may turn red, though. 🤷🏽‍♀️

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peachesnpeen t1_j8b31ta wrote

borderline frothing at the mouth for the next update 👉🏻👈🏻

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EriMoony t1_j8b4sy2 wrote

I'm so curious to know more about your three younger sisters! Your mom clearly prioritized you, but it doesn't seem like your dad gave them a lot of love either...and since you were closer to your brothers growing up, I feel like they must have had a lonely upbringing. I hope they're doing alright.

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zvezdanaaa t1_j8bndqh wrote

All my ideas of who the being could be keep falling through because I keep realizing I can only think of goddesses. I will say that the first deity to come to mind was Berchta, but I think that's more because of the snow comparison than anything, and besides, she's a woman and unlikely to be separate from Perchta, who iirc you've mentioned

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Its_panda_paradox t1_j8d2tup wrote

Uh…since he described a person and not a mind-bending-entity-of-light-eyeballs-and-chains, I kinda had a nagging suspicion that your Daddio was actually talking to Nick in his ‘don’t drive the mortal completely insane’ guise. He described him almost exactly the way you did after seeing him encompassing simultaneously a football field and a human body, then putting on his ‘don’t freak out’ face for you, as you mind started to buckle after witnessing him for a brief second. And let’s not forget that Nick was once the most beautiful of all heaven’s angels. So your dad got to see a glimpse of what Lucy (less scary to call him Lucy—ignore my warped humor; I’m boiling to the brim in existential dread/horror) looked like before the Fall. Do. Not. Give. Him. The. Eldritch. Entity. He’s gonna make you bargain for Cas and Jacek. Be. VERY careful, Fiona. You know we’re here for you. Say the word. If you need quick reinforcements, I believe SomaticMonk is still hiding out somewhere on your property—just maybe alert Aleksei that he’s a friendly—and would very likely be up for a good assist. Also, I have a couple of dresses for you, and one even has pockets!! I forwarded them to the post office in *********, AK. All you have to do is call the office and have them complete the shipping. It’s paid for already, and guaranteed anonymity. stay safe out there, Girl.

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whywasthissodamnhard t1_j9ei2pc wrote

I bet he’s only asking to come to see Bannik with you bc he read about the orgy 😂

2