Hi all!
Here's this month's edition of Darkness Within!
Index
Jodie Pierce
CEO
Lindsey Jayne
Vice-President & Cover Artist
Jessica Sawa
Editor-In-Chief
Things
She Left Behind by Thom Futrell
Lore’s Corner: Pandora by LM David
Dear Hattie by Helen Bishop
The Hybrids by Brien O’Raighne
The Physics of Magick by Frank Julius Palumbo
Beyond the Red Hood by Ronald Edward Griffin
Vampires and Religion by The Vampire Queen1
Detective Goodson: Rand’s Story: by Brien O’Raighne
2016 All
rights reserved, including the right of reproduction of this Ezine in part or
in whole.
THINGS SHE LEFT BEHIND
THOM FUTRELL
TGREAPER
I write about ghosts. All the time. In order to do this,
I have to do a lot of research. Local and regional hauntings, reading about
hauntings, talking to people who experienced hauntings, etc. Recently I
received a message, which led to a phone conversation, which led to a
paranormal investigation.
The homeowner, who I shall call John, has agreed to me writing an article on the haunting, but asked that I keep certain things private. His name, the location and stuff like that. It was something out of a horror movie, and this is how it all went down.
When I first saw the house, it really didn’t scream spook central. Ordinary two story home with patio and garage. The garage was cool because it had an upstairs to it. I haven’t seen a garage like that since I was young. John told me an elderly woman had died in the yard, and she was known to be very cranky. He also told me when the family sold him the house, they hinted at it being haunted. The air felt, I don’t know, depressing.
We walked over to the picnic table on the patio. It was a circular one with a large umbrella sticking out from the center of it. He explained to me that recently his girlfriend was smoking there and the umbrella lifted up out of the table, and fell next to her. Wind? Possibly, but you should always keep an open mind until you know all the facts. Then you can make a judgement call.
He took me inside, which felt really strange. We walked into the kitchen and he stopped, looking around really nervously.
“I came in here one day, and all the dishes were tossed about and the cabinet doors were all open.”
Okay, poltergeist, I thought. Playful spirit wanting
attention. Again, I kept my opinion to myself. We walked back into the hallway
and a large wooden door slammed shut. I didn’t feel a draft, but the windows
could have been opened from the other side. I asked John if that was possible
and he said possibly so I walked over and put my hand on the doorknob. When I
did, something growled. It was a deep, guttural sound that made my skin crawl.
I looked back and John who looked like he was going to pee himself.
“Do you have a dog?” I asked.
He told me he had two, but they were gone because something in the house was scratching them up and locking them in rooms. I opened the doors and saw the windows were closed. No radio or television on. What growled at me was not human or natural. It was demonic.
I took him back outside and asked him if he had any kind of religion that he followed. He said no. I had a house to solve, which takes a lot of faith and I was doing it with someone who had no faith in anything. He told me he read online that burning sage would help so he had bought some. He had the tools but had no idea how to use them. I took a deep breath, and despite my better judgement, I agreed to show him.
I explained that he had to follow exactly, no matter what was happening around him. If it is demonic, I explained, it will do whatever it can to distract him from the ritual. I told him to walk room to room, leaving the last room with a window open. That would be where the ritual would end. Then I noticed the old mirror on the floor. I asked him if it was his and he told me that and several others were left by the now deceased former occupant. Not good. The spirit could be attached to any of them. I helped him gather the mirrors and placed them in his garage. Then we started the ritual.
He lit the sage and walked room to room. I instructed him to take ownership of the house and demand the spirit leave. He also told the spirits they didn’t have permission to touch him, his family or his pets. I followed behind reciting the Lord’s Prayer and demanding the spirits leave in the name of God. I offered to do an EVP session, but he said he didn’t want to know what the spirits might be saying. While we were doing the ritual we could hear people running up and down the stairs, running down the hallway upstairs, laughing, crying, talking and even singing. We couldn’t make out what they were saying, but we both heard voices.
We finished in the upstairs bedroom, going to all four corners and then to the window. Something took my breath away for a brief instant, and then the room brightened. The feeling of oppression was gone. Like a breeze pulled it out the window.
I’ve been through hauntings before, but this was the first and hopefully only time I did one solo. I love learning about the past and helping spirits whenever possible, but I prefer to have back up just in case. I don’t recommend doing this alone to anyone. Leave it to the professionals. Please. As of this writing the house is still free and clear.
John was instructed to contact me if there were any more happenings. Fingers are crossed on this one.
Author Bio:
Thom Futrell is a horror
writer living in Jackson Michigan. He has been in more than sixty publications
and has four films under his belt. He writes under the name T.G. Reaper.
Lore's Corner
Pandora. Ever
wonder about her?
Mythology says it began with Prometheus and a dispute
between him and Zeus over which part of a sacrificial bull should go to men and
which to the gods. Prometheus first carved the bull up, and from the hide,
fashioned two opened mouthed bags. In one he put the best flesh but covered the
meat with unappetizing stomach of the beast. In the other bag, he placed bare
bones, but hid them beneath a layer of rich and gleaming fat. Zeus saw through
the deception but chose the fat covered bones to create an eternal hostility
between gods and humans.
Enraged that Prometheus would even think about tricking
him, Zeus decided to withhold the gift of fire from mankind. Man got the
choicest of meat but would have to eat it raw. Prometheus stole the fire
anyway.
When Zeus discovered what Prometheus did, he proclaimed a
curse on Prometheus and his descendants as well as humankind. To avenge
himself, Zeus prepared an evil yet seductive gift. Until that time, all mortal
races had been exclusively male – a condition that goes a long way toward
explaining why none of them lasted very long. The female counterparts of
earlier mortals, if any, were nymphs of the lakes and forests and mountains.
But mortal women had not yet been seen on Earth.
So Zeus decided to change that. To punish man for
receiving fire – and perhaps to complete the creation of this final human race
– he ordered Hephaestus to mix earth with water and fashion a clay woman. She
was a shy, modest maiden and had a face modeled after the goddesses. When all
was finished, Hermes named this maiden “Pandora” (which means “all gifts”)
since all the gods had given her a “gift,” sealed inside a special box or jar,
to carry to mankind: an evil that would long torment this race of men. Hermes
gave the figure to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus, who had warned him
Zeus would retaliate and to never accept gifts from Zeus. Epimetheus did not
heed the warning.
Before the arrival of Pandora, men live free of painful
illness, free of suffering, free of need for toil and hardship. But Pandora had
not been on Earth long before she became curious about the gifts that were
inside the vessel the gods had given her. When she opened this jar, or box, the
contents overflowed and scattered throughout the earth. The “gifts” released
from Pandora’s box – such sources of woe as well as vice, passion, labor, old
age, insanity, sickness and even death – brought only grief and trouble to man.
Pandora recapped the box, at Zeus’s bidding, before hope could come out.
This first woman not only unleashed a host of evils upon
the world – she also became, according to Hesiod, the mother of all wicked
woman.
Well, now you know why women get blamed despite the fact
men start trouble.
Ref: The complete idiot’s guide to Classical Mythology,
second edition, copyright 2004.
Author Bio:
LM
David has been writing stories since Jr. High School after taking a Creative
Writing class. Initially drawn to the genre of Science Fiction, a fascination
with Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Romance drew her back into the dark erotic world
of vampires. The more she read about the subject of the ‘undead’, the deeper
dark erotic world of folklore and legends of the vampire became. You can reach
her at:
Twitter:
@LMDavid54
Author.
Dear Hattie
by Helen Bishop:
by Helen Bishop:
Dear
Hattie: I'm on the horns of
a dilemma. I have a pretty small house, well, at least the part of the house my
neighbors are aware of is small. My basement, of course, extends to the bowels
of hell...to my summer home, as it were, ah, but I digress.
The neighbors and
the children in my town have kept their distance from me up to now, a distance
I relish, and that I've come to expect, because I am the creepy old man-neighbor-type.
But just last weekend, while I loaded up my cart at the big box store, and
later while I transferred my booty into the house I apparently generated some
interest...because all day there have been children ringing my doorbell.
I'm running out
of room in the house...where does one put them while they figure out whether
it's trick or treat?
Candy-man
Dear
Sweetness:
I see the problem, and it's just a question of semantics. The children are looking for a treat, not offering you one. I'm surprised that the neighborhood hasn't noticed that your place is bulging yet. I suggest you pick out a few of the tastiest looking ones to send down to your beasties, wipe the memories of the rest, fill them up with sugar, and let them go. It may help your tenuous perch in the town to be part of the search party.
I see the problem, and it's just a question of semantics. The children are looking for a treat, not offering you one. I'm surprised that the neighborhood hasn't noticed that your place is bulging yet. I suggest you pick out a few of the tastiest looking ones to send down to your beasties, wipe the memories of the rest, fill them up with sugar, and let them go. It may help your tenuous perch in the town to be part of the search party.
Hattie
Dear Hattie:
I’m so upset! I
got a flier in the mail, and all over the outside it said “GIANT
sale!” A giant sale?
That was a great concept. A giant is just what we need around the place. He (or
she) could bring all the groceries in at one time, could bring a week’s worth
of firewood in, could help clean the outside windows without benefit of ladder.
And think of the security! Who would attempt to rob a place that had a giant?
I opened up the
flier, and though I went through it diligently, they, it appeared, weren’t
selling Giants. What a let-down!
Now, my problem,
do I complain about truth in advertising, or do you know where I can get a
giant?
Miss Ledd
Dear Ledd:
I agree that those
fliers are a rip off, I tend to just put them in the recycling or shred them
for animal bedding, I know my beasts get a kick out of chewing up pictures of
humans modeling in a magazine.
I think I can
recommend a place to get a giant, although they aren’t for sale. They, if they
like you will, however, agree to a long-term contract. Just like a nanny living
on your premises, you can hire a giant.
It’s not unusual
to see giants staying with a family through their generations. Go to giantsonline.com to apply.
Hattie
Author Bio:
Helen Bishop is a native of Pennsylvania and a
true fan of the written word. She works as a litigation paralegal; reads on
average 20 books a week; writes book reviews for an internet blog; writes
stories, poems and novels in various genres; and-just to fill out her dance
card-contracts with fellow authors to proofread and copy-edit their work before
it goes to the publisher. You can check her out at
thttps://www.facebook.com/HelenBishopAuthor?ref=bookmarks, and
thttps://www.facebook.com/HelenBishopAuthor?ref=bookmarks, and
The Hybrids: Blood Moon part 2
ELITES HQ | STORM CITY, TEXAS
Destiny awakens on a table
and sees Kayla pacing about. Kayla’s curly brunette locks bounce as a look of
worry is on her face. Destiny sits up. Her head is still foggy. She tries to
shake her head. There is a dark deep feeling of fear in her gut.
“This worries me.” Kayla
says.
This does not sit well with
Destiny. She sighs. “What did you find out?”
“Nothing.” Kayla says.
“Nothing?” Destiny spouts.
Fear course through her. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Whatever Lucifer did to you,
Lance, and Matt is hidden from me. He did a wonderful job at wiping your
memory.”
“Tell me you are joking.”
Destiny slings her feet over the edge of the table. A feeling of trepidation
hits her. She gulps.
“I wish I were, Destiny.”
Kayla says as she begins to pace. “But the memories are not there. Come with
me. I have something to show you.”
Destiny follows Kayla. They
leave the examination room and head out into a waiting room. Sitting in the
waiting room are Lance and Matt. Lance stands up. He has a look of concern on
this face.
“So what’s the verdict,
Kayla?” Lance says anxiously.
“We need more extensive
studies. Because I was unable to find something.”
“Really?” Lance says as he
turns to Matt, who shrugs his shoulders. He turns back to Kayla. “That is
unnerving.”
“I know.” Kayla says. “I know
someone who may be able to help. Though, you may not like it.”
“Who are you asking to help
us?” Matt demonstratively asks.
A pale face man emerges from
the shadows. Lance pulls out his pistol and aims it at the man. A look of anger comes from Lance.
“She is referring to me.” The
man says with a cold monotone voice.
A fiery flame rises from
Destiny. She is huffing and puffing.
“Long time no see, Destiny.”
“Hello, Damien.”
Author Bio:
He is a
connoisseur of sci-fi and paranormal films and books. He, also, lives in
Houston with his son.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DRBStreetTeam/
The Physics of
Magick
“Your worst enemy cannot
harm you as much as your unguarded thoughts.” Buddha.
When I was
first taught about the atom, the electron orbited around the nucleus, which is
composed of protons and neutrons. However, this is not how it works. Now, we
understand that the electron is not a tiny particle spinning around a solid
ball of substance, but exist as a wave function, a cloud of a possible
position, or all positions, around the
similar nucleus. When a measurement, or observation, is taken of the position of the electron, the wave function
collapses, and one of the infinite positions of the electron is realized. This
is an example of the dual aspect of matter.
Matter exists both as a wave function with infinite possibilities of
materializing at a particular point, and as a solid particle. This principle of
matter is the crux of Magick, and in
manipulating the above principle, the Magician, Pagan, or Wiccan, can cause change in their environment.
If any of the readers have watched, The Big Bang Theory, (which is my
favorite sit-com) then you are quite familiar with an often referred to thought experiment entailing Schrodinger’s
Cat. In this thought experiment, the cat is placed in a sealed box in which the
release of a deadly poison is dependent on whether or not a single atom of a
radioactive substance decays or not, (decay means that a particle materializes
outside of the radioactive substance). Now, according to the particle-wave
theory of Quantum mechanics, the atom is functioning as a wave, and thus all
possibilities are poised to manifest, or collapse,
when the atom is observed and only when the atom is observed. Before the observation, all possibilities can be
realized. Thus, the cat, being dependent on the atom decaying or not, is in a
state of limbo, with all possibilities present, and thus both dead and alive at
the same time. Schrodinger used this experiment to show the absurdity of the
phenomenon. (However, later scientist pointed out that the cat is such a large
system of matter that it is still being observed
by the universe, i.e., breathing and such). This will answer the question, “If
a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” According to the above, the
answer is a big Yes!
To bring
the point home, let me elaborate on the most famous of quantum experiments, The
Double Slit Experiment. In this study, researchers direct a beam of light at a
barrier with two vertical slits. Directly behind the barrier is a photographic plate, which records the results. One
would expect to see two vertical lines on the photographic plate as the beam of
light passes through. Yet, this is not what happens. The light passing through
the slits creates an interference pattern. See figure one.
Figure
1-The interference pattern shown is a result of the physical proton, acting as
a wave. When one photon of light is projected at the double-slit barrier, the photon registers as a single point. Yet,
after cumulative photons are fired, the result is an interference pattern. The
photons act as if they are interacting with each other, even though they are singly projected.
This
interference pattern is a result of the photons, (particles of light that
materialize from the electromagnetic field), acting as a wave function. The light and dark patterns are created when the
peaks and troughs of the wave functions either add to each other or subtract.
You may say, okay, big deal. But this also happens when a single photon is
projected at the barrier. The single photon goes through both slits simultaneously,
creating the same interference pattern, point by point, which insinuates that
the single photons are interfering with themselves, even though projected one
at a time. It gets even weirder. When the researchers attach a detector before
the barrier in an attempt to observe the trajectory of a single photon to record which slit the photon enters, the
wave function collapses, prior to the
slits, and the results are what one would expect, two separate lines on the
photographic plate. This clearly shows that the observation itself changes the results, i.e. either particle or
wave. When the measurement is stopped, the wave function returns and the superposition of all possible
trajectories is recorded on the photographic plate as the interference pattern.
Superposition is the cumulative result of all wave functions and all
possibilities, and like the electron cloud around the nucleus, supports all the possible positions of the appearance of
the particle. Scientists use statistical probability to determine where the
particle may
materialization from the wave function,
but have no idea as to why that particle comes into being at that particular
location. The manifestation appears when observed, and is what scientist refers
to as the wave function collapse. Superposition in the wave function implies
that the particle is in all possible position simultaneously and only manifests
when observed. However, the term observation does not mean with the physical
eyes for large systems, as noted with Schrodinger’s cat, or a tree falling in
the forest.
Additionally, there is a superposition of the superposition
that is the basis for my argument and where Magick gets its power.
Physicist
Chris Lee,
in an article entitled, Physicists summon
up their courage and go after the nature of reality.” Written for Ars
Technica, wrote:
“Quantum mechanics may allow the wave function to
represent a superposition of different states, (meaning all possible positions while in
the wave form of the particle) with measurement results determined by probabilities.
The statistical interpretation of the wave function implies that there can be a
superposition of superposition states, which changes the relative
probabilities of the measurement outcomes.” He continues, “A group of
physicists and philosophers who don’t believe
that quantum mechanics represents reality but that it was all we could see of
some deeper, more fundamental theory. A subclass of these scientists believed
that the randomness of quantum mechanics would eventually be explained by some non-random, deterministic property that we simply couldn't directly observe (otherwise known as
a hidden variable).” Many
have theorized that this hidden variable is the human consciousness.
Having understood that the wave function
contains all the possible paths of a particular particle, and that the inferior
superposition contains an influencing superior superposition, the magician,
during ritual or even focused thought, creates an emotional construct of the desired change. This emotional construct
causes the superior superposition to influence the inferior superposition,
beginning a cascade of materialized particles, which in the end, brings to
fruition the change on a massive scale. This is how I believe a person, using
magickal or meditative means, can cause change in their environment. Our
consciousness can manipulate the superposition of the superposition.
To illustrate
the idea further, Carl Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist, believed that, just as events may be connected by causality,
they may also be connected by meaning.
Events connected by meaning need not have an explanation in terms of
causality. This he termed, Synchronicity and indicated a deeper
reality with he called the Unus mundus. Wikipedia
defines the Unus mundus as, “Latin for ‘one world’, is the concept of an underlying unified reality from which everything emerges
and to which everything returns. (This definition will become very
important in the following paragraphs). Jung believed that the Unus mundus, or
deeper order, and its appearance as a synchronicity,
could lead a person to a spiritual awaking and bring the ego centric individual
to thinking about the Oneness of the
universe.
The term meaning can be considered to hold an
emotional context, which for the magician is highly important. Just like the
Zen master, who observes his life events as a spectator, so too must the
magician. The directed emotion gives rise to the energy needed to cause a
ripple in the underlying fabric of the universe. The magician sees his life as
the Zen master does, watching events unfold, experiencing it passively. Yet,
when the need arises, the magician brings forth his/her passion, directing
his/her will, creating an emotional construct of the desired outcome.
Let me
introduce the Chaos theory, also called the Butterfly Effect, which can further
illustrate the effects of manipulating the superposition of the superposition.
Wikipedia explains that the butterfly effect is “the sensitive dependence on
initial conditions in which a small change in
one state can result in large differences in a later state.” This idea
came from a man named Edward Lorenz and his study of hurricanes. He came to
conclude that the initial conditions for the hurricane can be influenced by
minor, and seemingly insignificant changes, in the character of the hurricane.
He gave an example that the exact path and time of formation of a hurricane
could be a result of a butterfly flapping its wings on the other side of the
world, weeks earlier. Lorenz concluded that a small seemingly irrelevant change
in the initial conditions of a system could become highly relevant and
significantly change the outcome of a much larger system.
The influence
of consciousness in the quantum theater regarding the physical manifestation of
thought reflects the present state of the observer. If the observer is of a
stature that lacks any form of spiritual insight or growth, that individual
will be a slave to his/her subconscious thought. These subconscious thoughts
created by the repetition of the conscious thoughts of the individual and by the collective unconsciousness of
Earth’s population, of which Jung believed was a key element in the Unus
mundus, would create an environment suitable to the person’s thought process.
Without the intentional effort to eliminate the influences that lay just below
the surface of the waking state, these subconscious thoughts, (Jung called them
Archetypes and were responsible for creating complexes in people, and comprised
of both the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious), are free to
manipulate and contort the quantum probability wave, or superior superposition.
This would create a higher probability of a specific event materializing, thus
causing the independent consciousness, i.e., the person, to experience his/her
thoughts. If that person is of an unevolved mind, it perpetuates an environment
made up of possible unwanted attributes.
In contrast,
the person who directs his/her will towards knowledge of his/her perfected
personality, or the Higher Self, can suppress the external malicious influences
of both the Earth’s collective unconscious, and their own, and directly and
intentionally change the probability of a particular event happening. This
occurs on the quantum level, and the mind of a trained magician or meditator
can focus his/her directed and pinpointed will on a particular outcome and
influence the superposition of the superposition. The basic or inferior
superposition wave function will collapses in the direction of a person’s
evolved subconscious makeup. The practitioner of the esoteric arts can directly
manipulate the overlaying or superior superposition, effecting the collapse of
the inferior superposition wave function, directed by the will.
In 2013,
physicist, using the Large Hadron Collider (the world's largest and most
powerful particle collider, built along the border of France and Sweden),
discovered a particle called the Higgs Boson, or as the media called it, the
God Particle. The discovery of the God Particle purports an underlying field,
called the Higgs Field, which is the last unverified theory of the standard
model of particle physics. The Higgs field was created at the Big Bang,
permeates the entire universe and is said to be the energy of a vacuum. It is the medium that gives mass to the wave function by way of the
Higgs Boson or God Particle. This particle manifests as an excitation, or
ripple, in the Higgs field. (An excitation is defined as a point with greater
energy from the ground state of a field). Now you can see how the particle got
its nickname, for it creates matter where before there was only a vacuum.
This leads me
to how I believe Magick works. The implements of Magick, such as a talisman, a
wand, a candle, and so forth, help the practitioner’s willpower focus on the
desired outcome, creating an emotional construct capable of influencing the
superior superposition probability wave function in a particular trajectory or
direction. (Additionally, as one becomes proficient, the thought alone will
cause a change in the environment). The Magician intensely focuses the mind on
a desired outcome, which in turn causes a ripple in the omnipotent void of pure
potential, the Higgs field, where all possibilities are un-manifest, causing
the God Particle to come into existence. The focused will of the magician,
added to the emotional construct, creates an increase in the probability of a
single particle manifesting along the chosen vector, or path, and like the
Butterfly Effect, sets the emotional construct on a course towards full
fruition.
Furthermore,
all this happens in Yesod, which is called by Kabbalists, the foundation of the
universe. It is the ninth Sephora, directly above the tenth, or Malkulth, which
is deemed the Earth. (Yesod is situated directly below the six Sephora,
Tipheria, and the seat of Christ Consciousness. This alignment of the Sephora
on the Tree of Life glyph shows how Humanity can raise their consciousness, and
evolve their thought pattern first to Yesod, having gained knowledge of the
construct of the universe, and then to Tipheria, to understand the true meaning
of being a child of God). In my earlier articles, I wrote that in order to
cause change in one’s environment, you must change the astral plain, or Yesod.
Yesod can now be likened to the Higgs field, or Jung’s, Unus mundus. It is the
field that gives form to the universe and is created from both the individual
unconscious and the collective unconscious.
Here we see
the coupling of three distinct branches of science; physics, psychiatry, and
the yet mostly uncharted, esoteric arts. These three different disciplines have
come to the same conclusion, that the physical universe is given form by an
unseen primordial field, created before the physical universe came into being,
is comprised all possibilities realities, and can be manipulated by both
collective and individual consciousness.
Of course,
mindfulness comes into the equation. Mindfulness quiets the mind, suppressing
random thoughts. It is these random unchecked thoughts that create a person’s
environment, whether they are good or bad. Control your thoughts, and you
control your environment. Change the way you think, and you will change the way
you live.
Note to
reader. I am by no means proficient in Quantum mechanics and do not claim to
understand any of the math involved. Einstein said, “I want to know how God
created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the
spectrum of this or that element. I want to know his thoughts. The rest are
details. (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000
p.202)
References:
Physicists summon up their courage and go after the nature of
reality.
Quantum state may be a real thing. .). Retrieved from http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/07/quantum-state-may-be-a-real-thing.
By Chris Lee – Ars Technica
The insanely weird quantum wave function might be “real”
after all.
Retrieved from
http://arstechnica.com/science/2011/11/the-insanely-weird-quantum-wave-function.
By Chris Lee – Ars Technica
C. G. Jung
ed, Man and his Symbols (1978)
Synchronicity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity
Our
Story - Positive Luxury.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.positiveluxury.com/about/story/
Author Bio:
Frank Julius Palumbo
Writer of horror and dark fantasy with
a spiritual connotation; Astral projection, occult sciences, Enochian
magick . . . And sitting in half lotus for decades.
Frank
Julius Palumbo was born in the Bronx in December of 1964. He has worked as a
carpenter, a freelance illustrator, and is now currently involved in Law
enforcement. His studies include Psychology and Neuropsychology, and he has
been practicing Zen Buddhism and the Kabbalah for over thirty years.
Beyond
the Red Hood
By Ronald Edward Griffin
Prologue
May 23, 2003
It’s a rainy day as a small
family ride in their car up a trail in the Colorado mountains on their way to
visit a family member that lives in a small cabin within the mountains. Little
eight-year-old Brook Adams always loves these little trips to see her
grandmother and always makes sure that she brings her a small basket filled
with White Chocolate Macadamia nut cookies, they are her grandmother’s
favorite. She sits in the back seat wearing her red rain coat with her hood
overhead. She can tell that her parents are worried by the way they are
talking.
“Are you sure that she would
want us to come visit her honey? She was pretty adamant about it wasn’t that
bad of a bite.” Her mother asks.
“Sweetheart if she were on the
living room floor bleeding out she would be adamant about it not being so bad
just so that we wouldn’t worry. I could hear it in her voice that she was
scared of something.” Her father says.
The car parks right outside of
the log cabin and Brook’s mother holds open the umbrella so that Brook can get
out of the car without getting wet. They all run to the covered front porch
where her mother shakes the water off the umbrella before closing it. Her
father knocks on the door.
“Mom are you home? We decided to
come give you a surprise visit.” He says.
They don’t hear a single sound
inside the cabin so her father opens the door slowly.
“Mom we are coming in.” he calls
out to her.
They enter the dark cabin and
Brook can barely make out the shapes of the furniture.
“Why doesn’t she have any lights
on?” her mom asks.
Her father stumbles to the floor
while feeling for a lamp.
“I’ve told her about leaving
things in the middle of the floor. She will wind up tripping and hurting
herself.” He says.
He wipes his pants legs off
while standing up. Then her mother finds a light switch and turns it on
revealing that her husband tripped over the head of a dead bear. Brook’s eyes
open wide while pointing at the head.
“Mommy!” she cries out.
Her mother quickly covers her
eyes and turns Brook away from the head.
“Don’t look sweetheart.” She
says.
Her father picks the head up by
the bears ear and carries it into the other room dropping it on the floor so
that Brook won’t have to see it. The rain picks up and Brook rubs her arms
together as a cold chill blows through the cabin. Her father looks over to see
a bear sized hole in the wall.
“Oh this isn’t good we have to
go find my mom.” He says.
“What are we going to do about
Brook though honey we can’t leave her in the cabin like this.” She says.
“We can have her sit in my mom’s
room and wait for us.” He says.
Brook shakes her head back and
forth.
“No daddy I don’t want you or
mommy to go. I want to go home.” She says with tears in her eyes.
Her father gets down on his knee
in front of his daughter.
“Just sit in grandma’s room so
that you can surprise her with the cookies you brought her. Grandma is just
fine she’s just lost. Me and mommy will go find her really quick and we can all
have cookies. Sound good to you?” he asks.
She remains quiet but nods her
head. Her mother carries her into the bedroom and sits her down on the bed
gently and kneels in front of her. She can tell that her mother is worried by
the look in her eyes.
“Mommy and Daddy will be right
back I promise.” She says with a fake smile.
“Be a good girl and stay here for
us.” Her father says.
They close the bedroom door shut
behind them as they walk out. Brook’s eyes scan the bedroom as the lightning
brightens the room with each flash. After a few minutes pass by she can hear
her parent’s voices screaming out. Brook gets off the bed and runs out of the
bedroom and then the front door. Screaming at the top of her lungs as she runs
out into the rain.
“Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?”
she calls out to them.
She falls to the ground after
bouncing off a large creature with gray colored fur. Her hands feel around for
her picnic basket and she stands shivering. When she gets to her feet she is
staring into the glowing eyes of a bear sized wolf. Its gums curled back
exposing a row of sharp teeth that are stained with blood from a recent kill.
It lets out a low growl while lowering its haunches preparing to attack. Brook
stands there with a tight grip on the basket paralyzed from fear. The creature
leaps into the air but a man gets between Brook and the beast swinging an axe.
He hits the creature causing it to lose its momentum and knocking it to the
side. The man looks to his arm and sees a large cut that must have come from
one of the creatures claws. The blood pouring out from the wound weakens the
man as he drops to one knee.
“Stay behind me little girl.” He
says.
The creature gets back on all
four of its feet and stares the man down while sizing him up. It lets out a
roar so loud they couldn’t tell if it came from the creature or the rolling
thunder before the lightning strikes. The man readies his axe again and when
the creature lunges toward him this time he sides steps and brings the axe down
on the back of the creature neck. The creature falls to the ground and the man
doesn’t hesitate to bring the axe back up and swings it down once again over
the spinal column severing the head from its body. The head rolls on the ground
and stops in front of Brook. It’s dead eyes staring at her as the head shrinks.
Hair starts to fall and the teeth shrink down to normal human size. Then Brook
gasps in horror as she stares into the eyes of her grandmothers severed head.
“No not my grandma! I want my
mommy and daddy.” She cries out.
The hunter slowly staggers over
to the little girl. She looks at him and backs away slowly. His body is covered
in blood from the wound and from the creature. He falls to his knees and the
Brook slowly approaches him.
“Thank you for saving me. Can
you help me find my mommy and daddy?” she asks the man.
“I’m sorry little one but they
are gone.” He says to her with a sad heart.
Her bottom lip quivers before
she wraps her little arms around the man’s neck.
“What’s your name?” she asks.
“Nicholas, what’s yours?” he
asks
“Brook.” She says before sobbing
some. “Who will take care of me?” she asks.
“I will do the best that I can.”
The man says.
He holds Brook tightly to
comfort her while looking at the large cut on his arm. A bad feeling burns in
his gut as he realizes that the wound has already begun to heal.
Author Bio:
Ronald Edward Griffin
Vampires and
Religion
by The Vampire Queen1
by The Vampire Queen1
In 1054, the Roman Catholic
and the Eastern Orthodox churches separated, excommunicating each other. Both
looked at the burial and decomposition of bodies differently. In the East, if
the soft tissue on the body did not decompose once placed in the ground it was
a sign of evil. It was believed the body was a vampire. In the West, the
opposite was true. The body of a saint that did not decompose was not abnormal
and it often let off a pleasant odor.
Vampires were not a priority
on either churches’ list of concerns but when Pagans became more and more
popular, they had to acknowledge it in the 13th and 14th
centuries. The Eastern Orthodox did not believe in vampires but concluded that
Satan gave the person false dreams thinking they saw the deceased walking
around. The Roman Catholic Church declared that vampires and witchcraft existed
and were works of the Devil himself. These were the significant turning points
between the two churches. The Eastern Orthodox Churches forbade their priests
from participating in exorcisms and even threatened excommunication.
During the 17th
century, there were many reports of vampires and vampire epidemics ran wild in
the Roman Catholic Church and had to be taken serious. Arnold Paul sparked a
heated debate in the German (both Lutheran and Catholic) universities. The
church asked the Pope for advice on how to deal with these vampires. They
called on the archbishop of Trani, Italy Giuseppe Davanzati who spent five
years studying the problem before writing his Dissertazione sopre I Vampiri,
published in 1744. Davanzati took to the
skeptical arguments by the Germans. He advised the Pope that vampires
originated from human fantasies. He said that while the fantasies were
diabolical, the attention should be given to the person having the fantasies
and the suspected bodies left undisturbed. The church followed his suggestions.
Meanwhile, Dom Augustin
Calmet was a Bible scholar and published his book two years after Davanzati. He
played the devil’s advocate to his church-goers. He described in detail the
reports of the eastern European vampires and called upon theologians and his
scholarly colleagues to give him some help. He explored the idea of medieval
position and the bodies of suspected vampires were animated by the devil and
evil spirits. His colleagues in the church did not like the position he took.
Even the Benedictine Order, of which he was a member chided him for giving
credence to what was nothing more than children’s horror stories. In his third
book, he stated vampires didn’t exist though few noted his final book. The
first two books spread like wildfire even though his colleagues disagreed with
him.
The future came in 1755 and
1756 when Empress Maria Theresa decided to take the handling of vampires away
from the church and gave it to law enforcement. She hoped it would stop the
disturbance of graves. Their consensus was that vampires were not real.
In the first vampire stories,
the church was absent. It wasn’t until Stoker’s Dracula that church-like
attributes were present with the crucifix and holy wafers. The wafers were
quickly dropped and crucifixes became the Catholic symbol to ward off vampires.
It takes more than a theological stake to the heart to
kill the vampire legend.
Stories of dark-eyed seducers who preyed on
unsuspecting victims to suck their blood have persisted for more than five
centuries. They have haunted our dreams and films, moving from place to place.
And they were reborn in every generation. Today these parasites-on-the-living
seemingly are everywhere.
From the television series "Buffy the Vampire
Slayer", Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and films to the current HBO
saga, "True Blood". Fascination with these so-called creatures of the
night permeates contemporary life, albeit in modern forms. Thousands of living
Americans even consider themselves vampires.
So why is this mythical figure so long-lived and
potent?
Sigmund Freud said vampires represent our repressed
sexuality and aggression, while Carl Jung argued that they are a universal type
of "shadow," or dark side of the human personality. They embody
aspects of ourselves that we reject, hide or are ashamed to confront.
Many religious scholars see the vampire as a mirror of
Christianity.
He is Christ's evil twin, stealing ideas and imagery
from the faith's miraculous tales and twisting them into a sinister parable.
Jesus told his disciples to "eat my flesh and
drink my blood" as evidence of their devotion to him and his mission.
(Catholics, particularly, believe they literally are doing that when they
partake of the Eucharist.)
But Jesus' words were controversial even among his
hearers, and later Romans and other pagans accused the early Christians of
cannibalism, says John Morehead of the Western Institute for Intercultural
Studies in Salt Lake City.
Beyond blood, both Jesus and vampires offer
immortality, admittedly through different paths.
"We can read the vampire — and his status as
having been alive, then dead and now undead — as related to the Christian idea
of resurrection from the dead," Morehead says.
These days, though, items such as the crucifix and
holy water no longer repel the demon, Morehead says. The church is "just
as powerless in the face of the vampire as any other institution."
We think we've outgrown superstition, but vampires
still frighten — and attract — us.
"It may be that our angst is related to a host of
threats," Morehead says. "The breakdown of the social order and the
resulting chaos, nuclear war from rogue nuclear nations, global terrorism, environmental
degradation, etc., serve as a constant reminder of our mortality and the
fragility of the flesh."
Anxieties of a far earlier time and a distant place
gave rise to vampires in the first place.
No one knows for certain the origins of vampires, but
most scholars trace the roots to Slavic nations of the 16th century. Townsfolk
believed in a cosmic battle between good and evil gods, one associated with
light, the other with darkness. Like villagers everywhere, they were wary of
strangers and outsiders.
When the Eastern Orthodox Church came into power, it
was threatened by pagans and heretics. Eventually, these Christians would
identify many non-Christians — including pagans and Jews — as
"vampires."
Both outsider groups were accused of drinking blood because
of their ritual animal sacrifices, says Joseph Haycock, who teaches a class on
vampires at Tufts University in Boston. "The only blood they were supposed
to drink was Christ's."
Any unexplained illness, injury or death often was
blamed on the dead returning to harm the living. Vampires became the region's
scapegoats.
"In Eastern Europe," Haycock says,
"they would go dig up a body and put a stake through its head."
Then came the Enlightenment in the West, rejecting all
beliefs in the supernatural. Some of these writers sought to discredit the
Christian church by debunking local superstitions, suggesting religion was just
as implausible. Then came a backlash among Romantic writers, who couldn't
reduce life to sheer logic. They wanted to celebrate human emotions, including
fear.
In that context, Britain's Lord Byron traveled to
Greece and Turkey and came back to write macabre poems. By 1816, he produced
the first modern vampire story. In his telling, the vampire was not a rotting
corpse. Still evil, but rich and sexy.
The vampire he drew, Haycock says, resembled Bryon
himself — a womanizer and an embarrassment to the family.
That marked the beginning of the seductive, but
sympathetic vampire.
Today's vampire tales reflect a different reality,
says Haycock, author of Vampires Today: The Truth about Modern Vampirism.
"If you grow up in America, you have no idea
where you are going to live, do or be," he says. "We have existential
questions, ancient people never had. We have more choices but our choices are isolating.
We all feel like outcasts sometimes, too."
And Christianity has loosened its grip.
The institutional church, Morehead says, no longer
sits "at the defining center of culture."
Many Americans, particularly young people, perceive
worship as boring. They won't sit still for lectures on good and evil from the
pulpit, preferring instead a vague and no demanding spirituality.
Still, they are attracted to stories about
supernatural creatures. In a twisted way, these yarns offer hope for something
more than this life.
Vampire stories, Morehead says, can serve as a vehicle
for the exploration of the imagination, a discussion of good and evil, and a
playful chance to "wrestle with religious and spiritual questions."
It can help people answer the question: Am I a human
being, subject to living and loving like everyone else, or am I in danger of
preying on others?
The Vampire Bible:
"I am a Vampire.
"I worship my ego and I worship my life, for I am the only God that is.
"I am proud that I am a predatory animal and I honor my animal instincts.
"I exalt my rational mind and hold no belief that is in defiance of reason.
"I recognize the difference between the worlds of truth and fantasy.
"I acknowledge the fact that survival is the highest law.
"I acknowledge the Powers of Darkness to be hidden natural laws through which I work my magic.
"I know that my beliefs in Ritual are fantasy but the magic is real,
and I respect and acknowledge the results of my magic.
"I realize that there is no heaven as there is no hell, and I view death as the destroyer of life. Therefore I will make the most of life here and now.
I am a Vampire.
Bow down before me."
"I worship my ego and I worship my life, for I am the only God that is.
"I am proud that I am a predatory animal and I honor my animal instincts.
"I exalt my rational mind and hold no belief that is in defiance of reason.
"I recognize the difference between the worlds of truth and fantasy.
"I acknowledge the fact that survival is the highest law.
"I acknowledge the Powers of Darkness to be hidden natural laws through which I work my magic.
"I know that my beliefs in Ritual are fantasy but the magic is real,
and I respect and acknowledge the results of my magic.
"I realize that there is no heaven as there is no hell, and I view death as the destroyer of life. Therefore I will make the most of life here and now.
I am a Vampire.
Bow down before me."
-"The Vampire Creed" (reproduced here, with
permission, from *The Vampire
Bible*).
Bible*).
The Temple of the Vampire remains the only authentic
Vampire religion in the world today, the U.S. division registered with the
federal government. Our membership is international with a priesthood dedicated
to the service of
the Undead who rule this earth.
the Undead who rule this earth.
Our primary focus is that of a unique religion which
is devoted to enabling candidate humans to achieve the Vampiric Condition and
to promote the spread of Vampirism as it serves the desires of the Undead. This
is not a game. We are all deadly serious.
On one level, the Temple offers an immensely practical
and rewarding view of life we call the "Dayside". On another level,
the Temple offers intensive training in the mastery of subtle levels of
experience, the "Nightside", to produce real change in the world. On
yet another level, the Temple offers the opportunity for social communications
between those who are Active Members of the Body of the Blood both through an
international forum, "Lifeforce", as well as through direct personal
contact through "The Vampire Connection."
The story of
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve who murdered his brother Abel, comes from the
Hebrew Bible, though Cain also appears in the New Testament, the Qur’an (where
he is called Qabil), and in numerous stories and legends throughout Western
culture. Cain was a vampire.
Western curiosity about “where
vampires come from” likely began with the Victorians. Vampires interested
Victorian anthropologists like E.B. Tylor and Sir James Frazer who were
obsessed with finding the origin of religious belief. Then in 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published, vividly depicting the
contagious spread of vampirism in London. Many readers were left wondering: If
Dracula turned Lucy Westenra, who
turned Dracula? Who was the “patient zero” of vampirism?
As early as the Enlightenment,
vampirologists turned to the Bible and other ancient sources for answers. In
1746, biblical scholar Augustine Calmet said of the vampire panics then
occurring in Eastern Europe, “It is certain, that nothing of this sort was ever
seen or known in antiquity. Search the histories of the Jews, Egyptians,
Greeks, and Romans, and you will find nothing that comes near it.” Conversely,
Montague Summers, writing in the early twentieth century, argued that there are
hints of vampirism throughout the Bible.
Modern vampire writers had no trouble
imagining their subjects’ ancient origins. In 1988 Anne Rice placed the first
in ancient Egypt, where the wicked Queen Akasha accidentally became trapped
between life and death. In Dracula
2000, the first vampire is none other than Judas Iscariot, which explains
the vampire’s aversion to silver (It reminds him of the coin he received to
betray Jesus). Cain was first described as the original vampire by White Wolf
games in 1991. In 1993, Sam Chupp and Andrew Greenberg produced the Book of Nod—an apocryphal
Bible text—as a prop for the game. In this version of the story, Cain kills his
brother out of love, not jealousy. To show his devotion to God, he sacrifices
that which is dearest to him: his own brother. His curse is to wander the earth
forever as a vampire.
So is White Wolf solely responsible
for linking Cain, the first murderer, with vampires? If we start from vampires
and work back to Cain, then the answer may be yes. But if we start at Cain and
work forward, a different story emerges. In Genesis, Cain’s behavior is almost
childlike. He is motivated by sibling rivalry and a severe lack of impulse
control. But in later retellings he becomes an increasingly demonic figure.
In the first Epistle of John,
the author warns his readers to, “Be not like Cain, who was of the evil one.”
In some of the legends of Jewish Midrash, Cain is actually the product of an
adulterous affair between Eve and the fallen angel Samael. Tellingly, Eve has a
dream prior to the fratricide in which she sees, “the blood of Abel flow into
the mouth of Cain, who drank it with avidity.” The idea that Cain was the
progenitor of evil appears again in the Epic
of Beowulf, where the monster Grendel is described as one of the outlawed
“clan of Cain.”
(references:
J. Gordon Melton’s “The Vampire Book”, www.stlrib.com, www.subgenius.com, www.wikipedia.com, www.religiondispatches.org
Author Bio:
The
Vampire Queen1 aka Jodie Pierce has been writing since Jr. High School but was
unsatisfied with her teenage romance stories. One day, a friend handed her an
Anne Rice book and she found her inspiration. She’s been writing about vampires
ever since.
www.thevampirequeen1.weebly.com
Rand’s Story:
A Southern Hospitality Companion Story
By
Brien O’Raighne
MICAH RIVERWALK MALL | DOWNTOWN STORM CITY, TEXAS
There is a popping sound in
the parking garage. The sound echoes. Stepping through the portal is Elise. She
sighs. She dusts herself off. She begins walking through the garage. She walks
towards the entrance on the first level of the parking garage.
Relief hits her when she sees
a young blonde woman standing there. She makes her way down the ramp. Then, the
young blonde woman in front of her jumped before her eyes and attacked by a wolfman
with red eyes.
“Belle!” Screams Elise as she
runs down the ramp. “No… Not Belle…”
Elise reaches the entrance.
She does not see the blonde young woman nor the wolfman. She removes her wand
from her sleeve. She points it as she goes around the corner. She is huffing
and puffing.
From a nearby bench, a nearby
young woman who is shaken rises. She sees Elise go around the corner. She rolls
her eyes. Then, she begins running to catch up to Elise.
“Damn it, Elise. Stop
running.” She mutters as she rounds the corner.
It is not long before she
sees the elder witch huddled over. The young woman hears sobbing. “Belle, I
failed you. Destiny is going to be crushed.”
Elise falls to her knees and
drops her wand onto the sidewalk.
The young woman rolls her
eyes again. She rushes over to Elise. Elise is still muttering her name between
fits of sobbing.
Belle hangs her head. She
bends down and picks up the wand. Then, she puts one arm around Elise’s
shoulder. “Come on, Elise. We need to get out of here.”
Elise hears the familiar
voice. She stops sobbing. She looks up. Her eyes are read and puffy. “Belle?”
Belle squats down and looks
at Elise in the eyes. “Elise, I’m fine. We need to get out of here.”
“Jean-Luc? Was that wolfman
Jean-Luc?” Elise says. “The wolfman’s eyes were blood red.”
“No, Elise, that was not
Jean-Luc. His coat is a lighter shade of brown with a little reddish hue. More
auburn than that wolfman.” Belle says. “I feel sorry for that poor girl. Get me
home. I need my gear. We are going to need mom’s help, too.”
“Not just hers, we need
Ethan’s help, too.” Elise says.
“Here.” Belle hands Elise her
wand. “You’ll need this.”
“Thanks.” Elise says as she
takes her wand back. “So who was the girl?”
“I don’t know, Elise. I’ve
never seen her before.” Belle says as she stands up. She reaches out her hand
to Elise. Elise takes it. Belle helps Elise to her feet. “We need to get
Metapol here fast. I fear that this is going to get worse before this gets
better.”
“You know, you and your
mother are so much alike.”
“Don’t insult me, Elise.”
“Actually, it’s a compliment.
Your mom is very astute.”
Belle sighs. Elise chuckles
as she removes some silver powder from a pouch in her pocket. She tosses it to
the ground and chants. There is a popping sound. Both Elise and Belle
disappear.
Author Bio:
He is a connoisseur of sci-fi and paranormal films and books. He, also, lives in Houston with his son.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DRBStreetTeam/
*Anyone looking for a GREAT editor/beta reader you should
contact Jessica Sawa (same name on Facebook) or at her email: jessisawapromotions@gmail.com. She does excellent work!!! Check her out!!!
**If you are looking for a GREAT cover artist/author,
please contact Lindsey Jayne on FB (same profile name) as she does all our
covers and is amazing!!!
***If
you'd like to contribute an article or become a columnist, please contact me at
darknesswithin.jpierce@gmail.com. Also, please feel free to leave a comment
here letting us know what you think of the ezine! We love to hear from our
readers!!!!
Keep
Writing/Reading!
Jodie
Pierce
