All Things Go Bump In The Night

Tricked

I walked over to Jackie's crib where she was sleeping peacefully. Just four short weeks ago I had brought my little bundle of joy home with me. Now, even without my partner to help raise her. I was happy to know that I was now a mother.

After checking on her I decided to go to bed. Being the faithful christian I was, I prayed to God and thanked him for keeping me and my baby safe and to keep us safe in the future. I knew things were going to work out.

Sure I had lost my job and was late on the rent but my land lord was kind and she felt sorry for me and was giving me time to catch up. Even if my partner had died half-way through the pregnancy and I was all alone, things were going to be better.

Me and Jackie would be fine.

"You'll be fine Clarice, you'll both be fine," I reassured myself as I fell into a peaceful sleep. The next morning, I woke up early and fed Jackie and quickly changed into my old work office. Today I was going to try and get another job.... again.

If this didn't work out then I would have to tell my landlord and she would be forced to kick me out. I could of course stay with my mother, but I didn't want to stress her out.

I would have to try and fend for myself, I wasn't a child anymore. I was a mother and I was going to live up to my responsibilities.

I dropped Jackie at the daycare that my younger sister worked at, knowing that she could cover the cost for me while I went to my job interview. The job interview went alright. They asked me a few questions that I couldn't answer, which I knew would hurt my chances of getting the job, but my interviewer seemed sympathetic when he found out my situation and said that he would see what he could do.

I picked up Jackie from daycare and went home. Although trying to keep my spirits high I felt myself sinking into depression. I needed that job. What would I do if I missed it? It's not like I could live with my mother forever!

I put Jackie in her crib and sat on my bed. My life was falling apart around me and I was extremely frustrated. I was contemplating my surroundings and trying to figure out what my next step was when I heard Jackie giggling.

I looked at my baby. She was standing and holding on to the edge of her crib. I sighed as I looked at the toothless smile plastered on Jackie's face as she was innocently looking at me. I began to relax. My baby always knew how to cheer me up and I once again felt that we are going to get out of this mess unscathed.

That's when I got the call. It was my interviewer. He sadly informed me that I had lost the job. The little ray of hope I had left burst into flames and I knew that there was nothing else I could do. I would just have to tell my landlord that I was going to have to move out of my small, one bedroom apartment.

I was pacing up and down in my room when I heard a noise. It sounded like a crack, as if the world was split in two.

Then I heard a small voice.

"Clarice..... Clarice, Come.... Come, "

I turned around, looking for where the voice had come from, but no one was there.

"This... Isn't happening, you're just imagining things," I told myself out loud. "Clarice! Come listen!" the raspy voice boomed.

Finally I understood what was happening. "G-god?" I whispered to the thin air. "Prove your worth!" The voiced boomed again, "I need a sacrifice, a BLOOD sacrifice! Then you shall be saved from your troubles,"

I thought about what I was doing. Where would I get this 'sacrifice' from? I cried out and asked the voice who should I sacrifice.

"Sacrifice the innocent. I need the blood of an innocent. " I froze, knowing what the voice meant. The seemingly all knowing voice saw my plight and spoke again, "As Abraham was ordered to sacrifice his son, you shall give to me your daughter, I will give you till midnight to decide"

Jackie! Jackie was the only thing I had left that brought me joy. I loved her more than anything but I had to trust God. Jackie or anyone else that I loved wouldn't be here without him. Abraham never really sacrificed his son to God. It was only a test of faith and in the end he was able to live with his son for the rest of his life.

Maybe this was just a test of faith too. And not only would I get to keep Jackie, but I would be rewarded too. By midnight I had made my decision and the voice had made its return.

"Well?" it asked.

I went into the kitchen and got a knife and went to Jackie's crib where she was sleeping peacefully. I raised the knife over her crib. Tears formed in my eyes and poured down my cheeks but I knew that at the last second God would stop me and I would be able to hold Jackie in my hands again.

I brought the knife down and hoped for a miracle. But it didn't come. All I could see was blood, blood and more blood as I realized what I had done. Then I heard laughter.

"Why? Why would you do that to me? What have I done to deserve this?" I screamed. "You fool, you obey without even asking who gave the command! But it's too late now. Now for your reward. Pledge your alliance with me. You will have immortality and riches for the rest of your life. Join me,"

I was shocked and began to shake. What was I going to do? If I joined, I'd be a satanist for all eternity and if I didn't I would be in jail for the rest of my life. But either way I wouldn't have Jackie.

I ended up passing out. How was I going to live with myself. I was lost and alone. I had gone far off the track and now I had lost the only person who gave me joy in my life. I wished that I would never wake up again, but instead I had a dream.

In my dream I was sleeping in the clouds and I heard a soothing, majestic and deep voice. "Hush child," It said. "I understand you were fooled. I know your devotion to me and I have fixed all your wrongs, you're very lucky. This is your only chance. Good luck Child,"

Then I woke up.

I was sleeping in my bed. I immediately ran to Jackie's crib, where she was sleeping there peacefully. Tears of joy poured down my face as I picked her up and held her close to me as she cried in response to me disturbing her sleep.

The next day I got a call saying that a new position in the company I wanted to work at had opened and they offered it to me. I accepted it and there began my career at the company I am now CEO at.

I eventually remarried and had another child, my son Harry. Life has been a breeze since that day and I know that what I did that day was unforgivable, but yet I was forgiven. I was given another chance, and I took it.

This story isn't made to offend Christians, Atheist or Satanist. Sorry if the religious material offended you :(