The Spire - Part One
The Ministry
The chimes of midnight echoed throughout the Ministry, the world outside the unholy church had surrendered to slumber. The hallways were silent, the clergy were elsewhere. The night was peaceful, but someone moved amongst the shadows. Papa Emeritus IV had returned to the Ministry after spending a couple of months on tour, he was happy to be back home. His welcoming had been pleasant, but someone he adored was missing from the family dinner. But he knew where to look, The Spire was his true homecoming.
Copia had finished his audition tape, the night now belonged to him. Venturing through the unholy church he soon found the door he had been seeking, he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. Seeing the wooden door not far ahead of him caused a skip in his step, he couldn't wait to see her again. He longed for warm nights and sweet embraces, he hungered for lustful encourages between the sheets. But what he mostly wanted was company, he felt lonely on tour even if he was surrounded by his ghouls and ghoulettes. Stopping in front of the door his fingers curled around the iron handle, he then he pushed it downwards. The door creaked while he partly opened it, looking both ways down the hallway he slipped unnoticed into the stairway. A spiralled stone stairway lay ahead of him, he didn't have far to go now. His footsteps echoed throughout the tower, the scent of the night lingered in the stairway. Higher and higher, the darkness crept around him. There was no light to guide his way, but a faint ray of light shone through an open doorway at the top of the of the tower.
Finally reaching the doorway his mismatched eyes explored the darkness, the room beneath the Spire was dusty and unused. Cobwebs hung from the wooden beams above him, every unsettling creak the room made caused his eyes to dart now and again. Boxes and old furniture were stored here, old paintings covered with dust sheets leaned against a wall. He could hear bats squeaking and the fluttering of wings in the highest parts of the Spire, but they weren't the only unholy things that lingered in this space. Three caskets lay side by side, their glass lids cover with black lace sheets. The dead slept here, three Papas side by side. Undisturbed by the living, not many people would entered this place after midnight. His attention was soon drawn to a lantern near an open arched doorway, an outline of a woman stood motionless at the tower's balcony. Her dark dress clung to her hourglass figure, the nape of her neck was showing since she had her hair tied up. She was unaware of his presence, but that's the way he liked it. He enjoyed watching her from the shadows, he wanted to surprised her.
Albany Emeritus, the Ministry child has she was mostly known amongst the Clergy. Abandoned on the Ministry steps forty-seven years ago she had been taken in by Papa Nihil. A letter mislead him into believing that she was his own, but Sister revealed the truth to him with a simple DNA test when the child turned four. Nihil had been distraught over the discovery, she was his favourite child. He loved all of his children equally, but she had spent most of her life at the Ministry with him. Sister had done it out of spite, she was still hurting from the night he had betrayed her. She hated him, she wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life. Even using an innocent child has a pawn in her wicked game pleased her deeply, she loved seeing him miserable.
Entering the room he approached his lover, avoiding the creaky floorboards he wanted to jump scare her. But his footing betrayed him, he managed to get his foot caught inside an old looking bucket. The floorboard creaked beneath his weight, he shook his foot. He wobbled around on one foot before he freed himself from the bucket, carelessly kicking it away he had no idea of the force behind his kick. The bucket flew across the room and out of the balcony's open doorway, he soon saw Albany crouching by the doorway when it bounced off the balcony's railing. The bucket tumbled over the edge of the railing, he had caused a little mishap.
Albany remained still with her hands covering her eyes, she dared not looked. The echoes of the bucket banging against the stone wall of the building filled her ears, she soon heard the bucket hitting the ground below the balcony. The tower went silent, the sounds of the night soon returned. Peering through her fingers she saw Copia standing not far away from the doorway, his gaze focused on his fidgeting hands he looked like a child waiting for a scolding. He was dressed in his onstage attire, his face paint was quite daunting in the darkness. Getting to her feet she looked over the balcony, her hands tightly gripping around the railing the ground below her was hidden by the night. She tried to registered what had just happened. She hadn't been expecting that little scare, but this wasn't the first scare she had received from him. He always sneaked up on her when she was unaware of his presence, it was his way of showing affection.
" Holy shit, Cardi!" She said.
" Sorry, sorry!" He said, he was pleading for forgiveness. " It was an accident, my foot got stuck... I wouldn't have done it on purpose!"
" It's okay, it's okay! There's no harm done..." She said before she looked at him over her shoulder. " Oh my gosh! You scared me half to death, I think my life just flashed before my eyes."
" I was aiming to jump scare you, but not like this..." He said while he approached her. " I'm very sorry, I will not do it again."
" You better not do that again." She said.
" I will keep my feet away from buckets in the future." He said.
An airy laugh escaped her lips while she slightly shook her head at him, his words were oddly humorous. Turning her gaze away from him she looked at the city surrounding the unholy church, the streets below were empty. Feeling Copia's hand slipping over her own she playful nudged him with her arm, but he soon returned his own nudge with a hip bump which caused her to stumble slightly. She glanced at him before she cleared her throat, she soon had his attention.
" You're late." She said.
" I got waylaid, but I'm here now." He said.
" Did you have a ritual in the chapel tonight?" She asked.
" No, no." He replied while he rested his arm on the railing. " I was doing my audition tape, then I did some photographs with Sister. But I will change later before I go to bed."
" I heard about that audition tape from one of the ghouls." She said. " Did you manage blow Papa's socks off? If so he had it coming, I know he can be a..."
" Dickhead?" He interrupted.
" I was going to say critic, but you're not wrong." She laughed slightly before she looked at him." But tell me, how did it go? What was your audition tape about? Papa mentioned something about movie lines, did you do Roger Rabbit? I always liked that one."
" I cannot tell you that, it is a surprise." He replied, his gaze soon met with her own." Maybe I can show you a little somethin' somethin' later in my room, I can give you a private viewing."
" That sounds intriguing." She said.
" That's a yes, right?" He asked.
" I'll think about it." She replied.
" Yes?" He asked.
" Maybe..." She replied.
" Please don't tease me!" He said.
Copia whined while his gaze lowered, he silently sulked. Albany couldn't help but quietly laugh to herself at his sudden behavioural changes, he acted like a child sometimes when he didn't get the answer he desired. But that was part of his charm, it was one of the reasons she had fallen for him many decades ago. Affectionately rubbing his back she turned her gaze towards the city, they stood silently together on the balcony. But a strange grumbling sound caught her attention, she looked over her shoulder before she turned her gaze towards Copia. An embarrassed laugh erupted from him, his stomach had betrayed him. She eyed him up curiously when his hand rested on his stomach, her voice soon broken the silence between them.
" Irritable bowels? She asked.
" No, no. I'm hungry." He replied.
" Haven't you eaten yet?" She asked.
" There was the Beijing beef, but I lost my appetite." He replied.
" No, I don't mean the meal Sister ordered for you." She said before she leaned towards him. " I mean have you fed yet?"
" Of course, maybe. No..." He replied.
" I thought Sister would have arranged something for your return." She said with a sigh. " Doesn't she keep canisters of fresh blood in the cellar's refrigerator for you anymore?"
" Yes, yes. She does." He replied.
" Then why haven't you fed yet?" She asked.
" I have not had the time." He replied. " I have been busy since I returned home, but I will get something to eat later. I can hold my hunger until then."
" Are you sure?" She asked.
" I'm fine, don't worry about it." He replied.
Albany watched him for a moment before she pulled her sleeve up on her dress, revealing her arm to him she offered herself freely to him. His mismatched eyes focused on her wrist, her faded blue veins pumping blood through her body caused him to fidget. His hunger lusting for a drop of blood his hand slipped around her wrist, his teeth brushing against her skin caused his lover to tremble. Fighting his blood thirsty urges he lowered her wrist away from his lips, he dared not drink from her again. Twenty-four years had past, but the memories of the night he almost drained her haunted him still. His hands taking hers in his own he softly kissed it, their gaze meeting he shook his head at her.
" I cannot do that..." He said.
" You have taken a sip many times before, why not again?" She asked.
" The night I almost drained you still haunts me." He replied. " A little sip may turn into a mouthful, I don't want to chance it when I have not fed beforehand."
" I'm still alive, they thought I'd had an accident." She said.
" Terzo was frantic, he was furious!" He said.
" He was frantic because Papa was furious, he got punished because of my little mishap." She said before she whispered to him. " They probably already know it was you anyway, the dead know everything. The vail gets lifted on the other side, they always find out the truth."
" They do?" He asked.
" All the secrets." She replied.
" Like the old guy?" He asked.
" Not him, but they do..." She replied.
Albany's gaze wandered over to the caskets on the other side of the room, a mischievous smile crept across her features before she took hold of his arm. Leading him through doorway they approached the three caskets, lace sheets were draped over the glass lids. Letting go of his arm she crouched in front of the nearest casket, she pulled back the lace sheet to reveal one of the past Papas. His eyes were closed, his face paint was faded and cracking. Running her finger tips over the glass she smiled at the corpse in the casket, it was Primo.
" Raise and shine, sleepy head!" She said.
" Don't say that..." He said.
" Are you scared?" She asked.
" No, no! Of course not, don't be silly!" He replied.
" It's okay to be scared, Cardi." She looked at him over her shoulder. " But don't worry. Sister isn't bringing them back, one ghost at the Ministry is enough."
" Good, very good." He said.
" I dare not think what they would be like has ghosts." She sighed before she looked at the casket. " Primo was always vile to me when I was a child, he once locked me in a closet when I was six. But I never told Papa about it, he would have beaten him black and blue. Secondo and Terzo kept that secret for their Brother, they took it to their graves."
" I didn't know that..." He said.
" It was decades ago, they can't scare me anymore." She said.
" Good, I'm very happy to hear that." He said.
" We should go now, it's getting cold up here." She said while she covered the casket back up. " Everyone should be asleep by now, we can slip out of this place unnoticed."
" Alrighty then, let's roll now." He said.
Copia helped Albany to her feet, her hand in his own he pulled her close. She rested her other hand against his chest, her finger tip playing with a button on his shirt he caressed her cheek before her dark coloured eyes gazed up at him. A small smile tugging at her lips he leaned into kiss her. Their lips meeting he embraced her in his arms, her body pressed against his own he hungrily kissed her lips. His hand slowly moving down her back he felt her trembling in his arms, how he longed to feel her beneath him after the months they had spent apart. Roughly biting at her bottom lip she immediately pulled herself away from him, her eyes wide she touched her mouth. Looking at her finger tips blood stained them, her gaze soon met with her lover.
" Sorry, I got carried away..." He said.
" You should feed, I'm advising it." She said. " You know I would like to keep the rest of my lip..."
" Of course, it's one of my favourite parts of you." He said.
" I thought your favourite part of me was my..." She said.
" Sssh, don't say it in front of the dead!" He interrupted.
" Okay, my lips are sealed... cut, whatever." She said.
" Aaawww, I'm sorry." He said.
Copia approached her and tucked some of her dark hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing against her bottom lip he wiped the blood away. Her hand clasping around his wrist she gave him thoughtful look. Her delicate features bewitching the gaze of her unholy sire, how he desired to feel her warmth against his skin. The pleasure he sought between the sheets was standing before him, but now wasn't the right time due to his hunger. Kissing her forehead he wrapped his arms around her, his eyes closing he breathed in her scent. Her tender touch brought him comfort, but he needed to feed before he could spend the rest of the night by her side.
" What are you thinking about? He asked.
" Happy thoughts." She replied.
" About me, yes?" He asked.
" No." She replied, she laughed slightly. " I could really go for some Beijing beef right now. I should have said yes to dinner earlier, but I had things to do."
" I could get you the leftovers." He said.
" It's okay, I can wait until breakfast." She said.
" Okay, baby." He said.
" Okay." She smiled.
" Listen, I will go and feed now." He said. " Then I will come and find you."
" My bedroom?" She asked.
" Yes." He replied before he pulled her away from him. " Your room has a door, it's more private than my room. We will not be disturbed, right?"
" Not if everyone is sleeping." She replied.
" Alright, cool." He said.
Albany smiled at him before she went to collect her lantern from the balcony, closing the doors behind her she beckoned Copia to follow her. They left the tower together, the lantern leading their way they remained silent until they reached the bottom of the stairway.
" I'll go first." She said.
" Yes, yes. Of course." He said.
Holding the lantern in front of her she reached for the handle, but she was stopped by Copia. His fingers wrapping around her hand he moved closer towards her, resting his thumb beneath her chin he turned her face towards him. His mismatched eyes explored her features, he soon spoke with his lover.
" Wait a moment..." He said.
" What is it?" She asked.
" You have face paint on your nose and chin." He replied.
" Oh..." She said, her hand immediately went to her nose. " That could have been awkward."
" It's a good thing I noticed, yes?" He asked.
" Yes, indeed. Thank you, Cardi." She replied.
Albany took a tissue from her pocket before she wiped away the face paint from her nose and chin, she asked Copia to check her face again to make sure all of the face paint had been wiped away. He reassured his lover that her face was clean, she smiled at him before she turned her attention towards the door handle. Pushing it downwards the door began to open, the door creaked and light from the hallway crept into the stairway. Stepping forward she told Copia to remain hidden until she had checked the hallway. The hour maybe late, but sometimes supernatural creatures lurked after midnight. Looking both ways down the hallway she couldn't see anyone, the coast was clear. She beckoned Copia to follow her, but she was soon stopped him when she saw someone moving at the other end of the hallway, it was Papa Nihil.
" It's Papa!" She whispered.
" You go, I will find you later." He said.
" But Cardi..." She said.
" It's okay, bye bye now!" He said.
Copia pushed her further into the hallway before he closed the door to the tower, the sound of closing door soon caught the attention of the elderly Papa. Albany waved her her fingers at him, his ghostly form soon wandered down the hallway towards her. She took a deep breath before she went to met him halfway down the hallway, he seemed to be in a good mood for once.
" Hello, Papa." She smiled.
" There you are!" He said with a smile. " I have been searching everywhere for you, where have you been? What were you doing in tower? You shouldn't keep going up there, it is not safe!"
" I was just checking on the boys." She replied.
" I thought you disliked your Brothers." He said.
" I do..." She said, her grip tightened around the lantern's hoop. " I'm just making sure they're contained."
" But still it is very late, you should be in bed by now." He said.
" Papa, I'm not child anymore." She said.
" I know, I know..." He paused before he took a step towards her. " What have you done to your lip? It's bleeding."
" Oh, I had a little accident on one of the casket lids." She replied before she touched her bottom lip. " Those latches are deadly! I opened the lid too fast and BAM! My face was too close to the latch, but it's not as bad as it looks. It doesn't hurt, it just looks nasty."
" I told you it's not safe up there!" He said.
" I know, Papa. I've learnt my lesson..." She said, covering her mouth she fake yawned. " You know I should be getting back you my room, I'm getting sleepy. I need to tend to lip too before I turn in for the night, goodnight! I'll see you in the morning."
" Wait, I will walk you to your room." He said.
" You don't have to do that, it's just along the hallway..." She said.
" I'm going that way, I am going to meet Sister in my office." He said while he beckoned her to follow him. " Come on, I will tell you about the Cardinal's audition tape. You will laugh, it was very funny."
" Oh really? How was it?" She asked.
" It was awful, the boy cannot act!" He grumbled. " He couldn't even get the movie lines right, I have never been so embarrassed in all of my life!
" Surely it wasn't that bad." She said.
" You wait until you see it, he took my shower curtain to use has the green screen." He said.
" That's called being creative." She said.
" I'm not going to lie, it was a good idea." He said with a sigh. " But his audition tape was still awful!"
Albany watched Papa Nihil's ghostly form walking along the hallway, he never had anything nice to say about Copia. He always tried his best to please the elderly Papa, but it was never good enough. Hurrying after Nihil she soon caught up with him, she listened to him telling her about everything that happened at the family dinner. He wasn't too pleased about being insulted by Copia in front of Sister and Mr Saltarian, he didn't like being talked down to by someone who wasn't even part of the Papa Emeritus bloodline. The contents of the audition tape had been a brief conversation, but he had a lot to say about everything.
To be continued.