Sacrifice to the Demon

Torches blazed and sacred chants were phrased
As they start to cry, hands held to the sky
In the night, the fires are burning bright
The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done
Six-six-six, the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight.

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

Bella gave her make-up a final check in her compact mirror as the taxi ground to a halt on the long gravel driveway. The size of the mansion was striking and she missed what the driver was saying.

'Sorry?' she muttered distractedly, her eyes still on the mansion. Its vast bulk almost blended into the night sky behind it.

'I said, that's twenny-five, miss.'

'Yes, of course.' Bella fumbled in her purse. After paying him she stepped out of the cab into the cool October night then pulled her phone from her purse and sent a text to say she'd arrived.

The pulsating thump of music sounded from inside the stately-looking building and Bella could see on an upper floor there were flickering lights of different hues and colours, and occasional silhouettes of party-goers as they moved near windows.

Something else caught her eye, and looking across the wide gravel forecourt she saw the silhouettes of two large parked lorries. She noticed the black shape of a man leaning against one of them, He drew on a cigarette, the red tip bright in the ink night dark. He was too far away and it was too dark to see his features but Bella had the notion he was watching her.

'Bella!' a familiar voice hailed.

She turned to see her friend, a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, descend the steps from the mansion's entrance.

As her friend approached, Bella saw that she wore a stylish sexy vampire costume, the plastic material hugging her shapely contours. The shaft of light from the open door made her shadow long enhancing her gothic vibe. Bella stepped forward and she found herself in a tight embrace.

'I was worried about you, Bella. Where were you?'

'Sorry, Lisa, you know me getting ready -- and the taxi got a bit lost finding this place -- it's well off the beaten track isn't it?'

'Never, mind,' Lisa kissed her lightly on the cheek, 'You're here now that's all that matters. Come on inside and get a drink. '

Lisa led Bella into the mouth of the building past two Doric columns supported an arched porch with stone gargoyle-like statuettes perched on top.

'How did you get this place for a party?' Bella asked, still awed at the splendour of the building.

'Oh, Charles. You know, Charlie, right? He has this uncle who's a count -- or a lord or something, proper aristo shit, you know? Anyway, Charlie managed to bend his arm to lend us the place. We've only got certain rooms, mind you, but plenty of space for a party. I don't think this place is used much, costs an arm and a leg to run, I'll bet.'

By now they were in a vast hallway with chandeliers hanging from a high ceiling. In front, a wide ornate curved staircase led up to the first floor.

'Nice outfit, honey,' Lisa complimented.

Bella felt herself blush slightly as she mumbled her thanks. Her outfit, a simple skeleton-patterned costume, looked decidedly frumpy compared to her friend's stylish outfit and she wished she'd ordered something different from the online store.

They were about to climb the stairs when Lisa turned to her. 'Oh, by the way, no phones at the party, honey. House rules, leave yours in there.' She indicated a large ornately carved wooden bow by the front door filled with mobiles placed on an ancient-looking chest of drawers that reeked of wood polish.

Bella went over to it and took her phone out. She was about to let it drop in the bowl when Lisa's name was called by two party-goers who'd appeared at the top of the staircase. Bella discreetly slipped her phone back into her handbag and rejoined her friend. She wasn't sure why she'd done it, other than not wanting to be apart from her phone, besides, she couldn't see any harm in keeping it with her if she didn't take it out.

Lisa, as she climbed the stairs, was chatting with the guy who'd called her name. He was wearing a grim reaper costume complete with a scythe which he held in one hand while in his other, somewhat comically, he held a beer bottle. Beside him was a buxom girl in a revealing Halloween nurse's outfit with obligatory blood splatter on its white front.

As Bella hurried to catch up she couldn't help but admire her friend's curvaceous rump which was accentuated by her climbing the staircase. Lisa who was of Kenyan descent always said it was her best asset and that she'd inherited it from her mother. 'African girls have the best booty,' she was fond of saying.

'Hey, there you are,' the grim reaper said, jabbing his bottle towards Bella. 'Thought maybe you weren't coming.'

'Eh, no just a little late is all,' Bella said squinting to try and recognise the features in the hooded cowl.

Recognizing Bella's predicament, he pushed back the hood to reveal his face, but since his face was painted white with circles of black around his eyes it wasn't a great help, but despite this, she managed to recognise him. 'Chris,' she grinned. 'Nice costume.'

'This is Tammy. You remember Tammy?' Chris said.

'Sure, of course,' Bella smiled, and Tammy, a smear of fake blood across her mouth and cheek, returned her smile. These were Lisa's friends. In fact, it would be fair to say everyone at this party either knew or was friends with Lisa. Since Bella had struck up her friendship with Lisa just over a year ago she'd been introduced to most of her friends but there always seemed to be more, and trying to remember them all sometimes made Bella's head spin.

'Have you a drink yet?' Tammy asked.

'No, I just got here,' Bella said.

'You must try the punch, it's divine,' Tammy enthused.' Here I'll take you up.'

Before Bella could protest, Tammy had taken her hand and was pulling her up the stairs to the top. Bella looked over her shoulder at Lisa, who gave a half shrug and grinned. 'Must do what the nurse says, honey.'

Bella allowed herself to be pulled along as they reached the top of the stairs.

'We're so relieved you made it,' Tammy said. 'Everyone was getting worried.'

'Wait a minute, what do you mean everybody?'

Tammy seemed to check herself. 'I mean Lisa, and some of the others -- you know?'

Bella was perplexed --she'd met plenty of Lisa's friends from clubs and gatherings throughout the year, but she would say she knew more than a handful really well.

She was about to query the buxom nurse further when she caught sight of something that froze the breath in her throat. The landing although dimly lit was bedecked with huge paintings, each illuminated by wall-mounted picture lights.

The paintings were clearly all depictions of Hell, but the artist or artists had not treated the subject with the traditional view of tormented souls and hellfire but had rather interpreted the subject with pornographic overtones.

She resisted a tug on her hand as she stood mesmerized by the image of the nearest painting. It was crammed with the most lurid and erotic images Bella had ever seen.

'Oh, the paintings,' she heard Tammy comment from nearby. 'They're something else aren't they? That girl looks like me a bit, don't you think?' She pointed at a blonde big breasted girl, who was riding a winged demon while sucking on another demon's obscenely large cock.

'I'll get you that drink,' Tammy said, releasing her hand. Bella's eyes were fixed on the painting. From further down the landing from a doorway thumping dance music pounded.

Bella continued to gaze at the explicit vision in front of her.

The artist had contrived a vast chamber the top and bottom of which went beyond the borders of the painting, elaborate stairwells and entrances to unseen places were set in the vast stone walls connected with arched bridges and connecting spans crisscrossing the space. There were also rocks with flattened tops suspended unsupported in the air and on every surface were figures. Most were humans, all naked and writhing, and wherever they were located, otherworldly beings were there too, demonic creatures with bat-like wings, horns and long tails, some with cloven hooves, some with more normal human-like feet. But everyone, whether human or demonic, was engaged in copulation or some other sexual act.

It was a scene of wanton lustful abandon.

Men and women, in couples and groups as well as and demons and demonesses all fucked each other in a wide variety of sex positions. Some of the demons sported more than one penis, even some of the demonesses had huge cocks which they put to wanton use on human females and men. Bella leaned closer to inspect the depiction of a demoness. She looked magnificent, there was a lustre to her reddish skin and she stood, legs apart, her chest out a commanding expression on her face. Two magnificent horns sprouted from her forehead and her figure was framed by her two great wings folded behind her. Her long red tail coiled around one leg like a whip. It was an image of female power and beauty combined.

Bella stepped back to take in the entire painting once more. No depravity seemed unrealised by the artist's perverted imagination. In the centre, a sign, seemingly carved into the rock face and surmounted by a demon and demoness in flagrante were two words; Infernum Stupri.

Bella was suddenly aware of an arm around her waist and she felt lips softly nuzzle the back of her neck. She half turned at last able to wrench her eyes from the erotic masterpiece. 'Lisa? How'd you get up here so quickly? We left you talking on the stairs.'

Lisa laughed. 'That was a while ago, girlfriend. You've been standing here looking at that painting for twenty minutes. Here's your drink, by the way, Tammy came earlier with it but you were too busy admiring the art.'

'Twenty minutes? No that can't be,' Bella said slowly.

'They draw you in don't they, these paintings?'

Bella nodded and looked back into the pornographic vision. 'What does 'Infernum Stupri' mean?'

'I believe that's the title of the painting. Latin, I think.'

'Yes, but what does it mean?'

She felt Lisa playfully squeeze her bottom. 'Haven't you worked that out yet? It means; Fucking Hell.'

'Fucking Hell,' Bella repeated under her breath.

Lisa give an abrupt laugh. 'Come, on you can't stand out here all night getting wet at the pervy paintings.'

'Lisa!' Bella protested, in mock offence.

Lisa took her hand and gently led her towards the doorway from where the music blared and pumped from powerful speakers.

'If you like that painting, there's one in here you'll love. Lisa said, though she had to raise her voice to be heard over the music as they entered the room crowded that was filled with party-goers mingling, chatting, and dancing under the kaleidoscope of flashing disco lights.

Bella took a drink from her glass. Tammy had been right, the punch was gorgeous. Taking another gulp she almost choked as she was jostled by a couple dancing. Both wore ballroom dancing outfits -- the man in a suit, the woman in a pink outfit each with a white square sheet of paper with the number six pinned on. The woman wore a werewolf mask that covered her whole head. The couple disappeared among other costumed revellers, as Lisa, still holding Bella's hand, guided her through the crowd to the far end of the room where a long table was situated its surface covered in beer cans, wine and spirit bottles, snacks, bowls of segmented fruit and savoury and sweet treats.

Four large candles were interspersed along the middle of the table and in the centre of the table a familiar object a large orb set into a carved hand which acted as its holder. It was familiar to Bella as she had one just like it in her bedroom, a gift from Lisa on Bella's birthday not long after they'd first met. Ever since having it she'd sometimes had the peculiar sensation of being watched. Lisa had one in her bedroom too, Bella remembered.

'There,' Lisa pointed, almost shouting into Bella's ear to be heard above the blaring music. Bella followed Lisa's finger and saw a painting on the wall above her.

It bore some resemblance to the painting that had so entranced her on landing.

The wall-mounted picture light illuminated the image that otherwise would have been lost in the pulsating flash of the disco lights. It too showed a vision of hell with similar scenes of carnality and lust, but in this painting in the centre was a large muscular demon, standing on rock suspended in space, a half dozen naked women fawning at his feet like their hands reaching up to fondle and stroke his huge erect cock. The demon despite the attention of his admirers looked away from them in disinterest and Bella thought she detected a contemplative look in his features that somehow suggested loneliness.

'Isn't he magnificent?' Lisa said, not having to raise her voice due to a lull in the music.

Bella cast her eyes over the muscular frame of the demon. His powerful wings partly unfurled the strong horns jutting from his forehead, the sleek potent tail that looked like a whip.

'Who is he?' Bella asked. Clearly from his position in the painting he was of some importance.

'Balzoth.' Lisa said, and Bella thought she detected an air of reverence and awe in her friend's tone.

'Balzoth,' Lisa repeated. The name was strangely pleasing to pronounce. Her eyes drifted to the potent cock that almost seemed to come out of the painting -- some painterly trick that fooled the eye, no doubt. She felt a tingling in her loins. Christ, Lisa was right, she thought; staring at these paintings did turn you on.

The next track began to blare from the speakers, a raunchy Nicky Minaj number.

'Let's dance,' Lisa said, pulling Bella by the hand and leading her through into the maelstrom of bodies swaying and moving to the beat of the music.

Bella drank the remainder of the punch in her glass as Lisa placed her arm around her waist and pulled her close. Bella gyrated her hips against Lisa provocatively, and Lisa grinned her delight, pouting her lips in return and blowing Bella a kiss.

They had been on and off lovers since their friendship began, Lisa introducing Bella to the pleasures of woman-on-woman sex and transforming Bella from bi-curious to bisexual. They were not a couple for Lisa was polyamorous and had other lovers, both men and women in her large circle of friends. Bella was more conservative in her outlook. Deep down she longed for one life partner to make her feel whole.

As they swirled on the makeshift dance floor they met Tammy and Chris. Tammy handed Bella a bottle of pear cider and took Bella's empty glass, Bella grinned her thanks as Tammy was swallowed up in the crowd. Everyone seemed so friendly Bella thought for people they were mixing with on the dance floor were smiling and complimenting her on her outfit. Bella was suddenly feeling like the centre of attention. 'Everyone keeps looking at me,' she to Lisa putting her mouth to her friend's ear to be heard.

Lisa shook her head dismissively as if to say Bella was imagining things.

The music tracks seemed to blend into each other and Bella felt as though her sense of time was slipping away. She did not know how long they had been dancing but it had become hot in the room, the temperature raised from the body heat of the revellers, and the air was thick with the smell of perfume, sweat and the sweet smell from incense sticks. The effect was making Bella's head feel woozy.

The temperature was not the only thing getting hotter, Bella thought, for some of those dancing had removed some or all of their costumes. A few girls were topless or naked, and most of the men had removed their shirts and through a gap in the crowd, that closed as quickly as it opened, Bella saw a naked couple, the girl's thighs hooked around the man's hips as they fucked to the beat of the music.

A bright, white light from within her small handbag caught Bella's eye. Her phone was ringing.

'Back in a minute,' she shouted to Lisa. Lisa frowned but then turned and began dancing with a shirtless man who was near them. Bella pushed through the press of bodies as she fished her phone from her handbag. She looked at the name on the screen and frowned. It was Cassy.

Cassy was an old friend of Bella's from her college days. She and Cassy had once been close to but since Cassy married and had had a baby, Bella had seen less and less of her. They'd bumped into each other at a nightclub when Bella was with Lisa and her friends -- Cassy hadn't seemed impressed by Bella's choice of new friends. More recently, just a fortnight ago they'd bumped into each other again in a supermarket. The conversation had been short as Cassandra's toddler had chosen to have a tantrum but they'd agreed to catch up another time. This didn't seem a particularly good time, Bella reflected. She was free from the crowd now and found herself by the refreshment table.

Again the painting drew her eye with the magnificent demonic form in the centre of the artwork.

Unbidden, the name formed her mind - Balzoth.

Bella put the phone to her ear. 'Hey, Cassy. You okay? It's not a good time right now.'

Cassy said something but the volume of the music blotted out the words.

'What? No, sorry you need to speak up. I'm at a party,' Bella shouted. She put her bottle on the table and pressed her free hand tight to her other ear to help block out the music.

'What?' Bella said. 'Yeah, she's with me. I said -- she is with me. What? Did you say a cult? Look I can't hear you. I'll call you back in a bit.'

The phone went dead and Bella was about to put the phone back in her handbag when a text message appeared on the screen:

Texting instead. Been doing research online. That new friend of yours -- she is in a cult. People in it have disappeared. You may be in danger. You need to stay away from . . .

But Bella could read no more for the phone was snatched out of her hand and disappeared with a splash into the bowl of punch on the table. Lisa's face loomed close. 'Bad girl. I told you no phones. House rules.'

'Hey, you didn't have to do that.' Bella said, angrily.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. 'Don't be like that, honey. I'll buy you a new phone. A better one. Your stuff's backed up on the Cloud, right?'

'That's not the point.' Bella opened her mouth to say something else, but her words were stifled as Lisa leaned in and kissed her fully.

For a brief moment, she resisted, placing a hand on Lisa's chest to try and push her away but her friend stood her ground and placed one arm around the small of Bella's back and her other hand on the back of her head to hold her in place. Bella's relented giving in to Lisa and returning her kiss with equal passion. Again she felt the stirrings of arousal though she knew she should still have been mad at her friend.

Lisa broke the kiss, her brown eyes were pools of desire. 'I know somewhere we can go to be alone.'

'What about the party?'

'It'll still be here. Besides, we have to get you ready. It's not long to midnight.'

'Ready for what?' Bella shouted, as the volume of the music swelled.

Lisa was pulling her by the hand turned and shouted a response, but her words were swallowed by the music, then a further exchange was impossible as Bella was led through the press of bodies.

More costumes and clothing had been shed by the revellers. and although most were still dancing the packed room gave off the impression more of a sex orgy than a Halloween party.