The Exorcism of Anna Ch. 06

Anna screws her eyes shut. She had done her best to keep them open, fixed upon her parents as they prayed for her, along with the rest of the congregation. She had hoped her mother would look up to give her some comfort, some sign that Anna was forgiven, but Marion Oates did not. Anna had stared into Morrow's eyes as he spoke to her, and saw in them a new darkness that she had never seen before. She knew Morrow would have to touch her around her most intimate parts. The undergarment that offended God would have to be removed. She accepted that. It was her fault, after all, for wearing it to Church, a risk she need not have taken. She made no sound as Morrow pulled it off.

The rest, however, she did not expect. His touch sliding into her anus was rough. His finger almost grated in. She almost squealed, but bit the cry back. She had never had anything inside her. The spasm of her anal sphincter clamping down on Morrow's thumb was instinctive and uncontrollable. As Morrow thrusts deeper in, she yelps, a small, slight sound, like a puppy. It is inaudible over the chanting from the congregation. She squeezes her eyelids shut, suddenly panting.

Hot tears drip onto her hands as Morrow's voice sounds in her ears. She makes the only answer she cacano end this.

"Yes! Yes! I repent, Father. I repent. I deserve this! It's my fault. Please! Accept my repentance! For God's sake. Please!"

It is not just for God's sake that she pleads, but for herself. The pain in her anus is sharp and hot.

Morrow grins.

"Good," Morrow whispers. "Good, that you repent. You know you are a whore, don't you? You know that, I think. I can feel your filthy anus sucking at my thumb, like the mouth of a whore. Where did you learn to do that, Anna? Who taught you? If not the Devil himself."

Morrow's erection rages against his belly. He would like nothing better than to lift his robes and slap the sopping head of his cock against her sphincter, press it into the twitching muscle with both hands, drive it into the intense heat of her rectum, but he holds back.

Instead, he rolls his thumb inside her, making sure that it hurts. He feels her wince once, twice, thrice, before he pulled out.

He reaches down with his free hand and retrieves the thong from between Anna's feet. With his soiled hand, he flicks her skirt back down so it covered her up.

He turns the mic on again.

"Brethren. The sin is established. Satan's whore, filthy Jezebel, stands in our midst. Pray, brothers and sisters. Pray that we may retrieve young Anna from the Evil One's malign influence. Raise your voices! Shout to the Lord!"

The air filled with wild shouts and acclamations. Morrow seeks out the Verger, on his knees on the floor, hands clenched in prayer.

"Brother Rufus. To your feet. Bring me a vessel."

Rufus rises to his feet and ran off. He returns a moment later, carrying a brass vase-shaped container in his hands. He climbs up onto the stage, averting his eyes.

"Here, Father," Rufus says in a quivering voice. "The incense container. Will that do?"

Morrow drops the thong into it.

"Take it from here, Brother Rufus. Take it outside. And burn it. Scatter the ashes into the marsh. Say a prayer as you do it. Then cast the cursed vessel after it, and return with holy water. From the font."

As Rufus runs off, Morrow stepped in front of Anna, his back to the congregation, his body shielding her from their view. He turned the mic off, then placed his soiled hand on Anna's chin. He raised her head so that he could look into her eyes.

He bent forward, so his face was only inches from hers.

"Taste, Jezebel. Taste the sin of your own body. Take it into your mouth and clean your sin off my fingers with your filthy tongue."

With that, he placed his wet thumb on her lower lip.

Anna saw nothing, but felt, and heard, everything. The abrupt withdrawal of Morrow's intruding thumb. The bruised sensation of its absence left in her asshole. Morrow's speech. The wild shouting from the congregation. The soft plop of her thong landing in the container. Brother Rufus' steps as he hurried away out of the church. Then Morrow's words. And the sensation of his thumb pressing against her lower lip.

She opened her mouth to speak, her voice quiet. She doesn't want anyone else to hear. There's no danger of that.

"If you say I am a whore, Father, then I must be." She dares to open her eyes and look up. Morrow is staring down at her, his body blocking off any sight of the congregation. She blinks, then looks away, unable to hold his gaze. "But no one taught me anything, Father. I've never seen the Devil. I-" She stops. She doesn't even know if she can say the words. "I've never had anything in there, in my bottom. I've never committed that sin. Please believe me. Anything I did just now, if it was wrong, I did not know. I'm sorry. I'm just-confused. Please forgive me."

Morrow continues to stare at her. His thumb remains where he has placed it.

She looks up at him again. "Must I? It feels wrong, Father. And dirty. Must I?"

Morrow nods slowly. "You know the answer, Anna. You agreed. At the start. Do you wish to withdraw your consent? Because you can. But remember the consequences."

Anna shakes her head slightly, the movement sliding her bottom lip across Morrow's thumb.

"Good girl," Morrow says. "So do as I command you. Remember, I am God's agent in this community. To refuse me is to refuse God."

Anna swallows. She grimaces, then hitches her head forward, sliding Morrow's thumb into her mouth. It is hard and callused. The taste is sour, the scent a musky funk, almost meaty. She holds her head still, looking up at Morrow again.

"Clean it, I said. Use your tongue. I want it licked clean."

Anna hollows her cheeks. She sucks at it, running her tongue over and around. Morrow rotates it inside her mouth for a few seconds, then withdraws it.

"Good girl," he says. "That was well done. There is hope for you yet."

Morrow wiped his hand dry on her skirt.

"Kneel, child," he said, removing the chair from in front of her. He turned to face the congregation and activated the mic.

"Brethren. Silence." It took a few seconds for the chanting to stop.

"Look up. Everyone. Raise your eyes to me." Heads swivelled up, hands fell into laps.

"The deed is done. The sin confirmed. There can be no doubt about corruption now. That is a fact. The question for us, as a Church family, is what we do about it."

He turned and pointed at Anna on her knees.

"They have tempted her, the servants of the Evil One and she, being young, has fallen. But I have tested her. And she has withstood. She is not beyond redemption."

He turned back and pointed at Anna's parents.

"I do not blame the parents. It is not their fault. Indeed, you should know it was they who suspected, and brought their concerns to me. They are good, godly people. They have done a hard thing because they know the True Path is not a straight one. We should thank them."

A ripple of applause began, rising to a roar. There were a few loud whistles. Franklin Oates stood up and waved at the congregation, his grim face split by a slight smile. Marion, his wife, dabbed at her tears, and accepted a few touches from the surrounding women.

"So," Morrow continued. "The way forward. I must seek guidance, first from the Lord in prayer, but also from the Mother Church. In the meantime, here is what I decree."

Morrow paused for effect. He raised an arm to the ceiling.

"First, anyone who breaches my orders will suffer instant excommunication. You all know what that means."

There was another gasp from the congregation.

"Second, we shall use the name Anna no longer for this one. She shall be called Jezebel. She shall receive the gift of her name again when her recovery is complete and we baptise her anew."

"Third, none shall ill-treat her. Any interactions you must have with her will be those you might have with any visitor. The minimum of talking. Avert your gaze. Give her what she requires for life and health, but offer no comfort, no affection, no encouragement."

"Fourth, she shall no longer live in her parents' house. It would be wrong to taint their good household with this Jezebel. No, instead, Anna shall live with me in the Rectory. I am sufficiently trained to guard against the wiles of the Evil One. Her parents are not. Under my care, she will work, and undergo daily Inquisition and Instruction. When the time is right, I will entrust some of this work to other faithful members of this community. With hope and prayer, Anna may yet return to us."

"Hear my words. And obey."

"AMEN!" came a shout from the congregation. It was Farmer Giles, fist raised. "AMEN, BROTHER! AMEN!"

As more shouts rose from the people, Morrow turned to Anna.

"All these things, Anna, are required. But none can be forced upon you. You must agree to these things of your own freewill. The moment you do, you are Anna no more, but Jezebel."

Morrow took a deep breath.

"But if you refuse, Anna, you escape the Trial. Instead, we will drive you out of this Church with sticks and flails. We will chase you to the shore, where you must swim for the mainland. And we will never hear of you again."

"Who knows? You may survive out there. No doubt there are servants of the Evil One who have led you down this path. No doubt they will lend a helping hand. But you will not survive long. If you choose that path, you will end your days as a whore, servicing those degenerates with your body so as not to starve. It is a fitting end for a whore. If you choose to be one."

"So. What do you say, Anna? What do you choose? The hard path that brings you back to The Lord. Or the straightforward path that leads to the Devil."