Raven Nevermourn Ep. 004: bapHOMEt

"No way!" Raven defended Hector, "Mister Alonzo always... ALWAYS... treated me with respect. That thing that took him over ruined everything. It was beyond Hector's control."

"Did it do to you what he made Brandon do to me?"

"Like I said... Hector had no control. It did use Mister Alonzo to... rape me. I don't blame Hector at all."

"You poor child." Gwen pouted, "I'm certain Hector feels horribly."

"I don't remember much, very subtle glimpses actually. I was pushed way back into my consciousness." Hector adds. "You above anyone should know, I'd never do such a thing on my own. Knight in shining armor remember? Like a Templar! So please don't persecute me like they did them. I certainly don't worship any false demon named Baphomet."

"I know you don't Hector. I'm just so confused here. I'll look after Raven as best I can when you pass on. Where would you like your ashes spread?"

"I'd prefer being buried, not cremated like we used to talk about. It's in my Will to be buried whole. I have a casket paid for and a plot in Eden Home Cemetery. There are... three plots if you wish to one day join me. One for you and Jody."

"You... arranged... oh my God, Hector. I don't feel worthy of lying next to you for all eternity after what I've done."

"Nonsense! It's paid for. I... where is Theodore?"

"What?" Gwen winced.

"My cat! I just realized I haven't seen him since we got home."

"No meowing even." Raven pointed out. As if all three minds unified, they jumped up and searched the basement first then headed upstairs. Hearing a low purr, they found Jody holding Theodore. Hector within Raven took control.

"Where did you find Theo?"

"Oh, he came out of the spare bedroom and walked right up to me. I think he must know you died dad. He's kind of shy today."

Seating herself next to Jody, Raven attempted to pet the golden cat only to hear a demonic hiss, a claw striking out at her. Withdrawing her hand out of fear in getting nailed by razor sharp claws she mumbled, "Nice, Theodore!"

"Behave yourself Theo." Hector told his pet as it grew tense even in Jody's possession.

"Is it because of Raven?" Gwen brought up, "She is a perfect stranger to him."

"HIM?" Raven flared her eyes, "Mister Alonzo? A male!"

"Oh, good God! Please do not let that freak inhabit my cat."

Leaping from Jody's clutches the cat ran spastically around the living room before clawing its way up the drapes over a picture window. Beside the drapes was a tall curio cabinet with more chivalrous figurines of Knight's jousting. From the drapes to the top of the curio Theodore went. Peering down at them with dark eyes.

"Uh? Mister Alonzo?" Raven whimpered in her mind.

"He's back."

Raven standing up cautiously took Jody's hand and pulled her to her feet and moved her behind her just in case. Gwen in response moved behind her daughter as if a secondary shield. Who said damsels couldn't be a force to be reckoned with?

"He can't talk. Cats cannot speak like humans." Hector pointed out.

"What do we do with him?" Raven asked, "We can't risk hurting your cat?"

"Correct! Eventually he will have to leave him. Once he's out, he shouldn't be able to re-enter Theo."

"So... catch and cage? Take him outside until he tires of a losing battle?"

"I feel as if he's trying to hang on until I'm gone Raven. He knows I'm helping you figure as much out as I can."

"I'm going to miss that about you Mister Alonzo."

"You'll be fine, just be careful who you get as my replacement."

"What? Your replacement? Shit! Does that mean I'm going to have other souls inside me at some point? People I might not even know that I'll have to... talk to."

"There are a lot of good people out there Raven. While you might not have choices concerning who you end up with let's just pray, we... you can resolve things so that good people don't have to die."

"Do you have a pet taxi to hold him?"

"Yes. It's in the pantry."

"Where the gun jar is."

"Don't even go there Raven. I want Theo to live, he has another 8 lives yet."

"I'm not going to shoot your cat. I was just bringing the gun up."

"Turn slowly to the ladies." He guides Raven until her back was to the cat. As if noting them planning the cat ignored that part and leaned down toward Raven's lower back examining it from afar. Jody whispered her observation of its redirected attention. "Worry about that later. Gwen? I want you and Jody to go into the kitchen. Bring the pet carrier from my pantry and set it in the hallway. I want you both out of any harm's way."

"Okay!" Gwen and Jody carefully walk backwards and go about their mission. While they stepped away the cat simply didn't care, it was more interested in Raven herself. Turning to face Theodore, Raven took over her persona.

"Alright, Asshole! What do you want from me? You can't screw me in a cat's body so what's the point other than using it to spy on me. You want to be a peeping tomcat go for it." Hissing at her it's wail almost sounded as if it murmured, "Pusssssssssssy!" Go figure! Even in a cat's body it had a one-track mind.

"You want this? Come and get it Frisky." She whipped her t-shirt off and removed her bra just to see what it's reaction might be.

"What are you doing Raven?" Hector had no clue as to why she started stripping.

"Just seeing what it does. Constant study, remember?" Turning her back to the feline she undid her pants and mooned it. Hearing it howl as if in heat the cat jumped down to the floor and moved to the coffee table to be closer to her. Watching her tattoo marking with dedication the symbol turned like hands on a clock and stopped with the star's point facing her left hip as if an arrow. Strangely the star faded into nothing but two distinct lines like an actual arrowhead. Why? What was this enigmatic symbol and it's alternating linework? Mysterious indeed! "You want this, Theodore? Come get it. Fancy feast Buddy!"

"Raven? Stop being corny."

"Showing my age Sugar Daddy." With eying the odd arrow within the circle on her lower back, the entity suddenly begins gagging as if on a hairball. "All choked up over my hot bod Pussycat?" Moving her body closer to it as if taunting him she suddenly sensed a glow behind herself and tilted her gaze even more. "What's going down?"

Theodore crouched as if feeling a pressure on its back and growled. Without explanation the entity felt something stir within it's petite host. Just as eerily Theodore's spirit stepped out of its body and turned to silently hiss at its physical form. "Whoa!" Raven mumbled. "Out of booty experience."

A second longer another ghostly cat stepped free of its flesh, bone and blood. Then another and another until there were 8 spirit cats all looking exactly like Theo. Circling it's body tail to tail all connecting to keep the entity from escaping the Host shuddered and began convulsing. Standing up straight Raven pulled her pants up, but her mark still retained its glow. Squalling as if in agony led Gwen and Jody to stare at the insanity, the cage open and ready should it be needed.

Silence amongst everyone they merely watched it all play out. Theodore was best described as being exorcised of its demon. Laying down in the center of the large square coffee table Theo's eyes became normal. "I think it's left Theodore." Hector told Raven.

"Wow! I guess cat's really do have 9 lives. Maybe 8 now." Once breathing normally, the parade of souls one by one returned to Theodore as if nothing happened. Once all were intact, Raven's mark stopped glowing. While Theo seemed, docile Gwen took the initiative to hand Jody the taxi and they procured the cat, putting him inside it for the time being.

"That was insane." Jody whistled silently but with her comment heard.

"Your mark." Gwen inspected Raven's lower back Raven almost shy in being half nude again. Even more, Jody was observed looking at her tits blushing.

"What's it doing now?" Raven tried to look but really couldn't see it.

"It's an arrow of two lines intersecting this way." She used her fingers to mimic the symbol. "The rest of the lines are missing."

"Whatever it's doing it's helping me I think. Us even." Raven confided her best guess. "It's like it turned Theo on himself to save himself. At least he's still alive, well, minus one soul maybe."

"I don't think he knows that."

"It's been documented that cats see the spirit world." Jody points out. "Dogs even. Their perception is much sharper than humans."

"We'll leave Theodore in his taxi for now, but before I pass on, I'd like to... let Raven hold him so that in a sense I am too. To say my goodbyes."

"I can do that."

"How much time do you have left daddy?" Jody nearly wept again.

"Three hours, thirty-three minutes."

"How can you possibly calculate your time to the minute?"

"We all have an internal clock." He tells Gwen.

"So why do I oversleep so often?"

"Stop drinking so much."

"Hector! I only drink on weekends."

"Still a bad habit. Don't you dare be like your mother." He directs to Jody catching her studying Raven's body still nearly nude, her pants unzipped even offering a nice point downward between zipper tracks toward her bikini area. Not glowing however! "Raven please get dressed."

"Oh! Yeah... I'll just do that." She turns her back to Jody and zips up. Gwen handing Raven her bra and shirt she skips the bra and just pulls her shirt over her head, bra cast on to the sofa. Facing them she said, "Where were we?"

"Right at home." Gwen told her, through her, Hector.

Hector tended to agree.

So did a purring Theodore.

********

Crowley Manson Home for Young Women...

"Called here twice in one day. How often does that happen?" Officer Trout Melman told Detective Heather Choi. She concurred as he opened the entrance door for her leading to the lobby. Paramedic's and Coroner Russ Kingery were in Hector Alonzo's office with the fallen Assistant Administrator Cynthia Drewbeck. Leaning in the doorway Heather studied the horribly bloody corpse of a woman she had just talked to earlier.

"Any thoughts Russ?" She asked the coroner who looked bewildered.

"Never seen this much hemorrhaging in all my days. No signs of blunt force drama either. You got me Detective." Pictures were being taken as City Official's showed up, those overseeing the Home's activities from behind the scenes.

"Detective Choi? Mallory Goode." The portly brunette which towered over Heather introduced herself, being allowed in by officer's knowing she would be needed to help run the Home going forward.

"Sorry, this seems to be becoming a habit." Heather frowned. "While I shouldn't offer insight until further investigation, I'm not liking what we're seeing. It might be noteworthy to move the residents elsewhere until further notice."

"I'll look into that. God! Cynthia looks... horrible. I was out of town on business earlier, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner for Mister Alonzo's tragic... Dear God! What is going on here?"

"Good question." Heather looks away for a moment and spots something out of the ordinary. "Excuse me a moment please. Oh, and I'd advise you check on the girls. Comfort them as best you can."

"I'll do that." Parting ways Mallory heads into the dorms.

Now alone, Heather steps to a lobby end table and notes a piece of cake with an unlit candle resting on a magazine. Recalling the girl from earlier she merely presumed someone left it after she moved on to her new life. "I hope she's doing alright out there. She seemed very nice." Turning away from her sidelined curiosity she wasn't aware that the candles wick lit up into a newborn flame. How was that possible? Even more the flame flickered higher and formed into an image of Raven Moore nude, dancing seductively.

Hooboy!

It took a paramedic to study the dancing flame and realize its inner beauty. Wagging his tongue at the flame the paramedic howled at it like a wolf, the tiny Raven Moore even shook her tits at him in a flicker of invite. Tongue seared by licking the flame as if answering her allure, he put out her fiery lust. He even ate the piece of cake when no one was looking.

It was tasty.

Tasteless only toward his black eyes.

He ate the candle too.

"I love hot sauce on my cake!"

********

Back at the Alonzo home Raven Moore sat on the toilet and began to sweat all over like a torrential rain. Her entire body wet in seconds she simply stripped and dried off with a towel. Her towel revealing what looked like pink icing after dabbing her pussy freaked her out. Bits of wax even peeled from her torso made her whine. Hector had no answers! Truth be known her sweat was actually paramedic Bob Arnold's saliva. He would pass out from dehydration even before leaving the scene.

The horde works in mysterious ways.

Who says you can't have your cake and eat her too?