Nightmare Fuel #26: Moloch's Pact Part One: The Demon of Deacon's Point
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I was trapped in the cult. A new true crime docuseries. Everything inside of me was screaming, just go. Ten cults. He flamed, he heard the voice of God. Ten stories of escape. It was an emotional battle. We were brainwashed. My sister and I got on the snow machine and I'm like, there's no way out. And if I got caught, he would for sure kill me.

How I Escaped My Cult, all episodes now streaming on Hulu. ♪♪

Welcome to another edition of Nightmare Fuel, Creeps and Peepers. I'm Dan Cummins, and I'll be sharing another original short story of the fictional horror variety. Just to avoid any confusion, today's tale is not connected to any of the Dark World stories, or any of the other previous Nightmare stories, or worlds for that matter. I was listening to a lot of retro, 80s-inspired dark synthwave over the past few weeks, stuff

Stuff like Carpenter Brute and Gunship, if you know them. And something about that music sunk into my subconscious and inspired this throwback cinematic horror story. It was a lot of fun to put this one together. With some of these, the creation process is like pulling teeth. With others, they just flow. Don't know if this one is any good, but it did come easily. I highly recommend Noise Cancellation Headphones for the best experience. I enjoyed working on this one. I hope you enjoy this new nightmare.

Time now for the tale of Moloch's Deacon Point, summer 1988. Never change, video ventures. I fucking love this place. Chance Watkins, a local rising junior at Bishop High School, said to his best friend Lincoln Clay, as the two of them walked into the most beloved of the town's three video rental stores, the one with the biggest and best selection by far.

Me too, dude. Lincoln smiled and nodded as he peeked over at the clerk working the register, Doug Hinckley, who was currently getting into some kind of heated disagreement with a young woman who looked like she might have been a college student. Both Chance and Lincoln knew Doug, or were at least familiar with him. He'd graduated from Bishop four or five years earlier and worked at Video Ventures forever.

Lincoln's older brother John had warned them both to stay away from Doug. He said he was a literal devil worshipper who was always drawing pictures of demons and monsters and writing 666 on stuff at school before he dropped out. Lincoln didn't think Doug was someone to be scared of, though, or that he actually worshipped the devil. He thought he was just a weird loner who loved to smoke weed, hated school and most of the kids there, and liked to dress in all black and listen to bands like Slayer, Possessed, and Black Sabbath.

Doug also had totally awesome taste in horror movies, and he had recommended some great ones to Lincoln and Chance over the years, like The Stepfather, Creepshow, and Sleepaway Camp. Until the last year or so, when Chance had started dating Piper, and Lincoln had gotten more serious about basketball and football, watching horror movies was one of the main things the two of them did on the weekends together.

Chance's mom and stepdad had a big TV in their basement and would let them have the whole floor to themselves. Chance was an only child, at least when his stepbrother and stepsister weren't staying over, and his house always had been their sleepover go-to. "'Wanna watch Fright Night again?' Chance asked, picking the case up off of the shelf as soon as they had made it to the horror section. "'Nah, I mean, I like it, but I really think we should watch something we haven't already seen,' Lincoln answered, distracted. He was still trying to figure out what the hell Doug and that college girl were arguing about."

No way it was a lover's quarrel. She was way out of Doug's league. And since she didn't have black lipstick, black fingernails, and some kind of black skirt with fishnets, not exactly his type from what he'd noticed. So no nightmare on Elm Street 3 or Hellraiser 2 either? Chance asked as he showcased their empty VHS cases with an intentionally goofy smile. Dude, Lincoln laughed, shooting his buddy a you-can't-be-serious look.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 sucked What? Chance said Smiling and holding the case over his heart And pretending to feel shocked and hurt I mean, it was way better than two But I don't know Too many corny jokes Lincoln half mumbled As he glanced again at Doug He thought he just heard him tell the girl I am the manager And no, you can't rent it Alright, fine Chance sighed as he put the boxes back on the shelf But you have to admit Hellraiser 2 was hella good

Yeah, Lincoln nodded absentmindedly before refocusing on his friend again. It was definitely creepy, I'll give you that. But so confusing, right? I think I had to watch it a second time by myself to try and understand it. And I still don't really know what it was about. It's about the Cenobites, the Lament Configuration, hedonistic demons taking pleasure from pain, Chance replied in his best horror movie announcer voice. I was hoping it was going to be more about boobs.

Didn't we get to see some hot lady's boobs in that one? Lincoln grinned while moving his eyebrows up and down. I just remember seeing one lady's boobs in that movie, but I don't think she had any skin. Chance pondered, bringing his index finger and thumb to his chin as if he was some great philosopher looking for answers to one of life's greatest mysteries. Oh yeah, Lincoln remembered. She didn't have skin, but she still had nipples. Still pretty hot. They both laughed before Chance smacked him on the arm and said, dude, you're so messed up.

"'Speaking of boobs, how's Piper?' Lincoln asked with a sly grin. Chance just smiled, shook his head, and looked back at the movies. "'You guys are still virgins, huh?' Lincoln guessed, still grinning. "'Unfortunately, yes.' Chance sighed as he then picked up another movie possibility and changed the subject. "'Hey, what about this?' "'Prince of Darkness,' he asked. Lincoln grabbed the empty VHS case and started reading the back out loud."

Master horror movie director John Carpenter conjures up hordes of beetles, ants, worms, zombies, and Satan himself to wage war on mankind in this unspeakably terrifying fright feature. When a group of graduate students and scientists discover an ancient canister containing an evil-looking liquid in an abandoned church, yeah!

Yeah, let's watch it. Sounds like it might be really, fuck you, Doug. Lincoln was interrupted by the college-age girl yelling at Doug as he stood with his arms folded across his chest, across the counter from her while she put a finger in his face. You just can't rent it, all right? I don't need a good reason. Doug barked back at her before he pointed at a sign behind him that said, we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

Anyone, he emphasized, highlighting the sign's final word before adding, for any reason. Fine, the woman snapped. I'll never rent here again, you fucking asshole. Better watch out for my boyfriend. She threatened with a glare as she started to storm out. He's going to kick your ass when he finds you, freak. And then she pushed open the door and tried, unsuccessfully, to dramatically slam it behind her as she walked towards and got in her little Mazda convertible in the parking lot. Doug just laughed and gave her a little sarcastic wave goodbye. Damn.

Lincoln muttered as he and Chance exchanged raised eyebrows. And then Lincoln started to walk towards the counter. Where are you going? We still have to pick out a second movie. Chance called after him. I have to know what movie he wouldn't let her have. Lincoln replied. Maybe it's some super messed up new horror flick. Chance followed him. What was her problem?

"'Lincoln asked a tall six-foot-three and broad shoulder, "'but thin to the point of being gaunt young man, "'wearing the long-sleeve black misfits tee, "'ripped and faded black denim jeans with a metal wallet chain, "'Doc Martin's stomper boots, and long frizzy hair. "'He cheaply dyed black and parted in the middle. "'At first, Doug just stared blankly at Lincoln without saying a word. "'Chance thought he looked like he was deciding "'if Lincoln was worth talking to or not, "'or like he was sizing him up or considering something.'

After a few awkward seconds, Doug apparently decided that he was worth speaking to, and he said in his classic stoner, no fucks left to give anyone way, bitch must have forgot that no means no. He smiled after he said that, seemingly proud of his edgy rape reference. His teeth were stained a deep yellow, and his eyes were bloodshot and cold. He gave Chance the creeps. He wondered if Lincoln's brother John was right about Doug. Maybe he was some kind of devil worshiper.

What did you try and rent? Lincoln asked. For a second time, Doug stared silently back at him instead of answering right away. You could tell he was thinking something over, trying to make some decision. Finally, after what felt like a minute, but was probably just five to ten seconds, Doug nodded slightly, like he'd just been given the answer he was looking for, and grabbed a VHS case and slid it across the counter towards them both with a sly grin on his face. Lincoln noticed a little tattoo on the back of his hand as he did this.

Between Doug's left thumb and index finger was the head of a monster that looked like a cross between a demon and a minotaur. A bull's head with a human-looking mouth, but a mouth with fangs and glowing red, demonic-looking eyes. The movie he pushed towards them looked like it was definitely another horror flick, one neither Lincoln nor Chance had ever seen or heard of.

It was a black case, and in big letters outlined in red, with a negative space inside the red just as black as the rest of the case, written in a font that reminded both boys of a Ouija board. It read, MOLOX PACKED. No pictures, no other words, just MOLOX PACKED. Can I read the back? Sure, Doug grinned. Won't take long.

He was right. Lincoln flipped it over. And in the same font, all it said was, which Lincoln read out loud, Once you've seen him, you're a part of him. Something about it freaked Chance out. He decided internally at that moment he didn't want to see it or even touch it. Why wouldn't you let her watch it? Chance asked, genuinely curious and trying not to reveal how he really felt about it. Doug now stared at Chance instead of at Lincoln with his cold eyes.

chan suddenly wanted to leave to get the hell out of the store which he'd never felt before he'd always loved video ventures and he'd never really minded doug before after another slight delay doug spoke real deliberately this movie's not for everyone it's real hardcore more of a recommendation only kind of thing damn lincoln said excited chance could tell he was having the opposite reaction he was having to it

Lincoln had always been that way. The more someone told him he couldn't have something or shouldn't have it, the more he wanted it. Is it like, he started to say before he lowered his voice, even though no one else was in the store with him any longer, one of those snuff films? Doug smiled and then said, seeming to speak coyly, nah, it couldn't be that, could it? That would be illegal. He spoke that last word slowly, drawing out every syllable before he added,

And if there's one thing I always do, it's follow the law. He grinned widely after that one. Real proud of himself again. Do you think that we can watch it? Lincoln asked in a voice not much louder than a whisper. Trying to rent a pair of horror movies for a Friday night summer sleepover was starting to feel like buying drugs in an alley. Depends, Doug said, pausing to look at them both before he added, who else are you going to watch it with?

"'No one,' Lincoln assured him. "'Promise, just Chance and me,' Doug said as he considered what Lincoln told him. "'It's usually more of a solo watch, but they did tell me that two guys checking it out might be okay. Might actually speed things along.' "'Speed what things along? What the fuck was he talking about?' Chance wondered. The whole exchange kept feeling weirder and weirder. Not just weird, maybe, but wrong.'

After another deliberate, contemplative pause while Doug stared back and forth between Lincoln and Chance again, he finally gave them his verdict. Alright, he said, you can watch it, but I'll need it back first thing tomorrow morning. And if you let anyone else watch it, he added as his eyes grew much colder, I'll find out. I swear I'll find out. And we'll have a big fucking problem. He definitely said that last part like a threat. One he was deadly serious about.

Chance now really, really wanted to leave. If he had been there by himself, he would have definitely started to walk out if he hadn't already left. But he didn't want to give Lincoln any ammo to bust his balls with. And Lincoln certainly wasn't feeling the same way. Deal! Lincoln exclaimed. Thanks, man, you're awesome! He beamed. Don't thank me yet. Doug replied without smiling. You might really regret watching this one. Just like one of his previous comments had felt like a threat to be taken seriously, this one felt like a serious warning.

"'Lincoln didn't say anything back. He just nodded to let him know he understood. "'Is that all you rent tonight, boys?' Doug then asked in a much friendlier tone. "'The Prince of Darkness and Moloch's Pact?' Chance nodded solemnly. "'Yeah. An evil double feature,' Doug said as he smiled. "'I like it.' And then he rung them up for just $2.99 plus tax. "'Wait,' Chance said as he took out his wallet. "'Shouldn't it be twice that much?'

No charge for Moloch's pact, Doug told him. It's not exactly in the system. Chance frowned. What the hell was on that tape? Cool, Lincoln nodded. Dude, you're the best, Doug. Chance was looking forward to their movie night less by the second. He handed Doug $3 bills and a dime and a nickel and then took pennies out of the need a penny, take a penny cup to make exact change once you added tax.

Chance now noticed the demonic-looking minotaur tattoo as well. He didn't like it. He didn't like anything about this whole interaction. Meanwhile, Lincoln Gidley grabbed the two movies, said thanks, and started walking towards the exit door. Chance followed closely behind. Right before they walked out, Doug yelled at them. Hey, boys! One more thing! They both turned around. Doug now made the devil horn sign with his right hand, raised it up above his head, and called out, Hail Satan!

Chance didn't say anything to that. Lincoln forced a smile, mumbled something that sounded like, yeah, all right, man, cool. And then they both stumbled out into the parking lot. What in the fuck was all that about? Chance asked as they quickly climbed into Lincoln's car. I don't know, dude, he's so weird. But how cool is it that he's let us watch this movie? We've talked about underground horror movies so many times and now we finally get to see one.

Yeah, yeah, super cool, Chance said, clearly not sharing any of his buddy's enthusiasm as Lincoln threw the car into reverse and started to back out of the parking lot. Chance watched Doug watch them leave as they began to pull away. Something about his eyes and his grin made Chance's skin crawl. He had a real bad feeling about Moloch's pact.

It's not that I don't trust you, not at all, but come on, it's a bad idea. I mean, if I was whoever took those girls and I heard about a party in the woods where a bunch of girls their same age were going to be, that's exactly where I'd go to try and take another one. A few hours after Chance and Lincoln had left Video Ventures, while Lincoln was at home mowing the lawn, his dad had told him he had to get done before he headed over to Chance's house for the night for their sleepover. Chance was on the phone with his girlfriend, a sophomore at Bishop High named Piper Zimmerman.

Piper had just told him she was going to a party out in the woods that night, just a few miles outside of Deacon's Point, up near Ash Creek Campground, with a bunch of other kids from school. And undoubtedly, also with a bunch of dudes who had graduated over the past few years, who were bringing all the beer and looking for fresh meat. Chance, although not an especially jealous type, wouldn't normally love her going there without him, but he truly hated it right now, considering the recent disappearances of Teresa Lane and Sandy DeWitt.

Sandy was a 15-year-old girl who was a student at Shiloh Christian Academy. She'd vanished from Deacon's Point four months earlier while walking to a friend's house on a Saturday afternoon. Teresa was 18. She'd graduated from Bishop back in May. She was a real quiet, shy, studious girl, mostly kept to herself. A straight-A student who had a full ride to go to college somewhere back east. She disappeared from her mom's house a little over two weeks back on a Wednesday night.

It was only her and her mom living together, and her mom had left to go get them both some takeout. She wasn't gone for more than 20 minutes. When she made it back home, the front door was cracked open, but it didn't look like anyone had broken in, because inside, everything in the house was just like it had been when she'd left. But her daughter was gone, and no one had seen her or Sandy since. It felt like there had been articles in the paper about their disappearances almost every day, all summer long.

The police apparently didn't have a clue what had happened to them. No one did. No one saw anyone take them. Or if anyone had seen them kidnapped, no one was saying anything to the police or the papers. There were all kinds of rumors, though, about what might have happened to them. One was that they'd been kidnapped by the Russian mafia and taken to Eastern Europe or maybe Asia, where they'd been sold into sexual slavery. Another was that there was a serial killer loose in the area. And a third, the most talked about of the three by far for some reason,

was that there was a secret satanic cult in town, and the girls had been taken by them because they were virgins and sacrificed. And the reason the police hadn't caught them was because some of the officers were in this cult, as was the mayor, most of city council, and a few of the town's richest residents who could afford to pay bribes and keep it all covered up. It was a great big evil conspiracy. Chance didn't know what to believe.

But all three of the rumors made him nervous, and he sure as hell didn't want his girlfriend to be the next victim of whatever was really happening. Well, if I were to leave early, Piper said to him in her flirtatious voice, and I were to come knock on your window, would you let me in? Chance felt torn. Part of the deal with his sleepover with Lincoln was no girls, which mostly meant no Piper, since Lincoln wasn't dating anyone at the moment.

They hadn't hung out just the two of them, staying up late watching horror movies since last summer. But if Chan said no, and then something happened to Piper, he'd never forgive himself. And also, the last couple times he'd hung out just the two of them, things had gotten pretty hot and heavy, and they'd almost gone all the way. Every time it had felt like the next time might be the time.

"'Of course I'll let you in,' Chance smiled. "'But,' he suddenly turned serious, "'you have to act like you've surprised me. "'Like I didn't know you were coming over, okay? "'I don't want Lincoln to get mad at me for messing with boys night. "'Promise,' she beamed, before she giggled and then said, "'Okay, gotta go. Jill's here. Love you. "'Love you too,' Chance repeated sheepishly. "'They just started saying that the past few weeks. "'It still felt so strange.'

After hanging up the phone in his room, Chance headed upstairs to talk with his mom a bit before his stepdad came home and they all had dinner. Detective Rob Shoemaker sat at his desk, sipping the last of his cup of cheap room-temperature coffee and staring at the same photos of Sandy DeWitt and Teresa Lane he'd been looking at day after day in Sandy's case, month after month in Teresa's,

And he thumbed through the same files he'd been thumbing through for days, if not months as well. For the past almost three years, Rob had been Deacon's Point's major crimes detective. Their only major crime detective. The city wasn't quite big enough to justify having two of them. The case of two missing local girls was the biggest case he'd ever had to handle. And it wasn't going well. Not at all. He'd coordinated with the area's FBI office, but they hadn't been much help. He didn't know how they could help.

It was like Teresa and Sandy had just vanished into thin air. A handful of reporters would check in with him a couple times a week, and he just kept telling them the same thing. That they still had no leads, no suspects, and no new useful tips. That he still wanted them to keep mentioning their tip line in every article, though. Not that it had been very helpful so far.

He'd already known that the world had plenty of crazy people in it before he'd become a police officer almost 10 years ago. But now, holy shit. One lady, Pearl Ruark, had wasted nearly an hour of his life talking to him after he had paid her a visit following her leaving a voicemail on the tip line. She'd said in her message that she was too scared to mention important details about the disappearances of the girls over the phone because they might be listening, whoever they were.

And then when he spoke to her at her house, she told him that she had seen, with her own two eyes, Sandy DeWitt get beamed up into a spaceship. She said that at first she tried to tell herself it was only a dream and that she hadn't really seen it. But then she saw that same spaceship hovering over town the night that Teresa went missing. And that was how she knew that the girls had definitely been abducted by aliens.

And she told Rob it was very important that he tell the local newspaper that they had to start printing front page articles warning people to stay inside at night immediately. People needed to know that they had to hide if they saw any UFOs or aliens. And she wanted Rob to call the National Guard and have them set up shop in town so they could shoot the UFOs out of the sky the next time they appeared.

She'd been calling the tip line every day since that conversation, complaining that there still wasn't any articles about alien invaders and that she still hadn't seen the National Guard either. There had also been dozens of tips left anonymously by supposed eyewitnesses who swore that their uncle or neighbor or ex-boyfriend had taken the girls. None of them went anywhere. One guy was positive that the Zodiac Killer had taken the girls. The overwhelming amount of tips people left did almost nothing but waste his time.

Rob had read through Teresa's diary and questioned pretty much everyone she'd mentioned in it. That hadn't led anywhere either. He'd spoken with what felt like every kid Sandy had ever went to school with, everyone she'd ever went to church with, and none of that had led to anything promising. But some of the calls left on the tip line over the summer, while individually they sounded like gibberish left by crackpots, collectively they did make him cock his head and wonder.

All of these tips mention a secret, satanic cult in town, one composed of many of Deacon's Point's most upstanding and influential residents. People like the mayor, Ray Fitch, Buck Stowers, the principal of Bishop High School, Forrest Wilkes, easily the wealthiest guy in town who owned the newspaper, several restaurants, the nicest hotels in the area, the marina on the lake, and a whole lot more. At first, Detective Shoemaker tried to write all of the cult talk off as nothing more than satanic panic garbage.

People have been whispering about secret satanic cults all over the country, not just in Deacon's Point. And all it had led to so far, to Rob's knowledge, was a bunch of false arrests, like the poor McMartin family, who ran a daycare or preschool in California, and were currently on trial for what sure seemed like nothing more than a big steaming pile of paranoid bullshit. But these satanic cult calls, they kept trickling in. And the people leaving the messages, they didn't sound like Pearl Ruark.

who he'd found out, by the way, after he went and spoke with her, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over 20 years previously, and had been in and out of institutions ever since. Despite what the people leaving the tips about the satanic cult were saying, they sounded sane, and they kept giving him the same names. Names of people who all supposedly had the same tattoo, some kind of minotaur-looking thing that was actually some supposedly powerful demon called Moloch.

and they allegedly engage in human sacrifice, sacrifices supposedly made at their secret church located in the basement of the abandoned former Masonic Temple, a building that Forrest Wilkes owned, since it was nothing more than rumors and hearsay. And he had no real evidence that this cult even existed. Detective Rob Shoemaker wasn't about to risk his job and reputation by asking some of the town's most powerful and influential people if they were members of a satanic cult that had started sacrificing young virgins.

He also didn't think his odds were good of getting a search warrant to see if Forrest Wilkes' secret satanic temple had any of the girl's blood in it. But even though he was keeping it to himself for the moment and not saying a word about a growing feeling in his gut to any of the other officers in town, he was starting to do some research on satanic-slash-occult beliefs and practices. And he was keeping an eye on the names he kept hearing about and on the old, abandoned Masonic Temple.

"'Oh, my God, Mrs. Watkins, you still make the best popcorn on Earth!' Lincoln gushed as he sat on the couch in the Watkins' basement, wrapped up in a big blanket with a giant bowl of popcorn on his lap, a bag of peanut M&Ms to his side, and a 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew on the coffee table in front of him. "'Thank you, Lincoln,' she smiled. "'You guys have fun,' she added, before bending over and giving her nearly-grown son a kiss on the top of his head, and then adding, before she walked back upstairs—'

"'Holler if you need anything. Don't be afraid to wake me up.' "'Thanks, Mrs. Watkins,' Lincoln said. "'Thanks, Mom,' echoed Chance, sitting on the same couch as his friend, with a giant bowl of generously buttered and salted popcorn on his lap as well. Half of an extra-large pepperoni pizza from Piccolo's lay inside the cardboard box it was delivered in on the coffee table in front of them both.'

"'Nothing like a late-night sleepover to justify a second dinner.' "'Once Mrs. Watkins was upstairs for the night, "'Lincoln and Chance pushed play on their first movie, "'The Prince of Darkness, "'which only had about 20 minutes left in it. "'Dude, how crazy was that guy's body "'being made up of almost nothing but beetles?' "'Chance asked, after washing down more popcorn "'with some Dr. Pepper. "'Pray for death!' "'Lincoln moaned, repeating the beetle guy's final line. "'And then Lincoln enthusiastically added, "'And we still have the main attraction to watch!'

Moloch's pack. Yeah. Chance nodded, trying to show excitement and failing miserably. And then after a few moments, he said, Doug was so weird about it. What was all that about? Who knows, man? Lakin shrugged. He'd always been weird. I kind of love that he wouldn't let that girl rent it. That's pretty funny. I mean, I'd love to be able to get away with shit like that when I get a job. How fun would it be just to tell customers they can't have something just because you don't like them or because you feel like fucking with them?

Yeah, I guess, Chance replied before he asked. But do you think that's all it was? Just Doug being a dick? Or, I don't know, do you think maybe it was something else? Like what? Lincoln asked in between big bites of popcorn. Like, do you think the movie's cursed or possessed or something? Chance shook his head. No, but what if it's an actual snuff film? Are you serious? Lincoln laughed incredulously and shook his head. No fucking way. They get in way too much trouble.

But if it is a snuff film, I mean, that's kind of badass, right? Dude, you're sick, Chance said before taking a bite of his almond joy. I don't want to actually see anyone die. Not even a little, Lincoln smiled. Not curious at all? I don't know, man, said Chance as he squirmed a bit, uncomfortable with the subject. I like fictional horror, not real horror. Lincoln shrugged and went back to watching the movie.

"'Jesus Christ!' Lincoln yelled as he about jumped off the couch, spilling a bunch of his popcorn after being startled by the sound of someone knocking on the basement window. Chance jumped a bit, too, but then he had to pretend to be scared and not happy and excited, since he knew who it was and why they'd come over. Piper. He stood up and cautiously walked over towards the window, as if he didn't know exactly who was going to be out there once he theatrically pulled back the curtains. He breathed a fake sigh of relief when he saw Piper's face outside in the yard."

"'Oh, my God,' Lincoln said after Chance cracked open the window. "'Are you fucking kidding me, Piper? You about gave me a heart attack.' "'Sorry,' she smiled sheepishly as Chance helped her in. "'Am I interrupting anything?' "'Yes, actually,' Lincoln answered quickly, shooting her a, "'You know damn well what you're doing, look. A no-girls-allowed movie night.' "'Oh, no. Sorry,' Piper fake-pouted, pushing her lower lip out just a bit.'

Jill dropped me off and won't be back for an hour but I don't want to mess up your movie night I guess I can just go back outside and just hide in the dark and wait for her and hope I don't get kidnapped or like murdered or anything oh my god you're the fucking worst Piper Lincoln teased as he laughed and threw some popcorn at her fine stay for an hour but that's it

And then remembering what Doug at Video Ventures had told him and Chance about not letting anyone else watch Moloch's Pact, he said, But you seriously can't watch the movies with us. That's our thing. How about you take my boy into the bedroom and talk? He added, putting the final word in air quotes. After they exchanged a few more back-and-forth good-natured ribbings, Piper and Chance snuck into Chance's room for some heavy petting, while Lincoln, slightly annoyed, finished their first movie alone.

Chance had told him to go ahead and start the second one without him, that he could get filled in on what he missed after Piper had left. So that's what Lincoln did. And now before we find out what this strange secret Moloch's packed movie is all about, time for our mid-show sponsor break. If you don't want to hear these ads anymore, please become a Robert or Annabelle on the Scared to Death Patreon and get these nightmare fuel stories and all other Scared to Death episodes ad-free and more.

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Its packaging was so odd. There was no info on the VHS tape or the jacket. A black sticker on the tape just repeated what had already been written on the jacket. Only the name of the movie and that tagline of, once you've seen him, you're a part of him. It didn't list a running time. No rating either. No names of any actors, producers, production companies, writers, distributor, the director. No quotes from critics, overall description, copyright warning, nothing. Linkin felt

Excited and nervous like he had felt right before he had shoplifted some baseball cards when he was in eighth grade Or like he felt whenever he had seen something he wasn't supposed to Like back when he was 11 and his older sister's teenage friend tracy had told him to turn around while she changed into her swimsuit But when he turned he realized he could see her nude reflection in a little mirror and he saw everything Even her bush. He knew he wasn't supposed to he had so many butterflies in his stomach, but he just kept looking

He felt those same butterflies now as he ejected the Prince of Darkness from the VCR and pushed in Moloch's pact. Then he started to laugh when he imagined that all he would see was Doug from Video Venture's face, looking directly into the camera and saying something like, Gotcha, you fucking dork! Did you really think you were going to see some cool shit, idiot? Dream on, loser! But instead, what he saw made him immediately grab the remote and turn the volume down. Holy fuck, he muttered to himself, eyes wide and riveted on the sight before him.

No way. There were no credits, no score, no opening title sequence. It looked like it actually might be a snuff film. Someone who clearly wasn't a seasoned filmmaker was shakily holding a home video camcorder and pointing it at a naked girl who looked to be around his age. Although it was hard to tell due to the poor video quality and because she was 50 or 60 feet away. She was blindfolded and gagged. You could hear her trying to scream and she was struggling trying to get up.

but she was chained down to the floor in what looked like the large basement of an old building, surrounded by candles and some people in dark hooded robes that hid their faces. If the light or resolution had been better, if her eyes and mouth hadn't been obscured, Lincoln probably would have recognized the girl from the pictures of her that had been appearing for months on the front page of the local newspaper. 15-year-old Sandy DeWitt, the first girl who went missing just before school had been let out for the summer.

The man holding the camera and the hooded figures around the girl, they were all chanting something. It sounded like Latin. If Lincoln had known Latin, he would have known they were saying, "'Great Moloch, receive this sacrifice! Feast on her virgin blood! Grow strong and rise again!'

Over and over they chanted this as the cameraman steadily approached the girl, and soon Link could see that she wasn't merely chained to the floor, she was chained to the center of a pentagram. As the robed figures continued with their satanic chant, the cameraman started to nervously laugh with excitement and eager anticipation. He started to mutter things like, "Yes, yes, yes! He's almost here! I can feel him! I can feel his power! It's working! We will all soon bear witness to his glory!"

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew through the basement, with enough force to be loudly picked up by the camera's microphone. Everyone stopped chanting. The girl stopped fighting against her chains and screaming. She became eerily silent for a few moments. After a few more moments of tense expectation, the cameraman yelled, ''He is here! Keep chanting!''

And right on cue, the chanting started up again, with more enthusiasm this time. And then, near the far wall behind the girl just for a moment, Lincoln saw him. The form of a great bipedal beast, quickly moving across the room in the shadows. What the fuck was that? Lincoln said louder than he'd meant before covering his mouth. He wanted to believe it was an actor. Some kind of special effect.

But he knew that was not true, just like he knew this was not really a movie. He is here! Moloch is here! It is time for him to feed! The cameraman yelled, and Lincoln found his voice familiar. Before he thought too long about the cameraman's voice, who it reminded him of, the cameraman turned slightly to his right, and you could see a tripod set up in front of him.

He noisily hurriedly set the camera down under the tripod and made sure it was pointed at the girl. Lincoln watched as he zoomed in a bit and refocused the lens. Whoever made this "movie" clearly hadn't bothered to hire an editor. Then a few moments after he was done adjusting the camera, the man walked into frame. He was wearing the same kind of robe as the rest, who continued to chant. He quickly walked to the edge of the pentagram, and then he took off his robe and was as naked as the girl.

Oh, fuck. Lincoln mumbled, starting to feel sick with dread. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. He was truly horrified, and not in a fun way. He wondered, what was he truly watching? Was that guy going to rape her? Should he press pause and call the police? But he couldn't stop staring at the screen. He had never been so locked into watching anything before in his entire life. Whatever was about to happen, he knew he would keep watching. He knew he was going to watch it until the bitter end.

He turned down the volume a bit further. He didn't want Piper or Chance's mom or stepdad to catch him watching whatever this was. And he didn't feel that way just because he would have felt embarrassed. He also was starting to believe that this tape was dangerous. He believed that if anyone else saw it other than Chance, Doug really would find out somehow. And there would be hell to pay. Maybe some kind of literal hell.

On the screen, the naked man now straddled the girl beneath him, sitting on her hips as she writhed and attempted in vain to move him off of and away from her. He picked up some sort of dagger off of the ground in front of him and raised it high up above his head. He said something else in Latin, something that Lincoln couldn't quite hear over the others chanting. "'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!' Lincoln muttered to himself, feeling disgusted, but still unable to take his eyes off of the screen, unable to even blink."

"'No!' Lincoln shouted out, again louder than he had meant to, when the naked man slammed the dagger down into the girl's stomach, piercing her flesh just below her sternum, before he quickly dragged the blade back towards himself, her blood spurting up and also flowing in big rivulets to either side of her as she convulsed and screamed. Even though she was gagged, her muffled screams were loud enough to drown out the chanting for a few moments.'

Lincoln had now been shocked into silence. He just stared, mouth agape, at the unholy horror unfolding on the screen before him. The man who just stabbed the girl now stood up and backed out of the pentagram, and he picked up and put on something Lincoln hadn't noticed before. A mask. A very, very old-looking mask, like ancient Egyptian or even older-looking old. And Lincoln recognized it. The bull monster. The thing Doug at Video Ventures had tattooed on his hand. The thing he had seen.

And then, dear God, he saw the beast again. It emerged from the shadows in the back of the room. It was the same beast from Doug's tattoo, the same beast from the killer's mask. It wasn't just some random imagining of what a monster might look like. It was real. It looked like a cross between a demon and a minotaur. It had the naked, muscled body of a large man, except its legs below the knee were more like the legs of a bull than like those of any person, and instead of human feet, it had cloven hooves.

It's head was a mashup of human and bull. It had a bull's horns, a bull's nose, but human-like eyes that glowed red, and a mouth full of fangs instead of the flat-ended bovine teeth of a plant-eater. Once it entered the pentagram, the candles on the floor immediately began to burn much brighter, and the cultist's chants grew louder.

The dying girl on the floor's attempts at screaming turned to sobbing and whimpering. And then the beast, the beast whose name was Moloch, the demonic devourer of children, of virgins, one of the horrid kings of hell, began to feast and aggressively enjoy his offering. He buried his face into the girl's stomach and started to eat her organs. The wet sounds of him gnashing into her entrails, the animalistic slurping and swallowing was nauseating.

It was the most gruesome sight Lincoln had ever witnessed by far, and it was real. This was definitely not a movie. It was in fact a snuff film. But worse than that, it was a real girl being eaten alive by an actual demon. It took Moloch much longer than Lincoln would have ever expected to finish killing her. It felt like her death took a half hour, when really, it happened in less than a minute. The most agonizing, drawn-out minute ever. The cultists continued to happily, ecstatically chant until the beast was satiated.

and then it stood up on its hooves and powerful legs and roared. It spun around slowly, looking at everyone worshipping it, and then it seemed to notice the camera and began to walk towards it. Lincoln barely managed to breathlessly mutter, "No, no, no, no." It advanced all the way forward until its face filled the frame, and its presence, its powerful stare, filled Lincoln with so much fear, tears he didn't even notice began to spill from his eyes and roll down his cheeks.

He also didn't notice wetting himself as it said something in a language he didn't understand. An ancient, lost language, much older than Latin. It had cursed him. And then it stepped to the side and disappeared. Now the original cameraman, the naked man wearing the mask, who had stabbed and sliced the girl's stomach open before the beast had fed upon her, he approached the camera. He had a large tattoo, the same tattoo on Doug's hand across his chest. And he said in a voice that again felt so familiar,

Once you've seen him, you're a part of him. And with that, he turned off the camera. And that was it. That was the end. No credits. No names of any actors. Because there hadn't been any actors. Instead of actors, there had been a cult. A satanic cult. Just like the one people around Deacon's Point had been talking about all summer. The one he and Chance joked about and mocked as being ridiculous.

Instead of actors, there had been a real girl, an absolutely terrified girl that Lincoln had just watched die in the most terrible, gruesome way. A girl Lincoln had just watched be ritually sacrificed to a monster, a demon, an honest-to-God beast from hell. After he sat in shocked, stunned, silent disbelief for a few moments, his mind reeling, his stomach queasy, Lincoln leaned forward and ejected the tape from the VCR. He put it back in its case and then hid it under a couch cushion.

He didn't want Chance to watch it. He couldn't do that to him. He also suddenly felt like he wasn't allowed to, and he clearly didn't want to see it again himself. Lincoln got up, walked to the bathroom, and washed the tear streaks off of his face. He used a hair dryer to dry the piss he had finally just noticed on his underwear and pants.

And then Lincoln screamed, loud enough to wake up Chance's parents, loud enough to cockblock his best friend who had been seconds away from losing his virginity when he saw Moloch appear in the bathroom mirror with him, standing behind his reflection, speaking to him in that ancient language that he didn't know and yet now understood. He certainly didn't want to, but he understood the disturbing task the demon had demanded of him. And even as he told himself he would rather die than do what it had asked, a part of him already knew he would do its bidding.

that he was too afraid to find out what would happen to him if he didn't. He knew he really didn't have a choice. The Beast had seen him, and now he was a part of him. Chance thought that Link had been acting weird ever since the sleepover. Ever since he'd screamed away his best chant yet at having sex with Piper.

It had been three days since that night, and he and Lincoln still hadn't spoken since shortly after Lincoln had screamed. He'd screamed so loud he'd woken up Chance's mom and stepdad, who had come downstairs to check on him. Piper had to hide from them in the closet. Lincoln had tried to laugh it off, apologizing for screaming when he said he thought he saw something in the mirror. He made some joke about how scary the Prince of Darkness was. That John Carpenter man, he really knew how to get in your head.

He was convincing enough to get Chance's mom and stepdad to laugh at him, shake their heads, and then head back upstairs. Once they'd left, Lincoln wasn't joking about his vivid imagination anymore. He had told Chance, while Piper was still hiding, that the secret movie Doug had given them really freaked him out. But then he refused to say why exactly it had scared him. He wouldn't even really tell Chance what it was about, other than some vague talk about demons and a sacrifice.

Then when Chance asked to watch it, he wouldn't tell him where he had hidden it. Who hides a movie from their friend? When Piper came out of Chance's room, Chance laughed and asked Lincoln if he was being serious, and Lincoln got really mad and told him just to drop it. And then he just shut down. Piper was so weirded out by how he was acting, she couldn't wait for Jill to come pick her up. Lincoln told them he was exhausted and suddenly needed to go to sleep, so Chance and Piper went back into Chance's room, wondering what the hell was going on with him.

Chance tried to get the party started again, but Piper definitely wasn't in the mood to fool around anymore. Once Jill had picked Piper up, Chance tried again to talk to Lincoln about what had happened. But Lincoln, who was trying to fall asleep on the couch they'd been watching the movie on, snapped and hissed, "'Leave me alone! I said I don't want to talk about it!'

It also sounded, right before he'd said that, and directly after, like Lincoln might have been crying. So Chance just let it go and went to bed as well, falling asleep wondering what the hell Lincoln could have possibly seen that shook him like he had never been shaken up before. By the time Chance woke up, Lincoln had already left, and he'd taken both of the movies with him. When Lincoln then wouldn't answer or return his calls the next day, Chance decided to go back to Video Ventures to talk with Doug and see if Lincoln had returned the movie he had.

But then when Chance asked Doug if he could now rent it, since he hadn't gotten to watch it, Doug flashed a strange little knowing grin and said he already knew he hadn't watched it and that now he was never going to get to see it. He said that the movie doesn't choose just anyone. What the hell? When Chance pressed the issue, Doug yelled at him and threatened him, told him to, quote, be careful and said, you don't even want to know what could happen to you if you got mixed up in all this. There are forces at work here. You don't understand, little man.

Chance wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, to ask him why he was being such a weird dick about some stupid horror movie. But Doug had scared him. There was something about his eyes. He said, there are forces at work here you don't understand that made him believe him. But what forces? What was really going on with that movie? Why wouldn't Lincoln talk to him? And why the hell did Piper's dad say he had caught Lincoln sneaking around in their yard late last night? While Chance Watkins' past three days have been defined by confusion...

Link and Clay's life during that same period of time had been ruled by fear. Fear of the great beasts, Moloch, who had kept appearing before him, who had kept reminding him of what he must do, and what would soon happen to him if he didn't heed the demon's commands.

He never knew when the demon might suddenly appear, standing behind him in his reflection when he looked into a mirror or at any other reflective surface. No shadow seemed safe anymore. Any of them, at any time, day or night, but especially at night, could morph into the shape of the powerful horned monster. The eyes of anyone he spoke with could suddenly turn blood red, malevolent and all-knowing.

and every night he was plagued by the same dream. A dream that played out exactly how that sacrificial scene in the terrible video Moloch's Pact had. Except he was now the man behind the bull mask. He had chained another naked girl, another virgin, to the floor. He had plunged the dagger into the top of her stomach, dragged the knife down, and spilled her blood onto the pentagram, which had then invited the beast to feast upon another offering.

For three days, Lincoln had also carried the dread of knowing that if he didn't present his offering soon, there would be literal hell to pay. Moloch would devour his soul and erase him. But first Moloch would mutilate, torture, and murder his brother, his sister, and his parents. The beast had made all of that very clear in its tongue that Lincoln both knew and did not know.

But just in case Lincoln didn't know what he must do, in the event that he'd become tempted to write off his visions as the manifestations of mental illness, nothing more than paranoid delusions, the demon had sent a human emissary to clearly relay its expectations of him in Lincoln's native language, and to convey what punishments awaited him should he disappoint the ancient entity. Lincoln had gone to the Deacon's Point YMCA to try and purge his mind of all the dark thoughts and visions he'd been having with an exhausting workout.

And on the way to the gym, he considered pushing the gas pedal all the way down to the floor, taking off his seatbelt and driving straight into a telephone pole. But in the end, he was too afraid. Not too afraid to die, but too afraid of what would happen to him on the other side. Afraid of what Moloch would do to his soul. He just so desperately wanted it all to stop.

the visions of the demon. The impulse to go find some innocent girl and take her, tie her down to the floor, ignore her tears, screams of terror, and pleas to spare her life, and slice her open and feed her to the beasts. After working out and managing, for the most part, to avoid looking at any of the mirrors, after mostly drowning out the voice of Moloch in his head by blasting a new Queensryche cassette in his Walkman,

Lincoln had walked into the locker room, taken off his sweaty clothes, and he'd started to take a long, hot shower. A minute or so later, while his eyes were closed tight to avoid getting any shampoo in them, and to also avoid possibly having to see the demon while he was naked and vulnerable, Lincoln heard a man enter the shower area and tell someone else nearby to leave. "'Get out! Now!' the man yelled. And then based on the sounds of grumbling and shuffling, it seemed as if whoever he yelled at did exactly as he'd asked."

Immediately, Lincoln's heart began to beat a bit faster. And also, did the man's voice sound familiar? Was it the voice from the video? Lincoln Clay. The same voice firmly greeted him as Lincoln quickly rinsed shampoo out of his hair and off of his face and then rubbed open his eyes. Through the steam, he could now see Buck Stowers? The principal of Bishop High? Principal Stowers was also naked and Lincoln immediately noticed he had a large tattoo across his chest of Moloch.

the one he'd seen before. Oh, fuck, Lincoln said, shocked. It was you. You helped kill that girl. You... Language, Mr. Clay! Principal Stowers mocked as he thrust his right hand out and into Lincoln's neck, grabbing him by the throat and slamming his head into the concrete wall behind him.

"'How many times have I warned you about coarse language over the years?' he snarled. Lincoln pulled at his principal's arm with both his hands, but he couldn't get him to relax his hold. He was unnaturally strong. And then he stopped fighting when something inside of Lincoln warned him it was best not to resist any further. "'Once you've seen him, you're a part of him,' Principal Stowers hissed as he brought his face within inches of Lincoln's. And then as his eyes seemed to flicker red for a moment, he inquired, "'He's visited you. You've heard his commands, yes?'

"'Lincoln, still trying to process how what was happening was happening, said nothing. "'It's a simple fucking question, Mr. Clay! You heard his commands, yes?' "'Principal Stowers screamed before he loosened his hold on Lincoln's neck ever so slightly, "'just enough to make it a bit easier for him to speak.'

"'Yes,' Lincoln croaked. "'Six instruments, six virgins, six sacrifices. That is the price,' Principal Stowers roared. "'I am the first instrument, the primary vessel of his great awakening, the conjurer who risked everything to set the beginning of a new era in motion, and I will not be rewarded until the ritual is complete. You, Mr. Clay, are the third instrument.'

"'Do you even understand what an honor it is to be chosen for such a task? "'How much power you will be given! "'How many of your deepest, darkest desires will be indulged once he is fully risen!' "'Lincoln just stared blankly into his principal's wild eyes. "'He didn't know what to say. "'He didn't know it was an honor. "'It certainly didn't feel like an honor. "'It felt like a curse. "'My sacrifices will not be in vain, Mr. Clay!'

Principal Stowers continued to roar. ''You have until tomorrow night at midnight to do as he commanded. If you fail, I will be the instrument of his vengeance and your sorrow.''

Since your whore sister is no longer pure, she is not a suitable sacrifice. But I will ravage her. We all will. And we are many. And we are powerful. We will ravage her until her last breath. And then we will come for your mother next. Then your brother. Then your father. Perhaps we will frame you for killing your whole fucking family. There is no limit to the pain I can put you through, Mr. Clay. And you will find no relief in death when I am through.

"'Your pain will have only begun!' His eyes flickered red again. His grip tightened. Enough so Lincoln could no longer breathe. Now Buck Stowers, a smiling high school principal for the past 22 years in Deacon's Point, spoke to his current student in a menacing whisper.

Find your virgin, Mr. Clay. Take her to the abandoned Masonic Temple downtown. In the basement, you will find the setting for my little movie. The pentagram, the chains, the knife, the candles, all of it. Take her there tonight, or tomorrow night at the very latest. There is no third option.

We will know when she is there. Moloch will gather us. Once you have done your duty, the ritual will be half complete. You and I will be brothers in blood, both one step closer to unimaginable power and pleasure. And then right as Lincoln felt like he was about to lose consciousness, his principal released him, and he fell naked and coughing to the floor. Once he had recovered enough to look around, Buck Stowers was gone, and Lincoln was alone again with his dark thoughts, compulsions, and visions. That was when he had decided to go after Piper Zimmerman,

A local girl he knew was still a virgin. If she hadn't have come over when she did to Chance's house, he would have never had to have watched Moloch's pact alone. Maybe together, he and Chance could have found a way out. But they weren't together. He was alone. And he decided that if he had to pick someone to pay the ultimate price for that, it might as well be her. Hours later, when Piper's dad caught Lincoln trying to sneak up to her window, he was down to just one last night. Literally do-or-die time.

It was either sacrifice her or sacrifice his family and himself. What? He saw him run out of your yard? That's so weird. Creepy. Like he was just out there, hiding in the bushes at 10 o'clock at night? Chance asked his girlfriend on the afternoon of the last day Lincoln had to offer his sacrifice. Yeah, I guess so. Piper answered, shrugging and looking concerned. Have you guys talked since your sleepover? She furrowed her brow and asked. No, said Chance as he shook his head.

"'I tried, but he won't answer his phone or call me back. "'I went over to his place yesterday, "'but his parents said he'd gone to the gym. "'That's if something had happened to him. "'They seemed worried, too.' "'Piper looked down at the floor, confused. "'What movie did he watch that messed him up so bad?' "'She asked again. "'Chance wanted to tell her everything he knew, "'what the movie was called, how they'd gotten it, everything. "'But he was afraid of Doug's warning. "'After what had happened to Lincoln, "'he felt more certain than ever that the movie was dangerous. "'Dangerous to watch.'

dangerous to even just talk about so he lied from beyond he said it didn't even look like it was going to be that scary more weird than anything piper replied clearly it was scary for lincoln it's like it made him go crazy or something i'm worried about him yeah me too he said i just don't know what else to do piper took his hand and looked at him and tried to comfort him as he tried to do the same for her after a few quiet moments he then asked hey not to change the subject but what are you doing tonight

Want me to see if I can borrow my mom's car and we can go for a drive? Piper smiled and leaned forward and gave him a kiss. A drive? She teased. Are we going to actually do any driving? Chance blushed and then she said, disappointed, I want to, but I can't. My dad has been asking for a family game night for weeks. I have to stay home. Chance frowned for a moment, looking playfully petulant before he grinned and then asked, what time do you think you'll be done?

I'm not doing anything, and I'm a lot better than Lincoln sneaking across your yard at night and not getting caught by your dad, considering how many times I've done it already. Piper smiled back. I don't know, maybe 10? No later than 10.30? I'll be here. Chance beamed. Just leave your window unlocked, okay? If you guys still aren't done with your game, I'll just sneak in and wait for you. Okay, she said, and then she kissed him again. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to, other than maybe winning some fake money and somebody definitely storming off and saying we had all conspired against them.

No more than 15 minutes before Chance will show up at his girlfriend's window. Lincoln is already there. He didn't get caught this time. Dressed all in black to help avoid being seen, he'd also brought a black duffel bag with him. And inside it, he had a small crowbar, a screwdriver, and a few other tools to force open Piper's window. He also had 30 feet of nylon rope, a big black sheet, a rag, and a bottle of chloroform he'd bought at the drugstore.

The plan was to hide somewhere in her room if she wasn't already asleep in her bed when he climbed in. Cover her mouth and nose with the rag after soaking it in the chloroform. And then once she was unconscious, tie her up, throw the sheet over her, and carry her down to his car. If he could get away with all of that, Lincoln knew he'd have no problem sneaking her into the Masonic Temple's basement. He also knew the door to the temple would be unlocked. Moloch had made that clear.

Just like he knew no one would catch him walking her inside and no one would stop him from doing what he had to do to sacrifice her. He just had to get her there. Cautiously, quietly, he pushed on Piper's window. Thank God she slept on the ground floor. Jackpot. It was unlocked. Less than a minute later, Lincoln was inside Piper's bedroom while she finished playing a game of Monopoly with her family. He took his bag inside her sizable closet, sat down, and waited.

Then, a little over ten minutes later, something he hadn't planned for happened. He heard someone else sneaking into her room. And he knew immediately it had to be Chance. Chance was glad that Piper had remembered to leave her window unlocked, but he was surprised that she'd actually left it open. That wasn't like her. That's when it hit him. Shit.

Lincoln had been spotted in her yard last night. And then, damn it, how had he not connected all this before? He thought about the missing girls, the weird invite-only movie, and the rumors of a satanic cult in town. Could it all be related? And had he just offered up Piper on a silver platter to be the next girl to disappear from Deacon's Point? He quickly hoisted himself up and into his girlfriend's dark, unlit bedroom. Lincoln grabbed the crowbar from his bag and took it out.

He didn't enjoy the thought of having to bash his best friend in the head, but it had to be done. He lowered his breathing to make the least amount of noise as possible as he listened to Chance sneak in and close the window behind him. Lincoln was nervous, very nervous. If Chance fucked this up, if he made too much noise, they'd both get caught or have to run. And if he wasn't able to kidnap Piper tonight, then what? His principal's threats ran through his mind. We will ravage her to death.

and then we'll come for your mother next. It was hard for Chance to see much of anything. He quietly shut the window behind him and then stood still and listened. He couldn't hear anything or anyone. He wondered if he was being paranoid. He decided that he definitely was. How could some stupid movie suddenly convince his friend to not only join a satanic cult, but to also kidnap and do what? Sacrifice his girlfriend? He shook his head and quietly laughed at how utterly absurd it all sounded when he laid it out like that.

He got down on the floor in between her bed and the window. And then just after he'd laid there, he heard the clink of something metallic and movement coming from inside her closet. Shit, Lincoln thought, wincing after he banged the crowbar into the screwdriver inside his bag. And then pulling his arm back, he knocked a box of shoes off of a stack of other boxes of shoes. He then heard his friend Chan shout way too loudly. Who's in there?

If Piper or her parents hadn't heard that, they'd certainly hear Chance if he kept at it. Lincoln had to act immediately. He clenched his jaw, threw open the closet door, and lunged across the room, swinging the crowbar at his best friend once he'd gotten within striking range. Chance's eyes had adjusted just enough to the darkness to see that Lincoln was coming for him and to tell he was swinging something. He managed to block the blow with his forearm, which the crowbar nearly broke when it hit it.

The pain was excruciating and Chance cried out loudly and then screamed, "'What the fuck are you doing, Lincoln? Have you lost your mind?'

Lincoln thought about trying to hit his friend again, but what was the point now? He'd hear a parade of footsteps racing towards them from deep inside the house, and he knew that he had to leave now before Mr. Zimmerman pinned him to the floor and held him down until the cops showed up and arrested him. Lincoln grunted in frustration before pushing Chance back, stepping towards the closet and throwing the crowbar into the duffel bag, grabbing the bag and jumping up onto and over the bed and then clambering out of the window right as Mr. Zimmerman burst into the room. "'Hey, you little bastard!' he yelled, but it was too late."

"'Lincoln was already running across the lawn "'towards a street. "'Chance, what the hell are you doing here?' "'Mr. Zimmerman now asked "'as Mrs. Zimmerman flipped on the lights. "'Holding his aching arm and thinking fast, "'Chance said, "'I was worried about Lincoln coming back, "'so I hid outside and kept an eye out. "'He snuck into the window, "'and when I followed, he attacked me. "'A big knot was already beginning to swell in his arm "'that everyone could see, "'which helped him sell his partially true story. "'Oh my God,' said Mrs. Zimmerman "'once she saw his arm. "'Should we call you an ambulance?'

"'No,' he grimaced. "'We should call the police. Something's really wrong with Lincoln. He's gone crazy. I'm worried he'll come back again for Piper, and I don't know what he'll try and do to her.' Piper was in the room now, and she knelt down in a hug chance as her two little sisters watched from out in the hall. "'If he ever tries that shit again, I'm gonna shoot him,' said Mr. Zimmerman. "'And you,' Mr. Zimmerman said accusingly to his daughter. "'Piper, we're putting a new lock on your window, and you will never leave it unlocked again, young lady, understand?'

Chance felt both comforted hearing that and also so defeated. He was starting to think he was going to be a virgin forever. Lincoln raced across town in his red 1980 Mercury Bobcat, not knowing what to do next. While Mr. Zimmerman called the police, Lincoln had assumed that the police would be called and that they would come to his house looking for him. So he couldn't go there. Not until he had done what he needed to do. But how is he going to do that now?

Fuck, fuck, fuck! He screamed as he pounded on his steering wheel. He was near tears. Time was running out. If he didn't find a virgin girl to feed Moloch in the next hour or two, that demon was going to have principal stowers and who knows what other of his minions like Doug Hinckley from Video Ventures to torture, rape, and kill his family and destroy his soul.

He briefly thought again about driving straight into a telephone pole. But then he saw Moloch in his red eyes, sitting in the back seat when he looked into his rearview mirror. He screamed, Okay, okay, I'll fucking do it, I'll do it! And right then, like an unholy miracle, he saw Tara Jennings. Tara used to be friends with his little sister, Rachel. She looked like she was walking back home from Fred's Corner Mart after grabbing some snacks.

Tara was a 14-year-old freshman at Bishop. She was weird. She was a dork. Always reading sci-fi or fantasy novels alone at lunch at school. She wasn't ugly, but she didn't put any real effort into her appearance or seem to talk to boys from what Lincoln could tell. She had to be a virgin, he thought, as he drove past her. And then he quickly swung his car back around and pulled up next to her.

20 minutes later, as police officers were talking to Lincoln's parents, as the Zimmermans drove Chance to the hospital to get an x-ray on his arm to make sure it wasn't broken, as Detective Rob Shoemaker started driving towards the abandoned Masonic Temple after hearing from dispatch about Lincoln Clay breaking into the Zimmerman family's daughter's bedroom and then fleeing with a black duffel bag, Lincoln carried the unconscious body of a 14-year-old virgin, Tara Jennings, into the Masonic Temple's basement, the basement that had been turned into a satanic church.

The candles on the pentagram were already lit Several men in robes were already there It was incredible how they'd known so fast that he was coming Their faces were partially obscured by their hoods But Lincoln recognized several of them It was Ray Fitch, the mayor Forrest Wilkes, the richest man in town Or so they say Doug Hinckley, the cult's apparent stooge from Video Ventures And of course there was Buck Stowers, his principal The man who had almost choked him unconscious in the YMCA shower

"'You've done well. Moloch will be pleased,' he said right before he inhaled deeply as he ran his nose past Tara's small, thin body before he added, "'She is pure.' A few minutes later, Lincoln had changed out of his clothes and put on a hooded ceremonial robe Principal Stowers had given to him. Tara was naked, blindfolded and gagged, chained to the floor and starting to wake up. And as she did, Principal Stowers and the others started to chant."

Over and over. They repeated this in Latin, just like in the video. Soon Lincoln joined them.

He felt the energy in the room begin to shift. The air grow thick and heavy, and it began to feel electrically charged. As their chanting grew louder, as Terra struggled harder to escape and scream, a great gust of icy cold air rushed into the room. Principal Stowers cried out, ''He is here! Keep chanting!''

Lincoln could feel Moloch's presence, and not just spiritually, like when he showed up in reflections. He was here, in the flesh. Lincoln could see the beast's shadowy form moving in the darkness across the room. Principal Sowers turned towards Lincoln and instructed him, Disrobe and approach the girl. Draw her blood, exactly as you saw in the video. Lincoln hesitated.

"'Was he really going to go through with this? "'He was already a kidnapper. "'Was he now going to be a murderer? "'Could he live with himself? "'He could run out and scream for help. "'He could save her. "'It wasn't too late.' "'But then Principal Stowers placed a hand on each of his shoulders, "'stared into his eyes, and spoke quickly and firmly "'as he reminded him what was at stake. "'Remember what I told you about your family, Mr. Clay? "'Those were not idle threats.' "'Lincoln nodded. "'Tears filled his eyes as he disrobed "'and began to walk towards Terra as the chanting continued.'

As he approached the pentagram, he remembered a sweet little girl who would always said please and thank you when she'd come over to their house to visit Rachel several years back. A timid girl. He thought probably didn't get much attention at home. He remembered hearing that her dad wasn't in the picture, that her mom was drunk most of the time, that her older sister ran away from home when she was in high school, dropped out and got pregnant. He remembered how Tara never bothered anybody, never had a mean word to say. And this was the girl he was about to slice up and feed to a demon.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he continued to approach her. As he listened to her increasingly terrified muffled screams, as he saw the demon approaching her from the shadows, he was shaking.

He entered the pentagram, knelt down nude, and sat upon her hips. He grabbed the dagger that Principal Stowers had set inside the pentagram. He still didn't understand why any of this was happening. Why did Principal Stowers ever set any of this in motion? What reward could possibly be worth this price? Why did he have to do this? The chanting grew louder still. The beast was so near.

"'No!' Principal Stower screamed. "'Lincoln Clay raised the dagger high above his head "'and then slammed it down into the top of Terra's stomach, "'just below her ribs, as he sobbed, "'as snot ran down his nose, "'and then as he sliced her flesh by drawing the blade towards him, "'as he laid her entrails bare. "'He was only able to stop himself from puking out of fear "'of what Moloch would do to him if he did. "'Blood was everywhere. "'It was warm and sticky.'

Somehow Tara was still alive, still fighting against the chains that bound her wrists and ankles to the floor, still screaming against the gag in her mouth, shaking her head wildly, hysterical with pain and fear. The demon roared to Lincoln's right, only about ten feet from the edge of the pentagram.

"'Lincoln looked up and was filled with terror. "'He quickly scrambled to his feet "'and scurried out of the encircled five-pointed star, "'technically a pentacle, "'even if it's rarely known by that name "'by those whose knowledge of the occult "'is limited to fictional films and books. "'Afraid he would piss and shit himself if he didn't. "'Someone he didn't recognize handed him the ancient bull's mask "'and shouted over the sounds of screaming and chanting, "'Put this on and face the beast, now!'

He did exactly as he was instructed. He told himself he had to do what he did as the cultists around him chanted louder than ever, Magnum Ollac, a sippe sacrificium hoc, festum in virgin sanguine, confortamine et in terrem surgei.

The beast, with its darkly magnificent, powerful form, its giant muscles rippling and glistening in the intensely burning candlelight, stepped inside the pentagram. And once again, the beast, whose name was Moloch, the demonic devourer of children, of virgins, one of the horrid kings of hell, began to feast and aggressively enjoy the offering beneath it. Lincoln felt like by the time it was done eating, when most of young, sweet Terra's torso was now inside of it, that the beast had also eaten all the good that had ever been inside of him.

He felt numb. He felt dead. But he also felt angry and entitled, like he had earned something he had yet to receive, something he had paid such a steep price for. He felt that Moloch now owed him the power and the pleasure that Principal Stowers had spoken of. He had given this thing his humanity, and now he wanted something incredible in return. When the beast had finally vanished, dissipating back into the ether after partaking fully of the sacrificial offering.

Principal Stowers approached him and handed him a card for a tattoo artist in Deacon's Point, insisting he contact him the very next day and tell him who had sent him. He also told Lincoln that when the man asked him what tattoo he would like, to say, once you've seen him, you're a part of him. Lincoln was a part of him now. He felt it. He might as well have the mark of the beast put onto his body. There was no going back now, only forward. Six instruments, six virgins.

Six sacrifices. That was the price. And now they were halfway there. Perhaps Piper could be next, he thought. He wondered if he would know who would be chosen next to watch Moloch's pact and if he would be able to offer them any suggestions. When the members of the cult of Moloch left the abandoned Masonic temple, Detective Rob Shoemaker, sitting in an unmarked car a block away, started taking pictures.

He took photos using his telephoto lens of the mayor, of the principal of Bishop High, of the man who owned the newspaper, of a lot of other people who exited from the building even though many of them hid their faces. He took a photo of Lincoln Clay, who did not hide his face. The rumors were true. He knew that now, in his gut, that there really was a satanic cult in his town. He'd have to head a few towns over to have these photos developed. He'd have to be so careful.

He knew he'd have to wait a bit to arrest Lincoln, or that he should let someone else do it. He needed to gather more evidence first. He needed to build his case. He assumed he would hear the next day or so, or maybe even within the hour, that another local girl had gone missing, and he knew it would already be too late for her. Something had already happened to her inside that building. He needed to get in there and investigate.

He didn't know how one cop was going to be able to bring down a cult like this, how he was going to find the bodies and bring charges against them that would stick. Who could he trust to help him? He worried that some of the men whose faces he couldn't see that had just walked out of the building were his fellow officers. Still, somehow, some way, he knew he had to take this cult down or die trying. And that's it for this Nightmare Fuel episode.

I hope you loved or were horrified by, or at least were entertained by, but I really hope you loved today's Moloch's Pact Part 1, The Demon of Deacon's Point. Hoping I can wrap up this story in just one more episode. My take two. As always, I'm over here flying by the seat of my pants, typically finishing writing and recording these within a week of them releasing. Again, hope you liked this one. Thanks again for the recent ratings and reviews. They were very motivating. Today's tale was written by me, Dan Cummins, and scored by Logan Keith.

If you enjoyed this story, check out the rest of the Bad Magic Productions catalog. Time Suck every Monday at noon Pacific time with little short sucks on some Fridays and these nightmare-fueled episodes on some Fridays as well. And new episodes of the now long-running Paranormal Podcast, Scared to Death, every Tuesday at midnight. Please go to badmagicproductions.com for all your bad magic needs, including all show-related merch, and stay scared. Bad Magic Productions.

Look around. You can find cars like these on AutoTrader. New cars, used cars, electric cars, maybe even flying cars.

Okay, no flying cars, but as soon as they get invented, they'll be on AutoTrader. Just you wait. AutoTrader.