Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.
*****
Elise ran as quickly as her legs would carry her, across the wet grass circling the church. She felt in her heart the soft beige bricks of the building would keep her safe from the demonic creature that pursued her. Reaching the double doors, she pulled on the handles frantically, but they were locked up tight and would not budge.
Soft laughter assailed her ears. Terrified she whipped around, pressing herself against the embossed wood and peering into the night. Everywhere she looked the shadows played before her eyes, and she could not tell what was real. She tore away from the door, running to the side of the building to check the windows for any possible point of entry. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as the laughter floated to her softly on the wind.
At the back of the church was a single glass door that faced the parking lot, the light of the moon glinting off its surface. The smell of fresh autumnal rain permeated the air, and she slipped in the damp grass as she ran for it, almost falling. Her heeled shoes clattered on the pavement of the stairs and grasping the handle of the door frantically, expecting this door to be locked tight as well.
It flew open and she lost her balance, skinning her knees on the hard landing. She got back to her feet as quickly as she could and tried to push it closed quickly, fighting the hydraulic arm. The door seemed to take forever to close, and she simply prayed it was enough time to lock it. As she turned the dead bolt, a dark shadow passed across its crystal surface, and she stumbled back a few steps.
There he stood, forlorn, slowly raising his hand and knocking on the glass window. One, two, three times, he knocked, as he mouthed the words let me in to her. She screamed and turned to flee into the closed darkened church. Faint laughter reached her ears as her pounding footsteps echoed in the hallway. Entering the main worship chamber of the church, she closed and locked the doors behind her.
Up ahead of her the pews sat before a large, slightly elevated podium, where the bishop gave his sermon every Sunday before his faithful. Beyond that, upon the wall was an effigy of Jesus Christ, hung from the cross, bearing the golden crown of thorns. Elise ran down the aisle, climbing the short staircase to the podium, so she could kneel before the image of the crucified Christ. Blood from the tiny wound on her knee seeped from the rip in her pantyhose, slightly staining the tan carpet. She put her hands together in the shape of a steeple and began to pray in the silence.
"Help me, Jesus, a demon is chasing me. I'm so afraid, please use your holy light to keep him at bay. Cast him from the world of man, keep me safe please, I beg you..." a feeling of peace washed over her in the still room, knowing the creature could never enter hallowed grounds such as this. "Thank you, sweet Jesus, son of god. Praise be to you who have saved me so many times."
The stillness of the chamber was shattered by the sudden deep notes of the organ, erupting into dark song. Her breath caught with fear as she turned her head slowly to see the outline of someone sitting at the bench before the organ, deliberately playing the dark notes slowly. She could not speak or move, the fear rendering her motionless as her jaw hung slack for the duration of the haunting melody it played on the instrument.
The figure stood and turned from the organ, and the moon broke free of the clouds once more, hitting the stained-glass windows and washing the room with an unnatural reddish hue. She could see him, bathed in light as he headed up the isle and the small stairs to where Elise cowered behind the podium. He stopped but a few feet from her, looking down with wide, pleading eyes.
"Why wouldn't you let me in?" he asked her, innocently.
Elise made her index fingers into the shape of a cross. "Stay away from me demon!" she commanded.
