Sacraments of the Flesh by Anthony Crowley
It didn ' t take long for the Saul Bros Construction company to reconstruct the disused Kahluan Library . The local Turkish street traders protested for many months to get rid of that forsaken building . They said it held something evil within those walls . Once , it was used as a political safe house during the Holy Wars . Condemned religious men and woman were secretly taken there during those dark days . Sadistic inscriptions appeared in a legendary status on the flaked brickwork . Banshee screams from the once withering wives sent many shivers to property developers that tried to demolish the library . They didn ’ t succeed in the destruction .
The Kahluan clan were the visionary disciples of the Egyptian god , Azuerath . This god believed that human existence had a special key of known mystical knowledge to assist the completion of the last pyramid . Depictions of the soldiers who failed to acquire that knowledge were viciously exposed , and their souls were etched upon those walls . Something sacred was hidden after that despicable time . The Clans people were finally discovered and executed after a quick trial delivered by Queen Cleopatra . Azuerath was brutally disemboweled and made to repent for his evil acts against his fellow people . The construction of the pyramid didn ’ t see the final result . Since that devastating period the souls of the wicked were mysteriously sent into a realm for the unforgiven . A cesspit of misfortune lay before them ; a gathering of betrayed immortals began to admire their deceit . A lost world was about to be awoken . A world without heroes and heroines . The underworld had other plans .
Dust swollen catacombs were constructed from the bones of the deceased holy fathers which formed a sacred atmospheric prism around the entire newcomers of the abyss . The cries of enslaved children could be heard within the underground pillared temple . They were called ‘ Tomorrow ’ s Children .' They were the lost infants of the fallen ones , and they were regularly seen scavenging the earth for survival like hungry vermin , but they didn ’ t have a way out . The children were innocently damned and left alone to wither with only the suffering of their thoughts and pain . The last surviving children were eventually slain , their blood spilled upon the sacred walls .
Present day ...
A street party was being organized by the local refugee centre . Suddenly , a truck appeared along the dirt road adjacent to the library . The weather forecasted a sudden heat wave transmitted from the radio in an oncoming vehicle . It was still early morning and plenty of work had to be done before the forthcoming event . Jasmal was a popular leader from the centre . He trained for many years since graduation to help others who were less fortunate than himself . He came from a strict household with deeply religious parents . He was a lonely child and he always wanted a younger brother or sister to take care of . His mother and father never wanted a daughter . Their beliefs disallowed them to have female offspring .
Jasmal worked amongst three staff members . They came from wealthy families that owned the latest sports cars , biggest properties and fashions . He never took any-
anything for granted and he was always open to new opportunities if they came through . Every day since he was a child , Jasmal would pray for something better to happen in his life . Maybe an angel would shine above him and grant him special guidance . A small broken down car appeared outside the centre . Somebody was screaming and a repetitive vehicle horn could also be heard . Jasmal immediately stopped fiddling around with the clerical paperwork and dashed towards the entrance only yards away . He was lucky he didn ’ t faint or collapse in the hot weather .
The truck , which was parked earlier , had run out of fuel . The driver was unconscious and was covered in scattered and showered blood . Passed out , he was trapped within his small truck ; thankfully he wasn ’ t driving an oil tanker . The screaming came from a car which was wedged into the side of this truck . Two women were crying themselves into a panicking storm , but they weren ' t physically injured . A hissing sound signaled from the wreckage and Jasmal rotated his head . Wisps of rising smoke rose from the engine . He knew he had to act and move quickly .
First , he asked the two terrified females to head into the centre to avoid any possible disaster . They listened and bowed their timid salutations in front of him and hobbled into the building . They closed the door behind them to avoid deadly smoke and noise . Jasmal dashed over to the truck to free the driver from the wreckage , but he couldn ’ t free the door open to pull the driver out of the smashed truck . He was still unconscious . Dried blood caked his nostrils . The driver ' s head was pressed firmly against the steering wheel . Jasmal looked around to see if there was something he could use to force the vehicle door open . He noticed a disused building across the street and he immediately thought it would be a perfect idea to head over to the building and find a tool .
The construction workers were working on the side of the building . He needed to make a quick getaway and try to find a strong , forceful item . He looked back while running to the building . The driver was coming around from the crash . He had to act quickly to get him out of the truck . Jasmal reached the old structure and recalled a memory from his childhood . It suddenly dawned on him that the building was the former Kahluan library . Many people feared this place when it was open to the visiting public . A strong scent came from across the street and he realized it was the oil from the truck . Sparks were beginning to ignite and he knew an explosion would happen soon if he didn ’ t hurry .
He scrambled around the entrance , panting like a dehydrated and feral animal . His mouth was also dry due to the heat and rushing about from the extremities of the crash . Something didn ’ t feel right . The hissing sound was becoming louder and vibrations could now be felt underneath his feet . A creaking metallic noise emerged with the tremors . Startled , Jasmal tilted his head upward and noticed the supported constructed framework began to shake vigorously . Suddenly , an impact made him collapse like a rock towards the floor . The only image he had was a bright light that disguised the atmosphere around him . He was semi-unconscious and could barely move his arms or legs . The building framework was piled