Marked By The Spirit: The Binding Ring

 

The Warning

"Stop looking at me if you know what is good for you."

That was the word the young beautiful woman said to Benneth. He had seen her standing in front of the Macdonald parking lot, and he couldn't help admiring her beauty. She's tall, about seven feet, has a thin jaw line and eyes that sparkle dark ember. She has dark hair that reaches her shoulder and she was wearing navy blue pants with a yellow top and a word written in the front: "DON'T LOOK, KEEP WALKING."

A Persistent Smile

"How can I see a beauty like you and move away?" he asked as he gave her his best smile. He has been told his smile could melt a heart, but seeing her frown, he knew it had no effect on her.

"This is your last warning," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I will take whatever punishment you can give me if I can have your number," he grinned at her.

"I'm not interested," she said.

"What can I do to get your interest?" he asked her.

"Keep walking, and it would be the best thing you do for me."

"Come on, don't play hard on me, I will be a good gentleman to you."

"Just leave me. I'm telling you because anyone who talks to me ends up dead."

"Then I will be glad to die knowing you," he said.

The Hidden Truth

"I'm married," she said, not looking at him. She had noticed the air getting cold, and the McDonald's sign flickering. She knew she had to push this man away or he would be a victim of her curse.

"Really? Married eh, well I guess I don't care. Honestly I knew when someone is lying and you're doing that with a straight face."

She kept silent. He didn't have to know. How could she tell him her problem? It is just that she didn't want him to die like the others. Each had died in a gruesome way she had heard after they had shown interest in her. The first one had said his name is Dawn, and she had wondered how people can be named so stupidly. He had tried to befriend her and she had warned him—she doesn't know how many times she had warned this man right now—but Dawn was warned three times. That was what her husband had said to her that night as he appeared. He had told her he would not act until the third time and he did act. Dawn was hit by a truck, and what everyone couldn't understand was that the truck just hit him and vanished out of sight. A witness said a space or a transparent curtain opened right in the middle of the road and just vanished.

The Dream That Changed Everything

Her problem started one night as she was sleeping. She dreamed she was in a river having fun with her friends when a handsome man appeared next to her in the river. He had dark skin, his eyes were blue and what surprised her was that his hair is dry while he swam, even when he went under the water. He had a remarkable physique with muscles and biceps bulging. He had smiled at her and said "nice of you to call me."

She had laughed and said "sorry, I never called you."

"Hmmm, I could hear your heartbeat while I sleep, I could feel your blood trickle down to me, and I could smell your scent from a million miles below."

"That is funny, but I don't know you."

"You don't have to know me, Franca, I have already marked you as my wife."

She had laughed then, not sure where this was going. She had never told him her name, and at that moment she didn't even register how he knew her name. She was having fun and she guessed she just had to humor him, but how wrong she was.

"Well if you think that would be fun, then yeah, I'm your wife," and she had laughed at that thinking it was a joke.

"If you agree then lick this." And he had bitten his thumb and asked her to lick his blood, and then he had told her to give him her blood too and that had sealed them. Not long after she had woken up with a pain on her thumb and when she had looked at it, she had seen the blood flowing. She never thought it was real, she thought it was just all a dream, but it turned out that he is a spirit and he has chosen her as his wife and he is a very vengeful spiritual husband who kills anyone who shows any interest in her. She had found out the hard way, and she has been living in constant fear of men.

The Final Warning

And now this handsome young man is troubling her. She had warned him past the third time and yet he had refused to go and now she could feel her spiritual husband coming, she could feel Whalebane coming. "Please leave me alone." But she could tell the young man wouldn't be going unless she did something drastic.

"You don't have to be afraid Franca," the young man said and that took the breath out of her. "How did you know my name?"

"Like I said, you don't have to be afraid. My name is Benneth, and I mean you no harm."

She took a step back. She could feel the air charging with electricity, she could smell the grass and see how the wind stood still just around them. She wondered what she had done to be facing such a problem, what sort of curse someone placed on her that she hasn't had peace in her young life.

A Stranger's Promise

"I'm here to save you," the young man who called himself Benneth said.

"How?"

"I feel your pains, and I wish to take it away."

"But how? And who are you?"

"I'm not of this world. This young man is just a vessel I'm using. He has a good heart and I hope when I save you, you can find happiness with him."

"My problem is a spiritual husband who has killed lots of people. I don't want anyone to die again and I hate what he has done to me every night."

"I know," Benneth said. "I can make it stop, but on one condition."

"I knew there is always a price to be paid."

Benneth laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry, it is not a price you won't be able to pay."

"What is the price?" she asked him.

"Give this vessel a chance. Let him have a feel of love. He has suffered so much being a good young man. People have taken advantage of him a lot. I came down here to help the both of you."

She was silent for a moment thinking on what he had said. If she wanted her life to be free then she guessed she had no choice.

"What do I have to do?" she asked him.

The Price of Freedom

"I need your blood," he said.

"My blood is what start this," she said frowning. "Am I jumping from frying pan to fire?"

"No, your blood start it, and it has to end it."

"How?"

"I will create a ward with your blood, and I will put it in a ring you will be wearing and never to be removed."

Doubts and Defiance

"Can't you just kill the spirit?" she asked him.

"No, he is a dark God. I can only banish him."

"Will that work?"

"It will, if you don't remove the ring."

"Okay," she said as she extended her hand to let him take her blood.

The Dark God's Arrival

The air became frozen and her spiritual husband appeared just a few meters from where she was standing with Benneth.

"How dare you interfere," he sneered. "Your likes have been dabbling into what doesn't concern you. Today you die."

"You're such a weakling," Benneth said. "You trick the weak and then you hold them by the jugular. It ends today and now."

"Then stop it, if you can. Stop it and let me see how you're going to leave here alive."

The Final Confrontation

"Fool, I'm not of this world, and I have rewritten her DNA by changing her blood. Your power have no effect on her again. Begone, you evil of the underworld."

The air grew tight as Franca found it difficult to breathe. She could see dark lightning arcing its way toward her as she stood there frozen with fear.

The Clash of Lights

Benneth waved his hand and a white light that pulsed like electricity intercepted the dark light from Whalebane. There was an explosion which threw Whalebane backward and he snarled, "This is not over. I will come back and you will regret the day you chose to interfere."

The Binding Coin

"Wait!" Benneth said as Whalebane turned to leave. And as Whalebane paused, he threw a bronze coin at Whalebane who instinctively caught it. And as soon as it touched his hands, he hissed as smoke started pouring out of where the coin had touched him. He looked at his palm and there was a mark—a circle with three dots—and he roared when he understood the meaning.

"Begone. I bind you to the bowl of the underworld for eternity," Benneth said.

Franca watched as Whalebane dissolved into a black mist, still snarling at Benneth.

Freedom Sealed

"He will not trouble you again. I have bound him to the bottom of the earth. This ring you will be wearing will be like a weight over him. No matter how he struggles, as long as you wear this ring, he will never trouble you again." And with that he left the body of Benneth.

Benneth fell on the ground and she hurried to catch him. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was a beautiful woman leaning over him. "Who are you?" he croaked, throat dry.

A New Beginning

"This may sound strange to you, but today is February 12th, and you just happen to be the one I will be spending Valentine with," she said with a grin.

Benneth just lay there staring at her. He had never met a beautiful woman before. He had only had disappointment in his love life. He could never remember the last time he met a girl as pretty as this one. "Is this a dream?" he asked her.

"No," she said. "My name is Franca and I guess I can say we're meant for each other. We just have to get to know ourselves."

"Name is Benneth. It is nice to meet you."

"My pleasure. So where do we go? My place or yours or McDonald's?"

"I have got no dollar on me," he said.

"Don't worry, bills are on me," she said as she helped him up and they held hands as they walked toward McDonald's to have that conversation that would start something new and hopefully it could last forever.

A man sacrifice all for wealth :The Price Of Blood