I'M SITTING AT MY DESK, AFRAID TO PUT THIS IN THE LOG BOOK... BUT, I'M NOT SURE IF I SHOULD WORRY MORE ABOUT MY CAREER AND WHAT THE CO. THINKS ABOUT ME, OR, IF I SHOULD BE MORE AFRAID OF, WELL, OF THE DEVIL HIMSELF. HMMM... WHERE DO I START? WELL, YOU KNOW, I ARRIVED "IN COUNTRY" ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. I WAS FRESH OUT OF THE BASIC OFFICER TRAINING IN MISSOURI, MY BUTTER-BARS SO SHINY THAT I COULD'VE BLINDED SOMEONE WITH MY RANK. A BRAND NEW LIEUTENANT.

MY FIRST NIGHT, I DECIDED TO GO SEE WHAT THE OFFICER'S CLUB WAS LIKE. THAT'S WHEN I MET HER, WHEN I FIRST MET "KAT" WITH HER SEDUCTIVELY JET BLACK HAIR AND PORCELAIN WHITE SKIN. SHE INVITED HERSELF OVER TO MY TABLE AND INTRODUCED HERSELF TO ME. I WAS INTRIGUED TO MEET A GERMAN NATIONAL AND A LITTLE FLATTERED AT HER APPROACH. NEITHER OF US DRANK MUCH, I DON'T EVEN THINK I BOUGHT HER A DRINK THAT NIGHT. WE JUST TALKED, AND ALTHOUGH I STUDIED A LITTLE GERMAN IN HIGH-SCHOOL, WE CONVERSED IN ENGLISH.

SHE TOLD ME THEY ALL STUDIED ENGLISH IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I WAS SURPRISED HER ACCENT SOUNDED MORE BRITISH THAN WHAT I THOUGHT A GERMAN ACCENT WOULD SOUND LIKE. SHE LAUGHED AT MY PREJUDICE AND JOKINGLY APOLOGIZED FOR NOT LIVING UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS THAT THE GERMANS WOULD ALL SOUND LIKE COMIC BOOK NAZIS. SOMEHOW, WITH HER HUMOR, SHE DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, SHE MADE ME FEEL THAT SOMEHOW, I FIT IN. KAT, SHE TOLD ME, WAS AN ADULTERATION OF KATHERINE. BUT, SHE LIKED TO THINK OF HERSELF AS A CAT-LIKE CREATURE ABLE TO MOVE STEALTHILY IN THE NIGHT. SOMETHING TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY MY IMAGINATION, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING CAT-LIKE ABOUT HER. SOMETHING IN HER EYES, I THOUGHT. NOTHING MORE HAPPENED, WE JUST HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION, I FINISHED MY BOTTLE OF "BINDING BIER" (BEER) AND HEADED OFF TO THE B.O.Q. (BACHELOR OFFICER QUARTERS).

MY DUTIES AS THE ASSISTANT TO THE BRIGADE ENGINEER OFFICER KEPT ME BUSY ENOUGH THAT I FOUND LITTLE TIME FOR THE OFFICER'S CLUB AND "KAT", ALTHOUGH, ALONE IN A FOREIGN LAND, I THOUGHT ABOUT HER FROM TIME TO TIME. I GUESS THAT IT WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE I FOUND MYSELF BACK AT THE "O" CLUB IN WIESBADEN. I WAS NURSING MY THIRD "BINDING BIER", JUST STARTING TO LIKE THE STRONGER FLAVOR WHEN SHE WALKED IN WITH A COUPLE OF HER GIRLFRIENDS. THEY ALL SEEMED TO FAN OUT AND KAT IN PARTICULARLY SEEMED TO WALK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, UNTIL SHE TAPPED ON MY SHOULDER...

I JUMPED! WEARING ALL BLACK, SHE WAS STUNNING. FOR A MOMENT, JUST A MOMENT, I THOUGHT I MIGHT END-UP BRINGING HOME A GERMAN BRIDE. SHE ASKED TO JOIN ME AND SAT DOWN AS I OFFERED TO BUY HER A "BIER". SHE SMILED AND WARNED THAT I SHOULD BE CAREFUL, SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME. IN GERMANY, SHE CONTINUED: EVERYONE PAYS THEIR WAY. THAT WAY, A GUY KNOWS THAT THE GIRL REALLY WANTS TO BE WITH HIM AND NOT JUST GO TO THIS PLACE OR THAT, ALSO SHE SAID, THEY CAN AFFORD TO DO MORE, AND THE GIRL DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL "OBLIGATED" AT THE END OF THE NIGHT. ANYWAY, IT SOUNDED GOOD TO ME. ESPECIALLY SINCE I WASN'T LOOKING FOR ANYTHING MORE THAN CONVERSATION ANYWAY... EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS STUNNING.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE ASPECTS OF MY JOB THAT WEREN'T CLASSIFIED, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS AND THEN SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS BORN INTO THE HOLY CATHOLIC FAITH, BUT THAT NOW SHE PRACTICES "WICCA". I ASKED IF THAT WAS LIKE LUTHERAN AND SHE LAUGHED. NOT EXACTLY, SHE GIGGLED, IT'S LIKE, THEN SHE TOOK MY HAND AND LOOKED INTO MY EYES, IT'S A LITTLE LIKE MAGIC. I SMILED AND ASKED SARCASTICALLY, LIKE WITCHCRAFT? KAT GOT A SOMBER LOOK ON HER FACE AND PULLED ME IN CLOSER TO HER. WELL, NOT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE BROOMS AND ALL THAT, IT'S JUST GOOD MAGIC, WHITE MAGIC. I LOOKED AT MY PRETTY GERMAN FRIEND WITH DISBELIEF BUT I KNEW SHE WAS SERIOUS. I WAS DUMBFOUNDED AND CONFUSED. IT SOUNDED LIKE SHE WAS TELLING ME SHE WAS A WITCH, A GOOD WITCH... BUT, A WITCH NO LESS. A PRETTY GIRL AND A LOST SOUL, I THOUGHT. WITH THAT THOUGHT AND OTHERS OF HOCUS POCUS, I FELT A LITTLE SORRY FOR HER AS I DROVE BACK TO MAINZ AND MY B.O.Q.

I SPOKE ABOUT KAT WITH A BUDDY, A NEW S.J.A.G. LAWYER, CAPTAIN FREDERICKS. HE LAUGHED, BUT HE WARNED THAT SOME OF THESE "KOOKS" AS HE CALLED THEM, WERE ACTIVELY RECRUITING OUT SOLDIERS TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR CULTS AND COVENS. HE SAID THERE WERE INSTANCES OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE AND OPEN DEVIL WORSHIP. I SAT OPEN MOUTHED AS HE TOLD ME OF SOLDIERS WHO WERE DECLARING "SATANIST" AS THEIR RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION FOR THEIR PERSONNEL FILES AND ON THEIR DOG TAGS. I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING HE TOLD ME. LATER, I FOUND IT EVEN HARDER TO SLEEP. FINDING MYSELF DRAWN TO HER BY CURIOSITY, LONELINESS AND A LITTLE LUST.. I KEPT SEEING HER AT THE O CLUB AND TALKING WITH HER. KAT WAS QUITE OPEN ABOUT HER BELIEFS, AND DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND MY PRYING. WE SEEMED TO BE GROWING PRETTY CLOSE.

AT THE SAME TIME, I FOUND MYSELF ATTENDING MASS MORE FREQUENTLY AT THE CHAPEL JUST OUTSIDE THE KASERN (FORT) OR AT THE NEARBY MONASTERY. I LOOKED AT KAT AS A MOTH MUST LOOK AT A FLAME, DRAWN CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE BRILLIANT PROMISE OF A DEADLY ILLUMINATION IN A DARK AND LONELY NIGHT. I LEARNED MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE PROMISES OF WICCA AND WAS DRAWN INTO THE WORLD OF WITCHCRAFT AND SATANISM AS THE VEILS WERE LIFTED BEFORE ME. BEFORE LONG, I KNEW HER FRIENDS, HER COHORTS AND EVERYONE IN KAT'S COVEN. MY OWN BELIEFS WERE BROUGHT INTO QUESTION. I STOPPED GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND THE MONASTERY. THEN, I REALIZED I WAS BEING SEDUCED AND I STOPPED SEEING KAT. I STOPPED GOING TO THE O CLUB. I TRIED TO GO BACK, BACK TO MY ROOTS BY READING THE GOOD BOOK... MAYBE IT WAS TOO LATE.

EARLIER TODAY, AFTER A MEETING IN FRANKFURT, I TOOK MY POST AS OFFICER OF THE GUARD. CLAIMING MY LOG BOOK, SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND ARM BAND FROM THE S-1 OFFICE AND MEETING SARGENT NAVARRO, MY SGT. OF THE GUARD TO SIGN OUT OUR PISTOLS AND AMMUNITION FROM THE ARMORER, I EVEN JOKED ABOUT THE FUTILITY OF CARRYING WEAPONS ON OUR ASSIGNMENT. SGT. NAVARRO TOOK HIS ASSIGNMENT MORE SERIOUSLY, HE WAS WHAT WE CALLED: "GUNG-HO". STILL, I KNEW IT WOULD BE A BORING, UNEVENTFUL NIGHT.

SGT. NAVARRO HAD THE SOLDIERS WHO WERE ASSIGNED GUARD DUTY IN FORMATION BEFORE I WALKED OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT. THE TROOPS LOOKED SHARP, THEY ALWAYS DID. WHOEVER LOOKED THE BEST AND COULD ANSWER THE MOST MILITARY QUESTIONS WOULD BE EITHER THE COLONELS ORDERLY OR NUMERO UNO AND THERE-BY EXEMPT FROM STAYING UP HALF THE NIGHT TO MAKE SURE SOME PARKING LOT OR OTHER DIDN'T MOVE DURING THEIR SHIFT. AS I MADE MY WAY DOWN THE FIRST SQUAD, I WAS CONFRONTED BY CRISPLY STARCHED UNIFORMS AND SHINY BOOTS, WHILE I ASKED THE SOLDIERS TO RECITE THEIR GENERAL ORDERS, NAME THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND OR EVEN ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS. I CAME UPON A FEMALE SERVICE MEMBER, I HATED INSPECTING A FEMALE SOLDIER... I ALWAYS FELT LIKE SHE MUST THINK I'M "CHECKING HER OUT". IT MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE. I WAS RELIEVED WHEN SHE MISSED HER THIRD GENERAL ORDER. I MOVED ALONG TO THE NEXT SOLDIER, HE ENDED UP BEING THE COLONELS ORDERLY. THE SGT. POSTED MY FIRST SHIFT OF GUARDS, THE NEXT TWO SHIFTS RESTED, AND I WENT TO THE DINING FACILITY FOR A HOT CUP OF COFFEE.

AT OR ABOUT 2300HRS (11:00 P.M.), I WAS A LITTLE RESTLESS, SO I TOLD MY SGT. OF THE GUARD THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE MY ROUNDS AND CHECK ON THE SOLDIERS. THE FIRST POST I CHECKED WAS A PARKING LOT FULL OF TANKS AND MILITARY AMBULANCES. THE SOLDIER WAS LOCKED IN THE LOT AND WAS SUPPOSED TO WALK THE PERIMETER, SO IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO LOCATE THE GUARD. IT WAS THE LONE FEMALE I INSPECTED EARLIER. SHE TURNED OUT TO BE A PRETTY GOOD TROOP AND TOOK HER DUTY SERIOUSLY. I GAVE HER AN "ATTA BOY" AND WALKED TO THE NEXT COUPLE OF POSTS. NOBODY HAD ANYTHING TO REPORT AND THEY WERE ALL AWAKE AND ALERT.

I STARTED WALKING BACK TO THE GUARD SHACK WHEN I SPIED SOMETHING WEIRD THROUGH THE FENCE AROUND THE KASERN. THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT WOULD BE A FLICKER, NO, THAT'S NOT STRONG ENOUGH; A FLASH IN THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET. THE CHAPEL! BY REGULATION, ALL THE CANDLES HAD TO BE OUT WHEN NO-ONE WAS THERE AND I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHO COULD STILL BE THERE. THE CHAPLAIN DIDN'T NORMALLY WORK THAT LATE. MAYBE HIS ASSISTANT FORGOT, I THOUGHT. IT WASN'T ANY BIG DEAL FOR ME TO BORROW A KEY FROM THE STAFF DUTY OFFICER AND CHECK IT OUT. BESIDES IT WOULD BE A BREAK IN THE ROUTINE AND I THOUGHT THAT I COULD PAY MY LONG ABSENT RESPECTS AT THE SAME TIME. I DECIDED TO GO.

I COULDN'T PUT A FINGER ON IT, BUT SOMETHING WAS WEIRD AS I APPROACHED THE CHAPEL, A SIMPLE WHITE AND BLUE STUCCO STRUCTURE. THEN, I SAW THE FLASH AGAIN, AND AGAIN. THE CLOSER I GOT, THE MORE FLASHES I SAW AND I BEGAN TO WORRY THAT THERE MIGHT BE A FIRE IN PROGRESS. PICKING-UP MY PACE THE WINDOWS DISPLAYED A LOW STEADY LIGHT INSIDE WITH IRREGULAR FLASHES OF BRIGHT BLUE-WHITE LIGHTS. I PULLED A KEY RING OUT OF MY FIELD-JACKET AND FUMBLED FOR THE RIGHT KEY AS I JOGGED UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS TO THE HEAVY WOODEN DOORS.

I HAD TO PAUSE, THE DOORS WERE AJAR AND THERE WAS CHANTING IN THE CHURCH. ALMOST SOUNDING ITALIAN, BUT NOT QUITE, ALMOST LIKE THE OLD GREGORIAN STYLE, BUT AGAIN, NOT EXACTLY. IT WAS EERIE! I PEEKED THROUGH THE CRACK BETWEEN THE DOORS AND I SAW HER, I SAW KAT AT THE ALTER. SURROUNDING HER WERE THIRTEEN ROBED AND HOODED FIGURES AS SHE RAISED A SILVER DAGGER OVER A KID GOAT LYING UPON THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE. THE CHANTING ROSE TO A FEVERED PITCH AS I WATCHED AND SUDDENLY SOMEONE GRABBED ME FROM BEHIND. IT WAS CAPTAIN FREDERICKS, AND AFTER I JUMPED BACK INTO MY SKIN, I WAS RELIEVED TO SEE HIM. YOU WERE RIGHT, I DECLARED IN A HUSHED WHISPER. HIS GRIP ON MY ARM TIGHTENED SIGNIFICANTLY AND HE JUST GRINNED AS HE SHOVED ME INTO THE CHAPEL.

AN ACRID ODOR, SOMETHING LIKE BURNT MATCHES OR SULFUR, I GUESS... IT FILLED MY NOSTRILS AS I WAS PUSHED CLOSER TO THE UNHOLY SERVICE. A FEW SHADOWY FIGURES SAT IN THE PEWS QUIETLY WATCHING. BY NOW, THE GOAT HAD BEEN SLAUGHTERED, ITS THICK, RICH BLOOD SPLATTERED ON KAT'S ROBE, AND THE ALTER LINENS. KAT HELD A JEWEL ENCRUSTED, GOLD CHALICE, AND I WAS SURE IT ALSO CONTAINED SOME OF THE VITAL FLUID OF LIFE DRAINED FROM THE POOR ANIMAL. MY SENSE OF SMELL WAS FURTHER OFFENDED AS I REACHED THE DESECRATED ALTER. I LOOKED IN HORROR AT THE DISSECTED BEAST, HIS INTESTINES SPLIT OPEN, FECAL MATTER OOZING FROM HIS CORPSE ONTO THE TABLE AND FLOOR.

KAT ORDERED ME TO MY KNEES AND CAPTAIN FREDERICKS PUSHED UNTIL I COLLAPSED ON THE FLOOR, PROSTRATE BEFORE THIS COVEN OF WITCHES AND THEIR EVIL SACRIFICE. I COULD NOW DISCERN THEIR MOCKERY OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE ROMAN-CATHOLIC MASS. THE ALMOST ITALIAN SOUNDING CHANT, WAS A DEMONIC RENDERING OF THE LATIN RITE SERVICE NO LONGER IN USE BY MOST OF THE CHURCH. A CRUCIFIX WAS THROWN TO THE FLOOR BEFORE ME AND A WITCH COMMANDED THAT I SPIT ON IT AND DECLARE MY LOYALTY TO SATAN. PARALYZED BY FEAR, I SAID NOTHING, I DID NOTHING. SOMEONE ELSE KICKED ME IN THE RIBS AND CALLED ME A PAPIST, A SILLY CHRISTIAN. THEN, KAT STABBED ME WITH THE WORDS: "CHRISTIAN, HE'S NOT EVEN THAT ANYMORE"! SHE LAUGHED AND EVERYONE SEEMED TO JOIN-IN AS MY HEAD BEGAN TO SPIN AND MISERABLE LAUGHTER SURROUNDED ME. I PRAYED THAT GOD SAVE ME, I BEGGED HIS ANGELS TO STOP THIS MADNESS... I WAS LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE.

TWO ROBED MEN PICKED ME UP AND DRAGGED ME CLOSER TO THEIR PRIESTESS. SHE CHANTED SOME INDECIPHERABLE WORDS, LOOKED DOWN INTO THE VERY DEPTHS OF HELL AND TURNED TO ME WITH AN EVIL SMILE. DRINK, DRINK FROM THIS CUP AND BECOME ONE OF US; SHE URGED: THE MASTER WILL GRANT UNTO YOU TRUE ETERNAL LIFE, FOREVER AND EVER. SHE OPENED HER ROBE SLIGHTLY AND ADDED: I CAN SHOW YOU PLEASURES YOU HAVE NEVER DREAMED OF, BUT FIRST, FIRST YOU MUST DRINK FROM THIS CUP. NO, NO... I SHOUTED. ONE OF THE MEN HOLDING ME TWISTED MY ARM AND PUSHED MY FACE INTO THE BLOODY BOWELS OF THE GOAT. I GAGGED, I COULDN'T BREATH, I WANTED TO VOMIT. HE PULLED ME UP, AND SHE OFFERED THE CHALICE TO ME AGAIN. GASPING FOR AIR, BLOOD OBSCURING MY VIEW, I HEARD KAT AGAIN: WE CAN KILL YOU, WE CAN KILL YOU IF WE WANT. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING, THE WHOLE COVEN REPEATED: WE CAN KILL YOU, WE CAN KILL YOU.

I BEGAN TO BELIEVE THEY WERE SERIOUS, BUT, IT WAS ALL SO CRAZY. MY ARM WAS BEING TWISTED AGAIN, MY ARM WAS NEAR ITS BREAKING POINT AS I WAS SHOVED BACK INTO THE ROTTING BOWELS OF THE GOAT. MY FACE PASSED THROUGH THE SLIMY INTESTINES UNTIL I HARD BONE SCRAPED AGAINST MY SKIN. SOME OF THE FLUID WENT UP MY NOSE, I SWALLOWED A PIECE OF SLICED MEMBRANE, I FELT MY SHIRT BEING RIPPED FROM MY BODY. THEY PULLED ME OUT OF THE CARCASS TO ANOTHER INVITATION TO DRINK THE BLOOD. FILLED WITH TERROR, TREMBLING WITH FEAR; GOD FORGIVE ME, I DRANK FROM THEIR CUP, I PARTOOK OF THEIR CEREMONY. THEY LET ME LEAVE. WELL, THEY LET MY BODY LEAVE. BUT NOW, I FEEL TRAPPED, I FEEL I LET GOD HIMSELF DOWN.

I DON'T FEEL LIKE MUCH OF A SOLDIER OR MUCH OF A MAN NOW. THE CHURCH IS EMPTY AND IT'S BEEN CLEANED, SO, THERE'S NO REAL PROOF OF WHAT HAPPENED. BESIDES, THE PEOPLE WHO I SHOULD REPORT THIS TO BELONG TO THE COVEN, I KNOW. THEY REVEALED THEMSELVES TO ME AT THE END OF THE SERVICE. THEY ALL BELONG! WELL, EXCEPT FOR MY CO. (COMMANDING OFFICER) AND HE'LL JUST THINK I'M CRAZY. SO, NO, I WON'T REPORT THIS. ALL I CAN DO IS TO WAIT OUT MY TOUR OF DUTY AND P.C.S. OUT OF THIS PLACE. ALL I CAN DO IS HOPE IT DOESN'T EXISTS WHERE I GO, AND PRAY TO GOD FOR HIS FORGIVENESS OF MY WEAK SPIRIT. ALL I CAN DO IS TO WARN YOU: NEVER GET INVOLVED WITH A BLACK HAIRED KAT!

Created: October 29, 1999r.
Last Updated: December 9, 2000r.