The Absolution of Salem

“One way or another, if His book states that you're going to die on a certain date, around a certain time… then your goose is cooked. Figuratively speaking. Maybe your heart is going to give out not too long from now, or you're going to have a massive stroke. I don’t know for sure. The Book doesn't say 'how,' just 'when,'" she offered, straight up. "Just know that you are 'destined' to die very shortly. Whether I’m here or not, it’s going to happen, and I need to time this whole Arcane show just right. If it’s going to all work out,” she said matter-of-factly. But she said it in a way that she didn't expect would frighten him. Like he should just understand. What the Hell was this all about? She continued to sit beside him on the bed, leaned over with her hand on his chest, and said in a soft voice, “So, here’s the deal, Donnie.” She said looking at him with all solemnity, her eyes soft now, but looking deep into his own. "We don't have a lot of time, so I need to do something I hadn't planned. It's essential that you remember me, so that you can trust me. What we are going to do tonight will require you to trust me intimately." “I’m going to put you back to sleep, and you're going to dream a dream of a big memory that you have hidden away somewhere in your brain. One that must be buried way deep down in there somewhere. So that you don’t have to cope with it," she offered. "I'm going to have to go right in there, dig it out, then share it with you… so that you can remember." "That happens a lot with guys like you, who did some very hard things during the war. A type of coping mechanism that your own mind does for you, when you saw far too many horrible things in the war. Or in other places," she offered. "It really is a decent thing your mind tries to do for you. But now, you need to remember, Donnie," she said. “I'm going to make you have a dream, a remembrance of exactly what happened when we first met. I'm going to pull that buried memory out of your brain and force you to remember maybe some of the worst things you probably ever witnessed in your life. What you did 'to' others in that event, as well as 'for' others, and why you did it," she smiled. "It looks pretty obvious to me now, like you might have been trying to suppress those memories for most of your life. I suppose I don't blame you. Things that happened the first time we met aren't things that most men want to cope with for the rest of their lives. Then, maybe you'll remember me, and why I’m here on this night, of all nights,” she said softly. Don tried to struggle and get up. He could barely climb out of this bed at the best of times, let alone with some evil, serial killer woman leaning on his chest. He probably looked like an old turtle squirming around on its back. But he was done with this insanity. He was going to find a way to fight back and get out of this mess. He would go down swinging. But Salem had continued to keep her hand on his chest, and she used it now to gently push him back flat on the bed. “Slow down, Donnie,” she said very softly to him. “You aren’t going anywhere, my old friend. You need to remember this in all its bloody, gory and wonderful details. Then I'll tell you the 'why' of it.” “Why are you doing this to me?” Don said, finally feeling fully defeated. “I’ve never done anything wrong to any woman that I can remember. I don’t remember doing anything bad to you. I’m dying anyway… you seem to think I’m going to croak tonight right in front of you. So, why make it any worse for me?” he asked, just looking at her now. “Donnie, you have me all wrong. I’m not here to hurt you. I owe you a very large debt. In fact, what I owe to you Donnie is my own life. Which happens to be an eternal one, which is a big deal when you save one of those," she explained to him. "You saved my eternal life once, Donnie. What seems like a long time ago to you. But not so very long for me, one of the Eternals. Now, I'm here back in your life again, and I’m here to repay you for what you so fearlessly did for me. Also, to make you an offer… so to speak,” Salem said to him, her face soft now. “But Donnie, listen closely to what I say. Right now, I’m mostly here to help you to save your soul. We need to save your soul…that is priority number one right now. You're very likely going to be damned to Hell when you die, when you're Judged," she said sincerely to him. "I’m still an Angel. I can feel the weight of sin still on your soul. It's never been paid for." "That isn't going to happen, Donnie, if I can do anything about it. I do just happen to have arranged a solution to that problem. It's all lined up for you at just the right time," she offered. "I promise you Donnie, I'm just here to help you. To save you, like you did for me. As no man has ever done in my very long eternity," she offered with a nice smile. "That and just trust me when I tell you this... you really don’t want to meet Lucifer. My Fallen Archangelic brother is a total dickhead.”