Angels & Arrows

Allie’s eyes had directed their focus at the ugliest most inhuman being she had ever seen crouched on top of me. The beast appeared to be choking me while whispering inaudible words in my ear. The monster slowly turned its gaze to meet Allie’s and let out a deep throttle of a laugh licking its grey lips as thick greenish mucous oozed from the side of its mouth.

“You’re next.” It growled as it leapt toward Allie. However, when the beast caught its reflection in a sconce mirror it screeched out in terror and instantly evaporated into thin air leaving behind black speckles of matter that disintegrated as they floated to the ground.

“Maria!” Allie gasped at the sight of my pale pasty face and bluish lips. Allie jumped to her feet rushing to the couch where I lay motionless.

“Maria!” she yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. Every light in the house had begun to flash and flicker; Allie prayed the electrical issues were due to the powerful summer storm passing through the area.

“Maria! Wake up!” Allie screamed out in panic; slapping me across the face causing my eyes to snap open wide as I gasped out in desperation for air.

“Oh God he’s here and he’s pissed!” I choked and heaved trying to catch my breath; my clothes reeked of the beast’s foul stench. I sat on the edge of the couch trying to gain my senses, leaving a clump of hair on the pillow.

“Jesus!” Allie gasped picking up the hair and inspecting it.

“Jesus had nothing to do with that.” I added fighting the inevitable tears.

Thunder and lightning from the late summer storm rumbled through the town. The rain seemed to come down in bucketful’s as it beat against the roof and sides of the house. The lights flickered with every crack of lightning and crash of thunder. Within a split second, it was as if a cyclone let loose inside the house. Pictures ripped off the walls; furniture tossed about like paper in the wind; every electrical appliance and device repeatedly came on and off by themselves; books flew off the bookcase; and silverware flung about the house became like weapons. Allie and I screamed out in terror at the knick-knacks, books, and other items hurled in our direction causing us both to run for cover.

“Oh my God, is it a torna…” Allie began, but the creature interrupted her with his horrifyingly deep laughter that was so thunderous we had to cover our ears from the sheer volume of it. Allie and I shrilled with fright as we bolted toward the front door. We both knew very well that this was not a tornado.

“RUN, MARIA, RUN!” The woman’s voice yelled out again.

“Who the hell is that?” Allie asked looking about as she frantically tried to open the front door, but it was as if it had been nailed shut. All the while, that same deep growling laughter jarred the house.

“We’ll discuss that later just open the damn door!” I yelled as I saw the middle-aged ghostly shadow of the woman urging me to leave this house quickly.

“I’m trying!” Allie screamed as the forceful booms of heavy footsteps bounced off the floors of the house, causing bits and pieces of plaster to fall from the ceiling while chandeliers and ceiling fans swayed under the intensity.

“Break the window and run!” the woman yelled. With that order, I didn’t think twice as I grabbed the small coat tree from the entryway and smashed it through the large pane of glass on the front door.

“Go!” I screamed as I shoved Allie through the opening of broken glass. My sudden ear-piercing scream made Allie jerk to attention to see what had happened to cause such a heart-stopping outcry. Before I had the chance to climb through the smashed door to escape along with Allie, the creature had grabbed hold of my ankle to knock me off my feet so he could drag me up the interior staircase. My body slammed against each step with a painful thud ricocheting through me as the beast attempted to pull me to his hideout. There was no doubt that if he got me to the attic, I was dead. He would violate me more horrendously than he ever had before and then he would kill me. There was no way I was going to let this thing have his way. I grabbed and clutched onto the railings of the steps, screaming in sheer fright as I held on for dear life. Allie was on the front porch frozen in terror.