Italy, July 2018
The moon-washed walls of the monastery bestowed no refuge in the darkest hour Assisi had seen since before the world was moulded in the palms of their Lord. The screams of the village tore through the wind outside as the very manifestation of their nightmares crashed through the barricades in place and set foot on the consecrated ground. The monks had prayed, but even their God dared not to interfere with the wrath of something drenched in such unadulterated evil.
"She has arrived," Marco asseverated, crossing himself gravely and scattering the herbs.
It was an unnecessary observation; everybody could feel it. They could feel it in the very core of their being; the impenetrable fear that devours when hope is but a wisp of smoke left clinging to the last of a candle wick.
"What are we to do?" the young monk, Francis, said, trying like he wasn't on the verge of throwing up.
"We knew that she would find it; we knew that this day would come. Now, all there is left to do is perform the ritual."
The triple-bolted door shuddered under the impact of the force slamming itself into it.
The monks sat cross-legged in a circle around the emerald-coloured orb, biting down their terror and beginning to chant.
"De industria in carne," they murmured. "Invenire interfectorem."
Thud. Thud.
"The Beast is too strong! There is no hope for us!" Francis exclaimed.
"There is still hope, even if we must die defending what she desires!" Marco said. "Keep chanting!"
"Disiserunt defendant nos clavem!"
A crack zig-zagged down the centre of the door and the hinges strained.
"De industria in carne!"
The undulating mass of green energy flickered for a moment before diminishing in a flash of light.
The door splintered and the Beast stepped inside.
"Where's my Key?" she said, scanning the room.
The monks did not move, nor speak.
"WHERE THE HELL IS IT?" she shrieked, reverberating the stone walls.
As she charged towards them they should have been pleading for mercy, but they felt nothing but a profound sense of peace in the knowledge the fate of the world was saved. At least for now.
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The Key
FanfictionWhen Maisie Woodgate gets unexpectedly accepted at Sunny Falls College, she doesn't think that it will be long before she gets kicked out again for burning down another campus building. What she doesn't know is that Sunny Falls is on a Hellmouth, an...
