The Burning Man

The Burning Man.

And so it begins:

The dull light of the candle flickered in the Septembers evening air, Molly was slowly making her way up the stairs to head to her bed, she wasn’t feeling too well after the meat she had just ate for her supper, and she was subsequently excused from her chores by father. Her nightgown hung down her legs almost touching her ankles and it was heavy to walk in. Molly could hear her Mother busy cleaning up in the kitchen, the sound of the clinking glasses could be heard resonating up the stairs. Molly rested the candle by the side of her bed and fumbled around a little for the bible that her parents had gotten her for her birthday, she could only muster up the strength to read a couple of verses, but Molly thought to herself that a couple of versus was better than nothing at all. After she had read a little from the book of Isaiah she climbed in to her bed and pulled the sheets up over her young Thirteen year old body, she was starting to shiver and the lack of energy she had was draining what little spirit she had left for the day. The wind outside was starting to pick up and the noise of the barn door banging with each gust was like the beating of a soldier boys drum heading in to battle, it was somewhat relaxing to hear and before long Molly was drifting off in to the land of sleep.

John Reynolds was sitting in his usual chair by the blazing fire that was warming the small living room in the three roomed timber house that he shared with his wife and his daughter Molly. The reflections of the fire that were dancing in the small but modest room, were like court jesters doing a dance for their king, sporadic crackles and sparks occasionally jumped out on to the floor. John was busy sucking on his tobacco pipe and supping on a healthy glass of whiskey, while his wife Jane was busy mending the numerous holes that were in her daughters dress. It’s a harsh night out there Jane my love, John said to his beloved wife of twenty two years, indeed it is John but we are in the best place. John gave a wry smile and took a deep sip of his whiskey, ahhh he said that will warm the bones he said to himself as the amber fluid seeped down in to his stomach. The crash was loud, John turned around quickly spilling the remains of his drink on the floor, what the hell was that. John rushed over to the window and peered out in to the blackness of the night, he could see that the wind was so violent that it had virtually ripped the door off the barn. Oh Christ he said, John Reynolds Don’t you dare take our good lords name in vain, came the stern voice of Jane who had put her needle and thread down on the floor beside her. I’m sorry Jane, I’m going to have to go out there now and try and fix it, and John was seriously annoyed. I’ll go get Molly, Jane said in a hurried voice she can help us, No leave her, it’s not a night for any man to be out there let alone a thirteen year old kid, and besides she was not feeling good and this will only make it worse. Grab you coat and hat Jane I’ll go get the hammer and nails. The door slammed shut behind them, Jane turned her head against the wind to try and shield her face from the pelting rain, her feet were already soaked, and her dress was dripping. They both fought their way over to the barn. John had grabbed the timber that was now in bits on the ground, I’ll get the first nail in Jane you just hold it so it doesn’t blow away on me, Ok John, Jane said, her voice muffled by the sound of the howling wind . As John began to hammer like a madman to try and keep the barn door from coming away completely, he was quickly startled by a voice that shouted in his ear, it wasn’t Jane’s voice and it was one that he had never heard before. Turn Around came the deep voice blocking everything else out that John could hear. As John turned his head towards Jane he could see something standing on the top of the house roof. What the hell, John could hardly believe what he was seeing. A man or a something that resembled a man was standing poised looking down at John and Jane, his face darkened by the cruelty of the night that was in it. Jane look, Jesus look, John screamed, there is somebody on our roof. Jane dropped her end of the plank of wood that she had been holding for John, and quickly looked to the roof. The thing on the roof pointed towards the both of them, its grimy hand a darkened silhouette against the angriness of the night’s sky. John what is it, Janes voice was trembling hard. Suddenly, the creature laughed, its vile cackle could be heard over the sound of the storm. Die, Die, Die, the words cut through John and Jane like a butcher’s knife. The creature raised its head to the sky and burst in to flames, the fire engulfing like an inferno and lighting up the night’s sky with flames shooting from its mouth. Jane fell to her knees, her tears muffled by the sound of her wretched cries, it’s the devil she screamed it’s the devil. The burning creature lowered its hand and pointed towards the window. Oh Jesus Christ no, John suddenly remembered Molly. The lick of flames shot out from the burning creatures hand and quickly the timbers of the house were ablaze. Jane screams echoed through the wind. The roof of the house creaked and moaned with the intensity of the fire, and within a matter of seconds the whole house was alight. John rushed towards the front door in a vain attempt to get his daughter out of the burning house. The flames reached out for him like the hands of Satan himself and as he got nearer to the door, the roof came crashing down. Burning shards of molten timbers exploded through the windows of Johns home. John was thrown violently backwards and he hit the ground hard. His face was scorched and his hair was charcoaled, his chest heaving as he tried to gasp for air. By now Jane was in fits of hysteric’s on her knees shouting for her God to help her, flailing her hands to the rain swept night. Her screams for her daughter Molly deafened by the noise of the chaos that was in front her. John rolled on to his stomach, his hands stinging as the blisters that were forming from the burns began popping under his own weight. John tried to get up. The demon that was on the roof of Johns house was now floating in mid-air, its eyes staring at John like the chasms of hell itself. Now you die, the demon screamed, its voice like a demented banshee making what little hair john had left on the back of his neck stand on end. The demon stood ten feet away from John. John’s eyes were burning with stinging sweat and heat off the flames. The demon walked towards John, its laugh haunting to the dead of the night. John raised his hand to shield his face from the scorching flames. The demon stopped and put out his hands. John began to rise up from the ground, the searing heat ripped through his bones, his skin melting, and dripping on to the muddy soil underneath him. John closed his eyes the pain to unbearable to withstand. The pupil of John’s eye exploded in flames, its juices spraying the night’s air with its jelly like consistency. Johns melting body slumped to the ground, the skin bubbling in gaseous pustules and erupting with force as it met the coolness of the ground below it. John’s lifeless body smouldered in flames and was laid victim to the elements of the storms caress. By now Jane was in a psychotic trance like state, she had dragged herself towards the broken barn door and was now sat up just staring in front of her, no words came from her mouth and the only movement from her was the occasional blink and the rhythmic breathing of her chest.

The demon with its outstretched grasping hand, pointed towards Jane. Now you die came the screeches from the things mouth. Jane didn’t move, she could only look upon with horror at the grotesque creature in front of her.

The sudden screams that pierced the through the howling wind and rain brought Jane back to her senses. Her eyes were quickly diverted back over to her house which was by now well ablaze. Jane looked on with horror as she watched the windows to her daughter’s bedroom explode in a ball of fire and smoke. The words Molly whispered from her burnt cracked lips. The flaming demon was cackling loudly and almost was upon Jane who was still cowering on the muddy yard floor. The heat from the demon was so hot that Janes dress was starting to smoke with every step that he walked closer to her.

The light came from behind him, its aurora so powerful and immense that it stopped the creature in its tracks. The demon stopped and quickly looked around only to be confronted by the daughter Molly. Janes eyes were streaming with tears now and she could hardly believe what she was witnessing. Her daughter, Molly, was floating down from her ravaged bedroom, her ghost like appearance like a lost diamond in the crevasses of the storms eye. Molly looked upon her mother and smiled, its ok mother. Jane was shaking uncontrollably yet she felt calmness inside of her, she knew she should be distraught but for some reason she felt peace within herself. Molly put her hand out towards the demon. The intensity in the creatures eyes were vilified by the oncoming angel. The burning creature grimaced with hate and screamed at the thirteen year old girl standing in front of him. Molly bowed her head and closed her eyes. The blinding white light shot through the creature, like a hunter throwing a spear, the demon arched its back in pain as light seeped through every crack of its body. Flames reached out from it cinder like eyes in the shape of purgatories souls Jane had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the light. Be gone to hell Molly exclaimed, her voice like a million whispers rolled in to one danced across the monotone of the dying storm. The creature fell to its knees; flames licked the night’s sky and whirls of smoke bellowed out from its head. Molly raised her hand heaven wards, the storm clouds thick and heavy parted as the essence of God himself seemed to penetrate through them. Noooooo, the demons screams cutting the air like a butcher’s knife; it flipped it head backwards before four arms lifted him upwards. The two angels were either side of him, their ghost like appearance shimmering through the roughness of the night. In a whirl of light the angels shot to the sky, the demon no longer burning now was encased in a ring of blue light and was limp. Jane watched with teary eyes as the enigma that was the angels and the demon disappeared through the parted clouds. The light quickly faded and the clouds formed again in to one.

Molly walked towards her mother, who was still seated on the ground, its ok mother God has sent me to do his work, blinded by tears Jane got up from the ground and hurriedly walked towards her daughter. Molly oh Molly came the cracked weakened voice of her mother. The moment of time was disturbed as the burning timbers of Jane’s roof split and came crashing down in on itself. Jane stood motionless, eager to try and grasp some form of notion as to what had just happened.

The two souls stood side by side, John and his daughter Molly held hands and gazed upon the bedraggled woman. I will always love you came the symphonic voice of her husband. Goodbye mom. The wind had died down and the rain had stopped. The glare of the embers of the burning building behind them was casting many shadows on to the sopping wet gravel. John and Molly held each other before the light pierced through the cracks of reality. They looked upon Jane and in the blink of an eye they were gone.

Paddy 02.07.18

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