Page 125 of Conjure
A rusty, old axe.
“What will it take for you to listen to my warning about these woods?”
I’m suddenly cold, my cheeks wet with tears. I wipe them clean, sniffling as more fall, fingers smelling of dirt and decay.
I reach out to touch the axe, feeling the wooden handle against my palm, the ancient binding symbol carved into the wood. No wonder why it’s so important to him. He hoped to kill the demon. I need to get out of here somehow. There must be a way out. I raise the Zippo, scanning the floorboards. They extend the room’s length, but I can see no visible point of entry with the dim light.
“Hello?” I call out. “Can anyone hear me? Dominic? Gwen?” Resting on my elbow, I place the Zippo in my free hand and then bang the floorboards as hard as I can. “I’m down here.”
But where ishere? Am I even at the house, or am I somewhere else entirely? No, I must be at the house. The demon wanted me to return here. Everything it set in motion was to bring me back.
“Home.”
I gasp at the whisper, then raise the Zippo as I stare beyond the dancing flame at the shadows. “Who’s there?” I barely dare breathe. My hand trembles. I grab the axe and hack at the floorboards, but it’s difficult at this angle. I fail to get any power behind the blows, and all it does is stir the dust. Coughing, I cover my mouth with the back of my arm.
How the fuck am I going to get out of here? I drop the axe and lie back before driving my bare foot into the floorboards. A frustrated scream rips from my lips. I kick again and again. When that doesn’t work, I swap feet. There must be a hatch somewhere.
I give up on kicking and dig my palms into my eyeballs. I don’t want to fucking die down here. How long can a human live without food and water? But surely, the demon didn’t kidnap me from my bed to leave me in the crawl space beneath the house? It must have a different motive.
I lost the Zippo somewhere in my struggle, so I try to find it now. I’m growing more desperate by the minute. Breathing is harder, too, but I know it’s only in my head. I’m starting to panic, and that’s never good in dire situations. I need a level head. I need to get a grip on my anxiety, or I’ll remain trapped here. But it’s easier said than done.
When my fingers finally brush against the Zippo, my only light source, I almost sob in relief.
My racing thoughts grind to a halt when I hear a whine somewhere nearby. What was that? A part of me is almost frightened to light the Zippo because I’m not sure I want to face what’s out there.
The whine comes again. It’s nearer now, and something tickles my feet. Realization dawns on me as I pull back on the Zippo.
“Bruno?” I release the sob I held back and then place the Zippo down before scuttling around the tight space. Bruno’s fur is matted and smells of a wet dog, but I’ve never been happier to bury my nose in his damp fur. “How did you get down here, boy? Is there a way out?” I scratch behind his ears while tears stream down my cheeks. If he’s this dirty, I can only imagine the thick layer of grime on me.
I cry harder as he nuzzles my face and licks my cheek. I normally find it gross, but now I’m so happy to see him. At least I’m not alone anymore. “We need to find a way out, buddy.”
Dominic
Hot pain sears through my side, but I’m lucky it’s only a shallow cut. I jump back, out of reach. Lily’s face contorts in pain as she clutches her bleeding stomach. “Go, Dominic. Run!”
“I can’t leave you here,” I grit out.
Aron circles me with the knife. His movements are slow, and his eerie grin could rival Pennywise’s on the creepiness scale. One thing is obvious: the demon is enjoying the hunt.
“Dominic…” Lily looks down at her hands, whimpering at the sight of the blood seeping from between her pale, trembling fingers. “Listen to me,” she says, lifting her gaze. “This thing?—”
A harsh laugh rips from Aron’s lips. “Thisthing?”
She ignores him, determined to make me see reason. “You saw how fast it travels between bodies just now. It’s toying with you.” She winces with pain. “You’re not safe in here.”
“Oh, but our friend here has a conscience,” Aron says, pretending to feel sorry for me. “If he walks out, you die.”
“If you touch a fucking hair on her head...”
Aron’s smile grows impossibly wide, but it’s not warm or comforting. His eyes are black as night, and his grin is hair-raising cold. It’s difficult to look directly at him because you know you’re staring into the face of evil. “You humans,” he says, sounding almost friendly. “You’re so loyal by nature. It’s very intriguing but also extremely pathetic.”
“Yeah? How so?” I ask to keep him talking and buy us time. There has to be a way out of this situation. Some way to defeat him.
“Because you all die in the end. What’s the point of love when it’s so fragile and temporary? Love will eventually kill you.” The gleam in his eyes darkens. “In fact, why don’t we up the stakes?”
“Up the stakes?” I glance at Lily.
“Yes,” he replies, drawing the word out, and something about the purr in his voice coaxes my attention back. “You can save one of them.”
