All the Angels and Saints

Short Story by Luke Hannon

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It was the end of September... or maybe the beginning of October; the leaves were falling from the trees. Jordan swiftly walked along the carpeted forest trail, trying his best not to panic, to look behind him. He knew it was out there somewhere, hovering above, but he couldn’t let it sense his awareness. It had followed him here and now everything was at stake. His life, the lives of everyone he knew and cared for, they were all forfeited if he faltered. And so, he kept his head down and kept on walking.

He was close now to his destination, only a few hundred metres more; he visualised his vital goal. Yet in his haste, and the darkness of the passage, Jordan failed to notice a large rock situated on the ground ahead. He only realised his error as he placed his weight down upon it and his left leg buckled beneath him. He fell hard. The thud created by his sudden impact resounded in the air around him, and he cursed his horrid luck. Before he could even regain his feet, the forest around him was illuminated with light. Jordan began to run.

Glancing behind him, Jordan could see it. A floating beast of human skulls, thousands of them, all arranged in hundreds of concentric circles spiralling around. The eyes stared down at him, their fiery pupils licking at the air, and it was rapidly gaining on him. As Jordan’s feet pummelled the ground, he resolved to beat this monster, this Saint, and be free of its horrible rule... or die.