Charles called over the sound of rushing water, "I'll be out in a second!"
When they first turned the taps, the pipes groaned loudly, spewing out murky water. But, to everyone's relief, it took only minutes before the hot water system hummed to life, delivering a steady stream of warm, clear water.
Karn settled into a plush leather chair, the intricate leather-bound book resting in his lap. Its cover was secured with a hefty belt, its buckles puzzling and complex. As he fumbled to unlock them, footsteps echoed down the hall, pulling him from his focus.
He glanced up to find Ellie approaching, fresh from her shower. Water droplets clung to her fiery red hair, which she playfully tousled with a towel before taking a seat across from him.
“It’s not super-hot but nothing beats the feeling,” she said.
Karn absently nodded and then went back to tracing the book's buckles with his fingertips. The polished clasp was cold and smooth and was worked into interlocking slender shapes, reminding Karn of the entwined vines they’d found outside.
“I couldn’t believe just how much dirt came off… Karn?”
He looked up in a daze. “Yeah?”
“What’s that?” she asked staring at the book.
Karn slowly looked down at his mysterious prize, then shrugged. “It’s something Theo wanted me to have. I think.”
“Is that an original copy of his book?”
Karn shook his head. “I don’t think so. It looks far too old…”
Charles burst into the living room half soaked while stretching a shirt over his head. He stumbled his way through the room, then sat next to Ellie with a cheeky grin plastered over his face. His hair was still wet and dishevelled but looked energised. He plucked the old rifle he found that was leaning against the couch and flung his damp towel over it and began to scrub it roughly.
“What wrong with out one?” Ellie asked pointing to the Winchester rifle they’d been carrying for months.
“Can’t be too careful,” said Charles.
They hadn't discovered a shelter beneath the house, but they did stumble upon an old cabinet containing a single rifle. It was an unfamiliar model, and Karn suspected his uncle might have left it behind, given its worn-out condition.
“I don’t think that will get the rust off,” Karn said as he watched Charles scrub the barrel with no luck.
“Oh, come now, you’ve made the towel all dirty,” Ellie said disapprovingly.
Charles persisted in cleaning the rifle's barrel, despite the odds.
Karn shared a playful glance with Ellie and quipped, "Well, at the very least, it'll serve as a decent club."
Ellie chuckled in response, while Charles, displaying his typical stubbornness, kept his focus on the rifle.
Sighing, Karn cleared his throat, then placed the red leather-bound book on the table. Atop it sat an envelope.
Karn gestured towards the letter, then said, “I’ve already read it.”
Ellie looked between Karn, and the envelope then reached out for the letter. As her fingers accidentally brushed against the book’s cover, she yet out a little yelp.
“Ow!” She recoiled, sucking her fingers. “What the heck was that?”
Karn flinched. “What? I don’t - Are you okay?”
Ellie nodded with a tear welling up in her eye. “It zapped me.”
They all gazed at the book with suspicion.
Charles squinted, then supplied, “was it a static shock?”
Ellie glared at him, then stuck her tongue out as she carefully snatched up the envelope without touching the book.
“It’s addressed to Karn,” she said. She flipped over the envelope, revealing the thick cracked seal on its underside. “It’s so old.”
“That’s a crazy amount of wax,” said Charles.
Ellie nodded and unfolded the letter and looked taken aback. “Wow, now this is fancy.” She flashed Charles the note covered in refined calligraphy, then began to read aloud.
“My Dearest Karn.”
“I’m sorry. If you’re reading this, it means we’re worlds apart, and I’ve failed. The wars lost. I’ve entrusted Sir Theodor with the gravest task: your safety.”
Ellie looked up. “Sir Theodor?”
“Keep going,” Karn said softly.
“When you reach manhood, you shall undertake a most critical mission. A mission tied by blood. This book, now in your possession is the most dangerous weapon in existence. We strove to prevent its creation and I fear our failure is now your burden.
Trust Theodor and Alec in all things. Heed their judgement as I did.
Remember Son. I love you.”
Karn placed the blue stone on the book as his two best friends stared at him in disbelief.
“From your father?” Charles asked.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Karn shrugged, a mix of nostalgia and longing flickering in his eyes. “He died when I was young. I barely have any memories of him.”
Ellie's gaze softened as she reached out and rested her hand on Karn's shoulder, offering silent support. Her eyes then turned to the book, its crimson covers beckoning with a sense of mystery. “The book’s a weapon? What does this mean?” Ellie sounded just as confused as Karn felt.
How can a book be a weapon?
Karn paused, grappling with his own uncertainties. The weight of responsibility settled upon his shoulders as he struggled to comprehend the significance of everything.
"I wish I had all the answers, but truth be told, I'm just as confused as you guys. There's something about this book, something that connects it to my past, to my father. And now, with this stone... it feels like the pieces of a puzzle are slowly coming together..."
Suddenly, the stone resting on the book emitted a flickering blue light.
“Listen!” A strange voice interrupted them. It was deep, sounding like a heavy stone grinding over gravel. They turned to see where the voice had come from but saw no one. Suddenly, the blue stone on the book vibrated. “There’s no time. They’re coming!”
Karn and Charles' eyes met for a split second before the wall behind Ellie burst inward.
She screamed.
Splinters of wood and plaster blew into the room. Karn barely had enough time to grab the book, as the force of something slammed into the couch, sending him sprawling. The glowing stone sailed across the room, cutting off the voice along with the blue light. Looking over his shoulder, Karn saw a massive form shake itself clear of the debris.
"Ellie, stay behind me,” Charles shouted as he aimed the rifle at the monstrous humanoid.
He pulled the trigger. Nothing.
“Shit!” Charles threw the rusted club at the creature and plucked the Winchester from the ground. Without a moment of hesitation, Charles quickly cocked the rifle in one swift motion. He didn't have the luxury of carefully lining up his shot; the beast was closing in too fast. In a split second, with the monstrous form mere feet away, he pointed the rifle and fired from the hip.
The thunderous report of the gun echoed sharply in the confined space of the living room, the sound momentarily overpowering even the monster's roars. The rifle kicked back, but Charles was ready, absorbing the recoil with a slight backward step.
A spray of yellowish ichor jetted from the creature as it turned its fanged face towards Charles. The bullet hardly slowed it.
As the room filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood, Charles swiftly worked the rifle's loop, preparing for another shot. The entire encounter lasted mere seconds, but to those in the room, it felt like an eternity, their survival hinging on Charles's reflexes.
But the creature was too fast.
“Ellie!" Charles shouted as the beast slammed him aside, then rounded on the smaller target. Ellie who had already been knocked over by the initial attack, lay prone and stunned.
Karn's mind went blank as his vision turned bloodshot, while gripping the book with such intensity the knuckles on his hands turned white. Recklessly, he lunged forward, standing before the Reaper, snarling like a beast. He refused to let it take his friends.
“NO!” he shouted.
Without thinking, Karn slammed the book directly into the creature’s face. A piercing light flooded the room, exploding on impact. The monster’s skull flew back with a spray of yellow blood. A surge of energy exploded outwards, demolishing the remnants of the wall along with the monster before him.
Karn stood, mouth agape.
“What the, the…”
There was no time to think. An instant later, another side window shattered inward as an immense horse-sized creature bounded into the room. Numerous unnatural black limbs twisted and clawed at the floor. Charles spun intime to see rotten teeth lunging towards him. He pulled the trigger. A sound like thunder ripped through the room as chunks of flesh tore off the creature’s flank.
Its colossal weight thudding to the ground as it felt motionless in front of them. There was yellow blood everywhere.
"Shit!" Karn spat. "There'll be more where that came from." As to answer, a chorus of howling echoed from the darkness outside.
"There're hundreds of them," Charles said, panicked.
"We need to leave!" Karn bit back a lump in his throat. “Fuck!”
Charles knelt to pick up Ellie but froze. Long lines of blood streamed down the sides of her face. She looked dazed and slack jawed. Charles turned to Karn, tears forming in his eyes.
"What do I do?" Charles pleaded.
Karns' chest constricted and finger clenched around the book.
"Try to get her to her feet!" Karn urged.
A small flicker of movement stole his attention. The front paw of the downed horse creature twitched. A second later, it bounded upright and dove back out the window into the cover of darkness.
"The fucker wasn’t dead?” Karn swore.
The ground rumbled and threatened to knock them off their feet. Karn looked up in time to see two gigantic arms tearing through the walls. He flinched as the cupboards exploded into shards, narrowly missing them.
“What now?” Karn shouted as his vision flashed. Something had struck the two of them, sending them flying several feet through the air. “Ah!”
Karn fell hard on his face, almost losing his grip on the book. Eyes darting, he searched for an escape but only found the stone. He reached out and scooped it up. It was warm.
"Karn!" Charles shouted, pleading. “Help me!”
Karn opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, a gravelly voice reverberated within his ears. "Karn!"
Ellie screamed.
Karn turned to his friend's plea, but something snapped him back towards the book. Then a warm feeling surged over his limbs as he felt an odd urge to open the book. Karn didn’t know why but he yearned to open it. He needed to see. He had to know.
"Karn!"
A loud snap came from the roof as the gargantuan arm continued to tear at the foundations. A thick wooden beam tumbled to the ground as the monster ripped open the roof. Other beasts had appeared through the holes in the manor and had cornered Charles who clutched Ellie, shielding her from what was to come.
Karn looked up to see a malevolent form surveying the scene from above. Ellie’s voice cracked as she continued to scream. Charles swung his now empty rifle at the closest creature who quickly snatched it from his grip and tore the weapon into pieces.
"Well, aren’t you going to open it?" An unnaturally calm voice asked from within the book.
Ellie clung to Charles, who snarled, striking out at a beast with his bare hand.
Karn turned away from his two best friends as time slowed. His fingers traced over the cover, feeling the intricate embroidery embedded in the rich, red leather. His hand curved around the clasp, which fell to the floor.
The book snapped open.
A flash of light burst from the page and time stopped.
His vision flickered. There was something behind the worn pages – profound and infinite. A sudden ringing flooded his ear with pain as the universe vibrated and the house shattered, dissolving into blurry shapes. The book in his hands burned white hot, bursting into flames.
Karn screamed in pain as the flow of time continued.
Ellie's eyes rolled to the back of her head while dark lines of blood trickled down her side from her ears. She clawed at Charles who swore uncontrollably, disregarding the monsters to hold her.
Karn's ears popped.
A bright light flew from the pages of the book and struck the large animal beside Charles. It instantly disintegrated in a shower of ash. Karn closed his eyes. But in the darkness, the book's light shone even brighter. The book was invading his mind, and to him, the book was the only thing that existed.
The gravelly voice returned.
“Now!” It demanded. “Take control.”
A burst of instinct drove him. Karn grimaced and struggled to force the book closed. Pain shot up his fingers and continued through his arms. The book was fighting back. His hands burned. The pain was too much. He wanted to give up. He wanted to let go.
Tears blurred Karn's vision as he screamed. Through the haze, he saw his friends smeared with blood, on the verge of death. About to suffer the same fate as everyone else — the same fate as Uncle Theo.
Anger surged within him, and determination gripped him.
"Close damn you!" he roared, locking his arms around the book.
“Fucking, close!” he yelled. His voice cracked with desperation.
Using every ounce of strength left in him, he slammed the covers shut. Just before everything faded to black, Karn's eyes locked onto his friends one last time.