Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

After Jeb had finished the window repair at the railyard, under the watchful eyes of his father/boss, he went home to sulk about the day's events.

"Damn Morty, just had to push it didn't he. He knows how hard it is to reign in my temper and him diggin at me don't help none." Jeb grumbled aloud as he pulled onto the hill road that went by his father and sister's home and to his own further into the hills.

An older cabin built not long after the coal boom but expanded and upgraded during the decades. About 1,000 sq. ft., wooden walls and floors, modern amenities like a gas stove, in-door plumbing and electricity. A basement/cellar that spanned half of the house and expanded towards the back of the property.

The "backyard" was against a series of heavily forested hills and a creek that flowed down one hill and through his land. Though legally his property was only a few acres, in practice him and his family had free reign over much of these hills.

Few neighbors except his father and sister further down the road he came from.

His mother and wilder kin lived out in the hills.

They've always been in these hills some say.

Practicing "The Old Ways" his father called it with a mix of fear and derision.

The fact that the city never tried to take them legally even after Morty's family the Duvall's came in and started up the coalmine during the big boom a hundred odd years ago, and the fact that any of Morty's grandfather's and father's illegal methods to get them to leave or sell had a tendency to "vanish" in the hills, left a bit of an ominous air about The Hills that most folk from "outside" stayed well away from.

Does wonders during Halloween for ghost stories though.

Clive and Morty lived further in town where their higher education in Clive's case and family connections in Morty's allowed them to live closer to civilization.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Jeb pulled his old F-150 under the unfinished carport.

I should get that finished before winter gets here. Jeb thought as he climbed out and made his way into the warmth of his home.

Grabbing a quick and probably not healthy dinner Jeb then went to the basement to see about prying open that strange book from the Library, throwing the book onto his workbench he grabbed some pliers and screwdrivers intent to force it open.

Only the gold clamps that had sealed the book shut were now unlatched, and the book was opened.

It must have knocked loose when it fell on the workbench.

Jeb sat and began to read the strange book, whose pages looked so old that he feared they would crumble to dust as soon as touch them, but were as sure that even giving a firm tug failed to so much as rip a single page.

"Good, at least we won't have a repeat of the breakhouse." Jeb uttered, mood briefly soured when remembering the event.

As Jeb continued, the strange words looked both alien and familiar, hurt to read and were easy to understand. He could still find no noticeable title only pages and pages of the strange words, after flipping through the book he stopped on a passage he could decipher as simply "Sanctuary" that seemed to call to him. He found himself uttering the strange words on the page, the more he read the more confused he became and the more he understood.

They were old words and saying them aloud filled him with an ancient power.

"As I utter these words, let the Grand Exodus begin!"

"As I say these words one world has been sentenced to ruin and death and another to rejuvenation and life!"

"My power will cleave holes in the fabric of worlds!"

"My power will turn away the greedy!"

"The Selfish!"

"And the Prideful that have been the damnation of their own world!"

"My words will welcome the weary!"

"They will rally the ragged!"

"And they shall welcome them into a new home!"

"With my voice I offer!"

"SANCTUARY!"

As Jeb finished proclaiming the words a tenseness in the air he hadn't felt before broke like a thunder-clap and he fell on the floor of his basement. The lights popped and the earth shook.

After a couple minutes of doing the tried and somewhat true method of ducking under his workbench and holding himself for dear life he dared to come out from under the table.

Scared worse than one of those little dogs that fancy women like to put in their bags. Jeb thought as he fumbled for a flashlight and flicked it on.

Looking around his dark basement for a sign of anything of what might explain what the sam hell happened.

His thoughts interrupted and heart in his throat, his phone rang and after making sure he was still in his body, answered it. Having to quickly hold it away from his ear as his father was yelling on the other end, desperate to make sure that his son was ok.

"PA! Calm down I'm fine."

"Yeah, I uhhh I was hit too."

"My basement."

"No only the lights went out."

"Yeah I'm glad that you and Skeeter reinforced the foundation."

As Jeb calmed his father and headed upstairs and to bed after having enough of today he failed to notice the strange book from the Library vanish in a flash of gold light.