Palindrome

Hannah

Chaos was crowding my mind, the big hall was filled with people screaming and yelling at me- I tried to focus on Samuel – ashen in his face, and what he was telling me.

“You didn’t use her name; you have to be specific in an invocation spell.”

I shook my head, confused. “I did, I used her name, I used Lilith.” Samuel grabbed my arms in a tight grip, “NO, you didn’t. Sweet Hannah, I can`t begin to understand what we might have awoken.” I went through det ritual in my head, sure I`d said the name, and a bit taken aback by Samuel`s reaction. Jafet was coming my way, and he didn’t look happy. William followed him closely, I could see his eyes sweeping over the big room, trying to understand what was happening. Jafet changed when he walked my way, the clothes shredded to pieces as the elderly man was replaced by a much bigger winged creature. I expected the others to turn as well, but they seemed happy to watch Jafet – especially Noah, he had a smug look on his face there he lingered in the background. William was torn between staying human and turning, maybe him changing into the Beast would seem like he had turned against them?

Jafet`s muscular arm went up in the air in slow motion and I saw the claws distinct against the cream-white wall behind him. I sank down on one knee and threw my arms up in a shield in front of my face without thinking. Before I closed my eyes in fear, I saw William`s shirt disappear and a vicious gleam in his eyes as he transformed in the matter of seconds. Jafet swore loudly, coursing me as he pounded on the invisible sphere I had created around me. William stopped Jafet`s swing with a grunt, sneering like an animal to his Grandfather. The whole crowd stopped, in shock over the blatant mutiny. Noah got up from his highchair, leaning on his cane, black eyes locked on William. I stood up quickly and lowered my arms, scrambling to solve this without anyone I cared about dying. Then the church bells started ringing.

It was silent for three whole seconds, before everyone erupted into talk and growling. William let go of Jafet and swiped me up in his arms, taking advantage of the confusion following the bells to get us the hell away from there. He crushed me against his chest, and in my head I could hear his voice.

Close your eyes and hold still.

I did as he told me to, and then he made a twirl, folded his wings around us and broke through the big window, shards of glass exploding over us. Two seconds later we were on the ground, and I could finally see Natan and the others. I touched William on his cheek, “Samuel! Can you get him?” He didn’t take the time to respond, he just took off at once, dropping a screaming Samuel on the ground shortly after. He hadn`t learned to spot the difference between them yet, so I had to calm him down before he regained enough dignity to thank William. The bells were still ringing, adding to the increasing chaos surrounding the house.

“HANNAH. WILLIAM!” Belinda was running our way, followed by Natan, Bridget and Benjamin, who was carrying someone in his arms. “What the fuck is happening, she just stood up and walked towards us like nothing had happened.” Belinda talked fast and I had to piece the words together in my head. “We need to get away from here, NOW.”

What was so horrifying that it could scare a Beast? I tried to calm her, but Natan distracted me. He stared at me; eyes shiny from supressed tears. Did he finally recognise me? My heart had been broken so many times the last days, I couldn’t take any more. My hand trembled when I reached for him, and he took a step towards me.

“Hannah.”

His voice, he knew me!

“Natan, I`ve missed you so much!” My voice broke, my throat was closing up.

William stayed in the background, talking low to his sister it seemed, although I could only hear her words. Benjamin had put whoever he was holding gently on the ground, but I had to concentrate on Natan now. Bridget hugged her father, talking animatedly to him and pointing.

“I`ve missed you too. I thought you were dead, just like mom and dad.” He blinked away his tears and his lips curled into a grimace. “I sat in that cellar for three years, believing you were all dead. The only thing helping me keep track of time was the times they came down to torture me.” His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at William. “And now I`m free and find you alive. In the arms of one of them.” Belinda stopped talking, her lips shaking when she processed his words. I wasn’t hurt, I was mad. “And you wouldn’t be free if it weren’t for them. How can you think so lowly of me, do you really think I would have fallen in love with someone evil?” I swung my arm out when I said the word “them”, gesturing to the three siblings. Belinda held put a hand in a stop sign to me, but he needed to hear it. It wasn’t until I saw the utter desperation in Natan`s eyes as he looked at Belinda, I realised my mistake.

“You are one of them? You said you were a servant, a help.”

A loud exclamation interrupted the standoff, Bridget fell to her knees, pointing towards the village.

“They`re coming. The Flesh has risen from the soil. The Flesh has risen from the soil.” She kept repeating the phrase, which clearly came from some deity other than herself.

The Prophecy!

William`s voice boomed in my head, what did he mean? The flesh… A page in an old book stood clear before me, “Look for the Flesh that rises from the soil.” The last line of the Prophecy. What did it mean?

An awful smell hit me, and William turned away from the stench. I saw Belinda and Benjamin gag while Samuel threw up. I felt more than saw the army of Beast gathering on the lawn to see what was happening, they all had their horned heads turned in the same direction. The screams had begun again, but instead of one person screaming, it was now dozens. Maybe hundreds. The smell of rotting flesh came closer. I reached for William, my hand drowning in his big clawed one, but I felt an electric current building between us. My eyes started glowing golden, the shine clear in the dark left before the sun broke through. I met William`s purple eyes, and wished I had the time to show him how much I loved him. As the sun glided over the horizon, I knew one thing; Something dead was coming our way.

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