Surrounded Giveaway: Surviving The Night
Posted by Karen
Hey everyone! Today we’re featuring the entry sent in by Nick (winner of our Creative Ward Uses Giveaway). It’s long enough to be a short story, but definitely worth the read!
Didn’t want to have to do this, but little other choice. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hope he’ll forgive me. But I know in my heart he most likely won’t.
I coax the Thomas the Tank Engine out of his hand, and throw with all my might at the biggest throng of demons. The wail that erupts from him fills the demons heads with pain, and puts Rojers fiddling to shame. Noah, 2 years old, and no volume control. Don’t call it the terrible two’s for nothing.
Knowing it’s only a temporary relief I move on to the next part of my plan.
“Julie, I need you to load up Spotify” My wife of four years. She still looks just as beautiful as the day I met her. My best friend in the world. I can see the thoughts running through her head. She stares at me as though I’m crazy. Which I probably sound. “Just do it” I hiss at her. I see her hand moving on her phone, and need to trust her.
“Jack,” I say to my oldest, he’ll be 7 in a couple of months, I’m determined he’ll live to see it. He’s staring, transfixed, at the copse of wood demons. I hiss his name again. This time he looks at me, but his eyes are glazed over.
“Remember Tae Kwon Do?” I say to him. He nods mutely at me. “Remember how that taught you to be brave, even when you were sparring with the bigger boys?” He nods again. “I need you to be brave again tonight” I can see he’s coming back to me, his eyes now have more focus, less wild eyed.
“You remember that baiters trick I taught you?” Understanding dawns in his eyes, and he slowly begins to sway from side to side. He nods at me, takes a deep breath to steel himself, then begins the shuffling dance from side to side. The nearby demons take notice, and begin following his steps. One, two, they can’t take their eyes off him.
I turn to my wife. She’s been busy on her phone the whole time. You need to play “the song of waning” by Rojer, Amanvah & Sikvah.
All of this has bought me some time. It has to be enough. I rake through Julies bag, and pull out the sheets of paper and crayons she keeps in there. Got to have something to keep the kids amused at a moments notice.
The whole time I’ve been putting my plan into action one hand has been manipulating my phone, till I was on the Wikipedia page for The Demon Cycle. I start rapidly copying wards onto the paper with the crayons, careful not to make any mistakes, knowing the slightest one could be the difference between life and death. Within minutes I have a working circle. Just in time, as the effect of the song of waning seems to be wearing off.
A wind demon swoops down, seeing Noah as an easy target to steal away, and is knocked back by my crude ward circle. Nearby demons lunge at the circle, but are all knocked back. One last idea, I look for the fighting wards. Got to love Wikipedia. Loading one up on my phone, I hold it out experimentally. A rock demon takes a swipe at the circle, but meets my phone instead. He howls in pain, and backs off.
It’s going to be a long night, there’s no doubt about that. But armed with a terrible two’s temper, Song of waning courtesy of Spotify, a highly trained Tae Kwon Do warrior able to distract them with his dancing, and fighting wards on my phone, we have a chance of making it. -Nick
That was a wild ride from start to finish! It’s amazing how many elements were integrated into this entry. I think this is a great plan, Nick. You’ll definitely survive the night!
If you haven’t commented yet, you still have some time! Responses to the Surrounded Giveaway will be accepted until TONIGHT (9/23). The winner will be announced Tuesday (9/29).
You can order your copy of The Skull Throne here!
That was a great story, one I enjoyed very much – well done (it reminded me of when my three were that age, 2- 7 years old I mean)