PROLOGUE- HELL'S PROMISE - VI

Being formed just over that things head, it lets out a scream as the fire arrows pierce our mother's body. It stumbles back, trying to pull them out, but seems to be unable to. It moves from screaming to screeching as it decides to ignore the pain and focus on us once again. I repeat the name of the spell, feeling a raging pain in my head, as more arrows spawn to pierce it. It cries out, slamming its fists into the doorframe. With the momentary window of opportunity, I grab Chloe and throw her between the thing's legs before grabbing the pocket knife and, without considering my mother's life, this thing's cries, but rather the mere best chance of survival for Chloe, I ram the pocket knife into the thing as it keeps screaming. It seems to hate the knife even more, screeching and screeching as it grabs ahold of my head and slams me against the wall. The pain that had supposedly formed from the casting of the spells is now amplified as I make an audible gasp. The sound of its disgusting chuckling makes me sick to my stomach.

With a growing feeling of spite, I stab it through the wrist and smash into its stomach before leaving it to try and collect itself as I bolt out of the kitchen and to the now open front door, Chloe waiting for me. I halt. Shit, the book! No, I can grab it when its dead. Dead, no, we need to run! Which means I need the-my thoughts are interrupted by being knocked in the head by a baseball bat that had also been left in the storage closet. All my senses snapped to black before screaming with agony as they attempted bare functionality. Falling, I try to stumble my way forward, only to feel the bat collide with my leg. I fall over promptly, feeling no feeling at all under that legs knee. I just wanna cry. This isn't fair! It's not fair It's not! I turn back and raise my hand to summon more arrows but my head refuses to respond, too much trauma taking its effect. I sit there, waiting for something else to happen, when I hear something.

"FIRE'S FALLING ARROW! FIRE'S FALLING ARROW! FIRE'S FALLING ARROW!" I could hear Chloe's voice, growing more hoarse and pained. My vision slowly coming back to me, I could make out tens of flaming arrows as they all came down upon our attacker. The obnoxious sounds of its screams pained my ears as I started to stand, the leg of mine that got hit being terribly shaky. Still, I bite my tongue to keep myself awake and aware. Watching it, I decide to hold out my hand. Overwhelm it until it dies from the agony. My frightening thought doesn't seem to terrify me as much as it should. All for Chloe.

"FIRE'S FALLING ARROW!" Over and over, I repeated those words, all my sense turning red as I felt something wet and hot gushing from my eyes and nose and mouth. More more more, till you have nothing left. I feel myself withering when two firm hands grasp my shoulders. My vision turns white as...dad is there, on his knees, looking me in the eyes. Suddenly, all the pain is gone, and all I feel is the warmth of the white. A part of me is tempted to fall fast asleep right here and now, but I resist the urge, wanting to break free from his grasp. However, rather than hurting me, he seems intent on speaking.

"Get out with Chloe."  He says, his voice firm but, not threatening. He sounds sincere. Worried. Strong. "I'll take it from here. This is my responsibility. You've both weakened it enough." He says matter of factly, before standing up, still holding onto my shoulders. "...hey, Chris...do you know how to dance?" He asks. Before I can answer, I feel him touch my head. The all consuming feeling of a truly unforgettable memory overwhelms me as I see what looks like a younger mom smiling warmly at me. "Women love a man who knows how to dance. At least with this, I can guarantee you'll be able to do it decently. Ah..." I see tears in his eyes as the memory fades. "I wonder if I had been better, if you'd be crying too." The words sound choked. I don't know how to respond. "Oh god...just one gift, for my kids...who I had to die to do right by. Please, have a wonderful life." He whispers, a smile on his face. I don't feel a thing. He turns around and I see nothing admirable. If someone has to sacrifice themselves, thank god it's you.

Once I regain control of my body, I turn and run, feeling unexpectedly rejuvenated. I run and grab my sister, seeing the blood running down her cheeks from her eyes and try to wipe it away. She insists we need to run but I shake my head, assuring her its over. One monster is about to kill another.

...

I'm a horrid excuse for a person.

"STOP THIS! GIVE ME BACK CONTROL RIGHT NOW!"

I don't have the right to act like I was ever a husband, ever a father. I was only a monster. A monster who had no idea how to handle his own broken mind.

"PLEASE, LETS LEAVE! WE DON'T NEED TO KILL THE KIDS, I WAS JUST JOKING AROUND! PLEASE!!"

But I know...I loved them. In those short moments of clarity where I hid and cried my eyes out, I knew for a fact that...I really loved my wife and kids. More than this world could contain. That's why I'll protect what's left of them, with this weird as hell book that has as little reason to exist as I do.

"YOU HYPOCRITE! YOU VIOLENT CHILD BEATING HYPOCRITE! DON'T YOU DARE ACT HIGH AND MIGHTY WHEN NOT EVEN HEAVEN COULD ACCEPT YOU!"

I draw the symbol on my hand, and hold it up above my head. As I do, I think of all those sweet little moments, where I wished I could do anything but hurt those around me. That one moment where I held each of them for the first time. When I put a ring on her finger. When I danced with her in some school's cafeteria. Goodbye, and where I'm going, may I never see any of you ever again.

"Fire's falling arrows."

...

After twenty minutes of nothing, me and Chloe reentered the house. It didn't take us long to find mom's body. Scorched and hardly recognizable. I felt Chloe holding tight to my arm. Right. From now on, we were alone. I look over, and see the book, and grab it without hesitation. The short nightmare is over, and now reality demands us to make a decision.