MYSTober 2024

31 vignettes based on single-word prompts. One story.

30. Refuge

Mordecai cowered behind the lectern that supported his Bible, as a barrage of banging and scraping came from the barred church doors. The flickering flames in the braziers, burning to provide light and warmth at this late hour, seemed to shake with every impact. An ungodly scream from the beast outside permeated the space.

The Monster had come for him.

When the church had been built, Mordecai's great-grandfather had insisted that the doors be made from wood and open freely, so that the warmth of God would be open and welcoming to all. Now, under siege from that thing, Mordecai regretted that decision as if it were his own.

The doors creaked. Then a large splinter snapped off of one of them with a loud *crack*. Mordecai fled to his chamber and crawled beneath the desk. "God of all comfort, our very present help in trouble, be near to me. Look on me with the eyes of your mercy."

More bangs. More cracks. Then a long, ominous *creak*. The air grew still. The Monster was inside.

It yelled. Low – guttural. A scream of unbridled rage. Mordecai shook in fear. It yelled again – louder. Closer. It was coming for him. "Comfort me with a sense of your presence; preserve me from the enemy; and give me patience in my affliction."

The still air filled with the sound of heavy breaths from the other side of the desk – it was in the room with him. He raised his crucifix to his lips and kissed it. Then the desk was gone – tossed aside like so much paper. Towering above the cowering priest was a dark Figure, impossibly tall in this enclosed space, looming over him.

He scurried back against the wall. Gaining distance from the thing made it seem smaller, though no less menacing. Gradually, the proportions of its limbs began to make sense. All at once he realized the thing in front of him was not an eldritch beast, but a man. Lucifer has come for me.

He held the crucifix out before him. "Stay back, Satan! Embodiment of evil. I cast you out from this place!"

The Figure leaned forward over him. "Empty words, coming from you. You are the only one on this island more evil than those who made me a Prisoner for half of my life."

"Whoever you are, what you're doing is wrong. You're clearly sick, deluded, deranged!"

"You once called me special."

Mordecai felt his eyes widen as he realized who was in front of him. "Jacob?"

Jacob closed the distance between them in two quick steps. "What a wonderful day it is!"

MYSTober 2024

Table of Contents

30. Refuge