The Devil's Death

Chapter Twenty Five: The Turn

The humming would not stop.
It was growing unbearable.

I'd spent the days in my hotel room trying to get rid of that awful sound.
It was more humid than any holiday destination I'd travelled to. The sky had grown worse and worse. As sandstorms filled the skies outside there was just the sounds of angry winds and the bitter brown colour of the sand in the air.

Which had only grown worse.

The fan in my room didn't help anything as I tried to sleep. I felt like all I was doing was lying there waiting for the damned humming to shut up.

...
I looked around the vast desert. For once it felt like sand wasn't getting in my eyes but now I understood why it was so hot. Around me fire burned wildly, it moved towards me dancing excitedly.

Some flickers swayed over in the wind as I heard the loud hissing of something stinging.

I took a step forward and quickly waved off the flickers that made their way over.
As I did it would seem the embers bounced off like shooting stars.
The humming persisted eerily in the back of my mind like a curse.

Moving forward I felt the fire growing more and more excited, raging and whooshing in the wind.
I moved closer though, trying to return to the shadow in the distance that was my hotel.
Getting closer and closer.... The fire continued to lash out during its dance.

The humming was fucking maddening.
Taking another step closer I found two figures dancing in the sand.
"We sat on the wall! We had a great fall!"

Moving towards them I noticed how they were of an elite family, dressed to the nines... In clothes I didn't recognise... But both looked way too excited with all the fire around...
I continued on, wondering if I could even tell them apart.

The hum continued taunting me.

I carried on ahead towards the building only to realise this place looked like the hotel but outside was a large dead tree. Blackened like the void, its branches and twigs sharp and stiff as though petrified.

A man stood underneath chopping away at it insanely with an axe, calling out curses which I could not make out.

Walking closer to him I noticed a small piece of metal drilled into the tree reading

In memory of Aldwin Gregor

It didn't dawn in then, what I was looking at, until I noticed the humming was growing louder, calling to me.

I moved towards the house, climbing up the wooden steps and noticed another man stood outside the entryway. His brow, stern expression and frown told me exactly who he was.

This was where I came from. The roots of my family.

"What are you doing here... You're not... supposed to be here. "

I looked around at the fiery sky and dead land around me.
"I can go wherever I want... I am Aldwyn Russworth."

My great ancestor's face twisted in concern.
"I know who you are... But you can not come here... Since I left the world this has been my home and you've filled it with fire with your arrival. Call it off. Call it off and you may claim shelter here. Call it off."
I rolled my eyes "You're dead though, why do you need the fire gone?"

He glowered in my direction "You think the soul can't feel? This temporary heat you've been feeling... I've been feeling from the moment you were conceived. I will not shun you from my home as you are my own family... But I must ask you... To respect me and call away your flames."

I looked back at the desert again. The hum continued calling to me.
The two idiots danced further back.
I chuckled watching how the fire both waved me towards it and reached out for me.
I reached out in turn, holding out my hand noticing that it would not settle. It waned under my physical command but did not completely dissipate.