A Nation of Demons

Part 2

At last, I reached the summit of Mortem Mountain. Hungry, cold, and sleep-deprived, I dragged myself across the snowy plateau until I was face-to-face with an icy cave. In my trembling hand I held the only means of defense I had—a plastic spork. I gripped the deformed utensil, pointing it towards the mountain's gaping mouth, hoping that somehow this useless piece of rubbish would save me from the Demons who took my friends.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. I stood there, petrified by the thought of what was lurking in the shadowy depths before me. Memories of that night in the grocery store, the night that abominable thing attacked, played through my head like a movie.

...

"So what'd you think of the movie?" Stacy said.

"Eh, it was alright," Joseph shrugged. "Just like every other DC movie I've seen."

"LAME!" Sam bellowed.

"Yeah," Harri said, "DC sucks! They keep making movies so they can stay popular, but Marvel's already got them beat a million to none. I mean, like, name one good movie DC produced."

"WONDER WOMAN!!!" Stacy, Max, and I said in unison.

"Oh, right," Harri muttered, after which Sam playfully swatted at the back of his head.

"Besides," I said, "what really matters is that we had fun."

"Oh brother, here she goes again!" Sam said, rolling his eyes.

"What?" I asked innocently. "All I'm saying is that we should stop making such a big deal out of everything and just enjo–"

"Speaking of making a big deal out of things," Stacy said, "the wind is picking up and it's getting a little chilly. Can we please go inside somewhere?"

"Sure," I chuckled. We meandered down the street to a convenience store. Sam, being the gentleman he always is, held the door open for us. The lights were all on, but there wasn't a soul in sight. As soon as Sam stepped through the door, the wind slammed it shut with a loud bang that made Stacy and I jump. We turned around to see nothing but pure white outside the doors.

"What the cheese? How can there be a blizzard? We were just outside 5 seconds ago and there was barely even a flurry!" exclaimed Stacy.

"Calm down. I'm sure it's noth–" Joseph begins.

The lights went out with a pop. Then it happened, a bright light had shone through the door and next thing I knew there was a gigantic hand with six pale, slender fingers protruding from the window, thrashing about the neatly stocked shelves. We all scattered towards the back of the store, but it wasn't long before the giant hand greeted us once again.

I tried to run to Sam, who was crouched a couple aisles down, but the hand came crashing down between us, knocking me off my feet. It didn't take long before it found everyone but myself locked in its grasp and began to retreat through the hole it had made in the wall just moments earlier. I tried to go after it, but I couldn't move. My foot was stuck under one of the fallen aisle walls. All I could do was watch helplessly as my friends were carried off by this abomination of a creature.