The church bells chimed seven times as the last entrails of light faded from the horizon. As the bells faded, all was still. The only noise came from the street lamps as their flames danced in the growing darkness. Caddonwell was a small and quiet town. The church was the largest building, towering over the buildings huddled around it like a stout guardian. Beyond the few blocks that made up the town, the main road – more of a dirt trail really – winded into the woods.
The sounds of night began to gather around Caddonwell as Thomas, the pastor, stepped out into the cool evening air, closing the door to the church behind him. He stepped down from the church, pacing slowly out into the town square. He inhaled deeply, then began to walk with purpose.
He clutched his robes around him as a sudden wind sent a shiver through his old bones. He walked quickly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure none saw his departure. He quickly jogged up the road, making his way towards the woods. He only slowed once he reached the goat path. Pushing branches aside he stepped through the trees, making his way into the forest.
His hands began to shake as he approached the place he had found. He stopped at the last tree before the clearing, then fished through his robes to grab his cross. Hands shaking, he removed it, and hung the strap from a low hanging branch. The iron cross twirled and danced in the wind as Thomas's hand left it.
It was very dark. He was far from town. The only light filtered through the treetops from the heavenly stars above. Thomas stepped into the clearing. The large stone slab was still there, black as midnight. He stepped forwards carefully, as if walking over broken glass.
He stood motionless for what felt like hours as he reached the dark stone. Then he finally gathered the courage to speak in a shaky voice "Hello? I have done as you asked... I drew it just as you instructed..." He paused, swallowing nervously as sweat began to cover his brow. "...are you there?" There was the cracking sound of a twig breaking from back towards the trees. Thomas whipped around with a start.
It was standing there. The creature he had met. The creature who instructed him. It was tall. Close to eight feet Thomas estimated. It was thin, and its limbs were slightly too long for its body. The legs bent backwards like those of a wolf. It was wearing some sort of mask... or was that its face? It looked like it was wearing the skull and antlers of a large deer over its head. It was fully nude. Its torso and abdomen was that of a young woman. One of its long spindly arms was outstretched. It had broken off the twig Thomas's cross hung from. It was holding the twig in its fingers. Each finger was over a foot long, ending in a six inch nail.
