Confessions of a Demonically Possessed Librarian

Part 7 - A Chase By Moonlight

Creaky old shutters rattle like alarm bells as the dishevelled old coot makes a break for it.

I can feel the excitement from the spirits of the house, they want to get hold of him as much as I do. A wayward son brought home. Brought home to die, but whatever. The line between alive and dead really didn't have to be the big fucking deal all the normies made it out to be.

Sure, in this case we're talking about his soul being ripped from his body and replaced by the rotten patriarch of this place. So yeah, maybe he was smart to run. Although if he knew the extent of my power, maybe he wouldn't want to test my patience like this.

The guy couldn't know how much fun I'd have chasing him down.

I hear the spirits chanting his name. "Ralph! Ralph! Ralph! Ralph! Ralph!"

Let's give them a show!

Curtains bellow and doors burst as I set off. Harnessing the energy from the house and grabbing my ornate wooden clogs as I race through the entrance. Kicking off the white flats I wore to do my human work and slipping them on with only some amount of difficulty. While shaped and designed with my feet in mind, the material isn't exactly giving. Still, it is the wood that's key to their purpose.

Leaping forth from the porch I sail through the night. Broomsticks are so passe. Some might say clogs are too, well I like the little points on the end so fuck 'em.

It took me a long time to perfect my balance to glide through the air from the tips of my toes. Training as a ballerina for a spell when I was younger certainly helped. The calf workout is immense, but worth it for the effect of Super-witching after my prey.

The stuttering and stumbling old man stood no chance. I swoop above the treeline for a second to howl at the moon before plunging through. Swiping at him from the darkness, he lets out a delightful shriek.

Laughing so hard I nearly impact with a nearby tree, my control over the surrounding woodland is too strong to allow that to happen of course. This is too much fun! I must give him at least a few more frights before I take him down.

After several near misses with satisfyingly accompanying screams each time, I grow a little tired of the game. Crazy old Ralph has slowed by now, stamina giving out and aged skin soaked with salty sweat. Desperate dash becoming a wheezing shuffle.

I float up to him, leaning back in repose.

"Now Ralph, why did you run from me hmm?"

He tries not to look. Unable to help himself, with a glance, he steals a glimpse of my burning emerald eyes. They promise a poisonous end for anyone who dare trifle with me. My medusa stare almost paralyses him on the spot. It must take a great resolve to turn his head forward and keep trudging through the underbrush in vain.

"Listen, I am taking you back with me whether you like it or not. So, you might as well make it easy for yourself and come willingly."

There is an immense sense of power in knowing you could simply force someone to do something at any time, and instead get them to submit to you. They have no choice either way, yet it's satisfying to know they recognise their place in the matter. Then again, this demented codger who'd been stalking me since I moved to this town might not be able to get that through his scrambled brains.

"Ralph! You will be coming back with me! End of story, namely yours!"

The hunched and wrinkled mess continues plodding and panting, muttering to himself between breaths.

"That's quite enough of that!" I tell him.

I hover in place, conjuring up the correct level of concentration and will to manifest the spell I require. Muttering my own set of unintelligible words, at least to the uninitiated. A twinkling of fireflies emerge from my fingertips, sailing through the air and into the ears and eyes of the deluded dickweed.