15-Day Writing Challenge

Day 1: The Summoning

Day 1: A Magic Room And Your OC. Think About: What Is The Room? What Kind Of Person Is Your Character? What Is In The Room/What Does The Room Do?

There's a room in a hotel in New York City...

Arya grinned. That line from a Fall Out Boy song had clued her in on her future, and she'd never been one to run away. Head on, she faced her fate. It had taken her several years of bribery, blackmail, and murder to get the small slip of ancient paper she now held in her hand, the address to the hotel written in cramped script on the back. And now, she was finally here.

As she stood in front of the hotel, grinning like a maniac, she attracted several stares from the curious streetwalkers. With her thick, jet black hair that flew around her on an invisible breeze and her blood red lips, now curled in a mixture of excitement and disdain, she was a hard one to miss. But the passerby could sense the dark aura radiating off of her, filling the air with heaviness, and they knew to keep away. When they caught her menacing glances, they quickly looked down, eyes on the pavement, and shuffled to another part of town to loiter.

Only two people didn't seem afraid of her. A pair of twins -- a boy and a girl, about 8 years old, shabby-looking and wide-eyed -- made their way towards her, clinging onto each other in the cold. "Are you a princesth?" The boy asked with a lisp.

As if she had only noticed them when he spoke, Arya looked down at the twins. She took in their dingy clothing and clueless expressions with derision. "Hardly."

"Then are you the devil?" The girl spoke this time, with much more suspicion  than her brother had.

Arya grinned again. "Now, little girl, you might be on to something." She made to push them away, as she had a job to do. But...they could be useful. The summoning called for sacrifice, and these twins might just make it more fun.

"Who are you?" The girl insisted on an answer.

"Well, you'll just have to tag along and find out, won't you?" She carefully took one of each of their hands and led them into the hotel. The twins -- she had learned their names were Beth and Benji -- followed dutifully, though Beth -- smart little bitch -- didn't trust her. No on stopped Arya as she stormed into the hotel. No one could.

The hotel room was more dilapidated than the rest of the them. The edges of the door were being taken over by a black growth, spiraling inwards. It was numbered 669. 669? Oh, it seemed that lack of upkeep had made the third number turn upside down. It didn't matter now.

As Arya approached the door, it gave a little creak and swung open. She felt a small smile appear on her lips. The presence had been waiting.

Benji began, as he tried to back away, "I don't wanna --"

"Get in there, kid." She pushed them both into the room, digging her nails into their backs. Benji cried out in pain, but she quickly silenced him. She had waited too long for this, and she was not about to let an idiotic child make her wait any longer. She stepped in after them, and a gust of wind blew through the hall, shutting the door. Arya surveyed the room to see the twins cowering in the corner. Let them cower. Humans always were too afraid. Besides, she had to prepare. Out of thin air, she conjured the things she needed. Then, she drew the inverted pentagram on the floor in chalk. The children were uncomprehending, watching her in frightened awe as she flew through the motions with familiarity and purpose. When she finished, the symbol lit up in a brief flash of light, and then she began to chant in a low voice.

Augmentum puerus infernia, augmentum puerus inferia, augmentum puerus infernia

Her voice rose to a shout, and the inverted pentagram burst into flames. Black cracks appeared on the walls, advancing into the center of the floor, the center of the pentagram.

"Come here, children," Arya called to them. "It's your time to shine." They remained frozen stiff in the corner, unable to move out of sheer terror. "Benji, darling, be a good little boy and come closer. I want to show you something." As if in a trance, he made to get up and shuffle closer, but his sister clutched him harder and refused to let him go. Arya lost all patience. She made them come, and they came. An invisible force dragged them to her. She conjured an athame and grabbed the boy's hand. Still hypnotized, he didn't resist when she cut a line in his palm and dripped the blood into the fire. She did the same to a resistant Beth, whose scream she drowned out. The fire burned hotter, whiter.

Augmentum puerus infernia, augmentum puerus infernia, augmentum puerus infernia!

The crackle, snap became magnified, and through the cracks in the walls, black substance began pouring forth. It surrounded the edges of the room, blocking out all but Arya, the twins, and the flaming pentagram. Out of the symbol, dark smoke slowly took form, rising higher and higher.  A head -- a large snout, teeth like a wolf's, and glowing red eyes with the fires of Hell raging inside. The body -- strong, muscular front and back legs, thick fur blacker than night, and overall, an aura of evil and menace.

Arya smiled. "Welcome to Earth, my servant." The demon bowed to her, then turned to the only life forms in their presence, stalking nearer. Arya suddenly remembered them. "Beth, Benji," she gestured to them, "meet The Hellhound."