Highland Photographs

Lamashtu

  I screamed.

  Or, at least, I meant to. But my mouth just hung open, no sound coming out.

  My Aunt.

  The one who took David away from me.

   As I realised that, I saw red. I tried to fling myself at her, but I suddenly remembered my predicament.

  The water was up to my neck. I widened my eyes at her. "I'm going to drown! Help! You can't just stand by and let me die!" she smiled, and her eyes glinted in the dark.

  "But it must be you," she said, and that was all.

  The water had slowed its rising, but I still had only around three minutes before the room would be filled.
  I spun back around to the wall. It made no sense. I screamed a little, and the thing behind me chuckled. Tuning her out, I started to press on the wall, on the pictures, between the pictures, on each stone. The water had reached my chin. I gulped in a breath. And held it.

  There was another giggle behind me and I started to panic, flailing about. I pumped my legs, trying to stay above water, but I was already at the ceiling. She whispered, "If you leave this room they'll be able to find you," but I had no choice. I swam rapidly over to the stairs and burst out at the top. The spirits were all there and I watched as their hopes shattered. 

  A dark shadow gathered behind the spirits. I stumbled back as legions of infernal demons poured forth, towards where the spirits couldn't stray. I had a split second to decide- run, leave the spirits; the demons probably couldn't hurt them. Or, I could stay and try to talk my way out of this.

  I knew the right choice. I knew the consequences of choosing either. And yet I still ran. 

  My humanity ripped out of me, and was left back there with the spirits I had literally thrown to the hellhounds. Tears streamed out of my eyes and I cursed my over-active tear ducts. I tried to tell myself I had done the right thing, that there was no other option, that I couldn't talk down Lucifer, King of Hell. And I believed that. I couldn't have. but that didnt change the fact I'd left them. In that moment, I knew that fact would stay with me for the rest of my life.

  The cold, unforgiving stone beneath my feet quivered, ever so slightly.

  Booming laughter chased me down the looping, identical hallways. But I could see light at the end of the tunnel. So I reached for it. The laughter grew and grew and grew, and surrounded me jumping and springing off the walls until it enveloped me completely.

  Presently, the roof fell in.

  A swarm of black and earthy green wasps clouded in front of me, flapping their wings at the rubble  

Then they killed me and satan took over my body and destroyed earth.