Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 065

Were they being cut off?

"Where's the crystal ball?" she asked when she entered the front room. It sat on one of the end tables on a small golden ring that cradled it. She picked it up and blew her hot breath on it.

"Ratu? I need to speak with you right away." Every time she had used the ball until now, the naga had appeared in a matter of minutes. There would be a swirl of purple smoke as the crystal connected to the other side, and then she would appear.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked. Beth held a finger to her lips.

"Ratu? Can you hear me?" She gave the ball a shake. For just a moment, there was a wisp of smoke, followed by the sound of a distant voice. Then nothing.

"Lily, we're being cut off," she said, then set the ball down. "Whatever that thing is out there, it isn't just calling for help. It's isolating us!"

"Fuck!" Lily's shout startled Kisa awake. As she rolled off of the couch and onto the floor, Tink was also startled awake. The goblin tumbled to the floor and landed gracefully on her face.

"We need to check on the others." Beth pointed at Lily. "I need you to see if you can get to the greenhouse. Kisa, check the Library. I'll see if I can open the Labyrinth."

She shot up the stairs before anyone could object, her heart pounding. Once in her room, she felt the first hot tear roll down her cheek as she grabbed the knob of the closet and entered the secret combination that would activate the magic and allow her to enter the cave.

When she opened the door, it was still just a closet.

"No," she whispered, taking a step back. Frozen in terror, she heard Kisa yell from down below.

"It's not opening," she cried up the stairs. "When I pull out the book, nothing happens."

No no no no no. Beth practically threw herself down the stairs and slid across the floor as she entered the office. Kisa was pulling down books frantically as Tink stood by, her features twisted up in horror.

"Magic book is broken," she whispered, then handed it over to Beth.

"How? How is this even possible?"

"How is what possible?" Death strolled out of the sitting room, his face buried in a Highlights magazine from the late nineties. He set it down on the desk, then looked at the books Kisa had thrown on the floor. "Did you know that they have hidden pictures in these? I find them quite enjoyable."

"We're closed off!" Kisa stood on a nearby chair so that she was eye level with Death. "Something happened to the house and the Library is closed. Do you know what that means?"

Death paused for a moment, then looked at the magazine he had set down. "It means I must ration my reading materials," he said, then picked up the magazine once again.

"Death?" Beth looked at the grim reaper with suspicion. "Why aren't you wearing your ear muffs?"

"Because that dreadful man out front has stopped shouting." Death lifted the magazine to look in it, but Kisa ripped it out of his hands.

"You can be so infuriating sometimes!" She ripped the book in half and threw it to the ground. "We. Are. All. In. Danger!"

"Oh." He scratched the top of his skull, which caused a scraping sound that reminded Beth of fingernails on a chalkboard. "I see. Perhaps we should check on our gentleman caller? I shall accompany you."

Beth nodded, then looked at the others. Tink made a face as if she remembered something, then she bolted out of the room.

"Let's go then," she muttered, then led Death to the front door and opened it.

Murray was hovering above the ground, his face stretched out in a soundless scream. She and Death moved down the stairs together as he unfolded his scythe. Cecilia appeared, hovering just off to the side as they walked toward Murray.

Off in the corner of the yard, the Jabberwock let out a hiss. The beast had been sitting there ever since it had gotten knocked away, and its attention was now upward. The fog was impenetrable, hiding away the sky.

"Murray?" She called out to him from a distance, but there was still no recognition. When she looked back over her shoulder, she half expected the house to be gone. "Murray, can you hear me?"

"He is not present." Death poked the man in the shoulder with his scythe.

Cecilia put a cold hand on Beth's arm. "Who are they?" she asked, then pointed out into the fog.

Beth felt like she was going to be sick. She didn't see anybody, which meant that Cecilia was seeing spirits of some sort through the mist.

"What do you see?" she asked.

"There are three of them," Cecilia answered. "They're so bright, it almost hurts to look at them. And it looks like they're riding—"

"COME!" Murray's voice was like a blast of thunder, sending a shockwave out through the fog. Beth cried out and covered her ears as her dress billowed out behind her.

"That was rather rude, don't you think?" Death closed his scythe and smacked Murray on the head with his staff. "You could at least give us a warning."

A dark shadow appeared in the fog, standing nearly ten feet tall. Beth's heart raced as it came toward them with the sound of clopping hooves. The fog parted to reveal a large horse with fiery eyes, but her attention was caught by the rider. The figure looked to be wearing a high-tech space suit with a gold, mirrored visor. When the horse came to a stop, the figure reached over its shoulder and drew a bow. A black cloud circled the figure, then dispersed when it lowered its bow.

"Death," she muttered, taking a step back. There were a lot of things she was mentally prepared to deal with, but a horse-riding spaceman hadn't been one of them.

"Now this is a surprise!" Death put away his staff. "I didn't expect—"

"COME!" Murray's eyes were blazing with light, and Beth let out a shriek of alarm. Glowing eyes appeared in the mist, and a red horse emerged. Its mane and tail were made of fire, and a large man sat on the back, carrying the thickest blade Beth had ever seen. The horse snorted, sending flames along the ground. When they stopped, the man held the enormous blade in one hand, blade down, and dropped it. The sword slammed into the ground and stuck, like a giant stake.

"Oh my God," she muttered, then covered her ears just as Murray shouted again. This time, a black horse came from the fog, and its rider was carrying a pair of scales. His features were gaunt, and when he smiled, Beth could see far too many of his teeth. The horse was carrying assorted goods that emanated a dark aura.

"This is such a surprise!" Death looked at the riders in excitement. "I never expected to see my siblings so soon! What are you doing here?"

As one, they raised their hands and pointed at Death.

"What the actual fuck is going on out here?" Lily's voice was incredulous, startling Beth. The succubus stood at the bottom of the steps, her hand still on the railing. "Who invited the sexy cowboys?"

Cecilia, who was looking skyward, let out a gasp. She shot across the yard like an arrow and tackled Lily hard enough that the succubus crashed into the front door with a loud protest.

The air around Beth was suddenly heavy, and a shadow formed over the group like a giant cloud. When she looked up, she saw a swirling mass of wings, eyes and gears descend from the sky. The being was larger than the house, and no matter where she looked, her brain struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. What initially looked like an eye became a wing, then a gear, then a mouth.

"DO NOT BE AFRAID!" The voice sent a blast of pressure that forced Beth onto her knees, her hair swirling around her face. She let out a gasp as all the air was forced from her lungs, and she collapsed onto the ground. The house shuddered as if caught in a windstorm, and when she looked up at it, she saw Lily push through Cecilia and throw herself into the house. Her skin was smoldering.

"Oh. Oh my." Death knelt and offered Beth a hand. Her legs wobbled beneath her. "I'm afraid that we have a problem here."

Once she was on her feet, she cast a wary glance at the being up above. "This isn't a social visit, is it?"

"No. No, it is not." Death pulled his cowl over his face, then turned to look at her with fiery eyes. "It would seem that the Apocalypse is upon us."

The swirling mass of wings up above roared. Murray tipped his head back and opened his mouth, and a beam of light briefly connected him with the angel. Bands of golden light appeared, each one blazing with runes as the creature sent beams of energy into Murray's body. He shuddered as they brightened, and Beth wondered if he would explode.

When the bands dispersed, they sent a shockwave out that chased away the nearby fog, revealing the stone walls of the yard. Murray stood on his tiptoes, a quartet of blazing wings made of fire spread wide behind him. When he tipped his head forward, his pupils were widely dilated and one eye was stuck looking to the right while the other looked at Beth.

"That, my dear Grim Reaper, remains to be seen." When Murray spoke, his voice was deep and booming, but his lips didn't move. Instead, his mouth was frozen in a macabre grin that showed all his teeth and his tongue. "But yes, dear child, this is no social visit. For I am Mehkhkahrel, and I have gathered us here today to determine if the end is nigh."

Thank you so much for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave me some stars, they actually do help!

With the End of the World at hand while Mike is off playing house with the others, things are about to get crazier than ever! Will Mike breed Velvet? Will the roof of the house survive? Will Death start a heavy metal band with his siblings?

Stay tuned, and stay happy!

~Annabelle Hawthorne