COMPENDIUM 2020 –
STORY 19
THE HALO INFERNAL
By Andrew Hawnt
The day Satan tore open
the ground and strode forth unto the world was a day of fire and
smoke and literal Hell on Earth. The location was London. The
sinkhole that opened up and swallowed the Thames was gargantuan, and
the filthy waters seethed and bubbled until finally they became a
column of steam, blanketing the city in a humid haze.
The beast, Satan
himself according to the media, climbed out of the chasm he had
created and raised massive clawed hands, buildings and streets and
gigantic chunks of the city ripping away from their foundations and
forming dams either side of the sinkhole. Further along the ruined
Thames, the shores collapsed into heaps of rubble and dirt. The
screams of thousands were silenced beneath the horror of it all.
SATAN LIVES, the media
cried across every TV network, streaming service and radio across the
planet. SATAN HAS COME FOR YOU ALL, they roared and gibbered.
Suicides were committed in the millions as the drama of London
becoming a new Hell unfolded. Columns of magma exploded forth from
the smashed streets and devastated ruins of the capital.
“SATAN?” bellowed
the massive horned abomination as its humongous wings pushed the
smoke and whirling filth away from itself. “This form has no name.
This is not an icon created by man. I AM SALVATION.”
Salvation, they cried
in their billions, questioning the words of the beast. Salvation? The
word of God brought to us by the devil itself?
The beast laughed and
told the world it was no devil.
“Time has spoken,”
it bellowed across nations. “And it spoke of opportunity.”
The beast roared into
the air and a column of blazing flame erupted into the heavens. Eyes
across the planet stared at screens and skies as hundreds, then
thousands of people were dragged away from the ground and hurtled
through the air, all of them being pulled impossibly towards the
annihilated London.
Government buildings
across the globe were shattered, windows exploding outwards as
leaders and dozens of officials were yanked from them and flung
across the world. Countless workers stared agape as despots,
presidents, prime ministers and legions of corrupted politicians were
stolen away.
The beast lowered its
incredible claws, its wings fanned out in all of their majesty, and
it roared. The skies darkened further, this time with human bodies,
some still whole, some reduced to flayed offal, some even still
screaming. They converged on the beast, encircled its massive head
and were smashed together as one. The cacophony of flesh and bone
being crushed together into a new form matched the chorus of confused
screams from the world below.
The beast lowered its
fanged maw, which broken into a smile. The halo above it screamed and
writhed and bled.
“Salvation,” the
beast growled at humanity, “is avoiding past mistakes.”
As it descended into
its pit, dragging it halo of ruinous politicians, the makeshift dams
crumbled. Water crashed across its opening, soon burying the hole
beneath it. Madness raged across the world, but it would pass.
Throughout the thick air
rang out the voice of the beast.
“One... more...
chance.”
© Andrew Hawnt 2020
About Compendium 2020:
Compendium 2020 is a project from author Andrew Hawnt that consists of 52 weekly stories encompassing science fiction, fantasy and horror. They are a mix of short stories and flash fiction, 100% original and written throughout 2020. Why is he doing this? To keep the words flowing. To keep the ideas coming. To dance in worlds that are his and his alone. To prove that he can.
About Andrew Hawnt:
You can find Andrew on Facebook at facebook.com/andrewhawntauthor and on Twitter and Instagram as @andrewhawnt. Formerly a musician and DJ, Andrew is known for his books, comic book writing, music journalism and more, including fiction in Doctor Who Adventures, the Judge Dredd Megazine and others. His film 'The Demon and I', which was made 100% in lockdown, is out now on YouTube.
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