Episode 13

Jessica Warner:

'The Lord is my shepherd. As long as i follow him, I will follow the right path. He'll lead me to safety. He'll protect me. The Lord is my shepherd. He watches over
me. He'll keep me out of danger. . .'


She grimaced as she lowered the binoculars. Nothing to the east, nothing to the west, nothing south. North was the way she had come from.

"Father, watch over me."

She made her way down the hill, through the trees at the bottom and into the clearing she had seen from above. She could barely see where the trees came back into view.

She sighed, shook her head to clear it and set off again. She glanced up at the sky, it was streaked with golden flecks, as if they were the marks of a giant paintbrush, they almost didn't seem real. As if, even as the darkness overwhelmed the earth, God was still shining through for as long as he could. But it would not be long until night fall.

That was the time when her faith was truly tested. She heard the noises every night and it was all she could do to remain silent. Most nights she went without sleep for fear of what she may find when she opened her eyes. Although she was sure God would protect her, he could not keep  away the fear.

She stopped dead in her tracks. The back of her neck burned with the feeling of a million beady, hungry eyes fixated on her. She stood still, as if moving would trigger an invisible alarm and they would be upon her within seconds.

"Father, give- give me the strength-" She began to sob, "Give me the strength to go on."

There was an almighty roar and her heart stopped as the burning became more intense, she found herself trying to wriggle free, while at the same time willing her feet to pull her forward.

"Father, give me the strength to go on!" Her cheeks were streaked with tears now and she was truely afraid. "Father give me the strength-"

Her prayer was cut short by another roar and then the sound of thudding on the ground as something charged towards her.

"Father protect me!" She screamed out and closed her eyes, scrunching them up as if it would keep the evil out.

BANG.

The squeal that followed echoed through the clearing, and when it stopped it was still ringing through her ears.

The feeling of burning was gone now, but she could still feel something watching over her. A protector. A guardian angel.

She glanced around, finally able to move again, but the clearing was empty. She was the only soul there. She stared down at the demon at her feet. It was breathing, with much difficulty, she almost felt pity for it.

It was rasping and moaning, its chest was rising and falling quickly as blood ozzed out of its chest, dark like a stain on what little grass grew on the dry ground.

She couldn't help but feel pity. And contempt.