David McMillan, a 32 year old, Science teacher at the local Highschool had a secret.
As far as anyone outside of his small two bedroom house was aware nothing was going on, the lights were off in all the rooms except one.
In the Attic David had just finished lighting the Eighth candle, he placed it on the final star of the chalk pentagram.
Stood, dimly lit, in strange red robes covered in small bells, he moved away from the pentagram and carefully drawn circle surrounding each point. He had measured it out perfectly, piles of books and an old dusty chair filled filled the far side of the attic. Moving away from the chalk outline and jingling as he went, he finally stood ready by the security of the attic hatch. A small table on which lay an old book and a new iPhone next to him, within easy reach.
Picking up the old dusty Tome he struggled to read the lines he had bookmarked, the ritual required the only light to be from the candles. Turning on his iPhone to help he reminded himself of the passage.
Turning off his phone he readied himself and spoke out the words "NOSTRA MEDRA CONTRES FETU ROX, WILSO FAM DREMASTROP" the candles burnt bright, then darkness.
A dull red light appeared, emanating from within the threshold of the pentagram, a circle he knew he must never cross, the chalk outline was gone replaced with red light, like cracks in the very fabric of reality.
"Daemon I Demand you face me" David screamed at the light, watching the candle smoke dance in the shimmer of the red glow.
"I AM HERE MORTAL" came a deep inhuman boom, so loud in David's mind and yet the lack of ringing in his ears made him wonder if he had simply imagined it.
"You lie, I see nothing, appear and answer my questions" David demanded of the darkness.
"IF MY APPEARANCE IS TO STRANGE FOR YOUR WEAK MIND TO COMPREHEND, THEN I will take another." The strange deep booming voice in David's mind was replaced by the real and soft voice of a woman.
Where had she come from he wonders, where there was mostly darkness now stood a woman, her naked form only visible where it reflected the light from the Pentagram. David moved forward an overpowering urge to touch the shapely curves of the woman, he resisted as the bells on his robes rang out to warn him.
"Very well Deamon, take the form of a seductress, I am well prepared... I will not be taken to your realm." David calmly spoke, while trying to make out a face on the woman.
"Why you are no fun, what is it you desire if not pleasures of the flesh" the woman asked, looking straight at David, her eyes shining like they were reflecting flame. The feeling was unsettling and David had to look at himself and the darkness behind him in order to erasure himself that the room was not on fire. Darkness is all that greeted him "The power of the ring" he replied looking back at the fire dancing in the daemons eyes.
Hahaha, the woman laughed, tilting her head back, the red light reflect what appeared to be long horns and a round smooth head, beauty in front of him was not as human as he first imagined. As his eyes grew accustomed to the strange glow he felt sure he could also see a tail dancing behind the creature he had summoned. "The ring no longer exists, it was transformed many moons ago." She said.
"so where is it and what form has it taken?" David asked, fear and desire seeping into his voice.
The woman smiled, or at least David imagined it, "It is close, so close, today you passed it, when you were returning here from where you work. As for its appearance, what better way to hide, then as a simple stone."
David didn't believe her "You lie" he hissed angrily, no way was such a powerful relic, the subject of so many hours of research and travelling around the world at the stupid school where he worked, no way was the ornate ring, drawn in so much detail in the ancient texts, a simple rock. The daemon was trying to trick him, it would have him searching every stone and rock from here to the dreadful school he worked only to fund his search.
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME HUMAN" David nearly jumped out of his skin, hearing the voice within his head, now louder then ever. He,had,forgotten the rules, quickly he returned to his calm voice. "forgive me creature since before time, I did not mean to speak out of turn, I simply wish to know the truth."
"I do not lie human, I cannot lie, your summoning was perfect in every detail. If you do not like my answers the. Return me to the abyss" the sweetness of the woman's voice returning. But it must have been lies, he couldn't have summoned the daemon properly. Panicking David looked away from the naked beauty and at his craftwork, the glowing pentagram looked right, but he couldn't check without his equiptment, his eyes looked across at the darkness to where he knew his rulers and pro tracts lay... No it was to late for that, if he had screwed it up his soul was on the line.
He decided to ignore the fear and doubt and the horror of the situation, he had to keep sane. "daemon, If you speak the truth what way can I find this,stone, what price is there for your assistance?"
Silence
"I would be free of this endless prison, I,would,experience a mortal life and death. I can summon the ring, but in exchange I require a womb from which to be born into your world. Promise me this and I will bring the ring here."
David was worried, he had planned to find out the location of a magical reality altering ring of legend, then banish the creature, he had prepared for everything it shouldn't be able to lie to him. He would not be able to summon the creature again in his lifetime, the stars controlled when a doorway to the abyss could be opened.
He breathed, the doorway could however be closed at any time according to his research and while a human could be taken into the abyss the reverse was not true, the creature could not escape the threshold drawn. But that's what she... It, he reminded himself, wanted... The books must be false, was he really going to risk unleashing unknown evils,on the world for a chance of power? "Ok, I agree to your terms, I'll see you tomorrow." He spoke retreating to the hatch. Only silence as he desended the loft ladder, looking back he could see the two flames reflected in the beasts eyes, watching him.
Closing the hatch securely he turned on the hallway lights and moved to the study. Pouring a glass of wine he sat and tried to calm his nerves, but he needed both hands to steady the shaking glass. He had School to prepare for before bed, tomorrow he would have to put up with his niece Sarah, he hated his job, but at least he had some good students, he looked down at the pile of marking he had yet to complete.
Picking up his green biro he picked up the next test in the pile and smiled, Jon was a gifted student and made a change from the poor quality of most of his students, including his ditzy cheerleader niece. He started ticking wondering if Jonm had achieved a perfect score again. He looked up at the clock, it was nearly 3 o'clock already, only five more papers to mark he reassured himself, then he could get an hour or two sleep before work.
Taking another large mouthful of red wine, he hoped that he would be escaping this tedium soon,
