Attack on an Evil God

by Ásgrímur Hartmannsson

Chapter 19: Rain

Dora and the six European council members were sitting in a circle, holding hands. This was the proper setup for porting in some partial otherworldly influence. They were surrounded by a circle of iron; all the signs were present, the chairs properly fitted and marked and all aligned as best could be managed.

The few dead bodies and the people milled about aimlessly, wondering what the hell they were doing there, holding a seance instead of doing something to help. They did not matter.

Dora recited the formula, slowly and clearly: Selur Retaetunod Ativ Rilla. The rest chanted with her, more loudly, Imman Ee Ragnal Gim, and more loudly still, now standing up: Giht Riryf Ttog Re Iffak.

Dora stood up, spreading her arms, chanting the final verse: Gnirian Sideerp Re Gniriarh Ryrks!

As the last syllable escaped her mouth, she exploded with a loud bang and a flash and more gore and innards than anyone thought possible inside such a normal-sized woman. They splattered on everyone in the hall.

* * *

Maggi turned the key to turn on the radio. It was tuned to the golden oldies, volume subliminal, and he turned it up a bit. It did little to wake him up.

Anna and Freyja were having a heated discussion, which he ignored. Something about slurping the shake. Anna slurped it hard, and Freyja took a swing at her paper cup. It opened, spilling a very small amount on Anna, but leaving her with the straw in her mouth, the lid attached.

Anna immediately retaliated by blowing the contents of the straw at Freyja, following the onslaught with what she had already in her mouth.

That stopped the argument. Freyja gasped a couple of times and then started flailing around for something to clean the gunk from her eyes. “Did you have to do that?” she asked Anna.

“What are you doing?” asked Maggi. “You two are supposed to be adults.”

“She started it,” said Anna, big grin on her face.

“This is great; now I smell like vanilla,” said Freyja.

“Can I go home now?” asked Maggi.

“But the show hasn’t started yet,” said Freyja, wiping the shake and spit off her face.

“You two are enough show for me. I’m falling asleep.”

“Do you want another pill?”

“No. No. No. I want to go home. I want to hide from the funny apocalyptic purple sky. I want to be someplace else when you explain to Hansi why his car has milkshake all over the seats.”

“Speaking of the apocalyptic purple sky... look,” said Anna, pointing toward the Pearl.

There was visible rainfall from the clouds above the Pearl, dark and spreading out fast. It closed in on them within five minutes while they sat in awed silence. They saw it was bright red when it hit them. Maggi turned on the wipers.

“Oh, man, the smell!” said Freyja.

“That’s blood,” said Maggi. “What gives?”

“Oh, you think this stinks now? Wait until it really starts to go bad,” said Anna.

“I can’t wait. Can we go now?” asked Maggi. He started the motor before anyone answered. No matter what they’d say, he was getting out of there.

“Why is it raining blood?” asked Anna.

“I don’t know,” said Freyja, and they began throwing doomsday predictions at each other while Maggi drove home.

He parked the car in front of Hansi’s home. Then he went in with Anna and Freyja and went to sleep on the couch.

Proceed to Chapter 20...