I thought I would share with you another short story I wrote almost a year ago.

The Demon Hammer

On the heels of one of the greatest disasters recorded in history, a bystander claimed her destiny. Wielding the demon hammer, she crushed the singing parakeet as it escaped the ash and remains of the cathedral.

24 hours earlier, the St. Karis Cathedral stood in perfection as it had for the last century. Father Carsen was just unlocking the doors that morning as per his routine and was surprised, when he opened the large ornately carved oak door, to find a man in a panda mask blocking the entrance. The man held up his gloved hand, index finger to the mask’s mouth, signaling the priest to remain silent. Grabbing his forearm, the Panda man pulled Carsen inside and slammed the door; the thud of it closing echoed off the high ceiling of the sanctuary.

Light filtering in through the forty-foot high stained glass provided a kaleidoscope effect across the pews and floor. In the balconies, the barely visible silhouettes of at least twenty other people in animal masks looked down on them. The Panda lead Carsen down the aisle, past the pulpit, behind the wall, and through the doors into the priest’s chambers sitting him at his desk. Standing in front of the desk, the Panda took two steps back and moved the rug on which he just stood. There was a trap door that Father Carsen had walked over for twenty-seven years and never knew was there. Opening it, the panda gestured for Carsen to follow. They descended into the tunnels below the church and the Panda produced a flashlight to compensate as they moved away from the beam of light cast down the stairs.

At a T-intersection they went left and walked further into the darkness. At last they arrived at a golden door. Here the Panda removed his mask. He then explained that prophesy had foretold this day, a thousand years ago, a demon was captured and imprisoned in the body of a bird. The end of the millennia would release it and half the world would be destroyed if the bird was not killed.

Many previously attempted to kill the demon but all failed. Finally, after centuries of searching and great personal sacrifice, the Menagerie of Mayhem located the weapon that could kill the bird. Handing it to Carsen, the Panda opened the golden door and pushed him in, slamming it after.

Carsen found himself standing in what appeared to be the pet shop on 5th street. It was mostly empty except for one cage with a single parakeet. Broken weapons of all kinds on the floor encircled it and several skeletons lay scattered about. In his hand was a magnesium hammer, fourteen inches long and light as a feather, inscribed with markings that looked more like a story than letters or words. Carsen pushed the broken weapons aside with his foot and approached. Looking down at the demon hammer, he steadied himself and prayed this would work. He opened the cage but the bird dodged the swing, pecked him in the eye, stole the hammer, broke the shop window and flew away. As it sang, the world began to catch fire.

Misty had just gotten her coffee when everything south of 5th street exploded into fire. She was already having a bad morning so when a singing bird landed beside her, she smashed it.

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