Maggie trembles as she lifts her eyes to Dread. 

The demon's body is the color of soot and blood. Sinew and muscle strain underneath spindly limbs. Lizard eyes reflect intelligence. Dread is clearly higher in rank than the soldiers that fight the battles – maybe a captain or a general.

The Hunter stalks toward her. 

Maggie stiffens against the wall, her legs curled up into her chest. Her breath is shallow and ragged underneath an explosion of erratic heart beats. This is the moment - the very one she has feared -- the very one she failed to escape. She is trapped, paralyzed in her own terror. There. Is. No. Way. Out.

Eli wraps himself around her, shielding her from the incoming assault. He grasps her hand and folds it into his. "No matter what happens, I'm glad we found each other Maggie."

"You were right, Eli. We hunted the monster and we ran right into its mouth." 

Eli presses his forehead against hers. "We're two halves of the same whole, remember? Soul mates."

Her throat tightens. She gulps at the rising emotion. "Soul mates." 

Eli's eyes flit over his shoulder at Dread stalking closer. He returns his attention to Maggie. His eyes narrow. "Maggie, listen to me. You can defeat him, like you did in your sleep terror, remember? When you were stuck in the web?"

Maggie shakes her head. "I don't know how I did that." 

"You screamed, Maggie. What did you scream?"

"I don't remember."

Dread's shadow spills around them.  

Urgency rises in Eli's voice. "Maggie, think back. What was happening just before you screamed?" 

Maggie's eyes dart back and forth. Her mind is a blank slate. "I can't remember."

The Hunter raises his talon-blades above his crown and closes in for the kill. 

"Scream, Maggie! Scream!" 

Maggie stands. Her entire body is tight with tension. A chill crawls up her legs, curls around her back, and slides across her neck. Her arms stiffen. Her fingers curl into fists. The pit in her stomach fills with a rising heat that overflows into her chest and spills into her lungs,  round and deep. Her airway expands, her throat opens, the muscles in her neck contract. She squeezes her eyes shut, throws her head back and heaves out an ear-piercing, blood curdling, wail of a scream. 

And nothing. 

"You. Are. Mine," the demon hisses. A hint of amusement dances in his molten eyes. 

Eli pulls her close.

She buries her face into his chest. Tears prick the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Eli. I'm so sorry." 

And then, a flash as bright as the sun tears into the room, followed by the sweet scent of honey suckle clover and pine. 

Maggie and Eli lift their eyes to the Warrior Angel - the one from Eli's sketches. 

Dread snaps his talons to his side. He bares his teeth. He roars, spitting fury and malice throughout the room. He rips a blade from the wall and stands in position, ready to battle.

The Angel draws its fire sword and swings at blinding speed. 

Hunter and Warrior dart through the room, swinging their swords in a dizzying collision of dark and light. 

Clangs and clashes screech as loud as a train wreck.

A blade slices through the chandelier sending a thousand jagged pieces of crystal mushrooming into the air. 

Eli and Maggie grasp hands. They bolt out of the room as crystal spears rain down. 

Maggie cups her hand over her nose and gags at the stench. A river of squirming serpent demons covers the entryway floor.

"This way," Eli shouts.

Maggie sprints up the spiral staircase along-side him. They burst through the catwalk door, into a cyclone of flying debris. 

Maggie points at the dark cloud encasing the lighthouse tower. She nudges Eli. "Look, it's just like your sketch." 

Fighting Angels battle their way through a wall of Horned-Beasts. 

Teeth gnash. 

Talons strike. 

Eli and Maggie grip one another, arms tangled, hands entwined, legs stiff against the wind's pull. Dust and dirt pelt their eyes. One wrong move and they'll blow away into the sea.

"Maggie!" a distant voice screams. 

Maggie's ears prick up. 

Battle sounds ring sharp and loud. 

Eli's eyes widen. "Did you hear that? Someone called your name!" He points. "Over there!"  

Maggie grips the railing and looks below. It's as if she's watching TV with fuzzy reception. She can barely see the shapes edging closer through the littered sky. She squints to bring them into focus.

"Maggie!" 

She recognizes the voice. "It's Connie!" 

Eli waves his arms above his head. "Up here! On the catwalk!"

"Hang on!" a gruff voice yells. 

Relief tugs at Maggie's chest. "It's Joe!" 

The catwalk door swings open. Like a panther pursuing its prey, the Hunter stalks toward them, reptilian eyes glowing in the night.

"Dread," Maggie whispers, trembling. She presses her back against the railing. Her heart rattles against her ribs. "Not again." 

Blood and soot drip from Dread's razor teeth. "You. Are. Mine." 

Maggie closes her eyes and exhales a shaky breath. 

Eli squeezes her hand. "He's feeding off your fear, Maggie. Don't let him feed off you. Don't let him own you." 

"I don't know how to stop it!" 

"Remember, Maggie. What did you scream at him?"

Maggie shakes her head. "I told you. I don't know. I just screamed."

"You must've screamed something." 

A wind gust of honey suckle clover and pine bursts above. Eli peers into the distance.  "The Warrior Angel is near."  

The Warrior's giant wings beat against its light-filled body. It draws its fire sword and charges at Dread.

Dread shrieks a string of unintelligible sounds.

Demon soldiers fall into formation, darkening the sky in a shadow swarm. 

Dread roars. 

The swarm torpedoes at the Warrior Angel. Soldier demons swing and slice at the Angel's mammoth body. They tear at its wings. They jab and they jeer, until the Warrior loses flight and in a flash, spirals down into the sea. 

A giant wave erupts, drenching the catwalk.

Dread snaps his eyes to Maggie and Eli, his chest heaving with rage. He charges toward them, talon-blades held high above his crown of horns. 

"It's not them you're after. It's me," a voice calls out.

Dread whips his head around. His molten eyes narrow at the bent figure stumbling down the catwalk. 

"Come and get me," Dr. Banes begs. "Let's get this over with. Once. And. For. All!" He raises a sword he pulled from his office wall. 

Dread hisses and spits.

Joe and Connie push through the catwalk door. "Henry!" Wind whips around Connie's face, lifting her hair in every direction. "What are you doing with that sword?"

"Put it down, Henry," Joe shouts. His eyes dart to Maggie and Eli. "Stay away from them." 

Dr. Banes grips the sword tighter. 

"They can't see Dread," Maggie says to Eli. "They think Dr. B is after us."

Dread returns his attention to Maggie and Eli. "You. Are. Mine."

Dr. Banes lunges at the demon, sword in the air aimed for Dread's neck.

"Henry, don't!" Connie screeches. "You'll kill them!" 

Dread spins out of Dr. Banes' path and whaps his back as he flails past, forcing him to crash against the railing. 

Dr. Banes' body folds in on itself and thumps against the catwalk. He is a crumpled, writhing mound.

Serpent demons slither up Joe's legs until he stands helpless against their force. The Demon Soldiers yank him down onto the metal grate. The serpents bury him beneath their bellies.

"Maggie," Connie beckons, arms out, fingers spread wide. 

Maggie clasps her hand.

"Eli!" Maggie yells, grasping for him. 

Dread screeches. 

A demon flock swarms and morphs into a wall, surrounding Eli. 

Eli is stuck where he stands, between the railing and the demon wall. "Maggie, Go!" 

Connie tugs at Maggie's hand and pulls her to the other side of the catwalk. They crouch against the tower. 

Dread whips his head around to Eli and stalks closer. He shrieks. On command, the demon wall lifts. 

"Stay away from him!" Dr. Banes shouts. "Elison, get out of there!"

Eli spots Dr. Banes writhing in pain on the catwalk, only a few arms lengths away. Their eyes lock.

"Dr. B," he shouts, reaching out his hand. 

"Elison. Run to the tower wall."

"I know who you are," Eli says. "I know you're my father." 

Dr. Banes's eyes light with recognition. 

"I'm not leaving you behind. We can do this together," Eli tells him. 

"Go. Without me," Dr. Banes insists. "Now!" 

Eli shakes his head. "I'm not leaving you." 

"I'll find you," Dr. Banes shouts. "After all this is over. I'll find you." 

"Promise!" 

"I promise. I promise. Just Go." 

Eli drops to his hands and knees and pushes past Dr. Banes. 

Dread stalks after Eli, talons held high, ready to strike. 

Eli pushes forward.

"Follow my voice," Maggie shouts.  

Dr. Banes stumbles to his feet. He raises his sword and swings, slicing Dread's snake skin wings. 

The Demon shrieks. 

Dr. Banes lunges on Dread's back.  

Demon soldiers surround them in a cyclone of dust. Teeth gnash and talons strike at Dr. Banes. 

"Eli!" Maggie yells. "Follow my voice. Faster." 

Eli stays low, crawling on all fours until he feels Maggie's warm skin beneath his fingertips. He wraps his arms around her, against the tower wall.

A gust of wind whips across Maggie's face. The sky is full of demons. In the far off distance, there are bursts of fire and light. She peers through the debris at Joe and Dr. Banes, flailing in pain on the catwalk. Serpent demons close in on Connie's legs. 

"Maggie," Eli says. "Think back. How did you defeat Dread?" 

Maggie squeezes her eyes shut. If only she could remember. 

"What happened just before the scream?" 

Maggie rubs at her forehead. Spider's web. Dread's talons. Cross necklace. Maggie's eyes snap open. She pulls at the gold cross. "That's it!" 

Eli's eyes widen. "You remember!"

Maggie nods.

"What did you do? What did you say?"

"I called out to God -- for help." Maggie shakes her head. She shrugs her shoulders. Could defeating Dread really be that simple? "I just prayed." 

"Then, Pray!" Eli grasps her hand. "Pray, Maggie. Pray!"

"Okay. Okay. I'll try." She closes her eyes. "God we need your help." 

The wind blows fierce.

"Keep going," Eli says.

Maggie lets out a slow shaky breath. "God, we need your help." She opens her eyes. Sparks of light grow dim behind a wall of shadows. "It's not working."

"Keep trying," Eli says, his voice urgent. Afraid. 

She gulps at the lump in her throat. She stumbles through the words she read off the church bulletin that morning. 

"Our Father,

Deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power

And the glory

forever and ever.

Amen."

A shadow swarm spills across the sky. 

She lifts her voice louder. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." She squeezes Eli's hand. "Say it with me." 

He repeats the words along with her. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." 

Their voices grow stronger and louder with each round. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." 

Dread roars. He charges at them, swiping at their held hands. 

For the first time, Maggie sees fear settle in the Hunter's eyes. She grabs Eli's hands. She stares straight at Dread. She yells, "Our Father, deliver us from Evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." 

The Demon hisses and spits. 

A wall of light as wide as the sky barrels in from the north. It speeds along as fast and fierce as a freight train until it collides head on with the shadow swarms. The shadows are minuscule in comparison. They shatter through the sky like broken glass.

Dr. Banes lifts himself to his feet and lunges at Dread. 

The demon spins and stumbles, wrapping his tattered wings around Dr. Banes.

Doctor and Demon collapse over the railing and plummet into the sea. 

A thunderous boom fills the air and then a thousand sparks of light streak through the atmosphere. 

A flurry of clanging and clashing erupts. 

Connie covers her ears and looks up. "What is that?" She points to the sky. 

Serpent demons scatter off the catwalk, plunging into the sea. 

Joe pushes himself up and races over to Connie. "It's some sort of meteor storm." He grabs her hand. "Let's get out of here!" 

Connie links arms with Eli and Maggie and the four of them barrel down the spiral staircase and out the lighthouse door. 

Demon soldiers are at their heels. 

"Faster!" Maggie shouts. "RUN FASTER!" 

Joe whips the car door open and they pile inside. He turns the key and revs the engine, leaving a dust cloud in their wake. 

A demon soldier lands on the car's roof, stomping and pounding. 

A serpent demon slides across the windshield. 

Joe grabs his phone from the dashboard. "Yeah, it's Joe Krane. I have the kids. Send your officers to Dr. Banes' place. The lighthouse. He's the one you're looking for."

Eli and Maggie look out the rear window at the demon flock swarming after them. 

The rhythmic whoosh of beating wings grows louder. 

The fragrant smell of honeysuckle clover and pine rides on the wind. 

A flash of light engulfs the car. 

Metal against metal screeches above them. 

The demons surrounding the car vanish like dust into the air. 

The car picks up speed.  

Maggie plunges her finger into Eli's palm. She traces D-R-E-A-D-???? 

 Eli shakes his head and shrugs. 

Maggie lifts her eyes to the sky, searching for the Hunter. 

Joe glances at Connie. "Looks like the storm has passed." 

She stares out the window and snaps her fingers. "Just like that. How strange. There's not a cloud as far as the eye can see." 

Maggie exhales a shaky breath. 

There's no shadow swarms or dark clouds overhead, no meteor showers or lightning strikes zapping through the air, no teeth gnashing or talons tearing, no fire swords or beating wings. 

It's Gone. All gone. 

Could the Hunter be gone for good?

https://www.deviantart.com/atik1n/art/Prototype-V-731224319