Been meaning to do this for a while now, but here’s my Monster AU designs for the Six kids, based on the designs created by @arty-e
Mary looks like she did at the end of the ‘Bloody Mary’ music video, she’s equally as disturbed as her Mother at becoming a gargoyle. Only instead of despair she fly's into a bloodthirsty rage
Elizabeth’s snake half is based on a Brazilian Rainbow Boa, in reference to the famous Rainbow painting and because I like the colour and patterns. though getting the iridescent shine on the scales was tough.
And Eddie is just a floofy Yeti cub, who can’t see past his bangs
I had nothing to draw so @spooner7308 suggested that I draw one of the gargoyles in the Trastámara rook. So I chose Mary since I rarely draw her and this is the result!
Mary's monster design and the Monster AU belongs to @spooner7308
Breaking News: Local Bullies Scared Off by Rabbit Boy's Rook of Gargoyles!
Never ever bully someone because not only is it ride and awful but because you might encounter their rook of gargoyles who also happens to be their mother, aunt and sister.
@spooner7308 shared with me that gargoyles are like elephants and that females stick together in groups and are very protective of each other and their young. With that information, I just couldn't help myself and made art for it.
These are just the finished headshot sketches the Trastámara gargoyle rook, and yes Hal is part of the rook even if he’s not a gargoyle. Just a good reference for their faces and shows’ their features pretty well
Juana belongs to @ellielovesdrawing
Isabella belongs to @lexartsstuffitMaria and Hal belong to @blackdiamondwrites127
Here's part two of my collab with @spooner7308! This is basically a sequel to my one shot 'Gargoyle's Call of Sorrow'!
Here's part one of this two part collab!
Six monster au belongs to @spooner7308
Hal hesitantly slinked away from the scene. He didn't want to leave. Especially when his sister is acting like this. But he also doesn't want to anger his mother so he has no choice but to obey.
Retracing his steps, he made his way out of the church. Catalina and Mary's voices still echoing from the belfry. The older of the two still trying to convince the younger to come home. He sighs and walked along the overgrown stony pathway of the church's graveyard.
This was a disaster.
He only wanted to help but he can't when his own mother is preventing him to.
He just wants his sister back.
Hal stopped mid way when he noticed a crypt in the church's graveyard was wide open. A shiver went up his spine as he stared at the open crypt with wide eyes.
He was absolutely sure that crypt was not open when he passed by it earlier.
The boy hesitantly and cautiously approached the crypt to investigate. His phone out with the flashlight on. He lets out a yelp when he heard a shuffling and saw something move in the darkness.
"Um...h-hello...?" he asked. His quivering voice bouncing off the walls of the old crypt. His hand that was holding his phone was shaking from the fear.
Two things he's afraid of the most:
Snakes and ghosts.
He looks inside the open crypt and calls out again.
There was a moment of silence until...
"Hello? Who's out there?" came a reply. Hal jumped out of skin and dropped his phone at the unexpected reply to his call. So there was someone in the crypt. The question now is that is it a human, monster or ghost?
The prince prays that it was the first two instead of the latter third.
He noticed something peculiar about the reply from the crypt though.
The voice sounded young and feminine.
Hal lets out an undignified squeak when he heard the sound of shuffling getting louder as who or what is inside the crypt slowly made their way out towards him. He grabbed his fallen phone and scrambled back out of the crypt when he took notice of the multiple pairs of tiny yellow glowing eyes looking directly at him.
"Is someone out there?" the voice asked once more. The owner of said voice stepping -or slithering- into the dim lighting of the church graveyard.
He fell on his butt again and lets out a yelp as he was met with the sight of a monster. A monster akin to a snake.
Almost similar to Anne's monster form.
The monster was clearly a woman. What stood out the most from this woman, aside from her lower half being the tail of a snake with gray scales, the sharp and pointy claws, the fangs and the blindfold over her eyes, was her head full of smaller sentient snakes.
Like the gorgon, Medusa.
Hal felt multiple shivers run up his spine at the sight of those snakes just staring right at him with their glowing yellow eyes.
"H-Hello? I know someone is in front of me. Please don't be alarmed. I mean no harm. And please don't hurt me..." the snake woman said. Her dark forked tongue poking past her lips nervously. Tasting the air around her.
She was hunched over a bit. As if ready to slink back into the open crypt at the slightest signs of danger.
"Y-You...w-who are...?" the prince stutters as he stares at the Medusa like snake woman.
Dear lord, he did not bring any extra pants for this.
"M-My name is Jane Grey...and you are?"
Wait...
Jane Grey?
Edward, Mary and Elizabeth had mentioned a girl named Jane Grey before. She was a queen who reigned very shortly after his brother and before his older sister took the throne. Not much was said about her in particular but he remembered what they called her.
The Nine Days Queen.
"Hello? Are you still there?" Jane asked.
Hal snapped out of his stupor and looked at the gorgon woman. He lets out a startled noise when he realized she had gotten closer. At the same time, Jane lets out a surprised yelp herself when Hal exclaimed. Her snakes on her hair (snake hair?) wiggled about in distress.
"I-I'm so sorry about that! Snakes just...freak me out," Hal said. Standing up.
"I get what you mean. I-I don't like snakes myself, ironically," Jane said.
This reply made Hal chuckle a bit. Perhaps this person was not much of a monster as he thought she would be. He's still freaked out by the snake hair though.
"Um...I'm Hal by the way. I'm a reincarnate like you," he said. Dusting his, still relatively clean, pants.
"Really?" she asked. Perking up a bit at the thought of finally meeting another reincarnate like her. Hal gives her his signature grins. "Yeah!" he said.
"I'm not sure if I remember someone going by that name back in my first life."
"Well...you shouldn't because I died at only several weeks old. I'm Catherine of Aragon's son mostly known in history as Henry Duke of Cornwall."
Jane freaked out when she heard this. Her snakes feeling her distress. "Oh! I'm so sorry about that! I-I didn't know!" she apologized frantically.
"No no no! It's okay!" Hal reassured but the gorgon woman is already feeling shame at her assumption. Then she realized something. "Wait. If you died weeks after your birth then how do you know about me?" she asked.
"My sisters and brother mentioned you before," Hal answered. Despite the blindfold, he can clearly see the confusion on Jane's face. "Your...sisters and brother?" she asked.
"Mary I, Elizabeth I and Edward VI. You might know them," he answered.
Jane froze at her spot in shock. This...this person in front of her...is related to Edward, Mary and Elizabeth?
"Oh...Oh my..."
Hal was suddenly nervous. He was afraid that this person might have had an unpleasant experience with his siblings. "What? What's wrong?" he asked. His voice shaking a bit.
"I...I know those three quite well. You...probably know that one of them ordered mine and my husband's execution after being crowned queen nine days before," Jane said. Hal's eyes widened in shock at this revelation.
One of his siblings ordered this woman's beheading!?
Hal knew that his siblings did some...unsightly things during their reigns but to behead this demure and innocent woman!?
"W-Wait what!?" he exclaimed in disbelief. Jane looks at him in surprise.
He doesn't know?
"You...didn't know that your sister, Mary, ordered my execution and usurped the throne?" she asked. Rather surprised by this since almost everyone knows about her execution.
Hal looked at her. Eyes wide and mouth agape.
Mary was the one to execute her...
The prince looked back up the church belfry. He could still see the imposing silhouettes of both his mother and sister through the window. Still arguing.
Mary.
You beheaded an innocent woman...?
...for the throne?
He looks back at Jane. "I-I knew about the usurping thing but...but not the execution thing...," he said.
"Oh. Oh dear..."
There was a heavy silence that fell upon them as they contemplated on these revelations.
"P-Please...can you tell me what you know about my sister's...Mary's reign?" Hal asked.
Almost pleadingly.
"Well...I'll do my best in explaining everything I know but I can't guarantee that it'll be pleasant. Let's sit first," Jane said.
He nodded and they both sat on an old stone bench near the open crypt. Hal sat on the other end of the bench.
Jane's hair snakes still freak him out.
He looks at her expectantly. Waiting for her to tell him about Mary's reign. The gorgon woman took a deep breath before starting.
"You see...after Edward's death, his will stated the removal of Mary and Elizabeth from the line of succession and made me his heir to the throne," she started. Fidgeting with her hands a bit as she talked. Hal studied her expression, noticing her look of uneasiness. This is quite a heavy subject for her after all. He was tempted to tell her to stop and that it was okay but...
...he needed to know in order to get through to Mary.
"I...I was very reluctant to accept it but I had to in order to avoid conflict within my family and the kingdom. So, I was crowned queen but soon after I was declared as one, Mary's supporters grew in number and my supporters all but abandoned me. Nine days later, my husband and I were captured and beheaded upon the orders of the new queen, Mary," Jane continues. Her eyes shifting nervously behind her blind fold. Retelling this causes her so much anxiety. Especially whilst having a blindfold on.
It reminds her so much of her execution.
"After...after being reincarnated, I did my research on the three of them and was surprised to say the least at what I found out about Mary and Elizabeth."
"That Elizabeth managed to become the greatest monarch in British history?" Hal asked.
"That and that Mary, in her desperate attempts to bring Catholicism back to the country, burned around three hundred protestants at the stake," Jane said.
Hal froze.
He felt his blood run cold and his stomach drop after hearing this.
Mary.
His own sister.
Had three hundred people...
...killed?
"Hal? Hal are you alright?" Jane asked. Snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Y-Yeah...I think I'm fine..." Hal said. His voice quivering so much that it made Jane concerned.
"Are you sure? Perhaps I should just stop," she said.
"Y-Yeah...I think that's all I need to know. I realize now why Mary thinks of herself as a monster. It's not just the monster form that she turned into, it's also the past sins. I know what to do now to help her," he said. Standing up from the bench. Determination burning in his golden brown gaze.
"Whatever it is that's troubling her, I believe that you, of all people, could help her. Based on my own research, she was a woman with an unfortunate upbringing in an unfortunate situation," Jane said.
"I better go before she runs off again. Thank you, Ms. Grey."
"Please, just call me 'Jane'."
"Okay, Jane. I have to go now. I hope we can meet again," Hal said before going back to the church.
He runs back down the overgrown path and burst through the old wooden doors. Running down the aisle, he quickly found the steps leading up to the belfry and took two at a time. Almost tripping a couple of times.
He can hear his mother's and Mary's voices clearly now. The older gargoyle still convincing her daughter to come home while the younger gargoyle persisted on acting feral.
"Mary! Mary listen to me!" Hal said as he enters the belfry. Out of breath from running all the way.
"Hal! I thought I told you to go back home! What are you still doing here!?" Catalina demanded. Even angrier now that her son had deliberately disobeyed her.
"I know now why you're thinking this way and I'm here to say that you're no monster, Mary!" He said. Ignoring his mother.
"Mijo, don't ignore me! Get out of here and go home!"
"I am a monster, Hal! So get away before I seriously hurt you!" Mary snarls. Her glowing red eyes glaring right him and baring her sharp teeth at him.
"But you're not a monster, Mary! I know you're just acting like this to make us go away but we won't! I won't!" Hal stood his ground. Walking over to his sister who snarls loudly at him. Her wings spread wide as a warning.
"Henry!" Catalina growls. Furious that her son refused to listen to her.
Hal ignored the way his mother called him by his full first name and just focused on his sister.
"Mary, I know what happened during your reign," he said.
This caused a pause.
Mary looked at him. Shock and fear in her eyes.
He...
He knows?
"H-Hal...I..." she starts but stops. Not knowing what to say.
I mean, what could you say when your own little brother finds out about your dark past?
"I met Jane Grey earlier. She told what happened. You had her and her husband behaded for the throne and during your reign you...you had around three hundred protestants burned at the stake," Hal said as he slowly took a step towards her.
He had to be cautious now.
Lest his sister lashes out at him.
Catalina looks at both of her son and daughter. Unsure at how Mary will react to Hal knowing about her past that she hid from him for a long time now.
She got her answer when Mary lets out a terrifying scream and curled up in a pitiful ball with her wings wrapped around herself.
Not to shield herself from Hal and her mother but to shield them from herself.
They both know she's a genuine monster now.
Hal was frozen in fear and shock at the scream his sister had let out but he forced himself to move towards Mary.
"Mary I-"
"STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!"
Catalina's heart was breaking in two as she helplessly watched her daughter in distress.
She has failed her.
Again.
The queen has been checked out of the board but the prince is still moving forward with his limited moves.
And he's determined to get to the other side.
"Mary listen to me. You're not a monster. What happened in the past was terrible but that doesn't mean you're a monster," Hal said. He was closer now to Mary and Catalina is conflicted on whether or not to swoop in and pull him back before Mary lashes out.
"I know you've been working so hard in making up for your past. The volunteering, the random acts of kindness that you do. Those may be miniscule in your mind but they're big things, Mary. It shows that you're really making an effort to make up for your past," he continues. Walking closer to his sister.
"STOP! I'M NOTHING BUT A MONSTER! NO GOOD DEED THAT I DO WILL EVER CHANGE THAT!" Mary screeched. Making Hal stop momentarily before continuing towards her.
"Mary, you're not a monster. You're my sister and I love you all the same. No matter what."
He stops a few feet in front of her and sits on the floor. Mary is still crying. Still covering herself in shame with her wings.
Then, through her sobs, she heard singing.
"Oh it's a jolly holiday with Mary. Mary makes your heart so light," Hal sang. He starts of quiet and soft.
Mary peeks out through the gap between her wings. Her brother notices this and smiles before continuing with the song.
"When the day is gray and ordinary, Mary makes the sunshine bright. Oh happiness is blooming all around her. The daffodils are smiling at the dove."
Hal reaches through the gap between her wings and holds her hand in his. Not afraid of her lashing out with her claws.
This proved to help reassure his sister that he's not afraid of her.
Not anymore.
"When Mary holds your hand, you feel so grand. Your heart starts beating like a big brass band. It's a jolly holiday with Mary. No wonder that's it's Mary that I love," he finishes the song with his usual warm smile.
A smile came on Catalina's face as she watched her daughter pull her wings back and pull Hal in her arms for a hug.
He finally got through to her.
Hal hugged his sister tightly. A clear reassurance of his love for his sister.
Catalina decided this was the right moment to approach her children and pull them both in her embrace. Protectively wrapping her wings around them.
"Mis queridos," she said. Purring and chuffing softly in content.
Mary cried in her mother's and brother's arms. Holding them as closely as possible.
She's so blessed to have them in this life.
"You are doing your best to make it up to your past, mija and I'm very proud that you are," Catalina said.
"We both are," Hal added.
"Thank you...thank you for not giving up on me," Mary said. Finding herself purring and chuffing in content as well. The insticts she had suppressed for so long was now coming out.
And Mary is fine with that.
"Mary, are you coming home now?" Hal asked. Looking up at his sister.
Mary nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready to come home now," she said.
Catalina smiled and gently licked both of their hair whilst purring. She was happy to have her little family again.
After cherishing their moment, the family decided it was time to head home. The two gargoyles took to the air while Hal went back to his bike. He checked the crypt for any sign of Jane Grey but found it closed back up.
He said his thanks anyways and rode back home.
The sun was already rising by the time the three had gotten back home. Waiting for them by the front door was Jane.
She immediately pulled Mary and Hal in her large, furry arms upon seeing them safe and sound. She scolded Hal for leaving without permission and told him he was grounded. Banning him from using the kitchen for a week.
"It was worth it," he said with his signature grin.
Mary chuckled at this and ruffled his hair.
"Mary no! My hair!"
"Serves you right for disobeying, mamá."
"It was for your own good though!"
Catalina smiled at the sight of her children playfully arguing while her beau acted as a mediator trying to make them stop fighting. Despite what Mary had thought of herself, there really were people who genuinely and truly love her for who she is.
Here's part one of a collab I've done with @blackdiamondwrites127 as a sequel to 'Gargoyles call of sorrow'
Here's Part Two
Enjoy!
Late in the day as the sun was just beginning to creep towards the horizon, colouring the sky pink and orange, Hal made his way up to the attic. It had been two days since Hal had reconciled with his newly transformed mother. And although Lina still preferred the solitude of the roof and attic she was more than happy to see her son on the regular again.
Hal opened the attic door and raced into the attic, the warm evening light shining through the window making orange squares on the wooden floor. Hanging from one of the wooden ceiling beams was Lina, cocooned in her wings as she slept through the day. Hal ran up to the cocoon and gave it a gentle prod.
“Mamá?” he asked before giving a second prod.
A second passed, then suddenly the cocoon opened with a flash and Lina encased Hal in her wings. Hal shrieked and laughed as his mother began applying a dog's idea of ‘kisses’ all over his face.
“MA! Stop it!” Hal laughed as Lina lapped at his cheek, making ‘chuffing’ noises like a tiger, reminiscent of purring.
Finally, Lina relented and opened her wings letting Hal free. As the young boy giggled and stumbled around wiping the saliva off his face Lina slowly got down from the beam. Hal, now finally free from gargoyle slobber and no longer giggling, looked at his mother and smiled. “Mamá, was that so necessary?” he asked, walking towards Lina. Lina gave a big smile
“Sorry Hal, I’m still your mother and I still love you, but I am still a gargoyle and I’m inclined to express said love in a gargoyle way.”
Hal found it funny how perspective can change so much about how he saw things, his mother and her gargoyle form especially. It was dark when Hal saw his mother newly transformed and having a fit of rage and despair. He could only see her blackened silhouette occasionally lit by the flickering of smashed lights.
For days afterwards the vision of his mother in his nightmares was an exaggeration of this image, shrouded in darkness with the more frightening features highlighted. Clearly outlined, pointing horns, talons that shone like sharpened knives, pale dripping fangs that stood out against a dark stoney skin. And her eyes, those amber eyes that glowed like smouldering embers.
But when he saw her again on the rooftop, she wasn’t the dark visage of horror that haunted his nightmares. Not only was she sullen and subdued unlike the raging beast he had seen before, but she didn’t look the same. She was still a gargoyle, but her gargoyle features were more ‘animal’ than demonic.
A soft feline reminiscent nose, ears that moved and twitched expressively, even her taloned hands and feet had rounded pads like a cat or dog.
Hal realised that his mind could make things much worse than they really were. Making a monster out of his Mother. Now he could clearly see the way she gently wagged her tail when content, or would even purr and would lick his hair like a mother housecat attending to her kittens.
His mother was definitely a beast, but not a monster, and certainly not a demon.
And it didn’t stop her from loving him or being his mother, in fact, it felt like she was being more motherly than ever.
“Ma are you going to go out on the roof again tonight?” Hal asked,
“Yes...I find it’s just something I have to do, a gargoyle thing” Lina answered.
“Can I go too? I’m wearing my winter jacket so I won’t get cold” Hal buzzed, eager to spend as much time as possible with his mother to make up for the time they’d lost over the past few days.
Lina nodded, she didn’t normally like the idea of Hal going up onto the roof, but knowing she’d be there to keep him safe made her accept Hal’s request.
She strolled over the window and pushed it open with little to no effort despite the window being prone to jamming.
One thing that Lina had grown to enjoy about her new body was her considerable strength. She demonstrated this new strength by picking Hal up under one arm and using her other arm alongside her legs and wings to climb out of the window and up onto the roof.
The sun was just beginning to set, the orange of the sky was fading in dark blues and purples, the stars were just starting to show. Lina sat on the rooftop and held Hal close to her, in both arm and wing. It was much like the first time they had found each other again after Lina had become a gargoyle. Hal snuggled into his mother’s side, looking up at the twilight sky as more stars appeared. He looked at his mothers face, to his surprise she was no longer smiling. She looked very serious all of a sudden, staring with a focused glare out onto the horizon, scanning the landscape. Hal already had a good idea as to why this was, but he didn’t feel like voicing it just yet.
“Ma...is it different to be a gargoyle? I mean I know it must feel different with wings and a tail but...is it like...different? Hal asked.
Lina looked at Hal for a few seconds then she nodded contemplatively, “Yes mi Hijo, yes it is” she said gently “As much as my body has changed my mind has changed too...it’s important to remember Hal, that as a different species our brains are wired differently. We have instincts, hormones and other things that drive us towards behaviour more in line with our species.”
Hal nodded, still curious he asked “How is it different Ma?”
Lina thought for a moment “I am more inclined to eat meat now, I’m active mostly at night and I feel more protective, or at least I feel the need to protect my family and territory, that’s why I come up here to keep watch...It’s vitally important for me to keep my home safe now.”
“Do you think Mary feels that way?” Hal asked.
Lina didn’t respond, she just looked back out at the horizon and gave a deep sigh.
“I wish I knew Hal, I’d hope so…”
Hal hugged his Mother a little closer feeling a pang of sadness
“I miss Mary,” he said sullenly.
Lina could only stroke his hair gently with the underside of her talons.
“I miss her too mijo...that’s why I’ve been searching so hard but...I can’t find any sign of her.”
The night Lina had first transformed, Mary had transformed as well. But unlike his mother, Hal didn’t get front row seats to watch his sister gruesomely transform and go completely berserk. No one had seen Mary at all. All that was heard was a bloodcurdling fusion of a scream and roar that came from Mary’s room, and upon investigation, her window had shattered and she was gone. After Lina had gotten over her post-transformation despair she had committed herself to searching the entire area for her daughter, but to no avail. It was assumed that Mary had become a gargoyle just like her mother, as Lizzie and Edward had become the same species as their respective mothers. If this was the case then Mary had accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of taking her transformation worse than Lina.
Mary's absence upset Hal, knowing what he now knew about his mother, he was certain that Mary could be another affectionate, protective and noble gargoyle. But Mary was not the type to take something like this so easy.
Just as Hal was about to say something else, a distant call sang through the evening air. Both Hal and Lina perked up at the sound, as it was very familiar to them. It sounded just like the Erie call that Lina would howl into the night when she and Hal were still separate to vocalise her despair. They now knew it as a gargoyles long-distance call. Only this call had a different sound to it, making it distinct from Lina’s call.
Lina was especially caught by this call, her large bat-like ears twitching and swivelling to pick up the sound.
“Ma! Is that?...” Hal asked his mother who was rising to her feet, still keeping a wing by her son. “Yes...I think it’s her”
After all these nights, Mary might finally be found.
“Can you find her?” Hal asked, getting up on his feet alongside his mother.
“Shhh, Hal!” Lina said getting frustrated before quickly calming down “I need to call back first”
Lina took a deep breath and let out a call of her own. The sound was all too familiar to Hal, having heard it countless times when they were still avoiding each other. It was a very mournful and beautiful sound like a whale call mixed with the howl of a wolf. The call echoed throughout the surrounding area before dissipating into silence, a few minutes passed where nothing was heard but the sound of the whispering wind.
Then the distant call was heard again.
Lina’s ears swivelled and then her eyes widened “I think I can follow the call! I think I know where she is!” Lina exclaimed.
Hal grabbed his mother’s hand “I wanna come too! “I wanna help Mary! I can help her just like I helped you!”
“No,” Lina said in a firm voice.
Hal backed away, confused and a little upset.
“But...why?” he asked in a tiny voice. Lina knelt back down to his level
“Hal I know you always want to help, and that’s one of the things I like most about you, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“But...I helped you?” Hal said meekly,
“I know Hal, but you still put yourself in danger, you almost fell off the roof! And the truth is...you shouldn’t have had to do that in the first place. It shouldn’t have been the responsibility of a young boy to help his mother in a crisis like this! I was wrong to not be there for you, and to not help you because I was so lost in my pity party! But this time I won’t let that happen, I’m not letting another one of my children suffer alone and I’m not going to put you in danger again, okay?”
Hal was still confused “But… it’s just Mary?”
“ I know Hal, but remember what I said about our minds and how they are different now? We still don’t know for certain how Mary will react to us! And wherever she is she’s probably scared and alone and stressed and that makes her even more unpredictable! If I go alone I can handle whatever she throws at me! But I don’t want to run the risk of you getting hurt again!”
Lina sighed and stood up once more, “I’ll help you back into the attic...then you’re going to go to bed, and I’ll go look for Mary, understand?”
“But Ma…”
“No more but's Hal,” Lina commanded, before scooping Hal up in her arm and clambering back into the attic.
After placing Hal back in the attic Lina looked at him and placed her hands on his shoulders, “I must leave now, if I don’t find Mary I’ll be back before sunset, stay safe Hal” then Lina planted a kiss on Hal’s forehead and quick as a flash she leapt out of the open window and took off into the night sky.
Hal groaned but accepted defeat, making his way downstairs. Hal knew what his mother meant but he still wanted to help. He was technically Mary’s older brother, and he always felt some responsibility when it came to making his sister happy and picking her up when she was down. Now he had a chance to be there for Mary when she needed him most, and he couldn’t be there. Hal didn’t even know what the danger was, his fears of his mother wanting to kill him in her monstrous form were nothing but nightmares that held no truth. So surely Mary couldn’t be that different?
Then Hal had a realisation, he may not have had his mothers pinpoint accurate hearing but he did know the direction Mary’s call came from. And it just so happened to be in the same direction as a location he and Mary were very familiar with.
Without a moment to waste, Hal raced down the stairs, grabbed his bike helmet off the hatstand and ran out the front door. He ran to the garage and found his bike, after unlocking the chain and putting on his helmet he peddled off into the night.
The ride through the woods was not a relaxing one, unlike similar rides he’d take during the day. The trees surrounded him in dark shadows and the icy wind of the late evening nipped and stung at his face and hands as he rode down the rural road. If it weren’t for the light on his bike he’d be in complete darkness.
Nevertheless, Hal peddled as fast as his little legs could muster through the night until finally, his destination came into view.
Near the edge of the woods, just over a kilometre from the house, was an old churchyard. The church had been abandoned for some time but was still intact and stood tall and dark amongst the jagged tombstones that cast eerie silhouettes of crucifixes and stone angels. Hal didn’t know why the church had been abandoned, left to slowly decay in the lonely woods. But he and Mary would often come to this place for walks, it felt secret and peaceful during the day.
The same could not be said at night.
Hal parked his bike against the stone wall surrounding the churchyard and pulled out his phone, using the light as a torch to guide the way. Hal made his way across a thin concrete path overgrown with weeds and grass that lead straight towards the church.
Hal hurried to get to the church’s front door. The door was usually held shut with a chain and padlock, that very same padlock was lying on the grass a meter away in two pieces.
Upon closer inspection, Hal could see claw marks etched into the wooden door.
At this point, Hal was tempted to take his mothers advice and go home, go to bed and pretend this never happened. But he had already come so far, and he couldn’t let Mary down now.
So gathering all the courage he could muster, Hal pushed open the church doors.
Hal had never been inside the church, as it had been locked for years. Scanning the empty church with the light of his phone he saw that there were still pews and an altar. But the pews were littered with rubble and stray fallen beams from the ceiling.
The decrepit, decaying interior of the church was not doing anything to help Hal’s nerves. The scattered and dark building could be hiding anything, anyone could be lurking in the shadows.
Then just as Hal was reaching the altar, a loud thump echoed through the empty church. Hal spun around searching for the source of the sound. Hal’s heart was beating out of his chest as his eyes scanned the dimly lit church for any signs of movement.
Then Hal saw it.
Two shining red eyes, looking straight at him from within the shadows of one of the pews.
Hal felt his heart lodge itself in his throat, the eyes had caught him off guard and he didn’t know what to do.
Should he run? Should he stand his ground?
He wasn’t even sure he could move his muscles as his whole body had gone stiff with fear.
Hal regained control of his right hand, managing to lift the light of his phone towards the red eyes and the light unveiled what was staring at him from the darkness.
It was his sister…
Mary slowly crept towards the young prince, never once taking her eyes off him. What everyone had guessed was right, Mary had become a gargoyle like her mother.
But Mary didn’t look like Lina.
Lina’s gargoyle form was refined and sleek. She had her horns, fangs and talons and to a lesser extent her bladed tail. But that’s all she needed, Mary was no such gargoyle.
Almost every part of Mary’s body was covered in bony spikes, reminiscent of thorns.
Her elbows had spikes jutting out of them. And alongside two curved horns, her brow had rows of small spikes, even her tail was lined with a row of curved spikes running along the top. Hal winced at the imagery the spikes conjured, of them working their way through Mary’s skin and flesh and the incredible pain that followed.
It was no wonder Mary was still as furious as his mother had been.
But what frightened Hal the most was her eyes, they were blood red, glowing hellishly.
Mary prowled on all fours, tail swishing like a cat about to pounce, wings flashing in agitation. Her lips were curled back exposing her sharp white fangs, saliva dripping from them. A sinister growl was rumbling in her throat.
Hal had found comfort that the terrifying image of his mother had mostly been a construct of his imagination. His fear warping an intimidating but still grounded creature into a demon. But Mary felt like a real-life version of that warped image. And the worst part was that she was in the clear light of his phone. There was nothing hidden or left up to his imagination, this was real.
Hal tried to be brave, he didn’t run away despite every survival instinct screaming at him to flee for his life. But it was like his nightmare had come true, instead of his mother, his sister looked like she was about to kill him.
Hal trembled like a leaf, sweat and tears dripping onto his shirt.
If his greatest fears were true and his beloved older sister had been replaced with a feral, vicious monster on the hunt.
He was in a world of trouble.
“M-Mary?” he managed to sputter out, his phone barely staying in his hand with how much it was shaking.
Mary didn’t respond, she instead got up off her hands and stood up straight, splaying her wings. She did this so fast Hal found himself stumbling backwards and tripping on a piece of rubble. He fell onto his backside dropping his phone in the process. Now unable to see clearly Hal began to panic, hyperventilating as the tears really began to fall.
No longer illuminated by Hal’s phone, Mary stood as a dark silhouette with her shining red eyes still staring daggers at Hal.
If this really was one of his nightmares Hal knew he stood no chance against the gargoyle.
“M-Mary…no…it’s me…Hal…” he pleaded, his voice quiet and trembling.
Mary stood for a few minutes, her tail swishing, light shimmering off her tail spines. She continued growling, flexing her fingers as if she were preparing them to sink into Hal’s flesh.
Then she let out a sudden loud snarl and lunged at him.
Hal blocked his eyes with his arms, not wanting to look into his sister’s blood-red eyes as she mauled him. Wishing for nothing more than to say sorry to his mother for not listening to her and going off on his own. Like an idiot, he had walked into a situation he was not in any way prepared to deal with. And now he would pay the ultimate price.
But instead of feeling the unfathomable pain of his flesh being torn into by serrated talons, he felt a rush of air blow into him as he heard wings flap, followed by another thud behind him. Looking up he saw that Mary had jumped over him instead of at him, and she had landed on the elevated stage of the altar. Before he knew it she had scampered up the wall and with a flap of her wings she leapt up into the belfry.
Hal just sat there, processing what had just happened. Mary looked like she was about to kill him, and she definitely could have, he was at her mercy.
But she just...didn’t?
It made no sense.
Suddenly another thump came from behind him, Hal scrambled to his feet in fear that sister had returned. But It was just his mother standing amongst the pews.
Uh oh…
“Henry…” Lina said sternly, her brow ridge furrowed.
All Hal could do was sit there and stare at her, there was nothing he could say to get out of this. He really was in trouble now.
“Ma...I…” Hal started to say, but any excuses or reasons died on his tongue before it could even leave his mouth.
“Hal I told you to stay home, and you came out here all alone in the dark of night!?” Lina scolded, it was a harsh tone Hal was very familiar with, and couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it right at this moment.
“What on Earth were you thinking!? What were you expecting to do? You could’ve gotten hurt or...worse…”
Lina choked up at the last part, not wanting to vocalize her deepest fear. That she might lose her son again.
Hal got choked up as well, knowing full well what his mother meant. And the worst part was that she was right, he really did have no idea what he was doing and he could have died for it.
“I-I just...I thought...I thought I could talk to her...like I did with you…” Hal sniffed. “I just want my sister back”
“ I know you do Hal, but like I said this shouldn’t be your burden to bear. You aren’t doing Mary any favours by putting yourself in danger”
Lina said, still stern but more understanding this time.
“Do you understand me?” Lina asked.
Hal just nodded, slowly getting to his feet.
“Good...now please, go home Hal” Lina instructed.
“Yes Mamá,” Hal said dejectedly and walked in shame out of the church.
