Courage of the Red Hand

"What is that?"

"A thunderstorm. It makes the ground shake, but it is nothing to be concerned about."

"It sounds like a dragon is trying to claw his way out of the earth!"

"It's just thunder. The gods are angry today. They have been doing this more and more lately, but they cannot harm us."

"I can hear voices in that terrible sound! People's voices!"

"That's just the wind, child. There are no people living near here."

* * *

The wind whipped like fire and the rain stung like needles. Lightning split the sky as if it were a seam. Thunder roared through the night, shaking trees and casting shadows on the soggy ground. The storm was fierce for such an early hour, but there was nothing unusual about it. The rains came early each year, and the wind was always strong at night. It did not alarm the village, only spread unease among those who could not sleep well to begin with.

They had heard stories of other places where storms could tear whole houses from their foundations or fling them miles away into a river. Even entire villages might be blown away in a single violent gust of wind, never to be found again by anyone who searched for them in all of the world! But this was not one of those places, so they dared not worry too much over such small disturbances.

For some time after Genevieve retired to bed that night, she tossed and turned beneath her warm covers, afraid something would happen to her family during such an unseasonable storm. Slowly but surely she dozed off though, lulled by the thunder's droning rhythm into a fitful sleep filled with dreams she could barely remember when she woke in the morning.

As soon as her feet hit the cold floorboards of her bedroom, Genevieve knew something was amiss: Her father would have already left for work by now if he were up and about already! She hauled herself back onto her feet and glanced out her window to see what sort of weather awaited her outside this morning - but nothing looked familiar! Instead of trees along a muddy road and fields beyond them, there were only shadowed shapes in every direction stretching out into darkness!

"Father?" Genevieve said aloud despite herself, feeling suddenly very afraid as she took a step towards her door, which stood slightly ajar. "Mother?" She peered through the doorway into the homey kitchen beyond it and let out a gasp as she saw that everything she remembered seeing there last night had changed drastically since then! The walls weren't gray anymore; they were black stone covered in glowing red runes that cast molten light across everything around them! The windows weren't blurry rectangles filled with white frost; they were tall arches carved with intricate designs that made Genevieve think of stained glass windows without any glass or frames holding them together! She saw a table where once there had only been a round one; it was shaped like a twisted knot made from hundreds of interlocking branches instead of mere wooden slats! Everything else was still familiar though: Her mother's pots and pans still hung from hooks above an enormous stone hearth where flames danced brightly in their own way despite being surrounded by darkness all around them! A black kettle sat perched atop it steaming gently and filling the air with its aroma.

Then Genevieve saw something move amidst all those glowing runes on the wall behind her mother's table... Something that reminded her of ghosts streaming through mirrors at midnight on All Hallows' Eve! A sudden glimpse at her own reflection in one of those magical windows confirmed that yes - ethereal entities had somehow appeared inside their house while they slept! They seemed to be floating gracefully through the air, moving between objects and over surfaces, following an enigmatic path towards the arcane circle on the floor outside amidst all its swirling symbols! Some soared upwards, disappearing behind flying pages, while others slipped down through gaps between ceiling stones, vanishing below the floorboards.

When Genevieve blinked again, everyone had disappeared except for herself - or maybe not everyone? One tall figure with a frail appearance stood silhouetted against the dancing flames, his face remaining hidden in darkness. His suit hung loosely over his emaciated frame, and his pale skin shone eerily bright against the dark background illuminated by the firelight. Surrounded by lifeless objects in a room now far removed from anything resembling the life she once knew, Genevieve's heart raced as she began to process her new reality.