 The faint light of the five candles at the center of the room cast flickering shadows against the stone walls. Two shadowed figures sat near the candles with their heads down, eyes closed, and muttering the same three words repeatedly. And then, as if struck, one of the men stopped chanting. Alexa turned the basement light on. Okay, a robotic voice from the near wall called out. The other man looked up just in time to see the overhead light turn on and both men winced at the sudden brightness. The floor here was dirty, the walls were stone and cinderblock, and the metal supports that ran along the bottom of the house hung over them both. The man who turned on the lights looked up at the other man and said, Look, maybe we should talk about it. How about we don't, Howard? Ah, Phillip, I'm just saying that maybe, fuck you, Howard. I said I didn't want to talk about it. Howard shook his head. Now how about we do? Because I'm the head cultist here, not the bitch cultist. There's just two of us, Phillip shot back, and I'm in charge. Howard paused for a moment and softened his tone. Look, all I'm saying is, maybe you're supposed to wear the robes. As their eyes finally adjusted to the bright light, their outlines became more clear. Howard wore a set of black robes with a pointed hood and Phillip wore a pair of blue jeans with a black Sabbath t-shirt and Phillip shook his head. You said I didn't have to wear the robes for this if I didn't want to. It's been an hour and a half. We're definitely doing something wrong. Have you ever seen someone do a ritual like this without cult robes? I mean, no, but I've never seen a real ritual either. Look, man, does the book say I have to wear the robes or not? Howard cocked his head to the side and lifted the book in front of him up. The front of the book depicted a pentagram on the back cover bore the stylized initials of Marshall Carter and Dark. Draw a pentagram on the floor with chalk. Lower the lights and place five candles at the points of the star. Surround the pentagram with a circle of salt. Create a spiral of gunpowder beginning from the center of the pentagram and going outward until it reaches the salt circle. Then Howard trailed off. Phillip's eyes went slightly wider. But wait, there's more? Howard shook his head quickly. What? No. Okay, but you said then and stop talking. I was reading the wrong thing. Phillip stepped around the circle and towards Howard. Give me the book. I want to see. No, it's mine. Give me the book. Philip reached for the book as Howard pulled it away. Phillip slapped at Howard's arm who tried to use his free hand to push Phillip away. The two of them remained engaged in slapping and awkward pushing until Phillip lost his balance and fell backwards, dragging Howard with him. Howard dropped the book as he fell and when they landed, Phillip scrambled over to grab it. He started to read as the basement door opened. Howard? An older woman's voice called down. Yeah, grandma, Howard answered. I heard a commotion. Are you and your friend rough housing? No, grandma. Are you sure you and your friend don't want something to eat? I could make something. No, thank you, grandma. Okay, I'll be in the den watching Wheel of Fortune if you change your mind. I've got the Tivo so I can pause it if you want something. We're fine, grandma. Thank you. The door shut slowly and Howard remembered his book. He looked over at Phillip who was still looking at the pages. Then apply the blood of a close friend to the center of the circle. You son of a bitch. Look, I was I was hoping we wouldn't need to get that far. I'm not. Phillip closed the book and slapped it across Howard's face. Howard's nose immediately began to bleed. As the blood fell on the gunpowder in the circle, it ignited and began to burn along the spiral. Howard reached up to close his nose off, stepped back and said, oh shit. The burning gunpowder reached the center of the spiral and a small explosion of energy erupted from it. The two men's eyes went wide as the ground beneath them began to rumble slightly. Then the ground beneath the circle fell away. The smell of sulfur filled their nostrils and a dark cloud of smoke with two red eyes rose up from the hole. I am Horazum Garl of the sixth circle of why is that guy wearing a black Sabbath t-shirt? Howard used his free arm to elbow Phillip in the ribs.