Daemonium in Iudeaea

## **Daemonium In Iudeaea** *by Bloodyspaghetti*

Today is the anniversary of me destroying my lower back. I am not paralyzed, or anything, but I’ve two herniated lumbar discs terrible compressed sciatic nerve. I know that today it’s not a big deal to have surgery and fix bulging discs but due to an unfortunate family history with the local invasive medical practice, I‘m not entirely trusting of doctors. Especially not ones that could end up paralyzing me from my waist below.

Usually, one wouldn’t bother remembering the exact date of an accident that didn’t cripple them after a few months but I remember. I feel like I have to remember that day. I injured myself taking a nasty fall living traveling in the Judean mountains, close to Qumran; where the dead sea scrolls found. One moment I was standing on a hilltop, and the next I found myself tumbling down into a cavern. The fall didn’t feel serious; I say hadn’t felt serious because I landed on my backpack and the impact mostly sent waves of adrenaline through my body, now I obviously know better, I fell about ten feet down. The surrounding space was spinning for a few moments, and I could hear my pounding heart in my ears. I looked around frantically; I didn’t feel any pain at that moment so my biggest concern was being trapped in some cavern with no way out.

Just as I was beginning to panic, I noticed a stream of light coming into the subterranean cavity I landed into.

I collected myself and got back up to my feet. Walking around the cavern for a bit I made sure that the source of the light was indeed an exit which it was. Feeling adventurous for a lone traveler who could’ve died mere minutes ago, I opted to go look around the cave for a bit.

I guess the adrenaline rush hadn’t worn off by that point yet.

Anyway, I pulled out my flashlight and started walking into the depths of the cave. For about half an hour I couldn’t find anything other than an endless maze of cave formations sprawling seemingly into infinity. The various spikey mineral deposits forming from the floor and the roof of the cave gave it an appearance of some ominous colossal alien’s maw. It was almost mesmerizing to look at. Endless stony tendrils sticking out in all directions for what seemed to be miles upon miles.

I heard someone call out from the depth of the cave just as I was about to make my way out.

A man‘s voice boomed from the deeper parts of the cave, it sounded almost worried, “Who‘s there?“

The sudden vocalization made me shudder in surprise as I turned around calling back, “Hey, anybody there?“

“Heeeeeeeey,” the voice trailed off.

I thought someone was deeper in the cave; in my mind, it could’ve been someone who got lost or a patrolling ranger.

“Help me!“ the voice called out again, seemingly closer to me.

My heart raced, and I was sure it was someone who needed help. I took a deep breath and starting pacing hastily towards the source of the sound. As I walked, I called out, “Hey, are you alright? Do you need help?“

“Who are you?“ the voice called again, seemingly closer to me.

“I’m…” I was cut off.

“Stop right there! Who… Is… That…“ the voice called out, something about it sounded odd. My instincts were practically screaming at me to take my feet, turn around and run for it as far as I could. Instead of listening to my gut, I just stood still and starting explaining who I was and what I was doing in this subterranean cavity.

No response came.

Thinking whomever it might be was probably too hurt to keep on responding I just decided to run towards the location from which I felt the sound had come.

“What are you?!“

That question was screeched at me, from a close distance. My heart sunk as I was beginning to realize that I was in the wrong kind of a bad situation. I sheepishly called out, “Hello?” as I carefully shined around myself with my flashlight. “I just want to help you…” I had called out again before I heard the sound of animal claws scraping against the rocks.

It came from above.

I didn’t want to look up, I knew I should just run, I knew I should‘ve just blasted my way out of there and never looked back but I didn’t. I didn’t do that because I felt something dripping on my head.

“Heeeeelp… Meeeee…“ something snored close to my ears.

That’s when I looked up.

As the light hit the cave ceiling, I nearly shit my pants, not to mention that I cursed under my breath like a sailor.

Above me, clinging to the ceiling like some sort of lizard was some sort of emaciated, sickly yellow thing. It looked human-like, but it was so skinny and freakishly long. As I stood there frozen with fear slowly building up in every fiber of my being. That thing, it screamed at me revealing its rancid serrated, yellow rows of teeth.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment; the same moment that I noticed this thing had no eyes at all. There was just terrible stretched sickly skin over most of its head.

Without even consciously deciding to run, I felt my legs move on their own. I had managed to move a few meters away from that thing before it jumped into the air, awkwardly… disgustingly twisting its body in the air and landing on its four limbs. It charged straight at me, managing to grab a hold of my backpack.

This thing tore it straight from my shoulders. I felt a tug and then a lot of weight was taken off my back. I just ran. Assuming this thing was too occupied with my backpack I ran as fast as I could.

Moments later I heard the noise of scrapping claws on the rocky surface again, followed by more calls for help. They were getting louder and louder with each passing moment. I ran and ran, without looking back and the cave seemed to go on forever.

Eventually, I could see the penetrating light of the sun – the exit was in sight.

As I was about to escape from that cave, I heard the creature call out to me; “Hear Israel…”, my heart sank, it uttered the opening words of a prayer. I was inches away from the exit of the cave and a surge of sharp pain shot straight to my pain, starting at the center of my lower back and traveling all the away along my right leg. It was so bad I just froze and that monster slammed me to the ground.

It barked at me, scraping its bony forelimbs at my body.

The weight of this thing sent further waves of agony along my lower back and leg. The pain was unbearable, but I knew I had to keep trying to escape from this predator. I twisted and turned my body underneath that thing and it bit my shoulder. I felt pressure around my shoulder and the something liquid running down along my arm. My heart pounded really loudly, and something in me snapped. I started banging my fist on that thing. I don’t know what I hit… I couldn‘t tell, all I could feel was its leathery skin.

It let go of me for a moment, and I turned to my back, forcing myself to kick the thing that was now looming over me, and probably pissed off as hard as I could in the chest. It barely budged backward, instead, it just screeched at whilst displaying itself to me like some peacock as if to tell me I have no way to survive the encounter.

Whatever this thing was; its neck was completely twisted on itself. It looked like it had been snapped backward, and then even further making the neck muscles on that creature appear as if they were stretched in 360 degrees.

I kept on kicking at the abomination while slowly crawling towards the exit. I‘ve no idea why I even did that. I just wanted to create some space between it and me.

I felt something stab at my hip, sending another gut-wrenching wave of neuro-signals down my leg. I turned to my side and as I did, I felt my hand land on a rock. Instinctively I tossed it at the monster and it retorted by pouncing at me but I managed to roll out of its way and it landed in the light.

It screeched and howled before bouncing on one of the cave walls again and scurrying away into the darkness, while it let out the same curse words I uttered when I first saw it.

A mixture of fear and confusion took over my senses as chills ran down my whole body once I heard that thing mimic my speech, almost even mimicking my voice. My heart was about to burst out at the moment, and I forced myself to limp out of the cavern; I was lucky enough to encounter a couple of patrolling rangers. I told them I had fallen and gotten hurt as a result. At the moment I didn’t think telling anyone about the creature was a good idea.

Legend states that King Solomon banished all the demons and the evil spirits from the land of Israel. Knowing what I know now, I can wholeheartedly say, Solomon was certainly not very good at banishing demons.