Week 5: Toi, Toi, Toi
Jul. 27th, 2025 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inkstainedfingertips“Toi, toi, toi, I banish all evil,” Liam whispered, his voice quavering. “I banish the monster. I ask for protection.”
Clutching the small stick in a hand shaking as wildly as his voice, he carved the intricate symbol into the soft dirt of the forest floor. Tears blurred his vision, and he wiped them away, sniffing loudly. He leaned back against the thick, wide trunk of the tree behind him and sighed. Every square inch of his body ached, and his breath was shallow and ragged. He felt as if he’d been running for days. And still he was in danger.
Huddled in a bush, Liam hugged his knees to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible. Between the thick canopy overhead and the clouds that blotted out the moonlight, it was black as pitch in the forest. The trees loomed over him, and a malevolent energy crackled in the air that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His stomach turned over on itself and the acidic tang of bile coated the back of his throat.
Liam gingerly pressed his fingertips to his eye and winced. It was swollen. Thankfully, it hadn’t swollen shut. He could still see. But his throat was dry. Cracked. And he knew there would be deep, dark bruises ringing his throat. It wasn’t the first time he’d tangled with the monster, and the aftermath always left him covered in cuts and bruises. Liam knew one of these days, if he did not escape for good, the monster would kill him.
“Toi, toi, toi. I banish all evil,” he repeated softly.
Deep down, Liam knew the incantation his grandmother—his Nana—had taught him so long ago did no good. It did not banish evil or the monster. No, the monster always came for him. The monster always found him. It always forced him to either run or fight for his life. But his grandmother’s words always brought him some sense of solace. Some bit of peace.
His grandmother had been his port of calm within the storm. She had always managed to ward off evil. She had always kept the monster at bay. Liam never knew how she did it. Never knew what bit of magic she used to protect him. But when he was with her, he never feared the sun going down. Never feared the darkness. He never feared the monster would come.
But ever since she’d died, the brief periods of calm in his life were punctuated by episodes of tremendous and increasing violence. As if it knew his shield and his protection was gone, the monster came for him often. It had grown bolder. More vicious. The beast seemed more determined than ever to put an end to him once and for all.
Liam closed his eyes. “Help me, Nana. It’s out there. It’s coming for me.”
The sharp crack of a branch echoed in the darkness, sending Liam’s heart straight into his throat. He swallowed and tried to quell the churning in his belly. The rustle of a bush and a low, rumbling growl rang in his ears. Grimacing in pain, Liam got to his knees and peered through the branches of the bush, searching the darkness, but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It sounded as if it was all around him.
The sound of shuffling footsteps rustling the bushes sent a white-hot bolt of lightning crackling up his spine. He couldn’t tell where it was, but it was close. Very close.
Liam squeezed his eyes shut and whispered to himself. “Help me, Grandmother. Banish the evil. Send the monster away.”
Its heavy breath cut through the darkness, and Liam felt the intense weight of its gaze pressed down on him. It was standing on the other side of the bush he was hiding in. He slowly opened his eyes, hoping it was gone. But it wasn’t. It stood there. A malevolent shadow in the darkness standing not two feet in front of him.
“Please don’t,” Liam said.
The shrill roar shook the branches of the bush and sent a wave of goosebumps washing across his body. He jumped to his feet and sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him. Liam ran through the darkness, jumping over exposed tree roots and rocks. He ran headlong into the darkness but was trying to be careful to avoid tripping over something or turning an ankle. If he fell, the monster would be on him before he ever hit the ground. If he fell, he was dead.
Behind him, the beast gave chase. It crashed through the bushes, snapping limbs, and kicking rocks out of the way as it tried to reach him. His heart racing and his lungs burning as hot as his muscles, Liam ran. He could practically feel its breath on his neck. Could feel its hands reaching out, groping in the darkness, mere inches from snagging him. Tears spilled from his eyes. But he lowered his head and ran for his life.
Liam leaped over a fallen log and his stomach dropped. He suddenly felt weightless, like he was going over the precipice and into a steep dive on a roller coaster. He opened his mouth to scream, but he hit the ground with a bone jarring impact. His jaw cracked shut audibly, making him bite his tongue. Pain shot through him, and his mouth filled with the coppery taste of his own blood.
He tumbled and bounced down an embankment, crashing into every stone and log embedded into the earth. He hit the bottom and gasped as the breath was driven from his lungs. Liam lay half in the water of the creek, staring into the sky overhead. He wheezed, his lungs crying out for air as every muscle and bone in his body cried out in a chorus of agony.
Liam’s brain screamed at him to get up. To move. To run. It told him the longer he laid there, the more danger he was in. But his body refused to obey. It would not move. He could not move. All he could do was lay there, gazing at the stars above, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. Wondering when it had gone so wrong. Had it been when his mother died? When his grandmother died? Before either of those things happened?
When had the monster first come for him?
Liam racked his brain, trying to figure it out, and he couldn’t recall. The monster had been with him as long as he could remember. Liam couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t live in fear of it. Of its violence. Of its hatred. He couldn’t remember a life before the pain.
With a groan, he sat up and was unsurprised to find it standing in the creek before him. A massive, dark silhouette in the shadows. Though Liam could not see its face, he could feel its eyes burning holes into him. Could feel the rage and the hate radiating from it and pouring into him. Liam’s skin prickled and his heart pounded in his ears as his skin warmed, and his face grew hot.
The monster took a step forward, one of its massive arms reaching through the darkness toward him. Liam recoiled as fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.
“Please, Dad,” he whispered. “Please don’t.”
Clutching the small stick in a hand shaking as wildly as his voice, he carved the intricate symbol into the soft dirt of the forest floor. Tears blurred his vision, and he wiped them away, sniffing loudly. He leaned back against the thick, wide trunk of the tree behind him and sighed. Every square inch of his body ached, and his breath was shallow and ragged. He felt as if he’d been running for days. And still he was in danger.
Huddled in a bush, Liam hugged his knees to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible. Between the thick canopy overhead and the clouds that blotted out the moonlight, it was black as pitch in the forest. The trees loomed over him, and a malevolent energy crackled in the air that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His stomach turned over on itself and the acidic tang of bile coated the back of his throat.
Liam gingerly pressed his fingertips to his eye and winced. It was swollen. Thankfully, it hadn’t swollen shut. He could still see. But his throat was dry. Cracked. And he knew there would be deep, dark bruises ringing his throat. It wasn’t the first time he’d tangled with the monster, and the aftermath always left him covered in cuts and bruises. Liam knew one of these days, if he did not escape for good, the monster would kill him.
“Toi, toi, toi. I banish all evil,” he repeated softly.
Deep down, Liam knew the incantation his grandmother—his Nana—had taught him so long ago did no good. It did not banish evil or the monster. No, the monster always came for him. The monster always found him. It always forced him to either run or fight for his life. But his grandmother’s words always brought him some sense of solace. Some bit of peace.
His grandmother had been his port of calm within the storm. She had always managed to ward off evil. She had always kept the monster at bay. Liam never knew how she did it. Never knew what bit of magic she used to protect him. But when he was with her, he never feared the sun going down. Never feared the darkness. He never feared the monster would come.
But ever since she’d died, the brief periods of calm in his life were punctuated by episodes of tremendous and increasing violence. As if it knew his shield and his protection was gone, the monster came for him often. It had grown bolder. More vicious. The beast seemed more determined than ever to put an end to him once and for all.
Liam closed his eyes. “Help me, Nana. It’s out there. It’s coming for me.”
The sharp crack of a branch echoed in the darkness, sending Liam’s heart straight into his throat. He swallowed and tried to quell the churning in his belly. The rustle of a bush and a low, rumbling growl rang in his ears. Grimacing in pain, Liam got to his knees and peered through the branches of the bush, searching the darkness, but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It sounded as if it was all around him.
The sound of shuffling footsteps rustling the bushes sent a white-hot bolt of lightning crackling up his spine. He couldn’t tell where it was, but it was close. Very close.
Liam squeezed his eyes shut and whispered to himself. “Help me, Grandmother. Banish the evil. Send the monster away.”
Its heavy breath cut through the darkness, and Liam felt the intense weight of its gaze pressed down on him. It was standing on the other side of the bush he was hiding in. He slowly opened his eyes, hoping it was gone. But it wasn’t. It stood there. A malevolent shadow in the darkness standing not two feet in front of him.
“Please don’t,” Liam said.
The shrill roar shook the branches of the bush and sent a wave of goosebumps washing across his body. He jumped to his feet and sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him. Liam ran through the darkness, jumping over exposed tree roots and rocks. He ran headlong into the darkness but was trying to be careful to avoid tripping over something or turning an ankle. If he fell, the monster would be on him before he ever hit the ground. If he fell, he was dead.
Behind him, the beast gave chase. It crashed through the bushes, snapping limbs, and kicking rocks out of the way as it tried to reach him. His heart racing and his lungs burning as hot as his muscles, Liam ran. He could practically feel its breath on his neck. Could feel its hands reaching out, groping in the darkness, mere inches from snagging him. Tears spilled from his eyes. But he lowered his head and ran for his life.
Liam leaped over a fallen log and his stomach dropped. He suddenly felt weightless, like he was going over the precipice and into a steep dive on a roller coaster. He opened his mouth to scream, but he hit the ground with a bone jarring impact. His jaw cracked shut audibly, making him bite his tongue. Pain shot through him, and his mouth filled with the coppery taste of his own blood.
He tumbled and bounced down an embankment, crashing into every stone and log embedded into the earth. He hit the bottom and gasped as the breath was driven from his lungs. Liam lay half in the water of the creek, staring into the sky overhead. He wheezed, his lungs crying out for air as every muscle and bone in his body cried out in a chorus of agony.
Liam’s brain screamed at him to get up. To move. To run. It told him the longer he laid there, the more danger he was in. But his body refused to obey. It would not move. He could not move. All he could do was lay there, gazing at the stars above, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. Wondering when it had gone so wrong. Had it been when his mother died? When his grandmother died? Before either of those things happened?
When had the monster first come for him?
Liam racked his brain, trying to figure it out, and he couldn’t recall. The monster had been with him as long as he could remember. Liam couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t live in fear of it. Of its violence. Of its hatred. He couldn’t remember a life before the pain.
With a groan, he sat up and was unsurprised to find it standing in the creek before him. A massive, dark silhouette in the shadows. Though Liam could not see its face, he could feel its eyes burning holes into him. Could feel the rage and the hate radiating from it and pouring into him. Liam’s skin prickled and his heart pounded in his ears as his skin warmed, and his face grew hot.
The monster took a step forward, one of its massive arms reaching through the darkness toward him. Liam recoiled as fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.
“Please, Dad,” he whispered. “Please don’t.”
no subject
on 2025-07-28 07:33 am (UTC)The emotional weight of this and what the monster is really got to me. The last line made me cry.
Aside from that it's beautifully written as always. Your imagery is vivid and you're such a master of placing us right there in a scene, I admire that so much.
I read this twice before commenting and honestly it's my favorite entry this season so far.
no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 02:20 pm (UTC)You deserve to know what a great writer you are and I will always tell you!
no subject
on 2025-07-28 02:16 pm (UTC)This is well-written and heart rending.
no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-29 12:54 am (UTC)I do wonder whether the monster first appeared after Liam's mother died, but maybe he wasn't even that lucky. :(
no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:31 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-29 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:31 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-29 03:13 am (UTC)Well told, and Liam's fear is very believable.
Dan
no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:32 am (UTC)I'm glad that came through for you. Thanks so much, Dan!
no subject
on 2025-07-29 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-30 06:58 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-30 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-07-31 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-01 04:33 am (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-09 06:16 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2025-08-10 09:30 pm (UTC)