S1:E3 - A Church Stained

September, 2024     Hunters Dean Remington and his brother, Sam, along with Ethan Graves, are joined by bestselling author Richard Raynland and the ghost of his son, Jon, as they investigate a recent murder at the Church of St. George.       The hunters stood in the shadowed doorway of the Church of St. George, their hearts heavy with foreboding.   The air inside the church was thick with an unnatural chill, the once sacred space now tainted by a malevolent presence. The stained glass windows, vibrant and beautiful in the daylight, seemed to pulse with a sinister energy.   The hunters were investigating the recent murder of Karen Cathain, a congregation member, who was fatally attacked by an unknown assailant while she was cleaning the church the day before. The sheriff's investigation showed there was no forced entry into the church, nor was anyone with Mrs. Cathain in the church at the time of her death.   Yet someone had attacked her in broad daylight.   As the hunters ventured deeper into the nave, the whispering began—soft, insistent, and chilling.   Richard Raynland turned to the others, the seasoned hunters who had followed him into the church. Their faces were set with grim determination, their weapons ready.   Suddenly, the whispering grew into a cacophony of voices, and the stained glass figures began to stir. St. George raised his sword, and the dragon snarled, its eyes glowing with an unholy light.   Suddenly, one of the knights stepped out of the windows. It landed in between two pews, its armor clanking as it moved towards the hunters.   The hunters fought off the knight, shattering it with their weapons, only to have more emerge from nearby windows.   Jon, Richard's son, appeared next to him. "It's the windows, Dad. It's the windows that makes them!"   Richard nodded, understanding. The stained glass windows were the key; they were the prison and the portal for the spectral warriors.   “We must destroy the source!” Richard shouted to the others, raising a heavy sledgehammer.   The largest of the stained glass windows stood behind the altar. Within it was the image of a dragon at the feet of St. George. The window began to shake.   Suddenly the dragon lunged out of the window and landed in the center aisle, spewing fire that singed the air.   The hunters scattered, dodging the flames as they swung their weapons. The clash of steel against spectral armor echoed through the church. Despite their efforts, the knights seemed invincible, their forms shifting and reforming after each blow.   Richard grabbed a fallen piece of masonry and hurled it at one of the windows. The glass shattered, and the knight within it dissolved into a cascade of colored shards. The realization hit him with sudden clarity: they had to destroy every window.   “Break all the windows!” he yelled, his voice ringing through the nave. “It’s the only way!”   The hunters responded immediately, their sledgehammers and makeshift weapons smashing into the stained glass. Each window shattered released a burst of radiant light, and the corresponding knight disintegrated into a shower of glass fragments. The dragon roared in fury, its form flickering as more windows were destroyed.   Richard swung his weapon with all his might, shattering the image of St. George. The holy knight’s spectral form wavered before vanishing in a brilliant flash. The dragon, now unsupported by its knights, let out a final, defiant roar. The hunters converged, their combined strength and determination overwhelming the beast.   Richard ran to the window where the dragon and St. George emerged from. With a mighty swing, Richard struck the window, shattering it.   The dragon’s form exploded into a whirlwind of glass and light, the force of its demise shaking the very foundations of the church.   The whispering ceased, and an eerie silence descended over the nave. The stained glass windows were gone, leaving empty frames and shards scattered across the floor.   Breathing heavily, Richard looked around at his companions.   The hunters were weary but victorious, their faces illuminated by the dying light of the setting sun streaming through the empty window frames. The malevolent presence had been banished, but the church was forever changed, its beauty sacrificed to rid Shadow Falls of the evil that had taken root.   Richard knew that the battle had been necessary, yet the destruction left a hollow ache in his heart. The stained glass windows, once a testament to faith and artistry, were now a memory. But their sacrifice had saved Shadow Falls, and in that, there was solace.   As the hunters gathered their belongings and prepared to leave, Richard took one last look at the empty frames. The church, though scarred, stood resilient. Shadow Falls had many secrets, and he knew this was but one of the many trials he would face.   Along with the others, Richard stepped out of the church, the night air cool against his skin, ready to face whatever came next.