The Venomous Serpent

The Venomous Serpent is also known as The Night Creature.

The brass in the little-used Derbyshire Church has such delicate detail. Sir Jocelyin and Elizabeth Fitzalan stand together, at the side of the man a lion, and beside Elizabeth – a fanged dog. And the face of Elizabeth is obliterated, despite the clear detail elsewhere. But young Sal takes a rubbing none the less.

She hangs it in the bedroom, but at night the moonlight makes the straightforward take on other meanings, and static objects begin to move – and writhe. The simple rubbing begins to take on a life of its own, and to do so it must suck the life force from elsewhere. Life becomes a nightmare, and Sal is powerless to stop the evil that has grown from such innocent beginnings.