The bells rang at midnight.
A warning, far too late. Tongues of flickering death devoured the town. Cries went unheard, drowned out by the crackling laughter of the Reaper. Wise men of the forest collapsed at the touch of scarlet fingers, their once beautiful leafy crowns shrivelled and crumbling. Mothers called for their vulnerable youths, never admitting that it was too late.
The bells rang at midnight, and all the world burned.