Four years had passed since the Lament Configuration had been lost to the world, its location unknown. Then, while blasting a new quarry in Arizona, two men found a fancy gold box that had appeared in the exposed rock face. One worker went to touch the box, but chains burst out of the stone, hovering mere inches from their throats. Seeming to study them, the links twisted together before plunging in the ground in front of the men, barely disturbing the dust.
"Jesus!" the younger worker breathed, wiping the sweat on his brow. "What in the name of all that's holy was that? The demented chains from Hell? I mean, I've heard of booby traps, but damn! Almost hit our necks---Flippin' God!" Struggling to stay upright against the shaking earth, he grabbed onto his friend, watching as a shaft of blue light speared through the soil, intense darkness suddenly blotting out the sun. More chains rose, the Lament Configuration in their grip at the same time it moved, half of it lifting, rotating a quarter turn, then settling into position, several sharp edges visible. "Okay, I'm official freaked out right now."
"Calm down, Scot, would ya?" the elder man snapped, striving to quiet his pounding heart. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this." Blood abrupty pooled on the surface, traveling up the chains that were stiffly pointing skyward. Horrified, the workers stared as the fluid seemed to spread into the form of a person roughly six feet, two inches tall. Fighting the urge to heave, Scot's coworker coughed instead. "Must be all the explosives finally went to our heads, Scot. Let's go back to central and get some coffee."
"Go no further, mortals. There is a small issue we must discuss."
Yelping, both men spun to discover the person was very real, his onyx eyes focused unwaveringly on them. Several dozen pins had been thrust into his skull, undoubtedly piercing his brain. Composure evaporating, Scot gulped as curved hooks trailed along his skin, leaving lines of red. "I have no idea how I thought of this hallucination, but I am getting out of---Ow, what the fuck?" A wickedly sharp point had snared his arm, stretching the flesh. Teeth bared, the man tried unsuccessful to pull it free, hissing in pain.
"Does this look like a figment of your pathetic imagination?" the creature drawled, circling them slowly. "I've spent many years waiting for someone to reveal the Lament Configuration and free me from it. The last man to summon me thought he had closed the portal, but he had turned the puzzle the wrong way, sealing me until I sensed the desire to touch the box." Laughing, the monster swiftly halted the older worker's dash, using a chain to snare his legs and drag him to the ground. Links rose above their heads, arching to aim at them, clinking together. "You humans never learn that this cube opens a gateway to Hell, where we Cenobites explore your flesh."
"Hell? Cenobites? God, I've got to wake up!" Scot yelled, choking as the chains rocketed downward, thudding into both workers' bodies, tearing flesh while they screamed.
"Should have thought of that before you reached to touch the Lament Configuration, fools. Now there is no escape for your souls." Letting part of the cube lift, the Cenobite twisted it clockwise, forcing it into place. There was a flash of light, then the shadows receded, all evidence of his arrival gone along with the corpses.
A/N: reviews would be nice.