CHAPTER TEN: AN EERIE NIGHT
The note’s meaning changed in a blink of an eye. Something straight out of a horror movie met his eyes.
A large black creature, covered with jagged scales, was moving about on the bottom floor. Its thick tail dragged easily behind it, displacing the dust and straw in a loud scrape that sent chills up Calin’s spine.
It was not reptilian. It was something he had never seen before.
The body was massive, truly built for power, a terrible power. The length of the thing could only be guessed at, sitting in around at three or four meters at least, and it would stand more than his waist was high.
Its broad head was sniffing about and it came to where Jerry had been sleeping the night before and snorted as if the smell was wrong.
But when it moved closer to the hidden ladder it sniffed louder and with each intake of breath its huge shoulders quivered as if excited about what it smelled. Calin stared at it wide eyed; his own body was frozen with fear.
There was absolutely no doubt about being spotted soon, but he couldn’t move a muscle. Sweat dripped from his brow, each drop was screaming with terror.
Desperation to hide was prominent, but Calin’s ragged breath and straining lungs was the only part of him that truly responded to his fear. The creature was sniffing closer to the stacked crates that hid the ladder. Its eyes were downcast, but it wouldn’t be for long, Calin was certain. The muscles rippling in the creature’s legs made it clear that it could easily make the three-metre jump up to the loft.
Upon drawing in a breath, it was almost like the air hurt his throat with seeing the creature shake its black head at another intake through flaring nostrils. Its one large paw scraped over the hard floor, even through it all Calin spotted two claws missing on its one foot. The rest of the claws were making tapping sounds as it moved forward.
The head lifted without warning, and a hint of crimson eyes showed. Intelligence shone in them. Calin’s body shook badly with fear, knowing what was happening. The monster had the look that it could jump onto the loft with no problem whatsoever and it would look and see him any second.
Just as he was sure the thing would look straight at him, a noise from the big doors stopped the creature.
Two men in black robes entered. The big one of the two had a strange rust coloured head, which was void of any hint of hair. The other seemed normal aside from the fact that he was also dressed in a black robe. What was striking was they both moved in a way that marked them as men that knew every inch of what they were capable of.
The one swept over to the creature and patted it with a playful swat.
“Werios, are you sure this is the area the woman from down the street said the boy would be. Oh, wait! Don’t mind, it looks like Saiba seems to agree that the barn is it, look at her shoulders shaking... let’s search the place, might get a better source of his scent for our pet or even the boy himself, he can’t hide forever.”
“Agreed,” said the larger man of the two, clearly carrying the air of command. “Let’s get the boy and return to Mishael. I’ve had enough of this place.” The man had a tattoo of a scorpion on a dune just above the ear. The tattoo almost looked as menacing as the man baring it.
“It reminds me, you know it won’t be easy to get back, Werios,” the smaller one said in a subdued way.
“You don’t think I know that?! Shut up and search.”
The other man ducked from the one called Werios as if expecting a blow. But the tattooed man ignored the smaller one.
It was as if everything came back to reality as Jerry plucked Calin down. His paralyzed body surged with new life as he took in deep gulps of air. It was impossible not to tremble next to the boy. The tension was hanging in the night air like a blanket trying to smother them.
What are we going to do? Despair hung over him like an axe.
Strangely, it was Jerry who snapped him from the sensation of drowning in fright as the boy was first to speak, his whisper hoarse.
“They are looking for one of us Cal, are they the ones from Mesa Versee?”
Glancing around, but not seeing anything on the men that looked the same as the kidnappers from two weeks ago, Calin shook his head and croaked, “No, I don’t know, their robes are different.”
“Different clothes or not, we need to get out of here.”
“How? I don’t know about you, but there is a frikken monster sniffing about!” Calin hissed.
Jerry cocked his head to the right, and hope surged as Calin spotted the window. How could I forget? With renewed vigour he whispered, “Grab your bag and I’ll get mine. I hope it will take them a minute to go through the barn, but we have to move. Mind the wood Jerry.” His whisper got louder, even though it was imperative to stay quiet.
Loud crashes sounded off down below as the men and their creature was probably trying to get to the harder to reach places in the back of the barn. Calin just hoped the ladder behind the first row of stacked crates would remain unseen.
There was a shout below. “Come out, come out little boy! Our friend here knows you’re in here. Don’t make this harder for yourself. She will find you.”
The shout sent both him and Jerry scurrying to get their things. They would be found any minute. But even in their haste they had to crawl slowly over the old beams of wood, while hoping their escape would go unnoticed.
A cringe split Calin’s face as the wood creaked under his weight. But luckily the intruders threw things across the floor and the noise overshadowed his. It only took a moment to reach his bag. He closed it before dragging it over his shoulder as fast as he could.
He took a moment to scrape together his nerves and crawled over to the windowsill, joined a mere moment later by a pale looking Jerry.
He didn’t waste time as he cocked his head at the boy and Jerry climbed through the window onto the small roof outside. Calin’s heart sank as a loud voice from the man called Werios roared.
“MOVEMENT UP TOP!”
A hiss escaped Calin’s lips while clambering through after Jerry, whispering harshly, “Go Jerry!”
In the touch and go situation he tried to support Jerry on the way down to the lower roof as quick as possible. Hurry up, hurry up.
Finally the boy stood secured.
With some reluctance Calin let his own legs dangle over the edge and Jerry’s hands cupped under his feet.
On his way down, he glanced up to the window. Still no sign of them.It was a hurried climb down to Jerry. But as they both turned around to their final leg down the roof. A problem presented itself.
It was a long way down to the ground.
“We have to jump that? Man!” Calin tried to make his voice confident after the first slip. “Okay Jerry, we have to do this.”
After building up the reluctant courage to jump, Calin and Jerry both made the leap down to the hard ground, his feet struck heavily, with Jerry collapsing next to him in loud grunts of pain.
In his forward momentum, Calin’s one knee hit the ground painfully, but surprisingly he was okay as he pressed himself up.
Jerry’s coughing quickly drew his attention. The boy was covered in dust and struggling to get up, clearly much worse for wear than him.
Even then he still stumbled with the fading ache in his one knee as he moved over to Jerry.
Upon reaching the boy, he grabbed Jerry’s arm and hauled him to his feet. The first few steps after the jump was awkward, but they were soon running albeit limply to the closest tree from the barn. Almost halfway there a shout shook them slightly from their run.
“THERE!”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
It came from behind.
With a risked glance, Calin looked over his shoulder to see one of the men pointing out of the window. It wouldn’t be long until they find their way down. He forced his legs a bit faster to get away. Jerry’s grunt gave him certainty the boy had heard the shout as well. They ran as fast as they could.
But without warning a great howl pierced the night, making Calin panic.
We are being hunted, A growing horror surged in him. I really thought the howling was from a wolf that night... It was a serious thought to berate himself for not being ready, but it was pointless to say the least. All that was left now was to try and get away.
They reached the tree and Jerry hesitated. Calin grabbed the boy’s arm and said, “We can’t stop now Jerry! Let’s go into the Jacobs’ grain field. It will give us a chance.”
After a shaking moment, the boy nodded and seemed to accept it as they set off to the tall stalks. It was a hundred meters away. There were furious shouts from the two men from back at the barn’s entrance.
Not even looking back, Calin ran with all his might; he was in reach distance of the grain field when he finally turned his head, the sight that greeted him made his heart thunder in terror.
The black creature came storming at them on its powerful legs, with a speed that astounded him for something that big. Its thick tail was lashing like a whip behind it. It was staring with killer intent straight at him, not at Jerry who was to the right, but him.
Not waiting any longer, Calin surged forward and shouted for Jerry.
“RUN!!”
They crashed into the stalks.
He ran his legs to burning point, but he didn’t care. The growling breaths of the creature were getting closer. He pushed harder, with the grain stalks swiping at his face. It stung, but he shrugged it off and kept going.
There was a small hope in the fact that they knew these fields like the back of their hands, it was the only chance they had. He embraced it gladly to get out of this nightmare. I don’t even know where we can hide. There were no answers. And his hammering heart wasn’t making thinking any easier.
There wasn’t time to ponder long on the thought as Jerry came stumbling through the grain next to him.
“Any …Idea where… we should …go?” Jerry gasped through his labored breaths.
Calin truly wished he had a solid answer as they ran together. He tried weighing different options through his head.
But before he could say something, he tripped.
Not able to stop his fall, Calin crashed forward to the ground, his hands dug into the rocky ground painfully. He almost cried out, but kept his mouth as Jerry dragged him to his feet. The growling was only twenty metres away, easily. With no time to pause, he looked at his bloody hands as his feet carried him on. The creature would be on them any second, his breathing became ragged. The fear was draining away at his strength. I’m just an orphan. This is just a dream. This is just a nightmarish dream!
It was in desperation that he tried to deny the truth. He wasn’t ready to be kidnapped, or worse, eaten.
Then the creature’s breaking through the stalks was right behind them, it was close enough that Calin could hear the deep intakes of breath.
But strangely, it stopped and howled again into the night. Even through his terror, Calin noted it sounded a bit different. He looked back, expecting the beast to burst through the stalks, yet as the seconds ticked by it didn’t. Something had stopped it.
Calin carefully and as silently as possible pushed through the stalks to get some distance before he ran. Just then he glanced down to his bloody hands. He gasped; the blood confused it! He shut his mouth after the gasp and quickly touched a couple of stalks as he ran and turned abruptly to the left. He stopped for a moment and called in a low voice for Jerry to follow him.
“Jerry, come this way, I think it’s confused.”
The boy barrelled after him and they ran the fifty metres through the last remaining stalks to a medium sized stone wall that marked the Jacobs’ lawn. In quick succession he tore two strips from his shirt and tied it around his hands to stop any blood from getting on the wall before he jumped and climbed over it with his elbows.
Jerry huffed heavily next to Calin as they both dropped down on the other side, slumping into a seated position.
“What happened?”
“I think the creature or whatever the heck that blasted thing is, was confused by my blood on the ground. It must be reliant on scent. The intensity from the scent of my blood must have stopped it? I don’t know.”
Still wide eyed, the boy just nodded at him and said, “Good, I was almost sure we were gonners a moment there. So what do we do now? I’m sure that thing won’t stay confused for long.” As if announcing the fact, there were shouts in the distance, probably the men trying to get their monster to get back on track.
That brought Calin back to the question, it was a hard one. He wasn’t sure where to begin, but he answered anyway. “Maybe…maybe we should go to the house that the note mentioned.”
Jerry gasped in shock as the boy spun back to him, “Are you crazy?! I think those hairless guys were the guys who sent the note.”
Calin shook his head no and Jerry looked at him confused. “Then who?”
“I don’t know who, but it was a guy with amber eyes, the same eyes as a boy from my dream.” Calin was completely certain Jerry would think it farfetched at best.
But the boy sighed in exasperation and said, “I really really don’t like it, but I trust you mate. Let’s get a move—”
They were interrupted by a girl’s loud voice, “My my, what on earth gives me the pleasure of having Calin and the infamous Jerry Jake on our lawn this lovely night?”
Calin spun on the girl, it was Evany Jacobs. Her voice was full of playful mock as she toyed with a lock of her blonde hair, but it was how loud she had said it that made him jump at her.
With unintentional force he grabbed her arm and shushed her, but the girl said even more loudly, “Ow! And don’t shush me!”
Calin’s eyes pleaded at her.
It worked in a manner. She must’ve seen the terror in his eyes as she said more softly, “Calin? What’s wrong, you look like you saw a ghost.”
“You’re not far off, just worse,” Calin said while keeping an ear out towards the grain field. “I don’t know how to explain this without sounding crazy, but you have to keep quiet, there is something in the fields, something none of us has ever seen. It’s hunting us.”
The girl’s lips turned up in a smile, but he shook her and harshly whispered. “No! This is not a joke, we have to get out of here and you have to get inside and lock all the doors.”
There was low growling close by in the fields. It settled the matter as it clearly showed on the other two that they heard it as well. Evany gasped in the grasp of his hands.
“What was that...?!”
Not waiting around, he motioned for Jerry to come and pulled the stunned Evany along. They reached the backdoor and quickly shut it behind them, locking it and shoving a chair under the knob.
After he was sure the doors were secured, he spun on Evany and asked quickly, “Where is your father? We need his gun.”
The girl stared wide eyed at them and glanced at the door all the while as she started to speak in an uncertain voice. “My dad’s not here! He left this morning with my other siblings. You know they are as serious about farming as he is…”
“You’re babbling Evany,” Calin said testily without meaning to, “Please hurry up, where’s the gun?”
She shook her head and arms before she answered. “Uh… I-I don’t know where he keeps his gun… Maybe, maybe we should see if we can find one of the hunters, Jorge’s house is just across the street.”
Not hiding the fact, he groaned in exasperation. “Agh! I saw them leave a couple of days ago. They were geared for a few weeks of hunting…”
The hopelessness of the situation settled deeper into Calin and he breathed out.
“We have to leave.”
Before he could give in to the temptation to sit down, Evany shakily spoke up.
“What is out there?”
There was hardly any will in him to find the words, not knowing the answer either. What was that thing?! He sagged against the wall, but Jerry spoke up from the chair against the opposite wall. “Evany we don’t know… you know those monster movies we used to watch late at night when your parents were fast asleep?”
Evany nodded and the boy went on, “Yeah well this thing gives some of those ones a run for its money. I mean, I can’t think of anything scarier running after me at this moment. And it did run after us… Man! This is insane. It’s like a nightmare you just can’t wake up from…” Jerry shuddered next to Calin.
Before the boy continued, he shot up his hand, “Shhh, Listen.”
They all sat quiet and suddenly there was this loud thudding of something big falling from up high. They all realized the creature had jumped over the wall. It quickly became apparent that there was something heavy pacing outside.
They froze and Calin signalled as fast as he could for them to move to the front of the house, his own heart was trying to break out of his chest.
While running down the long hallway to the other side of the big farmhouse he turned to find Evany leaning against the wall, she was gasping for breath. Not for the run it was sure, but for the reason that something was out there.
I wish we didn’t have to drag her into this nightmare, but it was too late now, at least she will be safe inside after we had left. He hoped for it as he moved back to place a hand on her shoulder, trying to console her.
Maybe he was dodging, but he was scared beyond reason, and now I’m trying to tell her not to be afraid?
It was preposterous.
But in the end something assured him that it helped her as her breathing slowed down somewhat. She followed him like a scared puppy.
A couple of minutes later, they reached the front door and Calin pointed to the left and whispered to Jerry. “Go check that room’s window for any sign of the creature.” The boy nodded at him and dashed away into the room.
Hardly wasting any time, Calin checked the room to the right. As he withdrew the curtain slowly the dark night outside made itself known, it was only illuminated by a handful of streetlamps down the street.
Its empty stretch filled him with dread, not a soul would know what lurked through the shadows, and it scared him.
They were alone this night, and he wouldn’t dare get anybody else in danger by leading the creature to their doorstep. He was going to lead this thing away. The thought shocked him.
I think they are after me, not Jerry. There was nothing to like about the fact, but somehow he knew it was true. Strangest of all, it consoled him to know that. If things went completely wrong he could hide the others and face whatever the men and their creature wanted, with knowledge that the people he cared for were safe. But he couldn’t help but swallow at the hollow pit in his stomach of what he might have to face.
The warning note from the man with the amber eyes sprung up in his mind. He was truly desperate to keep those people safe.
Jerry’s voice intruded on his thoughts as he stumbled in to the room. “All clear buddy, if we want to leave, we have to go now. It’s a big house. Maybe it will give us some time to get away.”
It was a risk, but it was necessary.
Then from under Jerry’s arm Evany sneaked her head into the room, and with a shaking voice from the hallway door she said, “I heard something at the back, its best to go.”
There was something in the girl’s words that made Calin wonder for a moment, I could swear she sounded like... No.
Shrugging off the notion, he moved to the front door. His hand motioned for Jerry to stand ready.
“Evany listen carefully now.” Calin said firmly. “When we go out, be sure to lock this door tightly behind us and lock your bedroom door as well. This thing seems to be after ... one of us, so you’ll be safe.”
There was a slight hesitation that crossed the girl’s face before she finally nodded at him.
Calin opened the door, without further ado. The cold night air was slightly chilly as they snuck outside, hoping their passage would go unnoticed.