CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A KNIFE IN THE DARK

The sharp blade pricking his skin, made Calin’s breath stop. There was nothing he could do. The game was up.

With a cracked voiced, he croaked. “Um, no need to do something stupid, I won’t put up a figh—” The knife pressed harder against his throat; it made him stop the next words. A confident voice came from behind, yet it was etched with some uncertainty. “Who are you, and why are you trying to look into the house?”

Confused by the scenario, Calin said, “I was looking for a man living here, my name is Calin.”

The blade softened considerably against his throat and the stranger said, “Calin? You got my note?”

He nodded, hoping he had made the right decision coming here. It was now or never.

As fast as edge of the knife had come into contact with his throat, as fast, it left his skin. It was hard not to sigh with relief.

But then all of a sudden the man pressed it hard against his throat again and threw his arm around Calin’s shoulders. I was wrong!

The man turned them both towards oncoming people. There came a gasp and Calin was sure it was Evany and Jerry the moment they came fully around the corner, even in the dark.

The stranger’s knife tightened and he shouted. “STOP! What do you want with us?”

Jerry’s hands went up as he slowly moved closer.

Calin wanted to shake his head at the boy, but the knife drew another drop of his blood. Another sharp intake of breath followed, Evany had seen as much.

With a cautious tone Jerry was first to speak.

“Listen here mate, nobody has to get hurt here. We won’t do anything, just let our friend go.”

Half expecting the man to cut him, he cringed while trying not to swallow too hard as the blade pressed against his neck. But the man surprised him as he said past his ear, “How do I know this is really your friend, or that you don’t want him for something else?”

Confused, Calin tried to confirm the claim but as he started to speak the man shook him and said a harsh, “Quiet! Please.”

With no real control over his body he started trembling, this is not going so well. He was desperate to find some way to slip out of the man’s grip, but nothing presented itself at the moment.

In another motion Jerry’s hands showed for the man to calm down. “I’ve known him half my life, so please just let him go.”

Calin almost groaned, Jerry wasn’t saying the right things. He wanted to speak, but he wasn’t sure if he would get another nip for his effort, so he kept his mouth shut and hoped he would get his chance to escape.

An instant later his heart sank when the man started to drag him backwards. The stranger’s words not helping his nerves either. “I don’t believe you, now get back. You won’t get him.”

Calin’s eyes pleaded at the other two, he was afraid, but he wanted them to stay clear of the knife. Evany shouted at him. “Calin! We’ll find a way, don’t worry.”

In that moment he didn’t care if he got nicked as he desperately shouted back.

“Don’t! Get to safety--” He expected the nick, but what made him stop was the knife and arm of the stranger dropping away from him. He turned slowly towards his assailant and looked into the amber eyes of the stranger, but it stood out even in dim light.

As Calin tensed his muscles to be ready for a reaction, he paused as there was a slight flash of uncertainty in the man’s expression.

“I had to be certain … sorry… I was afraid they came for us.” The stranger said, slipping a good looking army knife into a holster.

A frown split Calin’s face and he asked, “Us?”

A smile of amusement tugged at the man’s lips as he said, “Of course us, you and me Calin.”

Wanting to ask more, Calin started to speak.

But then Jerry barrelled into the man.

In surprise, Calin sprung away from the scene, but then realized what was happening and rushed at the tangled bodies grunting and groaning through the fight.

Calin grabbed Jerry by shoulders and plucked him off the man, but Jerry’s right arm got loose and swung again. Before he could grab at the arm the punch connected with the man’s jaw.

Redoubling his effort, Calin used his full weight to pull at Jerry, and dragged him away. The boy was protesting all the way trying the get free.

“What are you doing, let me go, I had him pinned!” but Calin shook him while looking deep in the boy’s almond eyes and said, “Enough! He let me go, he believes you now.”

Jerry stumbled to his feet taking a deep breath before he eyed the strange man and said a soft, “Ah.”

With one last pointed stare at the boy, he glanced back to see the amber eyed man get to one knee, wiping at the drops of blood from the edge of his mouth.

Calin was about to venture over to the man when Evany assailed him, her golden-blonde hair flinging past his ear as she hugged him. Calin’s breath whooshed out of him for a moment at the impact, but as he caught his breath, he patted her shoulder and said in soothing tones. “I’m alright, don’t worry, you can let me go now.”

The girl removed her arms, her eyes slightly downcast as she softly said, “Okay. Good.” Then as she glanced at his neck, she yelped and said, “You’re hurt! Let me check your cuts.”

Calin shook his head keeping the inquisitive Evany at arms length as he smiled. “I’m fine. Don’t worry! You can check when we are safe inside.”

He winked at her and walked over to the stranger and presented his arm, the man gladly accepted and drew himself up.

“Your friend there got quite a punch to him. Not that I blame him for punching me, given the situation.”

“Yeah,” Calin chuckled, “But don’t tell him that, he already has a large ego.” Then he asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”

The man had been smiling at him, but when Calin asked what his name was, the stranger stiffened visibly. His amber eyes flashed wide, confusion written all over his face. Long seconds passed by until the man almost dazedly presented his hand.

“I-I’m Tyas Sabrial...” After a moment, Tyas shook his head, “Ah, forgive me. I’m sorry about the um…” he motioned at Calin’s neck as he said, “…cuts, I couldn’t see you properly in the dark, and then they showed up.”

Tyas tilted his head at the others and Calin spotted Evany fussing at Jerry’s clothes.

There was some amusement in the act, but then Calin said over his shoulder, “Yeah well... I thought for a moment I made the wrong decision and walked into a trap. Especially after those weird robed men and their creatures came after me earlier.”

There was a strange noise behind him and he glanced back at Tyas, the man had a truly shocked expression on his face. And with a serious tone in his voice that startled Calin, Tyas demanded.

“The black creatures? Are you certain what you saw? Are they close?”

After tentatively nodding, Calin studied the man’s face. There was a deep fear in it. Tyas was scanning the area with anxious glances.

I am afraid of them myself, but he seemed to have come across them before… He asked as much and the man only said, “Get your friends, we need to get inside immediately. I’ll explain what I can then.”

A shiver ran down his spine, though, if the cool breeze was the source he wasn’t sure. A quick flick sent his bag tighter over his shoulder as he called back at the other two. “Jerry, Evany, hurry…We need to get inside!”

They trotted over uncertainly, but before they could ask anything, Tyas hissed through the open door, “Inside, hurry!”

Calin shoved at the other two and they quickly entered the dark boarded house.

Inside the strong smell of mould and rotting wood was evident. He coughed a bit as he removed his jacket and pressed it into his already full bag. A moment later he choked again waving at the dust in the air before he said, “You live here?”

The door’s lock clicked behind him and a heavy wooden beam thudded into place. Two metal slots holding it securely. Calin eyed Tyas as the man let out a deep breath, the tension that had sprung up on the man so quickly, never left his eyes.

Tyas rubbed his hands together to dust them off and said, “Yeah yeah, I know it’s not much, but I didn’t want to draw much attention to myself.”

Scoffing at that, Calin crossed his arms. “And the wooden boards outside don’t draw attention?”

The man shrugged with a small smile while moving off and started dusting the spray bottles.

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Something about the man’s attitude made Calin suspicious and he ventured over to Evany and Jerry, and said in a whisper. “Tyas acts around me like he knows me. Something is up, just be on your guard. He seems like he wants to help, but just for in case, okay?”

They nodded and he turned back to the dark room, he made out a slightly green colour that adorned the cracked walls. He stepped over to where Tyas was busy spraying the floor at the door with something.

“What are you doing?” Calin asked with a frown.

“Oh… this?” Tyas pointed at the bottle, “If what you’re saying is right, then we are being hunted.”

Tyas scratched under his long sleeve, his ghostly pale skin catching Calin’s eye before the man continued. “It’s been such a long time ago for me. I was hoping the presence of those men in this town would come without their dangerous pets, but no such luck... There is not much left, but this is to throw them off for a couple of minutes, if they come sniffing around… Here catch.”

Tyas threw a little bottle of the stuff at Calin and he caught it swiftly. He ventured a sniff he was repulsed by the powerful odour.

Chuckling at him, Tyas said, “Strong stuff eh? That liquid helped me out of a tight squeeze a few times. But it’s very hard to come by. And I mean extremely.”

The odour still burned through his nose as he cringed. As he handed the bottle back to Tyas, he shuddered and said, “I’ll be glad if I don’t have to work with that stuff every day. It smells awful.”

A grin split Tyas’ face at that, but the man continued spraying the stuff at the door, seemingly deep in thought.

Patiently he waited until Tyas finally said, “Yeah well, sometimes something is thrown on you without you having any choice.”

Calin blanched at that, and eyed the man, but Tyas quickly changed the subject.

“You wondered why I was so surprised about hearing that those men had their creatures here? It’s because a month ago, I spotted the keepers of those beasts at the Northen end of Breakwater Isle. As you know that is, what, three hundred kilometres North of here? I didn’t expect them to come so far so quickly, especially not with their creatures. As for why, I think you already got a hint of it. The stalemate has tipped, they finally found you. Took them close to eight years, but yeah...”

“I’m confused...” Calin muttered as he tried to arrange his thoughts. Nothing of it made sense. But something Tyas had said earlier, made him ask.

“You said ‘we’ earlier?”

Tyas glanced away from him. The man’s eyes lingered on Calin’s two friends before the man lowered his voice and said,

“Yes. As for me, they have a grudge against me. I was a thorn in their sides for a very long time. It’s you they really want... The reason for that, though, I only have theories. Your friends, for the time being are safe, that is if they stay out of the way of those people. I’m not sure why you brought them along? If you could please enlighten me, I’ll be glad.”

Calin sat down on a round wooden chair. It had three legs. This was the third confirmation he had in such a short span of time. It only settled the matter once and for all. He dragged a hand through his brown hair. Those men were following him.

Just then, he realized he never introduced his friends, he looked back at Tyas and as much to buy time to think than anything, Calin said, “Oh sorry its rude of me, the tall guy’s name is Jerry,” He pointed at the boy who was stumbling around in the dark, then went on, “He came along when those monsters came barging into the barn we both live in. The girl’s name is Evany, she… well I don’t know why she insisted upon coming along.” The last was said a bit louder, he still wondered why the girl kept on pressing the matter; especially considering the situation.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued, “But please tell me one thing, Tyas, Why?... Why are they after me, and why are, or were they after you?”

Uncertain if his voice sounded like pleading, he coughed, but he needed to know, so he turned his gaze back to Tyas.

The man sat down heavily against the wall and slumped his head against the wall looking up at the ceiling. The sound of Tyas’ shuddering breath unsettled Calin, but he waited patiently for him to answer.

A few awkward moments passed and then Tyas said, “As I said, they have a big grudge against me… they’ve been looking for me on and off for seven years now. And I’m a hundred percent certain that had you not fallen from that cliff that day, it would’ve been the same for you… or rather you would’ve been hunted day and night,

‘Seriously, if they get your blood, we have huge problems... You have to tell me, did the doctors draw your blood when you were in the hospital? Tell me quickly!”

Calin was so shocked to hear about the fall, it took him a few moments to even process the rest. His heart was hammering. I really did fall from a cliff!

It was only after the initial shock that Tyas’ insistent questions broke through to him. He couldn’t get the words out, so he shook his head vigorously. The doctors hadn’t drawn blood. But when he cut his hands in the fields—

“Good! That is very good news.” The man sighed with relief. “But back to the other point. Grudge or not, I guess I was lucky to have some knowledge how to thwart their efforts from my …from my…”

It was clear to Calin that Tyas was quite uncomfortable about something. But there were so many questions Calin wanted to ask. Yet, just as he wanted to start, the man placed a trembling hand over his eyes and it seemed like he was going to cry. Calin bit back his questions and waited.

Evany and Jerry were animated in a discussion off to his side, but he couldn’t make out what was being said.

After a minute Tyas composed himself and Calin expected an answer.

“My mother,” Tyas said, “She was bitten badly on the night you fell. Three days later she was dead… she... she told me things while we got away, she seemed desperate that I should know certain odd facts, I didn’t know she would die… and I was too young to have done anything other than help us escape, but I listened to what she said.”

The man’s voice cracked a bit, but Calin kept silent and waited patiently for the man to continue, “She gave me a bag full of gold nuggets and said I could use it to get food and shelter, she said something about the creatures that bit her, and scribbled a note of certain things. Seeing her in that much pain was horrible, but she insisted on going on.”

As Tyas mentioned a note, he pointed over to a table, and in the gloom Calin spotted a piece of paper.

“After a while,” Tyas continued, “I realized it was ways for me to win valuable minutes in getting away from them. And after a week of me running and hiding, they disappeared. At first I thought I was safe,

‘I was too tired to care really, I was battered and bruised sitting in a tree trying to stay dry through the rain. But as the days went on without incident, I realized it was something my mom had said before she had died, and I know this will sound crazy, but she had said, that I should try to find you. But if ever I see blue lightning strike out of clear skies, that I should find you no matter what,

‘She said that those who hunted us were after us for information on you. They stopped hunting me because I think they realized it was just me left. I guess the other times they came after me was out of pure frustration that they couldn’t find you, and some... other things I have done.”

Swallowing hard, Calin stared wide eyed at the man, and at a loss for words, he croaked.

“Me? I’m just an— What on good green earth has lightning have anything to do with this? This is crazy.”

Tyas frowned and said, “I was hoping you could tell me, because it confused me to no end. I used to really think it was a metaphor or something. Well, that was until it actually happened… My mother didn’t get the chance to tell me why though, especially nothing about the lightning. But believe me, it was how she said it that made me listen carefully,

‘Her eyes were frantic, she knew she was going to die, but still she wanted me to know this? I listened. I’ve had years to think about it, but I’m still completely baffled, the only thing I can think of, was, that it must be something to do with what your family was doing. Actually, I was really hoping your dad had told you what you should do when it happened, or gave you a letter at least?”

Through it all Calin was starting to see stars, my family?... His muscles just drained of strength. This was too much. The sound of footsteps running towards him was faded and distant. He sat up as much to stop from falling over as to clear his head. Evany was standing there all of a sudden looking deeply concerned.

“Are you alright?” She asked with worry.

Calin didn’t know how to answer, he was totally bewildered! It was impossible to try to express the feelings that rampaged inside him. On the one hand everything was unravelling around him, everything seemed hopeless. He was being hunted by things out of nightmares, but on the other hand, the man in front of him knew of his family. Calin’s throat was dry, but he needed to know.

He pressed Evany gently out of the way and he forced the questions out, the questions that had plagued him all these years.

“Where are my parents? Who are they? Why did they leave me? Why did they abandon me?!” Every question came out louder.

He only half realized that Evany’s eyes widened at each of his questions, but he squarely looked at Tyas and for the first time, the shocking contrast of his straight black hair on his pale face with the amber eyes was clear, those eyes were looking at him with such intensity.

The man seemed to grit his teeth, not looking away, but then his eyes sparked with confusion as he lifted up both his hands.

“Wait, what? I know you have a lot of questions and I’m probably the last person to know them all, but that’s not the problem here—”

“Then who would know?!”

“Hey, please give me a chance to speak!”

Clenching his fists, Calin tried to calm down. Then Tyas stood up and moved closer, his eyes were trained on Calin, searching for something.

“Why can’t you remember any of this yourself?” Tyas asked intently.

It was the last thing Calin expected as he recoiled for a second, What? He tried to get words out, yet in his confusion it only came out as grunts and single syllables. But as he composed himself, Evany was the one to answer the question.

“Calin came to this hospital almost eight years ago. I was there that day. It was a scary sight to see a boy in such a shape, them carrying him on a stretcher his hair full of blood from several bad wounds. His body...” Evany shuddered, but she continued, “My mom told me later that Calin’s skull was cracked on a few places. I didn’t think he would survive. Yet, after the life saving surgery, he was stable, but they had to teach him how to speak and to walk because all his long term memories were gone. Anyway, that’s what I remember.”

It bothered him how much he hated to hear it again, calling up memories of the dark times of his life. But he was grateful for her intervention, he wouldn’t have been able to answer that question in his state.

Tyas’s eyes narrowed for a moment.

“I didn’t know... I guess we both had rough years since that day.” The man sighed and continued, “Then you don’t know where we come from, do you?”

The question caught Calin completely off guard. A frown split his forehead as he shook his head no.

Tyas seemed thoroughly perplexed at that, as he exclaimed, “SANDS! This complicates things... Majorly!”

“Then where are we from?” Calin asked, more curious than anything now.

With an uncertain voice, Tyas said, “Calin, I know you don’t remember anything, but there are rules. I can’t tell you. Maybe if … No ... it’s not going to work.”

It was tempting to stand up and grab the man and threaten him for answers but Jerry was first to stomp toward Tyas.

“You better give him answers now or I’m going to punch you again, rules or not, you better start talking.” Before Jerry reached Tyas, the man brought up his arms in defence saying.

“I can’t, but I can tell him his parents didn’t abandon him.”

The statement made Calin sit forward with wonder. He quickly motioned for Jerry to calm down.

Tyas relaxed somewhat and said, “Your father sent you with me and my mom and dad to keep you safe... Guess that never worked out. Everything went wrong at that cliff. I’m sorry. I tried to grab you…” The look on the man’s face was pure apologetic before he continued, “All that I can say about your parents is that they didn’t leave you because they wanted to, they needed to keep you safe. Don’t ask me why, your father Darrus was terrified of something the night we left our home. I’ve never seen him so scared in my life.”

Suddenly numb to the bone, Calin just sat there. My father’s name really is Darrus... the dream? No it was just weird. But that name...

Before the thought could sink in, something crashed to the ground outside, followed a second later by howl out on the street, right over the door.

Calin was too dazed to move and Tyas was hissing something at him, but he couldn’t comprehend through his fuzzy mind, and then the next moment Jerry and the man grabbed him under his arms and dragged him into the next room.

He shook his head and steadied his legs under him as they ran. Tyas, who became more certain of Calin running on his own, leapt forward and opened a coffin like casket, its lid crashed open onto the stone floor.

Clarity washed over Calin at what the intention was and he almost fell as he tried to stop himself before the casket. To his dismay it was filled with water.

The next moment his bag was ripped from his shoulders and a hard push from behind sent him tumbling head first, clothes and all into the ice cold water.