Chapter 2:

Venivik stood in a familiar forest, an unstrung bow in one hand and a brace of rabbits in the other.

Far off in the distance, through the tall pine trunks, he could see what looked to be smoke.

He took a single step forward and was suddenly standing upon a snowy hill - around him the trees had thinned out, standing solemn and isolated from one another. A well trod gravel path snaked its way down the hill towards a settlement.

He knew this path the same way he knew the village.

In the distance a building was aflame. It was his home.

His family would be inside. They would need his help.

Thoughts of them trapped inside flooded his mind - a part of him panicked. Yet as quickly as the thoughts came, they immediately became less urgent, like they were being filtered through a dense cloth - as if it was someone else thinking them.

Spit.

The noise startled him, it had sounded close, right behind him in fact. He turned his head, searching for whatever had made it but saw nothing, only forest.

Had he imagined it?

It was unimportant - his family was in danger - he had to focus his mind on that. It was important to rescue them, he knew bad things would happen if he did not.

But he could not look away from the dense, dark trunks.

Something had caught his eye.

There was movement deep in the forest. A shape slipped out from behind a tree, shrouded in darkness but for two eyes reflecting the dim glow of the sky above. From a distance it looked to be human - other than the eyes. There was something deeply wrong with the eyes.

The figure was searching for something, smelling at the air and glancing around slowly as it did so.

Then it stopped, becoming as motionless as the trunks surrounding it.

With a sudden snap of its head, the two glowing eyes focused on Venivik, flashing in the gloom as they did so.

Shit. What in the Almighty’s name was it?

The first thought that came to his mind was that one of the village folk was out for an early morning walk.

But a part of him knew it wasn’t a villager, that it wasn’t even human - that a thing with eyes like that could even be thought to be human was simply abhorrent.

It was something animalistic and unnatural.

A predator.

The thought had come from somewhere deep within. A part of his mind that dealt with dark things and all their numerous facets.

Fear grasped Venivik, his hair began to rise, a crazed terror at the thought of that thing coming anywhere near him. He was helpless, frozen in terror. All he could do was stare back at it, unblinking.

Then the thing shuddered, its limbs moving so quickly they looked to snap to different points on its body.

It began to move forward, towards Venivik.

Stumbling like a drunk, the figure slipped between dark trunks. Gaining in speed till it was moving at such a pace Venivik could hardly believe his own eyes.

Its eyes, the thing’s eyes, glinted in the dark as it moved. They were focused - unblinking - upon Venivik, with an intensity he could hardly bear.

With limbs whirling in crazed movements, movements that couldn’t possibly be contributing to its terrible pace, it came onwards.

The sudden splintering of trees, caused by the creature's dreadful amble, broke Venivik out of his trance-like state. He could finally move - and move he did.

Turning, he ran. Ran as fast as he could, limited only by the heavy woollen coat he wore. But even that was no real constraint, the pure fear he felt - the gut-wrenching terror - had him thinking he could run straight through a stone wall and not slow an inch.

But that thought led to another; the thought of what that thing had done to those trees back there. It wasn’t possible - it couldn’t be possible. It had turned them into a cloud of splinters and so many toppling trunks - nothing natural had such strength.

He could hear it coming - louder now and clearly gaining on him.

Venivik already knew it would catch him, it wasn’t a question, rather a simple fact. It was just a matter of time. He had never seen anything move so fast.

The creature let out a hoarse wail, the sound made Venivik feel sick. It was as if the thing's throat was raw from hours of screaming.

Bolting out of the tree line, his own heavy panting deafening him, Venivik ran like his life depended on it.

His body screamed in protest, his lungs felt torn, his legs like lead weights.

Chancing a glance backwards, Venivik saw that the creature had halved the distance between them in what felt like mere moments.

Then a rock caught Venivik’s foot bringing him down heavily on one knee. The momentum of the sprint carried him forward, sent him sprawling into a snow drift, both arms outstretched.

Shit. He’d gone shoulder deep in the drift, his body half buried in the thing.

With a groan of effort he started heaving at his arms, trying to pull them free. But they wouldn’t budge and his strength was beginning to wane.

Finally - reluctantly- giving into his shattered body, Venivik slumped back into the drift. His cheek pressed against the snow, his breath coming in short, shallow, rapid bursts.

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He was in a horribly compromising position; one leg in agony, the other outstretched at an awkward angle and both his arms stuck fast in snow, too tired to pull free, too panicked to coordinate his movements properly.

The world had gone deathly silent. The loud crashing of trees being turned to sawdust had stopped.

The only sound that remained was that of his own breathing.

Venivik hoped that perhaps the creature, whatever it was, had stopped its pursuit and left him alone.

He knew the thought was foolish however. It had no reason to stop chasing - it had caught him the moment it had locked eyes with him.

Only one question remained. Where was it?

Frozen with fear, Venivik led there staring out at the distant skyline. He only dared to breathe, trying with all his effort to steady his breaths so that he might better hear the creature approach him.

But it wasn’t working, he was panicking now. And in his panic, he held his breath.

However the sound of breathing did not stop.

At this Venivik’s body jolted, a sense of overwhelming fear making him go rigid.

It was behind him.

It was right be-fucking-hind him.

Almighty save him, he was going to die.

He knew it was behind him, knew he could turn his head and look at it. Face it like a man.

But fuck knows he didn’t want to.

What would looking at it achieve anyway? It was going to kill him either way, he was sure of it, but why was it taking so long?

Venivik’s mind finally gave in - waiting for it to make a move was worse than death itself.

As quickly as he could manage in the cramped position he led in, Venivik turned his head, looking over his shoulder.

A stark white face loomed out of the darkness a mere fingers width from his own. It’s mouth was impossibly wide, a gaping hole rimmed with blackened lips and lined with eerily human teeth.

The expression it sported however was infinitely worse than its grotesque features. Upon its face was painted a look of great distress - of horror perhaps. A terrifying prospect, as what in the Almighty’s name could this thing be scared of?

Perhaps of itself. Of what it was, of its very being.

Pure and primal terror laced through Venivik’s body. As if he was specifically designed to fear this thing, to fear everything about it. From its wretched eyes to its pallid skin - to the way it breathed, the way it moved.

With a movement quicker than lightning, the creature grasped his shoulder. The hand was dark and feathered with nails that bit through his coat and deep into flesh.

He had to escape. Had to get away.

Veniviik writhed at its touch, tried to tear away and closed his eyes tight. Anything to get away from that visage, that expression.

With a jolt Venivik was dumped on his arse half way down the hillside.

It took a moment to right himself, his arms were free of the snow, and his shoulder burned hot from those grasping fingers.

Scrambling to his feet he began scanning the hill where he’d just been, eyes scrutinising the tree line till they fell on the creature. It was still there, pale face staring down at him, dark body nearly invisible beside the forest.

It’d be able to close that distance in moments. Probably before Venivik could turn tail and run.

He blinked and the thing vanished. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. However the creature's horrified expression remained, burnt into Venivik’s mind.

What in the Almighty’s name had it been - and more importantly, where had it gone?

Was it going to just appear out of thin air like that, no warning, and attack him? The thought of another encounter turned his bowels, making him feel sick.

With effort Venivik turned his gaze from the tree line and looked around himself. He was on the road and closer again to the village, the smoke rising from his home thicker now than last he’d seen.

Hastily checking behind and to the side of himself, wary of the creature, Venivik took another step towards his home.

He was standing in the village centre now, with houses looming squat around him. In front of his eyes burned his family home.

The fire was still young but grey smoke bellowed from between the tightly thatched roof. The fire had to have taken hold fully to smoke so much.

It was a strange sight. Snow never melted from the roofs in the village, even in the warmer months. But now his own roof was yellow in places where the fire had fought back the thick snow, leaving it exposed - naked to the elements. It would burn to nothing, unless the melt extinguished it.

Spit.

Venivik turned quickly, thoughts of melting snow gone from his head. What a foolish thing to think about when that creature was still around somewhere.

But he saw nothing.

The buildings once so friendly and familiar, transformed now into hiding spots - shelter for the creature. Venivik waited in tense anticipation for that dark figure to slip through a door or from behind a wall.

Sudden shouts, shrill and piercing, filled Venivik’s ears. He recognised them at once as his mothers.

Another shout joined in, a panicked rumble. It was his fathers voice, loud but muffled by the building.

Then came a pounding of fists upon wood, accompanying the shouts like a desperate, uneven beat.

He’d forgotten all about his family with his mind trained on the creature. His brain felt like week old porridge.

Coming to his senses, Venivik started forwards at a sprint, barging shoulder first through the round door to his home. However to his surprise it was unbarred and opened as it normally would, just with the added force of his body being thrown through it.

He stumbled with the momentum of the charge and fell, sliding across the stone floor till a thick carpet caught and slowed him.

The door wasn’t locked, so why hadn’t his family escaped?

Venivik got to his feet, standing in the doorway. The main room was engulfed in an orange glow but the flames he was so sure he’d find inside were nowhere to be seen. His family were also absent from the main room.

‘Father? Mother!’, Venivik called out. Silence but for the sound of burning wood answered him.

The bedroom door remained closed, Venivik started for it, ambling across the room and pushing hard against the door, he had to get to them. But to his horror the door didn’t budge.

Cold fear swept through his body.

There was nothing to lock the door with on the other side, nothing to bar it with.

‘Father! Mother!’, Venivik yelled once again, as he rammed the door with his shoulder.

Venivik’s eyes began to sting from the smoke that was now filling the fireless room. His yelling continued, interspersed by coughing and his attempts to break down the door.

Finally a plank gave way beneath Venivik’s efforts. It had splintered inwards and he was able to get an arm through the door.

Clumsily fishing around on the other side, Venivik felt a bar of wood with his gloved fingers. Straining he pushed it upwards, felt a jolt as it fell to the ground and the door began to swing open, his arm still stuck through it.

Venivik stumbled with the door, legs pumping wildly in response to his fall, causing him only to fall quicker. Finally he came to a stop, arm still jammed through the broken plank.

Glancing around wildly Venivik took in the hazy room, but could see no one. He’d heard his family's voices - he was so sure of it, how could they not be inside?

Venivik slumped against the broken door, his body drained, a sense of hopelessness beginning to settle. He had heard them, he couldn’t have imagined it.

His head lolled backwards, thudding against the broken door. As it did so his sight fell upon the room's ceiling.

They were on the ceiling.

His mother, father and sister were on the ceiling.

They lay against the rafters but were not tied nor hung in any way he could see.

They were simply laying there, as if upon the floor, the room having been flipped upside down.

Their faces were pale, looming through the smoke that filled the room.

His fathers throat was slit and drained of blood. He was white as a ghost.

How could it be, he had been shouting just a moment ago, banging his fists, yelling for help.

But there wasn’t a drop of blood left in him. He’d been drained like a butchered pig.

Hot tears suddenly prickled at the corners of Venivik’s eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to look away. Instead he gazed into his fathers lifeless face, a face belonging to a man he’d spoken to only a couple hours ago. A man he loved.

Then his sister’s eyes met his, lifeless and milky - eyes once bright, now blinded. There were tears in those unseeing eyes. They did not move, they looked like they belonged to a corpse. But that was impossible - she couldn’t be dead, she had to be alive.

‘Kaja?’ Venivik muttered his sister's name weakly.

She gave no response.

‘Kaja please!’

The words came out as a desperate yell this time, his voice breaking as sobs racked his whole body.

His mothers head moved suddenly, jerkily. Her eyes were clear but did not seek him out.

They focused not on him, rather off into the main room.

‘Mother!’ Venivik yelled in surprise and horror. He’d have to get her down. He’d have to get them all down. There was a ladder in the shed outside, he just needed to get it. Needed to move.

But his body lay there stuck, his limbs disobeying him, unable to do anything but stare at his family. Tears continued to fill his eyes, he needed to help them. Had to get them down.

Then his mothers arm began to move in the same jerking motion as her head had done. It was as if she was battling some great unseen force as she performed the action.

Arm outstretched, his mother began to uncurl a single finger from her tightly fisted hands. The finger pointed out towards the main room. Her face began to twist in horror - she was trying to speak but couldn’t move the correct muscles in her face to do so.

Then a desperate, gurgling, scream sounded from her lips.

He’d never heard its like before and never wanted to again.

However the struggle his mother was going through to make the sound was far worse than the sound itself. Like she was giving all her strength to make it - a pure effort of will.

It was a warning, but he’d seen it too late, caught up in the sight of his family as he was.

Venivik’s head snapped towards the main room - to where his mother pointed. His whole gaze was filled with the face of the creature. It’s two oversized orb-like eyes staring deep into his soul. Mouth agape in horror.

Venivik did not scream, he did not move.

His body was unable to do so. His mind had stopped working, lest he go insane.