Rain Drops

Chapter 11

From this height I was unable to discern much detail on the landscape. However, I noticed that there was actually a path leading down from the cliffside. I cautiously started down the mountain path as quiet as I could. I was trying to be as silent as possible so that I wouldn't alert the people who were living in this valley to my presence. Suddenly, I saw a silhouette of somebody walking on top of the pathway ahead. The person had a hood covering its face which gave me the impression that they were male judging from their muscular build, and their stride was steady and confident. I followed them closely, hoping that they wouldn't notice me trailing right behind them, but I knew that that was impossible since there was absolutely nothing between me and them. However, they had no idea that their prey was getting closer to them and closer and closer to their destination. They weren't aware of the fact that a stranger was following them. Their pace remained calm, but every now and then they'd glance back at me and frown slightly, perhaps noticing that I was following them quite closely. Just when I was certain that they wouldn't discover me, I spotted an opening that I had previously missed. In order to make sure that I wasn't spotted or to prevent anyone from finding this path, I decided to hide inside the entrance of the passageway which led directly into another cave. As I entered the small passage, I closed the door behind me. The passageway wasn't extremely wide and I was forced to squeeze myself along as closely as possible. Although I felt extremely cramped, I refused to complain. As I was walking along in complete silence, I couldn't help but think about what had just happened. I was so focused on trying to remain as silent as possible that the thought of something horrible happening didn't cross my mind. I was completely unaware of the fact that someone else was following me at that very moment. The fact that I was unaware of the fact that someone had been following me didn't stop me from continuing walking in the direction that I had been heading earlier. It was only when I heard heavy breathing right behind me that I came to a sudden halt. When I turned around, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the huge creature that had been following me enter the narrow passageway, blocking my exit and preventing me from continuing onwards. He was definitely twice my size and although it looked as though he was also wearing clothing, it was a strange type of armour that completely concealed his entire body and prevented his legs from being visible. He moved towards me so that he was only a foot away from me. I instinctively began backing up against the wall behind me, desperately trying to avoid contact with that thing. Although I was terrified, the strange armour he wore made him almost look like a superhero that had come straight out of a movie. There was a symbol of a golden circle above one shoulder with a blue line running through it which resembled a lightning bolt. It was the exact same symbol which I had seen on the cloak I used to disguise myself. Furthermore, it was identical to the symbol that I had seen on the back of the book I had received in the library which I had bought from an old witch named Gwen. That book contained information which I had read years ago during the time when I lived with the family. I didn't know whether or not I should believe that I was dealing with a supernatural being, but I knew for a fact that I didn't want to risk getting killed by this creature. I looked around frantically, trying to find any sort of weapon. My hands were trembling due to fear while I attempted to look around to search for a rock or stick. Finally, my eyes rested on a long branch that lay a few inches away from me, lying near the wall. I carefully picked up the branch. This way, I didn't have to go anywhere close enough to the monster, and my hand was steady, holding the weapon firmly in both of my palms. Once again, I backed away from the creature. This time, I didn't hesitate as I approached him, taking careful steps forward. As I closed the gap between us, he raised his left arm and prepared to strike me with it. I lifted my arms high, holding the branch in front of me as if it were my shield. I braced myself for the pain that I expected to end my life. Suddenly, I felt a strong blow on my forehead. The next thing I remember was feeling dizzy and collapsing to the ground. I tried opening my eyes, expecting to see my attacker standing over me. Instead, I was greeted by the sight of a man standing at least three meters away from me. He had the most peculiar face. His nose was flat and pointed, the tip ending in a point. His lips were stretched tightly upwards and looked as though they had already begun forming a smile. His grey hair reached halfway down his back. For some reason he looked as if a pair of wings grew out of his back. His clothes were made of a material that was completely white. While I struggled to comprehend what was going on, I suddenly heard his voice saying: “Hello.” My eyes shot open. What in the world was he doing here? He certainly did not belong here. At that point he looked exactly like my mother's father, but I instantly stopped that thought before it could even cross my mind. Why would my father's son want to kill me? Besides, he wasn't wearing anything like that which belonged to my mother's father. Was he wearing something stolen? Perhaps the two things were related somehow.