Chapter 5 — The Gate Opens. (Part 2)
1022 Words
Chapter 5 — The Gate Opens.
The first werewolf charges Arthur.
Fast. Too fast for something that big. Arthur dives sideways, rolls across the wet grass, and fires twice — "Bam, bam." The silver bullets hit the creature in the shoulder. It stumbles but doesn't stop, though it burns.
These things never stop easily.
The second one comes at me.
I step back three paces, aim, and fire. One bullet in the chest. It growls — a deep, animal sound that vibrates something in my ribcage — and keeps coming.
I missed the heart.
I fire again. This time it drops.
The third werewolf hasn't moved yet. It stays at the entrance of the collapsed wall and watches us. Yellow eyes in the dark. Like it's assessing the situation.
This one is different.
"Arthur," I say without taking my eyes off it.
"I see it."
Arthur finishes the first werewolf with a clean shot to the heart. He gets up, jacket covered in mud, and positions himself next to me.
We both aim our guns at the third one. It just stands there, watching us.
The creature tilts its head. Slowly. Like a human thinking.
And then it speaks.
"You're looking for your father, aren't you?" it says.
Its voice is raspy and distorted, somewhere between human and animal. But the words are clear.
Arthur freezes beside me.
"What did you just say, you filthy creature?" says Arthur.
"Marcus Voss." The yellow eyes turn toward Arthur, then toward me. "He's alive. For now."
My heart races, but I keep my gun raised. I'm relieved he's still alive.
"Where is he?" Arthur asks.
"Deep in the forest." The creature takes one step forward. We step back one step. It stops. "Those who command us are keeping him. They know who he is. What he knows."
"What do you mean? Who commands you?" Arthur asks.
The creature looks behind it, toward the dark forest. Like it's checking that no one can hear it.
"They are coming," it says simply. "Thousands of them. The gate opens soon." It looks at us. "Your father tried to stop it. That's why they're keeping him alive — to find out what he knows."
"What exactly are you talking about? I don't understand a thing you're saying," says Arthur.
Behind us, the coffin finishes burning. The last flames die out quietly.
"Take us to the place," says Arthur.
"If I do that, they'll kill me," it says.
"If you don't do it, we'll kill you. Understood?" says Arthur.
Arthur takes a step forward and says, "Your choice."
Total silence.
The creature stays still for a long moment. The wind blows between the headstones. Somewhere in the forest, more howls rise into the night.
They're coming.
"Follow me," it says finally. "And turn off your flashlights. They can see light from far away. Listen to me if you want to find your father."
We turn off the lights.
"Wait. I hope this isn't a trap," says Arthur.
"No, no. Trust me," it says.
"How can I trust you? You're one of them," says Arthur.
"Bro, let's trust her. Dad's life is in danger. This is the only lead we have right now. So please, let's trust her. I promise you, if it's a trap, I'll kill her myself."
"We don't have much time," it says.
"Hey, shut up. We're talking first," says Arthur.
"Do you think we can really trust her, Arthur?" I ask.
"Yes, I think so. Because otherwise, how would she know about Dad?" I tell him.
"You're right, but that doesn't mean it's not a trap, Elidja. I trust my hunter's instinct," says Arthur.
"Yes, you're right. I told you, if it's a trap, I'll kill her myself," I tell him.
"That reassures me. But let's stay on guard," says Arthur.
"Yeah, don't worry, bro."
I ask the creature where exactly we're going.
"We're going deeper into the forest. That's where they are," it says.
"What are they like?" asks Arthur.
"Yes, we are many, but we're not alone," it says.
To gain our trust, the creature reveals something about Dad.
"Your father has a scar on his chest, doesn't he? A hunting scar," it says.
"How do you know that?" Arthur says.
"I know because when they brought him in, we were there when they started torturing him," it says.
"Tortured?" Arthur says.
He's devastated by this news, which just hit him right in the heart.
I tell the creature we shouldn't waste time. I have a feeling Dad doesn't have much time left. "Pull yourself together, Arthur. We have to bring our father home."
"Yes, you're right. Let's go," says Arthur.
He gets up, grabs his gun.
We follow the creature through the breach in the wall.
We enter the forest. It was truly dark. We couldn't see anything except the moonlight shining on us. The creature is in front of us, walking. That's when we knew she knew where she was going.
"I hope you know the place we're headed," says Arthur.
"Yes, I know this place like the back of my hand," she says.
"That's reassuring, then. Who would have thought I'd team up with a creature? The world is getting weirder and weirder," says Arthur.
"And you haven't seen anything yet," she says.
"Shh, be quiet," she says.
We hear voices murmuring words in the forest.
"Don't pay attention to them," she says.
"Why?" asks Arthur.
"Because those are Murmurlings," says the creature.
"Murmur-what?" Arthur says.
"They whisper words to lure you. They can smell fear from miles away. They feed on it," she says. "I hope you're not afraid."
"No, I'm not, anyway. What about you, Elidja? Are you afraid?"
"No, me neither." And Arthur and I exchange a look.
"Just follow me, and under no circumstances look behind you, because the creatures that live here are cunning," she says.
We follow her without looking back. But I had a mad urge to look. I thought about saving Dad, though. Because that's the only thing that matters right now for all of us. And we keep going deeper into the forest...
- Writer
