The Night Kingdom of Ephialtes

Chapter 1:

The pavement cold underneath my bare feet, the chilling wind slapping my face my hair swinging violently from all different directions.

Run

Don’t let it catch you

Growls reverberating from all directions, the swinging branches from the trees, sharp nails breaking the wood. Help. My legs almost slowing down, how long have I been running? Who am I running away for? Why? My lungs started to complain and I am gasping for breath. The dark sky not a single star on sight, the organized lamp posts illuminating the paved road but not enough to see what’s on the trees. I am almost out of road and lights…

I looked around frantically from side to side but never on the back. The gravel and twigs so little that it is buried deep in my soles.

Somebody—anybody help.

I stopped abruptly when my feet touched grass, where am I? All I can see despite the darkness is a vast land, moist grass underneath me. The grunts—animalistic are keeping up.

What to do?

I gripped my yellow flowy dress looking at my bruised ankles and feet, am I going to die?

My tears are already flowing on my cheeks and a screech was heard in front of me, the sound of gravel crunching I snapped my head and I saw a huge red truck in front of me. The car door swung open and a man gripping the wheel looking at my direction intently. I scrambled my way inside and closed the door with a bang.

Suddenly the car shook violently, like it was hit by a really strong force, the growls is so near I shrink unto my seat curling myself to a ball. I heard clothes rustling and an arm reaching to my head I whimpered lowly but a click of a tongue was heard and another click of metal. I looked up and I saw the seat belt was put on. I can feel my face burning but didn’t dare to look up even more.

A loud bang sounded above us, nails scratching the metal another sound came from the back. Are we going to get out of here alive?

I wrapped my arms around my torso even tighter, we slowly moved the prominent figures gripping the wheel are precise on its movements. I can hear muttering but I cannot understand a word that is being said I let my long curly hair cover the entirety of my figure. The growls were all around us, frightening and malicious they hold such horror that is making sure that I will never forget it. I look at my peripheral view the windows were heavily tinted I cannot see a thing outside maybe it is for the best.

The vehicle moved gently and smoothly, the growls became distant, only the clicking of buttons and gear of switching can be heard inside. I slowly lift my head up parting my hair to the sides, clutching the side of my dress, I looked forward and I saw it.

The sunrise

I blew a breath of relief seeing the only thing that reminds me that when it appears it’s over.

I’m safe.

I turned my head on the side slightly hooking my lip, gratitude is about to be delivered when it was stuck in my throat. My body stilling, hands numb, my eyes widened.

There sat a humanoid figure with pale skin and no face. Coldness was felt on the moving vehicle it slowly turned its head unto me lifting its fingers stuck on the wheel its other arm making its way to me.

No

Pale, slimy and thin fingers nearing my face. The voice stuck inside me came erupting and I screamed.

“Hira!” a voice filled with worry and fear resonated my eyes squinting on the newly found bright light I was gathered in a warm embrace I looked up and I saw my mother’s face looking down at me her eyes searching for any inconveniences in my body. I can feel my body trembling and my breaths labored she tucked my head on her shoulders my eyes resting on the bureau, my pale face can be seen resting on my mother’s warm comfort, her gentle humming caressing me softly her hands running on my dark short hair.

“Halika mahal, mala-late ka na niyan sa school” her voice calmly reminded me.

She held me in her arms, my mind still groggy as she walked out of my room, me in her arms we walked on a hallway towards the stairs and went down to the kitchen. She set me down on my chair a plate of food already set down and a warm milk on the side, my father reading something on his phone. He turned to me and smiled.

“Excited ka na ba sa bagong school mo?” he asked.

My mother took her own seat opposite of mine and smiled, took my father’s hand in the table making my father turned to her and smiled back gripping her hand gently.

“Laki na ng Hiraya natin, grade 3 na” my father stated happily. I smiled at them nodding.

I took my spoon and fork and indulging on my mother’s scrumptious breakfast, we conversed happily on the peaceful and harmonious environment that I have. After having breakfast my mother hurried me on preparing for school, my uniform neatly ironed to perfection my bag fully conditioned and mother triple checked on the content.

Holding my mother’s hand as we walked to the school gates, bidding a farewell to her as she stroked my chin length hair. Moderately running inside the school premises, smiling at the security guard tipping his hat in return making me giggle my hands gripping the straps of my bag. And looking for my assigned class room, seeing that the bell had yet to rung children are happily running around and playing to their hearts content. The girls busy laughing to their friends, boys rapidly chasing one another, I noticed a group huddling in one place and I walked towards them.

“Hiraya!” I looked around as I heard my name being called and from a place not far from me I saw a beaming short boy he waved at me fanatically before running towards me, he took deep breaths his hands on his knees.

“Who told you to run?” I asked him rolling my eyes at him,

“Didn’t you missed me?” he asks his face horrified.

“I just saw you last week! And we’re together all summer!” I reasoned. He made faces at me and looked behind me.

“Oh it’s that thing again” he said annoyed.

I chuckled “You’re irritated just because you can’t do it” I teased him. He stuck his tongue out at me before crossing his arms.

“Come on let’s watch, I’ll teach you how to do it. Papa taught me how” I bargained at him and pulled him towards the huddled group.

I can see the colorful designs and the nail hitting the concrete is meekly being heard. I saw at least 3 spinning tops already on the ground making the owners battle each other.

“It’s not even that fun” I heard a grumble beside me, I shushed him continuing to be mesmerized by the spinning tops, the way that the nail underneath scratches the ground—scratches the piercing little sound resonates in my ear as if I heard it many times. Apprehensively staring at the spinning toy underneath me caught me in a daze. Sounds muffled at my sides, being ignored by me.

An arm pulled me making me face them my eyes seemingly blank out.

“Hiraya let’s go!” a familiar face aggravated in front of me.

“What’s going—“ I tried to turn my head,

“No don’t look!” he grabbed my face and pulled me away the environment seemingly shifted into darkness far from the harmonic way when I first saw it.

I heard cries and grunts of agony behind me.

Maybe I shouldn’t had—

I shouldn’t had looked back, now that visuals had now deeply engraved to my mind, the spinning top deeply buried on the skin of a boy. His eyes frantic, his hands desperate to do anything to take it off drops of blood stained his clean and white uniform.

Grunts of agony passing from his lips.

I shouldn’t have looked, I shouldn’t have.

The haunting mists surrounding the crying boy, like a void seemingly sucking his entire body but he can’t see it, can’t feel it.

But I can.

Maybe I’m right, I can hide them but never forget them.  

The blaring sound of the alarm woke me up, slapping my palm to the bed side table looking for the damned thing. I groaned out loud as I pulled my head out and glared at the side quickly snatching my fully charged phone. I took it out from its charger and dropped my weight again to my bed I opened one eye, hissing as the bright morning light assaulted my iris again.

With great difficulty I rose from my bed and willed to fully wake up, I walked towards my bathroom and did my morning routine before jogging downstairs making my way to the kitchen. Taking milk from the fridge and waiting for my toast to pop out I scrolled into my phone checking my emails and notifications, when suddenly a call when through I slid it to answer and a familiar voice rang through the almost empty kitchen.

“Hira! Help me!” an anxious voice demanded.

“Wow, good morning too” I sarcastically greeted, I rolled my eyes taking a sip from my glass.

“Well, good morning! I need your help” he said again.

“It depends on what kind of help” I retorted, I can feel his pout through the phone he’s such a baby.

“Well, I need your conscientiousness I can’t make it now because something in work came up” he said anxiously.

“Well what will I do?” I asked.

“You’ll take a month tho” he mumbled lowly.

“Wait? Excuse me? A month? I have a job you know” I burst disbelief can be heard in my voice.

“Don’t worry I talked to your boss about it and he’s actually pretty psyched about it” he said in confusion at the end.

“So my boss knows it before I did?” I asked.

“Yeah sorry I thought about it too but if you didn’t feel like taking it maybe I’ll work something out” he said.

“What am I going to do anyway? And where?” I asked.

“A consultation is needed” he said.

“A consultation? That’s pretty easy, where?” I asked.

I tapped my shoe on the tile mulling at the information, “It’s a private company, very private and powerful too—“ he started.

“The Ephialtes” he said in finality, I stopped my tapping, a cold shiver travelled to my spine an unknown familiarity barreling in. My fingers hovered on the keyboard of my phone, Ephialtes?

I shook my head, “Ephialtes? Why would they need an outsider for consultation? Aren’t they self-sufficient? They have money as far as money can be made I mean they created their own engineers, technicians, they created their own people” I said.

“As if I don’t know that too, it’s pretty strange too but I heard that they changed administration recently the younger generation took charge now” he gossiped.

“Huh well I hope the younger generation is enough to talk easy too, the older farts were a pain in the ass” I complained reminiscing those days that I dreamed on working there.

“Yeah preach! So will you take it?” he asked.

“Yeah I’ll take it I’ll have a talk to boss when I get to work” I answered.

“Nice! Yes, thank you Hira!” he enthusiastically hollered.

After a few words exchanged I hanged up, closing my eyes before I massaged my temples, why did I suddenly had a migraine?