Chapter 4- A Whisper In The Dark
1008 Words
Later that week, things got even worse. I was sold to one of the creatures - a fat, slimy thing with too many hands and a voice that made my skin crawl. He wanted me for… entertainment.
"Tonight, you will be my entertainment," he slurred, his many eyes gleaming with a disgusting hunger.
I was terrified. I tried to fight, but the cuffs held me tight. The Moonreapers just watched, their faces blank.
He dragged me to his chambers. It was opulent, filled with strange, unsettling objects. The air was thick with a cloying, sweet scent that made me feel sick. He pushed me onto a plush, velvet-covered… thing. I couldn't even call it a bed.
"Please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Don't…"
He chuckled, a wet, gurgling sound. "Such spirit. It will make this all the more… enjoyable."
He reached for me, his many hands grasping, and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the worst.
But it didn't come.
Instead, there was a sudden crash, the sound of metal on flesh, and a strangled cry. I opened my eyes to see the younger Moonreaper standing over the creature, his black blade dripping. The creature lay still, its many eyes glazed over.
I just stared at the dead thing, my heart going thump-thump-thump. What… what just happened? A Moonreaper? Helping me? That was crazy. They were the bad guys, the ones who took us, who hurt us.
After a bit, I finally talked. "Why?" I whispered to the empty air. "Why did you do that?"
Quiet. Just the drip, drip, drip of something wet on the floor. Gross. I shivered.
He didn't say anything for a bit, just looked at me. Then, he talked, his voice low and rough. "He… shouldn't have."
"Shouldn't have what?" I asked, still not trusting him. "You're a Moonreaper. You're all the same."
He looked angry for a second. "No. We're not." He came closer, then stopped. "My name… it's Rylan."
"Lana," I said, my voice still shaky.
Rylan looked around fast, then reached inside his clothes. He pulled out something small and wooden. A bird. "Come on," he whispered, his voice urgent. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
What are you doing?" I asked, surprised.
"Getting you out," he said. "Hurry. Before they see us."
He didn't wait for me. He just turned and started moving quietly down the dark hallway. I hesitated for a second. Should I trust him? He was a Moonreaper! But he just saved me.
I scrambled out, my legs still wobbly. Rylan looked back. "This way."
We moved through the dark, twisty hallways. He knew where to go, moving like a shadow. He kept looking over his shoulder, his purple eyes darting around.
Finally, we reached a door that looked like it led outside. Rylan pushed it open a c***k. "Coast is clear. Let's go."
We slipped out into the night. It was dark, but the air smelled clean, not like that awful dead smell inside. I took a deep breath, the first real breath I'd had in what felt like forever.
We ran. Rylan led the way, moving fast and surefooted through the trees. I followed, my legs aching but my heart pounding with a mix of fear and… hope?
We didn't stop running until we were far away from that horrible place. We found a small cave to hide in. I leaned against the cool stone, panting. Rylan sat down opposite me, watching the entrance.
After a long silence, I finally spoke. "Why did you help me?"
Rylan hesitated, like he was fighting with himself. "They… they do things. Bad things. Things I… I don't agree with."
"But you're one of them," I said, the bitterness creeping into my voice. "You wear their cloak. You have their eyes."
He clenched his fists. "My father was one of them. My mother… she wasn't."
My ears perked up. "She was a werewolf?"
He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "They killed her. Both of them. My father tried to protect her." His voice was thick with pain. "I… I never forgot."
"So you hate them too?" I asked, a tiny spark of hope flickering in my chest.
He looked up, his purple eyes meeting mine. "Yes. I do. More than you can imagine." Rylan's voice was low and full of pain. "I've been stuck there... pretending... waiting for a chance to get out. Or to help someone else get out."
"So you've been waiting all this time?"
"Yeah. It wasn't easy. I had to be careful. They watch everyone. But when I saw you... and what they were doing... what they did to your pack" He stopped, his jaw tight. "I couldn't just stand by."
My pack. I felt tears come to my eyes. I had lost my family and my pack.
You risked a lot," I said, looking at his Moonreaper cloak. "If they find out..."
Rylan shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. I can't go back there. Not after this."
"Thank you," I said, the words feeling small but important. "For saving me."
He looked at me, a faint hint of something that might have been a smile on his lips. "We need to keep moving. They'll be looking for you. And for me."
"Where do we go?" I asked. I had no home anymore. Just the cold memory of betrayal.
"I... I know some places," Rylan said. "Hidden places. But it won't be easy. They'll be hunting us."
He stood up. "Can you walk? You were hurt."
My side still ached, but the need to get away, to stay away from that horrible place, was stronger. "Yeah," I said, pushing myself up. "Let's go."
And so we left the cave, two unlikely allies in the dark night, running from a common enemy. I didn't know what the future held, but for the first time since I'd been taken, I felt a tiny sliver of hope. A Moonreaper had saved me. Maybe, just maybe, not everyone in that dark world was evil.
- Writer
