by V F Sharp
“I think we are. We’re in some open field. We pulled you out when you ran into a branch. You went down hard, brother.”
Zander felt a tear form in his eye. He couldn’t believe he survived that ordeal. They all did. At least he hoped they all did.
“Pallu?” he said to his brother. “Where is he? Did he—”
“I’m right here, my friend,” said Pallu, peeking out from behind Randin.
Zander forced himself to sit up. He shook the debris off of him and looked around. Randin helped him to his feet.
As soon as he rose, wobbly legs and all, he hugged Randin with all his might.
“It’s alright, Zan,” said Randin.
“Don’t I get one too?” said Pallu.
Zander turned and hugged Pallu.
“Where’s Nee?” said Zander, just realizing he didn’t know what had become of his rabbit.
“Over there,” said Randin, pointing to a group of bushes in the distance. “Pallu patched him up. He had quite a few thorns in his fur.”
Though he was glad to be alive, he realized his hands were still shaking from the experience. He knew one thing: he was never going in that forest again. Then it dawned on him: Ezstasia! His friend was still in that forest. He hoped with every ounce of his being, that whatever that creature was, it didn’t get to her. He felt like the biggest coward in the world, and helplessly unable to do anything for her. He walked toward his rabbit with a feeling of utter defeat.
“It’s going to be okay,” said Pallu, appearing to have read his mind.
“After seeing that… thing, I’m really worried about Ezstasia.” He dreaded to think of what has become of her.
“Zander,” said Randin, interrupting his thoughts. “I hate to bring this up, because I know how scared you were, and you just woke up and all that… but… uh…” Randin paused and scrunched his face, as if he was afraid to say whatever it was that he was about to say.
“Don’t even think about going back in there,” said Zander looking back and forth between Pallu and Randin. “You two wouldn’t seriously consider that after what we just saw, would you?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” said Randin. “Pallu and I aren’t really sure what you saw.”
“What I saw? What do you mean? I don’t understand,” said Zander. “Neither one of you saw that monster chasing us?”
“No Zander,” said Pallu. “We didn’t see anything.”
Zander was dumbfounded.
“It was as big as a cottage, hard to miss,” said Zander in utter disbelief.
Randin shook his head.
“Not a thing,” said Pallu.
“This is some kind of joke, right?” said Zander indignantly.
“We’re really not kidding,” said Pallu. “We didn’t see anything in there.”
“Then what were you running from!?”
“I don’t know,” said Pallu. “We were running because you were. You looked mortified, which terrified us, or me anyway. So I got out of there as fast as I could and your brother did the same.”
“I saw a spider,” said Zander. “A huge spider. I know I did. I’m not going crazy.”
“Spider?” said Randin. “That’s what we were running from, a spider?”
“What!? I hate spiders,” said Pallu.
“Well you would’ve really hated this one!” screamed Zander, now starting to panic. “Am I going crazy? I saw it birthed right from the tree. It was enormous and made of roots and branches, with giant eyes and…” He felt a tear run down his cheek. Had the forest made him lose his mind?
“Zander,” said Randin, “we didn’t see it, but I believe you.”
“How can you believe me? I probably wouldn’t even believe me if I were you. But it was horrible and very real. And it ran so fast.”
“Why didn’t you just step on it?” said Pallu.
“Step on it!? It was the size of a cottage! The fangs alone were taller than me. How could you guys have not seen that?”
Just by looking at Randin, he could tell that his brother didn’t know what to think. Zander began to feel weak, so he knelt down on both of his knees.
Pallu grabbed his shoulder.
“C’mon, Zan,” said Pallu. “Let’s go relax on the blanket I set up for us. The rabbits are finally eating.”
Zander was in a daze, but he rose up and followed Pallu and Randin.
“I don’t get it,” he said. “Why did it only come after me? And why couldn’t you guys see it? Am I cursed?”
“You’re not cursed,” said Pallu as they walked side by side toward the blanket. “It was probably just because you were the closest one to it. If I’m starving, or even just hungry, I’m gonna eat the chicken closest to me. Especially if there were a whole bunch of chickens and they were all about to run away, I’d grab the closest chicken. Not that I’m saying you’re a chicken… or that you were being a chicken.” Pallu’s face was turning red. “I mean, it would be the same if it was jelly or cheese. Oh wait, they don’t run. Let me think of something that runs but is definitely not a chicken. And, well, never mind.”
Zander looked at him and saw beads of sweat forming on Pallu’s forehead. Randin’s face was turning red from trying to hold in his laughter. Zander tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out into a combination of laughter and tears as Randin joined him. Leave it to Pallu to make them laugh even in the midst of a nightmare. Pallu looked greatly relieved and wrinkled his brow and smiled.
The rabbits, left over by the bushes, had raised their ears, startled by the new, gleeful noise that filled the air.
As he joined Randin and Pallu on the blanket, Zander looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, and a few bright stars were making themselves known in advance of the rising moon.
“It would come in handy to be a star right now,” said Randin. “They can see everything from up there, including Ezstasia. I wonder if anyone has found her yet.”
“I think she’s okay,” said Pallu. “I choose to believe that.”
“How I hope you’re right,” said Zander. “I do know one thing, though.”
“What’s that?” said Randin.
“I know why our ancestors tried to hide their magic away for safekeeping. I think they wanted to prepare themselves for something like this, just in case they had to protect their families. I know it makes me want magic, and I don’t mean the weak powder kind.”
Zander stood and gazed back at the forest where his worst nightmare had just taken place. As he pondered on how the others were doing and whether Ezstasia was truly okay, he was sure that he had heard a faint scream coming from a place deep within the forest.
CHAPTER FIVE
Meldon tagged behind Jezreel and Ithron as they rode their rabbits through the forest, looking for Ezstasia. He enjoyed watching the two of them interact because they were as opposite as could be. On one hand, Ithron seemed to favor her presence, and on the other, he remained as aloof and awkwardly sarcastic as always. Jezreel seemed even more nervous than usual around him. Judging by Ithron’s casual mannerisms as he waved his trusty knife around while talking to Jezreel, Meldon wasn’t sure if Ithron even noticed her nerves.
“Ohhhh!” shouted Jezreel, startling Meldon.
He shook Mr. Feet’s reins to catch up to her.
“What? Did you get hurt?” he said as he approached. She was staring off into the forest and pointing at a clearing between the trees.
“Look at those flowers!” she said. “I could live in this forest.”
“Please don’t yell out like that,” he said. “Yes, I see them. Very nice.” He did spot some flowers scattered about, but he didn’t see them as anything extraordinary. They were quite colorful though, a mix of violet and white.
“Nice?” she said. “This place is beautiful! Just stunning!”
“You have a strange idea of beauty,” said Ithron, riding behind them.
“Ezstasia must’ve been so mesmerized she deci
ded to stay,” said Jezreel.
“Stay? Here?” said Ithron, snickering. “All I see is ugly rocks and moss.”
“Look,” said Jezreel, pointing to her right.
Meldon looked where she was pointing and saw a group of large, moss-covered rocks with small yellow and pink flowers sprouting up from the cracks.
“Ugly rocks again,” said Ithron. “That’s about it. Now why don’t we call out for your friend? That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
“She’s your friend, too,” said Meldon.
“If you say so.”
Meldon and his friends had speculated about Ithron’s aloof personality many times. Although Ithron had been part of their group of friends since childhood, and all by his own choice, he would usually drift off into his own world and offer sarcastic, jaded responses to just about any question. Sometimes he was downright mean. Though nobody wanted to ask him outright, they’d all agreed it was a mystery as to what had happened to him in his past that may have contributed to him being that way. Meldon figured if anyone could get him to open up, it would be Jezreel.
“Ezstasia!” yelled Jezreel. “Where are you!?”
Meldon joined in the calls for Ezstasia, until their hollering was drowned out by an agonizing yell from behind them.
He turned to see Ithron lying on his back on the ground, waving his knife around at something. His rabbit, Strike, was chewing leaves off of a nearby bush.
Meldon turned Mr. Feet around. “What happened?” he said, approaching Ithron.
As he climbed down from Mr. Feet, Jezreel, who had already dismounted Buttons, came running up.
“Are you okay?” she said, crouching down to help Ithron get into a sitting position. “You’re bleeding.”
“Something came at me, and I don’t know what it was,” said Ithron. He looked dazed.
Meldon noticed the blood on his elbow, and quickly reached in his saddle bag for supplies. He was trying not to look at Ithron, as he could already feel himself getting queasy. If there was one thing he couldn’t handle, it was blood.
“What did it look like?” he said to Ithron, without looking toward him.
“I just said I don’t know,” said Ithron, annoyed. “Some stupid black thing flew across the path and knocked me over.”
“Hurry, Meldon,” said Jezreel. “It’s getting worse. It’s starting to—”
“Don’t… say another word,” said Meldon, shielding his eyes with his arm. “I do not want to hear any details regarding blood, thank you.”
He pulled out the bandages and supplies and closed his eyes as he handed them to Jezreel.
“You must have fallen on the sharp rock and cut yourself,” she said, taking the supplies, “because it’s all over—”
“A-a-nd there goes my stomach,” said Meldon, as he got to his knees and felt his guts rising into his throat.
“Take a deep breath, Meldon,” said Jezreel, now playing nurse for the two of them.
Meldon did as she said, counting as he inhaled and exhaled.
He began to feel better. He rose to his feet, feeling a minor sense of victory. He still couldn’t look at Ithron, though.
“You said a black thing,” said Jezreel to Ithron. “What kind of black thing? Hold still, I’m trying to wrap this.”
“You’re cleaning the wound first, right?” said Meldon. “I gave you a little jar of—”
“Yes, I already did that,” she said. “And you can look now, it’s pretty much wrapped.”
Meldon turned to see Ithron looking up at her as she finished wrapping his elbow. It was an inquisitive look; he was studying her face.
“So, are you going to tell me?” she said to Ithron. “What kind of black thing flew at you?”
“It looked like a snake or an arm or something. Maybe a branch. Look, if I knew, I would tell you,” said Ithron, more civilly this time.
Jezreel helped Ithron to his feet and Meldon took hold of his other arm. She seemed to have a knack for soothing him in a way that nobody could.
“It was probably a black snake,” said Meldon. “We should check for bites.”
Meldon started to lift Ithron’s light, wispy hair, but Ithron grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.
“I didn’t… get… bitten,” he said through his teeth. “And besides, snakes don’t fly.”
“Neither do arms,” said Meldon.
“Boys, please!” said Jezreel, in a surprisingly bold voice for such an innately calm girl. “We can’t argue. We need to find Ezstasia. Now, if you’re okay, Ithron, let’s get back on our rabbits.”
Meldon glanced over at Ithron, who glared back at him, as they both followed Jezreel’s lead and climbed back onto their rabbits.
* * * *
Time had passed as they proceeded deeper into the forest. They’d called for Ezstasia a number of times, but there still hadn’t been any sign of her. They continued down another path. Meldon was distracted by thoughts of Ezstasia and her safety as he played through all the possible scenarios in his mind. He was startled from his daze when he noticed a familiar blue fog in the distance—the same he had seen the day before. The silhouettes were swaying back and forth, continuously appearing and disappearing, except they seemed to be slightly larger than what he had remembered.
“Tell me you see that fog,” he said to the other two, halting Mr. Feet.
“What is that!?” said Jezreel. She and Ithron stopped beside him.
“I saw it yesterday,” said Meldon. “When I was looking for my arrow. It always stays the same distance away, no matter where you ride. Like a rainbow does. Now that I think about it. Did you know, a rainbow is—”
“I don’t care about rainbows,” said Ithron. “What are those things?” He pointed to the fog.
“It looks like enchanted people,” said Jezreel. “They look beautiful.”
“Like I said,” said Ithron, “you have a strange idea of beauty.”
“I’ve loved flowers ever since I was a little girl. And they’re everywhere here! How could I not be fascinated?” “What are you talking about? I haven’t seen a single flower. Not one.”
“But you see the blue fog?” said Meldon.
“Of course, I see it. How can you miss it?”
“How can you miss the flowers?” said Jezreel, with a hint of teasing sarcasm in her voice.
Without saying a word, Ithron climbed off of his rabbit and he began to walk toward a bush while pointing to it. Midway, he stopped, and his face grew pale. His arms fell to his sides and he froze.
“Ithron,” said Meldon. “Do you hear something?”
Ithron remained silent.
“Ithron, what’s wrong?” said Jezreel, looking concerned. “Ithron!”
He didn’t respond. He didn’t even move a muscle.
Jezreel dismounted her rabbit and walked toward him. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and Ithron jerked his knife up into the air, making her jump.
“Whoa!” said Meldon as he sprang off his rabbit and darted toward them. He carefully grabbed the knife from Ithron’s hand.
“Jezreel!” said Ithron, turning toward her. “I’m so sorry, I thought that you were—”
“You thought I was… what?”
“The black smoke. I saw it slither across the ground and thought it was a snake.” He turned and pointed to the ground ahead of him, breathless from fear. “It was there, gliding right toward me. But the black smoke rose from the ground and grew larger. It hovered over me and took a different shape. It formed an outline of a ghost with shredded clothes and disgusting rotting bones. It had no eyes and long fingers that inched toward me. It was like it was trying to capture my soul or something.”
“You’re scaring me,” said Jezreel.
“I’m not trying to scare you, Jez,” said Ithron. “But it happened. I must be seeing things. I know it sounds crazy. It’s impossible. This is all impossible.”
“Well, where is it now?” said Meldon, curiously.
Ithron
took a step back and frantically turned his head in all directions, looking for whatever it was he saw. Jezreel began looking around too.
Meldon glanced toward the trees and bushes that were nearby and even scanned the ground, but he didn’t see anything resembling smoke.
Ithron abruptly stopped moving and stared toward a rocky hill beside the trail up ahead.
“What do you see?” said Meldon. He looked in the same direction and couldn’t see anything out of place. A squirrel ran up a trunk and a bird landed on a branch. But there was no other movement, and there definitely wasn’t any black smoke.
“Where is it, Ithron?” he said, spotting a look of pure horror on Ithron’s face.
“It’s coming right for us!” said Ithron, with a panic Meldon had never heard from him. “The hill!” he said, pointing toward the same direction he was looking at before. “It’s coming from over there!”
Meldon could see a rocky hill along the trail up ahead, but there was no sign of smoke.
“Where on the hill?” said Meldon.
“There’s an ocean of smoke rolling right down toward us!”
Meldon saw nothing of the sort, but he witnessed the urgency in Ithron’s facial expression.
“Ithron, get back on your rabbit!” yelled Meldon. “If something’s coming, we have to get out of here.”
Meldon and Jezreel quickly climbed onto their rabbits and were ready to go. They waited for Ithron to mount Strike. Meldon could feel the hairs on his arms stand up as he continued to look around for whatever might be coming. It was an eerie feeling to know that something dangerous was approaching, but yet have no ability to see it. He was baffled. He looked at Ithron to see what was taking him so long, and watched him creep backward toward his rabbit as he continued to face the direction of the hill.
“Hurry up, Ithron!” yelled Jezreel. “Turn around and get on your rabbit!”
At that moment, Ithron let out a bloodcurdling scream that made Meldon’s stomach churn.
Meldon watched as Ithron gazed higher and higher, as if this invisible force was growing to huge proportions right in front of him.
Ithron stopped and stood frozen in place.
