The angels shrieked with anger as they plummeted. Matthew lifted Catherine’s lifeless body into his arms, and started to walk towards the banking. However, their moves were followed promptly by the angels, who swam like sharks in an attempt to block the exit.
The angels gnashed their teeth aggressively, so much so that blood began to pour out of their scolding eyes. Lizard like tongues slapped furiously against the wooden bridge in temper, causing it to sway uncontrollably.
Cackling like witches, they flew towards him. Before he had chance to react, they had surrounded him. Gripping Catherine’s lifeless body tight, Matthew closed his eyes.
An almighty thunderous sound echoed throughout the land.
“Amitto! Amitto!”
“Darkmoor?” Matthew remarked out loud, clinging tightly onto Catherine.
Immediately, the ghostly angels descended back into the mist. The atmosphere became calm as Matthew opened his eyes slowly, he realised, with some confusion, that standing over him, was Sam
“I thought you were-” Matthew began before Sam interrupted him.
“Never mind all of that, they won’t stay down there forever, we need to move fast!”
Matthew didn’t need ordering twice and quickly he ran straight for the river bank, carrying Catherine to safety in his arms.
Finally free from the ghostly angels, Matthew slowly placed Catherine’s limb body onto the muddy floor. Realising that Sam hadn’t followed him, Matthew looked back across the bridge.
Sam was still there. The ghostly angels had remerged and were hovering over her.
Their faces had reformed back to their delicate angelic state, and Matthew watched intriguingly as the angels seemed to respond to Sam.
Just then, Sam lifted her hands up into the air, and once more called out,
“Amitto!” Upon hearing her words, the angels gracefully descended back into the river and, instantly, the white mist became still and silent once again.
Puzzled by Sam’s authority over the angels, he looked down towards Catherine as she approached.
“She’ll be fine,” Sam said flippantly.
“Yeah I hope so, Sam,” Matthew smiled, then looking up at Sam he asked, “What did you just do?”
“Just do?” Sam answered sounding a little confused.
“With the angels, you made them go back into the river.”
Sam darted her eyes back across the now calm river, “Oh you know...” she stopped and paused, before continuing, “You just have to speak like Darkmoor and then they obey.”
The fallen silence was broken by a murmuring Catherine. Her eyes flickering open then shut. Rubbing her hands across her forehead, she asked “What happened? My head is killing!”
“You passed out, again!” Matthew said sarcastically, holding out his hand to help her up.
“Passed out, what do you mean?” puzzled Catherine. “But my mouth hurts, my eyes, oh my eyes feel like they’re bleeding!”
“Well,” Matthew started, “we had to cross the river and you...”
Chapter Eleven
Where wolf-lizards tread
“We’d better move, we don’t want to be out here when night falls,” Sam murmured as she rummaged through her rucksack, revealing the light catcher.
Grey sky grew heavy, ice cold air crept slowly around them and they sensed that the night was fast approaching.
Sam peered through the light catcher at what seemed an endless vast forest.
Offering the light catcher to Matthew, he nervously positioned his eye over the lens.
At first he jumped back and his hands started to tremble. Tiny beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, but intrigued nevertheless, he took another look.
‘How could such a dark, dangerous, deadly place be transformed into one of beauty, one you longed to step foot in, one you would be happy to explore?’ Matthew thought whilst peering one more time into Darkmoor’s land.
“I can’t get over it, how does it, you know?” Matthew said reaching out his hand, trying to grab hold of the rays of sunlight, desperately longing to feel the warmth of a normal summer’s day upon his skin.
“Ok, ok,” Sam intervened clasping hold of the catcher, “like I said, we’d better move!” Returning the light catcher into her rucksack, Sam started to walk along the path and into the suffocating darkness.
Catherine remained quiet, with one swift smile towards Matthew she marched quickly behind Sam. Slowly but surely they edged towards the forest, leaving behind the river of souls. Matthew quickly gathered his belongs and he too followed on behind Sam.
“Are you ok back there?” Sam asked.
“Yeah thanks,” Matthew shouted back, his voice echoed through the forest.
Overhead the branches appeared to be woven together, acting like a canopy.
“Oh get off me, get it off!” Catherine screamed throwing her bags onto the path as she started to jump around.
Sam quickly got her bow and arrow ready to fire.
“What? What is it?” Matthew asked keeping his distance.
“It’s, it’s a spider!!” Catherine shouted flicking at her clothes.
Matthew couldn’t help but burst into laughter, Sam smiled too, “Matthew don’t just stand there, help me!!” Catherine shouted.
“Oh come here, Catherine,” Sam said strolling up to her and flicking the bug onto the floor, “there it’s gone!”
“Are you sure, I can still feel it crawling on me.”
“That will just be the beetles!” Sam said teasingly.
“Ha ha very funny, glad your amused,” Catherine said sarcastically.
“I’m sorry it’s just that...” Matthew began then stopped.
“What, it’s just what?!” Catherine said putting her hands on her hips.
“It was only a spider! Sure you’re not scared of the evil swimming angel looking vampires, but spiders, that’s when you really freak out!” Matthew said jokingly.
“Ok, ok I can’t help it, they give me the creeps!” Catherine bent down to pick up her belongings. “And anyway, everyone is scared of something!”
“Yeah monsters, aliens, wolf-lizards, that sort of thing,” Matthew said teasingly.
Catherine gave him a killer look, “You think you’re so funny...”
“Ok you two, should we get on?” Sam interrupted.
Both of them nodded their heads, and once again the three of them set off through the forest.
Night had fallen and a cold icy breeze blew gently through the woods, causing the broken tree branches to clumsily clatter together. Tiny insects scurried around underfoot searching for their next feast. Catherine couldn’t help shuddering as she could feel the tiny creatures crawling all over her. Not wanting to make another fool of herself in front of Matthew, she bit her lip tightly and screamed in her head. Matthew’s head bowed down towards the floor, lost in his own thoughts, wondering whether he would ever see home again.
At that moment an almighty gush of wind howled throughout the forest and the lifeless trees creaked violently.
Then at the edge of the forest, encircling them rapidly, like a lion hunting its prey, that all too familiar fog formed.
“Nobody make a move,” Sam ordered with her arms wide apart shielding Matthew and Catherine.
“Why? What is it? What’s going on?” Catherine whispered, darting her eyes between Sam and Matthew.
Slithering like a snake across the ground, the life form fog rapidly closed in on its prey. Gliding over the barren forest, the fog breathed its breath upon the trees causing them to stretch their limbering branches. The hungry thick fog rampantly swallowed up everything in its path, as it engulfed the whole surrounding area.
Unable to retreat, unable to run, Matthew, Catherine and Sam stood frozen. Thankfully at that moment the creeping, slithering, hunting living fog became still. Slowly it calmed down and settled softly like snow upon the ground.
The trees returned b
ack to their lifeless being, their limp branches once again hung loosely down by their sides, their roots buried themselves deep into the life draining mud. Not a creak or moan could be heard, only the heavy breathing of Matthew, Sam and Catherine. Frightened of reawakening the fog, the three of them stood motionless.
Matthew poured with sweat. Catherine fought back her tears, and Sam gazed intently into the forest. The fog, slept.
Unfortunately however, it didn’t settle for long. The relentless fog rose back to life, springing up high to create a thick towering wall. Matthew, Catherine and Sam watched on in awe. In the shape of a gigantic dam, the curved wall of fog revealed a small gap in which the darkness peered through.
Matthew’s heart raced in his chest and his throat tightened, but still he stood there staring through the gap, waiting in anticipation.
They didn’t have to wait long before a deafening chorus of howls erupted out of the dam. The smell of death rushed more aggressively through the open gap.
“Wolf-lizards,” Matthew whispered to himself, then suddenly realising his own words, he screamed out, “wolf-lizards!!”
“Now we’re dead!” Catherine bellowed.
“Calm down you two, we have to remain quiet,” Sam whispered trying to calm the two frightened youngsters.
“Calm down, how can you say that? They will kill us!” Catherine panicked.
“Listen to me, Catherine listen, we have to remain quiet, then with any luck they won’t notice we’re here. Wolf-lizards will only kill if they sense your fear, so calm down!”
But just as Matthew had feared, out of the unforgiving fog the sound of those deadly wolf-lizards howled.
“Shush, if we stay still they might not come through,” Sam said trying her hardest to reassure Matthew and Catherine.
From the other side of the dam wall, they could hear the monsters lifting their snout-like jaws up into the air, and sniffing in the night sky.
Then, another bout of howls rose up getting closer and closer. Hearing them sniffing their way along the other side of the fog wall, Matthew, Sam and Catherine could make out the wolf-lizard’s shadows.
Sam lifted her finger to her lips, reminding them both to remain quiet, but those sensitive snouts weren’t for giving up. Smelling the hint of sweat and fresh pounding blood, one by one the wolf-lizards poured through the gap.
Their bulging eyes filled with joy as they discovered hidden on the other side, three tasty treats.
A panicked stricken Sam ordered fearfully, “Quick, run!!”
The three of them set off racing through the forest, stumbling over broken tree branches and jumping over the reaching roots.
The howling of the wolf-lizards echoed through the sky, as the blood thirsty monsters rejoiced in their hunt. Shooting out their fiery tongues, red flames sparked against the baron trees, causing flashes of fire down around the three intruders.
“Quick, I know somewhere we can hide!” Sam spluttered, without question Catherine and Matthew followed.
Burying themselves deep down into the thick woodlands, the three of them tried to hide out of sight of the monsters.
“Matthew, I’m scared,” Catherine whispered moving closer to Matthew.
Placing his arm around her he spoke, “I know, me too.”
“Sam, where do you think they are?” Matthew asked clinging onto Catherine.
“I don’t know? But maybe if we hide here for a bit they might get fed up!”
“Or they might feed up on us?” Matthew remarked back to Sam.
Being as quiet as they possibly could, they waited.
More howls echoed across the sky, followed by the sniffing of those deadly beasts. These creatures were hungry and were not for giving up easily.
“Listen,” Sam finally spoke, “if we can get to the graveyard, we’ll be safe.”
“The graveyard? You didn’t tell us about a graveyard!” Matthew asked.
Catherine looked up at him, “Matthew, I think it’s a bit late to be questioning Sam on what we are doing here, or where we’re heading. After all, this was your idea!”
“Look, whatever we need to do we can’t do that here,” Sam whispered whilst pulling the light catcher out of her rucksack. The wolf-lizards lifted their snouts and howled angrily towards each other, with every small move the trio made.
Sam crept slowly out of their hiding place with the light catcher. Hoping to get a glimpse of where the wolf-lizards were waiting.
“Catherine, I’m sorry about all this, you do know that don’t you?”
Looking down into her eyes, the feeling of guilt was almost overwhelming. Catherine innocently replied, “Of course I do.”
Moments later Sam returned, “Well, the good news is,” she whispered, “we don’t have to go past the wolf-lizards.”
“And the bad news?” Catherine asked sharply.
“The bad news is, we’re going to have to make a run for it, quick follow me!”
Before Matthew and Catherine had chance to think about that thought, Sam was weaving herself in and out of the trees, leaving Catherine and Matthew no choice but to follow swiftly behind her.
Howling excitedly, the wolf-lizards then took up the chase once more. Their tongues whipped into the sky before slamming down with a thud.
“Faster!” Sam panted back.
“We are!” Catherine called.
The wolf-lizards were almost catching them. Matthew could feel their stale breaths touching the back of his neck, not wanting to look back, he kept focussed on Catherine.
“Arragh!” Matthew screamed, feeling the fiery deadly strike of a wolf- lizard’s tongue. Knocking him face down into the mud, Matthew felt his back burning as the intense hot poison soaked deep into his skin.
“Sam! Matthew’s been hit!” Catherine shouted turning to run back for him.
Managing to roll himself over, Matthew slowly shuffled back. The monsters stopped and growled at him. Shuffling away from them, their intense fire spread across his back and up towards his shoulders.
The wolf-lizards slithered closer towards him, viciously snapping their jaws, licking their deadly razor sharp teeth in anticipation of their food.
Catherine gazed on helpless, her heart was in her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. Sam, rather assuring given the situation, whispered in Catherine’s ear, “Don’t move until I say.”
Swiftly Sam slid an arrow from her backpack and positioned it onto her bow, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The pack of wolf-lizards stared at one another before one of them slithered over towards Matthew. With each move the wolf-lizard made, an accompanying howl of encouragement came from the blood thirsty creatures. With a sense of arrogance, the wolf-lizard looked Matthew up and down with its bulging black eyes, giving off a small growl and sneer. Then, another moment of arrogance made it reveal its deadly weapon. Emerging from its dagger like teeth, that fiery rotten fleshed tongue. Tilting its head backwards and pointing its tongue into the sky, with one swift movement it slammed it back down into the mud. The wolf-lizard then turned to its pack, and back once more to Matthew.
Suddenly, a high pitched whistling noise pierced through the clean still air. Matthew closed his eyes tightly. A fizzling sound shattered the air, followed by a sudden shuddering of the earth below.
Cautiously he opened his eyes. Matthew looked on astonished as the wolf-lizard’s motionless body sprawled out across the mud. Its once deadly tongue was now hanging powerless from its mouth. Its flames were well and truly extinguished.
Now standing over Matthew, was Sam. Her eyes were as black as the night itself, searching through the dark, without speaking she ordered the wolf-lizards to retreat. Her face was narrow and washed free of colour. Continuing to guard Matthew, she quickly prepared another arrow ready to fire. However, like whimpering dogs, the wolf-lizards scurried back through the dam. Darkmoor’s monsters at last, were gone.
Catherine rushed over to Matt
hew, and placing her hands under his arms, she tried to haul him to his feet.
Looking up at her he asked, “Did you see, Catherine? Sam’s eyes they were black.”
“Never mind that we need to get you up,” she said and with one almighty pull, Matthew stood observing Sam.
“You ok?” Sam looked at him, her eyes back to their usual state.
“Yeah I think so, what happened to your eyes, Sam? They were black.”
“Black!” Sam said shocked, “No I think that’s the shock making you confused.”
“No I’m not confused, I know what I saw!” Matthew said raising his voice.
“Matthew it’s ok, we’re safe, that’s all that matters,” Catherine said softly.
“Catherine’s right, and anyway, you should be thanking me, I just saved your life!” Sam said sarcastically with a small smirk across her face.
Walking over to the dead wolf-lizard, Sam pulled out her blood stained arrow, wiped it clean across her jeans, then looked back towards Catherine and Matthew, “Well, at least we have dinner!” she grinned.
Dear Diary,
Me, Matthew and Sam are sat round a camp fire which Sam has made. Dinner was good, roast wolf-lizard! I’m getting use to the fatty taste of it, actually it taste a bit like beef, only hairier!
Matthew was quiet over dinner. I think something’s bothering him, but he won’t say!
This forest is so creepy. Bugs are always crawling over me.
Anyway, Sam says we’re going to rest here for tonight then move on tomorrow. She said something about a graveyard which leads us to Darkmoor’s Castle. I just want to be home and safe in my own bed. I would give anything to hear my Mum and Dad again, warning me to stay away from that flipping vicarage. I wish I had now!
I really hope this plan of his works. For some stupid reason, Matthew thinks he will be able to talk to Darkmoor and somehow reason with him. Still, I suppose it’s worth a shot, I’m just really praying it works.
Right well I’d better try and get some rest, Goodnight xxx
Chapter Twelve
Darkmoor’s Graveyard
“The holiday just continues! You sure know how to treat a girl, Matthew!” Catherine signed sarcastically, as they made their way through the graveyard.
Darkmoor Page 7
