by Carver Pike
“Yes, and before you say it, they’re very adorable. The most adorable things in the whole wide world.”
“I kind of wish I’d never seen them,” she said. Her voice got softer as she continued. “Now that I have, it will be a lot more difficult knowing that I’ll never be able to have one of my own.”
Suddenly, a head popped up out of the dirt mound only a few feet away. Twig and Tania both slid back on their butts, afraid to move any further.
The mamole, half man and half mole, wrinkled up its nose and sniffed at the air. It was an ugly creature, not very bright, and definitely not trustworthy. Tania had heard of them. She knew they were usually used as spies, hired hands, and great for gathering info by quietly sneaking in close to an enemy. She wondered if Twig had been right, if it had been spying on them, or only trying to remain undiscovered so it could gather its next meal.
She thought back to all they’d said. They’d only spoken about the babies, and about sex. Neither seemed like anything this creature could take back to someone as important information.
The mamole glanced left and right, before it finally pulled its fat, hairy body out of the ground. On all fours, the hideous creature waddled over to the coral reeds and lashed out with its claws, cutting down two of them. It nibbled on one of the fallen treats. As it munched, Tania slowly rose from the ground and pulled Twig up to his feet as well. They backed toward the camp, keeping their eyes on the intruder.
“Do you think it was listening to us?” Tania asked.
“Probably,” Twig said. “But did we say anything important? I mean, it might know you were once a coral head.”
She turned to run toward the camp and slapped his arm once again.
“Asshole! I wasn’t a coral head. I said I ate it once!”
Twig laughed. “Don’t tell anyone about that thing. You know how Bronc is…and Hawks…they’ll go out trying to hunt it and scare all the women.”
“You’re right,” she agreed.
***
Lisa sat in her rocking chair on her front porch, cradling Vincent in her arms, while Emma sat in front of her rocking Vision back and forth in his bassinette. Vision cooed happily.
Twig and Tania reached the camp center as the sun was starting to set, painting a wonderful pastel splash across the sky. The orange glow was disappearing behind the trees.
“What were you kids up to?” Lisa called out.
“Just taking a walk. It’s a lot nicer with the sun out,” Tania answered cheerfully.
Lisa smiled and looked over at Emma, watching her as she peeked in at Vision and smiled. She reached in and lifted the baby up. He kicked his feet happily and smiled down at her. She carried him over to the steps and sat down, holding him out in front of her face.
“You’ll let me hold ya, won’tcha?” Emma asked Vision. “Your brother doesn’t like me.”
“Vincent doesn’t seem to like anyone other than Gabe and me. So don’t take it personally,” Lisa said.
Emma pointed a finger at Vincent.
“You remember that little one, ‘cause I will. When you come crying to Aunt Emma for some of her callaberry pie one day, that’s when I’ll remember,” she told him.
Vincent’s head rolled to the side, and he fixed a glare on Emma. Emma’s eyes went wide and she looked afraid. Lisa had to crane her neck to look at Vincent.
“Is he…is he staring at me?” Emma asked.
Lisa laughed.
“I’m sure he’s staring at you after that callaberry pie threat,” she joked.
“No, seriously. He looks angry,” Emma said.
Lisa lifted Vincent up and turned him around to face her. She studied his face, which looked like any other baby’s.
“I don’t think he’s old enough to hold a grudge, Emma,” she said.
***
The others hung out at the center of the camp. Segundo stoked the fresh fire. Bronc sat with Haylay watching Hawks and Gabe kick a ball back and forth. Haylay seemed into the game, but Bronc stared past them, lost in deep thought.
“You know what we need? A Hackey Sack,” Gabe informed his friend.
“No, thanks. I sucked at that game,” Hawks said. “What we need is a beach.”
“A hacky sack might be easier to bring to the mountains,” Gabe said.
Twig and Tania walked by, holding hands.
“Our town lovebirds aren’t keeping it a secret anymore, I guess,” Gabe said.
“They sucked at keeping it a secret anyway,” Hawks added.
The ground behind Twig and Tania rumbled, the vibrations carrying over to where Gabe and Hawks were playing. Their ball rolled to one side. A trail of disrupted dirt followed the lovebirds. Then the head of the mamole broke ground. It glanced at the people in the camp and froze. It didn’t try to back out quietly. It was too late for that. Everyone had seen it.
“What the hell is that?” Gabe asked.
Before he could get an answer, two more climbed clumsily out of the ground. The three creatures looked dangerous. The first opened its mouth, bearing its teeth. It growled, looking like a large bear standing on its hind legs. The click click sound of a gun being cocked came from behind Gabe, and he turned to see Bronc standing with his gun raised, pointed at the creatures. The first mamole growled once more, this time at Bronc.
“We’ve come for the childs!” it squealed, the words almost unrecognizable.
“Did it say what I think it said?” Gabe asked.
“Hawks, get gun, and watch backs. More may come. They gather very fast,” Bronc ordered.
As soon as Hawks moved, one of the beasts wheeled around and charged at him. Bronc turned smoothly and fired right at its face. The bullet struck its snout, covering its face in copper-colored blood. The animal fell to the ground and whimpered as blood flowed out too quickly for it to recover.
“Go, Hawks,” Bronc said again.
Hawks went to his cabin and this time neither of the other beasts made a move.
“You’ve got one chance to turn and leave us,” Gabe announced. “Or my friend here will do to you what he did to your buddy.”
“We need the childs!” the first mamole squealed again. “Colossus will pay handsomely for a childs.”
Hawks returned with two guns. He tossed one over to Gabe and they both trained their weapons on the uninvited guests.
“Gabe, mamoles are Wraithen spies. They take messages to Colossus and his army,” Bronc informed him.
“So you’re saying…” Gabe started, but was interrupted by the squeal of the mamole.
“The childs! Give them to us now!” the creature cried.
“What I’m saying is we no let these things go,” Bronc said.
Both mamoles seemed ready to attack. The first growled, dropped to all fours, and leapt at Bronc, who sidestepped and shot it in the face. It crumbled to the ground, its chest heaving up and down with its last few breaths.
The last mamole was smarter. It turned and dove back into the dirt hole it’d originally popped out of, while screaming its last message. “The Wraithens are coming!”
Gabe fired at it as he ran toward the opening in the ground, but it was too late. The creature was gone.
“Did he say raisins?” Twig asked Tania.
“The raisins are coming?” Tania repeated, looking at Twig like he was an idiot.
“You’re not gonna say you told me so, are you?” Gabe asked Bronc.
“This just beginning. Those no soldiers. They only messengers, but if know about babies, so do others. Mamoles whisper beneath earth,” Bronc said.
“Who are these Wraithens, and what do they want with my sons?” Gabe asked.
Bronc walked toward his cabin.
“We must go,” he said.
Gabe knew that this time it wasn’t a suggestion. They would have to leave Sanctuary.
Bronc turned back to Gabe.
“We leave in morning, Gabe. First shine of this new daylight.”
Gabe nodded. Their home was no l
onger safe.
Chapter 6 - An Unfortunate Exodus
The camp was solemn, and even with the sun rising overhead, Gabe felt dark clouds rolling in. The tranquil life they’d built had been shattered, replaced by fear and dread. Three horse-drawn carts were parked near the place where they’d sung campfire songs a couple of nights before. The carts were filled with necessities to help the band of peaceful images and humans move to a new, safer destination.
In one of the carts sat two baby bassinettes. Vincent was asleep in one. Vision dangled from a makeshift baby carrier strapped to Gabe’s chest. Like a small puppet, his arms and legs wobbled around as Gabe rocked back and forth, waiting for the others to finish packing. Lisa leaned against Gabe, resting her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him and sadness filled her eyes. Finally, a single tear broke free and traveled down her cheek.
“I’d hoped we could stay here forever,” she said.
“I know, baby,” Gabe said as he reached up and cupped her chin in his left hand. “Hopefully this will all be for nothing and we’ll be back in no time at all.”
He followed her gaze as she looked down at the pistol strapped to his right hip and the machete strapped to his left. She shook her head.
“You don’t look so sure about this being all for nothing,” she said.
“Better to be safe than sorry, right?”
She only shrugged.
“You should probably spend most of the trip in the back of one of these carts. I don’t think trudging through endless forest would be on the doctor’s orders if you’d given birth on the other side,” he added.
“Let me walk for a while,” Lisa pleaded. “I promise I’ll hop in the back as soon as I can’t handle it.”
Gabe reached up and pulled her head back to his shoulder and stroked her hair. “You’re too tough for your own good.”
Finally, Emma and Bronc exited their cabin, carrying the last of the things they wanted to bring along. Emma had her arms filled with blankets she’d sewn herself. Bronc carried satchels of water and had his weapons strapped to his body. Over one shoulder was a bow and arrows. A tomahawk hung from one hip while a sawed-off shotgun was attached to the other.
Emma plopped her blankets down into the back of one of the carts and then climbed in, making herself comfortable for the long trip to come.
“Alright, I’ll sit with Emma,” Lisa said as she reached up to kiss Gabe on his cheek.
She climbed into the back of the cart with the baby bassinettes.
Twig leapt off the front porch of his cabin, nodding his head up and down with a huge smile on his face.
“Huh? I look badass, don’t I?” he joked as he pointed at his hips where a knife and a pistol were strapped.
“You look like a goofy gangbanger,” Gabe teased.
Hawks walked out of the cabin much more relaxed. He played the distraught warrior perfectly and his large frame didn’t seem bogged down by his weapons at all. He looked over at the cabin next to his, where the front door to Segundo and Nita’s home sat open.
“Come on. If you can’t carry it, leave it!” he commanded.
Segundo stepped out of his cabin, stared down at his feet, and shuffled to the stairs. He glanced up at the others. Nita and Tania joined him on the porch. Segundo shook his head, looking embarrassed.
“We’re not going,” Segundo informed them.
“What?” Bronc asked. “Come on, brother.”
“Bronc’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s not safe here,” Gabe said.
Segundo looked to his wife and daughter for support. Nita wrapped an arm over his shoulder. Tania looked away, obviously not in agreement with his decision.
“We’ve lived a peaceful life here,” Segundo reminded them. “We’re a family. If you go, they’ll have no reason to attack us. It’s only unsafe because of the babies.”
“They’re a miracle,” Nita added. “And you need to keep them safe.”
“Yes,” Segundo agreed. “Go and protect them. We will be fine here.”
“And if you’re not?” Hawks asked. “You can’t know that for sure.”
“We’re safer here than we are traveling with you,” Segundo argued.
Twig jogged over to the steps leading up to Segundo’s cabin. He took Tania’s hand in his and begged her to reconsider.
“Tania, please. I can’t go without you,” he pleaded.
Tania wrapped her arms around Twig’s neck.
“I can’t go. They’re my family,” she said.
“Then I’ll stay with you,” he replied.
“No,” Tania argued, backing away from him. “You have to protect the babies.”
“I’d rather protect you.”
Haylay stepped out of his cabin, barefoot, not at all ready to leave.
“Twig can stay here with me,” he announced.
“Haylay? Seriously?” Gabe asked. “Of all people, I thought you’d be the first one to tag along.”
“Sweety, I’ve been tagging along since the Slums of York,” Haylay reminded him. “Hell, I’ve been taggin’ along with somebody my whole damned life. I’ve settled down here. Lord knows I get horny as all hell from time to time, and I get to thinkin’ about visitin’ one of the cities just to get me a little somethin’ somethin’, but in reality, I’m actually happy here, for the first time in my life.”
Gabe kicked dirt and bit his lip.
“Well shit, I’m glad we packed three carts full of supplies considering there’s only a few of us going now,” he complained. “It would’ve been nice to know this shit sooner.”
“Y’all will be safer in a smaller group anyway,” Haylay said.
“Twig!” Hawks yelled. “Come on, boy.”
“Let Twig stay here if he wants,” Segundo said.
Twig looked up at Segundo, surprised. Even Nita and Tania seemed shocked.
“What?” Segundo asked, looking at Tania. “You think I want you to live your life alone up here in the mountains?”
Twig looked over at Hawks, who’d been the closest thing he’d had to a role model. Hawks shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
“Son, I know what you want to do. You make the choice,” he said.
“I’ll stay.”
Twig wrapped Tania up in a big hug.
“We’ll keep your houses empty,” Segundo promised. “Come back if you can.”
Gabe nodded and smiled.
***
With the carts finally packed up tight and the small group of Gabe, Lisa, Bronc, Emma, and Hawks ready to go, it was time to leave. Those staying behind walked out to say their goodbyes.
Tania felt a sadness well up inside. She couldn’t believe these people she’d grown so close to were leaving. Things would be so different with them gone. How would the nights at the campfire be with so few friends remaining? She grabbed Vision’s hand as he dangled from Gabe’s chest, and gave it a shake. Vision kicked his legs wildly and smiled. She kissed him lightly on the forehead.
“I hope to see you soon, little one. You’re gonna be a handsome fella. Yes, you are,” she flirted.
Vision cooed.
“Be safe,” she whispered.
She moved on to where Lisa sat in the back of the cart, holding Vincent in her lap.
“You take care of yourself,” Lisa said to her. “You’re a beautiful young lady. And a wonderful person. We’re going to come back and be with you guys again soon. I have faith in that.”
Tania leaned over to give her a hug.
“I really hope so.”
She looked at the bassinette next to her and saw Vincent’s eyes pop open. He reached out with one hand and touched her stomach.
“Ahh!” Tania yelled and fell to the ground.
She doubled up in pain, her hands clutching her stomach. It felt like acid had been shot through her entire body, like her veins were suddenly on fire.
“It hurts,” she cried.
Bronc ran to her aid. He dropped to his knees and checked her for
wounds. Emma grabbed her arm.
“What happened?” she asked.
Tania breathed in and out slowly, trying to force away the painful cramps. Twig kneeled down and helped her rise to her feet. Everyone was watching her.
