Troll Hunters

by Michael Dahl

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  THE FIRST NIGHT

  THE SECOND NIGHT

  THE THIRD NIGHT

  THE FOURTH NIGHT

  EPILOGUE

  THE FIRST NIGHT

  Beneath the roots of tree and vine,

  Beneath the grimmest grave,

  Beneath the deepest, darkest mine,

  Beneath the dimmest cave,

  Beneath the vast volcanic lakes,

  Beneath the fiery core,

  An ancient, ageless Evil wakes

  And starts to rise once more.

  — from “The Pit of Trolls” by Orson Drood

  County Road One ran east out of Zion Falls, snaked around the north edge of the old, abandoned quarry, and then stretched east again in a straight line. It ran past empty fields, pathless woods, and a few old, weather-beaten houses. Some homes still had people living inside them. A mile from the quarry stood the shack where Lionel Tooker lived with his little girl, Louise.

  Lionel Tooker had a red beard, long hair, several hunting rifles, and no patience for other people. Seven-year-old Louise was the same way. Louise preferred to spend time with her rabbits, rather than with her schoolmates. But one morning, Mr. Tooker and his daughter awoke to find that the top half of the wire screen on the rabbit cage in the back yard had been ripped off. Several of the rabbits were missing.

  Their back yard bordered on a dark, thick section of woods. Mr. Tooker set up a metal leg hold trap in the woods not far from the rabbit cage.

  “Don’t worry, Louise,” he told the sobbing girl. “We’ll catch that big bad wolf. He won’t take any more of your bunnies, okay?”

  Mr. Tooker didn’t really believe it was a wolf that had snatched the furry pets. He was sure it was something smaller, like a coyote or a fox. Mr. Tooker was also sure that the trap would take care of it.

  That night, the night the stars fell, Mr. Tooker grabbed a rifle and a flashlight. He wanted to see if his trap had caught anything.

  “Stay right there, Louise,” he warned. Then he headed into the woods. The little girl, wearing just her nightgown, stood next to the rabbit cage. She held one of her remaining pets in her arms. Its soft ears tickled her chin.

  Tooker stepped deeper into the shadow of the trees. After a few more steps, he disappeared into the darkness. A moment later, he let out a shout.

  “It’s gone!” Mr. Tooker yelled. The trap had been chained to the thick trunk of an elm tree. But now, the chain, the trap, and half the tree’s branches were missing.

  “I don’t get it,” Mr. Tooker said. “What could have done this?”

  Something heavy crashed through the bushes behind him.

  Mr. Tooker turned around and screamed. Louise dropped her rabbit. It scooted away through the grass and into the darkness. The little girl opened her mouth to yell, but nothing came out. She ran back to the shack and crawled under her bed.

  “The big bad wolf,” Louise said. “The big bad wolf.”

  Less than a mile away from the Tookers’ shack, an argument was heating up in the backyard of the O’Ryan home.

  “We’re not going anywhere tonight,” Mr. O’Ryan told his fourteen-year-old son.

  “But we have to go see the Draconids,” Pablo said. “It’s the biggest meteor storm of the century!”

  “Draconids?” asked his father. “What are Draconids?”

  “The meteors,” Pablo explained. “They come from the direction of the constellation Draco.

  “We can see them just fine from the backyard,” argued his father.

  “But the quarry is the best place to watch the shower,” said Pablo.

  “Why?” his father asked. “The sky looks exactly the same from here.”

  Pablo’s mother was unfolding a plastic lawn chair. “There’s that big lake at the bottom of the quarry,” she said. “You could see the meteors from above and from below at the same time.”

  “Like a giant mirror,” Pablo added, nodding.

  Pablo gazed up at the starry sky. His friends Thora and Bryce were going to the quarry, but he knew that wouldn’t make any difference to his father. Mr. O’Ryan was a stubborn man. He was also shy, and he hated crowds. “The sky is big enough to see from right here,” Pablo’s dad said quietly.

  Pablo stormed into the house and then up the stairs to his bedroom. A few moments later, his mother appeared outside his door.

  “I just don’t understand,” said Pablo. “Why can’t we go to the quarry?”

  “I’ve already set up the lawn chairs,” Mrs. O’Ryan said. “And I brought out the binoculars for you.”

  “I’m not going to watch,” said Pablo. He kicked off his shoes and sat down on his bed.

  His mother sighed. “I’d hate for you to miss it,” she said. She started to leave, but then turned back to face Pablo. “We’ll be outside if you change your mind.”

  Pablo waited until he heard his mother go through the kitchen and out the back door. Then he locked his door. He had promised Thora that he would meet her and Bryce at the quarry. He was going to keep his word.

  He walked to his open window, slipped onto the sill, and eased his way down to the ledge beneath. Then Pablo stretched out his legs, released his grip, and landed on the soft grass in his bare feet. He stood still, listening. His parents were talking in the back yard. Pablo silently headed down the long, winding driveway. A moment later, he was walking along County Road One. The asphalt felt warm on the soles of his feet as he headed west.

  The road was dark. There were no streetlights that far out from town. Pablo pressed the light on his watch to check the time. He still had a few minutes before the first meteors would slice through the atmosphere.

  Pablo glanced at the deep, grassy ditches that ran along both sides of the road. Beyond the ditches were endless walls of trees, black against the starry sky.

  I must be close to the abandoned Nye farm, he thought.

  The creepy old Nye twins had that deep well on their land. The well that grown-ups had always warned Pablo and his friends about when they were kids. “If you fall in,” Pablo’s dad had said, “no one will ever find you.”

  Pablo’s thoughts were interrupted by a car rumbling up from behind. He turned just in time to be blinded by a pair of headlights. Pablo quickly stepped aside as a huge SUV whooshed past. They didn’t even slow down, he thought.

  The car was heading west toward the quarry. Pablo recognized the SUV. It belonged to the Fishers. Zak Fisher was in the same grade as Pablo, but they didn’t hang out with the same people. Zak was a jock, muscular and talkative. Pablo was the quiet type. He did his homework, kept his head down, and tried his hardest to avoid the school bullies.

  Suddenly, the scream of braking tires split the night air. The SUV stopped abruptly, as if it had collided with an invisible wall. The rear window shattered as the hood of the car flew upward. Pablo heard a long, low growl accompanying the cries of human voices. It made him think of a large animal in pain.

  Then, just beyond the wreck, Pablo saw what looked like two eyes blink shut. Did I just imagine that? he wondered.

  Pablo found himself running toward the car. He saw three or four figures inside. One of the passenger doors opened and Zak Fisher staggered out. Blood ran from his nose and forehead.

  “O’Ryan,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Are you all right?” asked Pablo. Zak looked at Pablo blankly for a moment. Then he bent over and threw up in the middle of the road.

  Zak stood up, patting his jeans. “I — I have a phone,” he mumbled. As he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket, the crushed device broke into several pieces. “Oh, no …”

  Pablo thought angrily about his father again. If my dad would have let me have a cell phone, he thought, then I
could call 911 right now.

  “Forget it,” said Pablo. “I’ll run home and get help.”

  “I’ll come with you,” said Zak.

  “You should stay with your family,” said Pablo. But Zak just ran past Pablo, heading down the road. Pablo ran after him.

  In minutes, both boys were running up the dirt driveway to the O’Ryan house. Pablo couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. The Fishers’ SUV had been totaled, but there was no sign of what it had hit.

  Whatever it was, Pablo thought, it must have been big.

  Thora Gamble stared at the dark, calm lake water while her older brother, Bryce, stared up at the stars. “Hey, did you see that one?” cried Bryce. He shook Thora’s shoulder and pointed skyward.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I see it.”

  Her brother held his phone at arm’s length and snapped a photo. “That’s too cool.”

  In the few minutes since the Draconid shower began, Thora had already seen dozens of the shooting stars. Thora preferred watching the meteors in the giant reflecting pool of the quarry’s lake. Seeing the stars far below her feet and overhead at the same time gave her a woozy, floating feeling.

  I feel like I’m flying through the air, Thora thought, smiling. Flying like a dragon.

  Staring down at the lake also made Thora feel very alone, as if the crowds of people who surrounded her weren’t even there. Just her and the stars above …

  She barely noticed the oohs and aahs the townspeople breathed whenever an especially bright star skimmed across the sky. For some reason, the arrival of the Draconid shower seemed like a wonderful gift that was just for her. Thora’s birthday was only a few days away, so the timing of this spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime event couldn’t have been more perfect. Her mind seemed to soar across the stars.

  “Oooh, look,” Bryce said, snapping Thora back to Earth. “That one’s racing right past Orion’s belt!”

  Thora nodded. She gazed down at the shining meteor that flashed across the watery mirror. Orion was one of the easier constellations to find — Thora could spot Orion’s famous belt by the four bright stars in a row.

  Wait — four? Thora thought, puzzled. There’s only supposed to be three stars.

  Thora blinked and looked again at the starry belt reflected in the quarry’s lake. Then Thora counted the stars one more time just to make sure. Four stars, no doubt about it, she thought. Weird.

  Thora quickly glanced back up at the sky. There was the real Orion, blazing overhead, just as he had for centuries, the legendary hunter who had conquered monsters and giant scorpions. Thora gazed at his belt. One, two, three, she counted in her head. Only three stars. That’s right.

  But when she looked downward into the lake again, four stars glimmered on Orion’s belt.

  Thora gasped. The fourth star was moving slowly toward the edge of the lake.

  Pablo was breathing hard as he ran toward his house. But just as he reached the door, he heard his mother scream. When he rushed inside, he saw that Zak had collapsed onto a kitchen chair. More blood stained his hooded sweatshirt.

  Pablo’s mother grabbed a washcloth from the sink and began gently wiping Zak’s face.

  “What’s wrong?” said Pablo’s father, rushing in.

  “What happened to you, Zak?” asked Mrs. O’Ryan. Zak didn’t respond. He just stared ahead.

  “The boy’s in shock,” said Mr. O’Ryan. He turned toward his son. “Pablo, what is going on?”

  Pablo was still gasping from the run. He took a few deep breaths. “It was an accident,” he said. “The Fishers. Their car. Out on the road.”

  Mr. O’Ryan glared at his son. “What were you doing out on the road?” he asked.

  “Zak’s parents were hurt in a car accident,” Pablo explained to his dad.

  Zak suddenly bolted to his feet. “I have to go,” he said in a daze. “I have to help them.”

  “Both you boys should stay right here,” said Mrs. O’Ryan.

  “I’ll go,” said her husband. He grabbed a flashlight from a kitchen drawer and pulled his jacket off the hook next to the back door.

  “Please, please,” said Zak, standing up. “I have to go!”

  Mr. O’Ryan braced the boy’s shoulders and gently sat him back down. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “Stella, call 911. I’ll go see if Zak’s parents are all right.”

  Mr. O’Ryan disappeared out the back door as Pablo’s mother snatched at the phone and tapped in the emergency numbers.

  Zak touched his nose with the sleeve of his shirt and then looked at it. Blood had dripped onto the fabric. “It’s not so bad,” Zak said.

  “You’re missing a shoe,” said Pablo.

  “Yeah?” Zak looked down. “Well, you’re missing both of them.” A confused look spread across Zak’s dark features. “Were you in the car, too?” he asked.

  “You’re in shock, Zak,” said Pablo.

  Zak stared at Pablo. “Please help me.”

  Pablo felt compelled to look into Zak’s eyes. A strange light flickered there. It was something Pablo had never noticed before. It was almost as if a light shone from within them. Like starlight, Pablo thought.

  It reminded Pablo of the wild eyes he had seen blinking beyond the crushed car hood. Or had he only imagined them in the horrible rush of events?

  “Please, Pablo,” said Zak. His eyes sparkled.

  Pablo nodded.

  “Then come on.” Zak said. He dashed toward the kitchen door.

  Both boys raced outside. “Pablo!” yelled his mother. But both boys kept running, heading down the driveway to the road.

  Pablo’s thoughts were racing. I hope he doesn’t pass out while he’s running. Is his blood dripping onto the grass? Am I stepping in it? Gross! I’d better watch out for broken glass on the road …

  It took them only a few moments to reach the wreck. Smoke rose from the SUV’s hood. Mr. O’Ryan was yanking on the driver’s door handle. He turned to face the boys as they approached.

  “What happened here?” asked Mr. O’Ryan.

  “Something ran out onto the road,” said Zak, stepping closer. “And that’s when —”

  The door finally opened with a screech. Pablo’s father’s eyes went wide.

  Oh, no. Pablo thought. Are the Fishers dead? He raced up beside his father and stared into the car.

  It was empty.

  At the lake, Thora scrunched up her nose. “What’s that smell?” she asked.

  Several children began coughing. The grown-ups standing near the edge of the quarry covered their noses. A few dogs barked and whined.

  “Don’t look at me,” Bryce said, laughing. “She who smelt it, dealt it.” But even he was covering his face.

  The smell reminded Thora of rotten eggs, old cat litter, and cigarette smoke. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from. The lake, maybe? She gazed carefully at the water, but the extra star was gone now.

  “I can’t take this smell anymore,” said Bryce. “Let’s go.”

  Thora and Bryce gathered their things and threw them into his car. Other stargazers were returning to their cars, too. Car engines revved up around the quarry as people waved farewell to their friends and neighbors. But closed doors and windows were no barrier to the overpowering smell.

  Bryce and Thora were the only ones headed east. While most of the townsfolk drove west to Zion Falls, the Gambles lived farther east off County Road One.

  Thora sniffed. The awful scent was still hanging in the air. “Think it’s dangerous?” she asked.

  Her brother laughed. “It’s probably just sulfur or something like that from the lake,” Bryce said. “Whatever it is, it stinks — and it stinks that we had to leave early. Pablo wasn’t even there yet.”

  Thora had once read how people in ancient times sometimes saw glowing gas fumes hovering over swamps. The glow had been mistaken for ghosts. Maybe the fourth star was just natural gas escaping from the quarry lake, thought Thora.

 
“What’s that?” asked Bryce.

  Thora looked up. Her brother was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were pale. At the far end of the road was an orange glow. A finger of flame flickered behind some trees.

  “It’s a fire!” said Bryce.

  “I hope it’s not the O’Ryans’ house,” said Thora.

  “Me too,” said Bryce.

  Thora’s heart pounded. Pablo had promised that he would watch the meteor shower with them at the quarry … and Pablo never broke a promise.

  “Don’t worry,” said Bryce. Thora kept gazing at the weird glow. “Maybe it’s a forest fire,” she said.

  Suddenly, a small white figure appeared in the middle of the road. “Look out!” Thora screamed. Bryce shouted and slammed the brake pedal. The car stopped a few feet away from the figure.

  “It’s a kid,” said Bryce.

  “It’s Louise Tooker!” said Thora. She jumped out of the car and ran over to the little girl.

  Louise, still in her nightgown, was screaming and crying. Tears streamed down her face.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Thora, kneeling down. “Are you okay?”

  The little girl ran into Thora’s arms and sobbed. “There, there, it’s all right,” said Thora.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Bryce. “Is it your house? Is your house on fire?”

  The girl continued to sob and gasp. Bryce tapped 911 into his phone.

  “What is it, Louise?” asked Thora. Louise gazed up at Thora with fearful eyes.

  “Big b-b-bad …” she stuttered. Just then, another, larger shape stepped out of the grassy ditch alongside the road. Thora held her breath. It was a man with a red beard, a pale face, and haunted eyes.

  “Mr. Tooker!” yelled Bryce.

  “That … that thing burned down my house,” said Lionel Tooker.

  Louise buried her head in Thora’s shoulder. “The big bad wolf,” she cried.

  Bryce snapped his phone shut. “They’re on their way,” he said. “It won’t take them long. A fire truck was already headed out this way.”