‘What do you, ah, they look like when they change?’ asked Sam.
‘Sammy! Don’t ask questions like that!’ Rebecca scolded him.
‘No, Rebecca it’s quite alright, let the man ask. It’s natural. We all change according to our hearts or should I say souls. If the person was mean, insensitive or in general a bad personality then the changes are horrid. Some take the form of the person they feed on a different figure each time. Those that had good qualities such as love, kindness and such, do not change very much. They might slouch a little, grow out their fangs and their eyes become a very bloody red. It’s frightening but for sure someone could tell the difference between the two kinds of ghouls. The second group can change back at their own will. The first cannot. To get a better understanding of what happens, you must know that the original ghouls fed on corpses that were in the cemetery or tortured their own relatives. As time went by, they have come to be very close to their once human nature. In this way they, ah, we have been able to survive instead of being shot down by the hunters.
‘Who were the hunters love?’ asked Rebecca.
‘The hunters were a group of very brave men who took an oath not to end their lives without first taking down every ghoul possible as to rid the next generations from their horrific acts. It all started during the first Turkish invasion where all the corpses from the battle laid on the damp ground for days. Greeks, Turks, men, women and children. A massacre. There were too many to bury in one day. Families lined up the dead bodies outside the cemetery walls waiting days perhaps weeks to finally get their turn to receive a proper burial. The souls of the dead weren’t at peace. All that blood smell and rotting flesh emanated into the air and spread out for miles luring the feenish ghouls here.
They fed off the dead that hadn’t been buried yet and then returned for more repeatedly. It became more frequent as time went by and war continued. No one really knew where the ghouls originated but they were deeply afflicted by their dreadful hunger. A hunger, which would never be satisfied. Families were devastated with their losses. Family members and friends, neighbors and enemies, all were devoured by the freaks. No one could do a thing about it. Well, we are here! We are just over those trees over there.’ He stopped talking.
Rebecca took Gregor by the hand.
‘I love you. Don’t forget that.’
‘You, my love, are the only thing I see. The only really good thing in my life, my sunshine.’ He kissed her cheek.
‘Come on guys! Start taking pictures. It’s wonderful up here!’ Cassie yelled. She had forgotten everything that had happened for a moment. The scenery was one they had never seen till now.
They were at the highest point of the forest on a mountain top that people don’t get a chance to ever get to. A giant eagle’s nest sat just a few feet away and they all took pictures at the same time, at the same theme.
Sarah and Sam left their cameras and started clearing stones and pebbles to set down their lunches. It was beautiful. It felt right and Cassandra was extremely peaceful at the moment. The morning went by tremendously fast as they did their best work ever. While they worked, Gregor watched Rebecca in amazement. He admired her ability with the camera and he loved that she was such a dedicated friend not once questioning all of her friend’s quests. Rebecca was spontaneously beautiful but to Gregor the most important quality was her character. He then turned to look at his sister thinking that she was not at all different from the rest of their family, she was only raised differently but her DNA carried all the characteristics of a Dracopoulos.
The hours continued to go by and none of them asked to eat lunch. It was as if they were made full with the air they breathed. A few more hours had passed when Cassandra called out.
‘That’s a wrap! Good work guys, this is going to get me in for sure’
‘We all know you can survive without eating but some of us need fuel to go on, so if you think we may have possibly earned it, dark eyes, can we sit down and eat at last?’ Sam nagged.
‘Okay, I guess you’re right. It is quite late. Our lunches have become dinner!’
‘Yes, it’s half past six already we should eat a bit and get moving it will be dark soon’ said Rebecca.
After eating Mrs. Marina’s packed meals and some last glances at the exquisite view as the dusk came the group took the trail back to the hostel.
Chapter Six
‘I’d like to take you all fishing tomorrow. If you haven’t any plans’ Gregor asked at the dinner table.
It had been a long and tiring day and all of them felt good with what they had accomplished but also that they were now done and enjoying each other’s company over a nice dinner.
‘You haven’t gotten the chance to see the lighter side of the forest.’
‘What do you say, friends?’ Rebecca added. ‘Shall we go one last excursion just for fun this time?’
‘I can’t see why not; it will be fun after all that hard work that Cassie has put us through. Why working long hours like slaves? For the love of God, it would be absolutely selfish of her to turn down Gregor’s lovely offer!’ Sam said jokingly but serious all at the same time.
‘Oh, alright! Let’s do it before all your wining kills me!’ Cassandra continued on the humor.
‘There is no need to wake up too early, we can leave about nine. So, it’s settled then.’
A group of boar hunters came in to have dinner. Gregor knew them. He asked to be excused for a moment and then went over to their table to greet them. He shook hands with the men and welcomed them sincerely as he did with everyone.
‘We have been expecting you; it’s so nice to see you again. How was hunting today? Any luck?’
‘Actually, Gregor, we would like to talk to you about that. Is there somewhere we could meet later after dinner?’ The hunters seemed troubled.
‘Sure! Meet me in the reception hall at about half past nine and join me for a cigar. We could talk about whatever is troubling you.’
‘Alright then, because it is of great importance and I can’t ignore it so, we will be there.’
‘Enjoy your meal, gentlemen!’ Gregor was disturbed by the man’s last comment. He kept thinking what could possibly be so important it couldn’t wait?
He had now returned to his table and sat down. Rebecca scooched over and took his hand in hers.
‘Gregor, love, can I ask a favor of you?’
‘What? A favor? Now you are doomed, so much for your single life style’ Sam said playing his usual self.
‘Oh, shut up, you fool, who asked you anyway?’ she snapped.
‘Of course you can ask anything of me, you know that. What is it that you would like?’
‘I would like to have my parents flown in later next week. Perhaps on the weekend because I don’t find it appropriate to announce our engagement over the phone. I will call them later tonight and tell them that I will be staying on after Sunday, when the rest of the group will be departing and that it would be a nice chance for them to escape for a bit as well as to supposedly escort me back home. My father will love the idea. When they arrive I can properly introduce you and together we can announce our engagement. After they meet you and see who you are, they will be able to leave in peace that they left me in goods hands and won’t worry me. What do you think love?’
‘I believe that you are not only beautiful but brilliant as well. I think it is a wonderful idea! What do you want me to do?’
‘I’ll arrange their flights but can you drive me to the airport to pick them up?’
‘You know I will!’
‘Another matter is if there is a room available for them to stay in for a few days’ she continued.
‘Even if there were no rooms, I would accommodate your parents by sleeping outside my self. Fortunately there are two vacant rooms for next weekend.’
‘Alright, then!’ Rebecca said happily and continued. ‘I’ll call them now!’ She gave him a little peck on the cheek and went to the front desk to make the cal
l. She was like a child with a pure heart. Playful and fun but her appearance was sensual and sexy.
‘About tomorrow,’ Gregor began, ‘make sure you all get dressed warm enough and a second set of clothes wouldn’t hurt. Fishing in the river isn’t as easy as it seems. Sometimes you fall in.’
‘Okay, we’ll meet you tomorrow morning then’ said Sarah.
‘How about the fishing rods, do we have enough?’ asked Sam.
‘No fishing rods necessary, Sam. All we need is fishing cord and some cheese bread bait. We have plenty of both! The wild trout out here bite in no time!’ Gregor informed.
‘Goodnight, then, we’ll see you all tomorrow’ Sam said as he took Sarah by the hand and they went to their rooms.
Now Cassandra and Gregor were alone at the table. Gregor saw that she had been distracted almost all through dinner.
‘Cassandra, you’ve been pretty quiet tonight.’
‘Yes, I’m sorry. I have been thinking of which way would be best to confront my parents.’
‘I need to meet with the hunters for a while. Would you mind if I left you alone for now?’
‘No, Rebecca will be back soon anyway.’
‘I will be back to escort you both upstairs.’
‘There’s no need, we are all kind of tired. We’ll go upstairs and relax a little until you come to say goodnight to your fiancé. See you later.’ Cassandra waited patiently for Rebecca to come back. Gregor took his glass and went into the reception lounge.
The three hunters were waiting for him. He detoured a moment to pick up a box of cigars which he brought over and passed around to each of them.
‘Well, gentlemen, I hope you’re not going to tell me about the room service’ he joked.
‘Gregor,’ said one of them, ‘things are much more serious than room service.’ The look on Gregor’s face changed as he sat down waiting to here what the man had to say.
‘Mr. Gannaris, what is troubling you? I must say that I have been very curious the last hour and a half.’
‘We were out hunting as you know. We started early this morning but for some reason we couldn’t find any wild animals. Not a dear, not a boar, not even a bear. What’s worse is that we heard no animal sound what so ever. No birds singing, no frogs, not even an insect sounded in a forest filled with creepy crawlers and life in general. There was only the sound of long silence amongst the trees.
After the sun came up we finally came across a pack of baby boar that ran right across our path. We were hidden among the bushes. We all aimed our rifles toward them but before we could shoot, they were mauled right in front of our eyes by some kind of… ah; I don’t know whether they were humans or animals because we could only see them from behind and we were shocked by how fast it happened. Blood and boar flesh everywhere. They couldn’t be human but they stood on two feet. We stood there quietly until whatever they were left. Then we went closer to see the boar. It had been ripped apart literally. Before we had the chance to think to ourselves, what the hell just happened, a manlike creature with a very pale face came out from within the trees straight at us. I lifted my rifle frightened half out of my wits as it came for me. I found the courage and shot twice injuring it. I thought it was pretty bad at first but obviously I was wrong because it disappeared into the woods at the speed of light.
Up until now I heard crazy stories about creatures up in these parts and I had fun telling them down to the younger hunters, I never believed them though, not until now that I have seen them with my own eyes. We loaded up our gear and started to search for our other two friends who were at another point on the boar trail. They weren’t at the point and we couldn’t find them anywhere around there. What are we going to do? They haven’t contacted us and they haven’t come back yet.’ The man seemed to be worried to death, scared and full of question. He wasn’t in the position to continue and the next hunter spoke out.
‘We think that it would be best if we go out and search for them but we don’t know the area that well and were hoping that you would come with us so that we might be successful and so that we don’t get lost ourselves.’
Gregor looked at the first man with great sympathy and then looked up at the other and said, ‘Prepare yourselves, then. We leave in an hour!’
‘Thank you!’
‘We’ll meet here, like I said, in an hour.’ Gregor went over to where Rebecca was. She had just finished her call and Cassandra had been waiting for her in the large armchair.
‘Rebecca, we need to talk.’
‘Okay, but just a heads up, my parents agreed to come next week. Actually they were thrilled.’
‘That is great! Now I need you to go upstairs with Cassandra and get yourself a goodnight’s sleep. I will be going out with the hunters on a search for their friends who got lost in the woods. They need my help to find them.’
‘Do you think they may have come across Georgio?’
‘No, they probably just rolled off the trail and can’t find their way back. Everything will be fine. You two get some rest and we’ll meet here in the morning’
‘Sure, love, I am beat!’ She tiptoed to reach up and kiss him goodnight. ‘You promise to be careful, right?’
‘I promise you.’
Cassandra also worried. ‘Brother, be careful!’
Gregor bent over and kissed her on the head.
‘How nice it is to have two women to care for you! I assure you both I will be fine. Now go get some rest!’ The girls dragged their feet up the stairs.
Gregor returned to the desk where he met his grandmother’s distressed look.
‘Grandmother, I am going out again. Unfortunately, the hunters have lost some of their friends and I am afraid there may have been an attack. I hope that I am wrong but I feel that Georgio might be behind it.’
‘Gregori, be cautious! It’s not just you now.’
‘I will.’ Gregor gathered his things. Among them a small tranquilizer gun and a bow with arrows that had numbing liquid in their tips.
He put together all the parts of his weaponry quickly and with a great ease. He had all sorts of supplies in the large antique chest that until now had been locked but also sat decorating the corner of the hostel’s lounge. Now Gregor was prepared. He sat in the armchair waiting patiently for the hunters to come down. A few minutes later the sound of feet coming down the stairs grabbed Gregor’s attention and at once he stood up with readiness.
‘We are ready, Gregor!’ said Mr. Gannaris. He was the one who took initiative within the group.
‘Let’s go then and may I remind you. I want no one going off on there own. If you see anything you will tell me and I will tend to it. No heroic acts. If you are under direct attack then shoot your rifles as fast as you can to save yourselves. Is that clear?’
They all agreed and were led down the trail by Gregor. Only a couple of minutes had passed as the first drops came down on them. Lightening lit up the sky and the dark crannies in the woods. Louder and louder the thunder rolled as the men walked deeper into the woods. Finally, they came to the point where the boar had been attacked. Gregor set down his gear and circled his flash light to find something only he knew. He touched the bark of the trees around them and then he knelt and picked up some of the dirt off the ground where the animal carcasses laid. He lifted the dirt to his face and smelled it. Gregor looked up into the trees. His thoughts were interrupted by the astonished look on the face of Mr. Gannaris.
‘What are you looking for, Gregor?’
‘I’m trying to find a clue as to which way the guilty party went from here. Follow me!’
Gregor lifted his gear again and went north. The rain fell hard now and the men couldn’t see clearly.
‘We must move quicker,’ said Gregor. ‘The rain will unfortunately wash out the clues. We also need to get to shelter. There is a small cave further away that we will reach soon.’
For the hunters, the thunder was nerve breaking as they searched for their missing friends. One of them even
mentioned that he felt as if they were in a Hitchcock movie hearing the thunder and the crows in the late hours of the night. The hunters had already started loosing hope of finding their friends before they came out. In truth they expected the worst. Gregor heard the cries of the hunter behind him wailing for his friend.
‘Mikhail! Mikhail! Oh no, no, no! Oh, my God, have mercy!’ He cried in despair at the sight of his friend who was unrecognizable hanging by his feet and stripped of his flesh down to his very bones. Only his head and the pieces of his shredded clothes gave clue that it was him.
One of the hunters started vomiting until he passed out after seeing the gruesome sight. The others were in no better condition as they fell to the ground crying like babies over the loss of their companion. Gregor was at the body searching for clues that would lead him to the killer. He looked at what was left of it and realized that it was a vindictive ghoul who had taken the man’s life so horridly. Looking at the head he saw no cross scar as his kind would have left. His kind drank only to survive, never to kill. Now he was sure that it was Giorgio’s doing.
‘Mr. Gannaris,’ he said, ‘help your friend. We must get to the cave before someone else is attacked.’
The other two hunters picked up their half conscious friend and they all walked on until they reached the cave. When they finally were in the cave they laid him down and let him sleep it off. The man hadn’t recovered from the shock of seeing his friend hanging without flesh. He had passed out again.
‘It’s no use trying to wake him. We’ll be here for a couple of hours. You should take off his wet clothes though and all of you should get rid of them because we will be here a while. I will start a fire. Soon we’ll be warm,’ Gregor said.
He gathered the wood and in no time and the fire started to warm their drenched bodies. Every one of them gathered around the fire.
‘What now?’ said Mr. Gannaris?
‘I think it would be appropriate if we said a word for your lost friend, Mikhail.’ All of them agreed and standing up they looked at each other thinking who would go first.
Secret Of The Crest Page 10
