The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1)

by William Smart

  “I swear Billy Johnson. I know what you are up to. And don't think you fool anyone acting innocent, everybody knows you’re no good, even your Dad says so.”

  "Well, how could I grab you by the booby, when everyone knows, you don't got no boobies!" Billy blurted out before he could catch himself. He cringed fully expecting to have that stick hurled at him. When he realized what he had just said. But then something strange happened.

  Marcy dropped the stick and a look came over her face that scared him more than the stick ever had.

  To his surprise, her whole face kind of crinkled up, and she began to cry like she had been slapped. She let out a long wail that about made his hair stand on end.

  "MOMMmm…! Billy tried to grab my booby!" she shreiked

  He was completely shocked by the outburst.

  "Oh No!" he said, desperately. “I didn’t!” This was not good, not good at all! It would have been better if she had just beaten’ him with that darn stick. He saw the rest of children beginning to follow the howling Marcy as she stumbled up out of the water and headed for the new house being built up past the new barn.

  Everyone was asking what was wrong.

  “I’m sorry…!” he began to yell, then stopped. It was no use.

  He was not unfamiliar, with a good beating. He had been beaten for lying, for swearing, for stealing, for getting into fights, but he had no idea what kind of beating he would get for grabbing a girls… a girls… He couldn’t even bring himself to say it.

  “Oh my God!" he thought. "I grabbed a girl by the ...? No I didn’t.” he said to himself in desperation! They are going to kill me anyway! I gotta hide or run away, no question about that.”

  There was a little ridge running between the barn and the river and for now, he was alone as all the children had followed Marcy. There was no one working outside right now, so he was sure he couldn't be seen and the new farmhouse was invisible from the river.

  He looked around and saw the remains of someone's picnic he snuck over and wrapped the remaining food in the sheet that it was lying on. Then he snuck over to the bush where his clothes were laying and pulled them on over his wet swimming suit.

  He listened carefully, but couldn't hear a sound, other than the breeze and the river. While he was gathering things up, he had time to think and in all, honestly, he was sure he hadn't touched any body part. "I mean, you think you would know if you ever touched a…a…a booby there I said it but I know I sure did not touch any such thing. Cause well, you would just know!" he said to himself, emphatically.

  But it really didn't matter. If Marcy said he did it, they sure wouldn't believe him.

  . "Billy!" a voice sounded from just beyond the river. “Where the hell are you Boy?”

  Billy jumped at the voice. "Darn!" He said. Looking around for a place to hide, he glanced at the waterfall. They were sure to look there, but he did know a place not far...

  “You get down here!” came his father’s voice. “You and I need to have a chat.”

  “Have a chat!? Oh my god! I am going to die!” he muttered as he scrambled over the embankment heading away from the voices.

  Just around a bend in the river and a few yards away from the river bank, there was a big old hollow log lying in the meadow. It was kind of propped up in the air a bit so it just looked like an old stump. He and his friend Scott had found it by accident one day when Scott came for a rare visit. They had once tried to use it for a hiding place, but it was dirty and full of bugs so they abandoned the idea. That had been a couple of years ago, but it still should be there.

  He came to the spot where he thought it was but there was no sign of the log just long grass and trees. Once again, he could hear voices and they were getting closer. Too close.

  “Billy! We need to talk to you! You get back here, right now!”

  That one sounded really close.

  He jumped into the long grass, hoping that would hide him, but to his surprise, almost took his nose off as he slid into the log the grass had been hiding. Wow, that was lucky! He thought as he quickly turned to look out of this hiding place and realized that the grass covered the opening completely. He slid back down and looked around. It was dirty and dark and full of bugs.

  “Perfect!” he thought.

  Now he could hear voices and the tread of feet over the uneven soil around the log. The grass swished back and forth over the opening as if someone was parting it with a stick. There was a moment of silence. Then, quite near the opening.

  "Geez!" that damn kid!" The harsh voice of his father made louder by the hollow log. Sounded like he was right on top of Billy. "He's so damn stupid. He's always pulling some hair-brained stunt and now this!

  Billy!" He yelled.

  "Ah, come on Edward." The more friendly voice of Uncle Dick said: "He's just a kid, and if I hear right, you were quite a handful when you were his age."

  "Little brat is useless. He's just so damn stupid,” dad’s voice said.

  “Geez!” Uncle Dick said. “What if he hears you? Come on man you’ll scare him half to Death,” then after a moment’s thought. "What’ll you do when you find him?

  "Maybe kill him or maybe send the little brat to prison, isn't there a prison for brats out there somewhere?”

  “Prison for kids’ ha-ha? Awe come on!” Dick laughed. “Some of the kids said, he kept saying’ there was something in the water. Maybe he was just scared by a snake or something”

  "Well, he'd better damn well be scared. He’ll get a snake alright if I catch him!” Dad said.

  The voices faded as Dick said. “Man you are so hard on that boy. Brat prison! Ha-ha! I’ve got to remember that one!”

  Billy didn’t hear the rest as he crouched down in the old log.

  He ate some of the food he had taken.

  "Prison? Was that even possible?" He thought. Still, the words rang in his head. He was fully aware he was not his father's favorite, but Prison? He didn't know what he had done to make his father hate him so much. But now he knew he could never go home. Well, that settled it then! He would wait till dark and then make a break for it. He would run away. He was determined he would never ever go to prison or take the beating he was sure to get.

  He wasn't really sure if they put kids in prison, but he knew there were lots of them in foster homes and he was sure his father would take any opportunity to get rid of him. He remembered one time one of the neighbor farmers had come and asked his mom if the boys could come work on his farm. Billy had cried like a baby. Everyone thought he was crying because he was afraid of work. That wasn't the case; he worked hard enough for his father. No his fear was that if his father ever got him off the farm he would never be allowed to return. So where would he be then an orphanage?

  But that was several years ago. Now he was sure at the very least he would get the beating of his life and that was enough reason to want to run anyway. Slowly he peeped out of his hiding-place. He watched for a moment, and then slid back into the small burrow. They were still out there. He lay down for a moment to rest his eyes.

  Billy awoke with a start, sat up, and smashed his head on something hard, and fell back, dazed. Sputtering, he rolled over on his stomach as dirt got in his face and mouth. He tried to spit it out. He lay there a moment, a little panicked and confused, wondering where he was. There was darkness all around. Then it came back to him.

  “Oh, yeah! Marcy!” he said, as a big clump of dirt, rotten wood and bugs landed on his head.

  He sputtered and coughed again as he began to crawl out of the decaying log. He listened as he went. There were no sounds of angry voices, which was a good thing.

  He poked his head out of his hiding hole, for a look around. Darkness. Only the sounds of the night. For a moment he was elated. He had outfoxed them all. But the feeling faded quickly as reality came back to him. He couldn’t go home! He was alone in the dark with an uncertain future.

  The moon's light, cast a spooky glow over the landscape. He sat there for a lo
ng moment, feeling a little confused. Part of him wanted to just run home. Maybe Mom could make it all better. But Dad would kill him for sure. And really Mom would never go against Dad! And to be honest, she could hand out a pretty good slap in the face if she was angry enough.

  And he had no idea what Marcy had said to everyone. In any case, they would be furious; he couldn't go home!

  A small cloud, high in the air, covered the moon and he gasped involuntarily, but it passed after a brief moment. He heard a howl in the distance and he shivered. It was getting cold. He climbed shakily out of his hiding place, pulled a small bundle of food out and ate a now soggy sandwich. He had no idea how long he had been laying in the old log. Several hours, he supposed. The sandwich tasted terrible and he spat most of it out. Then he noticed a big black bug crawling in the food and he tossed it aside.

  “Yuck!” He said. Spitting again, and wiping dirt from his mouth.

  There were some very strange noises in the night. He was beginning to feel lonely and scared now. An involuntary tear ran down his face. Maybe he could go home! After all, it was his word against hers and she was lying! He thought again, but he was just as surely no one would believe him. He had complete faith that dad would beat him to death. Probably before he even managed to get a “But Dad!” out of his mouth.

  He wanted to just run to the nearest house, but that was very far away. Something stopped him from running. There was a strange feeling in the air! Like someone or something was watching him. He knew it was probably just his imagination, but then again this was the countryside, and northern Canada to boot.

  "Lots of bears," he muttered to himself, looking into the darkness. But he knew bears weren't really interested in eating young boys… They usually just knock them down, chewed them up a bit and leave them for dead.” He mused, his imagination working overtime.

  The moon was shining brightly in the clearing where he sat. The tree trunks in the near distance were a ghostly white. He slowly moved away from the hollow log he had been sitting on.

  The feeling of being watched was intensifying, like an evil web surrounding him. He tried to shake that idea off. He was fully aware that the most frightening thing out there was his own imagination, so he was trying to stick to happy thoughts. Then there was a howl in the forest and he jumped. He truly wished he was in his own warm bed and not out on this cold riverbank in the middle of the night.

  “Oh God!” Came out of his mouth involuntarily. “Wolves!” Now he was scared. Heading toward the old bridge, where he and his friends had been playing only a few hours before, he was aware of the light from the new moon flickering. Again, an errant cloud flitted past. The moonlight seemed to be brightest around the old bridge, as it reflected off the black water. All else was pitch blackness except the dim ghostly whiteness of the nearer trees.

  He usually loved trees, but this night the reflection of moonlight, and water gave them an eerie sheen. He shuddered. How could a tree look so evil? He knew what they looked like he had played among them many times. But not tonight! And he realized the light was shrinking.

  He knew deep down, that he should stay in that light. It was just a foolish gut feeling perhaps, but he was sure something was in the darkness waiting.

  Another flicker of darkness made him look up. There were small clouds gathering, and another one fluttered across the moon, causing long shadows. For that brief second, it felt like something reached out from the darkness, trying to touch him. The cloud passed and it was bright again, the feeling withdrew.

  He glanced at the sky again.

  "Oh!" he whispered, as he realized that the moon was encircled by a whirling mass of clouds. Like a storm was brewing. But there wasn't any wind. How was that possible? Soon the moon would be swallowed up if it kept up at this rate.

  “But… but there is no wind!” He whispered, perplexed by this phenomenon.

  It was then that he noticed a strange hissing in the air, like a snake? Or maybe it was whispering. He couldn't tell, but it was the most frightening thing he had ever heard.

  Another howl in the night!

  He had heard wolves howling many times since his family had moved to the farm, but this sounded different somehow. Evil and frightening. He whimpered before he could catch himself and was a little embarrassed for making the noise, but he could feel the fear building in his throat.

  He jumped at a crack of thunder from the gathering clouds, lightning flickered among them. He began to move faster, another crack of lightning and he gave in to the urge to run. He ran toward the bridge with all his might, certain something was behind him now, and he was just as certain that whatever it was, it was going to get him this time. He had no idea what he would do at the bridge, maybe hide in the little cave under the waterfall. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a shadow coming fast. He shouted and sobbed in fear.

  Then he heard someone yelling, and saw there were people with lights, just across the river! They must still be looking for him! He shouted with glee, Oh, thank god!

  “Hey over here!” And he waved his arms, jumping up and down. For a moment he thought he was saved. He shouted and waved his arms again, he glanced behind again, the apparition was gone! He turned back and his heart sank, the people were walking in the wrong direction. He could see them talking and pointing away from him.

  “No!” he shouted, waving his hands jumping up and down. They were gone into the night. “No.” He whispered.

  He stumbled and almost fell, as the darkness caught up with him. There was a flash of movement just behind him as he scrambled over the rocks desperate to get away. The feeling was palpable now. Something was there!

  Then the something slammed into him! He crashed into the dirt tumbling over sticks and rocks. He rolled and jumped to his feet trying to run. He felt a breeze from a tear in the thin summer fabric of his shirt and he almost fell again. He turned and stumbled toward the old bridge. Again, trying to run as light bathed the area once again. It seemed this creature didn't like the light… stay in the light!

  Then he saw it. A strange dim green glow, from the area of the bridge and he could guess what it was. They had been hearing rumors of the odd green lights that had been seen around the Neighborhood. No one knew what they were for sure, but Dad had said they were Will O' The Wisp. An ancient entity that leads children away from their homes, never to be seen again

  Well, it looked like he was heading right for this one, and it seemed to be emanating from behind the waterfall under the old bridge where the little cave should be. And it was getting brighter! The moonlight was almost gone now engulfed in the strange swirling clouds. Whatever was chasing him would soon have him, of that he was certain.

  Then the moon was gone!

  Billy stumbled as something smashed into him again. This time he felt a ripping pain in his side, as talons dug into his young flesh! He tumbled over the rocks and grass, as whatever it was pulled him down into the dirt. He felt the claws digging into his skin. He cried out as a head smashed into him, huge jaws clamped down.

  He felt slimy skin under his fingers, he grabbed the muzzle, trying to pry it loose from his side. He could feel long teeth on his fingers as he struggled. The smell of the hot, putrid breath of this creature almost made him vomit. It smelled like a dead snake he had once had the misfortune of finding. He cried out in pain. He could feel fangs digging into his flesh.

  Suddenly there was a loud snarling growl from somewhere nearby, an impact on the creature attacking him and all of a sudden he was free. He hadn't realized it till now there had been almost no noise in his desperate struggle. The night was silent except for the snarling creatures locked in battle. Then, a strange voice shouted almost in his face.

  “Run Boy!”

  A momentary flash of lightning, he saw Dukes face, almost touching his own.

  "Run!" shouted through yellowed teeth, as another lightning flash revealed the dog in open combat with something that was slithering and rolling around in the water and rocks. The
re was moonlight flickering in and out of the swirling clouds giving the whole scene a strange surreal aspect. An occasional lightning flash made it all more unreal.

  Billy bolted for the little cave behind the falls, terrified! The bright green glow through the falling water guided him on as he stumbled and slipped desperately over the water soaked rocks.

  He had no idea why there was a light. It shouldn’t be there! It was a stone cave after all. Solid rock walls! No electricity, no candles, no crazy green flashlight even, and yet, there it was! Light emanating from it like a beacon. An eerie, weird green beacon that he really didn’t want to go into. But he had no choice! He dove through the falling water climbed the short slippery shelf and tumbled into the cave.

  He could hear the combatants close behind him! He turned and the slithering creature was driving straight at him as he kicked desperately, even as he scrambled away. His foot connected with the nose and the tooth filled jaws almost caught him. Duke furiously jumped on its back and ripped and tore at it. Billy had a shocking realization, something that had been bothering him since this whole thing started. As he slipped and stumbled on the wet rock he saw it again, in the now blinding green glow a little flash of reflected light.

  The dog was fighting the writhing creature, with a knife?! How could that be? He was a dog for god’s sake! But he didn’t have time to think about it, as he stumbled back in the cave the bodies crashed into him. All snarling and cutting and growling and gnashing teeth.

  Even in this desperate moment, he realized that this little cave was only maybe one meter deep. He knew they should have crashed into a solid rock wall by now! As he tumbled into the strange light grabbing for something, the walls were gone, just the blinding green light. He fell down and down he could still hear the battle raging, and then, Darkness.

  3 Things to come

  B

  illy hit the ground with a thud, the wind knocked out of him for a moment. Sunlight was suddenly shining in his eyes and it was very, very hot. He had no idea how he had gotten here, one moment he was in the little cave in the middle of the night next he was in this sweltering heat. He wondered for a moment if maybe he had landed in hell, as his gospel preaching grandfather had said would be his fate. He could hear voices a short way off, but couldn’t make out the words. He was lying on his back looking at what seemed to be some kind of palm trees? That was a shock!