Tommy ran toward the snake, its head hung low, while Eevie dangled precariously from its fangs.
“Eevie!” Tommy yelled, hoping for any sign of life.
The snake lunged at Tommy, and he ducked as he felt a rush of air pass over him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eevie’s eyes flash open.
Eevie twisted, still impaled by the snake’s fangs. Her head lolled forward as a wave of dizziness passed over her.
“Eevie!” screamed Tommy, his face twisted, filled with raw emotion. “Hang on!”
Tommy moved himself into the snake’s strike zone. “Come on!” screamed Tommy. “Come on!”
The snake lashed out, but Tommy was already jumping. He grabbed hold of Eevie and pulled down on her, sending them both crashing to the ground. Tommy clenched his teeth as he flickered back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Another shadow had joined them in the cavern. The ranger was quickly climbing down the ladder.
“Eevie, we’ve gotta run! The ranger’s here.”
Tommy pulled Eevie to her feet with his good arm, just as the ranger’s boots hit the ground. Tommy kicked into a pile of dirt and rock, sending it into the ranger’s face. The ranger screamed, wiping the dirt from his eyes. “It’s going to be a pleasure killing you,” he said, his voice icy and cold.
The snake’s head swung like a broken pendulum, its head crashing into the walls of the cavern. Lanterns fell to the floor, their fiery oil spreading like lava as black clouds of smoke engulfed them.
Eevie and Tommy backed away, coughing and wiping at their eyes. But it was no use; their backs slammed against the wall. They had reached the end of the cave, and there was nothing left to do but fight.
Eevie held her battered forearm across her face trying to keep the smoke from her eyes. Through the flames, she could make out the ranger limping toward them, his mouth upturned in an evil smile—and in his hand, the largest knife she had ever seen.
“You’ll never get away with this!” spat Eevie. “The police will be here any second.”
The snake was so close now that its tongue flickered merely inches from their faces. The ranger stopped beside the giant serpent. “Ahriman,” he whispered, as he stared at Tommy and Eevie, “kill them!”
The snake struck with lightning speed. Tommy tackled Eevie hard to the ground as the snake’s fangs struck the wall. A loud crashing sound reverberated through the cave, as the back wall shattered, crumbling onto them.
Light poured into the cave. Tommy reached out and grabbed Eevie, pulling her through the opening.
“NO!” screamed the ranger.
Pure adrenaline coursed through them. They turned, expecting the ranger to be right behind them, except the wall that had shattered just a moment earlier instantly flew back together into one solid piece. They stared in utter amazement, the shimmering black stone wall had turned into a solid curtain of transparent rock. Eevie and Tommy gasped in horror as the ranger slammed his palms against the wall, which shook under his onslaught. He pressed his face against the wall. As he did so, the human skin melted from his face like wax dripping from a candle, revealing a twisted white face. His black, soulless eyes stared at them, while his black, oily mouth—filled with spike-chiseled teeth—sneered at them.
Tommy and Eevie shivered. At least they were safe for now—or so they thought. The ranger’s fingers ripped through his human facade, boring into the curtain of rock that separated them. Eevie grabbed Tommy by his injured shoulder. He howled in pain, just as three of the ranger’s fingers exploded through the wall.
“Run!” screamed Tommy. “Run!”
In for A Howling Good Time!
Tommy lay hidden in a small clump of trees and rocks, with cold sweat running down his face. He closed his eyes as the pain came in nauseating waves. Eevie took off her backpack. Two jagged holes, as well as two now-empty water bottles where the snake had struck, had saved her life. She crouched beside Tommy, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Tommy’s eyes flicked open. He could see the worry on Eevie’s face.
“You look like you got in a fight with a razor and lost,” said Tommy through clenched teeth.
“Juggling chainsaws is next,” said Eevie, smiling at her friend. “You’re not looking so good yourself. Is...is your shoulder broken?”
“I don’t think so. I think it’s just dislocated.”
“Just?” asked Eevie.
Eevie was about to ask a question when a haunting howl broke through the stillness of the forest, sending a scattering of birds screeching skyward.
Tommy jolted backwards, smacking his already aching head against his stone pillow. Eevie bolted upright, scanning their surroundings.
“Tommy...that sounded like...”
“I know what it sounded like,” said Tommy, wishing he didn’t.
“Tommy, we’ve got to find a safer place. Not to rush you, but...”
Eevie crouched down beside him. “Is there anything I can do to help with your shoulder?”
“No,” he grimaced. “I’m gonna try to fix it myself.”
“Do you know how to do that?”
“Maybe.... OK, not really. I once saw a kayaker put his shoulder back in place after slamming into a rock.”
Ah-ooooooh.... Ah-ooooooh...
“Tommy,” said Eevie panicking. “Not to rush you, but that howl seemed a lot closer.”
Tommy quickly sat up as another wave of nauseating pain punched him dead in the stomach. “OK, Eevie, here goes nothing.”
Sitting, Tommy slowly walked his knees back toward his chest. He raised his hands in front of the shin opposite his dislocated arm, then interlocked his fingers. The pain was so intense that he didn’t think he could go through with it. Tears filled his eyes as he slowly leaned back and pushed forward with his shin. The pain was indescribable, and then...his shoulder popped back into place. His body slumped in relief as he sucked in deep breaths of air.
Eevie put her hand on Tommy’s back. “You did it. You’re officially as tough as a kayaker,” she said, gently teasing. She sat back on her heels and roughed his hair. “I got your back,” she winked kindly. Inside, Tommy had no doubts about that.
Eevie pulled her phone out of her backpack. She had expected it, but she couldn’t stop the feeling of disappointment when she read “No Service” at the top. “I was going to try to geotag our location, but there’s no signal,” she said.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said Tommy, rubbing his throbbing arm. “Who knows where we are…”
He opened his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. Digging deeper, he pulled out a small bottle of ibuprofen. Taking a swig from the bottle, he swallowed two pills, then offered the water to Eevie.
“It’s gonna be dark soon. We should find a safe place to—”
Tommy never finished his sentence. Instead he simply pointed and said, “Wolf...wolf creature!”
The wolf was massive, its luminescent white fur glowing in the darkness. It lowered its head, crouching on its muscular hind legs, growling.
Tommy scrambled to his feet, grabbing a fallen tree branch. Raising it above his head like a club, he rushed toward the wolf, screaming. Unfazed, the wolf snarled and charged. Tommy swung the branch, striking the wolf full force in the face. Crimson-red blood gushed down its snow-white snout.
“Back off, before I really get mad!” demanded Tommy, grabbing his arm. It felt like someone was wailing into his shoulder with a sledgehammer.
The wolf attacked again, leaping at Tommy, its massive jaws open wide, exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth. He kicked out furiously, catching the wolf in its soft underbelly—causing it to howl out in pain.
Tommy slowly backed away from the wolf. In a blur, the wolf charged again. Tommy stepped aside and swung the branch like a baseball bat; however, the wolf was ready this time, catching the weapon in its jaws and crushing it into pieces. Tommy looked down at his hand. All that was left
was a jagged, six-inch piece of branch, which he defiantly threw at the wolf.
Suddenly, the wolf took a step back. It seemed unsure. Tommy risked a backwards glance at Eevie. She furiously stared down the wolf, her hand outstretched, the tip of her wand glowing ominously.
The wolf snarled, confused and agitated. The sight of Eevie’s wand had somehow made him hesitant.
Eevie thrust the wand toward the wolf and shouted, “Oblito Lucis!” The wolf cowered, taking a step back. Nothing happened. “Oblito Lucis!” Eevie cried out again, jabbing her wand at the wolf. Why isn’t it working?
The wolf, sensing it was in no danger, charged. “Lucis Orbem!” screamed Eevie. Her wand vibrated and a ball of white light surrounded the wolf’s face, blinding it momentarily.
Eevie turned toward Tommy, her eyes filled with confusion and fear. “The other spells still aren’t working!” she shouted. “Run!”
The trees whipped past them in a blur of browns and grays. Underbrush and roots tore at their legs and feet as they raced through the forest. Behind them they could hear the wolf closing in.
“Eevie, there’s a clearing ahead. There’s no way we are going to outrun that thing on flat land.”
“That tree,” yelled Eevie, “it’s our only chance.”
Tommy followed Eevie’s eyes. About half a football field away was a tree that in happier times would have been the perfect treehouse tree. It sprouted big, thick branches—lots of them.
They burst from the woods into the open expanse. Eevie felt like she was running in glue; the tree never seemed to get closer. In mid-run Tommy picked up a large, jagged rock—the wolf was now in the open field gaining on them.
Tommy hesitated for just a second. When the wolf was about fifteen feet away, he hurled the rock into its face. He thought he had scored a direct hit, only to see the animal catch the rock midair and crush it in its jaws.
Tommy’s attack had bought Eevie the two seconds she needed to get to safety. Running full tilt, she misjudged her footing, tripping. She slammed into the tree, knocking the wind from her lungs. Her eyes grew wide. The tree was literally on the edge of a cliff, and Tommy was running full speed toward her. If he misjudged a tiny bit...
Regaining her breath, Eevie jumped hard, and grabbed the lowest branch. She ran her feet up the tree and threw a leg over the branch. “Tommy,” she screamed, “it’s a cliff! Tommy!”
She grabbed another branch, pulling herself higher into the tree. She watched in horror as the wolf dove at Tommy’s legs, barely missing. It rolled in a violent ball of legs and fur, and instantly was up running at Tommy again.
“Come on, Tommy, come on!” Eevie pleaded. But she knew there was no way he would make it up the tree before the wolf would reach him. “Tommy,” she screamed again, “it’s a cliff!”
Eevie’s scream caught in her throat as she watched Tommy reach the edge of the cliff and jump—the wolf too went flying through the air. At the last second, Tommy’s hands wrapped around the lowest branch. He pulled and thrusted his hips up, to swing his legs up and over the branch, but the wolf’s jaw clamped down on his belt. As Tommy desperately clung to the branch, the wolf twisted and jerked wildly, trying to pull him out of the tree.
“Eevie, get my knife!” screamed Tommy. “I can’t hang on!”
The weight of the wolf was too much for Tommy; his hands were slipping. Eevie raced down the tree. She had just reached his branch when a loud cracking sound pierced the air. Tommy looked up into Eevie’s eyes. She watched in horror as the limb tore loose from the tree...sending Tommy and the wolf over the cliff.
“Noooo!” screamed Eevie. She raced down to the lowest branch and jumped to the ground. She ran to the edge of the cliff when suddenly, something reached up, and grabbed her by the ankle. She let out a scream as it began pulling her over the edge. “Tommy!” she exclaimed.
Literally, just below the ledge, Tommy hung, suspended by a huge root protruding from the face of the cliff. His injured arm was wrapped around the root, while his feet dangled into space. He pulled and clawed desperately with his other hand.
“Tommy, save your strength! I’ll get you.”
Tommy simply moaned and nodded, trying to conserve every last ounce of energy that he had to keep from falling. Eevie flung her backpack to the ground and grabbed her last coil of rope. Her hands shook violently as she raced to create a slip knot and a lasso. She leaned over the edge of the cliff and lowered it down to Tommy.
“Tommy, I’m gonna lower this lasso over you and use that to pull you up.”
“OK,” said Tommy hoarsely. She lowered the lasso over his head and past his arms, then slowly raised it just under his armpit.
“Tommy, I need to get the lasso completely around you. Can you switch arms?”
Tommy nodded. “I think so.” He pulled up with all of his strength, which wasn’t much, and twisted his torso. His left hand grabbed out into space, missing the root; a surge of panic gripped him. He hung precariously thousands of feet in the air, supported only by an injured arm.
“Come on, Tommy, come on!” screamed Eevie.
Tommy reached out. His fingertips clawed at the root, but his grip was slick with sweat. In his mind, he pictured himself falling over and over. A cold chill misted over him. He knew this attempt would be his last; he simply didn’t have the strength to try again.
Swinging his body to the left, he reached out, the palm of his hand slapping against the root. He curled his fingers around it, pulled upward, and thrust his wrist and then forearm over the root. After one more hard jerk upward, the root scraped his side and locked in under his armpit.
Tommy hung his head, exhausted. Eevie worked the lasso further up his waist and under his armpit. She quickly threw the other end of the rope over the lowest branch of the tree and tied it into place.
“Tommy, I know you’re tired,” said Eevie breathlessly, “but when I say go, I need you to pull with EVERYTHING you got.”
Eevie sat down and braced her feet against a large root. “GO!”
She pulled with all of her might. Leaning backwards with each pull of the rope, inch by inch, the rope slowly moved forward until she could see the top of Tommy’s head.
“Almost there,” grunted Eevie, her eyes filled with pain as the rope mercilessly cut into her hands. Both of Tommy’s forearms were now over the edge. Eevie continued to pull, not wanting to let go of the rope, even for a second. Finally, Tommy’s chest and stomach were on solid ground. Eevie rushed forward and grabbed his arms, Tommy grimaced in pain, as Eevie dragged him to safety.
Exhausted, they lay on the ground, staring at the sky. Eevie examined her friend, whose face and body were covered in cuts and bruises. She looked at her own hands, bloody and torn from the rope.... Had it not been for the backpack, the snake would have killed her. What had they gotten themselves into?
“I’m alive,” whispered Tommy, wiggling his fingers in a celebratory exclamation punctuated by a very wimpy “yay.”
“Yes, you are,” said Eevie, placing her hand on his shoulder. “But, I do have a question for you. What happened to your pants?”
“What?” moaned Tommy as he rolled over. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on his elbows.
“I never knew you were so romantic,” Eevie teased.
“What?” asked Tommy, confused. His eyes followed Eevie’s gesture. His shredded pants clung to the bottom of his feet, and his midsection was adorned with a pair of white boxer shorts with little red hearts.
Tommy lay his head back onto the dirt and stared up into the sky, mourning the loss of his pants and his masculinity.
Eye Spy a Tree!
Nighttime was coming quickly. Eevie and Tommy stared toward the sky, where millions of stars sparkled like gold glitter on black felt. A blue-white crescent moon chased a smaller, whitish-gray full moon, looking like a game of celestial Pac-Man.
Overhead, swarms of bats flew through the sky, screeching, chasing an
invisible prey.
Tommy slowly walked over to the edge of the chasm and peered downward. Miles below, a small river sliced through the rock, a process that had probably taken hundreds of thousands of years.
The moment struck Tommy. The water was persistent. It created its own path, its own future—much like what they were doing: forging forward in a world they knew nothing about.
Tommy jumped at Eevie’s voice. “Still contemplating cliff diving?” asked Eevie, smiling.
“Yes,” Tommy paused. “I think if I jump now, I’ll hit the bottom sometime tomorrow.”
“Better pack a lunch,” said Eevie, straight-faced. “Do you think that wolf survived?” she asked, leaning further over the edge.
“Not a chance, unless he sprouted wings,” Tommy said with certainty. “But...,” he paused, turning and looking across the field behind them, “...if there was one wolf, there has to be more.”
“It’s getting really dark...”
“I packed a tent,” said Tommy, “but I think with those wolves around we would simply be a human candy bar for them.”
Eevie shuddered. “I prefer not to think of myself as food.”
“What about the tree?” asked Tommy. “We’d be up off the ground. I can rest some logs across those huge branches and we can spread the tent out over them.”
Eevie looked at the tree. “How ironic. Last time a tree tried to kill us; this time a tree saves our lives. I am certainly conflicted at the moment as to how I feel about trees.”
Tommy quickly began gathering branches and small logs while Eevie cleared a space beneath the tree, encircling it with rocks. An hour later Tommy and Eevie sat on their makeshift shelter, eating protein bars and warmed by the glow of the fire below.
All the while, they were unaware of the two eyes watching them in the darkness.
******
Eevie sat up abruptly, smacking her forehead on the branch above her head. “Why?!” she asked, annoyed. Tommy rolled over onto his shoulder and yelped in pain.
“Good morning,” said Eevie, digging into her backpack. “Love your hair.”
Quest Chasers: The Screaming Mummy (A Magic Fantasy Adventure Book Series) Page 9
