by Sara Clancy
The bottle ran out. They continued walk forward at a slow pace. She limped back. The empty bottle dropped from her hand and bounced across the floor when the back of her legs collided with the arm of the sofa. Her knees buckled and she barely managed to keep upright. Standing with only a few feet between them, the children watched her in silence. Her stomach churned as she met their cold, glassy gaze. Quickly, the yanked the knife from her pocket and brandished it like a sword.
“Why didn’t you let us in?” the boy asked.
Ruby didn’t dare look away from them. The soft hiss of the gas served as her answer. To her right, a slight breeze slipped through the shattered frame of the window. Would it be enough? Her panicked thoughts filled her. The windows are broken. Would the gas be enough? Will anything be enough?
When she couldn't keep her stomach from heaving for a moment longer, Ruby swallowed thickly, tightened her hand on the flashlight, and peeled her fingers from the knife handle. It dropped to the floor, rattling for a moment before it stilled.
The children burst forward like ravenous animals. Ruby held her ground for as long as she dared. Until they reached for her and their fingers raked across her skin. Then she clicked the flashlight on.
The broken bulb sparked as she shoved it into the boy's chest. With a ghastly roar, the tiny flicker claimed the flammable oil and ignited into bright, dancing flames. They lapped over him, spreading by clothes and oil. He released an unholy cry as he tried to distinguish them. Sparks and embers spewed from his hands as he flung them about, catching the traces of alcohol and linseed wherever they landed. The other two leaped for her. Screaming, Ruby kicked the boy into the taller girl as the smaller one fell on top of her and drove her back against the couch.
With two children on fire, it didn’t take long for the raging flames to eat away at the walls. Heat pressed against Ruby as she braced her hand against the small girl’s chest, lodged her foot against the back of the sofa, and flipped them over. They tumbled over the edge of the sofa and dropped onto the floor. Small hands latched onto Ruby’s hair with an unbreakable grip, holding her in place as the fire rushed towards them. Every second pressed against her, coming with the certainty that the next would bring the explosion expected. Clenching her teeth, Ruby hurled herself back. Her hair ripped out from the roots, tearing her scalp apart and freeing blood to pour out over her skin. Ruby didn’t hesitate. The moment she was free, she bolted for the window and tossed herself through the wall of fire, protecting her face as best she could.
She made no attempt to break her landing, or limit the pain and damage she inflicted upon herself. She just wanted out before the fire spread and found the lingering gas. The children tried to follow her, but the fire clinging to them caught the remains of the alcohol by the window. There was a sudden burst as the liquor flashed. The heat scorched her back as she landed hard against the earth. Heaving up, she sprinted out into the snow, fleeing the searing flames as she protected her head. The small explosion she had expected from the gas never came, and when she felt she was a safe distance away, she turned to try and catch sight of them once more. The inferno that met her rattled her to the core. It was still spreading, growing, fueled by furniture and bedding until the flames lapped at the low clouds. The heat did nothing against the shivers that shook her.
Ruby watched the fire consume the building until the sight hurt her eyes. The whole time, she kept the knife tight in her hand and hobbled towards the front of the cabin. She was prepared to stab anything that crawled its way out of the flames, but nothing came. Their screams filled the night sky, echoing off the mountains and clinging to the trees as Ruby went around the building. Her ears rang with the sound, but she didn't dare cover them.
The front door was still open. She could see the shadows shifting around within the inferno. Movement caught her gaze. A broken laugh burst from her throat as she saw the dogs trotting around the edges of the meadow. Just like before, they had come back.
A vicious scream ripped from the building and she turned to see the shadows forming. Caution aside, she rushed forward, intent to slam the door shut and keep them trapped. A sudden burst and the building shattered.
Splinters of wood and glass rained down over her as she was forced off her feet. Ruby didn't look back. She crawled, lunged to her feet, then ran as fast as her body would allow. The dogs cowered at the blast but didn't bolt. It didn't feel real when she had her hands around the handle again. She climbed on, clinging tight, and cracked the reins. The dogs lurched forward. Only when they had entered the ring of trees did she allow herself to look back.
As soon as she saw it again, she kept her eyes from it. The distance between them increased and the blaze grew smaller.
Eventually, it faded away into the night.
Chapter 14
The snow had become steady by the time Ruby was able to knock on the front door of the slender house. Then she knocked again. And again, until her knuckles scraped painfully across the wood. Finally, the light turned on. It streamed through the thin curtains that lined the window and spilled out over Main Street.
“I’m not letting you in,” Esther’s voice called through the wood.
Ruby blinked in surprise.
“It’s Ruby. I work for Aaron and Betsy,” she yelled back.
The curtain fluttered as Esther snuck a peek outside. Ruby couldn’t contemplate what she looked like. Blood caked across her skin, covered in snow and dirt, swaying on her feet as she struggled to stay upright. Despite all that, the door slowly creaked open.
“Ruby?”
“Nugget and Echo are hurt. Can you take care of them?”
Opening the door slightly wider, Esther glanced up and down the street. Eventually, the older woman turned her eyes back onto Ruby and took her in.
“What happened to you?”
Ruby blinked and her mouth opened. But there was too much to explain for any of it to actually pass her lips.
“Ruby, are you alone?”
She nodded. “Mark’s dead.”
“What?”
“No one came to check on us. I put him in the tent.” Pushing down the shock that was threatening to swallow her whole, she turned her head to look at the pups. “They’re really hurt. Can you help them?”
Esther took one tentative step outside.
“You brought them all?”
“Yes.”
“Help me get them inside,” Esther said after a moment of hesitation.
Together, they gathered each of the dogs and brought them into the warm safety of the home. Everything looked surreal. Modern, neat, and covered by the brilliant overhead light. When the pack was inside, and the pups were made as comfortable as possible, Ruby stepped back and let Esther look over the animals.
“They’ll be alright,” Esther said as last. “The vet doesn’t get in until eight in the morning. I’ll call them then.”
“They’re in pain.”
“We’ll make them comfortable.”
Ruby nodded but didn’t say anything else. Time slowed and sped up until a thought came crushing into the forefront of her mind.
“I’m not letting you in,” she mumbled.
“What was that?”
“You said you wouldn’t let me in.”
“Yes. But then I saw the state you were in–”
“Or did you check my eyes?” Ruby cut in.
Esther whipped around to face her. Ruby didn’t bother to try and piece together the movements of her features. Instead, she asked directly.
“Did you know?”
“Know what? Ruby, you’re not making any sense.”
“You haven’t even asked how Mark died,” Ruby shot back. “Doesn’t that generally earn a follow-up question?”
“Look, you’re obviously in shock.”
“Did you know?” Ruby spat out each word, her muscles tensing under her skin.
The long silence that followed gouged out her insides. She could barely keep on her feet for a moment longer
, but she didn’t so much as flinch towards the sofa.
“What do you think I knew?”
“You warned me about the forest. About the people that went missing. Did you know about the black eyed children?”
Esther pulled the neckline of her robe closer before she wrapped her arms around her waist.
“They were just urban legends. Local folklore that people tell tourists over campfires.”
“Those urban legends killed two people. They tried to kill me.”
Esther shook her head. “It’s just a story.”
“Tell me the story.”
It was possible that it was just a trick of her mind, but time seemed to slow as she waited for Esther to response.
“There’s nothing to tell, really. Three children show up at your door in the middle of the night. The way most people tell it, the first encounter is at 3 A.M. They try and trick their way in. By most stories, if they’re denied, they leave.”
“They come back,” Ruby said.
Esther nodded. “Three times.”
“Only three?”
“They seem to like that number,” Esther said. “Three arrive. Three knocks. Three nights.”
Gathering her strength, Ruby asked, her voice crackling, “What are they?”
“Most suppose they are demons.”
Ruby shook her head. “Suppose? Don’t you have anything better than ‘suppose’?”
“You’re the one that’s come face to face with them, not me,” Esther said. “I only have the stories to go by. From what I’ve heard, one of the telltale signs that you are facing a black eyed child is that they never answer a direct question. At least, not anything that might help you learn anything about them.”
Ruby nodded. Then held out her hands to steady herself as she swayed. “That seems true. When does the next train leave town?”
“One comes through town at midnight.”
“When’s that?”
Esther looked at her watch. “Fifteen minutes.”
“East Eagle is the nearest big town, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do me a favor? When the police ask, let them know that I’ll be dropping by the police station in East Eagle. I assume they’ll have a lot of questions for me. I’ll answer whatever they want, but I’m never coming back here.”
With that, she gave Bannock one last hug goodbye. Like the others, he was too exhausted to do more than lift his head halfheartedly. His tail thumped against the floor. The slight gesture made new tears spill from her eyes. Esther inched closer.
“You should stay. You need medical attention.”
“East Eagle is only two days away. I’ll go there. I’m sure the train staff know first aid.”
On sluggish feet, she headed to the door and pulled it open.
“I can’t believe you met them.”
“I think I killed them,” Ruby said numbly as she opened the door. “But if they come looking for me, don’t answer the door.”
***
Keeping to the bright glow of the streetlights, she shuffled down the limited distance to the train station. Every cell ached. Her stomach growled even as it rolled. Her head throbbed. Covered by layers of sweat, blood, and dirt, she had never felt so disgusting as she ambled along. But she was just too exhausted to care. Drained in body and mind, she could barely keep her eyes open as she entered the train station. There was only one person on staff and the employee seemed surprised to have anyone appearing at such an hour.
A song played softly through the overhead speakers. The happy tune sounded familiar, but Ruby couldn’t begin to place it. The worker’s eyes followed her careful as she hobbled through the aisles, snatching up a few bags of chips and a bottle of water. Ruby watched them just as carefully. But her attention was focused solely upon their eyes. She only approached when she was sure that he had patches of white and rings of color.
“Rough night?”
Ruby dumped the items on the table and pulled her wallet out of her pocket.
“Yes. One ticket please.”
The woman’s eyes kept flicking back up to Ruby as she rung up the items and punched a few buttons.
“Where are you headed?”
“East Eagle.”
Ruby presented her debit card and the woman plucked it free from the tattered remains of her gloved fingers.
“Would you like to upgrade to a private sleeper compartment?”
Swaying on her feet, Ruby met the woman’s eyes.
“As long as it has a door.”
* * *
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
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