(Previous)
Beth
found me some boots.
"You
might as well have them," she said, looking around the cave with an odd
frown. They had lights, which must have
been magical, set in niches all along the walls. The light was greenish and the air felt a
little damp. "We'll have to leave
most everything behind anyway. I have a
jacket that should fit you, too. We've
stored and scavenged for years. I hate
to think it was all for nothing now . . . But at least it gave us something to
do."
I
thought about being trapped here for years.
Not just this cave, but in this strange world. I did my best not to shiver at the
thought. My adventure so far had been
one odd day after another, with hardly any rest. I was simply passing through, not trying to
find a way to survive here. Just rest
for a bit.
She wandered
off. I sat down on a crate and tried on
the new boots. They fit pretty well.
"Hey,
you okay?" Edmond asked.
I
hadn't noticed him enter the area. The
sound of his voice gave me a little start, but I nodded his way. "Tired," I admitted.
"You
have been using a lot of magic lately," he said, jumping up on the crate
beside me. He looked around the area with a quick flick of his ears, as though
he expected some trouble. "I don't think you even realize the magic you
use sometimes. You're not used to it. This will give you a chance to sleep and
rest."
"You
trust them?" I asked softly.
"Yes,"
he said. That took me by surprise. "I could be wrong, you know, but
everything I've seen says they're exactly what they say they are. I wouldn't
leave you here alone otherwise." I
reached over and petted him. I'd never
done that with Edmond. It won a
surprised purr from him and then a little laugh. "Humans are good for some things,"
he said.
"You
be careful out there," I said again.
"We don't know all the dangers, besides what might still be
following us. I don't trust Darman. He's just crazy."
"We'll
just do our best to avoid him," Edmond agreed. He stretched out on the crate. "What are you doing to do when this is
over, Mark?"
"Over? It can't ever be over for me, you know. I can't go back to what I had been."
"Would
you want to?"
"I
miss my family," I admitted.
"I try not to think about it.
I know I did the right thing when I stopped Tommy Creston, and I don't
regret what I did then or anything that's happened since . . . But I am
tired. And lost. And I still have no idea what being a
Sanctioned protector means."
"It
means you take care of those who need help," he said. "And you're doing it fine already."
"I
--"
The
ground rumbled.
"Oh,
no, no, no!" Edmond leapt from the top of the crate and cowered down
beside it. "I knew this was a bad
place! Damned mouse hole for two-legs
--"
I
could hear shouts and in a moment a dozen of our companions came darting down
the hall. Beth came from the opposite direction
and tossed me a jacket. I quickly put it on, watching the way the others come
from. A few more followed, including a
couple humans I hadn't noticed until now.
"Cloudsiders
breaking in," Harvey said. He had a
knife in hand and I thought there might be blood on it already. "They must really want this guy! They're breaking in the door you came
through."
"The
only one they know, then. Grab what you
can! We're going deeper!"
"No,
no, no," Edmond mumbled as I picked him up. He was almost limp in my hands. I hadn't realized he had a fear of this
place. No wonder he'd volunteered to go
out and look for the others.
"This
way, this way," Beth said and caught me by the arm. "We're going to seal off part of the
tunnels."
"But
you have other ways out," I said.
"Yes. Several.
We just need to get enough distance between us and them, and enough
roadblocks that they don't know which way we went." Everything rumbled again and she looked at
the ceiling with a scowl. "Though
at the rate they're going, they'll bring everything down anyway. No, come on.
We've planned for this, you know.
We always expected they would find a way in."
"Coming
after me," I said, holding Edmond closer.
He burrowed into the new jacket.
"Could
be. But they'd been watching for any of
us. This way. Keep low and watch your head."
I
followed, but I was aware that there were sounds behind us that sounded to me
like --
"Damn. They let the biters in," she said,
looking back. "Get moving
everyone! Tunnel Bear Cave."
I
heard some affirmatives from ahead.
Apparently everyone had gotten past us.
I was glad, and hoped they were safe.
I had no idea what we were heading into -- but I hoped this way lead to
an exit soon because the ground shook again and I thought Edmond had the right
idea about hiding.
The
constant click of the little creatures behind us grew louder and closer. I glanced back to see a swarm of grey things,
about the size of his thumb, rushing down the dimly light tunnel. They were gaining fast and at the next curve
I looked back to see they were only a few yards behind and something else was
following.
I
stopped. "Get back!" I yelled
at the things.
They
let out a hiss that sounded like an enraged steam iron.
And
then they came faster.
"Take
him!" I shouted, grabbing Edmond out of my jacket and tossing him to
Beth. I didn't even have time to see if
she caught him before the things were on me, their little teeth biting
everywhere.
To Be Continued. . . .
1000 Words
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