Missing (On Hold)

Chapter 2

                I ran back to my house to gather some things so I could go find Addeline. I grabbed my twin swords; Justice and Redemption. I looked them both over fondly, finding them looking new and unused. These swords had been passed down to me from generations before me and they had yet to gain a scratch. I sheathed them on my back, grabbed a small dagger to put in my ankle sheath, a couple of throwing daggers to put in my wrist sheaths, and headed out.

The cold night air washed over me. Mrs. Elaine’s house was on the outskirts of town, so I guess I’d start my search there. I was a very good tracker myself but morning wasn’t that far off. So I would need help. I started making my way towards her house and focused, searching the forest for his presence.

There. I whispered into the night air, focusing on him. “Aethelbeorn.” I felt, more than saw the great horse raise his head, seeming to look right at me. He snorted, sending a puff into the cold air. I looked up at the dark forest and saw those evil dark shadows scatter. The darkness seemed to thin out a little and soon Aethelbeorn emerged. I smiled at the huge black stallion. His name meant protector, and he was. He was the protector of many things.

“Hello there handsome. I could use your help if you don’t mind.” He tossed his head around before kneeling down, his head resting on the stone ground. I grasped onto his long wavy mane and hopped on. Aethelbeorn stood up and pranced around eagerly, knowing just what we were going to do.

Hunt.

We walked over to Mrs. Elaine’s house, and Aethelbeorn paused at Addy’s window. He walked close, sniffed it. He jerked his head, ears pinned back. I nodded. He stomped his huge hoof, snorting.

“Find Addy.” I whispered to him. I gripped onto his mane tightly. Before I knew it, we were running. Flying past trees, over logs. It always surprised me how fast he could run, being such a large horse, yet he seemed to eat up miles each stride he took. I looked around, into the surrounding forest, seeing dark shapes moving about, trying to get to us.  I looked to my left and saw, eyes.

I gasped.

They were so close. Peering into my soul. It was flying next to us with wings of shadow. Its mouth was a black hole, its eyes glazed and empty.

It reached out to me.

I stared at its hand in disgust. A chill went up my spine but I knew, going this fast, there was no way I would be able to get one of my weapons without risking falling off.

“Aethelbeorn!” The horse threw back its head, and impossibly, we gained speed. His hoofs beating the ground like a great drum.

Soon the thing was far behind us. I looked on into the darkness, using all of my senses, trying to locate Addeline. We slowed suddenly, Aethelbeorn looking around intently, his ears moving around, looking for a sound.

The horses ears shot forward and I heard it too. A small, hopeless cry.

“Addy.” I breathed into the night. We slowly walked forward, Aethelbeorn now not making a sound as he walked. I reached back and put my hood on, casting my face into shadow. As we got closer I heard another noise. One I really did not want to hear.

Wet noises, and the sickening crunch of bones. Aethelbeorn stopped and I slid to the ground, silently walking towards the noise. I stopped short as I caught site of it.

It was large, cloaked in shadow. There were long black tendrils coming out of its back. They moved around as if they had a mind of their own, touching, searching everything around him.

As I came closer I saw that it was bent over an elk, its hands cupping its blood, bringing it to its face. I saw a long black tongue come out, lapping up the blood.

I felt sick. I looked away, taking a deep breath. I could do this.

I looked back and saw, a couple feet from the creature, Addeline’s body. I smiled, seeing the small rise and fall of her chest. Now where’s her soul. I looked around and found it quickly. The small cage was hung on a branch right above the creature, a small light inside. Addy’s soul.

“Shit.” I muttered. There was no way I was going to be able to get Addy back easily.

Before I could let the fear of what I was about to do get to me, I grabbed a throwing knife, and threw it. It buried itself deep in the creatures back.

It’s head snapped over to face me, I froze.

Its face was the color of death, its eyes black. It barred its teeth at me showing a row of sharp teeth, covered in blood.

I reached back to grab my swords when it screamed.

The scream echoed through the woods, echoed in my head.

My hands flew to cover my ears and I screamed back. It felt like it was ripping apart my brain. I fell to my knees in pain.

I looked up to see it was now running at me, screaming, its black tendrils reaching out towards me. I was horrified. There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t move. I could barely even get a breath in.

A watched in horror as one of its tendril slithered along the ground, coming at me fast.

It wrapped around my arm.

The pain in my head suddenly felt like nothing. My mouth was open to scream, but had no air to scream.

A tear fell down my cheek. The creature loomed over me, black liquid along with the elk blood dripping from its smiling face.

Everything slowed, all sound ceased.  I watched the creatures face, knowing I was about to die, and just hoping it would be over soon. Hoping the unbearable pain would just go away.

An arrow stuck its head, and kept going. I looked at it confused. Its black eyes never left mine, but its evil smile fell. It turned its head in the direction the arrow came, and I could see a hole in the side of its head, black blood oozing from it.

It moved to take a step forward, but another arrow stopped him, shooting another hole clean through to the back of his head this time.

It snarled into the night at whoever shot the arrows, and fell to the ground. The black tendril on my arm slowly receded, and I was suddenly able to suck in air.

A second later, I was screaming bloody murder, writhing on the forest floor in pain. It felt like my arm was on fire, being stuck in ice water, then burning again, over and over. I heard a laughing, and gurgling and managed to look over to the creatures body to see its ugly dead face staring back at me. It was still alive, and it was laughing at me, at the same time choking on its own disgusting blood.

A tendril shot out at me and I screamed again, but it didn’t reach me. Inches from my face, it was severed from the creatures body.

It screamed in anger, for it felt no pain, and then I watched as a sword came down into its spine.

It stopped moving entirely. Its dead eyes staring back at me.