Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Nineteen

     "I'm going to ask again, what are you two doing here?" Terra's irritated voice cut through Rhett like a knife and he swallowed nervously as he straightened himself up. "And why is Link in my bush?" She gestured with a finger toward her bush, then looked at Rhett again. "And why were you looking through my window?" The suspicion in her voice was enough to raise alarm in Rhett, but he couldn't pinpoint what the alarm had been for.

     Link pulled himself out of the hedge and spit the greenery out of his mouth, swiping his hands over his tongue multiple times before he stopped. He gaped at Terra all of two seconds before he bolted toward her and scooped her up into his arms. She gave out a cry of alarm and was about to hit him in the back when he dropped her. He took her shakily by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Thank god you're okay, oh thank god... Thank god," Link breathed. He took her hands into his and brought them up to his forehead. "Thank god."

     Terra looked at Rhett with worry. "What's he talking about?" She all but whispered, and Rhett lowered his head.

     "He had a dream that you died, Terra," he said. 

     Terra swallowed, and she pulled her hands away from Link. "No. No! This is silly. I'm not going to die, Link. You guys should just go home." She turned around to walk back into her house when Rhett stopped her.

     "What's with all the blood on your floor?" He couldn't contain his voice from crackling. 

     Terra tilted her head to the side and stepped over toward her window. She looked inside, her face exhibiting no emotion whatsoever. She brought her hands up to the window and placed her palms flat against the glass. Rhett looked at her hands and noticed something red underneath her fingernails. He turned to look at Link with an eyebrow raised, who had apparently noticed the same thing.

     "Terra," Link said, and she didn't look at him. "Do— do you mind if we go inside?" They waited for Terra to answer, but Rhett couldn't wait any longer. The curiosity boiled over and drove him toward the door. He wrenched it open, Link slowly followed behind him. They didn't waste any time and they found the living area. A potent iron smell filled their noses, and the sight of the blood up close caused Link to sway again. He fell right to the floor into the pool of blood and let out a blood curdling scream. 

     Rhett hurriedly scooped Link up off of the floor and they stumbled toward the door. "We're going home right now." They fell into the hall together when something rolled down the stairs and landed at their feet. 

     Link gagged and turned his head in the other direction, and he covered his nose to keep the stench of blood away. "What is that?" 

     It was indecipherable, but Rhett was certain that it had once been a deer. The eyes were nothing but empty sunken in sockets, the flesh of its face completely ripped apart by what was definitely a set of claws. The body of the poor animal wasn't in better condition, its entire torso ripped open. "Rh— Rhett, get me out of here," Link breathed. 

     Rhett grabbed Link by the arm and pulled him out of the house. Terra was nowhere to be found.