Turned To Stone

Chapter 13 - Evan

'I don't like this place, Connor.'

Connor grunted and looked over at Evan for a moment. "Yeah... something here is off. This place used to be really nice."

The orchard was really pretty, actually. But something was wrong. Evan could feel it.

Whatever was going to happen, because he could feel that something was going to happen, it was going to be very bad.

"W-we should- um- let's leave- leave I d-don't-"

"Yeah, I know." Connor nodded. "Let's get out of here."

They turned around and began to make their way back to the hole in the fence that Tyrius had shown them.

After about ten minutes of walking, Connor narrowed his eyes. "Hold on. We were here before."

"Wh-What?"

Connor pointed. "That's a scrap of your shirt. And there's pebbles there. We were here before."

Evan took a really long deep breath and began to sign again. 'What does that mean?'

"We're going in circles." Connor narrowed his eyes. "But that was the way we came. I don't understand."

Evan's shoulders rattled.

"Easy. Let's try again, maybe we took a wrong turn...."

Evan knew that wasn't true. This was the something wrong. They were going to be stuck in this orchard, walking in circles over and over and never getting anywhere while they tried to figure out what was wrong. He was never going to see his mom again, he was never going to see Zoe again, this was the end-

"I smell you." Connor suddenly shouted. Evan jumped about a mile in the air and looked around wildly.

The gorgon boy was focused on a clump of more closely knit trees. Evan squinted, peering into the gloom.

"Evan, stay back." Connor said quietly.

"Wh-what is it?"

"I don't know. And that's what's worrying me."

Connor's snakes were writhing around on his head, hissing. He seemed to be listening to whatever they were saying, but his eyes never strayed from the clump of bushes.

A dark figure slowly stepped out. Evan took a step back.

He was tall and muscular, and the way he walked suggested that he was something inhuman. At first his facial features were obscured by shadows, but then he moved past a patch of sunlight that was filtering through the trees.

Three eyes, sunken into their sockets, glowed an eerie green.  The... creature grinned at them, flashing strange, half-rotted teeth and a set of wicked fangs.

Its skin was ashen grey, and it had white hair pulled back from its almost skeletal face. Its ears were sharp and nearly reached the top of its head.

"That's impossible. I thought you were all dead."

The creature licked its lips. Its tongue was forked like a snake's.

"What are you doing here? Why did you trap us?"

"Trespassers...."

"We didn't know anyone was here! I swear, I used to come here when I was a kid and I just wanted to see it again!"

"Gorgon boy.... You know the rule of trespass...."

"No. No I don't, because no one does that anymore! No one curses people for showing up on their land-"

"So you do know the rule of trespass...."

"No. No please you can't do this- the world hates me enough already if you do something and it will only make it worse-"

Connor was practically shaking, but Evan couldn't tell if it was fear or anger. He knew he was rattling from fear.

He knew what this creature was. They were said to be extinct, hunted and killed because of their aggressive evils.

But clearly, demon-fae were not completely gone.

The creature raised its arms to the sky, the glow of its eyes dimming and revealing that its sclera, iris, and pupil were all white. It was blind. 

"No- you can't! Please!"

It began to chant in a language that Evan didn't recognize. Connor backed away from it and nearly ran into him. He scrambled backwards as well.

"Y-you can't stop- try to-"

"No." Connor cut him off. He watched the demon-fae with horror in his eyes. "They cast a field of protection before the spell itself. I have no clue what he's doing and I can't stop him...."

The world flashed red as the demon-fae finished its spell. Connor ducked and on instinct, Evan followed suit. Almost immediately after, an explosion rocked the area. The ground shook and dust rose from the ground, swirling around them.

"What- did- you- do?!" Connor screamed, trying to swipe away the clouds rising around them.

"Turned the world upside down.... returned mythology to its original form...."

"No!"

"Gorgon boy.... you should run...."

The ground rumbled again and the demon-fae disappeared.

Connor grabbed Evan's hand and began to drag him back towards the opening in the fence.

"Where- what are we- w-we- where a-are we going?"

"We have to find Zoe!"