I kept my bow drawn, with an arrow ready to shoot anything that seemed like a threat to me. I was so afraid and alert that I almost shot a skunk thinking it was something much worse. Glad that I didn't because it would have stunk.
I moved as quickly and silently as I could, knowing I still had plenty of moonlight and darkness to get this task done.
I arrived when the moon was directly over top of me, giving me plenty of light to see where the bush was that I had hidden in twice already. I crawled in, sat down my bow, and looked up through the brush to see the sky. The stars were shining as bright as the moon it seemed, making this seem like the most beautiful night ever.
Too bad this was the last time I could see them.
I sighed and got out of the bush, putting my hands up, and walking into the clearing, to where a few Night Crawlers and my mother were lounging.
"It's her!" one called out. "It's the lost daughter!"
"Quiet Quezlo," Mom said. "Wait, you mean my daughter?"
She looked up at me and got up, practically running to greet me. I thought she would tackle me or punch me or something, so I braced myself, my hands still in the air in surrender. Instead of being killed or injured, I was welcomed with a hug.
"Sam you're just in time." Mom let go and stood a couple feet in front of me, her face looking as if I was the greatest thing in the world. There was not a hint of evil on her face and I almost believed she was good again.
"Um, time for what?"
"The Night Crawlers get to feast on some Villagers. They dance and have a beautiful festival actually," Mom told me happily.
I was disgusted. Nope. I was more than disgusted. There was no good left in her. She was completely evil. She was mental.
"Um...okay," I said slowly.
Mom dragged me along and we sat down on a log which was quite close to the fire pit they had. The fire was burning bright, cascading long shadows of everything onto the ground. There was a long stick draped high above it, with a turning knob on the side. My guess was that their food would be on that stick, roasting.
"But, Mom. Isn't a little early for a feast?"
Mom tilted her head back and cackled. "Oh, Sunshine," she said. As she said it, I cringed. I did not want her calling me Sunshine. "A human takes quite a while to cook on slow roast. You'll see."
I wanted to throw up. I wanted to leave. But I knew I couldn't do either of those things. I had to rescue Dad and the others. And I had to do it myself.
"Mom."
"Yes, honey?" Still didn't like that name but you can't always have it your way.
"I didn't come here to take part in a feast. I came to make a deal, or really a trade."
Mom looked interested in what I had to say, so I continued.
"I-I wanna trade myself for the Villagers and Dad. You can do whatever you want with me. I don't care. Just let the others go."
She sat there, looking like she was thinking hard about my offer. She finally decided to speak. "I'm guessing you have spies in the woods out there don't you. Ready to shoot us if something bad happens to you?"
"No," I said. "I came alone. Completely alone."
She grinned. And it wasn't a nice grin either. It was a very evil grin that reminded me of the Grinch. "Very well. I will accept this offer. But, your father will stay. The others may go, but you two will stay with me. You wanted the whole family together, right? Well, together we are."
I didn't want to accept those terms, but I did. At least the rest of the people would be safe. "Okay. Deal," I said.
"Great. Now take off that bow and quiver. Prisoners can't have weapons," she laughed.
I took them off and threw them on the ground. She asked if I had anymore weapons and I shook my head. Mom suddenly grabbed my forearm, where my knife was, and pulled me to the side, beside the entrance to the volcano. She didn't notice my knife thankfully.
"Sit there. You are going to watch the roast. If I see you even move a finger, you won't have to worry about that finger anymore." She cackled as though that was funny and left me to act like a statue. I could feel tears coming from my eyes, but I didn't dare move my hand to wipe them away.
~~~
The feast was the worst thing I had ever seen. Even though I didn't know the guy, it was still horrible to watch.
He screamed and screamed while some of the Crawlers were rotating him above the fire.
He suddenly stopped crying out and I knew that he was dead. Mom was right: it took a while to cook a human. And it made me sick to have to watch it.
The Night Crawlers rejoiced at the death of this poor man and took him off the pole, tearing him from limb to limb and devouring his carcass like lions would do to a gazelle.
After some time, they were finally finished with their disgusting meal so Mom came over to me.
"So, what's you think? Really cool, huh?"
"Sure, Mom. I guess so," I said.
She smiled and said, "I'm glad you could see it. It's very...educational." She put her hand over the area my knife was and started to pat it, her face I saw was twisted with confusion. She pulled up my sleeve to reveal the small knife, jerking it off my body and holding it in her hand.
"What is this? Why do you have this Sam?"
I decided to play dumb. "It's my hunting knife. I must have forgot to-"
"You didn't forget anything. You purposely hid it, awaiting the perfect time to strike. Well, your plan didn't work very well now did it?" She looked over the knife, examining it very carefully before slashing me across the cheek with it and hitting me in the side of the head with the handle, knocking me unconscious.
~~~
When I came to, I was in the same exact spot I had been in when I was knocked out, but tied up. I could see the sun was rising and I heard swords clashing and arrows flying and lots of battle cries.
When my eyes decided to work perfectly again, I could see a small figure with fiery red hair, flouncing around, shooting Night Crawlers with arrows. Syria. She couldn't have come alone though, right?
I began to look for the others, which wasn't very hard. Joshua was battling a Night Crawler one on one with a sword, and it looked like he was going to win.
Maddison and Lily were taking on lots of Crawlers from behind a tree, throwing knives and nailing them in the chest, killing them instantly.
Aidan and Thomas were also from a distance, but instead of on the ground, they were in the trees, shooting arrows at the cannibals.
I could see everyone but Max. I searched around frantically to find him, but no luck. He must have been captured or possibly killed. My heart began to sink. I will never see him again, I thought.
"Psst." What is that?
"Psst." Where is it coming from?
I turned around very carefully to see Max crouching behind a rock, giving me his goofy smile.
"Max? What are you doing?"
"I'm getting you out, babe," he said with a wink.
"Too soon, Max. Too soon for that," I laughed.
"Never too early for name calling, Boat Girl. You like that one better?"
"Oh shut up and untie me, Island Boy," I said with a wink.
He laughed and came over to me, carefully untying the ropes which held me. I crawled behind the rock where he was just at and sat there, rubbing my wrists. Next thing I know, Max is kissing me and I actually felt happy to be there behind that rock.
"Why'd you do that for?" I giggled.
"What you didn't like it?"
"Of course I liked it. I was just wondering why'd you do it know of all times."
"Oh," he said. "Because maybe that'll be our last kiss. Wanted to make it special. Well, as special as special can be right now. Stay here, Sam. At least one of us should survive this." He winked at me and vanished, into battle.
I peeped over the rock to see him go, already slashing people with his knives, his bow and arrow bouncing up and down on his back as he ran.
I thought he was going to get them all. That was until he came across my
mother.