We walked towards their cube and it was just as empty as ours. No hidden compartments, no hidden switches. Kain had checked it alll but we still looked for a bit, thinking three pairs of eyes might see more than one. Until Kain said: "We can't stay here. These things... They'll come back."
Ty and I both looked up from the wall. I didn't say it out loud but I felt like hiding under a table... Had there been a table, I mean.
We all climbed down the ramp and the light of the yellow sky seemed to have shifted somehow. Dimmed.
"Oh my God", I said. "What are we going to do if it gets dark here?"
The thought of being caught in this place without seeing a thing clogged my throat. I wasn't the only one temporarily muted and numbed by this relevation
Short silence stretched between the three of us.
"...Does anybody happens to own a flashlight?" Kain looked around our little circle. Of course he was the first one to find back his voice. He cleared his broad throat. "A torch?", he offered further. "Wale fat to burn?" Then he sighed and fixed his jacket. I saw that there where three huge white scratches in the black fabric of his right sleeve.
He saw me staring at it. "Yeah they have claws.", he said briefly, like that explained it all.
"Oh my god. Is your arm like... alright?" I shouldn't worry about his limbs - he was cocky enough with all of them on. One or two less might bring the boy his much needed portion of humble. But I couldn't stop staring at these huge, wide claw marks. Just what animal in the world could leave marks like that? Besides, just because he was a jerk it didn't mean I should ignore his woes. He liked to play Superman. I'd realized this much knowing him in my life.
I remembered how he'd joked around on one the picnic tables in the outdoor dining area in front of West Jewel Highs cafeteria and slipped of the table, past his group of laughing friends. He'd twisted his ankle at a really painful looking angle, but the guy had just gotten up and laughed it away like it was all one big joke.
I hadn't meant to watch him then, while I had been over by my art class friend Sabrina Price and shared my veggie sandwiches. It was back in seventh grade. But for some reason, my eyes had caught on to him, across the terrace at that exact moment and I wondered if I, the girl he hated and who hated him, and who sat across the entire length of the concrete patio, really was the only one who saw the way his face twisted and how he kept stealthily rubbing his ankle afterwards.
Later, in the dim hallway after P.E. - which he had attended, just like an idiot, I had passed him by, standing in the middle of the way, just keeping his eyes closed. In pain.
I had said: "Hey, Kain. Maybe take a rest?"
Of course he had cracked some mean joke as he always did and I had stormed off but I did think about it now, wondering if he always overplayed any type of discomfort with more rude behaviour and boasting.
He surely would be the last one to complain, which meant I should keep an eye on him. It wasn't like me to let a dog die just because it liked to bite.
I realized I must have stared at him now because his grin grew two levels more arrogant and mocking. "Which, mine?", he said.
"Just blimey. The scratch never went past my sweater." Kain shook said arm as if to prove his point and waved me off, then walked back into the heath. "So, they disappeared down there" He pointed into the direction behind the cube and Ty and I turned, as if these 'things' could jump out from the boarder to the jungle back there. "But it won't be long until they come back. We'll hear when they do, don't worry... Unless they are really quiet."
"What?", snapped Ty but Kain ignored him like it was an art he had mastered. He probably did.
"We'll have to keep being on the move", he said, over pronouncing each word like he was dealing with absolute idiots, which was probably what he thought was happening here.
He walked further down to the right.
"So that fabric hall of yours", he said. "The river can't be crossed here as well" He pointed to the loud stream. "To few rocks, too slippery. The stream would suck us under and shatter our bones at the gravel ground. There's no way past it over at your opening if I can take your word for it, so what we do is we find a way around it, even if we have to walk ten days and we get into that darn building."
"If it's a trap...", started Ty, stomping behind and huffing out cool air - in this opening it was cooler again. What. In the world.
"If it's a trap we'll know. And at least we tried.", said Kain, rolling his eyes like nobody ever got his point and we were all to slow in the head to handle. Then Ty made it worse.
"Wouldn't it be better to split up?", offered Ty. "Like, somebody checks the building, somebody looks for other...", he stopped when he saw the expression on Kain's face. "No, you're right, that's completely moronic."
"Moronic alright, meathead." Kain turned to me. "You", he said unfriendlyly. I lifted my eyebrows. "You stay with me, no matter what. His brain obviously went into his upper arms." He pointed at Ty, who looked bewildered, but to stupefied to reply - literally - and I met Kain's direct green stare head on. "Why?", I said. "Ty and I get along. He's... strong too."
Behind me, Ty straightened again, bruised ego fixed and the memory of it fleeing like it was never even here. For guys like Ty, any girls word about his self worth would always outweigh the hurtful power of any other boy, even one as tactical and natural in the way he hit sore spots as Kain.
Ty grinned at me and Kain snorted, looking between the both of us.
"Woow", he said, stretching out the word until it was obnoxiously mocking. "Would you look at that!", he exclaimed. "Look who's exchanged mud pies in the short time since we're here." Something deep in his eyes flared. Whatever cat peed in his shoe - this was hardly the time to either rip or braid friendship bracelets.
I smiled. "Oh, while we're on the topic. Can we please move on from kindergarten and get going?"
He glared into my direction (some more) and I shivered and put my arms around my thin white coat. "I really don't want to meet any of those things, who are so nightmarish that even a boy as eloquent and fearless as you fails to dream up the three words to describe what we're dealing with."
Ty snorted, suppressing laughter and Kain just rolled his eyes up to the sky and waved forward - forward, towards the clipped red like of the mountains that rose to the right.
"Alright", he said. "Let's go."
I really ahd to suppress a flat hand to my forehead and an: "Aye-aye, captain."
We passed the first niche between two especially steep rocks and I slid my hand over the dusty surface. I rubbed the reddish sand between my finger tips and it felt like - powder.
Then we were all surrounded by rocks. Steep and lower lying. Harsh lines and rolling gravel. Multiple slim paths led between the figures, that stood like weirdly dried red shards, spread out over a sandy plateau.
Kain naturally assumed the lead and strolled down and then up the path to the very left. He tried to keep to the left and I noticed that it must have something to with the fact that the right paths could easily led us into the direction where the 'things' which he so claimed we had to fear had disappeared.
It wasn't exactly queit, nor was is loud in this strange mountain garden. Somewheres was the screech of a bird, just like you would expect in a Canyon. The river flowed through under the rocks, meaning there was a path over the water. If we just kept going to the left. Drips of water echoed somewhere against stone and our steps and everything that fell or rolled or cracked also threw an echo. Sometimes there was a low rumble somewhere deep in the earth but I tried not to think too much about that as I walked fast to keep up with Kain, always looking back to make sure Ty was still right behind me, smiling at me.
I surely didn't wake up this morning - or yesterday? - on the day of the test to March through some unknown landscape with two jocks and the grim knowledge in the back of my head, that two girls had supposedly died since we all came here.
But there was nothing I could do to wake out of this absolute nightmare.
I sighed heavily and Ty was by my side. "Are you alright?"
I smiled at him and I could feel Kain peeking over his shoulder, back at us with hard eyes.
"I'm fine. Just tired and confused and hungry", I told Ty. "Like all of us."
He smiled back. "Hey", he said in his most reassuring voice. The same voice he probably used a s a Quarterback and football team captain before a game, when he wanted everyone to relax, but walk in focused.
"We'll find a way", he told me. He didn't clarify exactly what way he was talking about but it was enough to somewhat settle the rumble in my stomach that had begun with waking up and the cube and never ceased since.
"I believe you"
In front of us, Kain faked gaging sounds.
I raised my voice. "And I believe Kain over there has something stuck in his throat."
He waved off, grinning back at us humorlessly. "Just two nasty little flies. It's way past spring time. If I wanted to witness mating season I would have brought my TV and Discovery channel.."
"What's your actual problem, Kain?", I inquired. "Apart from being in this messed up place - which we're all stuck in, in case you haven't noticed - why do you always have to be such a jerk?"
Kain didn't respond. His tongue dipped into his left cheek as he turned away and picked up his pace.
"Don't run", I said. "We're all saving energy here."
"That's exactly why we should run", he shot back and walked even faster. I looked back at Ty in exasperation but he just shrugged,and so we all picked up our pace. The new found tempo didn't last long. Because a minute later, we all stopped short.
In front of us, was a steep abyss. The slit gasped open and fell like a twenty story building. Down there was... Nothing to be seen. Just darkness. Left and right were rocks. There was no way over. We had long since crossed the river but there was no way from here.
"Great", Ty groaned. "We just wasted energy."
"Hey, did you protest when I chose the way?" Reacting way too aggressively, stimulated by our current situation, Kain was walking up to Ty, pushing against his chest and Ty threw up his hands. "I didn't say anything, man. Tough luck. Let's turn around."
"Well, we'll have to." Kain rolled his eyes.
"Too late", I said.
The ground was vibrating under our feet. Shaking, pausing, then shaking again. Like something with.... massive steps was walking on the bristly stone. That's when we heard the hoarse roar, accompanied by what sounded a high pitched shriek in the back of it's throat, one that echoed longer than the roar. I'd never heard anything more terrifying in my life. And it was walking right towards us.
•
I didn't waste a second. "Over here!" I stepped closer to the canyon and pointed to the right, where the wall of stones that ran alongside the abyss left a tiny little strip of stone floor to step on. It was crazy. The strip was barely a hand wide. If just a little of the stone broke away or either of us lost balance, there was nowhere to grab on the rough, but relatively even stone wall behind. We'd fall head first into the dark slit below us. But I didn't even for a lash stroke think, that our only other option - running back the way we came and right towards those things Kain had talked about - was something I'd want to try out.
"Are you out of your mind?", asked Kain, his green eyes following to the ledge. He glanced all the way back, to where it led around a portdrusing rock wall. "You don't even know where this ends."
"Those things are big, right?", I shot back. And deadly. As if on cue, every single rock around us vibrated and I saw portions off it rolling off the walls around us and into the abyss.
Kain's eyes wandered down the path we came from. Between two stones, there was the opening that we climbed through but other than that, nothing but rock was to be seen. Yet. "Damn big", he said. "Let me"
He stepped past me and probed the slim strip of floor, thrashing the hard side of his combat boot heel into it with as much force as he could. Nothing, the stone didn't even emit dust.
He groaned. "Okay, let's try it. If we die-"
"We die", I finished for him and he gave me a hectic grin. "That's not a very good attitude. I'll go first."
"No", I said, rushing forward and squeezing myself past him onto the ledge. I instantly swayed forward and pushed my upper body back against the cool rock with as much force as I could. "Whoa" Under me danced the dark. I pressed my eyes close, then took a shaky breath and glanced at Kain's questioning face. "Ladies first right? Besides I'm the lightest. If your guys weight somehow loosens the stone, it'll be better if I'm already past."
"Shouldn't it be the other way around. Like heavy people first to see it's safe?", asked Ty, just when another one of these hair raising, creepy screech-roars appeared.... Closer. Much closer. The Earth was shaking, stones rolling.
"Don't. Make. A sound.", whispered Kain, looking back and walking into the ledge behind me, leaving Ty to be the last one to climb into the small strip.
I couldn't help but break out in panic. "Okay, okay!", I whisper-screamed. "Just follow me."
I walked sideways, pressed as firmly against the wall of rock behind me as I could. The boys followed and what really worried me was Ty. The ledge was slim enough as it was for me, but Tys step and built were huge and it really wouldn't take much for him to bend forward, just a little, or for his massive foot in the slippy boot to slide of and pull him onto the abyss below us.
I moved as quickly as I could, not trying to think about the twenty floors below me. We had made it about to the middle of the ledge, when Ty yeloed. We all turned back and I realized with horror, that a purple-ish, slim tentacle had slide around Ty's left arm, wrapping around the fabric of his dark green football jacket about six to seven times and behind the edge of the stone wall appeared the most horrifying face of anything I'd ever seen. Human like, dark brown, blood shot eyes in a almond shaped face of purple and black chitine. The face had about the size of your regular door. No nose, just two slits and a round mouth with multiple rows of ring shaoed, sharp looking, wry, yellow teeth. The thing had about eight arms and four tentacles to it's side, stood upright like a human and had strong but short, almost T-Rex like legs with rough skin with yellow slits on it. It was grotesquely ugly but most of all, horrifying.
It's snake like, yellow, dropping, slimy tongue shot out and liked around its round mouth, leaving thick layers of saliva all over it's face. The tongue hit the teeth and cut itself of, falling to the dusty stone ground. Immediately, another long tongue regrew in place.
I watched it all hapoen in a half blurry, but at the same time supernaturally clear slow motion. Ty and Kain seemed frozen in place like I was.
"Oh my God", I stated under my breath.
Then Ty started scream uncontrollably. The one tentacle that was wrapped around his arm pulled and he slithered sideways on the ledge, towards the crwature, screaming "No, no, no!"
"Tyler!", I screamed.
"Come on", Kain pushed against me from the left. "He's a goner. Get a move."
"I... what?", I stared at him, trying to comorehend this much cold heartedness and it was in that moment that I understood that I absolutely detested Kain Longfort.
"Let me past you", I hissed, trying to move around him.
His grip was steel on my arm, his breath fanning my face. "What are you doing?", he growled. "Move!"
"No, you move!"
Further at the back Ty had nearly reached the edge of the stone ledge, where the wall was; where the creature was, mouth and rows of teeth gripping. It was letting out a happy hungry growl, which sounded like somebody had torn it's lungs open. It was like a sick whistle.
"Masie, move!", Kain barked at me.
I did something crazy. I rolled myself around Kain, pushing myself of the wall, around his body, and to the other side of him, clinging towards the ledge. "Oh my God", I breathed again.
Kain's hand was on my shoulder, pushing me back up against the wall. "Are you fucking nuts?", he screamed.
I threw him a degrading stare. "You go save your behind.", I said. "I'll go help Ty."
Before he could reply, I rushed sideways, as quickly as the vibrating ledge would allow and when I reached Ty, his hands were almost sliding off the stone wall next to him. His arm looked twisted at an painful angle.
"No!", he was still screaming, kicking, almost sliding off the ledge.
"Ty!", I called. I grabbed for his hand with one free hand and pulled. Impossible. The beast was strong it it was slowly but steadily pulling Ty towards him, now me with him.
"We're going to die!", Ty cried. His face was sweat and tear flooded. "It will eat us. Run, Masie."
"No", I said firmly. But I was staring at the monstrously distorted face behind the wall in horror. Both of our feet slid closer towards the gaping open mouth.
That's when a rather big stone hit the creature. Right in the mouth. It screeched, angered, and more saliva flew around.
"Ew!" Both Ty and I had got bathed in a rain of the stinking, acid stuff. It burned on my skin but not enough to hurt. Another couple of stones hit and when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Kain collecting them from the ledge. There weren't many stones here. This tactic wouldn't work for long.
We'd all checked our pockets and nobody had anything on them, let alone a knife - but that's when I saw it. Next to me, in the wall, a few of the rough patches where almost splintering off. There was especially big slab of stone sperating itself from the bristly rock and I instinctively grabbed it and pulled. It didn't move an inch. "Come on!" I slammed against it with my fist, again and again, until fine cracks lined the dusty wall in front of me. This was dagnerous, I realized. Who knew what this strange rock was made from. I could easily cause a rock avalanche. But I broke the sharp, slim slab of stone of and didn't think twice before reaching over and jamming it into the tentacle around Ty's arm, being careful not to actually stab the arm.
The creature led out blood freezing sounds. It screeched and whistles and the tentacle loosened around Ty's arm but didn't disappear. Huffing and cold sweat running over the back of my neck, I pulled out the stone tjorm out and jammed it into the tentacle once more, this time at a lower place.
Tyler's eyes were pressed shut, his feet struggling for hold on the too slim ledge.
Finally, the creature screeched some more and the tentacle slipped off, as the thing pulled it back. Now it was really angry. The scary human like eyes were wide and flaring, saliva dropping from both nose slits and octopus mouth, as it screeched from the core of it's disgusting body.
I pulled Ty with me, to the right, just when the pulling suddenly got easier: Kain had latched on to my right arm and wa spilling us both along. We made it to the other side of the ledge, tiptoed around the stone wall and jumped into a plateau that lay hidden behind rock walls too high to see past them.
"Do you think it can follow?", I screamed at Kain. "No. They can't really jump or climb or anything. There are other things.... who can. But this one should be trapped on the other side.", Kain said.
"Other things?", I said, disturbed at the idea. "Kain, what in the world was that?"
"I have no fuxking clue", he said, as we ran - or stumbled - over the dusty stone plateau. Ty was holding his arm, face pale and someheat bluish and yellowish, but we had no time to wonder about that.
"Kids, here", said Kain and pointed to a narrow path that led further to the right horizon between two very steep mountains and indicated getting away further from Mr. Toothy. "Are you sure?", I asked, ignoring the fact that he had just called us kids. "What if there are more of these things?"
"We'll have to take that risk", said Kain."You alright, meathead?"
"I think..." Ty's face was really blue now. "I think it twisted my arm."
"Well we can't stop now. Come on, let's move. We'll take a break as soon as we can."
Ty's face twisted some more and I walked closer to him, deciding it would be best to keep an eye on him - not that he fainted while we continued walking or something.
We made our way past the snake shaped paths between the rock - which made me think of snakes. Please do not let here be any snakes, I thought - and after what seemed like two hours we got to the other side of the mountain. The most part of it seemed to rise into the other direction - we just crossed the flatter part at the very brim of it. The rocks cleared and in front of us stretched simple oak Forest.
"What the fuck", said Kain, rightfully - jungle, mountain, oak Forest. All next to each other. I wasn no expert in geography but knew enough to find this highly unusual - and even more so alarming.
"It's not just me", I said. "Right? This landscape is kind of impossible."
"Kind of, yeah", said Kain and overlooked the stretch of small grass hills that lay between us and the forest. "Only misses the plushy rabbits", he concluded and Ty crouched down on the nearest hill slope and held his arm, face pained.
"Oh come on, big boy", said Ty. "That's all it took to take you out? I must say it's disappointing"
Ty didn't even muster up a glare but I sure as a rock did. I was coming closer to the conclusion that Ty was just all muscle, no harm. I"Leave him alone
Maybe we take a break, huh?" sat down next to a groaning Ty and looked up at Kain, squinting against what seemed like brightest sunlight -friendly day. Only that there wasn't one sun in the bleak yellow sky above us. There were two.