Whispers From Below

Chapter 12

I was running in a dense forest, it must have been about midnight. Turning around to get a glance at the beast chasing me. Its massive form snapped trees in half and out of its path, it was just short of the tree tops bursting through their trunks. I was hiccuping out breaths, not being able to catch it. The tree line ended and opened up to a long grassy path that just ended into nothing.

I continued to run forward towards the dead end path that dropped into a void of nothing. The beast now catching up with me had this huge round head with about 20 eyes, its mouth was the entire width of its face. It was covered in these reflective black scales and with different movements in the lighting it would shift colors almost blending in with the background.

A hooded man sat riding on its back, holding something. I got to the edge of the cliff as the beast came to a stop and turned to the side corralling me at the deadend. The man jumped down from the beast. I could barely make out features with his shadows engulfing him.

He held up what was in his hands, Jace's head, he gripped onto Jace's hair. His skin purpled and hair caked and matted in blood to his face. His jaw was slacked open, with arteries and esophagus still brutally hanging down dripping with blood.

"You're next." The man threw Jace's head over the cliff and with no hesitation I jumped. Straight into the darkness below letting out a piercing scream.

~~~

Springing awake, gripping my blankets around me that I was tangled up in and on the cold floor with Binx looking over the beds edge at me.

Ryland did not come up, he normally did but tonight, nothing.

Which was fine. I did want to start healing on my own and not wanting help. Taking a few deep breaths I untangled myself and headed over to the bathroom to splash my face with cold water then went downstairs to make a tea.

Peaking over to Rylands rooms, both his doors were closed. Which did not really mean much, they were always closed.

Binx jumped around the tables and counters as we played with some twine while waiting for the kettle to heat up. I sat up on a clearing on the counter and looked out the window.

The front door opened, my still rushing heart dropped.

Grabbing a dirty knife from the sink I quietly came down off the counter, crouched and crawled to the side of the kitchen opening so I could do a sneak attack if the intruder came in. Holding my breath, listening and focusing on the footsteps that were now coming my way. My heart thundered so hard it made me dizzy.

The tea kettle started screaming, which made me jump and slap my hand over my mouth to muffle any noises I would make.

A figure came into the room, I looked up unable to see him through the darkness. The light turned on and Ryland turned right to me and looked at me with an intrigued face.

"What are you doing up Lily?" He went to the stove, turned it off and started to pour the hot water in a mug for me.

"I just couldn't sleep I guess." He put in a tea bag I had made for late nights like this and he handed the mug to me as I slid up the wall to stand.

"Where were you ?" Speaking shyly and still shaking.

"I was just out with a few buds, I do that from time to time."

Now smelling the hint of ale on him and a slight scent of floral perfume, "what was this nightmare about."

Shaking my head, "nothing. It was nothing, I just couldn't sleep."

Lying through my teeth, I turned around and went back up to bed.

Winter break came in a blink, school was actually fun and having friends made the time move by. Jace still never introduced me to his friends, but I got over it. After a bit of thinking I really did not care much about it.