Beneath Them

Chapter 1: Dreams

He ran like he never did before. The giant was trailing closely behind Sam. Mike, his little brother was sobbing all over his shoulder. He never felt so heavy to Sam but then again he was running from a terrible death of fire, squishing, being flung, and probable eating. Then Sam saw his house, and a giant ogre was blocking their only chance to get back to their house. Sam stopped and looked back at the giant galloping behind him. Then he ran back towards the giant and through its legs. The giant looked back at the two boys stupidly but did not think to stop charging. It was about to crash into the ogre when it transformed into a strange creature that lashed out and gouged out the giant's eyes, it then slashed at its neck causing a torrent of blood to pour down the chest. The ogre then changed back to its original form. It then approached towards the two boys. Mike got scared and jumped off Sam's shoulder and fell. Sam looked down and tried to pick up Mike, but Mike wouldn't budge. The ogre pulled a twisted looking hammer out of his long cloak and sized up the boys. He was smiling as he imagined their entrails flying about with the bloody pulp encrusting his weapon. The hammer slammed down and hit Sam, and Sam sat upright in his bed. It was just a bad dream, Mike cam in and shoved Sam down. "Sam you screamed again."

"Sorry, but I had another dream. I told you to not pick up that bag. I even wanted to put it back down when I felt something crawl over skin, especially when it started to sting. But No, You wanted to read that stupid book!"

"I'm sorry Sam, I didn't know I ju…"

"I didn't know, I didn't know," Sam was rudely mocking him. "You never know anything you are the most stupid twerp I have ever known!"

"Sam…" Mike's voice was faltering as tears started to well up in his eyes, "I'm sorry that I did that but I just wanted…"

"Just shut up! SHUT UP! You never can do anything right you worthless muck pile!" Mike ran away with tears splashing down his face. Sam fell back asleep.

If you are somewhat confused, well there are two brothers as we have already established. Also, if you're entirely stupid; they hate each other, and Mike started this all. It happened when Mike dragged Sam away from his video games and out to the park. He saw a sack made of old burlap and it had some mud crusted on the bottom of the sack Sam wanted to burn the sack as he was a terrible pyromaniac but Mike wouldn't let him, he looked in the sack and saw a strange book that looked as though it had been thumbed through at least a hundred times. Sam ripped it out of his hands and opened it. It took some strength like it was being held together by invisible hands but when it did, he felt like he found another world where nothing was real or unreal for that matter. But when he finished it, there was a note scrawled on a piece of paper. It read: Beware those who dare open this book; it has not been brought to be by normal people. If you dare read this book, the forces of the world unseen will not take mercy on your pitiful soul. Sam was slightly scared of that one note. He thought nothing would happen that might alter his life. But as though it was meant to happen, Mike was walking along a man-made lake and fell in; but it did look like he was pulled. When Sam tried to go in and pull Mike out, he was pulled in also. Sam tried to swim up to the surface but something was grabbing his leg and pulling him under. Then when his eyes started t sting, he was let up. When he got up, he saw Mike sputtering and coughing on the bank, when he looked back at the lake, he saw a woman in the water. She had fins and a fish-like face; she spoke in a sing-song voice. "You have been warned. May the wrath of the world unseen be released upon you." And with that, she disappeared under the waves. Sam looked at Mike and they both knew what the other was thinking. They were in with no way out.