Real
Chapter 3
Ivy continued caning her way over the loose rocks of the stream-bank. The creature noise persisted, never getting closer but instead moving off to her left. They, are, not, real! She tried to tell herself this over and over but to no avail, she was in a near-panicked state. She heard a splash somewhere far behind her. The odd growl issued again, no more than a stone's throw behind her. She left the rocky stream, once on level ground, she began to run.
Yet again, the sound came, chilling her blood and making her run faster. Her cane she held strait out in front of her. The sound came nearer, it was moving swiftly. Another cry arose as well, and this one was no more than fifty feet away. She had forgotten about the one on her left, but it had not forgotten her.
Her foot tangled in a small shrub, jerking her off her feet and sending her flying. She landed face first in the rotting leaves. Her cane lay under her, snapped in two. She began to rise, but then let herself fall again and lay still. The things were still coming, they might think her dead. She doubted this, but it was all she could do.
She heard the leaves rustle slightly, a footfall, it was coming. She tried to make her breaths shallower and less frequent. Another step closer it came. Every memory, every prayer, all of it flooded her mind like a great maelstrom of thought. Then, like a calm breeze, like the eye of a storm, came the thought of Lucius. All they had shared, all they might have shared. It would be so nice, if she could see him again.
Another footfall, it now stood over her.
"Mr. Walker, there is something you should see." He followed the elder out of the meeting house. Into the night air. "We don't know what it is yet, but it was left of the meat offering slab."
"Let us hasten then." Edward said.
"Yes."
"You did not look at it, to see what it was?"
"No, we arrived to see them bring it."
"Them?" Edward asked; he knew all too well what the man spoke of.
"Those-We-do-not-Speak-Of."
Edward looked up ahead. Something did indeed lie on the stone slab ahead of them. It appeared to be a heap of tattered rags; he could not yet make it out, as they were still a ways away. "They brought it earlier this morning." The man continued. "We saw them, it was like a procession. There were five of them…I think it's another warning."
There were now at the stone and he saw what it was. It was one of the suits. But it was not empty. "There is someone in it!" the man said. "We must get him out."
"That will be know use," said Edward, looking closer at the slab.
"What do you mean?"
"The man is dead." The stone was covered in blood. He moved closer. Most of it had dried, but the smaller pools remained moist. There were four holes in the chest, where claws had plunged into him.
Edward looked out into the forest, he saw blood on the leaves, where the body had been dragged. "The man was obviously trespassing in the woods…" he reached out for the mask. His handed hovered over the wolf's head. Did he want to know who it was? They are real; he pulled the mask away from the head. It was Noah.
Edward took a step back, heart reeling, vomit rising in his throat. Noah's face was a nasty thing to behold. His mouth was open wide in final pain; blood had erupted out pouring over half of his face. Eyes were rolled up until the whites were all that showed. "Get someone out here to take Noah to the cemetery. I will tell Mrs. Percy."