iCarly: iMeet the Relatives: Chapter 4: Darkness Rising

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I don't own iCarly. But it's a nice dream.

Chapter 4: Darkness Rising

Far, far up in the mountains, in the deep snows, a being known to angels and a few others as Snow Walker made his weary way back to his tribe's system of caverns. He anticipated a good fire and some rest for his weary, sore feet. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

His first hint that all was not well was when the tribal Mother, Home Carer, came out to meet him. Looking behind her, he could see a ragged band of his people, making their way down the mountain. "What is wrong?" he asked, in the tongue of his people.

"There is something in the home caverns. Something horrible, something dangerous. Three of our people went to investigate; none returned. We can sense it, however. It is a moving area of wrongness….you can see it approaching, sense it. It is…evil.

"Already the lower caverns are too dangerous for us. Now the wrongness is moving upward, into the upper caverns. We can do nothing but flee."

"I must see this thing."

"If you get too close, you will see more than you wish. But it will be as you will have it." She pointed upward towards the main cavern entrance. "We last spotted it in the middle third caverns. But where it is now, we do not know. If it is moving at the same speed as before, it may have reached the second level by now."

"Get the others to safety. I will go see this thing." And he trudged upward towards the entrance of the system of caverns that had been the Mountain People's home for so long….

As soon as he entered the cave entrance, he could tell something was wrong. There is a certain feeling that comes over people when things are just not right, when some unnatural is abroad. Snow Walker felt it now….had the wrongness reached this far already?

But no, his every sense told him that was not so, not yet.

Cautiously, his every sense focused on his surroundings, he carefully and slowly moved into the interior of the cavern. Home Carer had said it might have reached the second level by now, so it was with extra trepidation that he picked his way over the slight slope that led down into the lower caverns….

Immediately, he could feel it: something was here. Something…terrible. He could not see it, nor smell it, and his sense of hearing told him nothing, but he knew he was not alone there in the second level caverns. Every hair on his body stuck straight out, making him look bigger and more formidable, even as he knew that would have no effect on this….thing.

Was it intelligent? He couldn't tell. He saw no sign of those of the Mountain People who'd gone to investigate. He didn't doubt but that they were dead. At least, he hoped they were only dead.

Carefully, he backed out. His impression was that the thing, whatever it was, was…waiting for something. Or perhaps simply planning its next move.

Or perhaps digesting a meal it just ate.

Softly, carefully, without so much as disturbing a single pebble, he made his way to the cavern entrance. Against his orders, Home Carer was there, waiting for him. "Why are you here? Who is caring for the tribe?"

"Loves to Cook is my understudy; she can do it quite well. All she has to do is lead the tribe to one of the lower caverns in an adjoining hill, and avoid being seen by the Hairless Ones. Well? Did you see it?"

He sat on the rock by her, passing a hand over his brow. Something told him he'd just had perhaps the narrowest escape of his entire long life. "There was nothing to see. I think it cannot be seen. But it is very, very real."

She put a hand on his arm. Strange; she had not actually touched him for many snows now. "Snow Walker, what will we do? This…this thing has run us out of our original home. We have others to go to, but what if it follows us there? Or others like it come there? What is this thing, anyway, and what can we do about it."

He looked up. The fate of the tribe hinged on the decisions he'd make today. "What will we do? We will find a new home, at least for now. What is this, this thing? I will consult with Sees the Signs, see if he can tell me anything.

"But I do not believe it to be anything of this world. I believe it to be something of the Darkness."

…..

Personal journal: I'm getting moved in. Carly and her crew are a big help, even though I don't really need it. It helps me maintain appearances. I notice Sam giving me some odd looks. Carly probably told her, and she is waiting to get me alone, to demand an explanation.

That's always the way it is. There have been Ages, I understand, when we angels operated openly, and no one was surprised if one should announce oneself. But this is not one of those Ages, and we must operate in secrecy.

Finally, all my belongings are transferred to the small apartment. I've gone to the grocery store and made sure to get some peanut butter for the rats, creamy, as Mooger said. Carly is there when I come back, trying to put the finishing touches upon the place. I really hate to tell her, but it's no trick at all for me to simply rearrange the entire apartment with a thought. She wants to do a good thing.

Never turn down someone doing you a good deed, even if you can do better than they can. After all, they're doing what they're doing because they care. Never, ever turn down a caring act, an act of love. If you do, what do you have left?

I put the groceries away. "Sam's giving me the eye," I tell her. "You told her, right?"

Carly sighs. "Yeah. I don't think she believed me, though. I think she thinks you've somehow brainwashed me or something…"

I pull her into an embrace. "I don't wanna wash your brain. I like it just the way it is: dirty thoughts and all."

Her eyes widen. "Grif-FIN! Can you read my mind?"

I laugh. Her expression is so priceless. "Not the way you think. But, Carly…all humans have 'dirty thoughts.' It keeps the species going. It's nothing to be ashamed of." I pull her in closer. "Frankly, I hope you do have a few dirty thoughts…especially about me. Not for right now, I know. But for the future."

I don't think her face could get any redder. Poor thing; perhaps I went a bit overboard there….then I notice her attention is fixed on something behind me. I turn around, and there's my friend, the head rat, Mooger.

"Hey, you. Angel. Gotta bit of a problem."

"Griffin?" Carly's voice is shaky, and she's gone from red-faced to extremely pale. "I…I think I'm losing my mind."

"What? Why do you say that?"

Her attention is fixed on Mooger. "There's a rat. A real rat. A real, live rat. And, and I can hear it…talking." She puts her hands up to her face, runs her fingers through her hair, distraught.

I pull her in closer still, trying to reassure her. I honestly hadn't foreseen this. "You're not crazy. Carly, this is Mooger. He leads the rats that live here in the apartment. And you can hear and understand him because you're standing so close to me. It's a kind of resonance effect. I can understand him, so, as long as you're within a certain range of me, a certain physical range, you can, too."

She looks up at me. "Rats can talk?"

Mooger looks at the both of us. There's another rat, a smaller rat, hiding in the background. "This your mate? How many pups so far?"

"Ah, no, we're not exactly mates." Not yet, anyway, I think. "And, and no pups so far." Carly's face has gone from a shocked pale back to a lighter shade of red.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"Sounds too complicated. That's the trouble with humans: always overcomplicating simple things. We have a saying: 'why wait to mate? Life is short, so procreate!' Well, anyway. What I wanted to talk to you about." He turns and gestures with his head; the smaller rat comes out of hiding very reluctantly. "Stuffins, here, has something to talk to you about." He turned to the smaller rat. "Go on. Tell the angel what you told me."

"Uh, M-Mr. Angel, sir? Uh, th-there's, there's something in the basement we wish you'd come take a look at."

"What is it?"

"Uh, well, we…we just really wish you'd come take a look at it. Please?"

"Okay." I turn to Carly. "Up for a little expedition into the basement?"

Carly's eyes have a strangely vacant look to them. "Sure," she says. "My boyfriend's an angel, I'm standing here talking to rats, and we're all going to the basement. Happens every day! Wheee!"

I've a strong hunch I'm gonna have to do some damage control before the day is out.

To be continued…