Chapter 15. Howl of the Morlock
Jones and George packed a revolver and two flash lights for themselves. Weena stood at the doorway with a concerned look in her eyes. George smiled back at her and reassured her that his quest for the pony would be a quick one.
"We should bring Shadow." Jones suggested. "He will be able to smell whatever is dangerous out there before we could. Plus he can actually see."
"I guess that's a good idea." George nodded. "Shadow come here."
The Morlock jumped off the porch railing and approached them submissively. "Yes-sir?"
"We need you to come along and show us where you lost the pony." Jones answered. "It might be a far walk considering we can't bring the vehicle."
Shadow led the two men through the quiet woods. There was no sound of crickets or nocturnal animals like in the two men's time periods. It brought about an eerie feeling of contempt and loneliness to the two men. Only the breeze ruffled the leaves of the flora gently to not have the world so quiet. Shadow snorted long and loud as he felt another presence close by.
"What is it Shadow?" Jones and George turned on their lights and pointed it towards what Shadow was staring at. There was nothing at all what they could see.
"I-can-smell-something." He raised his head up and sniffed loudly. "The-smell-is-fresh-and-alive."
"Other Morlocks?" Jones whispered."
"Can't be. I ran them off from this area." George told him awhile he kept his gun loaded and ready.
Shadow slowly drifted off as his nose locked onto a peculiar scent. It led him to the edge of a gentle stream. Across crouched a glowing-eyed figure that stared back at him. It was another Morlock drinking from the stream. Next to it was another very small one, a baby. It was a mother and child Morlock. Shadow's hair stood on end again as he felt a shiver go down his back. He felt a strong urge to approach the female.
"Where the hell did that damned monster go?" George growled. "We lost him."
The two men clambered through the bed of flowers and soon found the greenish beast.
"There you are Shadow," Jones shook his head in relief. "Just about lost you. Remember our eyes aren't as good as yours."
Jones approached his tamed Morlock and reached out to him to give a quick smack on the top of his head. The Morlock drew back with extremely wary eyes.
"I'm just playing with you Shadow." Jones smiled. Still the Morlock kept a tense body position and slowly showed it's teeth.
"What's wrong with you Shadow don't be so sensitive." George spoke up and brought his light across the Morlock's body. His eyes widened and his legs froze. "Jones please step away from him."
"Why?" Jones glanced back at George.
"Because that's not our Morlock." George whispered in a low voice. Jones felt his heart drop to his stomach and slowly backed away from the wild monster.
George drew his light to the lump lying behind the Morlock and soon found their missing pony. The wild Morlock raised his head and let out a shrieking call.
"Run Jones!" The two men spun around and shot off as quickly as their legs could go. Shadow, who still stood at the stream, heard the sudden shouts and had remembered about his two followers. He darted around and followed after the two men. Suddenly a solid body hit his at full speed. The pursuing Morlock had broadsided full on Shadow's.
"You stupid fool!" Roared the Morlock. "Get out of my way!"
Shadow's breath hitched as he backed up. Never before had he came in such close contact with a free-ranging Morlock. The other Morlock grumbled and turned back to his equine meal to feast. Rarely do Morlocks pursue their prey for long as they were slow.
That night Shikha managed to free Mog from his prison while the men had left to search for the lost pony. They both fled to the forest and back to the hidden caverns of their home. Mog, for once, could sigh a deep breath of relief.
"Shikha? Mog? Where have you been?" Fere found them walking down a narrow corridor. They both looked exhausted. Mog himself showed heavy signs of stress across his creased face.
"The Time Traveler caught us." Mog answered her. The other Morlocks within hearing distance gasped loudly and turned their heads toward the odd couple.
"The Traveler? What ever for?" Fere pulled them aside and sat them down on a comfortable spot.
"He had set a trap in the woods! It caught me by the foot and yanked me into the air. Then something stung me and I fell asleep. I woke up in the clutches of those evil creatures." Mog gave Fere a wild side glance. "They smelled awful and poked me with their fingers. They look so much like Eloi only their hair was dark and their eyes were beady. They kept me in a cage like an Eloi and fed me meat from strange creatures none of us have ever seen before."
Some of the Morlocks had gathered around Mog and his mate to listen to this horror tale. After Mog finished they bombarded him with questions.
"Do their eyes glow like ours?" One blurted out, taping him on the shoulder.
"Are they really smart?"
"Do they eat us Morlocks? Or do they only eat fruits?"
Fere stepped in front of them and waved her hands. "Now, now give them some room to breath."
"Well the Traveler's eyes don't glow like ours. They were dark though unlike Eloi's. He also had an Eloi mate he calls Weena. I don't know her too well but that one Morlock told me they had children." Mog's eyes widened as he remembered Shadow. "Oh yes that Morlock! They raised a Morlock from a baby and he is tame to them. He wears this strange collar around his neck and it speaks their words."
The Morlocks stared at each other and shuddered. Fere leaned forward and patted his back.
"I know who he is," Fown stepped out from behind the pack. "That Traveler you talk of. I was there when he first came to us. When I was younger, before I met Marn. I saw him sneaking about the corners when we brought the Eloi in to satisfy us. He saw the place were we feasted and looked horrified. I was hidden behind the wall when I first glimpsed him. At first I thought it was just an Eloi but the smells were all wrong. He was something else I knew right away."
"He came at my brethren with his bare hands and tried to fight his way back out with the Eloi. He didn't fail the second time. We were all tired from work and only wanted to eat and sleep afterwards. He wanted that Eloi female. He set flame to our machinery and escaped with the other Eloi's out the top. We were caved in, most burned and suffocated. Others desperate enough to run out in daylight were burned and blinded by the sun. I managed to escape with only a few others trailing behind. Mog was one of them. He was just a baby then. Many of our mates, parents, siblings and relatives were slaughtered. We didn't understand why at all. We only know this one is a monster to be feared."
Mog dropped his head and clasped his ears. Not wanting to think of that awful day. Shikha pulled his face to hers and kissed his cheeks. His faithful mate whom none could replace. To him there would be no other like her. He gathered her small figure in his arms and returned his love with a tongue bath. The others drifted back to their work.
"It's great to be back home at last." Mog remade their bed and spread his wide body on top of it. "Thank you for freeing me my love."
"I'm with you till the very end." She rested beside him and rested her head against his arm.
At the Time Traveler's home more chaos ensued. Not only was one of their ponies gone now the captive Morlock was set free as well. Shadow sniffed the interior of the cage and confirmed, bizarrely enough, that it was an Eloi that set him free.
"Why the hell would one of them do that?" George shook his head in disbelief.
"It must have been that strange one that came close to his cage before." Jones scratched his chin and thought for a moment before continuing. "Do you think perhaps the Eloi had connections with this Morlock?"
"What do you mean by that? If you mean a friendly relationship I have doubts. They are their food. Perhaps it was a loyal slave." George suggested.
Shadow sat outside against a tree in deep thought. Something inside him had stirred and burned strongly. In his mind the image of that female played itself over and over. So much had happened over these past few days. His first up close glimpse of his own dark kind and also of a female. For the first time he knew what the yearning for love felt like. He imagined himself chasing after one of the delicate female Morlocks. His body slumped forward as he reared his head back to utter a lowing call. The feeling rose up and down inside him. He stood up and continued his call ever louder. The low howl-like call rose to a high-pitched shriek that only man would imagine to hear in their deepest nightmares.
Neither him or did his family know what this calling was for or about. It was the calling of male-hood, the want to fight for the right of a mate. In a Morlock it was an extreme feeling that no other could override. No more again would his life be normal. His crazy childhood now left behind him.
"The Morlocks have left." One of the older male Eloi informed George. "The one we saw close to us ran away with an Eloi."
"Just as I had thought. Something was fishy about that one Eloi female." Jones punched his fist into his palm and walked away.
"I know the Eloi are-" George stopped mid-sentence. "lacking somewhat but surely instinctively!"
"I do remember she was speaking quite oddly. I noted she was making noises similar to what I've heard Shadow make. I do believe she could speak their language." Jones waved his finger about. " You would think he would instinctively eat her. Perhaps Morlocks and Eloi are capable of having other types of relationships besides just hunter and prey."
Later that night Shadow returned to his own little hut and hogged his entire bed. Again and again he dreamt of that female. There had to be many others. Now the master, George, was wrong. There were Morlock females and babies.
"I want my own family." He grumbled in his sleep. "Somebody to love me back."
The next night Shadow joined in with the family after dinner. He lain across the floor like the family dog with Katie brushing his head. His smell quickly filled the room to everybody's disgust so the windows were opened to let in fresh air. The tame Morlock rolled over on his stomach and begged for a tummy rub. Katie giggled and straddled his stomach and dug her fingers into his side. Shadow rolled back his head and let out silly grunts.
"I cut myself again," One of George's younger boys came into the room holding his hand. "On the paper."
"How many times have I told you to not rub against the edges." George fetched a rag to wash the cut.
It was then the playful Morlock felt his mood warp. He snorted the air with great eagerness and whined loudly. His hair bristled and his eyes rolled back to reveal the whites. Katie stared at him awkwardly and tilted herself backwards.
"Are you okay Shadow? You are acting sort of funny." Katie felt a prickling beneath her skin. Right now she felt a sudden stab of fear in her breast.
Shadow rolled over on top of her and held her down. He sneezed violently as he tried to control this strange instinct. His albino eyes flashed their bright redness and his fangs lengthened as his lips lifted. Again and again he tried to shake it off. Katie felt his deadening weight increase.
Jones at first though this was just a playful rumble till he saw that familiar bug-eyed stare that only a vicious predator would have. He got up and placed his boot firmly against Shadow's butt and kicked him off. This was enough to snap him out of his lust and he scrambled off to the dark corner. He felt very stupid for his actions and flattened himself completely against the ground and reached out to Katie.
"What was wrong with him? I think he hurt something." Katie cooed.
"Stay away from him for now." Jones grabbed her sleeve and pulled her back onto the couch. "He's not right in the head."
"I'm-sorry. Please-don't-say-mean-things!" Shadow cried out in lowing grunts. The scent of the blood was now fading and so were the strange feelings.
"He's fine now Jones." She pulled away from him and reached out to Shadow. He scooted closer and hugged the bottom of her shirt into his face. He apologized in puppy-like whimpers.
"I want to sleep over with Shadow tonight. We planned to play some games and tell some stories! Can I?" Katie smiled and rubbed his head.
"I don't think that is such a good idea Katie. Plus I doubt your father will approve." Jones shook his head firmly.
"You guys will never trust him just because of what he is. Such a blind shame." She frowned and made a motion to walk out the door. Shadow still had himself planted firmly into the corner.
"Maybe-I-sleep-over? I-promise-to-be-good!" He snuffled and shook his arms wildly.
"Yeah that's a good idea! We can sit here on the floor and play!" Katie giggled in agreement.