Hadagery

  Chapter 6: Path to Nowhere.

  Steady phantasmal breaths mysteriously persisted to whistle throughout the caverns. Hadge lay on a bed of vines listening to the creepy sounds, each draft waywardly performing over a calliope of windpipes. He was tensely magnetized to these unknown sounds, whatever it may be, alive or otherwise. The vantage point from where he slept next to the waterfall, he could see everything. He could see the flow of the waterfall gently sway amid each surrendering breath, giving away an eerily concealed breach in the cave wall, hidden behind the waterfall.

  He stared for sometime at the hole behind the waterfall, bleakly musing over that damnable book, which he had no way of reading, and hopelessly no prospects of reading in the future. All he had was this shadowy world around him, and it was falling apart a piece at a time. He realized he couldn’t just sit here and do nothing, and pray the world would resolve its issues, which would be counterproductive; he had to do something, and do it now.

  Hadge felt a spark of life, no longer immersed in pity, and his first act in living was to find out what was behind that waterfall. He waded through the crystal clear water, to the hole in question. Then climbed into that proverbial rabbit hole, and into the crack behind the waterfall.

  He stepped through the veil of water droplets, head first, into the unknown, having no idea what lain in wait of his arrival. At fist sight, it was a much larger cave, stretching further than the eye could see in the dark. The cave was an ominous dark complex of witch’s fingers and columns, which gravely stretched up from the floor to the ceiling.

  Hadge desperately tried to locate the floor on the other side, discovering only air All at once his hands slipped from the supporting hole, and he fell head first through the opening. Groggily he rubbed his forehead, groaning, “Ooooo….mmmyyy…” Then angrily berated his idiocy, “What a grubb.” Unquestionably glad the fall was only about five feet from the opening, or he might not be alive to tell about it. He was sitting discomposed atop a naturally occurring rock formation, as it gently descended like an awkward flight stairs. Hadge could see no sense in whining over the mishap, since it wasn’t his first accident, and certainly not the last.

  Then he perilously arose upon the slick surface of the awkward stairs, no worse for wear. Completely drenched from the waterfall, and embarked upon the downward journey of the rounded steps. This was the top of the world; so to speak, you could see the entire cove. The walls were all carved in dentritic patterns, with the ceilings silvery crowns bursting amid a force of thin hollow mineral tubes, which constantly expelled obedient tears. Each clear straw tube deliberately distributing a drop at a time, as if it were an inharmonious choir singing every note out of tune. Fleetingly he realized that the breathing sounds had subsided, they had gotten misplaced along the way. He doubtfully reasoned, “Did I even hear them at all?”

  Hadges thoughts disquietly returned to the book, as he pulled the backpack into sight, and couldn’t help but to wonder, “What am I going to do now?” He aimlessly found a large rock in the shape of an open fist, settling his back against the groove of its thumb, and slide down its side. His body stopped once he reached the floor, as he sat arbitrarily next to this strange rock, with the object of his distress peeking from the edge of his backpack.

  He bitterly mumbled to the book, as if he thought it was listening, “I should put you back where I found you.” An otherworldly female voice responded, “Never give up.” Then another voice joined, “There’s always a way.” He uneasily twisted upright, this way and that way, trying to discern the source of the sound, and was convinced it to be Ruby or one of the other fairies. He demanded to know, “Who’s there?” He skirted the rock structure, still demanding the perpetrator, “Who’s there?” At that moment his hand oddly fell into the palm of the fist, where the indent of a book used to lay. Hadge inspected the indentation closer, and it was unquestionably the same size as the book in his backpack. He was certain this had to be where the book came from, hearing the foreign sound of his own voice ask, “What is going on here?” Insured that he was alone, and he started to think, “I’m going crazy.”

  All at once he felt a tiny pat on his shoulder, and he almost jumped out of his skin. Ruby had cuddled into his exposed fur, she soothingly asked, “What’s wrong?” He irritably yanked the book from his backpack, responding none too lightly, “This book can end the darkness, but there’s no way to read it!” Ruby hovered over the book, as if in serious thought, “Hmmmm.” She seemed to have the answer; “There’s a village over the Mountain. An Elder lives there.” This information had perked his interest, “An Elder?” Hadge hopefully urged. “Yes.” Ruby acknowledged, landing wistfully on his nose. “Then that’s where I’m going.” He declared, confident the spooky voice was right, “There’s always a way.”

  Then an unforeseen setback instantly came to mind, the spiders on Mount Ennead. The mountain tunnel is full of them, in fact they are everywhere on the mountain, and could make the trip impenetrable, perhaps deadly.

  Hadge strained his eyes to look at the fairy upon his nose, her vague image hard to see, as he resolutely inquired, “Is there another way to get to the other side of the Mountain?” Ruby flippantly flew upwards, giving him little notice, and said, “Follow.” He shoved the book back into his backpack, and did as he was told, trailing the tiny creature through the sand covered labyrinth. They weaved back and forth through the rock formations, many looking so much alike, and he started to fear they might be lost, until she informed him otherwise, “Almost there.”

  Suddenly the cave opened up into a cathedral styled space, as the gleam from the vaulted crystalline ceiling could be seen practically forever. Everywhere along this space majestic columns were perfectly placed, fading off into the distant darkness. The ocean was somewhere beyond the darkness, as wave after wave methodically crashed ashore, driving saltwater and silt into the cave.

  Hadge spotted military supplies throughout this area, as Novena backpacks aimlessly floated about, some had spilled its contents. Even still large machinery set solid in place, and rusted over time. He had to wonder, “What were they doing down here?” He certainly had no idea, as the mystery grew much more mysterious, seeing holes riddled everywhere in the walls, some hidden by the increasing overgrowth of vines. He found his mind drifting to another lifetime, “Old Lady Egdah said she heard strange noises from her well.” And all of this explained what she’d been hearing.

  Ruby flittered towards a wall amassed in woodbine vines, saying, “Here.” His first thought was, “Finally.” Then he absorbed how odd it was that the vines grew so thickly in this small area, as he moved to take a closer look. Unaccountable moans seeped eerily through the wall of vines, rather like the zombies from the sewers, as he was taken aback for just a second. It was a fact that monsters were everywhere on Elysium, and not surprising that something was living down here. Bleakly danger was never really far away. Hadge balked the matter, “What is that…”

  Unexpectedly the vines began to untwine. End after end unraveled, as the gap in the creeping plant widened, until it at last exposed an adjoining dark cavern.

  Hadge adjusted his eyesight to this shocking new space that seemed to sharply drop at the boundary of the wall. It plunged deep into a much larger cavity bottled with a third of murky water, which concealed the true depth of the cavern.

  Hadge moved his foot closer to the edge noticing that a catwalk at one time had been secured to the wall he was now standing, but it had long since fallen, leaving behind only a few rusted bolts and dangling cables.

  Oddly he didn’t have a good feeling about this place, watching as the ocean water still dribbled over the edge of the wall, and all sound seemed to amplify. Hadges principal complaint was the offal stench, a familiar overpowering smell that seemed to burn your sinus cavities.

  Quickly he learned the reason why, thousands of barrels of Novena military toxic waste. Some were stacked; others floating on their side, and still there were those that
released its noxious liquid into the cavern. He remembered the foul waste from the huge metal contraption atop Ennead Mountain, inquisitive to know, “What could the Military have wanted with all this stuff?” Nevertheless the ultimate question had to be, “Where did it come from?”

  All at once the water rippled below, something huge had stirred just under the surface.

  Hadge instantly gasped, searching the length of the murky water, asking, “What was that?” Ruby who was now sitting on a woodbine leaf just shrugged her shoulders in reaction. She was no help at all. Several barrels were floating in the general spot the ripple had occurred, and he merely concluded a barrel had broken free, and untimely popped to the surface.

  The menacing barrels were not far from an old metal walkway, which traversed from one side of the cave to the other. The rickety looking walkway suspended only inches above the water, with sections missing here and there. It appeared to be the only secure path across the horrifying cavern.

  Ruby pointed out an exit on the opposed side of the cavern, “That will take you to the other side of the mountain.” She uneasily tweeted, “Through the Novena military base.” Hadge moved even closer to the edge to look, stating, “It’s a long walk to the other side.”

  Suddenly ravenous moans incited from somewhere within the overlooking cavern. It was the same moans he’d been hearing since he arrived in these caves. A multitude of moans, all of which came from a thick netting of vines that languished next to the ceiling. As that netting of vines was no more than a few feet from the top of his head.

  At once emaciated fingers and arms crept through any gap in the net they could find, in hopes of making him into a meal. Hadge stumbled backwards, shouting, “What the…!” He was frighteningly aware of tangled bodies in the net, zombies to be exact, as his emotions wavered somewhere between terror and rage. Ruby giggled, informing him, “Your safe.” He was still prickling over the incident, yelling, “What is wrong with you fairies?” His brain had to question, “How safe is safe?”

  Hadge stared at the rotted monsters, all frantically wanting a piece of him; unsure safe would be a word he would use. Oddly the vines didn’t seem to grow very far within this cave, he mulled over the reason why, at last inquiring, “Why do the vines only grow so far out?” Ruby somberly replied, “The stuff in the barrels make the vines sick and die.” He was positive that the toxins were enough to make anyone sick and die.

  Suddenly something very huge splashed in the water, a barrel, maybe two, as Hadge fretfully asked, “What was that?” Ruby whispered in his ear, “The scyphus.” He confusedly raised a brow, pressing, “The what?” She repeated, “The scyphus.” And went on to explain, “They were trapped here from the ocean. No one knows what they really look like.” He was rather at a loss, “Why?” She laughed, “Because.” She pointed out, “They are invisible.” Hadge shook his head finding the mention of invisible hard to wrap his head around, asking, “Then how do you know they are real?” But his mind quarreled, “O great...A monster that wants to kill me…but I can’t see it.” Growling just below his breath, “My life just gets better and better…”

  Then something frigid touched his leg, as he instinctively kicked at the culprit, and unwittingly blamed the undead. His head rotated from the zombies to his leg, realizing they weren’t even close enough to reach him, but nor had he seen the object in question.

  Abruptly something splashed in the water below, one of the invisible monster he would bet, as a scary notion turned over in his head, “Maybe those things can climb up here.” Uneasily he glanced around, feeling a shiver curdle up his spine. The more he considered the situation, the more he had an odd feeling the splash coincided with the touch somehow. He peered down into the murky water, not sure what he would see, or if he would see anything at all, but he was interested to know what he was getting himself into.

  A burst of noise thundered in his ear, straining his eardrum from the intensity, as someone yelled straight in his ear, “What are you doing!” Hadge instantly was thrown off balance, teetering on the edge of falling, as he squealed in the process, “Ahhhhh!” He could blatantly see Uwee standing there with a smirk on his face, as pure anger literally wanted to ring the idiot’s neck. The only thing that kept him from falling was a vine that broke loose from the zombie netting, pushing him to safety before it returned to its rightful place. Although not before one of the zombies had slipped through the temporary gap, and fallen into the murky waters below.

  A feeding frenzy quickly began, and the zombie vanished from sight. The waters still rippled everywhere from the invisible creatures, somewhat similar to ice cubes in a glass. Then one of the creatures eerily became noticeable, as the contents of its stomach marked its location, laden with pieces of decayed flesh.

  Hadge furiously turned on Uwee, shoving him to the ground, yelling, “What the hell do you think you were doing?” While his mind couldn’t stop cringing at the thought of being eaten alive, and how close he came to that painful demise. “I’m sorry.” Uwee earnestly cried, “I didn’t mean it.” Hadge spat, “Just stay away from me!” Uwee submissively held up his hands, “Ok. Ok.” Then the grubb walked slowly back to the waterfall, and spent from sight. Ruby anxiously asked, “Are you alright?” His answer was dryly curt, “Fine.” Leaving him in the tenor of his thoughts, trying to calm down.

  Hadge edgily revisited the scene of the crime, observing the inoculate creatures below. The nucleus of the creatures now darkened, by the zombie fare. This debacle in fact gave him a superbly wicked idea, as his eyes moved to the zombies, “I can feed all the scyphus.” Then unconsciously murmured his thoughts aloud, “ Yea, yea. Then they could be seen.” But his plan was not without risk, a risk he was willing to take. He petitioned Ruby, “If I can get across.” He inquired, “Can you show me the way?” She sat on his nose affirming, “Yes.” and merrily declared, “I’ve been there many times.” He nodded looking quite serious; hoping seeing his enemy would be enough.

  Uwee’s annoying voice abruptly chimed in, “I want to go too.” Hadge narrowed his eyes, flatly countering “No. It will be faster and easier if I go alone.” Uwee responded, “I can help.” Hadge snapped, “No.” Uwee now begged, “Really I can, Please Hadge.” An infuriated breath escaped Hadges lips, as he grudgingly retorted, “I guess. Just shut your mouth.” Hadge stopped for a second, listening to the songs of the fairies, which assured him the others would be safe.

  Hadges unwavering glare turned to the zombies, commanding, “Release the zombies now!” Then prepared for the ensuing encounter, as he pulled the book out of his backpack, firmly gripping it in his hands.

  The undead hit the water hard, moaning even louder now, as they drifted uncontrollably. Not long after the scyphus surfaced, and the feeding frenzy began. All they could do now is wait. Hadge directed Uwee, “Follow close behind and watch for any dark spots in the water.” Uwee inquired, “What’s in there?” Hadge simply said, “Scyphus.” Then reiterated what he’d just said, “Follow close behind and watch for any dark spots in the water.”

  Then the murky waters started to calm, and the once invisible scyphus now appeared as dark spots, pinpointing their location with no trouble. Hadge motioned to the others, softly summoning, “Come.” Each climbed down the vine onto the metal walkway, as it eerily creaked under Hadges weight, straining heavily under Uwee’s additional weight. They carefully watched for the marked beasts, treading bit-by-bit across, certain the shrill of the walkway would alert the monsters.

  A third of the way through Hadge whispered, “Keep quiet…” Something splashed nearby, followed by a wake in the water. The wake circled beneath the metal walkway, as if the scyphus wasn’t sure they were there or not. Uwee panicked, shouting, “There!”

  It all happened in the blink of an eye, the monster rose up out of the water, like a clear giant distorted piece of gelatinous goo, thrashing its tentacles in every direction. Ruby yelling as loud as she could, “Scyphus!” Uwee screamed louder than
ten girls at once, alerting every scyphus alive. A tentacle knocked them down, dragging them several painful feet over the grid of the walkway, as the sting of the suckers hooked deep into their legs. Hadge at once struck the monster with the book; its dieing screeches swiftly alarmed the others, as it slowly sank to a watery grave. Soon the others that were circling started to cannibalize its remains. Hadge jumped to his feet, screaming, “Run!!!”

  The walkway violently groaned beneath them, threatening to fall any second. Ruby kept shrieking, “Hurry! Hurry!” Everywhere the waters erratically exploded around them, the giant monsters mistaking each other as the prey, swiping invisible feelers this way and that way. Hadge continued to swing the mysterious book, clearing a path along the way, as they scrambled over the fallen bodies. While still more scyphus dragged away the dead, fighting noisily amongst themselves, and they no longer seemed to follow the sounds of the walkway.

  Hadge and the others finally reached the opposite side. They yielded amid a mingle of barrels and twisted metal, which was the only method of escape. Uwee scurried precariously up the obstruction, saying, “We have to climb!” Hadge wasn’t too fond of the idea, because the waste appeared to seep from the barrels, and no telling what kinds of ailments it would breed. Ruby prodded the back of his head, “Climb!”

  Suddenly Uwee released the emergency ladder, sending barrels and other debris to the walkway, as Hadge dove to just barely escape. Hadge nervously looked around him, picking up a vial of the waste, wondering, “What were the military doing with this stuff?” Ruby shouted his name, “Hadge!” Then he realized the scyphus were following the sound of the debris, as he leapt for the ladder, and ascended out of the scyphus’ watery den.

  The creatures gathered in the waters below, attacking each other, as they splashed and screeched ear-splitting screams. Uwee helped Hadge to the ledge above, sighing in relief, saying, “I didn’t think we would make it.”

  Ruby apprehensively flittered around them both, glancing towards the shady entrance to the Novena military base, saying, “Come on...lets get up.” Hadge noticed her weird behavior, asking, “What’s wrong?” She was insistent, “We need to keep moving.” Uwee sneered at her, and said, “Pushy little thing, isn’t she?”

  They followed her about thirty feet through the cave entrance, hiking along the rocky terrain, as an odd substance stuck to the bottom of their feet. Hadge desperately wanted to know, “What is it Ruby?” The answer became abundantly clear, as numerous screeches echoed from ahead of them; something was festering in the dark. Hadge was left to wonder, “What the hell is going on?”

  The screeches grew relentlessly louder, sounding like hundreds all at once. Ruby’s teeny tiny voice anxiously screaming, “Scyphus!” Her tiny body instantly pushing on Hadges immoveable forehead, shrieking, “Go back!” She breathlessly shrieked again, “Go Back!” Hadge frantically demanded, “What are those things?” They promptly turned back, which was their only option, running back the way they came. Ruby’s reply was none too favorable, “The scyphys’ offspring…” Uwee started to howl, exactly the sentiments of them all, “We’re gonna die!”

  Suddenly something invisibly cold and slimy latched onto Hadges leg, just like the moment on the ledge, and instantly he knew the creatures could climb. The offspring bit hard into his flesh, a near debilitating sting. Hadge feverishly yelled, “Why yoooo!” Then he beat the invisible monster with the book, as the creature fell aside dieing. In death the offspring turned a smoky gray, having the appearance of a jellyfish, using tentacles as arms and legs.

  Uwee shrieked his name, hobbling at his side, “Hadge!” A scyphus was clinging to the grubb’s leg. Hadge quickly struck the creature with the book, realizing the book was strangely bleeding from several wounds gouged in its binding, so he wiped the slippery mess off with his hand. Then another creature proceeded to attack them, as he reached out to grab it with his bloodied hand, and it curiously fell over dead. Henceforth he just knew the blood is what was killing all those monsters, but strangely it didn’t seem to affect him.

  All of the sudden the sounds of the offspring grew tenfold, the odds in the deadly creatures favor. Abruptly they ended up back where they started, atop the ledge of the water filled room, standing between the scyphus and their offspring. Uwee screeching, “What are we going to do now?” Hadge hastily overturned a barrel of waste close to the exit, watching the footprints in the yellowish green fluid, at first just a few, until there were too many to count. Ruby screaming, “Jump!” Hadge eyed a cable suspended from the ceiling, and an idea tantalized his mind, with nary a chance to test his perilous theory.

  He tucked the book beneath his shirt and pants, ordering Uwee, “Hang on to my back, no matter what happens.” Uwee consented, and securely latched onto his friend’s backside. Hadge leapt for a catwalk wire, which dangled several feet from the ledge. The wire was barbed and frayed from whatever chaos that had brought the catwalk down. Hadge could feel each strand like a briar, unbearably eating away at his palms, sliding precariously downward. Uwee shouted, “We’re falling!” Hadge ignored him, trying to get a better grip on the cable, twisting arms and legs securely around the wire. Ruby nervously darted around them, yelling, “Hadge your book!” In fact he did feel the book shift beneath his clothes, and swiftly seized it in his free hand.

  They watched from several feet away, as the prints of hundreds of offspring continued to file through the entrance, all leaping over the edge. A last ditch effort to snag the dangling prey. Eerily the sounds of each splash echoed in the chamber, drawing the full-grown scyphus to the noise. Shortly it was an all out war waging in the murky waters below, and the screeches were unbearable.

  Suddenly Hadge realized the prints had stopped, and the individual splashes had ceased, sure that most of the creatures were now in the water. Uwee asked, “What are we going to do?” Hadge indecisively responded, “I’m not sure.” His first thought was to jump back to the ledge, but knew the offspring could climb, and they would just follow. He had to ensure their safety, as he felt the weight of the book in his hand, and the moisture of blood in his palm.

  Ruby cried, “Hadge you’re bleeding.” His attention drawn to the blood, saying, “No…it’s the book.” Transfixed on the book, he was convinced it was the way out of this nightmare, involuntarily reflecting his thoughts aloud, “The book…”

  Hadge gouged at the bleeding book, as the blood gravitated down its fleshy binding, and dripped off the edge, as if in slow motion. The single drop made not a sound hitting the water, but a sonic wave resonated for miles in every direction, and the water churned pitch black. Instantly the lifeless carcasses of the scyphus floated to the surface, they were all dead. The water poisoned, however it was safe enough for them to move ahead.

  “Oh my Yahveh!” Uwee started yelling, “How did you do that?”

  Hadge ignored Uwee, as he swung the cable back and forth. He had to time the jump just right, until they at last leapt back to the safety of the waste covered ledge.

  Hadge scrambled from the waste, still clinging to the book, even as he tried to wipe the waste from his body. Uwee was already standing, and questioning him, “What happened back there?” Hadge eyed the impressionable grubb, replying sarcastically, “If I tell you. I will have to kill you.” The secret of the blood was much too dangerous for him to know. Uwee unbelievably retorted, “I can’t believe you just said that.” Hadge shrugged, “Why?” Uwee’s expression looked disappointed, as he countered, “Man, you sound old.”

  Uwee looked half annoyed as he hurried through the exit, far ahead in the dark passageway. Hadge was trailing behind wanting to know, “What?” Uwee never once turned to look at him, still walking an eager pace, as he responded, “Old, like close to death.” Ruby landed on Hadges shoulder, soothingly patting his tense muscles, and said, “I don’t think your old.” He dryly offset the crude banter, “Thanks…”

  The disquieted darkness dubiously sported many dins and clangs, its origins u
nknown, nevertheless didn’t seem to diminish the alarming outcome.

  All of a sudden something crashed to his right. Hadge turned to look, catching the glimpse of something stirring behind them. He quickly twisted in that direction, determined to find out what was following them. Strangely a stunning white light was trailing behind, but far enough behind that its source was unidentifiable. Hadge mindlessly whispered, “What the heck is that?” Ruby confoundedly countered, “What?” He didn’t answer; entranced by the unusual glow, like nothing he’d ever seen on this world.

  Then a creepy thought came to mind, he had seen the glimpse of a light following him in various locations, starting on the mountain, and in the sewers. He disturbingly considered, “What could it be?” as his thoughts seemed to settle on one scenario, “Its one of those glowing spiders!” Hadge wasn’t going to wait around to find out he was right, as he uneasily ordered, “We need to keep moving.” Rushing Uwee from behind, “Move!”

  They weaved in and out of the cave system for miles, trying to shake the glow, however the bright light moved treacherously closer. Uwee began to argue, “What’s back there?” Hadge ignored him, and looked at the fairy, saying, “Ruby.” He requested. “Can you find out what’s behind us?” She nodded and flittered away. Uwee gave him a baffled look, stating, “I don’t see anything.” Hadge nastily replied, “Because fools can blindly look death in the eye.”

  A short time later Ruby returned maintaining, “I didn’t see anything.” Hadge noticed for the time being the light had oddly vanished, but its identity remained a mystery. Uwee exclaiming, “See…I told you there wasn’t anything back there.” Hadge crossly growled, daring anyone to argue the issue further, “Just shut up!” Not another words hence forth, as they kept walking.

  They had walked for what seemed like hours, as the tint of the cave walls grew darker, and an unnatural opening was cut into its surface. Cautiously they stepped inside this new chamber, a cubicle of steel walls and glass, as strange spray devices protruded from everywhere. A massive decontamination area, most of the glass long since gone, as you could see directly into the adjoining room. This was the subterranean intersection into Novena military base. The chamber had one metal doorway between all the broken glass that lead into the base, and three presiding exits leading back into the complex of underlying caves. The door into the base had nearly been torn from its hinges, so that it creaked and maneuvered unwelcomingly up into the unknown remnants of Novena Military base.

  Uwee headed straight for the mangled metal door, announcing, “This way.” While Ruby squawked, “Wait! It could be dangerous!” Hadge silently sifted through the dust and debris, thinking the place was a virtual ghost town. It was all in light of that fact he had seen no bodies, or even left over clothing, as the nagging question remained, “What happened to all the soldiers?” He was sure there had to be some sign they were here, clothes, shoes or otherwise. Until his mind drifted to an unnatural explanation, he uttered, “Unless.” Half fearing “They could be Zombies.” This misguided fear ushered him to a place he truly did not wish to be, because the idea of zombies lurking in this base was frightening, they could be the next meal.

  Then a startling choral of infamous screeches doled throughout the caverns. The screeches were a recognizably deafening sound, which seemed to generate from the cave behind them, and growing louder amid each passing second.

  Uwee nervously crept to Hadges side, asking, “What is that?” Hadge indisputably believed it had to be an unknown number of scyphus offspring that had somehow escaped, anxiously finding only enough time to shout, “Run!” Uwee darted towards the nearest cave entrance, barking, “This way!” Hadge could hear Ruby’s tiny distraught voice crying out, but the words were lost in the chaos.

  They hurried through the cave orifice, a peculiar gap, as rocks were arbitrarily situated around the opening, quite similar to a crude set of dentures. It was a mad dash downward into this humid odorous passageway, as the ground had grown a bit slippery. The sounds of the scyphus grew alarmingly louder; they had to be in the same passageway by now. Ruby shouted as loud as she could in Hadges ear, “Wrong way!”

  Suddenly the cave opened up to a sizeable room, devoid of any other exit, this is a dead end, and they were now trapped. Hadge now knew what the fairy had been crying out all along, not this way, because he edgily growled, “There’s no way out!”

  “Try to find an exit!” Hadge kept yelling. “I am!” Uwee retorted, “I am!” They restlessly turned circles in the middle of the grotto, urgently searching for a way out. The walls of the grotto were veined, and discolored, as a foul liquid seeped from the surface, draining into an anomalous boiling green lake. Hadge could periodically see the outline of a sinkhole under the putrid water, however the greenish water blocked most of the view. He stared at the green water; it wasn’t really green at all, more like chartreuse, shockingly similar to the waste found in the barrels.

  Uwee frantically shouted, “Hadge! Hadge!” Nearly hyperventilating, “They’re coming!” Hadge focused on the entrance, unsure what to do next, since the key factor was how many scyphus were out there. Ruby anxiously darted back and forth, stressing the point, “We can’t stay here!” Hadge cited the fact, “We don’t have a choice.” He believed the fairy’s behavior quite odd, why was she so adamant about leaving this grotto? In the end it didn’t matter, they were stuck here, like it or not.

  Hadge fleetingly realized he could hear the odd breaths again; it was all around him now, relatively frequent. As the air effortlessly shifted back and forth, like a mild breeze, each sour breath reeking of death. Then he had the uneasy feeling something wasn’t quite right about this place, but just couldn’t put his finger on it. Ruby was near the exit squealing, “They’re getting closer!” Uwee quickly scuttled to pick up a metal bucket, just as the last owners skeletal hand slipped from the handle, and onto the floor.

  “Aaahhhhhhh!” He warily jumped; shaking the bucket rapidly in his hand, as if there might still be remains attached to it. Shockingly everywhere they looked were skeletal remains, here lies what’s left of the Novena armed forces, perfectly hidden, resting in the same muck they had been collecting.

  The piercing sound of the scyphus was now in the grotto with them, shrills so loud their eardrums nearly ruptured. “They’re here!” Ruby alerted in a tiny voice, but the sounds of the beasts masked the words. They might as well have been blind, since the monsters were undetectable to the naked eye. Uwee wildly swung the bucket, daring the monsters to get close, “Come on!” Hearing the random screech of a scyphus getting nailed by Uwee’s makeshift weapon. Hadge noticed the room oddly seemed somehow brighter, as he urgently searched the room once again for another way out, yet knew he was doomed to fail.

  Strangely the room was even brighter than ever before, as he curiously twisted to see the source, and he was sure something was behind him. Unerringly a vaporous illumination penetrated the far wall, it slowly advanced, until the full aura of the anomalous white radiance had crept into the grotto, eerily moving in their direction.

  Hadge could hardly believe his eyes, standing between the ghostly light and the scyphus; he had to ask, “Which was the lesser of two evils?” He was unaware how close they stood to the lake, as the acidic waters dangerously commenced to boil, and oddly began to rise. Uwee and Ruby shrieked his name; nonetheless Hadge’s attention concentrated solely on the light. The otherworldly light whispered what he believed to be words, “Trussssssst meeeeeee…” Then the lights outward appearance benevolently attuned to the form of a human, for that peculiar reason Hadge gazed in utter captivation, and yes he wanted so much to trust this being.

  He could barely hear the sound of Uwee’s screams, “What’s wrong with you?” Feeling the sensation of being pulled along, “Come on!” Uwee had grabbed a bucket of the green water, throwing it at the scyphus offspring, as their screeches grew louder, and the monsters were partly visible. Uwee maneuvered them throughout the horde of beasts, like an
obstacle course, straight towards the lone exit.

  Suddenly the inhalations rapidly increased, as the stagnant air brutally forced them backward, then forwards again, until they were scarcely moving at all. Uwee’s muffled voice shouted, “Ruby!” Hadge surmised, “Something happened to Ruby?”

  Erratically the green waters edged tensely closer and closer, soon it would reach the exit, and they were still stuck at the opening. One by one the scyphus slipped into the acidic liquid, sizzling like something in a fryer. Their terrible cries filled the room, and they at last vanished altogether. Uwee shouted, “What is that stuff!” Slowly the green liquid crept closer, saturating the room. They had nowhere left to run, as they uneasily drew their feet from its progressing track.

  The strange humanly white radiance hovered within arms reach, as its frosted hands seemed to cup something that was not there, and the length of its long fingers uncurled, propelling the might of a storm in their direction.

  The storm reeled them through the humid passageway, beyond the breath that held them in place. Hadge had lost sight of Uwee and Ruby in the turmoil, given that the whirlwinds carried skeletons and other debris from the grotto. The gale twisted them up the stairs of the military base, and roughly headed straight for the closed front doors. Hadge wrapped his arms around his head, helplessly screaming, “Noooooooooo!” They had struck hard against the Novena military base exit doors, as the din of metal had ringed soundly in their ears, and instant disorientation took over.

  Sporadically the pain of white light spun like gossamer threads, each strand skipping haphazardly across the sensitive flesh, hauntingly drifting like a phantom in the night. The ordeal imparted them in such pain, yet they were safe for the most part. Hadge believed they were alive by sheer dumb luck, as he digested the details, “Uwee couldn’t see the being.” But more importantly, “What did the light want?”

  Click.

  Click. Click.

  The distinct clicking seemed so unreal, curiously sounding off each time he dared to move. Hadge was sure he had heard the sound before, as he lay there contemplating exactly where.

  Click.

  Quick to move, Hadge tensely acknowledged the sound, jerking to find where it had originated. He now remembered the source of the noise, as a newfound fear shook his body, and his mind incessantly shouted, “Where are they?”

  He focused on the deadly white threads, webbing that drifted eerily around him. This terrifyingly confirmed that spiders are here. Hastily he rolled over, his senses immediately on guard. The whole valley was canopied in spider webs, disfigured by cocoon’s, which he disturbingly believed not all were eggs, some had to be the food.

  Hadge was sickened by the thought of being eaten alive, but it seems the spiders are at the top of the food chain on this side of the mountain. He was almost positive there had to be no fungal ridge to block them, or it would have contained the beasts further up on Ennead Mountain, and their reign of terror would have been kept in check.

  A chill crept up Hadge’s spine, as he had the intense feeling of being watched, and he was positive what was watching him. Certain the spiders were waiting for that one vulnerable moment. Hadge knew they had to escape now, or it would be never, as he nervously shook Uwee’s limpid body, whispering, “Wake up.” Uwee groggily tried to groan, “Aa……” Promptly Hadge’s hand covered the grubbs mouth, hushing any sounds, “Shhhhhhh.”

  Then he scoured the debris for the microscopic fairy, but somehow she’d gotten lost along the way, and he didn’t have enough time to find her. Uwee’s eyes converged onto the spooky webbing, growing twice their normal size, indicating he clearly understood the danger they now faced.

  Hadge was frazzled over the dilemma, “What can we do?” He knew soama is the only thing to discourage these beasts, and the fungal ridge was currently out of reach. Then he recalled picking a handful of mushrooms on the mountain, as he cautiously hauled his backpack close enough to search, careful not to make any sudden movements.

  He was conscious of every shift in the darkness, and every subtle noise that was made. At last he successfully removed the five small mushrooms, rolling them in his hand, thinking, “Its not enough.” However he crumbled them between his palms, rubbing the dust in each of their clothes, hoping the scant amount would keep the spiders at bay.

  They warily arose, getting a better view of the Mountain Military base, a set of nine large deteriorated buildings, and several hangers. The buildings were once protected by a twelve-foot high fence, which now lay in pieces. Abandoned vehicles, planes, and helicopters had been thrown haphazardly by the storms, rusted over the years. Everywhere were signs the military left in a hurry, as deserted turrets left guns and ammunition unchecked, through the open doors of the hanger tools still set out on the floor. Hadge glanced down at his uneven stance, realizing that lightning had scarred even the asphalt, as deep grooves were burned into the black surface. The metal doors from the base were only a few feet away, bent in an odd fashion, as skeleton pieces had landed fifty feet in every direction, some still rolling by the readily sloping downgrade.

  Hadge eyed the winding road leading away from the gate; hopeful it could be a way out of here. His thoughts returned to the reason why he was here in the first place, the book, he needed someone who could read. His heart sinking by the brunt of this part of the world, which was twisted a lacey white. Twisted to the peak of magnificence, deathly linked by spiders, and the hope of finding someone alive gravely seemed slim.

  Uwee skittishly mumbled, “What…what are we going to do now?” Hadge suggested the only thing they could do, “We walk.” He directed, “Through that gate.” There was nearly a quarter mile between them and the gate, as danger lurked from every corner, and the plan suddenly didn’t seem so great, but there was nothing else they could do. Uwee nervously looked from side to side, saying, “I don’t know about this.” Hadge took a step forward, retorting, “You can just stay here.” Uwee hurried to keep in step with Hadge, grumbling, “Nooooo…” He breathed, “Wait.” Then slowly they attempted the walk to the roadway; quite sure they were being watched.

  Oddly a memory shot like a bullet in Hadge’s head, he couldn’t move, his waning vision stopped on the distorted reflection within the bumper. All he could see was the face of a skeleton hauntingly staring back, and he knew the recollection was not his own. Hadge realized why that memory was significant, as he stared into the bumper of a nearby truck, seeing the reflection of a skull, one of the pieces of debris from the cavern.

  Without any hesitation one spider moved out into the open, boldly another, and another, until the numbers had grown too many to count. Hadge’s sight was still pinned on the metal structure, however was quite aware of his surroundings. He was certain they wouldn’t last seconds head to head among the mass of spiders, they had to find a safe spot. The nearest shelter was the metal structure, how safe would it be is a different story, but they had no choice.

  Hadge ordered, “Head for the truck.” Uwee bickered, “But.” He exclaimed, “We’ll be trapped!” Hadge pulled Uwee in the designated direction, retorting crossly, “Its better than being dead.” Uwee glanced at the spiders sniffing, “Good point…”

  The clicking noises had completely encircled them, as the spiders had edged closer, and their movements propped for an attack. Hadge despairingly could see the spiders were more aggressive on this side of the Mountain, and the meager fungal dust did nothing to detour an imminent attack.

  Hadge started yelling, “Get inside that thing!” Uwee anxiously countered, “I don’t think we can make it!” Hadge irritably rumbled, “Run dammit!” Uwee ran headlong towards the rusted flatbed truck, as Hadge trailed close behind. An army of foot high spiders currently carpeted the asphalt, each and every creepy crawler terrifyingly moving in their direction. Hadge fearfully shouted, “Get that door open!” Uwee snapped, “I’m trying!” Hadge knew he had to do something now, or the outcome could be deadly.

  He quickly e
xtracted the book from his pack, slashing its leather binding with his dagger, until the blood ran free. Then shook the blood from the book onto the monstrous little beasts, as the shrill of their death echoed across the base, the sounds eerily contaminated by what he alleged to be screams. He stopped momentarily to listen, fearing they may have dragged Uwee off, however the larger spiders started to advance, and all he could do is crave for the grubb to answer, “Uwee?”

  There were several seconds of silence, not a peep, or a sound. Hadge repeated himself, in hopes he would receive an answer this time, “Uwee?” Then a laborious noise soughed, “Gaaahhhhhhh!” The noise breathlessly muttering, “I don’t know how!” It was a relief to hear the grubbs voice, and he knew the scream could not have been him.

  The first wave of spiders began to drop dead, however were quickly replaced by twice as many, as they tauntingly lunged and intimidated their quarry. Hadge impatiently shrieked at the grubb, while trying to keep the beasts at bay, “Just do it!” He continued to sling blood at the beasts, however couldn’t be sure how much longer he could keep them at arms length.

  The spiders eerily crept over the mounds of the dead, black hairy bodies blending as one, making it difficult to differentiate those that were alive from the dead, nonetheless they were increasingly growing in size, and numbers. Spiders four and five times his size branched out their long jointed legs, black legs bristled in hooks. Each long black thrichobotria probed the asphalt around him, the land shuddering with each and every impact.

  Hadge darted between the crushing blows, finding it increasingly growing harder, as more spiders kept joining the fray. Then a leg ripped down his left shoulder, as barbs cut a jagged gash into his soft tissue, like the teeth of a saw. Hadge was reduced to an agonizing standstill, shrieking, “AAAAAAAAAaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Throughout all the pain his mind could think of only one thing, “We are dead! We are dead!” A high-pitched screech pierced the air, and debris tumbled across the asphalt, sure the spiders had taken over the flatbed truck now.

  Suddenly Uwee yelled, “I got it!” He had succeeded in opening the door, yanking Hadge roughly inside, just as several webs were shot in their direction, catching to theirs legs and backside, and being severed as the door slammed shut.

  Uwee hysterically screamed, “Do something!” Hadge groaned in near blinding pain, wondering what would the grubb have him do. He felt like death was a moment away, recalling the man on Ennead Mountains last agonizing breaths. “Ennead Mountain…” He murmured through the pain, reflecting how he’d seen these metal contraptions move over the roads, thinking, “If I could get it to move.” Hadge focused on his arms, forcing the weary limbs to shift, as they moved in slow motion. Uwee screamed more urgently, “Do something!” Hadges trembling arms were pushing every button he could see, as he snapped back, “I am!” Sadly he feared they would be stuck here, because nothing seemed to work, and the structural integrity of the truck doubtfully could withstand a beating from the monsters outside.

  All at once a huge spider landed hard on the roof, indenting the contour of its body in the metal, reducing the space within the cab. That sudden weight exchange jolted everything forward, forcing Hadge hard against the shifter, as the shifter fell out of place, and the vehicle slowly began to roll.

  Then several more spiders attacked the windshield, as the aged glass began to crack. Uwee madly screaming over again, “Do something!” Hadge could think of nothing else to do, this would surely be their tomb. Another jolt from the frenzied spiders propelled the vehicle into a faster pace, moving downhill. Moving towards the very gate they had tried to escape.

  Along the potholed way spiders were abandoned, with each bump and jerk, even as the truck seemed to pick up speed. Hadge tried to steer down the Mountain road, still the vehicles momentum going faster and faster, making steering a rusted vehicle virtually impossible. Everything looked like a white blur, as trees, boulders, and the road were all covered in webs.

  Unexpectedly something bright appeared beyond the dead pines, as if a giant snow globe had preserved an entire town. “What is that?” Hadge was downright befuddled, until the blinding bright lights had become too dazzling to see, and he had to protect his eyes.

  The blundering vehicle was left to steer itself, leading a path directly into that light. On the moment of entry through that freakish sphere everything appeared whitewashed, and the outer shell of the truck was statically charged, popping and cracking as it crossed that archaic threshold, and the tiny sparks produced a diamond field about them. The vehicle came to rest within the dome, hitting hard against another vehicle, knocking Hadge and Uwee unconscious.

  The brightness was beyond clarity, uniting the sounds of the universe, as voices were all speaking at once, all calling his name. The pale line of reality seemed hard to cross, believing he must have died and gone to heaven, hearing the Angels converse, “Canaan is about to enter its last seven days of Darkness.” A woman’s voice had stated. Then a man replied, “Do you think there’s hope for a planet with no real life?” Then another new voice asked, “What do you think Hadge?” The male voice chuckled, “He can’t hear you.” The female voice countered, “Oh, I think he can.” And she called out to him, “Hadge! If you’re alive in there, remember this...” She eerily breathed even as her voice slipped away, “The book can mend you.”

  Suddenly a familiar voice interjected, “Ughhh…” It was Uwee moaning. “Shhhhhhhhhh.” A female voice murmured, “He will hear us.” Unable to see passed the searing bright light, Hadge deliriously asked, “Hear who?” There was no response, as he demanded to know, “Whose there?”

  Hadge found the metamorphosis between sleep to wakefulness quite unattainable. His head was spinning, as the brightness seeped through his closed eyelids. He tried squinting through the fringe of his long lashes, and not looking directly at the light, all in an effort to find the source of the conversations, but all he discovered was agony. All movement left him cringing in pain. A pain apparently centering from his left shoulder, as he propped the book between him and the light, seeing a gash nearly a foot and a half athwart his chest. He spread the torn old fabric with his bloodied hands, oddly discovering the cable wounds across his palms were gone.

  He was flabbergasted, wondering, “How can this be?” He inspected each hand, both were completely healed, as the voices unearthly advice tolled in his head, “The book can mend you.” Hadge at first believed it could be true, looking at his hands, but a tiny voice of reason understated the evidence, you never had any wounds to heal. Even so he curiously considered the idea, “What could it hurt?” He found no reason not to try, as he rubbed the blood from his hand onto the wound, doubtfully watching, waiting for nothing to happen.

  The blood morbidly began to hiss, and the wound filled with a clear sticky substance, slowly matching the color of his own skin, as he stared completely dumbfounded, still finding it all hard to believe.

  Out of the brightness Uwee moaned, “Argggggghhhhh.” Squealing, “Its so bright.” Hadge’s mind returned to the moments before the crash, seeing spiders, spiders everywhere. He nervously feared they may still be nearby, yet the strange static silence indicated they were gone, but he couldn’t help wonder, “Where?” His mind instilled with dread that they may be ambushed if they leave the safety of the truck.

  “Hadge.” Uwee cried, “Hadge.” Whining like a baby, “I can’t seeeeee...” Hadge replied without notice, still fascinated by his shoulder’s rapid healing, “Nor can I.” Uwee continued to howl, “Hadge.” Seeming to press that proverbial button, as Hadge snapped, “What?” Uwee’s whining voice appealed for an answer, “What are we gonna do?” Hadge irritably barked back, “Shut up! So I can think.” But truthfully all he could think, “I’m stuck here with an idiot.”

  Hadge knew he needed to search for something he could use to help shield their eyes, because without sight they were helpless. He peeked into the spaces of his entwined fingers, out through the cracked windshield, wh
ich was still too bright. Then he considered how light passed through fabric, such as the fabric covering his wound, however it was not viable, much too dense, and they would never be able to see objects suitably. At last the workings of a true idea came to head, he needed something clear, but tinted to protect the eyes, his mind conversing, “Like the blue pages from the book.” Excitedly he muttered under his breath, “That’s it.”

  Hadge eagerly opened the book, peering through the fiery blue pages. He could see the steering wheel, the windshield, and Uwee huddled into a little ball. It worked amazingly well, but the only setback was all the layers of black lettering marring a clear-cut view. He twisted to look for the spiders, as a shadowy figure walked passed the truck, and sat on a bench in a nearby park. Hadge had jerked, nearly dropping the book, as he readjusted it within his nervous hands, looking at that same bench, but nothing was there, just a distortion of the lettering.

  Hadge quickly returned to his task at hand, he needed something easier to use, as one idea after the next failed for some reason or another. The cab of the truck was void of anything very useful, filled with military items, guns, knives, first aid kit, canteens, and several strange masks, which covered the entire head with a breathing apparatus.

  He turned one of the masks in his hand, the dark lenses reminding him so much of a bug, as he imagined the finished product, and believed it could work. Hadge promptly set to work, as he cut away the unusable parts with his dagger, carving it into a strange set of goggles, rather proud of his accomplishments. He placed the finished goggles on his head, as the light tempered to a cool darkness, and straight away he could see.

  Hadge looked out the windows at this wondrous town. Quickly his eyes returned to the mysterious park, with a giant stone foot set in the center. His eyes moving straight for the bench, and it was clear nothing was there, yet there was a human shadow on the ground below the bench. He noticed another out of the corner of the goggles, and then another. Learning in fact the strange shadows seemed to be throughout the whole town.

  It was all rather odd he thought, “I wonder what happened here?” Hadge could see a cluster of shadows leading directly behind them, leading to a collection of spider’s corpses, which eerily spread from the edge of the sphere to the point the vehicle came to rest. He found it all very curious, “I wonder what killed them?” He leaned to take a closer look, as his hand touched the truck, feeling a static shock, and realized the shock of the sphere entry probably electrocuted them all. “Yeah…” He believed, that is the answer.

  “Hadggggggge.” Uwee whined once again, “What are you doing?” Hadge knew Uwee couldn’t shut up for too long, as he answered, “I’m making something so we can see.” Uwee rushed, “Hurry.” Hadge shook his head, reasonably frustrated, wanting nothing more than to choke that grubb at times, this being one of those times. He set to work on the second set of goggles, sure the grubb wouldn’t be grateful in the end.

  Uwee asked every few minutes, “Are you done yet?” Getting a grunt or a growl in response, until at last the finished goggles were thrown at Uwee, and Hadge flatly rumbled, “Here.” Uwee rushed to put them on.

  Shortly after they were warily stepping out of the vehicle, surprised they had survived the crash. Uwee looked at the buildings around them in astonishment, each as colorful as the day it was built, “What is this place?” The town was like stepping back in time, to a place simply untouched on that darkest of days. Every building and statue remained intact, as the neon lights still brightly advertised its wares. Hadge answered the grubb, as he stared at the strange shadows, “I don’t know.” But wondered, “What happened to all the people?” The only thing missing in this town were the people, as darkened shadows lingered everywhere, in front of a store, next to a car, sitting on the edge of the concrete, all in humanly poses, however those wraithlike images were scorched into the surface, marring the last place they had been, a phantasm of a life stolen by the hands of death.

  Hadge found it unclear what truly had happened to this town, but the more he examined the images, the more unsettled he became. He felt every hair upon his body stand on end, he wrestled with the idea that the static was causing his unease, but the fact remained something was eerily wrong with those shadowy images, and it sent a shiver up his spine.

  Suddenly the sounds of someone screaming ricocheted throughout the town. Hadge granted the notion, “Someone is alive.” Instantly they pursued the distressed sounds into the park, around benches and trees. Hadge duly noted the shadow was no longer under the bench, nervously searching the ground along the way, having the frightening feeling the wraithlike images were somehow alive. He berated himself, “No! That’s idiocy…” However he couldn’t take a chance he could be wrong, as he yelled at Uwee, “Whatever you do. Don’t get close to those shadows.”

  They ran around the giant stone foot, seeing a pair of large spiders attacking each other, in an all out tug-of-war over a strange looking girl. The dark haired girl was partially wrapped in webs, and unable to free herself. Hadge quickly dashed to her side cutting the webs with his dagger, saying, “It’ll be alright!” She teetered upright, nearly twice his size, still reeling from the poison. He looked up into the tall girls oddly tanned face, asking, “Are you alright?” She quietly nodded, as he helped her from the mass of sticky webbing, pulling at her arm, and ordering her to follow, “This way!”

  Uwee loudly warned, “Haaadgeeeeeee!” The spiders had turned towards the two, advancing very quickly. Then one of the spiders stepped into a shadow, and an intense crackling noise wickedly leapt to life. Up from the charred shadow a human wraithlike shape eerily appeared, shifting towards the beast that had disturbed its slumber, reaching out from the scorched black spot, and seizing the spider.

  “Whoaaaaa!” Uwee shouted, “Did you see that?” Almost immediately a horrendous shriek escaped the spider, shuddering in the hands of the wraithlike image, until it rolled over to die. “Oh my Yahveh!” Hadge declared, hardly believing his eyes, but he had known something was strange about those shadows from the beginning. The dark haired girl fearfully screamed, “We need to run!” Hadge unsure why, but it sounded like the best bet at the time. Uwee yelled from behind, “More of those shadow things are waking up!”

  They hurried inside the nearest building, an old-fashioned drug store. The young girl nervously looking around at all times, as fear plagued her hazel eyes, her eyes saying more than any words could ever say.

  Hadge and Uwee barred the double doors, pushing a shelf against the frame. Hadge watchfully moved to the window, glaring beyond the stenciled lettering, as the eerie shadows roamed the streets. He had a hard time understanding if those creatures were good or bad. Then the memory of the shadow walking passed the truck resurfaced, certain he had seen one of them, but only through the pages of the book. He opened that ungodly book; sure it could help him understand what’s happening here. He glanced through the fiery pages, not sure what to expect.

  At that exact moment the shadow of a woman stopped to look in the store front, its sinister blue figure blazing with unsightly anger, and its distorted face lunged at the glass, as if it knew he were there. ”Gaaaaaahhhhhhhh!” Hadge stumbled backwards, seeing nothing, but a dirty old window.

  Instantly Hadges attention targeted the shadows, questioning the girl, “What are those things?” Breathlessly she answered, “The townspeople.” He turned to glare at the girl, finding her simplistic explanation unbelievable, “Townspeople?” He barked, “You expect me to believe that?” She narrowed a stare back at him, announcing, “I don’t care what you believe.” He closed the book, throwing his hands up in exasperation, claiming, “We’re all going to die!” She shook her head, uttering, “No we’re not.” Hadge had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but the issue was rather clear to him, as deadly shadows still wandered the streets. He hopelessly stared out the window, darkly saying, “It don’t look so good from here.”

  The girl walked up to stand beside hi
m, looking out among the chaos in the park. She murmured mostly for her own benefit, “Bigfoot Park. The founders built this town around the Park.” Then optimistically said, “Trust me.” She breathed, “It’ll be ok.” Hadge thought that was a strange choice of words, he had heard trust me twice in one day. A dire chill crept up his spine, and trust was something he was finding difficult as of lately. The girl continued to ramble, “On the day of darkness everyone was vaporized. Leaving their shadows behind. They still live the life they remember. Purging the town of what doesn’t belong.”

  Hadge glanced up at the strange girl from the corner of his eye, verifying, “We don’t belong here.” She sincerely looked down at Hadge, inquiring, “Where do you belong?” His eyes moved from the cover of the book to meet hers with a solemn look, speaking from his heart, “At one time I thought I knew, but now my life only leads to more questions.” She suggested, “Maybe you should find the answers.” His eyesight returned to the book he now stroked in his hands, stating, “That’s why I’m here.”

  Surprisingly something squirts Hadge in the back of the head. “What the…” He angrily spat, hearing Uwee dying of laughter, even as he darted to the far side of the room. Hadge pursued the grubb; jerking the yellow water gun from his hands, snarling, “Give me that.” Uwee pleaded, “I’m sorry.” Hadge found him not even vaguely sincere, as Uwee continued to laugh, and he dismissed the grubb, “Off with you!” Then he realized the water gun had a leak, as water mixed with the dried blood on his hand, giving him a wonderfully evil idea, as he diabolically thought, “Monsters beware.”

  Uwee strode off to torment the young girl, bashfully shaking her hand, “Hi, my names Uwee.” She smiled placing one hand on her chest, surrendering her own name, “Zaya.” Uwee pointed out, “That’s Hadge.” Hadge turned just in time to see the strange expression on her face, as she whispered, “Hadge...” He noted her reaction was rather odd, first all the photos with his name on it, followed by her reaction, he mused, “Who is this Hadge?”

  Hadge had to keep his mind focused on the book, as he threw the question out there, “Do you know anyone who can read?” She sadly stated, “My father, but you’re a day too late.” Zaya turned away so they couldn’t see her tears, “Reavers took him.” Hadge offered his condolences, “I’m sorry.” She glanced at Hadge through the veil of her long dark hair, saying, “There’s no time for sorry in this terrible world Hadge.” Zaya reached out as if to touch the book in his hands, speaking, “You still need someone to read that book?” He guardedly flinched away, curious where this conversation was leading, “Yes.”

  She proposed loosely, “There is one possible way.” Acknowledging, “It will be dangerous.” There was a twinge of excitement in his voice, convinced the danger couldn’t be any worse than what he’s already experienced, “Tell me.” Zaya began to explain, “In the lost woods, beyond Hells Gate. It is rumored that Elders roam the lands.” Her tale ending badly, “No one really knows the truth, because everyone that has gone in the woods never returned.”

  Uwee’s voice reverberated from inside a shelf, making it publicly known, “Well that counts me out.” Hadge sneered at the grubb, proclaiming, “Then that’s where I’m going.” Uwee’s expression appeared unwell as he whined, unbelievably shaking his head, “Oh man.”

  She added, “There’s just one more thing.” Hadge’s mind already firmly set, asked, “What’s that?” She gave him a last word of warning, “Remember not to look into the monsters eyes in Hells Gate.”

  Then Uwee strolled up eating a bug-infested candy bar, trying to talk, “By the way.” Coughing on a few junks, asking, “What’s the name of this place?” He mockingly muttered, “Burn your eyes out?” “Hadge revoltingly pointed at the candy bar. Uwee giving his stupid rationalization, “Well if I’m going to die, I might as well do it eating.” Zaya couldn’t help but giggle at Uwee’s idiocy, as she at last answered, “No one really knows anymore. So we call this place Nowhere.”

  Uwee shoved the last bite of candy bar in his mouth scoffing, “I’m standing in the middle of Nowhere.”