* * *
With a coil of rope over his shoulder, Pacian slowly crept through the shadows of old man Clifford's barn, his ears pricked for the sound of approaching footsteps. Not far away, he could hear the deep voices of two men talking, but their casual tones hinted they were unaware of the boy stealing their belongings only a few yards away.
Worry was starting to gnaw at him, for he had been gone for half an hour and if Aiden was badly injured, Pacian was going to take the blame for it. Spurred on by the thought, he hurried to the doors and peered through the gap, noticing with alarm that two farmers were heading straight for the barn. Glancing around frantically, Pacian dashed behind a nearby cart laden with hay just as the men came through.
He watched them stroll past, talking about repairing some of the rickety barn's walls and other boring matters while Pacian eyed the doors, wondering if he could make it out without being seen. The farmers walked further into the barn, with the older of the two pointing out areas where the wood was rotted or broken and Pacian finally saw his chance to move.
With slow, measured footsteps, he emerged from hiding and crept towards the open doors, but just as stepped out into the afternoon sun, a cry of alarm came from one of the farmers who'd turned around at precisely the wrong moment and spotted him on the way through.
Pacian bolted without a second thought, threading his way through the cluttered yard, almost stepping on an unsuspecting chicken in the process. Through a flurry of startled birds he dashed, finally clearing them on his way out into the fields beyond, leaving the sounds of angry grown-ups far behind.
He was completely out of breath by the time he reached the hole Aiden had fallen through and collapsed on the ground next to it, puffing hard and shuddering at the ridiculous amount of healthy exercise he'd endured today.
“I'm here,” he called down into the hole once he'd caught his breath. “I'll tie off the rope and throw it down to you.” He knotted it around the nearest tree and tossed the loose end down to his stranded friend, but there was no response from the darkness.
“Aiden?” Pacian called, worrying that he was too late. No answer was forthcoming, but as he peered into the darkness Pacian thought he saw a dim blue light. Curious and concerned, he clambered down the rope and soon discovered a small cave, and his friend standing with his back to the entrance.
“Aiden? I'm here,” Pacian said, his voice echoing along the walls. The blue light seemed to be coming from something Aiden was holding in his hands, and when Pacian lightly touched Aiden’s shoulder, it dropped to the ground and shattered like glass. The blue light flickered and faded, but not before Pacian saw a look of absolute horror stamped on Aiden's face.