Photo by Chris Ensminger on Unsplash A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing“Erik. How did you get in there? How long were you in there?” Rune muttered to herself as they slowed the horses once they got closer to the forest’s edge on the other end of town.
“Don’t make yourself sick over it, Rune. There’s nothing we can do. We just need to get out of town and put as much space between us and Imellom as we can.” Ronan could hear her muttering and tried to reassure her. “I just don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this. Has he been in there the whole time? Was he—murdered? I swear I saw him, Ronan. I saw him when I came home that night; he was standing on his front porch. I remember he didn’t look well, like he hadn’t been sleeping. But he waved and I waved back. He was the last person I saw before everyone was gone.” Rune thought back to that night. She remembered that night pretty vividly now, despite everything that had happened. She pulled her car up and parked it in the drive, got out, and saw Erik standing on the front porch with a mug of something in his hand. Rune thought about going to say hi, to talk to him since it had been a while since she had gone over there, but she was tired and just wanted to go to sleep. She regretted it now. “But you can’t blame yourself and I know that’s what you’re doing. You can’t change what happened; we’ve got to move forward.” Ronan kept pace with Rune’s horse so that she didn’t get too far away from him. “I know, but…I can’t stop thinking about it. What killed him? Was it that creature we saw this morning up on the mountain? And—and he doesn’t look like he’s been dead that long. There is no way this happened before everyone disappeared; he was alive for quite a while after the fact.” The notion hit Rune and she pulled the reins on her horse to halt its movement. “Whoa, whoa. You’re getting sidetracked, love. We have to focus. The more we slow down and stop, the more we are at risk. We need to get as far away as possible from that thing, or whatever it is we are running from. We need to keep moving.” Ronan had slowed his horse again and pulled it close enough to Rune to nudge her own in the flank. “You know that creature is the first living thing I’ve seen besides you and a few smaller animals. I thought it was an elk, and that was weird because I hadn’t seen any animals in town besides the ones that couldn’t leave on their own. No birds, or rabbits, or foxes. I haven’t seen any reindeer or mink or even whales in the bay. It literally took everything, didn’t it?” Rune turned her head towards Ronan as they came to the edge of the town. The semi-paved road ended abruptly right where the tree-line began. It was as if the forest would not allow such manmade things in their domain. But there was still a clear path for the horses and if they were lucky, it would be like this till they came out on the other side. “If that’s the case, than we should really have nothing to worry about in the dark, scary forest.” Ronan was only being half-serious because even if there wasn’t the threat of animals that could maim or kill them, there was still that elk headed creature who also might very well have been Erik’s murderer. “We’ll be fine. I took Erik’s gun and I also have a trench knife and an axe.” Rune patted the bag she wore on her back. “That’s good to know.” Ronan appreciated the idea that they at least had something to defend themselves with. The two led the horses on into the forest and deep enough that the canopy of fir trees blotted out a lot of the sunlight that should have lit their way. But they kept on; virtually quiet as they both listened for any sort of sound that wasn’t of their own making. They were both paranoid that something could be following them, but they didn’t hear much of anything besides the rustling of leaves in the wind and the crunching of brush under the horse’s hooves. There were absolutely no animals, no insects, no movement at all; none, but their own. It was possibly more unnerving; the silent lack of life was almost resounding. They had just rounded a bend in the trail as it began to creep upward on the mountain when a crackling sound, like the splintering of wood, snapped somewhere above them. Rune pulled back on the reins of her horse as it started to shake its head in worry. Ronan trotted up behind her and paused to listen. “What was that?” He asked. Rune trained her ears for more sound, but there was silence now as she replied, “Nature. Dead branches breaking free.” At least that’s what she convinced herself. But then there was another crack, and another, and then a loud pop and a snap before an enormous dead tree came crashing down right in front of them on the trail. Both horses whinnied loudly before bucking their riders right off their saddles. They both leapt, one after the other, over the tree and far down the trail at wild speeds, snorting in fright the whole way. Ronan managed to slide off the horse effortlessly and landed right on his backside, but Rune pitched sideways and hit the trunk of the fallen tree with her right side before she slumped to the ground. “Rune! Jaysus Christ, this is not going well.” Ronan grunted as he raced over to see if she was alright. Rune lay there dazed, the sleeve of her jacket dangling above her head. It had been snagged on a loose branch and tore right at the seam, pulling the jacket itself and the flannel underneath straight from her arm. Her opposite hand was holding her shoulder and she had a look of pain on her face. “I think—I think it’s dislocated.” She panted, trying to disengage her arm from the torn sleeve. “Hold still. If it is, you’re only going to make it worse moving like that.” Ronan knelt down and lifted Rune gently while he unhooked the sleeve from the splintered branch and let Rune move her arm on her own. She cried out when it was raised above her head and Ronan could now see that her shoulder was definitely out of socket. He stopped her before she hurt herself further and carefully removed the shredded sleeve of her jacket and then went to remove the flannel. “Stop. Can’t you just set it with the shirt on?” Rune laid her hand over Ronan’s to keep him from undressing her further. “I’m not going to be able to get the right range of motion that I need to make sure it’s set right. You don’t want me to have to set it again.” Ronan spoke to her sternly. Rune didn’t want to take the flannel off; she didn’t want Ronan to see her mark. She knew it would disgust him, or at the least scare him because it had taken over more of her body in just the past few weeks. But he was right about needing to make sure that it was set right the first time and she was going to have to suck it up and let him do what needed to be done. “Fine, ok.” Rune nodded, taking her hand off of his so that he could slide the flannel sleeve from her arm. Ronan held Rune’s arm in a position that didn’t seem to bother her much and carefully rolled the sleeve down her arm to the wrist, where he could easily slip it over her hand. It was then that he noticed the deep purple lines that appeared around the neck and shoulder of her tank top. They looked like veins, or maybe vines, and he knew that her blow to the tree had no way of causing this. Rune just looked at him, her brow knit and lips drawn, waiting for a response from him. “Is it hurting you?” He asked, lightly touching his fingertips to the affected skin; it felt cold and rough. “Not really. It didn’t used to look this bad; it was just the right breast and part of the sternum, but it’s grown. And it used to be slightly pink, not whatever this is.” Rune hung her head, momentarily forgetting about her injured shoulder. “How long have you had it?” Ronan asked another question, using this opportunity to distract her as he helped her up. “You ask as if I own it—it’s more like it owns me. As far as I know, my whole life. Gran told me it was a birthmark, but birthmarks don’t grow with a mind of their own.” Rune’s words were bitter as she spoke. Ronan had slowly leveled her arm to where he needed it as they spoke, Rune not really noticing. “You’re ashamed of it.” Ronan made more of a statement than asking a question. “Of course I am; look at it! It’s disgusting and it feels terrible…it’s taking over. What happens when it covers my whole body? What even is it?” Rune was getting emotional and that wasn’t going to help Ronan set her shoulder. So, he reached out with his free hand and ran his fingers across the lines, softly, yet firm as he traced the roots over her shoulder and down to where they ended near her elbow. The sensation caused her to take a deep breath and close her eyes and that’s when Ronan saw his opportunity. Her arm was right where he needed it to be and with a slight pull of her wrist, the arm set. Rune cried out as she felt the ball rotate in its socket to the correct position, and her opposite hand immediately flew to the injured shoulder. “Take my jacket until we can find the horses and set up camp; it looks like it’s already getting dark and we aren’t going to be able to make it much further by the time we find them.” Ronan took his jacket off and helped Rune put it on. “That tree could have killed us. Look at the size of it.” Rune pointed out just how large the tree actually was. It could have easily crushed all of them, the horses included. If they hadn’t heard the snap of the first branch, they would have walked right under the tree as it fell. “That first sound saved our arses.” Ronan stated as he climbed the side of the fallen tree and helped Rune climb atop so they could slide down the other side. From there they could see up the hill where the tree had been rooted, noting that it was very much alive when it fell and looked as if something had gnawed it in half. “We need to hurry.” Ronan was on the other side and reached to help Rune down. The two huddled close together and tried to move as quickly as they could up the trail in the direction that the horses ran, all the while listening for any other possible falling trees. About a quarter mile up the trail, the trees parted and the path widened, leaving a perfect spot to set up camp for the night. Not only was it the perfect spot to camp, but both horses had thought it a good enough spot to stop and graze on the green grasses that still grew there. “Oh, thank Gods you two are alright.” Rune broke free of Ronan and ran to the horses, lingering by hers to give him a good pat on the flank. “Looks like they found our home away from home for the night. If we set up just here,” Ronan pointed at the rocky face of the mountain, “We’re covered from the back, no surprises.” He came over to Rune and the horses, comforting his own before he unhooked the packs that held supplies. Rune took her own bag down, careful not to put too much stress on her shoulder as she did so. The two began to set up the tent with its back against the mountain, laid out their sleeping bags and personal items inside, and then set about making a fire. Despite the amount of trees surrounding them, they were at a shortage of decent firewood. That meant that they were going to actually have to step off the trail to find any. “We’re going to have to venture out for wood, but one of us should stay at camp with the horses. I can go, not a problem.” Rune offered, but Ronan gave her a look that rooted her in place. “Really? No; you’re injured. I’m going to go and you’re going to stay here with the horses. I’ll take a flashlight just in case.” Ronan noted that the sun was slipping lower beyond the trees and wanted to assure Rune that he would be safe. “Fine. But take my busted jacket so you can carry the wood more easily.” Rune handed him the tattered jacket and a flashlight from her pack. “Of course. You stay put—please. Even if it takes me a while to get back, don’t come looking for me.” Ronan was stern as he narrowed his eyes at her. She nodded and went to gather the horses to tether them up while Ronan headed off into the tree line. Rune didn’t want to be left behind, not because she was scared, but because she didn’t want Ronan to be alone in the woods. Even though there hadn’t been any sign of life save for themselves, she had this weird feeling in her gut after seeing the marks on the tree, a tree that had possibly been knocked over due to being gnawed on. She just hoped that Ronan would be safe while out there alone and she found herself reciting an old poem, a sort of prayer, that her gran used to say, to ease her mind. As she did, she absentmindedly drew in the dirt with her foot around the campsite as she checked and double checked the tent setup. “Huginn, Muninn, vertu augun mín. Óðinn, allur faðir gerir mig vitran. Freya stendur vörð um mig. Megi Þór slá þá sem óska þér skaða.” Rune whispered a prayer into the setting sun as she moved from one side of the tent to the other. It felt like a silly thing, to pray now of all times and with what she knew about herself, but it always comforted her when she was young, and it was doing its intended job now. Rune finally sat down near where the fire would be lit, closed her eyes, and waited. Her comfort didn’t last long, however, as a sound coming from the direction Ronan had left in caused her to open her eyes, her attention snapping to a shadowed area under a dense canopy of trees. That area was so dark, it was as if night had come to just that particular spot and this caused unease to grow in Rune’s belly. She stared for so long at that darkened spot without another sound to accompany the first and she swore the darkness was now beginning to swirl and take form. Suddenly, two bright orange orbs appeared in the shadow, the shape resembling animal-like eyes. “You’re hallucinating again, Rune.” She chastised herself. The eyes started to move forward, the hulking darkness slipping from the cover of the trees into the slivers of twilight that seeped between the tangled branches above. As it walked into the light, it started to fully take form and what loped out in front of Rune was a giant wolf, black as pitch. A scream caught in her throat as every muscle in her body tensed up and she froze in place. She wanted to get up and run, but she knew that she wouldn’t make it far before the animal pounced and shredded her to pieces. It was probably starving, especially if it was the only animal around; there would be no escape. But was it real? Just because she could see it now didn’t make it so. Besides, this wolf was unlike any other she had ever seen before: it was almost as tall as the horses and completely black, its eyes an eerie smoldering orange that seemed to glow in the gleam of the sunset. She also noticed that the horses didn’t seem to mind that it was there as they showed no signs of fear or distress. She was hallucinating this monstrous wolf and if it was all in her head, she could just make it go away. “You don’t scare me, wolf.” Rune stood up confidently, “Go! Get out of here!” Rune took a step forward and the wolf mimicked her, getting just a bit closer. “I’m in charge of what I see and I don’t want to see you anymore. Go.” She took another step forward. The wolf did the same. “Bold, aren’t we? Why won’t you just go? I don’t have the energy for this.” Rune gave in. If she couldn’t will her own creation away, she might as well live with it. She backed away from the wolf and sat down in front of the tent where she began to take food out of one of the bags. Even though there wasn’t a fire yet, she might as well get food ready because it would most likely be dark by the time Ronan returned with firewood. The whole time, the wolf watched her, its head moving slowly in rhythm with each task Rune completed. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, wondering if she delved deep enough into what she was doing that he might just melt away. But he stayed, prowling close, though never coming any further than several feet from where the camp stood, as if there were some invisible wall in his way. Eventually, he stopped pacing and laid down facing the door to the tent. Behind his large furry back, the sun had finally set. “Is this my way of coping with what has happened the last couple of days? A ginormous wolf?” Rune asked the apparition, lifting her arm to gesture at it. The wolf snorted in response, narrowing its glowing eyes at her. “And what shall I tell Ronan when he returns? Or is that all fake too…what if he died back there when the tree fell?” Rune had a sudden moment of panic and abruptly stood, moving too quickly for the wolf’s liking. He shot straight up from his prostrate position and the hair rose on his back, his tail going straight and stiff. A low growl emanated from his throat and the sound caused Rune to sit back down in the dirt. “This is only going to get worse; it’s all going to get much, much worse.” Rune lamented. Will it? Rune heard a voice, a voice that had that same far away quality as that of the metal box. It was happening again, but this voice was different. It was male, deep, gravely. The sound made her insides vibrate when it spoke. “It hasn’t gotten any better. You should know what I’ve been through.” Rune spoke to no one, under the assumption that she was talking to herself. Why don’t you tell me about it? Get it out in the open. “Shrinking my own fucking head,” Rune grumbled before humoring the voice and going on, “The world ended six months ago or so. I’ve been alone the whole time…at least until I met Ronan. But that joy was short lived when we discovered that a meteor shower back in the spring likely took every living being on the planet. There was also a talking box that tortured me and tried to get me to kill my friend, I found out I was an alien and I think Ronan might be too, and there’s some monster with an elk head possibly chasing us. Oh, my neighbor was murdered by God knows what and we almost got crushed by a giant tree.” Rune took a deep breath and let it all out before she whispered, “And I have this mark that is eating me whole.” She pulled down the sleeve of her flannel and examined the growing vines that lifted and moved under her skin. It was like the more she acknowledged it, the more it came alive. You’re so bitter. Did you ever think that maybe things happen for a reason? That this is your path and you’re just following along a series of events to get to the point you need to be at? The wolf spoke in almost riddles as he cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at her. Rune noted that there was an odd quality about the wolf’s face; it was almost human like. “Erik’s death was for a reason? And what reason was that? He was a good man and sort of like a surrogate grandfather to me and something murdered him! If there is some path I am supposed to be on, which is highly unlikely, what point would Erik’s death make?” Rune was practically yelling in frustration. You feel that fire in your belly? You’ve been going through the motions in life, pitying yourself for your shortcomings and your flaws, completely without real purpose. You thought you’d amount to nothing! Yet, look at you. You’ve reacted smartly in every instance, even if it took a few tries. You understand what you lack and you find a way to work around it. You’re being pushed towards something, don’t you see it? Do you think meeting him was a coincidence? That you fell together and somehow made it back to one another by chance? The fire has been lit; you only have to keep it from dying out. The cryptic words of the wolf made Rune reconsider how she’d been approaching everything that was going on. She was hesitant about it all, constantly questioning whether things were real and if she was experiencing them correctly or not. But maybe if she had a little more confidence in what she was seeing and feeling, she wouldn’t constantly feel like she was pulling apart at the seams. Yet, here she was having a conversation with her inner beast about reality and just the absurdity of it all made her want to scream. “Rune! Jaysus Christ!” Ronan’s voice rang out across the clearing, causing the wolf to throw its head back and howl. Through the whole encounter, it hadn’t made a sound save for a low growl, but the howling snapped Rune out of her perceived hallucination and she realized that she wasn’t hallucinating at all. There was an eight foot tall wolf between her and Ronan, a real flesh and blood animal, and now it had her wondering what she had been talking to that whole time. “Rune, don’t move.” Ronan had gently dropped the jacket full of wood to the ground and started inching towards her. “I don’t think it’s going to hurt us. It’s been here with me almost since you left.” Rune didn’t move as she spoke, but the wolf’s gaze never left her. Ronan had finally made it inside the camp and very carefully pulled Rune away, asking, “It’s been here with you the whole time? Why are you so calm about this?” “Because I thought it was in my head.” Rune breathed, her focus still on the gigantic wolf. Ronan sighed, “Hey, look at me. You have got to stop thinking that all this high weirdness is in your head. I think we’ve been through enough at this point to realize that you’re not the crazy one. You use logic at every turn, questioning whether or not all this insanity is real and that proves how level headed you are. Reality is far stranger than fiction at this point.” Rune looked at him as he spoke, but she kept glancing at the wolf, “I know, he basically told me the same thing.” Ronan gave her a strange look as she shrugged and left the camp to pick up the wood by the tree line. The wolf followed her actions again, but never came any closer; it had given them both a wide breadth. Ronan came to assist her and the two had a rather nice, warm fire built in just a short time. Rune began opening cans and setting up pots and pans while Ronan averted his attention to the enormous creature sleeping only a few feet from where the horses were tethered; neither of which seemed to notice that it was even there. “The horses don’t seem bothered by it.” He noted out loud. “It’s like he’s not even there.” Rune replied, still focusing on dinner. Ronan thought about how odd that was, but his attention was really on the jaws of the animal. They were large and sharp, perfect for tearing away at the trunk of a tree till it toppled over… “Rune, you don’t think it was the wolf that pushed that tree over, do you?” Ronan had backed up to her, not taking his eyes off the animal. Rune hadn’t thought about that and she was disappointed in herself as she spoke, “I don’t know.” I can hear you. It wasn’t me who tossed the tree, but I did save you from certain death. The wolf was talking to Rune again, but his mouth never moved. The whole time they had carried on a conversation, his mouth never moved and she thought it had something to do with the fact that he was a hallucination, but now she realized otherwise. Would Ronan believe her if she told him? “He says he didn’t, but he saved us from getting crushed.” She couldn’t keep something like this from Ronan, especially after what he said. “What?” Ronan turned abruptly towards the wolf. “I don’t know. I can hear him even though he doesn’t talk out loud. You said reality is stranger than fiction, so I won’t question it.” Rune gestured at the wolf who grumbled in response. Ronan whistled incredulously, “You’re right; I did say that. Where do you think he came from?” “Your guess is honestly as good as mine. He just appeared in the trees over there, but he must have been following us if he knew about the falling tree. And that begs the question—what did knock over that tree?” Rune replied. “Well, can you ask him? He obviously knows something about it if he prevented our squashing.” Ronan pointed at the wolf and then quickly pulled his hand back. I can hear him just fine, but he can’t hear me; you don’t have to ask. It was a Linnormr and they’re everywhere out here. Rune recognized that term. She had heard Erik say it more than a few times over the years. Her grandmother wasn’t native to the land, but he was, and as a teen, she remembered asking him what it meant. “Linnormr. They’re Lindworms.” Rune couldn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth. “Come again? Lindworms?” Ronan had no idea what she was talking about. Rune took a deep breath before she responded, “A dragon without wings.” “A do what now?” Ronan had a pained expression on his face, “So, are we just living in a Tolkien novel at this point?” The wolf let out a low grumble that sounded almost like a laugh, but Rune ignored it and went on, “If we were, we’d be taking the Hobbits to Isengard by now. I guess we were wrong about no wild animals, they just aren’t the ones that we’re used to.” She was probably right and just the thought made Ronan uncomfortable. “We should probably bring the horses closer to camp, just in case.” Ronan left Rune to finish dinner and walked a wide path around the wolf to the horses. He untied them and brought them nearer to the mountain face, finding another tree with sturdy branches to tether them to. All the while, the wolf watched. “At least if he hangs around, maybe nothing will mess with us tonight.” Ronan sat down close to the fire as Rune finished cooking and passed him a metal plate of food. “Hopefully.” Rune was thinking about what the wolf had said as she replied. Was the falling tree a deliberate attack by the Lindworms? Or was it just a coincidence? She didn’t feel like asking now, but at the same time the thought had her going back even further to Erik. Had it been a Lindworm that killed him? And she still couldn’t fathom how he had been alive this whole time and she hadn’t known it. She tried to think at the wolf, to ask him these questions, but he was asleep—either that, or he was ignoring her. Rune finished up her meal and brought the scraps to the horses with some water for them to drink. Her favorite horse, the one that was black and speckled with white, whinnied when she came close and Rune patted his snout. She assured him and the other that everything was alright and made sure to cover them both with a turnout blanket in case the cold weather, or possible rain, became too much. She wanted to offer the wolf something, but nothing that they had would satiate a creature of that size. “You smell that?” Ronan asked as Rune sat down near the fire, scooting just a little bit closer to him. “The rain? I noticed it when you first got back. I just covered the horses, but I’m worried about it getting bad.” Rune reached into one of their bags and pulled out another bottle of whiskey, this one almost full. “Where do you keep getting those? I swear we’ve already drank at least three bottles between the two of us.” Ronan noted the bottle as she uncorked it. “We drank almost two, but I wanted us to have a full bottle in case we needed it. Don’t you think we need it?” She wiggled the bottle at him. Ronan laughed, “You always drink like this? But you’re right; I think we do need it.” He agreed, finishing off the water in his cup so he could replace it with whiskey. “I like a good spirit now and again, but really this habit started a little over a week ago.” Rune poured a good bit of whiskey in Ronan’s cup before she took a long swig from the bottle. Ronan nursed his cup, diverting his attention to the wolf lying just outside camp in the shadows. “Why won’t he come any closer?” He asked. Rune had wondered the same thing, but hadn’t bothered asking the wolf because she wasn’t sure he would tell her… You barred me from camp; I assumed that was deliberate. “I didn’t bar you from anything.” Rune stood up from the log she had been perched on, whiskey bottle in hand. Ronan felt like he was out of the loop as he was only hearing one side of a conversation that Rune clearly didn’t start. Did you not? Look at the ground carefully and tell me that you didn’t ward your camp. Rune looked down at the dirt and rocks that littered the perimeter of the camp, but she noticed something in the sandy ground that she hadn’t realized was there. Symbols had been dug deep enough into the dirt that the color changed where the soil underneath was exposed. It was slightly crooked, but Rune followed it from inside the camp, around the semi-circle that she had walked while reciting her prayer earlier. As she gave attention to each symbol she soon realized that it was an alphabet, and strangely one that she could read. She began to follow the symbols back the other way, trailing each one with her toe as she went. “Huginn, Muninn, vertu augun mín. Óðinn, allur faðir gerir mig vitran. Freya stendur vörð um mig. Megi Þór slá þá sem óska þér skaða.” Rune whispered the poem again, her feet dancing over each letter on the ground as the words arose in her throat. When she was done, she abruptly turned to face the wolf again. “Does this mean that you’re an enemy?” Her breathing was heavy as she spoke. No, but you cast your galdr for protection and you did not know me then. I was neither a friend nor foe, but when you saw me—you had fear in your heart. “Rune, what’s it saying?” Ronan was starting to get nervous because there was silence between the two whenever the wolf responded; he couldn’t exactly read the conversation. “Well, I’m still not letting you in even though you didn’t try to harm us when we left the safety of the camp.” Rune responded, thinking about the couple of times the two had strayed outside this barrier unknowingly. “Ok, why can it do that with you, but I can’t hear a damn thing?” Ronan was now agitated as he got up and came to stand close to Rune. He. “He.” Rune uttered. “He?” Ronan glanced from Rune to the wolf and back again. He. And your friend can’t hear me because we are not the same. You’ll just have to tell him everything if you want him to know… “He says you two are not the same and so you can’t hear one another.” Ronan spoke aloud before thinking her next sentence at the wolf. And I guess you can hear me just fine like this, hm? I can. The wolf responded. Do you have a name? Rune demanded a little loudly in her thoughts. The wolf snorted, Vargr. That just means wolf; that’s not a name. She challenged him. “Ok, then. I’ll just be over here when you two are done thinking at each other.” Ronan spoke, but he wasn’t sure if either even heard him. That’s the name I have to use for now. You can tell your friend if he feels the need to address me…I don’t like when he calls me it. Vargr snarled at the last word. “His name is Vargr and he doesn’t like when you call him ‘it’.” Rune finally broke her connection with Vargr and came to sit by Ronan again. “My apologies. I’m not used to--this.” Ronan gestured his arm between the three of them, the wolf included. “It’s all pretty new to me too.” Rune sighed, taking another sip of whiskey. “I guess now is as good a time as any to ask, but what is our plan? Where are we headed after we get out of the forest?” Ronan went on. Neither of them had thought that far ahead. In their panic after discovering Erik they just…fled. But could they really run from this? They barely made it into the woods and down the path before they met imminent danger. And Rune kept going back to Erik’s murder. It was murder; it had to be. And she had a feeling that the Elk-creature had something to do with it. Mystery seemed to shroud everything like some hanging black mass that followed their every movement. “We can’t leave; not now. I have to figure out who killed Erik and I have a feeling that creature is involved somehow.” Rune blurted, not giving it any more thought. That wasn’t the answer Ronan expected and he gave it some time before he replied, “We had no plan. Going back is probably better for us in the long run because of the obvious. Everything we need is there.” What do you think? Rune decided to ask Vargr. He yawned as he replied; I have no opinion, really. But if you have an established homestead, you shouldn’t abandon it in fear. Stay and fight. “Alright. Then we head back to Imellom in the morning. Thankfully we didn’t make it too far before we decided that this wasn’t the holiday we wanted.” Rune corked the whiskey bottle before she set it down and stood up. “You sound disappointed.” Ronan could hear a tinge of irritation in her voice. “Not disappointed that we’re cancelling our trip, just that we’ve now wasted time and all because I acted out of fear.” Rune paused in her speech as a fat droplet of water hit her hand. Ronan wasn’t going to let her blame herself, “No, we both did. We discovered some messed up shite, thought we could run away from it, but we can’t. If us being together is triggering this, then it’s going to follow us no matter where we go together.” Rune’s mind automatically went to the worst case scenario. “Maybe we need to go our own separate ways to protect each other. I don’t want you getting hurt.” Her voice trailed off at the end. “Is that what you want?” Ronan asked, but he wanted to tell her no. Fuck no. He didn’t want to be separated from her, regardless of what those letters may have said. Rune wanted to say the same thing. She wanted to tell him that even if it meant that their lives were in danger, she wouldn’t leave his side…but if she had to leave him, she would. “I’m going to make sure the horses are secure and then I think I’m going to call it a night.” She didn’t answer him and instead skirted the subject as she slipped behind Ronan and over to the horses. He had tethered their reins low enough to make it comfortable for them to curl up in the dirt, and the two huddled close to one another. Rune could now feel the light tapping of rain and knew that a heavier downpour would follow soon. She had nothing to cover them with save for the hoods on their turnouts and worried about how they would fare in the rare case that the weather turned into more of a storm than just a downpour. Ward them too; just in case. Vargr could see her struggling with the idea and didn’t seem to mind butting into her thoughts. But she did as he suggested and marked the same symbols in the dirt around where the horses lay before she made sure they were covered up one more time and walked back to camp. Ronan wasn’t outside the tent and she felt panicked for a moment before he appeared from the bushes on the other side. “Had to take a piss.” He called out to her as he tip-toe ran back across the barrier. Rune should have probably done the same, but she was too exhausted and just wanted to climb in her sleeping bag and drift to sleep. She started to unzip the tent when Ronan stopped her. “Don’t think I forgot you never answered my question. You can’t just ignore me and expect it’ll magically go away.” Ronan had his fingers laid across hers as she still gripped the zipper. Rune pulled her hand away, hesitating before she spoke, “I don’t know what to say. Logic tells me that we should separate because of what Erik mentioned in his letter.” Ronan’s face fell at her words. “But my instinct tells me that we need to stay together. Us coming together may have signaled our location, but even if we split now, they already know where we are. We can’t protect each other if we are alone.” Rune finished what she had to say. Ronan let out a deflated sigh, “I think you’re right. Let’s get some sleep and then tomorrow we can head back to Imellom and figure out what to do from there.” Rune just nodded as she unzipped the tent and climbed in, stealing a glance at Vargr before Ronan entered behind her and zipped the flap. The temperature had dropped several degrees and the sound of rain splattering on the outside of the tent could be heard. Rune lay there in the dark, thinking about the safety of the horses, but she did what she could with what they had; she just hoped that it would be enough. “You warm enough?” Ronan’s voice broke the pattern of the rain that was now steadily falling from above. “Mm hmm.” She responded, but she really wasn’t. She hadn’t noticed until he asked, but she was shaking. Now, whether it was from the drop in temperature or her nerves, she wasn’t sure. “Well, if you get too cold I think we can zip these buggers together and—yeah.” Ronan suggested something that caused Rune’s stomach to flip. “Thanks.” She wasn’t sure what to say, but at least acknowledged that it was said. She heard Ronan mumble something, but couldn’t catch what as sleep started to force her eyes shut.
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Photo by sankavi on UnsplashWith knowlede comes fear Ronan woke up to the smell of sausage and eggs. He hadn’t smelled food that good or that fresh in months and it drew him from his sleepy state to find Rune sitting at a little table in the kitchen with a mug of something, a plate of food, and a book in her hand. She wore large round metal framed glasses, her long and unruly hair piled atop her head. She was obviously deep in her reading and didn’t hear him enter the kitchen, because she jumped, flinging her fork from her plate over her head.
“Morning.” Ronan stifled a laugh as he picked up the fork, rinsed it in the sink, and handed it back to Rune who had a sheepish look on her face. “Morning. There’s food left in the pan for you and a pot of coffee on the stove. If you’d rather have tea, the kettle still has hot water in it.” Rune greeted him, instructing him about breakfast before she went back to her book. She was clearly still distant this morning, but he had to give her time. “Where did you get the eggs?” Ronan wondered out loud as he sat next to her at the table with a cup of coffee and a plate of food. “I have chickens. I actually stole them from the neighbor who had a farm because who was going to take care of them if everyone was gone? I built a new coop out back and relocated all the ones that were alive and now I have fresh eggs whenever I want and they have full bellies and a warm place to sleep.” Rune explained, taking the last bite of her food before leaving her seat to wash her plate. “You’re a good person, Rune. I wish more people had thought like you. I saw so much farmland on the drive here and now it makes me wonder if all of those animals found a way to make it without any humans to take care of them.” Ronan complimented her, a little sad over this last thought, but she didn’t say anything. He glanced over to see her standing at the sink, nothing in her hands as the water poured over them. For a moment, she seemed like she wasn’t there, but she suddenly snapped back to reality and walked away from the sink with the water still on. She came over to Ronan, her brow furrowed heavily as she sat back down, her gaze on him. “You drove that truck into town?” Rune asked him. “Yup. Brought it from Vanguard.” Ronan confirmed. “Which road did you take into town?” Rune was ready with another question and it was now starting to make Ronan uneasy. “The only road I know, Rainbow Bridge Road.” Ronan couldn’t figure out where she was going with this. “Do me a favor: go take a shower, get dressed, and meet me out front. I want to show you something.” Rune swung out of her seat and headed towards the living room. Ronan didn’t want to question her and agreed, “Uh, ok. Where’s the bathroom?” “Down the hall, second door on the right. I don’t know if you brought any clean clothes with you, but Eric had some brand new stuff he stored away down here in the black plastic drawers in the bathroom. I’m going to go feed the chickens and the horses and we can meet out by the truck.” Rune replied, taking off her pajama shorts in favor of fleece leggings. Ronan just nodded before he grabbed his backpack and headed down the hall to the bathroom. In about a half an hour, Ronan was showered and dressed, and had come out to the truck to find Rune leaned against it with the same book in her gloved hand. It had gotten much colder overnight and Ronan shuddered as he walked through the front yard. Rune was smartly dressed in a warm coat with a hat on and her hood up, heavy boots on her small feet. “Here, put these on,” Rune handed Ronan a knit hat and a pair of rough leather gloves, “It gets cold fast up here.” Rune climbed in the truck and waited for Ronan to follow suit before he turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine a few times to get everything circulating. “Where to?” He asked, hands ready at the wheel. “To the entrance of town, where you came in.” Rune pointed in the direction of Rainbow Bridge Road. Ronan wanted to ask what she was going to show him and why she was being so cryptic, but he just did as she instructed him, figuring there was a good reason for the way she was acting. Either that, or she was really miffed at him and was going to take him to the edge of town and leave him there. They drove for about twenty minutes till they came to the center of Imellom and took the road that would lead them out of the village and down the back roads that wound through vast farmland and fields. Rune didn’t say a word, completely silent in the passenger’s seat as he drove. He started to notice little things that he hadn’t seen on his trip up: trees downed on the side of the road, some laying partially in the streets or over power lines, broken windows and crushed roofs on a few of the houses, and debris everywhere. Had there been a bad storm last night after they went to bed? The truck crested a hill, the final bump in their journey to the entrance of Imellom, but what met them on the other side made Ronan inhale sharply. He could see the sign that welcomed visitors to the town, but it was broken and partially submerged in water. In fact, the whole road had been washed out, a waterfall cascading down from the mountain in a makeshift river that carried mud and plant life out into the body of water on the other side of the road. Rune still hadn’t said a word as Ronan threw the truck into park and jumped out, racing to the edge of the water that flowed deeply across the road. Rune followed behind him, coming to stand right by his side as the two stared out across the turbulent water to the other side of the road they clearly were not able to get to. “Was there a storm last night?” Ronan turned to Rune, forgetting about what she wanted to show him. “No,” She shook her head, “This is what I wanted to show you.” Ronan didn’t quite understand and just shook his head in return, a look of confusion on his face. “There was a very bad storm that blew in from the bay a couple of weeks ago. Remember when we didn’t talk for a few days? The weather fucked with my signal. When the storm finally passed, I went out to see what damage there was and if my animals were alright. I think the dam on the other side of the mountain broke and caused a landslide.” Rune pointed ahead of her, “The road has been washed out for weeks, Ronan.” Ronan took a step back from the crumbling asphalt in disbelief. That was impossible. He drove down this road and straight into town yesterday without any problem. The road was intact; there was no turbulent river, or any obstacle that stood in his way. He just sped on in without a hitch. But here they were, standing in front of a washed out road, the only road that he knew of, that led into Imellom. “How is this possible?” Ronan finally turned to Rune, now feeling a little panicked himself. Of course, things were weird and he couldn’t explain what had happened, but he had mostly been watching everything happen from the sidelines. Now he had been involved directly in the high strangeness and felt completely disoriented. “You see now why I asked you how you got in here? It dawned on me when you were talking about driving by all the farms on the way up…how were you able to drive the truck into town across this?” Rune pointed at the river, “But you didn’t, did you?” Ronan shook his head feverishly, “No. The road wasn’t like this when I got here yesterday. The town didn’t look like it had been hit by a cyclone. But today, everything is different.” “It’s not different; you’re just seeing it differently.” Rune shook her head, taking off a glove as she knelt down to dip her hand in the icy water. “I don’t understand.” Ronan uttered, starting to pace. He walked up and down the width of the road, but couldn’t see any other way that he could have gotten in here. “We don’t understand any of this.” Rune stood, staring off into the trees of the mountain as the water cascaded over its face. “Maybe I came in another way and just thought I drove down this road.” Ronan was mostly talking to himself, trying to figure out where things went sideways. “Not possible. The only other way in or out of the town is up the mountain and the trail wasn’t made for modern vehicles. You came through here.” Rune responded, not looking Ronan’s way. She was still staring up at the mountain, at a grouping of trees that had caught her attention. She thought she saw a pair of antlers sticking up from the brush and she looked for the animal that it was attached to; she hadn’t seen many wild animals since everyone vanished. “I don’t know why I’m freaking out. It’s not like this is really that weird at this point, is it?” Ronan laughed, but clearly he was not able to grasp the ordeal. “No, I guess not.” Rune replied absentmindedly. The antlers had been still this whole time, but they now moved, rising up above the bushes as the creature stood. She thought that maybe it had been grazing this whole time, but the beast that stretched out above the brush wasn’t an elk or a deer. The antlers were attached to a skull, the skull to a man’s cloaked upper body, and the body attached to a pair of thick furry legs. Rune fought the urge to scream and instead slowly averted her eyes and turned towards Ronan who had final stopped pacing. “We need to go.” She whispered shakily, gently taking Ronan’s hand, “Don’t make any sudden moves.” Ronan could feel the tension in the air, the fear emanating from Rune in panicked waves. He didn’t question what she said and instead threw his arm around her shoulder as they carefully made their way back to the truck. Rune could feel the hollow gaze of whatever this creature was, following them to the truck. Ronan helped her into the cab and went around the back of the truck before he climbed into the driver’s side and the two subtly locked their doors. “Start the car. Don’t stare, but glance up at the mountain where the water has broken through the trees.” Rune spoke casually, buckling her seatbelt. Ronan did the same as he went to start the car. He momentarily let his eyes flicker to the windshield, trying to catch what Rune was talking about. There, standing out from the bare trees was a beast with the skeletal head of an elk and the legs of a bear. He immediately started the truck, threw it into drive, and made a hasty U-turn right in front of the washed out road before they were speeding back into town. “What the fuck was that?” Ronan was scared, unsure of what he had just seen. “I don’t know. The antlers caught my attention while we were talking, but it was low in the brush. I saw it stand and then I decided we needed to get the hell out of there.” Rune was steadying her breathing, trying to keep her wits about her. There was no way that thing could catch up with them, but Rune couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been watching them for a while and that it was far more intelligent than just some animal. (*) “How did I get here, Rune? I keep thinking about it, but I can’t make it make sense.” Ronan was perched on the edge of the sofa, a glass of whiskey in hand. “How did a meteor shower make everyone disappear? Why did a little metal box try to drive me mad and make me kill you? I mean, we read a letter from my neighbor to my gran that basically says I’m some sort of alien. Oh, and don’t forget about whatever the hell that was that we saw on the mountain.” Rune was huddled up under a blanket, the bottle of whisky in her hand. “I wonder if there is anything more in that file that could give us some answers. And what about Erik’s computer where you found the meteor info?” Ronan wondered aloud, finishing his glass. “I don’t know. I did a good bit of research, but there are probably things I missed.” Rune returned, slightly scolding herself for not doing more thorough searching. “Mind if I take a crack at it? I’m pretty good with computers and maybe I can find something.” Ronan suggested. “By all means. I’m no tech wizard and do better with ink and paper. I’ll go through the file and see if there is anything in there.” Rune crept out from beneath her blanket and went to retrieve the file before she pointed out the desktop computer that sat with her radio equipment. Ronan set to work on the computer while Rune settled into the sofa with the file folder and the two went quiet for some time as they immersed themselves in their individual research. They paused every so often to use the bathroom or get something to drink, but neither wanted to think about what was actually happening without more details to back it up; it was only going to drive them both mad. Ronan thought he had found a few things, but it wasn’t anything Rune didn’t already know, though he learned a bit himself. But then he hit on something. “Rune, come look at this.” He called from the office chair. Rune scooted the pile of scattered papers out of her lap and came to see what he had discovered. “I found an article that Erik saved about the meteor warning from the anonymous astronomer in the same folder as this.” Ronan pulled up a word document that was worded like a diary entry. It had been written by Erik in the beginning of the year and it detailed the meteor shower that he had discovered. There wasn’t supposed to be a meteor shower at the end of March, but Erik had seen it coming. He detailed how panicked it made him, that he felt like it wasn’t the Aurora Meteor Shower coming early, but something else completely. He claimed that he didn’t have much time and he needed to tell Rune about everything because he knew that her grandmother didn’t have long to live. Erik rambled for a little bit more, mentioning another person that wasn’t himself or Rune’s grandmother, but he never gave a name. They knew about Rune and what she wasn’t and that there was another like her, but there wasn’t anything he could do for the other; there wasn’t time. But he had to tell Rune, explain everything, and show her the box. It was set up to go off when the Aurora Meteor Shower peaked again, but he feared they would appear sooner, and he had to warn Rune before the box would have a chance. It would only really give her a moment’s notice anyway. He would tell her. He would tell her soon when he felt like she was ready. Soon. “It was him. And the box…the box was supposed to warn me of the shower and it did, but—it was too late and that doesn’t explain the voice. And why would I need a warning before the shower came around again? He never told me anything, even after gran died. He got really neurotic, like he wasn’t well, and I offered my assistance, but he wouldn’t accept it. It seems like he didn’t know exactly when this new shower would peak, so he couldn’t be prepared. It looked like he had been living down here, though. He was scared, but I don’t know of what exactly.” Rune stepped away from the computer, trying to piece together the puzzle that they had uncovered. “We just have to keep looking. We’re bound to come across the answers we’re looking for.” Ronan went back to clicking around on the computer and Rune sat down on the sofa and started picking through papers again. It wasn’t long before she came across another letter that had been written from Erik to her grandmother. It was in an envelope that was postmarked and sent from a city that Rune didn’t recognize the name of. My Dear Nora, We found him. Our new friend did some intense tracking and found out where he is. He’s alive, but rather touched from the whole ordeal. A lovely couple found him wandering down a dirt road, confused and ill, so they took him in. But he’s got bits of his memory and what he does remember, is driving him a bit mad. Our friend wants to take him back, but after what they have told us about what is going on, I don’t think it the best idea. I think the boy needs a new home; just like the one you’ve given Rune. We can’t take him, but I may know a couple who can. The only issue is his state of mind. I will send you another letter when I know more. -Erik P.S. You can send a letter to this address if you’d like. I would love an update on Rune’s condition when you can. I worry about her too. Rune’s breath caught in her throat. This letter mentioned the “other one” that was like her, the one in Erik’s diary entry. She wasn’t the only one that fell to Earth that night. But who was this other person? And where were they now? Were they gone just like the rest? And who in the hell was this new friend that Erik spoke of? She folded up the letter and put it aside before she found another from the same address. Rune quickly opened it up to see if Erik had written anymore about the other mysterious person. Dear Sweet Nora, I think we have found a solution. I have convinced the dear couple that I am with child services and that the young man is a runaway and needs to be returned to foster care. Our friend revealed that he has a way to calm the young man’s mind and ease his troubles. He can’t wipe the young man’s memory entirely, but he can ease the damage that has been done and try to cloud what happened before. If Rune has similar issues, he said he can help her too. I know you feel terrible, wishing that she will wake up not remembering a thing, but it’s probably for the best. Our friend says that if they know, they could become targets and his people won’t take Rune in. The other one is an exception, he says, but he won’t tell me why. I apologize for my ramblings, but I am coming to a point. I contacted old commune friends of mine who have been looking to foster an older child after their youngest went off to university several years ago. I didn’t tell them what we were dealing with, but I did mention that this wasn’t exactly by the books and they seemed to be fine with it. They’re arranging a flight from England to come get him and then I will be home. Thank you for the letter about Rune; I’m glad she’s stable. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Love, Erik This envelope had several letters stuffed into it, so Rune continued on to the next one dated in chronological order from the last. She was practically shaking as she made her eyes focus on the words in front of her. Dear Nora, Irena and Norman Grey came for him today. Our friend was able to stabilize his mind and convinced him that he had been through some rough years but that he was going home with a new family, one that would keep him safe and never hurt him. I have a feeling that something happened that our friend is aware of, but I won’t press the subject. He’s not happy that we are sending the boy away and he knows that he can’t follow because of his duties here. Eventually, he will explain things to us, or so he says. He is really very mysterious, but I trust him for whatever reason. He also told me that the boy and Rune aren’t related in any way and that he has no idea who Rune actually is, but he obviously knows the young man. He told me to let the Grey’s know that his name is Ronan. He wanted him to at least remember that. I’ll be home in just a few short days; our friend wants to show me something before we come back. -Erik Rune clearly made a horrible strangled sound because Ronan spun around in the office chair with a look of alarm. By this point she was starting to hyperventilate as she stood up with a lap full of papers, the letters in hand. She must have looked horrified, because Ronan recoiled at first. She thrust the letters in his face and was finally able to utter the words, “Read them.” Ronan took the pieces of paper from her and read them one by one in order, his eyes getting wider and his skin paler with each page. He finally got to the last one and Rune watched his face drop, all the color draining from his skin as his arm fell to his side and he stared at her, slack jawed. “Were your adoptive parents named Irena and Norman?” Rune asked, her voice quivering. Ronan nodded. “I’m a bloody alien too.” Ronan felt around behind him for the chair before he dropped his full weight into it. “Did we dig too deep, too quick?” Rune thought her head was going to explode. “I don’t know, but after what we saw out there today and now this, I don’t know if I feel safe here. What if we’re being watched? Erik said it would be safer if we were separated. What if us coming together tripped a wire and now someone, or something, is after us? I honestly don’t have a good answer here.” Ronan was rocking back and forth in his chair now. “Do we try and leave town? Or will it follow us?” Rune was trying to think of a solution. “I don’t know, but it may be good to see if there is another route out. You mentioned the trail that leads through the mountain. Where does it come out?” Ronan asked curiously. “On the other side of the inlet, closer to where you were living. Erik said they used to ride horses that way when they were younger and carts used to travel through there all the time in the town’s early days as a safer way to get around the bay when weather was bad. Erik has a shed out back and the neighbors with the chickens also have two horses that I feed and try to take care of. We could hook them up to the cart and try to head out that way. Maybe we need to head towards a city and away from rural areas.” Rune had a lump in her throat as she spoke. “You think we’ll run into that thing in the forest?” Ronan asked nervously. “I don’t know. We saw it on the complete opposite side of town and it isn’t like it can read our minds. If we get the cart and pack up some stuff now, we can leave while it’s still daylight and make it a good ways before we will need to stop. No matter when we leave, we are going to have to spend at least one night on the mountain. I have all the equipment and supplies we need, but we need to start now. The weather was looking a little bleak this morning and we don’t want to get stuck in the rain before we can make shelter.” Rune started gathering all the papers before she stuffed them back in their folder. “Ok, we’re doing this now. Good. What’s the first thing we need to do?” Ronan was ready to be directed. “Pack necessities: dry clothes, personal hygiene items, food, water, shelter, first-aid, survival kit, blankets.” Rune started ticking things off on her fingers. “Alright, just point me in the right direction.” Ronan was amazed at how organized her mind became when he asked her what needed to be done. Rune did so and the two were off, gathering what they needed to survive outside the safety of the bunker. The two spent the better part of an hour gathering everything they needed and packing it in large military style duffle bags before they hauled it to the surface for their next step of retrieving the horses. They were two beautiful creatures, one stallion and one mare, both saddle-broken and delighted to see the two who had come to liberate them. Rune fed them some fresh hay from a bale by the gate before she hopped the fence and beckoned for Ronan to follow. The horses trailed behind them as the two made their way to the barn where the animals slept and kept cool from the sun. It looked like it had recently been mucked and picked up; Ronan assuming that this was Rune’s doing. She showed him how to saddle the horses and the two mounted their respective horses and left through a gate on the original owner’s property, coming down the dirt road that ran alongside of Rune’s house. They rode them down into Erik’s property and around the side of his house where the large shed sat that Erik had used as his workshop. Rune knew he had an old wagon in there that he used for hay bale rides in town for the kids around Halloween. They could just hook the horses up and ride out of town safely. “Can you help me get the doors open; they always stick. I kept telling Erik he needed to do something about that, but he didn’t listen.” Rune rambled as she walked towards the shed. A strange smell hovered around the building, a smell that was putrid and rancid. “Sure thing…oh, God. What’s that smell?” Ronan had now come close enough to catch a whiff. “Honestly, this is farmland. Some sort of animal probably crawled in there, couldn’t figure out how to escape, and died. We’ll just toss it out into the woods if we find it.” Rune replied. She had fiddled with the padlock, listening for the click when the dial hit the right number. After two tries she finally got it right and pulled the lock free from the handle. With Ronan behind her, the two tugged at the door, it groaning in protest as they did. They pulled harder, rocking it back and forth, before it finally gave way and slid wide open, belching the stench of rotting flesh right in their faces. But it wasn’t an animal. In the middle of the shed was the cart, piled with decaying straw from last October. But draped over the top in the beginning stages of decomposition was the human body of a man. One that Rune knew well. “Oh, Erik!” Rune gasped in anguish, backing away from the shed with her hand over her mouth. She started to gag before she ran to the tree line and vomited eggs, sausage, and whiskey all over the brittle grass. Ronan didn’t even hesitate. He yanked the sliding door shut and popped the padlock back in place before he hurried over to Rune to see if she was alright. She had vomited again and was now crying, knelt in the grass as she sobbed. “I—I don’t understand. What happened to him? Why is he here but all the others are gone? I’m fucking terrified, Ronan. Now I do feel like we are being hunted for some reason.” Rune finally stood, clinging to Ronan for support. “Then we need to get the fuck out of here. We’ll pack the horses with the bags and ride out that way. We’ve got a tent and everything we need to set up camp. We can’t stay here right now.” Ronan gathered Rune in his arms and led her back up to the horses who were now jerking around at their posts, the scent of decaying flesh finally meeting their nostrils; they knew something was wrong. Rune remembered last minute to feed the chickens and feed them well before the two loaded the duffle bags on the back of the horses and mounted them once again before they directed the animals to the other end of town at a speed no slower than a gallop. They had to put as much distance as they could between them and the dead body in the shed. |
E.M. MoonStories from the World Wide Weird Archives
December 2021
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