Horns and Halos, page 2
We all hugged again. The last to leave my side was daddy. He helped me tighten the machete to my hip. His rich brown gaze was transfixed on the newly sharpened weapon.
“It’ll serve me well, daddy.”
When I spoke, he snapped out of his haze. Slowly, his eyes lifted to me and I could see the mist forming in them. “Don’t stop swinging until you’re sure,” he stated quietly.
“And then I will swing again to be sure,” I said.
We hugged one last time, and I watched their sad faces disappear behind the massive, wooden doors as they closed shut and sealed me to my undesired fate.
Chapter 2:
Gnashing Teeth, Scratching Claws
I had left shortly after the reality settled in that the doors would never again open for me. It didn’t take long for me to accept it. Besides, there was an arduous journey ahead of me, and sitting at the front gates like a lost soul would do me no favors in the long run.
There weren’t a lot of options in which direction to go. My village was about a day’s walk from the ocean. There was nothing but miles upon miles of water, sand, and minimal places to hide. To the east was the Wilds. Endless stretches of forgotten cities and towns that were overtaken by fast-growing forests, and they harbored enough shadows to hide countless unpleasant beasts. If there was any chance that I was going to survive a possible one-week trek to one of the faith cities, I’d need to head north and hug the base of the mountain ranges. That way, I would have the potential of hiding away in one of the many caves at the end of each day. If I couldn’t, I could hide on a high ledge, giving me the advantage if I were to be attacked. It would also provide me with a landmark to help keep me heading in the right direction.
I was already checking the canteen with quiet calculations. I found it hard to not sip when my mouth felt dry or when I felt pangs of hunger start to stir. I would need to find a clean water source in the next day or so. It was another reason why the highlands were the better option to traverse through. There was a natural spring in them, and it dumped into the Red River. The river made a sharp turn and split off before cutting to the east, traveling straight to—and through—the Wilds, while the other stream followed the line of the mountains.
As I walked, I noted a rattler and gave it plenty of room to carry on its way. It gave a shake of its tail in warning as it slithered along its course. I picked up a nearby stick and prodded at the ground ahead of me as I continued to walk. I wasn’t looking to limp around in the Wastes until I died from a snake bite. However, I much preferred the snakes instead of the darker, crueler things that lay in waiting out in the vast and desolate stretch of dry, barren land.
The mountains ahead were my guide. For however long I’d be journeying, I would follow them and seek shelter along the way within tucked-away caves or nearby towns and villages that dwelled in their shadows. I wasn’t sure how many of those communities would openly accept me, so I was already mentally preparing myself with backup plans for when the worst came to pass. It was better to be equipped for any situation when one was cast out into the Wastes.
As I surveyed the area and the placement of the sun in the sky, I stumbled over a large rock and sucked in a sharp breath of air. While rubbing my shin, I sighed and thought about gathering dry wood as I walked. It would be extra weight added to my heavy load that would weigh me down, inevitably slowing my progress. Yet, they were things I was willing to accept because a fire meant warmth, a way to cook, a source of light that could repel creatures, and—if things got really bad—it could become a weapon. They were all pros that far outweighed the cons in my mind.
For the next several hours, I would gather sticks and pieces of wood at the base of the mountains until my arms were practically overflowing. Using the leather belt daddy had given me, I wrapped it around the bundle and threw it over my shoulder. Every so often, I would repeat this action until the belt couldn’t spare an inch. By that time, the sun was starting its slow descent in the sky. As it did, I tried to stifle the growing panic that was rising in me.
With night came shadows and sounds. There came danger, and I didn’t want to be left out in the open when dusk would be upon me. I wanted to be holed in a cave that I had thoroughly investigated and snuggled next to a warm fire long before that ever happened. As momma had said, I wanted to go to bed soon, though I doubted sleep would have much to do with me tonight.
Regardless of whether it would have me or not, I needed to find a safe place, set up camp, and try to get a little bit of rest as soon as possible. It was roughly three in the afternoon. I would need the extra time to do everything and eat before trying to get some shuteye. I wouldn’t eat meat tonight, I hadn’t caught anything, and the scent of fresh blood wouldn’t easily wash away if I managed to do so in the next hour. Thankfully, I had enough food in my pack that would last a good while before it would start to spoil.
As I started to climb up the rocky surface, I grasped onto memories and stories to snuff out my ever-intensifying anxiety. It helped to calm me down enough to where my hands weren’t shaking as I pulled myself up the face of the mountain. It wasn’t a sharp incline but it was steep, making hiking a slower process than walking, yet, not quite as slow as free-hand-climbing.
I remembered meemaw’s tales of the grand faith cities. I was heading to the northern one, the city known as Saint Augustine. It was one of the safest places for miles and miles. It was run by what we knew as the clergy fathers, and they were open to taking in wanderers and lost souls. It really was a safe haven for a homeless outcast like me. And anything was better than being huddled in a cramped, critter-infested cave crying myself to sleep every night until my early end. Finding somewhere I could settle down in and make a new home was definitely a number one goal of mine. It sure beats dodging death daily.
My stomach growled around the time that I had started to think about momma’s homemade stew and freshly baked bread. My eyes misted as the final memory that I had for my family played through my mind. I blinked past the tears as I homed in on a crevice up ahead. It looked like it would be deep enough to house me for a night and keep me safe from both elements and creatures alike. I quickened my pace, pausing only to catch my breath and give my limbs a small rest. I really wanted to get to that opening. And if I could find a way to—in a short amount of time—cover the entrance, I would have a little less to worry about tonight.
Once I reached the ledge that the hole was on, I looked over the side and gauged the distance to the ground below. There was a good bit of space between the rocky shelf and the dry, patchy earth below, making me less likely to be a target when the sun went down. Now, it was time to check out that hollow opening I had my sights set on. Hopefully—as my daddy would say—the stars were aligning for me.
Such a short walk had never felt so worrisome. Around the cave were a couple of thin, sickly shrubs clinging desperately to the little dirt that was collected on the mountain. I checked it with a few good prods from my walking stick and scouted the foliage to ensure nothing was crawling or slithering away. If a critter saw this as a home, I didn’t need to fend it off along with the nightmares that could potentially come knocking on my door later on. So far, everything seemed to be pretty good. Now, how was that space looking?
I peeked in and felt my stomach flip.
The crevice was narrow, with hardly enough space for me to shimmy inside without a lot of finesse and lots of grunting. But, it looked like it opened up further in. All good news for me. It would give me somewhere to hide, I could have swinging room if something found me, but it was tucked away enough that I doubted I would have anything come in deep enough to even know I was there. Or, at least, that was what I was hoping for.
I sighed heavily as I dropped my backpack next to the opening. I needed to get in further to make sure it was cleared out and set my things down before I would try to find a way to enclose the small entrance. For now, it felt good just to have the bag off my back. I stretched and felt a few pops along my spine that had me groan with a faint, thankful curve of my lips.
“It’s going to be a long trip,” I told myself. It was at this moment that I realized I needed to get used to talking to myself on this trip. I doubted that I would have any company on my journey.
Deciding that bunking alongside anything that might sting or hiss wasn’t accommodations I was willing to live with for the night, I poked my stick into the opening. The end slammed around the stony insides as I tried to rustle up or scare off anything that might call the space home. After hearing no protesting and not seeing anything rush out in a quick escape, I pushed my bag through the crevice and then scooted along behind it.
The opening was small. It took some muscle to scoot the backpack through into the larger opening on the other end. The rocky enclosure squeezed my body, sharper pieces of its edges threatened to break skin while the rough walls stung my sides and belly as I pushed through despite the limited space to move in.
With dedication and a few awkward maneuvers, I managed to get myself and everything inside. The entrance to the area had been misleading, and the shadows did me no favors when I had scoped out the spot. It was actually larger inside than expected. And, as an added bonus, there was a small tunnel overhead that opened up to clear skies. Double score for me. I had managed to find a nice hideout that had natural ventilation so I wouldn’t be suffocating from the fire’s smoke later on that night. Now, all I needed to do was craft a woven door with a few straggling sticks and leaves and any light from tonight’s fire would be hidden. This meant I would live to see another day of trudging through the Wastes.
I propped my firewood against one wall and went ahead with setting up where I would sleep for the night. After the blanket had been rolled out, I gathered up my machete and army-crawled out of the opening to get to work on making a door to lean against the crack.
“If you ever get stuck out in the Wastes, keep noise to a minimum.”
“Remember they feed on negativity. Try to stay positive or neutral at best.”
“Stay clean. The scent of blood will call them to you. Never clean what you’ve killed where you rest.”
“Sleep at dusk or dawn. The night is too dangerous to let down your guard.”
“Stay hydrated. Stay well-rested. Stay alert.”
“Never stop fighting.”
The collected voices of those I had grown up around and known all my life sounded through my mind as their words of wisdom reminded me of the dangers that awaited me in the hours to come. I wasn’t ready. Even if I had trained all my life, I would never be ready.
I took in another slow breath in hopes that it would calm my thundering heartbeat. It didn’t work. I had managed to weave a flimsy door, though. I used a few leafy branches, wove them through the sticks, and nodded approvingly at what I had created. With all my work done, I headed back up to the ledge, fixed the door in place, and shimmied my way back into the space I would call home for the night.
Once inside, I grabbed a ration of food and dug in. My meal tasted bland. My water didn’t seem to quench my thirst. The shadows seemed darker, and my mood was steadily tanking. I shook it off and slapped my thigh. “Get over it, Sia. You’re not a baby anymore,” I told myself angrily. But the harsh words didn’t help my sinking spirit.
Momma always was better at this sort of thing. She always knew what to say. Daddy would seal the deal with a big, strong hug as he silently said all the things with his embrace that momma couldn’t with her words. Meemaw would swoop in with a story to steal my attention and make me feel like I was miles away from whatever hell we were all living in. I hugged myself and reenacted the time that my dog, Candy, died.
Daddy had gathered me up in his arms for one of his memorable hugs that stretched on forever. Momma had managed to sum up everything from how I met her right up until the moment she passed away, bringing a strange peace over me. Meemaw brought snacks and told all the stories of trouble Candy and I would get into. Before long, my tears had stopped flowing and I was laughing again. My heart hurt, but I had found things to comfort me.
Slowly, I lay back on my bed and enjoyed the cool press of the stone soaking through my blanket. Now that I was out of the sun, I could feel my body winding down as I cooled off. The sleep I had been worried about not getting was now urging me to give my tired limbs some reprieve. My eyes walked through the small opening, and I could still see the sun through bits of the woven door. If I slept now, I would wake up at nightfall. If the pitch-black didn’t wake me, the sounds that sundown brought would.
Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I tried to settle in for a few hours of shuteye. I prepped a fire on the far side of the cave, checked my belongings, took one more sip of water, and curled up in my bed. Though I had to keep my mind from straying to unpleasant thoughts, I managed to fall fast asleep before too long.
It was the undeniable wash of dread that woke me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and—despite my body wrestling with a very natural fight or flight response—I lay still as I scanned the dark, quiet stones surrounding me. It wasn’t a strong presence. It was a faint one. Not many things could force me out of sleep with the distinct feeling of anxiety and dread. The creature was probably a leech.
Leeches weren’t the worst thing to come across in the Wastes, but they could call others if you weren’t careful. They earned their name because they would linger where fear, sadness, and anxiety were, and they consume that same negative energy after they amplify it. This would leave the victim feeling sluggish, depressed, and nervous about every movement and sound which had a very good chance of gaining the attention of much worse demons. The signs that a leech was in a room was the fear that had washed over me without any reason. That was because leeches emit an aura that causes people around them to feel what they pump out, making it easier to find their prey and consume the victim’s negative feelings.
I made sure to keep my emotions in check until I was sure if there was or wasn’t a leech in the area. Slow, steady breathing helped while I mentally told myself that I was in control. My eyes pierced through the dusky depths of the cave. To my dismay, I saw it in the far corner.
An oblong-shaped, charcoal-colored ball of writhing worms pulsated in midair as it combed over the rocky walls ... searching. It was see-through, but I could still make out the disgusting, wiggling tentacles that slithered and caressed the air in a less than appealing way. I focused on mentally blocking myself the way daddy had always told me to. Fearing that happy memories would turn into me missing my family and friends, I thought of nothing. I focused on my surroundings to list off things that I saw. It made it easier to feel no emotions and be invisible to the leech. Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t a lot of scenery to mentally check off. As I fumbled in my tired state, I panicked.
Worst decision ...
My heartbeat stumbled, and I sucked in a sharp breath out of reflex. I closed my eyes and thought of nothing but limitless black and stretches of empty spaces. I thought of the night sky. I mentally imagined the stars and named all of the ones I could remember until I drew blanks. Opening my eyes, I homed back in on the undulating mass and thought of the stone walls while I tried to notice if it had picked up on my blunder. For a moment, I was sure that I had dodged the bullet.
The lesser demon pulsated a few times before it was so faint that it couldn’t be seen. A bit of tension left me the moment that the leech blipped out of view. I could feel my heartbeat drumming through my limbs and that beat quickened to a chaotic tempo when it reappeared in the tiny cave.
Squirming mounds of wormy arms spastically writhed in the air all around the creature. It didn’t have any eyes, but it didn’t need them to know that I was there. The first, distinct wave of horror crashed into me, and I felt my body buckle to the will of the lesser demon. I could feel my chest tighten, and my mind was flooded with millions of worries that I had ever concocted in my life, and they were all dumped on me in a single moment without warning. I gasped and scrambled to flip over as it manifested into something more tangible and less shadowy.
The fire was nothing more than embers, and I couldn’t use it as a weapon. I felt a little more confident when my hand brushed over the handle of the machete. It was sheathed and fastened to the belt that I had put next to my makeshift bed. As I rolled back over, I swiped at the air, and the leech faded from sight a split second before I would have made contact. I silently cursed and quickly realized that I was more exposed than I would have wanted. I had to cut my losses and find higher ground until daybreak. Once the sun came up, I would venture back to the campsite, collect everything, and press on at double the speed of the day before. I needed to put as much distance between me and the area the leech had sensed me in.
There was only one problem with my plan ... It wasn’t just that it was already several hours into nightfall. It wasn’t just that I would be a sitting duck until morning. It wasn’t just that I would be trying to free-hand-climb a mountain with zero light on the night before a new moon. All of those things were manageable. Undesirable but manageable.
No. It was none of those things. The real problem with my plan was the two, red, glowing eyes that had eerily fixed themselves on me from the entrance of the cave. My heart plummeted, and the urge to scream and vomit hit me at the same time. Neither impulse won me over because, within seconds, my desire to live overrode any other natural reaction to the fear-inducing situation I was in.
I hadn’t come this far to be done in on the first night. I wasn’t going to be an easy victim. I was going to fight and make them regret picking me because I was going to cut them down piece by piece until I couldn’t swing my blade anymore. I may not live through the night, but I made myself a silent promise that as long as I had breath in me, I was going to do whatever I needed to in order to survive.
The demon hissed at me with an unnaturally wide, sharp-toothed grin that was painted in malicious victory. Gray, leathery, translucent skin that looked like it was covered in a thin sheet of slime glistened under the minimal starlight from outside. The thing slowly squeezed through the opening and cautiously crawled toward me, licking its lips with a quiet, wheezy laugh. Goosebumps coated my body as the sound it made was dripping with silent taunts and promises of unfathomable pain. It didn’t speak though, meaning that it was most likely a grunt.
