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(Page 2 of 2) Her Nightmare by Roy Radian
 (3 ratings)
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The whole place resembled the lair of a wild beast. This was the place where the forebears of Tuscan Downs had built their home, the abandoned village of Thornmoor.
"I think we can safely assume where the wood's name derived from," Giles chuckled.
"Yeah, and we found their god," Rupert pointed his finger to a creature at the entrance to the village.
His whole body was covered in a black and scaly skin, the claws of his hands glinting in the sunshine as he crawled towards Rupert. His yellow and bloodshot red eyes stared at them as the creature bared his fangs. A were wolf.
"Our prey!" hissed Rupert.
***
Giles couldn't forget that day. He barely heard Rupert shout for a distraction as he took a deep steady breath and held it. He let the breath out slowly, and he started to feel the air dancing around him, the rapid thump of wolf's feet as it charged. Giles crouched down and touched the hard ground, tracing the multiple lines within it and coaxing them to bend to his wish. He added a little flavour from the swishing wind and the grains of sand moved, the soil rising as he shaped a hand from it. The hand flew and caught the wolf's feet.
He was startled, caught in mid air. It was all Rupert needed as the air in front of him shimmered, shaping into the likeness of a fist, and he pummelled the mass of accumulated air at the wolf.
Giles winced as those two brawled, claw flashes and another massive concentration of air hit back. It left him wondering who was more dangerous. But it wasn't the fight that he couldn't forget. It was the legacy of the wolf which haunted him, a little girl barely five stood transfixed there, staring with eyes wide.
"Shall I finish this pup too?" drawled Rupert behind the wolf's carcass. He pulled his knife out and smeared it upon his already blood soaked robe. "I bet she's infected, an apple never falls far from the tree."
"Leave the child alone, Rupert. We don't kill innocents," Giles retorted with a note of anger.
"Well, alright. I had my fun."
"Are you okay, child?" her eyes stared somewhere far away and she smiled.
***
As she smiled she bared her teeth, a white fang protruding from her gums, she opened up her hand and her claws glinted red.
"Is the blood what you sought, child?"
She hissed and clawed at the air. Giles shook his head, and wept inside as he pulled the blade from its sheath. Much to his dismay the girls smile grew wider.
"Does living your childhood in this peaceful village pain you, child? Have you awakened from the nightmare..."
She leapt forward, both arms swinging wide. Giles took a backward step and pulled the sheet from the bed. The girl bounced backwards, hopped to the wall and then went flying at Giles.
"Is life your nightmare, child?" sighed Giles with a mournful look. "Then let me put you out of your misery."
He threw the sheet out. Her flying body was instantly shrouded by the thin sheet which wrapped about her hands and obstructed her vision. Giles tightened his grip upon the knife and thrust it into her in a single stroke. Her body went limp and she crashed to the floor as the dead weight pulled her down. The white sheet turned red with the blood that oozed from her chest.
Giles pulled the sheet up, covering her smiling face.
"Sleep well, child. Have good dreams."
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