rolled over his back. The dirt pile behind him began to rise, swirling around the hole like a whirlwind. Growing fiercer and fiercer the swirling dirt froze before crashing down like hail and filling the hole, hurling the comatose night back into its silent trance. . . .
Cody slowly opened his eyes again. Jade shook her head disbelievingly. “So, this dirt just flew into the air all by itself . . . like magic? All because you spoke some enchanted words . . . words which, by the way, you’ve never heard before and can’t even remember? Cody, what’s going on here?”
“I’m telling you, that’s what I saw. I think it’s the Book. There’s something special about it. It’s like the words . . . spoke through me somehow . . . like it was just borrowing my mouth . . .” Jade snickered, “Cody, it’s a book ! Books don’t speak !”
“Don’t treat me like a child, I saw what I saw. Besides, either way, that dirt cage won’t contain the creature for long. We need to get out of here.”
Jade nodded silently—she wholeheartedly agreed.
Running through the streets, they turned the corner and came upon Jade’s house. “Cody, grab as much food from the kitchen as you can fit in your backpack. I’ll grab whatever else we might need. We’ve got to be out of here in five minutes.” The two divided and set off on their tasks.
Several minutes later the duo reconvened at the front door, both wearing full backpacks. “Ready?” Cody timidly nodded his affirmation. “Then let’s get out of here.”
“What about your mother?”
Jade looked down at her, still passed out on the sofa. I’m sorry, Mom.
Jade shook her head slowly. “We’re in too deep now to involve anybody else. The farther away we are, the safer she’ll be. We need to leave. There’s no time for second thoughts.” Jade quickly scribbled a note on a napkin and left it on her mother’s chest. Then, without looking back, she turned and left the house. Is this the last time I will ever see my mother?
Neither of them spoke as Jade led the way down the street. In the heat of the escape, Cody thought little about the predator. Now, in the silence of the night, he felt terror grip him. What is that thing?
When he had first made out the grotesque shape through the window after Wesley’s murder, he had refused to accept what he had seen. But now, having stared helplessly as the Beast readied itself to devour his best friend, the reality of the situation hit Cody with full force. He did not know what it was, but he did know what it was not —natural. Cody had the sickening feeling that they now were involved in something much larger than either of them could imagine. A rustle in the bushes startled Cody. Jade heard it, too. “We need to keep moving. Let’s pick up the pace.”
After twenty minutes of tense speed walking, they turned a corner and Cody realized where they were heading. “The train station? Where are we going?” Jade pulled the ruby pocket watch from her coat and motioned to the short hand pointing at nine o’clock.
“West.”
They walked up the long set of stairs leading into the station. It was still early, so the large building was sparse with people, only a few officers and travelers scurried about. Jade confidently marched up to the ticket booth. “Two one-way tickets to Los Angeles please, on the next available train.” The ticket agent eyed the two travelers uneasily; the full backpacks had not gone unnoticed.
“That’s a pretty long trip kids. Whatcha’ heading there for at this hour?” Jade’s tongue went numb in her throat.
“We . . . um . . . we . . . were . . .” she stumbled. Cody jumped in front of his bumbling friend, “Sir, our mother is visiting our sick grandmother there. She has taken an unexpected turn for the worst, we just hope we manage to reach her before she . . . before she . . .” Cody paused for a moment to gather his emotions. “Before she passes onto the next life. It’s just . . .
Cody slowly opened his eyes again. Jade shook her head disbelievingly. “So, this dirt just flew into the air all by itself . . . like magic? All because you spoke some enchanted words . . . words which, by the way, you’ve never heard before and can’t even remember? Cody, what’s going on here?”
“I’m telling you, that’s what I saw. I think it’s the Book. There’s something special about it. It’s like the words . . . spoke through me somehow . . . like it was just borrowing my mouth . . .” Jade snickered, “Cody, it’s a book ! Books don’t speak !”
“Don’t treat me like a child, I saw what I saw. Besides, either way, that dirt cage won’t contain the creature for long. We need to get out of here.”
Jade nodded silently—she wholeheartedly agreed.
Running through the streets, they turned the corner and came upon Jade’s house. “Cody, grab as much food from the kitchen as you can fit in your backpack. I’ll grab whatever else we might need. We’ve got to be out of here in five minutes.” The two divided and set off on their tasks.
Several minutes later the duo reconvened at the front door, both wearing full backpacks. “Ready?” Cody timidly nodded his affirmation. “Then let’s get out of here.”
“What about your mother?”
Jade looked down at her, still passed out on the sofa. I’m sorry, Mom.
Jade shook her head slowly. “We’re in too deep now to involve anybody else. The farther away we are, the safer she’ll be. We need to leave. There’s no time for second thoughts.” Jade quickly scribbled a note on a napkin and left it on her mother’s chest. Then, without looking back, she turned and left the house. Is this the last time I will ever see my mother?
Neither of them spoke as Jade led the way down the street. In the heat of the escape, Cody thought little about the predator. Now, in the silence of the night, he felt terror grip him. What is that thing?
When he had first made out the grotesque shape through the window after Wesley’s murder, he had refused to accept what he had seen. But now, having stared helplessly as the Beast readied itself to devour his best friend, the reality of the situation hit Cody with full force. He did not know what it was, but he did know what it was not —natural. Cody had the sickening feeling that they now were involved in something much larger than either of them could imagine. A rustle in the bushes startled Cody. Jade heard it, too. “We need to keep moving. Let’s pick up the pace.”
After twenty minutes of tense speed walking, they turned a corner and Cody realized where they were heading. “The train station? Where are we going?” Jade pulled the ruby pocket watch from her coat and motioned to the short hand pointing at nine o’clock.
“West.”
They walked up the long set of stairs leading into the station. It was still early, so the large building was sparse with people, only a few officers and travelers scurried about. Jade confidently marched up to the ticket booth. “Two one-way tickets to Los Angeles please, on the next available train.” The ticket agent eyed the two travelers uneasily; the full backpacks had not gone unnoticed.
“That’s a pretty long trip kids. Whatcha’ heading there for at this hour?” Jade’s tongue went numb in her throat.
“We . . . um . . . we . . . were . . .” she stumbled. Cody jumped in front of his bumbling friend, “Sir, our mother is visiting our sick grandmother there. She has taken an unexpected turn for the worst, we just hope we manage to reach her before she . . . before she . . .” Cody paused for a moment to gather his emotions. “Before she passes onto the next life. It’s just . . .
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